The Power of Engagement

Recently, on Aspire Gallery's Facebook page, I shared a fairly innocuous post from Frankie Magazine's Facebook page, calling for knitters to jump on board and knit teeny jumpers for penguins in rehabilitation.

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"The jumpers" Frankie wrote, " were to prevent birds caught in oil spills from cleaning toxic gunk off with their beaks". Even a free knitting was provided.

Penguin Jumper Pattern

I didn't think much about it apart from all being dreadfully cute until I was sent the following linked comic. The comic inferred that although it sounded lovely and big-hearted, the jumpers would distress the penguins. The jumpers instead were being placed on toy birds.

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So being a factual person and wanting facts I went straight to the source, Penguin Foundation, Phillip Island and discovered YES, the jumpers were still wanted.

Knits for Nature
"Knits for Nature is an ongoing program that begun after a number of oil spills near Phillip Island in the late 1990s to early 2000s, the program continues to support little penguin conservation on Phillip Island through knitting in a number of ways. The Penguin Foundation raises vital funds for little penguin research, conservation and the Wildlife Clinic through the sale of little penguin jumpers we receive that are the wrong size, shape, type of wool or in excess. These can be purchased at the Penguin Parade gift shop and are part of our Adopt a Penguin Pal kids pack. We have a good stockpile of jumpers suitable for rehabilitation purposes which we also distribute to other wildlife rescue centres where need be. Little penguin jumpers are also used as an educational tool to teach students and others about the devastating effects marine and coastal pollution has on marine wildlife and the environment."
See original link here.

However, what I was most interested in, is, how this story is a wonderful example of the power of getting people involved, and how such engagement can collectively raise awareness and ultimately funds to a cause. The Penguin Foundation could have rattled tins or ran television advertisements - but by allowing people to become part of a solution they achieved a far better end result.

So, let's translate this to the design and arts community. We have in this world a group of passionate, creative people who think outside the box and take chances........WOW.......imagine what can be achieved, if this group acted as a collective whole.

We have seen examples of this already happening. Calls for changes to Intellectual Property Law through submissions and petitions have created written changes to Design Registration and The Royalty Scheme.

However, it a movements such as Yarn Bombing that creates the momentous waves that ripple through the world. Yarn Bombing is street art that involves colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn that reclaim and personalise sterile or public spaces. It also has encompassed many agendas - from the promotion of the craft industry, awareness to the wool industry to social and humanitarian causes i.e. the homeless.

See original post here

See original post here

Original post here

This engagement of people, or people power should never be underestimated. It can create change and benefit yourself personally in the process.

The concept of Aspire Gallery, could be thought of as idealistic, but I THINK NOT. That would be underestimating the people who become involved.

I think creating a simple formula that allows awareness, sharing, encouraging and promoting which is the concept also behind Aspire Gallery will allow everyone to flourish in the process. 
I will keep you up to date on the journey.

Kreative Kisses,
Donagh

More Happy Accidents

The past few weeks have been fraught with challenges both resulting in success and failure.

I know I have said before that the online website is getting closer, but this time I really mean it. I am doing the run through again to ensure no glitches - then off we go... finally! It will be a big relief if everything is fine, because then I can present another platform to the wonderful creative artwork out there.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to focus completely on finishing due to some other unforeseeable circumstances that required priority. That is an interesting fact - that you may be all set to focus in one direction and then you head in another.

I was thinking a little about that fact as I was taking some brief downtime. Often, I will start a painting with a firm idea in my head - I may even have an inspiration piece in front (it may be of a particular style I am trying to emulate) - but, the end result does not follow the way it should. That is why my best pieces, are those that paint themselves. I work with the accidents that happen and take delight in them. I listen to how the painting should form, rather than how I want it to form.

With the painting below, I had recently started doing two things.
1. I was painting with a smooth ARCHES paper and
2. I was painting on my old drawing board which I had angled as if I was going to draft.
This combination of course immediately made my painting start running - but guess what? This 'accidental running' created an immediate sense of movement. How I was going to paint the horse and jockey then became an obvious progression of steps.

I will say though, it was frustrating to have my tissue box and palettes keep sliding down the angled drawing board. But, once again, I compromised with some resting spots nearby and solved this problem too.

Sometimes, other creative pieces can be happy accidents. Take the lovely mosaic pot below for instance - it has achieved beauty through the placement of found objects. Yes, some thought needed to go into exactly where the pieces were placed to avoid perhaps a jarring clash of colours or texture. As well as this, there was obviously some thought in creating contrast, blue against yellow, pink against green; however, most of the pieces were more randomly placed with no clear pattern or thought in the mix. In other words, it really created itself and doesn't the end result look beautiful!

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I think it is very important for an artist to listen to their own creative insight when they create their work. I believe that once they have learnt the basic techniques, they need to truly trust themselves with how they will use those techniques to create their work.

Lastly, I am going to include two photographs I have recently discovered on Facebook.

The first one I think is probably the result of a happy accident. One old discarded teapot, that was perhaps too pretty to throw out which led to an alternative pot plant container of sorts. It worked well and looked good, thus leading to a collection of strung, teapot pot plants. The end result is not only creatively quaint but also appealing installation art.

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The second photograph is obviously planned work, but the original concept is not. We have all accidentally unwound a roll of toilet paper and watch it drape over the space in its' way - perhaps, one has even rolled down the stairs in its' progression. It looks classy, yet it is cheap throw away toilet paper that we dispose of  without thought.

This artist has taken this concept and planned their work to illustrate an elegance and a class. In doing so, the humble toilet paper has created something that wouldn't look out of place as a setting for a high- end wedding.

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Kreative Kisses,
Donagh

Aspire Gallery inspires to aspire

With a background in design and art I get great enthusiasm from wonderful creative people and the objects or art they create - hence the concept for Aspire Gallery was sown.

Aspire Gallery is an actual physical building that is still undergoing the final finishing touches before it opens.

Once opened though it will be a creative hub, offering jewellery cabinets, plinths and wall space for lease to both emerging and established artists, craftspeople and professionals aspiring for greater exposure and recognition of their work.

It will also be a place that will host exciting art, craft and design workshops.

In the meantime, I am in the process of opening Aspire Gallery Online where you can list your work for FREE that is easy to use and navigate.

A Facebook page exists to keep everybody in the loop.

I also want to connect and spread inspiration, but as not to continually clog everyone's newsfeed I have started this blog. 

SO WELCOME.