A Dance In Time
by Lisa Dobry

I was invited by StencilGirl Products to appear as a Guest Designer on StencilGirl Talk July 2016.  Putting this project together was a major opportunity on a personal level and as an artist. I created a video to share my thoughts and the creative process behind this piece. The video will show insight into each phase of the piece, as well as modifications of both the Vintage Script and Opera House Empress in order to “Go Big” and maintain proportionate sizing for all the included elements. 

 As stated in the video, Behind the Mask by Pam Carriker became a prominent symbol in my struggle to complete this project.  During the brainstorming process, I finished with 3 other layouts that I will likely return to and create additional pieces using this stencil.  Even though it wasn’t initially on my radar, it has become one of my favorites.   On many different levels, this stencil is incredibly symbolic to me.  

Artist Statement:

I am compelled to make a statement here, if only to force myself to remain authentic in this part of the journey.  If I did not fill in this prompt, I would have to acknowledge my intentional avoidance, driven by self-doubt.  You see, I struggle to call myself an artist, as I’m not a “real artist”, I’m not one of the “good ones”, I have no formal training on how to do this “correctly”, and I don’t even have a blog!” 

I realize how draining these thoughts are to the creative process, so for the past year I’ve made deliberate attempts to shut down limiting thoughts and instead seek out, my own, “self-art-acceptance” voice.  I intentionally began working at changing the tapes in my head and started showing my work to others while referring to myself as an artist. At times I feel like a fraud and I struggle with feeling so vulnerable.

This spot as Guest Designer is a huge battle of just letting go and deeply inhaling, as the voices in my head continue to whisper, “the background isn’t developed enough, the dancers aren’t spaced properly, the video is shaking  and you look awful in that lighting…” Ugh! It is a real exercise of “self-art-acceptance” to not go back and redo the whole piece from start to finish. 

Although it’s an ongoing process, I have grown exponentially in the last year.  I have found a freedom to create simply because it’s fun to play with paint and stencils.  I worry less about whether it’s going to be good when it’s finished, and that has been very powerful and freeing.  I am braver, apologize less for my work and take more risks because of it.

What I want most to leave you with today, is the idea that art is a journey.  We are all in different spots of that journey, just as we are in different places of the world and in our lives.  Learn new things and strive to be stronger in your work, but don’t let that out prioritize your love of creating, your childlike playtime, and your sense of freedom and expression.   It doesn’t always have to be great art; it just has to be authentically you in that moment.Thank you for being here today and walking along side of me in this “Dance of Time”.

   Dance in Time was created using the following StencilGirl Stencils:

·         Opera House Empress by Carolyn Dube

·         The Dance of This Life by Carolyn Dube

·         Vintage Script by Cecilia Swatton

·         Ornamental Petals Mask by Gwen Lafleur

·         Ornamental Compass Mask by Gwen LaFleur

·         Behind the Mask by Pam Carriker

Other supplies used:

·         12x14 Gelli Plate

·         Soft rubber Brayer

·         18x24 Mixed Media Paper (gesso prior)

·         Acrylic Paint:

o   Golden Fluid: Paynes Gray, Micaceous Iron Oxide, Van Dyke Brown,  Titan Buff

o   Dina Wakley Heavy Body, Penny

·         Pan Pastels:

o   Bright Pink, White, Brown

·         Faber Castell Pitt Pastel Pencil in brown and black

·         Sheet of music

·         Page from old book

·         Gel Medium

·         Exacto Knife

·         Cosmetic sponges