Inspiration #28 - Seeing Red

When I thought of "Seeing Red" I admit to thinking about the theme of anger and as usual am impressed by all our different perspectives {most of which didn't deal with anger at all by the way}.   Should you like to know more about a particular artist or their submission just click on that artist's name or visit the Artists page.  Thanks for visiting the ACoLab!

"Lilliput"

Photograph by Ana

"Seeing Red"

Digital Collage by Anika

"Seeing Red"

A Short Play by Tia & Matt

THE BOY CARUSCO sits on the floor and paints a huge piece of paper with his fingers and hands. HIS MOTHER enters.

MOTHER

(Wearing an apron.) Bambino! Che bella! What is it you make? (He holds up his hands.) Ah! Look at you, red-handed! (She laughs and moves to fetch a towel. Carusco is left examining his hands, confused.)

*   *   *

CARUSCO, a man of twenty, sits on the floor and paints a huge piece of paper with his fingers and hands. HIS LOVER enters.

LOVER

(Wearing an apron. Only.) Is this how you always work, amore?

CARUSCO

(Holding up his hands) What do you see?

LOVER

I see you.

CARUSCO

(Pulling her down to him. She giggles; he leaves red handprints on the apron, on her torso) This. Here. Here. There. (Indicates the handprints, gently.) What?

LOVER

Me.

CARUSCO

Color.

LOVER

Red.

CARUSCO

Which is-?

LOVER

Which is…you. Me. Fire. (She is close to him, teasing.) Last night. This morning. This afternoon again. Redredred. (She kisses his nose. He begins to cover her in paint.)

*   *   *

CARUSCO, a man of fifty, sits on the floor and paints a huge piece of paper with his fingers and hands. He is clearly painting the body of a woman, made of red handprints.

*   *   *

CARUSCO, a man of eighty, sits in a chair by a window. He holds a swath of red fabric, passing it from hand to hand, running it through his fingers.

CARUSCO

I… I could never see… but I could feel… I still feel. Red. I feel it like no other. I know it in my fingers. (He runs the fabric through the fingers of his left hand and lets it fall to the ground. HIS MOTHER enters. HIS LOVER enters. He does not see them. They pick up the fabric together and drape it around his shoulders. They exit. Carusco pulls the fabric tighter around him, until there is no Carusco. There is only red.)

*   *   *

"Redrum"

Photograph by Stephanie

"You Say Tomato"

Photograph by Carrie

"Oath & Loyalty"

Photograph by Joanna

Thanks to everyone who participated for round #28, you keep this site a source of great inspiration and eye candy!  The next round's theme is It's All An Illusion, due October 5th.  If you would like to join in the ACoLab, please do!  There are ongoing themes which can be submitted any time of the month as well as permanent ongoing themes that can be submitted whenever you like.  For upcoming themes please click here. 

Happy creating!

Inspiration #26 - Brushstrokes

I love the variety that this theme received!  It's so interesting to see how we all interpreted this word in our own unique ways.  As always, you can see more from a particular artist by clicking on their name or by visiting their artist page.  A very special welcome to Rachelle and Tia!  So happy to have you in the Lab!  Come back soon to check out their artist page and to find out more about these talented women.  

Deadlines for monthly inspirations are due on the 5th and the 20th of each month.  There are monthly inspirations which can be submitted at any time as well as Permanent Inspirations that can also be submitted whenever you feel inspired.  And now, round 26, Brushstrokes.

"Pieces of The Drive"

by Anika

"Nature's Canvas"

by Rachelle

"Hairport: Matt & His Hair at the Airport"

by Tia

"Brushstroke"

by Ewa

"I'm Done!"

by Carrie

"This Little Piggy"

by Ashley
{Please roll over image}

Thanks so much to everyone who participated!  You all make the ACoLab an interesting and inspirational place to visit.  I hope to see you all back here on the 5th when the inspiration will be "Perfect Timing".

Inspiration #22 - Something that frightens you

Whew!  Back with power and back on the Internet!!  So here we finally have round 22's submissions.  I was thrilled to see a few artists we haven't seen in awhile as well as meet our newest artist, John R.  Welcome John!

If you would like to participate in the ACoLab please do.  Read more about how to submit here. You can find our upcoming bi-monthly inspirations here and our anytime inspirations here.  I also have some new plans in store for the AColab coming up soon so stay tuned.  Remember, you can always click on an artist's name to learn more about a particular work/person or see more from that artist.  Thanks for visiting the lab and enjoy "Something that frightens you". 

"Watching Me"

by Anika

Untitled

by Joanna

"Forgotten?"

by John R.

"Fossilized Grimace"

by Andrea

"All by Myself"

by Carrie

Thanks to everyone who submitted!  Hope to see you back here on the 5th for our next theme, "Space".  I am excited to see what "Space" brings as it can be interpreted in so many different ways! 

Inspiration #19 - Spring

Welcome to round #19!  Thanks to everyone who contributed!!

I look forward to seeing you back here on the 20th of this month (the next due date) when the theme will be "Outside Your Door".   If you would like to join in and submit, please do!  And if you can't wait until the next inspiration to submit you can find additional inspirations here.  Thanks for visiting the Lab!

"Sunlight Bokeh"

by Ashley

"Spring"

by Joanna

"Peaceful"

by Charlene

Untitled

by Carrie

"Boing! Boing!"

by Anika

As always, if you would like to know more about a particular entry or see more submissions from a particular artist you can click on the link for that person or visit the Artists Page.  

Inspiration #17 - Lies

The round seventeen inspiration word was "Lies" in honor of April Fool's Day.  Love the mystery in these entries!  Thanks to all this round's participants.  I am really looking forward to the next round of submissions.  Number 18 will be due on the 20th of April.  The inspiration is a bit different for round 18.  Instead of a word, just go to your radio, turn it on, that is your next inspiration.  Should be interesting.  Hope to see you back here for that.  If you can't wait and want to submit something before the 20th just visit the Extra Inspirations page.  Thanks for visiting the ACoLab!

As always, please just link to a particular artist to learn more about each submission or see other entries.

"Clues"

by Anika

"It Lies "

by Ashley

"Lies "

by Carrie

"Liar"

by Joanna

Inspiration 14 - Inside the Heart

In honor of the month of love here are this round's submissions for "Inside the Heart".  If you care to read more about a particular artist or their submission you can visit their artist page.  Links to artist pages are linked throughout this post as well as above in the Artist Page.  Thanks for visiting the ACoLab!

A special welcome to our newest participants Tammy and Charlene!  Be sure to check out their Artist pages and the links to their own blogs, shops, and other creative projects.  They are bound to inspire. 

"All for You"

Photographs

by Anika

" Inside the Heart "

Photographs

by Joanna

" Inside the Heart "

Photograph

by Danijela

"Shoe Love"

Photograph

by Tammy

"Art. "

Photograph and Words

by Carrie

" Heart Summary "

Digital sketch

by Charlene

Thanks to everyone who submitted this round!  I hope to see you back here on the 5th when the theme will be "Fill in the Blank". 

March 5th - Inspiration #15 - Fill in the blank Project

"When I think about how ____________ is in the ___________ I just have to ____________." (This entry could have 3 different photos, one song, words, video...however you interpret this)

If you can't wait until the 5th check out the Extra Inspirations page.  Happy creating!

Inspiration 13 - Page 25 of a magazine

After hearing from Joanna about how every page 25 seems to be an advertisement I noticed the same!  However, it seemed like those submissions that were received were very inspired and so unique and imaginative.  A special welcome to our newest addition, Carrie!  If you would like to know more about a particular work just click on that artists name (located with each submission or on the left sidebar) to link to their page.

 "Permission to Come Aboard?!"

Photograph

by Carrie

"Abelardo's Blind Spot"

Photograph

by Anika

"Wannabe"

4 Photographs

by Joanna

"Make Your Photos Sing"

Photograph

by Ashley

"Page 25"

A songlette

by Doug

Page 25 020511.mp3

Thanks to everyone who participated!  If you would like to join in the fun, submissions are due every 5th and 20th of the month.  Hope to see you back here!  Oh, and if you can't wait, visit the "Extra Inspirations" page. 

Artist Page - Carrie

Do you love gardening and seeing the fruits that that hard work can produce?  (Look here)  How about buying lovely photographs?? (Then this is the place for you!) Oh!  What about a blog with beautiful photos, lovely stories, and tidings from Ireland??  (Go here!)  Ladies and Gentlemen, it's ACoLab's honor to introduce you to Carrie.  Here's a bit of what she had to share...  

I have always found solace in art as a way of expressing myself. As an lonely child I created my own worlds and was always creative, in order to cope with a stressful upbringing. When I was 15 it was discovered that I had developed permanent double vision, which has been operated on but can not be understood, so everything in my life has an element of the abstract. With my photography I want to share my view of the world, the beauty of the overlooked, the beauty in what others may think is ugly. Finding and capturing this beauty in the world and having is available to revisit is extremely important to me as I have chronic depression and often feel life is dark and overwhelming. I use my work as a way to communicate feelings that I maybe can't articulate well in words, it is a true blessing and therapy.  I love in the gorgeous country of N. Ireland in Carrickfergus (we have our very own Norman Castle) which is very close to Belfast.

Submissions below are listed from newest to oldest.

Theme 28 inspiration:  Seeing Red

"You Say Tomato"

Theme 26 inspiration:  Brushstrokes

"I'm Done!"

This is about the utter boredom that can take over when you are painting, you can see the frustration here with the way the paint is all carelessly spilt and that most terrible of DIY sins - not cleaning your brush afterwards!

Theme 22 inspiration: Something that frightens you

"All by Myself"

Theme 19 inspiration: Spring 

"Untitled"

A very old courtyard in my home town of Carrickfergus with ancient Cherry and Apple trees all in full bloom - to me this is the sight that heralds spring, new hope, a bounty of goodness to come.

Theme 17 inspiration: Lies

"Lies"

Taken in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh; this amusement arcade had been closed for years and was crumbling apart but some devilish scoundrel had left the sign up saying it was open.

Theme 14 inspiration: Inside Your Heart

"Art."

There is a flickering flame of art burning, keeping me going, helping me express myself and (as well as my hubby) making my heart skip a beat.......

Theme 13 inspiration: Page 25 of A Magazine

"Permission to Come Aboard?!"

Photograph
(Link to Carrie's blog to see her post as she intended)
I thought about how magazines can bring people together from all over the world plus paper in it's self is a medium for so much art - I love making paper boats = page 25 (which happens to be the letters to the editor page) used as a vehicle (literally in this case) to connect with others.