''For Your A-Mouse-Ment": philosophical m(o)usings to challenge and question your views of the world!

Sometimes, Witty Art ends up making a switch from one Series to another or starting a Series of its own - or even crossing the existing but admittingly very fine line between Singles* and Series**, as happened with this (yep) series of six drawings. Initially, they started off as six invididual drawings, with no theme or so in mind, though they were definitely connected by the appearance of a nameless figurine, a little and somewhat philosophical mouse who, in truth, has been a trusted companion in doodles and sketches, but not in Witty Art as we've all come to know it (including myself!).

Then she started appearing in my Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo', in which she assumed the role of a rather down to earth commentator to everything she'd witness around here. She's doesn't actively participate in all of the turbulent events going on around her, much more prefering the role of a spectator, making comments and asking questions, all of them valid in their own particular way, as Mouse happens to have a very personal view of today's world. Equally often, her comments are questioned and her questions countered by more questions, posed upon her by what seems to be an o going parade of other characters, all of them taking turns in adressing the audience as well.

Then, Mouse stepped out of the book of sketches and doodles, claiming her rightful spot in the World of Witty Art by appearing in these six drawings, I created earlier this year.  To be honest, I didn't think too much of it at first, but shortly after I decided to showcase them as a series of six at the Museum van de Wijk (Community Museum) here in Rotterdam, it became clear to me that Mouse indeed deserved to have her very own series.

So, I am proud to present to you all, my new series ''For Your A-Mouse-Ment'', a series that I hope will both amuse and arouse you by offering you a catalogue of philosophical m(o)usings, aiming to challenge your existing views of the world and offer some lighthearted entertainment, too!

* You can find all about my Series by clicking on these two links: 
Witty Art Series, Part 1 
Witty Art Series, Part 2 

** You can find all about my Singles by clicking on these two links:
Witty Art Singles, Part 1
Witty Art Singles, Part 2  

Have fun while browsing through my work. And don't forget, if you have any questions about my work or would like to even purchase one, all you have to do is click here to get in touch with me!

Reaching Rock Bottom: a solid foundation for personal and artistic growth!

 
As I have been quite consumed by the move to the new studio and the set up of a whole new workplace, I unfortunately have had very little time to update this Witty Art Blog. But the good thing is, I have also recovered and in a way more or less rediscovered a bunch of older work I created throughout 2015 and 2016 most of them either sketches in first stages or just plain unfinished works.

So, I kind of went through them again, sorting them out and filing and, where and when needed, adding the final touches. Often it was the not so simple case of a bit of finetuning, while with others I decided to leave them just as they were. For some, only the titles were lacking - but the process of naming my work can also be a difficult and challenging one.

But, managed well, I think. Either way, here are a couple of these recovered works of Witty Art, most of them drawings made with a combination of graphite pencil, charcoal and/or conté crayon. I do like the contrast between the fine pencil lines and the velvety robustness of the charcoal, interacting with the harsher tones of the conté crayons.

This combination of materials provides for very strong images, powerful but with a touch of tenderness to it. Edgy and raw, yet strangely soothing. Well, I like to think so, at least. 

So, I updated them on this page: Witty Singles, Part 2, together with a whole batch of other Witty Art, most of them created in the late fall and winter of 2016.

And to be honest, when I look at this particular page and compare to them to the Singles I made in the period 2013-2014, I am quite proud. For I can see my work has definitely grown, as whereas at the time I was forced to give up my home and my workplace, I was so afraid that losing a proper place to work would limit or even stop me from developing myself as an artist.

That fear was real. I had been there before. And I remember so clearly, whatever happened, I would not let that happen all over again. Not this time. So, with the support of my dear loved ones, I kept on creating Witty Art. With a simpe fineliner or a fountain pen, in a notebook, which prompted the birth of my artbook ''My Life In Limbo'' (which I am STILL working on, more on that again SOON). Later, I rediscovered the pleasure of pencil drawing and materials such as charcoal, pastels and conté crayons and so on.

And when finally I got to work with ink again, I could feel that my work had been enriched by, in fact, I had feared most. That reaching rock bottom would leave me wasted and worn out and unable to create and be myself for a long, LONG time. 

Turns out, I was wrong. So wrong. In fact, I can say that reaching this all time low point in my life, helped me to become myself in many more ways than I ever could've imagined before.

In fact, Rock Bottom proved to be a solid foundation of some kind, at least! 

De PDF van mijn Straatnieuws-interview is online!

(for my English followers, please scroll below for a brief summary of this blogpost)

In een vorige blogpost schreef ik over het interview met mij voor Straatnieuws Rotterdam-Den Haag, het maandelijkse magazine over, met en voor dak- en thuislozen. Goed nieuws voor diegenen die 'm gemist hebben: de voorlaatste editie van Straatnieuws, met daarin het interview met ondergetekende, staat nu online!

De PDF is nu beschikbaar via de Straatnieuws-website of hier op dit blog.

Voor diegenen die liever meteen het interview met mij willen lezen, zie hieronder of download de PDF er van hier op dit blog.



Nogmaals veel dank aan interviewer Kim Meeuwissen voor de kans om mijn verhaal te mogen doen en het respectvolle en integeren wijze optekenen daarvan. Want, het is zeker niet altijd makkelijk om zo open en eerlijk over mijn situatie te kunnen, te mogen zijn. Hoewel ik altijd positief probeer te blijven en mij realiseer dat mijn situatie niet onoverkomelijk is en het altijd stukken erger kan, is het net zo goed een continu uitdaging om de kop niet te laten hangen en vooruit te kijken.

Zonder de steun van een aantal bijzondere personen zou ik dat ook niet zeker niet gekund hebben - en nog steeds niet kunnen. Want het is nog niet gedaan. Ik ben zeker op de weg terug, en uitermate gemotiveerd om te blijven ondernemen en vanuit dat ondernemerschap bij te blijven dragen aan weliswaar ludieke maar ook maatschappelijke relevante projecten, zoals ik doe met en voor Studio PuRRR, Dogparade010, Stage Alliantie en 010StageMarktplaats, Radio Brasa, de Zorgvrijstaat Rotterdam-West, etc.- ik ben er nog niet.

En bij alles houd ik in gedachten de inspirerende quote uit de zogenaamde speech van auteur J.K. Rowling voor de jaarlijkse meeting van The Harvard Alumni Association in 2008, getiteld: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association:

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”

En daar kan ik me alleen maar een volle 100% bij aansluiten - net zoals bij al het overige uit deze speech, die het belang benadrukt van durven en kunnen falen; en van de verbeelding als bron voor nieuwe inspiratie en inzichten. Bekijk de volledige speech hieronder.



For my English followers: In a previous blogpost I wrote about the interview with me that was published in the Dutch version of 'The Big Issue''': the monthly paper Straatnieuws Rotterdam-Den Haag, a magazine published on behalf of and sold by homeless or vulnerably housed people. Now that a new issue has been released, the edition featuring my interview has been published online, too. Unfortunately, this interview is in Dutch only for now, but I am working on a translation or at least a brief summary of it in English.

But, what I can and will share with you now, is the fact I drew much inspiration and strength from a quote from author J.K. Rowling, when she delivered her Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association:

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” 

Speaking from having been and still bouncing back from my very own rock bottom, I could not agree more. 
 

Proud at my interview for the Dutch version of 'The 'Big Issue''

(Please scroll down for an English summary of this post)

''Ondernemende Rotterdamse Stadsnomade''', staat er boven het interview met mij dat staat in de meest recente september-editie van het Straatnieuws Rotterdam-Den Haag. Een weergave van een mooi gesprek dat ik had met één van hun medewerkers, Kim Meeuwissen. Een gesprek over overleven en ondernemen als dakloze. Want dat ben ik, uiteindelijk, na ruim een jaar geleden door een optelsom van omstandigheden mijn huis te zijn kwijtgeraakt, nog steeds.

Een jaar waarin veel is gebeurd, zowel privé als professioneel. Waarin ik diep viel, maar niet in een bodemloze put. Waarin ik ik ontdekte dat een harde landing ook een onverwacht warm bad kan zijn. Waarin veel tegenzat, maar uiteindelijk nog veel meer mee. Een bewogen jaar vooral, dat mij het inzicht bracht wat ik wel en niet wilde, met mijn bedrijf, en vooral hóe niet, en hoe dan wèl.

Het jaar waarin ik er achter kwam dat mijn ''rock bottom'' niets anders is dan mijn ''solid foundation''.

Want hoe dieper je durft te vallen, hoe dichter je bij de kern komt van jezelf. Van wie je bent, en waar voor je voor staat. Van wat je wil, en wat je kan. En waar jij het verschil kan maken. Als mens, voor jezelf, voor je vrienden, voor de wereld om je heen. Als ondernemer, voor je bedrijf en voor je klanten en opdrachtgever, voor de mensen met wie je samenwerkt.

Daarover schreef ik al eerder, op dit blog; en legde ik een deel van mijn reis vast in mijn Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo' - waaraan ik nog steeds, zij het met iets onregelmatiger tussenpozen, blijf werken.

Daarover vertel ik iets in dit interview voor deze meest recente uitgave van Straatnieuws Rotterdam-Den Haag, vanaf 1 september gedurende een periode van 3 weken te koop is bij de verkopers van dit magazine, allemaal, net als ik, dak- en thuislozen.

Daarom mijn oproep aan al mijn volgers en vrienden van Witty Art & Witty Projects: Ga naar buiten, als je kan, ga naar zo'n verkoper, en kóóp die krant.

Het kost maar een klein bedrag. En mocht je meer kwijt kunnen en willen, schroom dan niet dat te doen. Mocht je niets meer kwijt kunnen of niets kunnen missen, doneer dan een vriendelijk woord, een kort praatje, een glimlach. Die laatste zijn gratis, en levert je misschien zelfs meer op dan je denkt.

Waarmee ik maar wil zeggen: Be Kind. Het kan een wereld van verschil maken.

(English version below this picture)

Recently, I was interviewed for the monthly paper Straatnieuws Rotterdam-Den Haag, a magazine published on behalf of and sold by homeless or vulnerably housed people. And I have no shame in admitting out in the open that I am one of them - and have been so for just over a year now, after having been forced to sell my house.

As followers of Witty Art will know, I previously blogged about the turn of events that uprooted my whole private and professional life and the enormous impact it had on me. It forced me to take a couple of steps back and to look at my life, both as a person as well as a creative professional - a creator of art.

A year has passed since I had to leave the place I called my home. A year has passed since I began my life as a 21st century city nomad. A year of confrontation and inner conflict, of almost crippling self doubt and a painfully low self esteem. A year of hitting rock bottom and hitting it hard.

But also a year of newly found love. Of new friendships and rekindling old ones. Of finding help and support in the most unexpected of places. Of not only confrontation, but more so challenges and, thus, changes. Of loss, yes, but more so of being enriched. Of letting go of old ideas, embracing new ones, new plans, new visions.

A year, in which I discovered that my ''rock bottom'' is nothing else but my own solid foundation - on which I will rebuild my life and my work.

These are the things I talk about in this interview. About living AND working as a homeless person. Because you see, I never EVER stopped working. I  never stopped creating Witty Art, I never stopped doing Witty Projects. Never in this whole year the thought of stopping crossed my mind - not even once. And it never will. It's what kept me going - that, and the (sometimes) overwhelming support of some really special persons in my life.

It;'s stuff I blogged about before, as I wrote about my Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo' (which, as a matter of fact, I am still working on, albeit on a far less regular basis) It's stuff I talk about in this interview. So I hope many of my followers who live in the The Hague-Rotterdam area will buy one or more copies - and by doing so help another homeless person to make a bit of a decent living. And, if for some reason they can't or won't (each and everyone to their own), I do hope they will at least donate that one thing that, perhaps, does not always come easily but we so easily take for granted too. That one thing that goes a long, long, LONG, way. 

Kindness.

Inspiration for a brandnew Witty Art Series to be shown at my April Expo at Stroop!

So, while prepping my upcoming April exhibition at Stroop Rotterdam, I got some inspiration for a new series, a set of small-sized drawings called 'It's Not Really That Heart, Is It?', based upon a drawing made in my Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo'. I think it's going to be a neat one and can't wait to show the finished works.

Remember folks, my upcoming Witty Art Expo opens at April 3rd, 15-18 hrs at Stroop Rotterdam, Mathenesserweg 21, Rotterdam. One of the coolest maker's spaces in town, to chill, work, grab a healthy bite or simply have a great coffee and an even more special 'stroopwafel', that very own Dutch treat that foreigners might know as a 'syrup waffle'

You can find all the information about the April showcase of Witty Art in this blogpost. 

My art book 'My Life In Limbo' reveals more and more insight into the World of Witty Art

Time to share some of the latest pages of my Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo'. As I have shared with you before, this is perhaps my most personal art series up to date, as it is pretty much an insight in my mind, as I am slowly coming to terms with the new directions my life is heading into after losing my house and having to life the life of a 21st century city nomad.

It's an almost daily reflection of my life-in-transition and more than that, it has become a in-depth investigation in the world of Witty Art, or rather: the world behind Witty Art. Stuff that drives me, motivates me, triggers me, frightens me, haunts me and all other kinds of stuff that doesn't exactly kill me but make me either weaker or stronger.

It also features most, if not all Witty Art Characters, some loved, others feared and some pretty much univited guests too. And some new ones, too. But they all make up the World of Witty Art, so in a way, I hold them all dear to my heart. No exceptions to that rule.

 

Witty Art Characters are starting to break down ''the fourth wall''

As my Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo' is coming along, it moves further away from it's original intentions: to keep a visual diary of my life of in transition, but, as I wrote before, it has become much more a series on highly personal reflections on Witty Art itself; and the world(s) that it embodies. 

And over the weeks, as the book progressed, the characters that inhabit those world(s), started speaking for themselves. As someone dear to me described it, almost like they were breaking down the invisible ''fourth wall'' between their staged world, disregarding their director/creator (me, that is) and starting to speak directly to the audience: you, friends and followers of Witty Art.

And, yes, is true. They do. As I wrote before, sometimes I am not completey sure whether I am the creator of my own art, or just a humble intermediator, whose sole purpose is to visualise the characters that inhabit a universe I call the World of Witty Art; and to give them a voice as well.

Well, if that is the case, I can only hope their stories speak to you, as powerful as they speak to me. Powerful in their moments of weakness and insecurity, of crippling self-doubt, facing the challenges of being alive every day. While finding strength, resilience, even hope in those very moments of hitting rock bottom - because when you do, when you are at your lowest point, the only thing you can do is look up. And while you might see the steepest hill and the highest mountains you have to overcome, there is another thing you might see, too.

The sky. Now, that may not be the brightest of blue skies, and dark clouds might hide the sun, it's still the sky. And, when it comes to the power of imagination and creativity, to me, the sky is still the limit.

New updates of 'My Life In Limbo': about the Worlds of Witty Art

Some more progress on my Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo', which I started a while back, predominantly to process my thoughts and feelings after losing my house and starting a new life, bascially as a 21st century city nomad.

Since starting with 'My Life In Limbo', mid August, creating the book has helped me to get a grip on myself and my life-in-the transition and also provided me with some new, often surprising insights into the world of Witty Art. It evolved from what I thought would be a collection of random sketches and drawings, into something that resembles some kind of graphic story, told by the characters and creatures that inhabit that world.

I have always felt that the world I create on paper or canvas (or on any other surface, or even in 3D, for that matter) is actually an existing world, somewhere out there in what I call The Great Beyond. Now, that might be in another galaxy, obviously one far, far, FAR away, or even in a parallel universe, though some of you might argue it's a world existing only in my mere imagination. Well, whatever, wherever, it does not matter. Fact is, to me it IS a real life world, and its inhabitants are real life characters with their own personalities and sometimes, I feel like all I have to do is recreate their world for them, almost on their behalf.

Or should I say: worlds, as one actually is not enough for them... 

Elsewhere on this blog, I tried to describe it as follows: 

"Christy's work explores universal human themes, but features bizarre, animalistic, cartoonesque, fable-like creatures. Creatures, coping with life, struggling to survive, clinging on to all they hold dear, or what's left of it. These characters are the main actors, appearing and often re-appearing in series of drawings and/or paintings, each image to be experienced both individually or as a whole.
 
Her work features both a ''light'' and a ''darker'' side. The first being cartoonesque, exploring the grey area between autonomous and illustration art. Powerful, often surrealistic but often surprisingly familiar images through which Christy shares with us her look on life, a world spinning round and round and its inhabitants merely clinging to it. They might look sad, unhappy even but at times they appear to be almost glad to be unhappy. This part of Christy's world harbours no peace for the wicked, but leaves room for Hope.

Then there's a much more darker world, where almost every inch of Hope has disappeared. This world is a beautiful but lonely, unforgiving place, but a world at peace.
 
Most work is created in the no man's land between these two worlds.''

Hope or no hope, light or dark, cartoonesque or grotesque, whatever may be, these worlds and the creatures that live and survive there are real to me, as real as the world I live in - and all other living, breahting, hoping and dying species on this planet called Earth. Somehow, I feel our worlds are not even that far apart. Not at all. 

Not at all, indeed...

So, whenever people look at Witty Art and find it makes them smile or frown or are touched by it in any other way, because they recognize something in it, a feeling, an emotion or even a situation they can relate to, then that makes a very proud Miss Witty indeed. Proud, because I have succeed in making these worlds that are so real and alive to me in my own head, visible and, to some agree, accessible for others. 

And I hope to make them come alive in more than one way, one day. Using different mediums and techniques, different technologies and appliances even. One day, I will look back at this time in my life and find that this little book will have helped me achieve that. Not today, not tomorrow, perhaps not even soon, but ... one day!

One day... I will ;-) 


 

Witty Art is appreciated even by the most feline of creatures!

My Witty Art Book ''My Life In Limbo'' attracts quite a divers but genuinely interested following. It has even achieved its own fandom in the animal world.

Here's one of the most advert fans and followers of Witty Art:: my dear furry feline friend Lord Westenwind. Regal, if not royal and refined, this artistoc(r)at is a great connaisseur of the arts and even owns a few pieces of Witty Art himself.

If you are interested (and especially if you are a lover of cats, black cats in particular) you might want to follow the Lord's daily grooming and other exciting routines on Instagram. 

On rebuilding my Life In Limbo on Rock Bottom and what J.K. Rowling's got to do with it

So, here are more sketches and drawings I made for my Witty Art Book ''My Life In Limbo'', my very own personal reflection of my journey through life since I effectively became homeless. Since losing the house that once had been a trusted home to me, I have been living the life of a 21s century city nomad, or, as I somewhat jokingly call it, the life of a Displaced Diva.

Originally started as a way of being able to keep on drawing and making little sketches and notes for later artwork, as losing my house also meant losing my workplace, this artbook has indeed become a way of sharing my story with the world, in particular with the friends and followers of Witty Art. Or rather: sharing the emotions behind the story, as my work, unavoidably and irreversibly, has been greatly impacted by the fact that my life had been thrown upside down.

As I've written in previous blogposts, the book became some kind of mirror, in which I saw my relationship with my art, with my own creations, reflected and that way I saw my life, my past and present relationships with the people in my life reflected; and the way I dealt with life's challenges - or the way I didn't or didn't dare to. I saw the characters from my artwork drop by, one by one, all those Perfectly Imperfect MisFits that inhabit the World of Witty Art. And each and every single of one of them telling me something about myself I didn't know - or I already knew but didn't want to know. Some loved, some feared, I hold all of them dear, as without them, my world would be empty and my artwork non-existent.

So, writing and drawing this artbook offered me a great deal of insight, not only in how my work will develop further, but also in the relationship between me and my artwork, and, equally important, the relationship between me and the world around me, the people in it - in my life. It helps me to come to terms with things that happened in the past; and to face up to the challenges now - and those yet to come.

For yes, I might be homeless at this very moment, I might be displaced, without a place of myself, I am still not living on the streets, as so many people unfortunately have to. I still have people who look after me, who support and love me. And I might have lost a lot, I feel like I have gained even more as my life has been enriched by the kindness, generosity and care from old and new friends, some which had been complete strangers before.

And, one thing I now know for sure, as corny as it may sound: whatever is taken away from me or will be taken away, I will always have my creativity. My ability to create art. To create my very own World of Witty, and that way, rebuild my life again. 

And when someone very special recently told me: ''You will rebuild your Witty Art Empire on rock bottom'', I had to think of what author J.K. Rowling (of Harry Potter fame, for those of you that have been sleeping under a rock for the last decade or so ;-)) had to say about the ''benefits of failure'', when she addressed the Harvard Alumni Association back in 2008: 

 'So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.'

So, why should I not be able and capable to rebuild my life on my very own rock bottom, while creating my very own Witty Art Book? 

You can read and view J.K. Rowling's full Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association here. A truly inspirational read for anyone who currently finds him or herself on that place called Rock Bottom. 

I was. I am. So, on and forward I go.