All posts by Chris

It has been some time since I have posted a new article or added to our social media activity, and with good reason, trying to keep up with all of this while at the same time also getting ready for the birth of our second child was a little too much and something had to give. Now, that life is settling back down and some of the craziness of the changes to routines and schedules is returning to normal, it is time to resume normal operations again.

Even though the activity online has been minimal, that does not mean that I have been idle, some of which I will detail later in this post. Look forward to getting back in the swing of generating more content that you all will enjoy.

ReMarkable Fun

Prior to all of the joy that came with the birth of our second daughter, I purchased a ReMarkable tablet. Just the fact that it is wholly focused on taking and storing written input, makes it an incredibly useful tool to have. I don’t have a need to carry around lots of notebooks and other physical media to keep track of my notes and thoughts and the option to do so is more of a novelty now.

Being a tech and gadget geek of sorts I did find that I wanted to get into the guts of the machine and see if there were any customizations that I could leverage to make it more conducive to my needs. This actually was surprisingly easy to accomplish, using some guides that I located online, links are shared below, I was able to do some very quick and simple template and aesthetics adjustments.

The trick that I discovered was that the changes needed to also be automated so that after an update to the device, any changes that I want to ensure are retained can be reapplied to the device.

After about a year of using the ReMarkable 2, I am very satisfied with it and am looking for more fun ways to keep integrating it into my personal productivity routines.

Crafting Art

Keeping our older daughter entertained while having to give so much attention to our newborn calls for creative output in almost all aspects, from creating and crafting meals, to activities that we can have her do on her own while we are otherwise occupied.

Rock Painting was an easy one to introduce, the harder challenge will be in managing the volume that she wants to produce.

Returning to the new normal…

Much has changed and with the titanic shifts that a second child brings to the family dynamic, we are adjusting in positive directions. We have already worked on getting out more and doing new things with the girls so that they can experience it all and help them to develop their own passions and interests.

Outdoor Activities have been a big part of the shift and trying to get back into hiking and other outdoor sports will be a large focus over the next few years. This was one of the first locations that we were able to visit, first impressions being so important, especially for kids. This was a great one in my opinion.

Continuing the journey as we are adapting to all of the new changes is something that I am very interested in being in the moment for, and creating as many memories as we are able to.

Check out our newest project, providing step-by-step instructions on creating this seasonal prop to enhance your Halloween decor. https://artistryandcoffee.com/artwork-and-creative-artifacts/halloween-project-cauldrons/

Recently, I attended an immersive experience that was focused on the art of Vincent Van Gogh. The experience itself was extremely well done and if you have the opportunity I highly recommend that you buy a ticket. Watching the art flow from period to period throughout his wide variety of Art brought to mind the feelings that I always have when looking at his artwork.

His obsession with color, the powerful symbolism that it could represent, and the emotional impact it can invoke in people have a palpable effect on the audience. Surprisingly, it is a quote from the Dr. Who TV show that I feel has best represented his artwork in my mind compared to other studies of his life and creative works.

To me Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all. Certainly the most popular, great painter of all time. The most beloved, his command of colour most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty.

Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world, no one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world’s greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived.

Curator Dr. Black, Bill Nighy, Dr. Who: “Vincent and the Doctor”

Art Samples

An Experience that you will not forget

Watching those majestic swirling brushstrokes emerge against the giant canvases also pulled out more of the same narrative and though my daughter may not remember it in the future, I felt privileged to share it with her.

Whispering to her: “Look at the sky. It’s not dark and black and without character. The black is, in fact, deep blue. And over there: lighter blue and blowing through the blues and blackness the winds swirling through the air and then shining, burning, bursting through… the stars! 

[the sky gradually transforms into van Gogh’s painting Starry Night]

And you see how they roar their light. Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes.”

The wonder of artistic expression is not just in the result, but in the very act of its creation, what drives the emergence of an expression of emotion or ideas that are meant to spread to all those that see it.

With the combination of imagery and musical accompaniment the entire experience was entrancing, check out their site for details and location details, well worth the time and money.

https://vangoghclt.com/

Check out more interesting Art in our Art Category

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