Tuesday, March 29, 2011

stream of consciousness

Here are my thoughts.  Im glad to have a blog because last night I was up all night thinking about creating and cleaning and clearing and public exhibitions and stuff and it just kept my mind so darn busy that I found it hard to sleep, which is odd for me because I sleep very easily and as often as I want (usually). 
So I envisioned a public exhibition at a park, on the railings were the figures with real butterfly wings, it was like Union Square and there was an opening reception, I came and they allowed people to walk about and look at them.  As you know they are very whimsical and charming so people would whisper to each other as they pointed out their favorites, children all had smiles on their faces and the figures silent and stoic, entertained them.
It was a nice vision, the catch was that the figures were only held down with a soft adhesive similar to putty and that each one was to be left on-site until it either was taken away by someone, or knocked over or what have you; still mothers could be heard telling their children not to touch. 
Are you familiar with Life Underground, by Tom Otterness?  I had a vision that I made my own version of figures inside the subway stations, on the railings actually, and they were little people just sitting and waiting.  They were less abstract than his figures and much much smaller.  They were cast in bronze and welded on, though in this material had lost some of their fragility and novelty.  Months after their addition to the subway system I came in with a metal brush to clean the gum off and polish the oxidized metal sculptures.  This was all running through my head last night and today I thought, "well why not do it?" Sure!  So I went about looking for funding for individual artists and found many grants for organizations, and also a few for individuals, I did not seem to meet the criteria for most though and so have decided to let the universe find a way for me to make this a reality.  In the mean time I want to begin creating figures for tiny public exhibitions.  What do I mean by tiny? haha, well one figure shows to be precise.  A single work of art, taken to NYC, displayed, photographed, and then left to fate.  I used to do this sometimes in Union Square, but I was known for street vending there so it wasn't as anonymous.  I also used to leave them around times square and the subway stations.  The first one(s) will convey the message of love and comfort.  I want to create a figure hugging a doll, one of my dolls from Guatemala because I fell in love with that place, and also because it will show a human embracing a doll, often our first friends as children.  So today after clearing my 2nd room, now have the space and every new figure in the immediate future will be for display ONLY.  I dont have to worry about materials because I have many, and hopefully my "one figure public display shows" will eventually grow and encompass perhaps an entire trashcan (hahaha), or park bench.  Or if im lucky, even the railings in Union Square or Central Park.  

More soon.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Kitsch Chachkas

Today I created a figure.  The figure I created is important because she ushers back my creative expression which I have been struggling with.  I shall explain:
Although I loved my years at City College, the criticism and judgement that I received from the Art Department about my work created self doubt within me.  At first I stood up for my work, creating all sorts of "deep" hidden meanings behind each work, then I gave in and changed my work to be more "artistic" which really meant less colors, less novelty, dont paint the faces on, and most of all, get rid of butterfly wings.  I was told that my work was not 'serious' or 'high' art that it was not only low art, but not even art at all, simply craft, or even worst, very kitsch Chachkas.  It took me all of this time to realize that outer opinions do not matter.  I may have gotten criticized, but it was my reaction to it that really mattered, I allowed it to get to me and created a complex about it.  I now know to allow it to dry up, and fall away as I move forward with myself.  Self worth is very important, feeling good enough about your art and what you create.  It really doesn't matter if you are critically acclaimed or if you are told you will go no where.  The only and I really mean ONLY opinion that matters if your own, love your art, approve of your concepts and designs, and you will be satisfied, after all, when you look back at the things you have created, its always best to see the beauty and love you have created that was from your own ideas, not those of others. 
That said, check out the girl i made today, she is colorful, and has miniature flowers and all the things I love about making polymer clay people!








Sunday, March 20, 2011

The Graduate School Pics





















Im just going to put the photos here since Im taking a lot of things off of my computer.

Friday, March 18, 2011

There is a lack of LOVE on this planet right now!

First of all I have to say to my 19 followers, that this most likely marks the beginning of the end of the totally polymer clay blog and opens it up to be an "everything" Pedro Ramirez blog because I am going to write about a little news.


A twenty nine year old Costa Mesa city worker named Huy Pham jumped off a building today after being laid off.  This is tragic and sad and has happened before, when I first moved to NY all over the papers were stories about NYU students whom had jumped off buildings due to pressures to keep grades up.  I think it is all very, very sad and I have compassion and empathy for these folks and their loved ones, but I feel we must ground ourselves in what really matters in this life.  Self worth.  I think it is best if we do not allow a job or mark affect us so greatly for the only reason we would behave in a rash way would be because we felt we needed the job or grades or whatever, the truth is we only need our own self love and acceptance, there is a lack of love, I never write about the news, but these days its downright scary, Libya killing its own people, Japan about to have a total nuclear plant meltdown which could affect us in a numerous ways, people committing suicide, its all due to a lack of love in this planet, we need to love ourselves.  I had a dream a night or two ago and I tried to help the situation in Japan by pouring forth love from my heart over the country, but I was not permitted.  I was not allowed because I didnt truly love myself yet.  That I needed to live in a world with self love and self approval, radiating inner love outward in all directions and without condition, and only then could I use that love to project onto other people and situations.  I feel if each of us will stand up and change we can change the world.  Not with recycling or using less toliet paper, but by simply loving oursleves, the entire world would change and everything would start to fall into place.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Can I get some love?

Its love, the answer to everything.  But how?  If we all send love, we can heal the entire planet, yet we must first love ourselves which is soooooooooooooooooooo difficult, only after we begin to learn to love ourselves can we project this love out into our experiences, our world, and eventually other people and circumstances.
I got rid of my tripod site.. its still there but I stopped the monthly payments so its gonna have ads, so now TheButterflyPeople.com and PedroRamirezArt.com actually forward you HERE to this blog which I am pleased with. 

Its funny I have turned worktime into a very important meditation time... YES, unbelievable that work could be a place to meditate, but when im on register after each item rings, I say "I love myself" or "love and approval" or "im worth it" or "i deserve" and tomorrow when I stock product I am going to try it, dont laugh, it makes you not only work faster, but gets your subconscious to accept that you really do love and accept yourself just as you are!  Its amazing I wish I had done this years ago.  Everyone benefits, the customers that come to you are attracted to your positive energy (the others dont even come to your line, or dont ask you anything) and your productivity grows since you are working so quickly adding up the positive affirmations by the hundreds (sometimes I imagine like a video game the points are accumulating... its fun!) work will never be the same and im really happy about this. 

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Collecting my thoughts, mental clearing, eating right, and keeping the thoughts on the good as I watch the good flow into my life. 

Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Crystal Dream

I had the most amazing experience the night before last where I was in-between being asleep and awake and I was both in my bed and also in this place were there were blue skies, green grass and pine trees (they looked like topiaries though) and interestingly enough there were lots and lots of giant crystals levitating around.  They were all in shades of green-blue or blue-green, and when you touched them with both hands, they refreshed you, and according to my guide (some lady who changed shape when prompted), they not only refreshed or flushed out your astral (non physical) body, but also your physical body... yes the one that was sleeping in bed at the time!

Anyway, today I put my "fairy realm" on ebay to see if anyone will buy it because I am ready to release it, and I notice crystals in there... they are jewelry but the sychronicity amazed me! 

Morbid bouquet






Tuesday, March 1, 2011

wedding bouquets

Etsy user Clayinaround recently contacted me asking me to make a couple of little bouquets for her clients.  She makes custom wedding (and other) cake toppers, so this way the actual bouquet the bride has can be included on the topper.  She sent me photos last night, and today I just finished them... too late to send today, but they will go out tomorrow.  They were actually very fun and a little challenging since they had to look a certain way, I have taken photos of the bouquets with the picture they were made from in the background.