Friday, February 8, 2013

The Blending of Art and Poetry

 My local museum ... a treasured get away!


Have you ever heard of Ekphrastic Poetry?
Well I hadn't before until I was challenged by
my local Poetry Society
to study the technique and write a poem
about a piece of art from the museum's
latest gallery exhibit
"New Waves 2013"
This certainly excited the artist/poet in me!

Ekphrastic Poetry is writing a poem about
an inspiration that comes from a particular work of art.
There was a new exhibit at MOCA
(Museum of Contemporary Art)
here in my hometown of
Virginia Beach, VA

It is special to me already 
for this is where
my son and his wife
had their wedding reception two years ago!
I have also participated in Art Shows there
and have taught art classes in their Studio School.

So off I went on an Artist Date with myself,
to see the new exhibit and pick just one piece of artwork
that would speak to me
to write a poem about,
I didn't think this was going to be easy.

There were so many beautiful works of art
during the new exhibit
I had no idea which one to choose,
but I was then drawn to a very large
collaged canvas
entitled
"A Midsummer's Night Dream XVI"


I admired the piece because it was a collaboration
of art students from Norfolk, Virginia
guided by artist Tim Rollins;
they used watercolors, fruit juices, india inks, 
rag papers and metallics to paint and tear
different shapes of papers into flower images,
of course being a collage artist myself,
I was immediately intrigued by this piece!

I stayed in front of this work of art for quite a long time,
jotting words and phrases that came to mind,
trying to create a poem from the intense image
that was in front of me.
I then discovered beneath the pasted flowers
were the words and script from
Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream",
it was the underlying groundwork
placed onto the canvas first,
then the flowers were carefully pasted on top of the script,
a hidden gift for me to discover,
It really did take my breath away!


So yes I did create my poetry this past Sunday Morning,
yes I did come to the Poetry Reading at the museum one evening
and yes I did share my poem out loud!
What an incredible experience it was.
Hearing your own voice reading your own words 
coming through a microphone
out loud to others
can be daunting!
I learned a new technique in my Poetry writing
and I loved the experience of it all.
Especially being able to combine two things
I am passionate about,
Art and Poetry


And yes I did find time to practice a little
Self Portraiture!
I am always learning
always reaching
always trying something new!

Step out of your comfort zone,
try something totally new
you won't be disappointed!
Life is just full of creative adventures
but you do have to look for them,
don't stay in the same boring place all the time!

Look inwardly and Reach out 
experiment with what life has to offer
Your beautiful self can do it!

Donna Lee Zeppieri Wynn










Monday, February 4, 2013

My new day workshop . . . "An Artful Spirit"

"Envisioning"


This is truly a dream come true in the making!  Decided to step out of the "attend" retreats and actually create one!  My long time creative friend Suzan Thompson and I have been envisioning something we could do together for a long time,  the time to step out and actually do it is finally here!

We are going to have a day of mini art workshops on a Saturday in March,
at a beautiful hotel in Virginia Beach . . .
wide open room, beautiful lighting and lots of work space!
(Actually it is the same hotel they have Art and Soul in April!)
We are going to create collage on canvas,
watercolor and doodle,
and create small journals!
You will actually go home with some finished artwork!
Come and let your inner child play for a day.

I just wanted to share it on my blog,
it actually makes it a true reality.
It is good for us to wish for something
actually envision and dream about it,
then actually bring it into reality.

Just wanted to share this opportunity with you,
and wish you the most beautiful week ever!

Invitation to
An Artful Spirit
Workshop
Hi!

Donna Z. Wynn & Suzan K. Thompson invite you to...  
Play and Create With
An Artful Spirit

Saturday, March 2, 2013  from 9am to 6pm

At the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel http://www.virginiabeachresort.com 

Make it a retreat weekend! 
Contact the hotel - just $89/night (+ tax) for participants! 


Learn More

Artful Spirit
Needing a transfusion of play and creativity to rejuvenate your life?


Want to connect with others and feed YOUR artful spirit?




We've planned a one-day retreat with 
3 mini-workshops for you:
  • The Spirit of Journal-Making
  • Artful Collage
  • Wabi Sabi Watercolor

Just $66 for the 3 mini-workshops
+ $33 for materials (what a BARGAIN!!!)
= $99 for an art-filled, spirit-infused playful day!

Register soon! 
(Spaces limited)


Who We Are

Donna Z. Wynn
Donna works full time as an Optical Manager for a successful Eye Practice in Hampton Roads.  She considers being a Mixed Media Artist, Poet and Photographer her creative life's calling!   She totally enjoys watercolors, journaling, knitting socks, mixed media collage, photography and anything creative!  She has written her own blog "Gentle Threads" for three years and it is where she shares her creative stories and poetry writings. Donna has taught art classes for MOCA in Virginia Beach (Museum of Contemporary Art), private art retreats, individual art instruction and was once a part owner in Blue Skies Gallery, in Hampton, Virginia. Sharing her art knowledge with others is a joy and she considers it to be an honor to enlighten others to the world of personal discovery through their art experiences. 

Suzan K. Thompson
Suzan works full time as a faculty member at Old Dominion University, teaching in the graduate counseling program. Even though she has taught clay jewelry-making, water color, and "Finding Your Creative Self" classes at places like MOCA and the former Ghent Studio of Fine Arts, Suzan never really saw herself as an artist.  She considered herself a creative person for a very long time, but only when she found out about the philosophy of Wabi Sabi  in early 2011 was she able to truly claim this truth: I AM an artist! The three basic principles of Wabi Sabi are: Nothing lasts. Nothing is finished. Nothing is perfect. Suzan loves to create sacred space for others to find their own wabi sabi artful spirit.