A Manifest: Art of the Sea

By Callie Danae Hirsch

Thoughts ricochet around the walls of my brain, playing a game of jumping from synapse to synapse. Ebbing and flowing, modulating like the ocean’s waves, leaving me with a mesmerizing glazed appearance of someone with very little resistance. I feel it all, I am at one with the idea of the sea. With my arms outstretched, I call it home.

Remnants of past lives linger in old photo albums (of which I have many); my eyes show that I always longed for the future. That future is now, for many never see a tomorrow. A shiver passes throught us at the thought of how quickly a close one can be taken. The year 2020 will be remembered for the loss of so very many (not just from covid, but also due to wars and hate killings), how do we endure? Is this simply human nature? When will we evolve? The transgression of loss, in what shape does it really leave us emotionally, do we truly understand how deeply we are affected? The ability to keep on moving forward when you just want the world to go into full halt mode so that you can take a breathe and begin to process the millions of emotions washing over you. Do we carry these memories in our blood and pass down through generations? Is it that memory that keeps us fighting, never leting go what was? Never forgetting...

How does one manifest their ideas into existence? I venture within safety’s bounds, afraid to lose what I have gained, too afraid to abandon my path along the road of future endeavors. I embrace the safe; steer clear of wayward paths leading me to the unknown. For it took me quite some time to get on this path of stability. The fear of straying from this road is deeply rooted in my brain from learned mistakes of the past. I am terrified of letting go of what I have even if it holds me back from what I could become.

Life plays it’s tricks on us, we try with all our effort to gain as much as possible to just be. Why does it take so much simply to maintain our daily existence? Day to day duties require so much effort that when it comes time to pursue what we really want, our minds are exhausted. We run around like ants under attack only to find that little has really been accomplished to create your place in the world. It is challenging at best, incredibly painful at its worst.

Creating art does not relieve one from the daily struggles of life; it only makes it more palpable. My mind never ceases its internal dialogue. But making art gives me challenges that I can conquer and manifests into realities of artwork I never could have even imagined. I love making art for that reason, for the surprises it delivers. I endure the rough patches to arrive at places unknown, unimagined. It offers me the freedom to fantasize and be able to share my ideas with others. In the end, it is the sharing that makes it worthwhile, taking me out of the vacuum of my solitude and deposits me back into society. We all need a reflection to see our worth. My hope is to have a body of work to be proud of and continue to manifest the creative gene I was given to the best of my ability.

Just a few thoughts for the day.

Cheers, Callie

CallieArt.com

For the Love of Water

Water takes on many roles in our lives. It is quite powerful in the ways of erosion and destruction, but it can also create energy for us to utilize. It is life sustaining as well as providing something for all our senses to enjoy. My theme, Mystery and Intrigue, how to create something that makes people take a pause and ponder.

Enjoy! Callie Art

My Artistic Desires

my artistic dreams...

I dream of making a difference in the world
for being known for what I create
for touching people lives
and opening their eyes to greater possibilities within themselves
I dream of being an artist with the power to make a difference
to create a space for quiet thoughtfulness
to connect...

MTA Art & Design open calls, demystified.

Ever been in a subway station and said to yourself, "I love the artwork here, how does one get chosen for this?".

The MTA, Arts & Design has open calls for artists, posted on their website frequently. Some are for musicians, or photographers for their slide boxes in stations, but the one that interested me most are the open calls for art on subway platforms. It is called "Percent for Art", every time they renovate a station 1% of the cost is designated to the artwork at the station. They put out an open call on their website, collect samples of artists work and share them at a community meeting to vote on a few artists to choose from. Once chosen in the first group you are asked to do a presentation of how the art would appear in their template, you receive a payment for this effort. This open call is for professional artists and is quite competitive.

My station is at 105 Beach Station, Rockaway NY. Completed in faceted glass and epoxy by the fabricator Erskin Mitchell, based in Baton Rouge. The MTA dictates what material will be used and will provide a list of fabricators that they have previously worked with to choose from. You then work closely with the fabricator, giving them your designs; they come back with "cartoons" creating a template of how the work will translate into the medium. You then work with an appointed MTA person to finalize it. The fabricator then takes over in the creation, delivery and install, along with a MTA point person. The contract is daunting, but mine was completed without a hitch. Before signing the contract I checked in with another artist who had a completed a platform in similar material as min. I voiced my concerns and she responded positively, so I moved forward and signed the contract. Another art experience to add to my artillery.

More photos from the platform can be seen here: MTA 105 Beach Street art

Cheers! Callie CallieArt.com

Callie Art showing at Guild Hall, East Hampton NY.

I am very excited to announce that my piece titled: pandemic daydreams i, is part of the 83rd Annual Guild Hall Artists Members Exhibition. Open from March 6 thru April 10, 2021. @158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY.

It was a wintery cold day in March when we drove out to drop off the artwork. Due to the pandemic, we had a slotted time for drop off, in the parking lot, with masks on. Strange times indeed. One of the Guild Hall employees came to the car and removed it from the back seat. We had our lunch in the parking lot, then drove off in search of a beach to enjoy Long Island for a moment. Bundled up, we found a log to have coffee on while staring out at the rough seas. It was a cloudy, chilly day but then the sun broke through reminding us that summer is around the corner. It has been a long winter of being holed up in our apartment in Brooklyn. While people are out and about in other parts of the country during the pandemic, we were extra cautiou. Living so close to a cemetery (Green-Wood Cemetery) we felt very aware of the death toll the world has experienced. So this little adventure meant a lot to us.

pandemic daydreams i, 2020. 20" x 24" acrylic on canvas.

To see more from the series, pandemic daydreams series
Cheers, Callie Callieart.com

Callie Art on Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CallieArt Just sold!

I opened my Etsy store in hope that it would expose my art to a wider audience and be an easy way for people to have access to purchasing my artwork. As the years went by Etsy became more and more infiltrated with other "Callie's". Putting Callie into the search did not bring my store into view, but rather a vast array of other Callie artwork. How does one become more successful in showing up on top of the list I pondered. Apparently key words are essential in your descriptions. Also posting your etsy store on other platforms, such as your website and blog. Which brings me here, to this day, writing about my Etsy store to make people aware of its very existance.

Last night, much to my surprise, I made a sale! It showed up as an e-mail informing me of the purchase. Last time I made a sale on Etsy was the night before my father passed. The buyer's name was Ceila, my dad's mother's name. I took this as a sign, and I ran with it. First thing the next morning I ran to the post office to send the purchase off. Right before getting into the subway to visit my dad in the hospital my younger brother called my cell to tell me of dad's passing. Etsy was the conduit to my Nana, telling me everything was going to be alright, she was there for my dad. Strange story I know, but this is a blog of free expression.

And so I am back to believing in my Etsy shop and will be adding new work to it as much as possible. I acutally love shopping on Etsy. It allows you to work directly with artists, cut out the big stores, and find some incredible one of a kind pieces. A great place to scour for gift ideas. I highly recommend it!

Cheers! Callie CallieArt.com https://www.etsy.com/shop/CallieArt

Experimenting with art

Playing in photoshop one day, I started taking parts of the painting and rearranging them. This one above is one of my favorite outcomes. It is gentle, gives the hint of architecture and people hiding behind windows. Taking a creation one step beyond, or in today's terms, painting 2.0. I was happy with the outcomes, but not so sure that they warrant showing as a new photoshopped painting. What they do offer me is an analysis of my work and allow me to re-create how I am presenting it.

I find myself still in isolation after a year, working from home, and learning how to keep healthy, happy and to cohabitate with patience.

Be safe, stay sane and enjoy what you have. Cheers, Callie