CRUSADE No. 31 ~ Make It Your Own

 

If you've ever taken a class with me you've probably heard me say this:  Make It Your Own.  That can mean several things.  Sometimes I'll say it when I'm encouraging an artist to claim a material they are using.  Adding a little paint, or scudging it up with sandpaper, means you are showing evidence of an artist's hand at work, and you are claiming the item....making it your own.  Sometimes I'll say it when I'm motivating someone to put their own spin on a project or process.   We have heard the question asked, "what's the difference between art and craft?"  I think the answer might be when you make it your own, it's art.  When you follow directions, as you would a recipe, or copy a project from a magazine - that is craft.  Personalizing, interpreting, processing through your own filters, is art.

 

 

For instance, let's take a product.  I'll pick on scrapbook papers.  I've got a stash of them.  Sometimes I'll buy one sheet just for inspiration - the color or the pattern.  Sometimes I'll buy them to use as a foundation, then I'll paint over them, making them mine, claiming them.  I want the items I use in my work to look like me, not the recognizable brand.  You can see I've spray painted over the dots and the stripes....they are less XYZ brand, and more me.

 

Using images:  it's always cool when you can incorporate your own images in your work.  Your own photos are way more interesting and individual than 'collage sheets'.  Clip art is a favorite default source of images for me, but I don't always want them to be obvious, or identifiable.  "Oh, I know that one, she got that from page X in book XYZ".  Bleh.  However, if you were to make a transfer of the image, you claim it.  It isn't as easily recognizable.  I've put my spin on it.  It's mine.

Another example:  here I illustrate how I've taken items you could find in a store, and made them mine. 

 

And I can even claim a branch, making evidence of my artist hand:

A few years ago I wrote an article in Somerset Studio where I broke down my artistic process in terms of being inspired by something.  Inspiration can come from so many places.  It's up to you to figure out how to make it your own.

 

Here's a good example:  I gravitated toward this rug.  There was just something about it that attracted me.  Loved the colors, loved the shapes.  I will sit with this a while and eventually it will be interpreted through my filters and I will make a journal page about it. 

 

If you've been playing along then you are already good at this.  You take my prompts and make them your own.  Every artist has shared their own interpretation of the challenges presented.  You've been making your own tools and your own backgrounds.  Even your blogs have their own personalities - you present yourself with custom banners or colors, nothing right-off-the-shelf or standard-issue for us!  Apply that to your work.  Make your artist hand seen.  Make it your own.  You can show how you've altered a material or product to claim it, or you can show us how you've interpreted an inspiration like your new kitchen rug, or the pattern from your new summer dress.

 

I'm going to extend the deadline to July 1st since it is already mid-May, and we all have alot going on in June don't we?  (graduations, family visits, summer!)  Thanks for hanging in with me.  Love you guys.  xoxo

 EDIT:  Archived links have been moved from sidebar to here.

CRUSADE No. 31

• Cath Sheard
  
• Chris Miser
  
• Chris Miser
  
• Cindy Wimmer
  
• Dale
  
• Darlene
  
• Deryn Mentock
  
• Diane Cook
  
• Elizabeth Bunsen
  
• Fiona Scharlau (C30)
  
• Gabrielle Fabien
  
• Gilvania Jussara
  
• Inge Bekaert
  
• Jane Royal
  
• Jane Royal (more)
  
• Jane Royal (more)
  
• Jane Royal (more)
  
• Jane Royal (more)
  
• Jane Royal (more)
  
• Jennifer Lorton
  
• Johanna Goisser
  
• Julie Prichard
  
• Karen Campbell
  
• Kathy McCreedy
  
• Kim Mailhot
  
• Kim Mailhot
  
• Lisa Myers Bulmash
  
• Lorraine
  
• Marie Danti
  
• Marlynn Likens
  
• Megan Warren
  
• Megan Warren
  
• Melisa
  
• Melissa Sabin
  
• Mia Howard
  
• Michelle D. C.
  
• Michelle Ward
  
• Michelle Ward (more)
  
• Nerissa Alford
  
• Pam Carriker
  
• Regina D
  
• Regina Rooks
  
• Regina Rooks (more)
  
• Rosie Rowe
  
• Stephanie Hilvitz
  
• Talisa Selby
  
• Wanda Miller

Comments

[Deryn Mentock]

Love this post and this challenge! Here's my link http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/something_sublime_from_th/2009/06/make-it-your-own.html
Thank you, Michelle!

[diane cook]

Wow, Deryn's post caught me at the right time. Maybe this will work! Inspiration comes in many forms~
http://rosa-josies.blogspot.com/2009/06/sometimes-i-get-stuck.html
diane

[Cindy]

Hi Michelle
I'm so glad I found your site/challenges through Deryn Mentock and Diane Cook. It's been fun visiting other Crusaders' sites. My entry is here:
www.sweetbeadstudio.com
Thank you! - Cindy

[Michelle D. C.]

This is my first posting to the crusades, but it fit in perfectly with my last blog posting where I was describing how another artist (who also answered this challenge!) had inspired my recent work. So I added a bit more description and voila - here I am. Thanks so much for this - it's really helping me to grow as an artist. Cheers!

http://papercoyote.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/i-want-a-boy-to-love-me/

[Jane]

Part Three is up!! This time you've inspired me to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time. Are you curious? (teehee)
http://paintedheartstudio.blogspot.com

As always: Thank you for such a FUN challenge!

--Jane

[Kathi Pecor]

love this challenge-and it really is challenging at times to make things your own-so many wonderful ideas out there-

[Jackie]

I wasn't intending to enter this challenge, but then I started playing! I'm not sure if I have fulfilled all the criteria, but I really felt I had made this piece of card my own by the end of the process:
http://jestercrafts.blogspot.com/
let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Jackie

[Lisa MB]

Good thing I looked a little closer at the due date! I thought it was at the beginning of this month, but I went ahead and did it anyhoo.

http://www.bloggingqueen.com/2009/06/airlifted.html

Now I have the rest of the month to look at everyone else's entries!

[Marlynn]

Michelle, here is the link for my crusade!

http://honeysucklebreeze.blogspot.com/2009/06/make-it-your-own.html

Marlynn

[Karen Campbell]

Thanks for the great prompts, Michelle! Here is the link to my post:

http://karensaltereddreamz.blogspot.com/2009/06/painted-feather.html

[Rosie]

How wonderful that you extended the deadline to the end of the month Michelle - there's so much eye-candy to see and so much to discover about everyone! I have reallymade my post very personal, but the timing is so right for this challenge - I'm glad I waited till I had the "right" post to contribute!!

[Jane]

Hi Michelle,
Part 4 is up! This is the best challenge yet!! Thank you for hosting the Crusades.

http://paintedheartstudio.blogspot.com/

[Dale]

I've created a submission for this challenge! It's on my blog, flights of fancy. This is the exact post: http://meisterdalediane.blogspot.com/2009/06/hand-chain.html

[Jane]

Well, I guess I'm officially 'obsessed' LOL- part 5 is up and I'm excited about it.
http://paintedheartstudio.blogspot.com
. . .Did I mention . . . how much I'm loving this Crusade?

[Regina]

After a long break from painting & blogging, I've posted a piece I did this month that really made me happy & I felt like I made it my own. http://rgrdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/06/make-it-your-own-gpp-crusade-no-31.html

[Mia Howard]

Hello again - here is my submission for Make it your own! I hope you like it!

http://miahoward.blogspot.com/2009/06/make-it-your-own-crusade-no-31.html

[Nerissa Alford]

Hi Michelle

Yea, I made it :) Here's my linky:
http://creativerantsfromnerissa.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-first-crusade-make-it-your-own.html

I've just started to take a peek at everyone else's posts. This is so much fun :) Thank you thank you thank you!!

Nerissa

[Regina]

Another piece that was making the techniques I've picked up the past several months my own.
http://rgrdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/06/birthday-inspiration-gpp-crusade-no-31.html

[Jane]

One last time! Results of my 'raw' stencil pages are here.
http://paintedheartstudio.blogspot.com/

Michelle, thank you for another GREAT crusade! You and the other crusaders always inspire me!
-Jane

[marie danti]

Michelle,
Am I too late? I am posting what I made over on my blog http://cinnamonstudio.blogspot.com/.
Loved the interview link re: serendipity! Was inspired by your GPP Street Project & misread the deadline. (Was glad I looked at your blog today.)
Thanks so much for the inspirational winks!
Marie

[Viki]

Everyones art is so awsome! I realy do intend to play one of these days. I just seem to get to lost and forget to join in. Sigh.

[Talisa]

I know I'm late, but Diane from Rosa & Josie's just suggested that I enter my first post, so here goes:

http://talisaselby.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-first-post-yay-no-more-lurking.html

I'll definitely be on time for the next one - I love your blog!