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C r e a t i v e W o m e n ' s N e t w o r k |
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I'm blessed to have lived on Salt Spring Island
with my family for over twenty years. Salt Spring is one of a group of islands known as the Gulf Islands, located off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Unlike the rest of Canada, with it's extreme weather, the climate on Salt Spring is temperate. Salt Spring is home to many creative people; visual artists, writers, musicians, actors and organic gardeners. Most of my life has been involved in visual arts, drawing, painting and fiber arts. I worked in this medium for a few years, creating woven sculptures, blankets and one- of- a- kind wearables, made from my handspun wools, mostly dyed using plant materials. I started working creatively with computers in the mid 80's on an Amiga, making digital graphics and animations. I needed a camera to record the animations on, and at that time, discovered that I loved doing videography. I combined the video footage with my graphics and animations to produce videos on kids, artists, dance, nature and Salt Spring Island. For several years that was my creative focus. In the early 90's, I started reading about the world wide web. The possibilities it presented, blew me away. As soon as a server set up on the island, we got connected and spent lots of time, finding out about the Internet and how to make web sites. Most artists that live here, have to rely on the busy, summer months to sell their work, and it can be a long year from one summer to another! At that time, I saw the opportunities the Internet could provide artisans to showcase their works to a world wide audience. I started making web sites for myself and others, as far away as the UK, and have not stopped since. I continue to learn more with each web site I make. It's a unique medium to work in; very left brain - right brain, which I enjoy. In 2001 I attended a new media diploma program, in a nearby city. The ten month program, gave me a chance to work with some different software and study with people on the cutting edge of new media techniques. It was a great opportunity for me, to expand on my knowledge, which culminated years of working in new media development. In addition to making web sites for others, I created womenscreativity.com It's designed to create a cyber place that both inspires and celebrates our women's creativity. womenscreativity.com showcases a visual arts gallery, articles, recommended books and quotes. When not sitting in front on my computer, I love to be outside as much as possible, biking, walking, visiting friends and family. I also enjoy doing yoga, cooking vegetarian meals, listening to music and dancing.
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Inspiration
Sparks the Blaze by Penn George
Inspiration is the spark that sets ablaze the fires of creativity, that once set can turn into passion.
Many things inspire us. Inspiration comes through many sources. For me,
nature is always inspiring. The rhythm of the ocean waves, the huge
vastness of wide open spaces, the silent timelessness of a majestic old
tree.
Visits to art galleries and fairs
that offer works from the hands of creative people also inspire me. A
chance to share the artist's vision.
I'm continually amazed to see that someone saw something that
way, or developed an idea of putting something together in a certain way
that I hadn't seen before. Sometimes, I will enter a gallery and one particular piece, sometimes at the far end of the gallery, barely visible to my eye will attract me. It calls out to me - it's energy reaching me long before my intellect is engaged. It is speaking directly to my soul - "Over here - you're going to love this one!" And what is it we are attracted to? The colours; those particular colours that resonate and vibrate so wonderfully well together. Those exquisite shades; the way the light makes them appear to be in a third dimension. Or is it the composition, a dance of perfect balance, hanging out in it's own way, as it relates to its environment. Is it the subject; our ability to respond to it with our emotions and relate to its humanity. Yes I have been inspired many times from visiting galleries to look at art. Sometimes it may just be one or two pieces in the whole place that have a certain something; a vision, an inspiration that caused someone, somewhere to pick up those materials and turn them into that. Music is also a source of inspiration. Different for different moods. It may be the perfect guitar riff; the way another instrument will come in just at the perfect time. Maybe it’s notes of the oboe or violin, that evoke images of another time, another place. Music ignites the imagination. It creates images in the mind, evokes a mood, draws out something from deep down inside us that is too delicious to try to understand with our logical thinking mind. It exists on its own, without the need for further understanding and intellectualising. To do so would be to dilute it, to minimize it and take away from its magic.
Inspiration is magic, it's that spark that fuels our passion, It is what
hauls us out of our dull complacency and robot-like behaviour. It says
loudly, clearly, "Look at this - Here. Now." This is the
energy that you have been looking for; the alchemy of turning something
out of nothing. Penn George is the creator of www.womenscreativity.com. She lives on an island off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada and has been involved in visual arts most of her life; painting, drawing and fibre arts. In the mid 80's Penn worked on an Amiga computer doing graphics and animations. A passion of combining video footage, edited with computer graphics and animations led to Penn producing several videos on nature, kids, artists, dance and events. When the Internet burst onto the scene, she surfed a lot and started making web pages. Over the years, Penn has created and maintained several successful websites and enjoys working with Flash to create animations for the web. Last year Penn received her New Media Diploma from a Technical Institute in Victoria, B.C. It gave her the opportunity to work with some different software and people, involved in cutting edge new media techniques. Penn also created the website for Artcraft. Artcraft is an annual summer long exhibition and sale of works created by artisans and artists, living in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia,Canada. This year, Artcraft celebrates its 37th year, as one of the best venues in North America, for high quality arts and crafts. Over 200 artisans' works are on display. Artcraft is a professional, quality show that includes unique hand crafted works of interest to all ages and budgets. Throughout the summer, Artcraft receives thousands of visitors, many who come to Salt Spring Island, especially to visit Artcraft. You can view some of the works on display, by visiting their web site at: http://www.artcraftgallery.ca Also see Penn G Web Designs at: http://www.saltspring.com/art/PennG
Click below for Penn's website
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