Thursday's Child

This week's Thursday's Child Interview Is

Ro Bruhn

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Ro Bruhn Art

AT: Ro, Tell us a little about yourself and please include something fun or quirky!

Ro:  I was born in England but came to Australia with my parents when I was nine. I now live in the hills just outside of Melbourne with my husband. I have two wonderful daughters and five gorgeous grand children and I'm not at all biased. I hate really cold food, my family think I'm crazy as I even put ice cream in the micro wave for just a few seconds to take off the chill. When I'm really concentrating on my art I work with my tongue out, something I've noticed my grandson does too, not sure if it's genetic or learned.

AT:  When did you begin tapping into your creative spirit?

Ro:  For as long as I can remember. I made a rag doll and all of her wardrobe when I was at school in England. I would spend hours drawing as a child. My biggest dream was to own a box of Derwent coloured pencils.

AT: Tell us your art journaling story! What came first, journaling or making journals?

Ro:  I've always kept sketch books but I'm note a diary keeper. I started making journals because I loved the process, starting out with blank white paper, then decorating it and making a journal. Slowly I started adding textiles and now they are a combination of both.

AT:  You create so much more than journals. Share a little bit about your other artistic endeavors.

Ro:  You name it I've had a go. I started painting seriously in my late teens, it's something I've always kept up. I did pottery for quite awhile, then came lead lighting, spinning and weaving were in there somewhere too. My interest in jewellery making started about six years ago when I accidentally stumbled across Susan Lennart Kazmer's web site. Seeing all the magnificent things she made from found objects got my recycling brain hooked. Jewellery making has become one of my main art forms now and I am fortunate enough to sell my work in a couple of galleries here.

AT:  Who are your favorite artists?

Ro:   Susan Lennart Kazmer would have to be one, in the painting world Van Gogh and Hundertwasser would be my main influences and I can't leave out Kaffe Fassett, after doing a workshop with him, I saw colour like I've never seen it before.

AT:  Do you have a favorite quote?

Ro:  Let the beauty we love be what we do - by Rumi

AT:  When and where do you do most of your journaling?

Ro:  I always carry one of my journals in my bag so that when we stop for coffee, or I have some free time I can sit and sketch what's around me.  I'm now trying to journal everyday to keep the drawing skills up to scratch.

AT:  When and what inspired you to start blogging about your journaling?

Ro:  I started a blog mainly to get my jewellery noticed, then I slowly started to add pages from my journals, as I said before mine are more visual than written, so I treat each page as a sketch only occasionally adding words.

AT:  What are your other interests and hobbies?

Ro:  Apart from all of my art interests I love my garden and enjoy making mosaics to add as features. I also spend time at the beach to re energize. I think I must have been a mermaid or a fish in a previous life.

AT:  Where can we find you on the Internet?

Ro:  I have a blog, Ro Bruhn Art,  my etsy store, my flicker site and http://www.facebook.com/people/Ro-Bruhn/1293852353

Thank you so much for the interview, Ro.   I can't wait to see what you create in 2011!

Thurday's Child:  Kelly Watts

 


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Kelly's Art Journaling

AT:  Kelly, tell us a little about yourself. Where you were born, where you live, married, children, etc. Include something quirky - favorite food, weird habit - something FUN!

KW: My name is Kelly Watts, born in British Columbia Canada. I have been married to my awesome hubby for almost 18 years now and we have two sons 13 and 15 and now live in Calgary, Alberta.

I am a huge fan of everything Italian and always wished that I was born into an Italian family ~ but no, I am of Norweigan heritage and a little bit of Irish/English/and who knows what else - LOL. So basically I consider myself to be a 'mutt'.
I have many quirky habits and facts about myself; one being that I do not eat pork or seafood... reasons for this is that we lived just around the corner from the "Pickton" pig farm in Port Coquitlam, BC when all those bodies were found (the pigs on the farm apparently ate the prostitutes (over 50 of them)... and sold the pork to the local stores... that just plain grossed me out! So now I cannot eat pork!
I do not eat seafood for a few reasons... when I was little we had a fish tank and I used to watch the fish and was disgusted when they pooped in the water! Ever since then I thought of the ocean as one big toilet for all the sea life - EW! The second reason I do not eat seafood is... hello? They are slimey!!!!!!!! GROSS! I can swim in the ocean without any trouble though! Strange? I think so. LOL.

AT: When did you begin tapping into your creative spirit?
KW: I began to tap into my creative-spirit only after I realized that I had something to offer to the world. This was a long journey of self-discovery which took many years of healing and letting go and most importantly... finding God. When you begin to know and see yourself through God's eyes you start to realize that your gifts came from Him... once this discovery takes place your eyes begin to open to how God desires you to use your gifts for His good and perfect purpose! Then the Holy Spirit leads you further and introduces you to your creative spirit within you.

AT: When did you begin art journaling?
KW: I was led to art journaling via a creative art/writing group through my Church. One evening a lady named Alice brought her art journal and I was mesmerized by it! She had gemmed the front of her journal with all her little treasures and trinkets and it was the most beautiful journal I had ever seen! Then she allowed me to open it up and see her work ~ that was it! I knew this would be a great passion of mine! I went home in search of all my own trinkets and treasures, purchased a new hardbound journal, duct tape and moulding clay paste and went to work creating my very own treasure book! Before I knew it I had three or four journals on the go.  This was in 2006.


AT:  What inspires your journal pages?

KW: Many things inspire my art journal pages...God has led me on a tremendous journey to healing through many spreads and inspires me to explore His word through journaling.  My Femininity inspires my journaling through my search of beautiful, frilly, girly things.  Other artists are a huge inspiration to me...seeing the world through other's eyes is such a blessing.

 

AT: Who are your favorite artists?

KW:  I really love the Renaissance period and Leonardo Da Vinci (I do not believe in all the conspiracies related to his work, but I just LOVE his creative process from what I have read about him)
I do not confine myself to any particular artist or type of art because I find myself taken in by it all! I love staring at paintings and finding my own imagination come to life within it!

AT: Do you have a favorite quote?
KW: It's funny... I always thought Maya Angelou wrote this but now I discover it was Anais Nin!
"And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~Anaïs Nin
This quote helped me so much in getting out of my depression, you know when you hear something once and maybe it wasn't the right time to hear it... well I heard this quote at exactly the right time and something inside of me just triggered... finally I was able to blossom!

 AT: When and where do you do most of your journaling?
KW: Most of my journaling is done in my bed surrounded by all my art supplies... (my husband has finally come to the realization that I am a "nester") this is how I am able to be creative. I have an art desk with all my supplies but rarely use it... I also journal a lot on the go.

AT: What do you want everyone to know about art journaling?
KW: Art journaling can lead your on a journey to self-discovery, healing and contentment. I receive so much peace from my art journaling and it fills me and if you give it a try I am certain you will find it as well.

AT: When and what inspired you to begin blogging about your art journaling?

KW: I have only been blogging for a few years. I discovered it through a girlfriend who blogged about her cardmaking and I said to myself, "Hey, I can do that!"... so I did. I have been writing in journals since I was nine years old and have found blogging to be a very similar but somewhat more enjoyable and positive activity. Blogging allows me to share my heart and my journey with my readers.

AT: What are your other interests and hobbies?

KW: I am always in search of the few things in this life that bring me pure joy, and I have found that joy in reading, writing poetry, blogging, watching movies and of coarse spending time with my hubby and sons. If I had time and energy I think I would explore more hobbies as I am in awe of the talent in this world and enjoy the process in which things are created through an artistic eye.

AT:  Where can we find you on the Internet, Kelly?
KW:   You can find me on my blog at www.kellysartjournaling.blogspot.com and I am the moderator of The artist blog hop on my blog if you would like to join.