2016 was a memorable year for me—in the sense that the stagnant stage in the life I have known for the past few years has finally gotten the engine up and running. It’s been this unpredictable 366-day carriage ride through the rough/bumpy and the smooth roads, twists and turns, and unexpected bends in the road.
On the rough roads, there were those unavoidable potholes that got in the way. Learning to get over and past them at first is the most difficult part of all. Then again, making your way through the obstacle course lets you discover something you didn’t really know you had. There were also those smooth roads—the ones wherein you just had to stop to admire and enjoy the view. These are the straight paths that are classically happy and wonderful, and easy on the wheels. The whole ride made me realize that: When taken as a whole, journeying on both the smooth and rough roads is such a beautiful experience. And even more importantly—that your own perspective on the experience will allow you to make that important choice: either to move forward with courage, or to take the reverse course in fear. There can essentially be just one situation or circumstance that can happen, and literally thousands of ways to really see or perceive it. As a great friend of mine always tells me: We are creators of our own realities. What we create, we believe; and what we believe determines our attitudes and our actions. We are empowered by choice. 2016 was a year of both good and bad choices. It’s been filled with potholes like self-doubt, judgments and biases, fears, unhealthy beliefs, uneasy times, hardships, stressful moments—but on the other hand, it’s also been filled with wonderful new beginnings, old and new passions, old and new relationships, clarity, awareness, and profound memories and moments to be carried on. I look back at 2016 and see it as the year I chose to embrace the power of my choices. Back in 2015 and in the early months of 2016, I found myself driving towards dead ends. There were a few victories to be had for sure, but the other choices I made reflected either fear or self-doubt. The latter part of 2016 was all about looking past the drama and learning to love and accept myself, bit by bit. It was all about choosing to let go of negative energy, beliefs and emotions, while constantly choosing to believe in the power and spirit of positivity. Because choosing to believe in positivity did bring about change. Slowly, but surely. And change, as cliche as it does sound, always starts from within. And so another year begins. This 2017 is a year to give and spread love and positivity. It is a year to create the realities we strive towards. It is a year to be open to change, growth, and learning. And most importantly, it is a journey towards growing more in trust, hope, and love. We are who we choose to be. Welcome, Year 2017! :)
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I'm really excited because a sudden thought or inspiration occurred to me. To be technically correct though, I'm harnessing an aspiration based on an idea I had sometime ago. I want to make a fairytale illustration. Something like fan art for fairytales, but in my own interpretation and style. Here's the add-on: this is still a pretty open idea, but I really want to create art for Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. It's been a timeless, adapted tale throughout the years and the reason why it's so inspiring is the fact that it's been taken apart and recreated so many times over. My favorite interpretation to date is Tim Burton's version (I have always been a Tim Burton fan!) I love his attention to detail plus the dark, whimsical setting he effortlessly brings to life through his films. It's almost always creepy and disturbing, but the darkness has a beauty and an art to it. It is one of the most imaginative interpretations of Alice to date. I'm including some screenshots for inspiration and reference here: (disclaimer: I do not own these photos. Credits to Walt Disney / Tim Burton Productions): Perhaps this will be my next concept exploration after finishing the paintings for my NeonMob series. Speaking of which, I do plan on writing a blog post after I finish up my series in order to sum up and detail my insights during and after the project. I'm really excited! I'm nearly through with the paintings and hope to be able to post them within the month of December, probably just in time for Christmas! :)
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Nonsensical whimHi, I'm Ashley. This is my blog on journey towards discovering art and documenting my learning experiences. (Particularly Photoshop, Digital Painting, Sketchup/V-ray, Interior Design, fun tutorials I've discovered and the like). wordpress:TUMBLR:Archives
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