Tag Archives: painting

KUISEB Namibia – Exhibition in Berlin

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(This post is in German. It announces our exhibition opening on the 28th of May, in Berlin. If you are interested to attend and would like more information in English, please leave a comment or contact me via email. Thank you!)

Kuiseb_AusstellungPRESSEMITTEILUNG: BrotfabrikGalerie // Ausstellung

KUISEB Namibia

Xenia Ivanoff-Erb, Fotografie
Imke Rust, Malerei
28. Mai – 3. Juli 2016

Eröffnung: Samstag, den 28. Mai 2016, um 17:00 Uhr

BrotfabrikGalerie,
Caligariplatz, 13086 Berlin-Weißensee

Begrüßung: Petra Schröck / Jürgen Becker, Deutsch-Namibische Gesellschaft
Grußwort: S. E. Andreas B. D. Guibeb, Botschafter der Republik Namibia
Musik: Elemotho & Samuel Batola (Namibia)

Die Künstlerin Imke Rust wird anwesend sein.

Die BrotfabrikGalerie präsentiert in Kooperation mit der Deutsch-Namibischen Gesellschaft zwei Künstlerinnen aus Namibia, die sich in unterschiedlicher künstlerischer Weise mit der Wüste Namib und dem Trockenfluss Kuiseb auseinandersetzen.

Die Designerin und Fotografin Xenia Ivanoff-Erb wurde in Südafrika als Tochter einer Deutschen und eines russischen Don-Kosaken, Victor Ivanoff (Künstler, Karikaturist und Sänger), geboren und wuchs in einem von der Kunst geprägten Umfeld auf. Seit 2012 in Swakopmund/Namibia, hinterlässt sie im künstlerischen Leben des Landes zunehmend ihre eigenen, vor allem fotografischen Spuren, ob in Zeitschriften oder Ausstellungen. Als ihr letzter Erfolg gilt die Foto-Schau „Namibia Inspirations“, mit der sie zum Jahreswechsel 2015 / 2016 ein breites Publikum begeisterte.

„KUISEB Namibia“ ist ihre erste Werkschau in Deutschland. Sie gab der Ausstellung ihren Namen und schreibt dazu: „Etwas versteckt, verborgen in unserem ‘Hinterhof‘, dem großen Sandkasten Namib, liegt ein grüner, baumumsäumter Streifen, der Trockenfluss Kuiseb. Eine faszinierende Vielfalt an großartigen Landschaftsformen und eine besondere Tierwelt bieten dem interessierten Naturfreund besondere Anregung. Doch kommen wir auch beinahe bei jedem unserer Sonntags-Ausflüge in Berührung mit den Nachfahren eines tausende Jahre alten Nomaden-Stammes. Kaum eine Stunde im Auto von Swakopmund entfernt führen heute einige hundert Leute vom alten Volk der Topnaar-Nama ein relativ einfaches, bescheiden-glückliches Leben.“

Die namibische Künstlerin Imke Rust wuchs in Swakopmund an der Küste Namibias auf und verbrachte dort einen großen Teil ihres Lebens. Dadurch entwickelte sie eine besondere Beziehung und Faszination zur Wüste Namib, in der auch der Kuiseb als Trockenfluss liegt. Vor allem die Widersprüchlichkeiten des Landes und der Wüste haben Imke Rust schon seit ihrer Jugend beschäftigt. Ihre Malereien zeigen kein gewöhnliches Wüstenbild. Vielmehr drückt sie mit ihrer eigenwilligen Bildsprache, Farbgebung und Technik eine Vielfalt an inneren Eindrücken und Gefühlen darüber aus, was Wüste für sie bedeutet.

Beim ersten Eindruck einer Wüste denkt man schnell, hier sei ja nichts außer Sand. Nach genauerem Hinschauen entdeckt man vieles mehr: Leben, Schönheit, Mythen. Aber auch den wundersamen Tanz mit dem Tod. Imke Rust gibt einen Einblick in die Abgründe der Wüste und die der menschlichen Seele. Ihre Bilder laden dazu ein, die tieferen und größeren Zusammenhänge, die in den Sedimentlagen unter der Oberfläche versteckt sind, in unser Bewusstsein zu bringen.

„Durch Gier und Machtanspruch spielt der Mensch in dem sehr sensiblen Ökosystem Wüste eine schwerwiegende und oft besorgniserregende Rolle. Aber auch wenn wir mit allen Mitteln versuchen, die Wüste zu beherrschen, stoßen wir dabei immer wieder auf unsere eigenen Grenzen. Wir werden uns unserer Schattenseiten, unserer Vergänglichkeit bewusst – spüren, dass wir nur ein weiteres, kleines Korn in einer großen Wüste sind.“ (Imke Rust)

Das Ausstellungsprojekt wird von der Senatskanzlei Berlin im Rahmen der Städtepartnerschaft Berlin-Windhoek gefördert.

***

Ich freue mich darauf, euch persönlich begrüssen zu dürfen! Und JA, meine Bilder können bei dieser Gelegenheit gekauft werden!

Diese Einladung darf gerne weitergeleitet und geteilt werden. Xenia und ich freuen uns über viele interessierte Besucher.

Text zu den Arbeiten von Imke Rust, die in dieser Ausstellung gezeigt werden.

Text zu den Arbeiten von Imke Rust, die in dieser Ausstellung gezeigt werden. (Bitte auf das Bild klicken um eine größere Darstellung zu sehen)

Weitere Information auf den Internet-Seiten der Brotfabrik http://www.brotfabrik-berlin.de und der Deutsch-Namibischen Gesellschaft www.dngev.de . Und vielleicht möchte auch jemand auf die Ankündigung der Ausstellung durch das Süd-Afrika Magazin im Internet schauen:  http://www.sued-afrika.de/

‘Let’s be more adventurous’ she whispered

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Lying awake at night I saw myself painting a huge canvas entirely black and immediately I thought how dark and depressing that would be… and dismissed the thought.

Then I remembered that some time ago I promised myself and the universe, that if I get any clear inspiration, I would trust it and follow it. So the next morning I took a 100 x 100cm canvas and started to paint it black.

It did not feel dark or depressing… it actually felt comforting, calming and very rich in its smooth deep blackness. Not at all as bad as I had imagined.

While painting I got the following insight:

Sometimes the darkness is not as bad, as it first seems...

Sometimes the darkness is not as bad, as it first seems… (Text added digitally to the photo.)

Then nothing. No new idea, no insight as to how and if to proceed. I hung the canvas on the wall and waited.

Yesterday I heard the kudu softly calling me.

Paint me! Remember, we have a long and special history together…

(When I was about three or four years old, my father worked in the field and my brother and I explored the near-by hill. I was the one who spotted the kudu, very close by. It did not run away immediately, which these wild antelopes normally do. How exciting… a tame kudu!

So what do little girls do? They wanna go and cuddle and play with any nice and tame animal…

Fortunately I had my brother follow close on my heels. We were really unbelievable close to this wild animal and it did not make any signs of running. Being older and already more knowledgable about the wild, my brother noticed strings of saliva running down from the kudu’s mouth. A sure sign that the kudu had rabies and was dangerous. This also explained why the kudu seemed so tame…

Immediately he grabbed me by my arm, softly, but urgently told me to back up and run. I was not very happy about this, as I already was so close to touch this cute and majestic animal. But, fortunately big brothers can be very persistent when they are about to save your life. 

So we ran. Down hill, all along a fence. Chased by a rabies infected kudu.
It is a common symptom that animals with rabies appear tame, but then also attack you… We ran for our lives.

My brother was faster and ahead of me. I realised that the kudu is getting closer and my short little legs had no chance against his (or hers). Somehow I realised that I could slip sideways through the fence and hope that the kudu will continue with his downhill chase. It worked…

But now the kudu got closer to my brother and my brother was getting close to the corner of the camp, with another fence right in front of him. He duck through the fence and at the same time the kudu lifted into the air with his powerful hind-legs to jump over the fence…

Another thing which happens with kudus who have rabies, is that they get weak. Usually they easily and gracefully jump over fences, but now they do not manage the height and get horribly tangled in the wires. Caught with its legs by the wires, this kudu came crushing down to the ground where my brother had just climbed through the fence. It fell partly onto my brother, but fortunately he could quickly get away and was not hurt.

My father, who was already alerted by my screams that something was wrong, came towards us and once he has ensured we are save, he put the poor kudu out of his/her misery.

This was a pretty unusual childhood encounter with a kudu and probably one of my very earliest, clear and lasting memories. And it made a huge impression on me… )

So yes, I do remember. Also the first time that I was asked to paint your portrait. I answered in my mind.

Ok, so will you paint me again?

Mhhh. Ok, maybe with white on black, that could look cool.

Ok.

What do you think of this?

Kudu White on Black (Detail)

Kudu White on Black (Detail)

Uhh, I like it. It is pretty. But…. hey let’s be adventurous tonight, otherwise we are finished so quickly… and black and white are so… mmhh, boring? Let’s just try something crazy…

I don’t know. I am scared. You look so pretty, what if I will mess that up?

You might, but wouldn’t it be fun? And anyway… if you do mess it up, you can just paint another one like this again, can’t you? Common, let’s just be a bit wild tonight… I dare you.

Ok, I trust you. And yes, I need to remember that I can always start over again. Art, like life, lets you start over and over again, as long as you are breathing. Mistakes can happen and they do. But it is not the end of the world and often they lead to amazing new and unexpected results.

So, yes, I dare…

(Untitled (Kudu on black background), Acrylic on canvas, 100x100cm)

(Untitled (Kudu on black background), Acrylic on canvas, 100x100cm)

So this is the kudu at this stage of our dialog… I think we leave her like this. Maybe, we will rather start another adventure on a different canvas.

And till we do, I am enjoying her presence. We are having fun, like girlfriends do, giggling and enjoying the neon colours we used, her prettiness and weirdness, marveling at the world, laughing at our vulnerability, fears and constant search for the elusive perfection… And think: who cares? When we can just be pink or turquoise or whatever we feel like? We should be more adventurous and less scared of making mistakes.

How did the dog get onto the beach?

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I painted it there…

There is a dog on the beach... (Hotel Deco Busting by Imke Rust)

There is a dog on the beach… (Hotel Deco Busting by Imke Rust)

Intervention Against Tasteless Wall Decorations in Hotels and Holiday Apartments. (Part 18)
Intervention gegen geschmacklose Wanddekoration in Hotelzimmern und Ferienwohnungen. (Teil 18)

Since 2010 I have secretly been slightly altering tasteless or boring hotel or holiday apartment art whenever I had the chance to.

This is another intervention from our seaside holiday’s in August this year. The holiday flat we stayed in had numerous wall decorations all in the form of calendar images framed in cheap frames. So I just had to give them all a face-lift and add some originality and life. Now the flat has 6 original art intervention works by me. It must be a really worthwhile holiday art experience 😉 …

Once again I forgot to take a proper ‘before’ photo, so you will see I have already started on this one:

There is a dog on the beach... Before(almost) and After pic (Hotel Deco Busting by Imke Rust)

There is a dog on the beach… Before(almost) and After pic (Hotel Deco Busting by Imke Rust)

And here two more pics:

Sometimes I feel that I just have to add a comment to the back of the artwork, just in case somebody will look one day.
Final Image: Dog on the Beach. (Hotel Deco Busting by Imke Rust)

If you enjoyed this, you can view more Hotel Deco Busting Interventions Hotel Deco Busting Interventions by Imke Rust.

Selfie Life – Hotel Deco Busting

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Intervention Against Tasteless Wall Decorations in Hotels and Holiday Apartments. (Part 17)
Intervention gegen geschmacklose Wanddekoration in Hotelzimmern und Ferienwohnungen. (Teil 17)

Since 2010 I have secretly been slightly altering tasteless or boring hotel or holiday apartment art whenever I had the chance to.

I still have not shown you all the Hotel Deco Busting projects I did during our holiday in August… So here, without further ado another one, called Selfie Life.

While walking on the beach with a beautiful sunset, we noticed how every second person was frantically at work to get the perfect sunset picture with their phones. And obviously there were several with those weird selfie sticks, making sure they were in the sunset picture too.

Somehow it felt as if we were the only ones who were present in the ‘here and now’ and actually could fully enjoy the sunset, feel grateful for our beautiful holiday, take a deep breath of the salty sea breeze, smile and just be content… I wondered if the other people, taking photogrpahs actually noticed or felt any of what we did? I hope inbetween taking photos they did.

So this was the inspiration for this hotel deco busting intervention… Our holiday bungalow had a wide variety of wall decorations. All old pages from calendars, all in cheap frames, and this particular one was not even covered with glass… so easy work for me.

Selfie Life (After) I have added the imaginary experience and perspective of a woman taking selfies of her beach holiday to share on her social media.

Selfie Life (After) I have added the imaginary experience and perspective of a woman taking selfies of her beach holiday to share on her social media.

(please click on the images below to see the full picture.)

Selfie Life Before & After (#17)
Selfie Life (Detail)

If you enjoyed this, you can view more Hotel Deco Busting Interventions Hotel Deco Busting Interventions by Imke Rust.

Rainmakeress

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Rainmakeress by Imke Rust Graphite & Acrylic on paper, 105 x 120cm

Rainmakeress by Imke Rust, Graphite & Acrylic on paper, 105 x 120cm

Rainmakeress

Woman is water. Woman is moon.
Woman is flow. Woman is life.
Woman is earth. She is the giver of birth.

                                              She is the rain.

Some time ago, while thinking about one of my favourite subjects (how we can manifest rain) I scribbled down the above thoughts. That led to the large drawing (at the top) of a woman becoming rain.

I do believe that we must find the rain within us. I do believe that we are one with everything around us, the rocks, the animals, the people, the clouds, the invisible waves of sound, light and information, the ocean, the air and everything else. Whatever is out there, is a mirror of what is inside myself and we do attract into our lives, that, which we put our awareness on and what we feed with energy. Because it is all there. And all is One. And that One is God.

So, if that is true, then it follows that similar to being able to attract like-minded people, we can attract (or manifest) like-minded energy and ‘states of being’. To understand this better, lets take an example, lets say I want more kindness in my life. Then I just need to focus my attention on that part in me, which is kind and choose to be more kind in my everyday life. Suddenly I will notice more people around me being kind. They probably have always been kind, but I did not consciously realise or notice it. Also, I will most likely avoid people who are not kind. And my kindness will very likely inspire somebody else to be kind in return.

Similarly, it should be possible to place our awareness on the qualities of rain and what comes with it and then attract it into our lives. If we have a drought, we can ask ourselves, which parts of us have we let dry up? Did we let our passion, our flow, our life become dry and stale? Are we contracting ourselves out of a fear of lack? Have we lost touch with our moistness, our fertility and our giving part? Have we somehow stopped the cycle of water, by damming up our feelings?

If we can find where we are lacking within our own spirits, then we can start rectifying our energy and thoughts. We can focus our awareness on those things which matter and which are favourable to attracting rain. What is rain for you?

I associate it with joy, with lightness, with wetness, abundance, creativity, life, freshness, growth, water and so much more. So when trying to evoke rain, I focus my attention on these things. I imagine how I feel when it is raining, I try to taste, smell, feel and hear that sensation of rain. Can you imagine it? Can you feel the feelings that you have when it is raining? Try and stick with those feelings for some moments. And then, in my case, with my associations of rain, I try to consciously incorporate those things more into my life, or send a silent thought of gratitude and appreciation to these things when I notice them.

Practically it means, when I wash my hands (for instance), I am consciously enjoying the water and in my mind saying thank you for having this water and how much I appreciate it. And I try to fill my life and heart with more joy (do something fun), with freshness (place a fresh flower in my space), life (go out and enjoy the plants, animals or people whom I meet) and creativity (the best of all, create something new, an artwork or a meal)… I do something fresh and exciting. If my life has become stale, I try to find ways of being and feeling more alive – like getting up from the computer and dance.

You can try this yourself. Maybe you do not immediately succeed in creating real rain, but I do believe that you will immediately feel better and changing the atmosphere will sooner or later lead to the ideal conditions for rain to come.

Recently I had a friend visiting me from Namibia and I could try out another idea which I had, based on the idea that we are all rainmakers. Also that especially as woman, we embody the fertility and giving part, which I associate with rain. Combined with freshness, creativity and some real water I simplified this idea so that it can be better understood. I painted a dark rain cloud on the body of my friend and then splashed it with water, so that it will drip down and draw the colour with it, creating a visual idea of rain. I had so much fun with that last part, that I forgot to take photos, and only in the end, when you could not see the ‘rain’ that well anymore, I took a photo. I do think the action is more important than the ‘prove’ so I hope you enjoy the ‘before and after’ images anyhow.

Rainmakeress: Cloud painting on body and adding water to let it 'rain' (Imke Rust)

Rainmakeress: Cloud painting on body and adding water to let it ‘rain’ (Imke Rust in cooperation with Wiebke Volkmann)

What are your believes about rain? Do you maybe live in a country, where you would much rather see more sun and less rain? You could apply the same ideas to create a more sunny life for yourself.

Have you ever tried making rain? Or done a rain dance? Prayed for rain?
What were/are your experiences?

Exhibiting in Swakopmund

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Two of my paintings will be on show in Swakopmund at the Fine Art Gallery from the 14th of February till the 14th of March 2015, along with works by other well-known Namibian artists, such as Barbara Böhlke, Nicky Marais, Barbara Pirron,Gerdis Stadtherr und Chris Snyman.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Body & Soul’ will be opened on Saturday 14th of February between 10:00 – 12:30.

I would like to invite all my Namibian friends and fans to come and see the exhibition during this time. This is one of the rare opportunities to view and to purchase my art in Namibia.

Here is a photo of me with one of my paintings which will be on show. This is the first public appearance of this shy lady. Don’t miss it!

Me, shortly after completion of the painting: Title: Pink Girl Medium: Acrylic on board, Size: 120 x 85cm Block framed

Title of the artwork: Pink Girl, Medium: Acrylic on board, Size: 120 x 85cm, Block framed

Fine Art Gallery

34 Sam Nujoma Ave, Swakopmund   (Email: info@art-in-namibia.com)

Opening times:

Tuesday – Friday:  10.00 – 12.00 and 16.00 – 18.00

Saturday – Sunday: 10.00 – 12.30 or by appointment

Gallery Press Release:

Valentine´s Day at Fine Art Gallery

Fine Art Gallery wants to celebrate this year´s Valentine with a special theme exhibition “ Body & Soul “ and invites all art lovers for to a champagne launch on 14th February between 10:00 – 12:30.

Many well-known and established Namibian artists have followed the call of the gallery and show their definition on the subject. “Body & Soul” shows body part naked, body language details but also the soul of an individual, his dreams, moods, fears and hopes. Among the works on display are works by Barbara Böhlke, Nicky Marais, Barbara Pirron, Imke Rust, Gerdis Stadtherr and Chris Snyman. Some new talented artists of the “New Signatures “ group are also exhibiting their works.

A versatile exhibition full of desire, sensuality and passion, in short, an explosion of expressive colours and images in oil, acrylic, mixed media and simple, touching sketches. The exhibition will be on show until 14th March 2015 in the gallery.

The drawing in favour of the Desert Lion Fund will also take place at the champagne launch.

Facing the Creative Mess

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I have not been feeling well these past days. But I tried to paint anyhow - it was a long, painful and frustrating process, cause nothing wanted to go the way I hoped... actually I do not even know what I really want to express with my art anymore... I feel lost. Although I enjoy her (the painting) I could happily do without the struggle.

‘Born of Frustration’ Mixed Media on Watercolour paper, 200g/m2, 32x24cm. I have not been feeling well these past days. But I tried to paint anyhow – it was a long, painful and frustrating process, cause nothing wanted to go the way I hoped… actually I do not even know what I really want to express with my art anymore… I feel lost. Although I enjoy her (the painting) I could happily do without the struggle.

I went a whole month without writing a blog. I miss sharing my thoughts with you, but it felt as if my thoughts and feelings were on a roller-coaster ride (and still are). I just could not focus on any single thing and write about it.

On the positive side it also means that I have been working more on my art and facing all the gremlins that come with that. You know, stuff like fear of failure, insecurity, questioning the sense of it all and wondering if what I do really makes a difference to the world?

“Anyone can slay a dragon, she told me, but try waking up every morning & loving the world all over again. That’s what takes a real hero.”

(Brian Andreas of Story People)

I often return to this piece of wisdom when I get fearful of life. And in my personal way it means facing an empty piece of paper or canvas all over again, not knowing the outcome and not knowing if it will make any difference to the world. Or if it will touch anybody in a meaningful way? Will it nourish my soul? And will it support my survival financially. Will I mess it up? Will my insecurities get the better of me and let me abandon it?

Creating art is messy. Not only in a paint-splatter way.

It messes with your soul in a weird way. I cannot tell you all the emotions that I am going through when I create art. It teaches me that I never really can control the outcome, that I need to trust the process and myself and it teaches me, that often what seems like destruction or failure is the biggest blessing to the creative process. All difficult lessons and challenges for me, but I am trying to bravely ‘face the dragon’ every day, even when I feel lost and unsure of which direction to take.

It is strange how my passion for making art can also be so uncomfortable, challenging and forcing me to face my deepest fears and insecurities. But, oh the bliss, of finishing an artwork and thinking: wow, I struggled through that and something beautiful came out of it!

Today I thought of giving you a glimpse into my studio, so that you can see what I am up to and why I have been so quiet.

I also would like to show you the wonderful packaging that my Teabag Totems now come in and the perfect frame, which I found for them. You can buy any of these existing unique little artworks as shown here or I can create one with your favourite or totem animal. If you missed reading about my Teabag Totems and want to find out more, click here. (Cost: €20 plus postage).

Please click on the images to get a larger view.

I just love these frames and how the Teabag Totems look in them! So I have decided that I will offer the option to buy the frame with the artwork. Just ask me about it.

It feels vulnerable to share with you my working space and creative mess, but hey, this is me and how I work and I know that every now and then everything gets cleared and tidied up again. 🙂

View of my working space and creative mess...

View of my working space and creative mess…

And here some views of the artworks which are partly in progress or just finished or waiting to be decided upon. When I am not 100% happy with a work, I love to see it regularly until I either change something again, or I start accepting (and loving) it for what it is.

Small drawings on watercolour paper

Small drawings on watercolour paper

The larger drawing below, started of as a black ink drawing and I expected it to stay that way. Instead it surprised me with this outcome. I love the feeling of lightness and softness, despite the tension and a bit of dreamy sadness that I feel in the figure.

Mixed media on paper and board

Mixed media on paper and board

And hey, look who appeared again! The kudu…

This painting started of with a female figure in black and white, then the kudu appeared and stole her show, so she got painted over. I am not sure if this will be the final version though…

Acrylic on canvas (detail)

Acrylic on canvas (detail)

Ok, that’s it for today. Now I have to start cleaning up the mess, because this weekend I am celebrating my 40th birthday with a few friends and need the space. Currently I am working from our living room until we get the out-building turned into a non-leaking, warm and light space – hopefully in the next few months.

My New Year’s Resolution and a Gift for You

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The Muse - by Imke Rust

The Muse – a self-portrait I have done this time a year ago while at home in Namibia.

The end of a year is the time when most of us take stock and plan ahead for the new year. Many friends are sharing their intentions, hopes and dreams on social media.

I, too, really want the next year to be awesome, but find it so difficult to put my desires into concrete shapes and words. My inner need to get more focussed has built up pressure in the past few days and my inability to focus has filled me with fear.

Today I decided to at least look through the things I have done in the past year and came upon the following text which I have written in September. It reminded me of a valuable lesson by which I have lived most of the past year, and probably should just continue to use as my motto in the next one, till I can fully embrace it.

I am sharing this with you, in the hope that it might inspire you too. Here it goes:

Sometime in 2013 when I felt really sick and depressed, and that already for a few months, I had this talk – with myself, or my higher self or God, well, that thing which sometimes answers you, by putting brand new and outrageous thoughts into your mind.

It went something like this:

Me: I finally want to be happy! And healthy!

It: Well, then just be happy and healthy.

Me: But I cannot. Cause I am depressed and my body is aching. Did you forget that I have a broken back, and ten other health issues on my plate on top of it?! Are you saying that it is my thinking and believes causing this?! It can’t be, because I have been trying to do all the right spiritual stuff and be positive and all that shit… and still here I am, feeling miserable, wanting to give up, but even too scared for that…. So?

It:      Just be.

Me (getting agitated): Grmpfff – I just told you, I am not. And it would be lying if I said that I am happy and healthy. And I will not lie. It is of no use.

It: No, just be. Breathe.

Me: Hä? (That is German for WTF?)

It: You know, how the world and you are trying to live by the Nike slogan: Just do it! ? That is ok, sometimes that is a real great advice, but right now I am giving you a new slogan, and yes, it sounds outrageous, but try it: Just be.

Me: Hey – hmmm, an improvement on the Nike slogan? Great, I like that! And it is even shorter than the Nike slogan, and less is more, so this is quiet cool.               I will try it.

And so I did.

Whenever I felt stressed, insecure or anxious, I stopped myself, took a deep breath and told myself: just be.

The beauty is, that in that moment I realise I am. I am everything, I am stressed or insecure, but I am also Imke, a human being, a woman, a creative spirit, a lover, a daughter, a friend… And I am part of this universe, I am love and I am kindness.

I (we?) often forget to firstly ‘just be’. Being is all we need to do.

There is nothing I need to do to be better or more accepted. We often put doing before being. When we remember to be and let our doing flow naturally out of our being, we start to live a more honest and happy life. We gain more strength and confidence in our actions, because they are fuelled by our true being and not by what we are told or tell ourselves we need to do.

Try it. For me it helps taking a deep breath, sometimes closing my eyes and then feeling into being. Consciously feel how I am being. Alive. Present. Aware.

It immediately calms me and gives me new strength. And it puts my fears of not doing enough or being perfect enough into perspective. I hope it might be the same for you.

And as a special gift I have created the image below and would love to send it to you in high-resolution so that you can either print it or use it as a screen-saver to remind you of this simple New Year’s resolution.

Just email me at imkerust(a)iway.na (Note: Please replace the (a) with an @ sign.) or leave a comment below and I will hurry to get it to you asap.

 

Wishing you a blessed and amazing 2015 filled with joy, love, health and abundance!

Just be.

Teabag Totems

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I love the alchemy, which happens when you take something insignificant and useless which is about to be discarded and turn it into something special and exquisite.

For a long time I have been saving my used teabags, as they are very helpful when you want to light a fire. Now it has become winter and we will not make a fire outside for a while, and my husband urged me to rather get rid of the teabags we are now using…

He is right. But I cannot help it, that once I get pressurised into discarding something, my mind will switch into alarm mode to check if there are not any other ways to recycle or reuse it.

And so the Teabag Totems were born. A series of animal portraits painted onto used teabags.

It is not so easy to paint such tiny portraits on crumbled teabags, but it is lots of fun and I enjoy the different animal characters surfacing in the portraits. Everybody who has held one of these Teabag Totems in their hands loves them.

Their fragility, the softness of the teabag and their unique personality turn these tiny works of art into something truly precious and special.

If you are interested to have your favourite animal or totem animal painted on a teabag and delivered to you or a friend, then just contact me in the contact form below. You can also select one of the finished little teabag artworks shown below. The portraits are painted with high-quality gouache paint and fineliner onto 6 x 4cm used teabags.

Please contact me if you would like to purchase your own Teabag Totem. It comes in a see-through plastic box, which is also suited as a temporary display stand. After I received your order, I will send you an invoice. Only once I have received your payment, your Teabag Totem will be sent to you.

(Please click on the images to see a larger view.)

Teabag Totem Series (Fox)
Teabag Totem Series (Deer/Elk)
Teabag Totem Series (Peacock and Masked Weaver)
Teabag Totem Series (Snow Leopard)
Teabag Totem Series (Rhino)
Teabag Totem Series (Seagull)
Teabag Totem Series (Lion)
Teabag Totem Series (Oryx)
Teabag Totem Series (Goat)
Teabag Totem Series (Hippo)
Teabag Totem Series (Deer)
Teabag Totem Series (Giraffe)
Teabag Totem Series (Rabit)
Teabag Totem Series (Bear)
Teabag Totem Series (Crow)
Teabag Totem Series (Raccoon)
Teabag Totem Series (Cheetah)

View more Teabag Totems by clicking here.

And here is my framing suggestion:

This neat box frame seems perfect for displaying your Teabag Totem. (Frame from Boesner, CAJA, white wood 13x18cm)
I also love that one can hang it on a wall, or just let it stand on a shelve...

Cats Raising Money for Cats

4 Replies

Everyday, when I switch on my computer, I look at this adorable fluff-ball:

The adorable fluff-ball Princess Clarissa

The adorable fluff-ball Princess Clarissa

She is my cat and she is a real princess.

She even has her own throne, on wheels, decorated with the insignia crown of her royal highness…

Princess Clarissa on her very own thrown.

Princess Clarissa on her very own throne.

She’s got attitude, she is goofy and does not care the least what you think about her odd lying positions and her aloof behaviour.

But, do not call her fat. Her sensitive heart is deeply hurt when somebody dares to call her fat – she will never honour you with another glance, never mind a purr….

And to rescue the situation her servant (ie me) has to explain, that she is not fat, it is just that her pretty head is a bit too small, and she has a lot of fluffy fur.

And no – nobody is allowed to touch her silky soft fur! That is just not on with royalty!

Her name is Clarissa.

Named after the great author Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

And Clarissa hails from the SPCA in Windhoek.

I am so grateful to have this little princess in my life and always try to support the SPCA. I believe that they are doing such important work and play a huge role in animal welfare.

Being an artist with a minimal and ad-hoc income I often was not able to support their work as much as I wanted to. But I have found ways and means to support the SPCA and Cat Protection Society of Namibia, for instance, by donating paintings of dogs for their fund-raising auction.

Recently I made a fun painting of a cat and shared it on Facebook. This painting reminded Ms Susanne Jaspert of her own cat, another cat hailing from the lands of SPCA, and she decided to buy this painting.

I was so excited that my pink cat painting found a loving home, as cats and paintings all need loving homes!

SOLD. Untitled, Ink & Acrylic on acidfree paper 170g/m2 29,7 x21cm

SOLD. Untitled, Ink & Acrylic on acidfree paper 170g/m2
29,7 x21cm

What better excuse to donate the proceeds to the SPCA? A cat painting helping the cats and dogs of the SPCA and supporting the work of the people who care for them.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because, I often felt helpless and too poor to help and yet there are so many ways to help out. It does not need to be in big ways. But maybe something you love doing can be donated or used in order to support a cause close to your heart? I hope that this might inspire you to find a way how you can help and remind you to go out and just do it.

Or to adopt your own princess or prince from the SPCA and let them sneak into your heart and soul.

And as I was preparing this post I searched through my photos to decide which pictures to use and as you can imagine, it is not easy if you have the cutest and goofy-est SPCA cat in the world. So here is a small selection which I just have to add, as they also give you a glimpse into how important this cat is in my art making.