''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!

Witty Collage Art enters a whole new dimension, too!

As devoted followers of this blog and my art know, I got into the hang of creating collages about a year or two ago, as I was overcome with a strong desire to both destroy old work (okay: work I considered failures) and create something new. So why not combine those two forces, and instead of looking at drawings that didn't turn out so well as ''failures', use parts of them and turn them into the foundation for a whole new series of Witty Art all together?

Hence, the creation of the series 'Once Upon A Time.. Never Happened!'

Now, it was time for more.

Lately, I accumulated a lot of ''half-way-there-works'' (half finished or just not-quite-that-good drawings, etc) dwhich to me provided more than enough volume for a whole new process of what I've come to call 'Creative Destruction and Resurrection': cutting or just downright tearing or ripping things up and readjusting the remaining fragments, trying to see if and where they'd fit in - and if not, that that'd be also fine because than they simply belong elsewhere.

No shortage of paper or canvas to create more works of art!

While working on this new batch of Witty Collage Art, something interesting started to happen. Comicbook-style elements like text balloons started appearing out of nowhere, while trusted characters and familiar faces popped up (including a couple of little lost bears and sinister looking rabbits, ofcourse), as I began mixing different materials and techniques into one big blend of both cartoon and surrealist art - without having any real idea of what on earth I was doing.

But boy, am I pleased with the outcome! It's almost like I've unknowingly been creating the picture book I'd always dreamt of, except that there is not such a thing as a storyline involved - well,not at the moment, that is. And perhaps there is no need to, as I got taught by a somewhat unexpected visit of an expert in storytelling - but more on that in my next blog!

So, what do you think? Is this gonna be a book or not? What's your opinion?

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.