See, Read, Listen: March 6

See ~
One of my favourite bands, Khruangbin, has the BEST posters for their current tour. Take a peek at two of my favourites below:

Talk about groOoOvy.

 Read ~
"Changing 'the tragedy narrative': Why a growing camp is promoting a more joyful approach to Alzheimer's"

This article by Tara Bahrampour is a really enjoyable read and it fills my heart with SO MUCH JOY to know that there are so many people actively trying to change how our society perceives dementia and persons living with dementia. If you want a sneak peek into my work and school world, this is a great great read.

 Listen ~

 

This song doesn't need much explanation - listen to it, wish you owned that hat, enjoy ~


~k

A Thought or Two: Relationality in Art

I've felt this heavy shift in the last half of a year. Heavy in the good, planets shifting, mind bending kind of way.

My research and work is in relational caring, relational philosophies for working with persons with dementia. The theories resonate with me, they parallel something deep down in my psyche that I've not ever been able to put words to until now.

Relationality is how I live my life.

My relationships are a central part of my life, organically, naturally, always.

I thrive when I'm connected with others. I have a suspicion that this is how all humans thrive. So do all the relational theorists!

So how has this changed my art practice?

I still enjoy a good hours-long paint session, with good music, just me and my materials and ideas.

But I get a much bigger kick out of making art collectively, collaboratively. At work with my seniors, I work side by side or in collaboration with people all day. It's a freeing space, it lets relationships flow and grow. 

Knowing how good it feels at work to be in connection with others while making art and being creative, it made me wonder how I could translate this to my art practice. For one, I've been trying to make art with friends when we spend time together! For another, I've been re-reading all of my art school materials on relational aesthetics, thinking about how to make it a reality with my skillset.

In May I facilitated an interactive collage installation at an arts and music event. It was a total dream come true to have people come up to my collage wall, with their collage materials in hand, so excited to contribute to the collaborative collage pieces. We made 4 very colourful, bedazzled, and fascinating pieces. I loved watching people make collage decisions I never would have thought of, watching people pair things together or fold things or cut things a certain way. It was beautiful and I can still feel the high of it when I think back to the event.

I want to do this again. And again. And again. I want to make art with people indefinitely and always. It's a beautiful and healing and magical.

So, here's to relationality in art, and artwork becoming less competitive and ego driven - instead, community minded!



~xo

Gallery Chat: Transitions

When you open the door to the universe, welcoming change, sometimes it feels like you've opened a pandora's box and the universe begins throwing all sorts of surprises at you. Here, you want change? Have more than you asked for! You want an inch? I'll give you a whole dang mile!

Transition periods can be tumultuous and fulfilling and devastating and beautiful. Moving has been so good but also so difficult. Everything takes a little longer to do as you figure out a new space and a new routine. Everything takes a little more mental energy and I'm left feeling super exhausted all of the time. That's not to say Im not also thriving - having my own place feels amazing. I leave my door and walk down the street and just smile. It all feels like a big, full-body, full-spirit sigh of relief.

Mother's day was sort of tough. While I got to spend it with some beautiful people and celebrate some wonderful mums, my grandma was taken to hospital and things aren't looking great. Not terrible, and I'm waiting on more results before I make any mental conclusions myself, but it's a curveball nonetheless. I got home and felt OK, but also not OK. It feels as though I am in a funny tight-rope, limbo position emotionally. My room mate came home and found me fresh from a little cry prompted by not being able to open the new compost bag (but really about everything else). She promptly brought out the chocolate and made me tea and gave me the biggest hug. I'm so grateful to be living with this gal.

Spring is also in full swing - another transition period. The city is exploding with blooms and gardens are just so full of newness to explore. I thrive in this weather and this season and I'm so glad and hopeful to grow alongside all the flowers and trees, fill out this apartment and this new routine with beauty, and persist despite the growing pains of transition periods.


~~~

Eyes have always been a subject of interest to me - my high school notebooks are covered in endless sketches of eyes. All of my paints are at my parents' house still, so I had some fun trying this out on photoshop today. What do you think?

~~~

Gallery Chat is a recurring post series where words and imagery collide, sometimes unrelated but emerging from the same mind in the same place in time nonetheless. In this series I explore topics and ideas that are on my mind as well as my more recent art works that I want to share with you on House of Ell.

Get to Know Me, Get to Know You!

Hello everyone!

I realize that, while I share a lot on this blog in respect to my art, others' art, thrifting, sustainability in fashion and life, and more recently some self love/body image content through my Bedhead Project, I haven't really spoken about MYSELF and who I am on a day to day basis in a while.

(There's me, in all my Bedhead -face-morphing-smile glory)

So, I want to offer you guys some little truth nuggets to help you get to know me. And in turn, I hope to get to know some of you more closely as well!

Starting with some fabricated 'FAQ' style questions for myself:


1. What do you do for work?

~ I work primarily with persons with dementia! The place I work at designates themselves as an Academy for persons living with dementia, and I go in and provide arts-based programming a couple of times a week. We have a philosophy that includes relational caring, so I also spend a lot of time hanging out, having dance parties, getting deep, and building relationships with my participants and my coworkers! It's the best ever. I started as a volunteer and ended up staying and working there for 4 years now.

I also work part time as a research assistant through school, also dealing with relational caring, and as a wedding photographer's assistant. From time to time I also do art and design related freelance work.

In short, I do too many things my friends, too many things!

2. What do you do in school?
~ I'm working towards finishing my Master's in Recreation and Leisure Studies. This is a really cool field, I'm discovering, and includes a whole range from tourism, to sports, to parks, to recreation therapy (which is closer to what I do... but I don't call it therapy for many reasons that would require a whole other blog post for). I'm new to the field academically, but my research is on arts based approaches to working with persons with dementia, so with that I am in my element.

My research deals in friendship in dementia care: not something we normally think about as a possibility, but with a critical lens my feeling is: Why the heck not? I'll be working directly with persons with dementia and care partners to find out what they think/feel/know about that.

3. What do you do for fun?
~ I paint, I draw, I collage, I knit, I weave, I take photos, I obsess over fashion, I go to concerts with friends, I cook, I eat good food with friends and family, I go to the art gallery, I dance (alone in my kitchen, though), I watch crappy crime dramas, I goof off with my fella, I read blogs, I blog!

(An example of my for-fun art making)

4. Where are you from?
~ I'm from Toronto, in Canada. I've lived elsewhere (Paris, France, & Waterloo, Canada) but always circle back here. I love my city, and while I love exploring, I'd have a hard time leaving permanently. My background is Belgian, Danish (hence my last name!), and Canadian.


Woo! So, that's a start anyway. I feel as though that covers some of the basics anyhow.

Now it's your turn! I want to know the same about you, if you'd like to share your answers to the same four questions, please do so in the comments. I'd love to learn more, make my blogging more personal/about relationship building between creatives (since that's the fun part of the online world anyway), and get to know YOU!

xx

Gallery Chat: Venus/Experiencing Sexism

I recently had a conversation with someone, this person being notorious for inflammatory and outrageous remarks, and it was a surprisingly wholesome and interesting idea. Except he intentionally left out women/girls. Which was hilarious to me because there I am, a young woman, listening to this man's "great" idea for our youth, but only young men - NOT women, only men (his words). I'm sitting there wondering what he would suggest the young women do instead then - what would you have me doing right now, sir? I didn't want to know. I wasn't prepared for confrontation so I simply left the conversation. But man did I want to pull out the big guns and shred his idea to pieces.

It isn't often that I experience blatant sexism in my circle, and for that I am privileged and so fortunate. Unfortunately it also means I'm not usually prepared to fight against it, especially when it is coming from someone older than me who clearly assumes power over the situation.

I've had these conversations with my brother about the wage gap and representation in the film industry (his area of interest). We discussed what other issues he finds important to him, and we discussed why it's hard to understand when you don't experience what women experience. The same way I have to listen to people of colour and the lgbtq community and other people who experience marginalization, learn from them, and accept that I will never understand it the same way they do, it is important for my brother to realize that he doesn't know what it's like to have someone harass him when he walks home at night based on the length of his skirt. He doesn't know what it's like to wear your favourite pair of jeans and have people visibly gawk at you when you're just trying to get some damn groceries. He doesn't know the implicit threat involved in such little gestures. He can't understand the way it feels to have male professors celebrate only the men in your class, or celebrate you for all the wrong reasons. And so on. It's nice to have these conversations with my brother because he is learning, and wants to learn. I've even had these conversations with my dad, my uncles; people who are open to listening and learning.

So how sad is it, that there are so many people out there who can't take the time of day and don't want to learn. And how easy it is to pick up on that, to clam up, and stay silent.

How easy it is to shut up when you know they won't listen.

I'm not sure what my solution is to these feelings, but I want to find more strength in times when I am negotiating these weird sexist spaces. And I wonder; how do you navigate these conversations? Do you experience them often? Please feel free to share (respectfully!) in the comments...

See, Read, Listen. 001

See: The minimal, one of a kind, absolutely stunning make up art of Ruthie Barone on instagram. I love her photo collages of looks she has done with similar themes and colours (pictured).

Read: How to Turn Your Clients into Raving Fans, a post on Kitty and Buck that has some good reminders for people currently in creative gigs, or who are considering entering a creative field! We all know those few bloggers or creatives who somehow have 948275396734539 followers who basically pray at their metaphorical instagram feet and are adoring and truly look up to them. I don't mean this sarcastically - it's a really cool phenomenon and those creatives have really got "it", whatever "it" is. Maybe this post on Kitty and Buck can be a good starting point to helping us all figure out what "it" is!

Listen:

(Watch the little pup in the video too - it's watching the dancers, looking so concerned, like 'what the HECK is going on'! Oh the shenanigans that dogs put up with from us, ha!)


Happy Wednesday, everyone! See, Read, Listen, is a new series that I used to post on an old-old blog of mine, that I thought I would revive. What do you think?

Art Fart: A Celebration of Women

I made this collage on International Women's day. You may recognize it if you follow my personal instagram account! It was a lovely morning of meditation on women and all the beautiful things it means to be a woman, and a celebration of these things. Powerful. Present. Embracing our bodies. Causing ripples in the water, in the world we move through. Having impact. To me, this is what comes naturally to women, but is so often stifled - or rather, there are so many attempts to stifle these things - by the expectations placed upon us, the definitions fabricated to describe us, the double standards imposed on us, the misconceptions that surround us. I was really thrilled to see so much movement and action and discussion occurring on this day, and all other days, about what it means to be a woman in this day and age, and what it should mean to be a woman in the future.

I think of my grandmother (who is pictured in the background of this piece!) who wore jeans before women even really wore pants. Who got her Master's degree and worked and fostered children, on top caring for her own 4. My grandmother who learned how to build a house with her own two hands. Who was a passionate advocate for homeless youth, the environment, and more. My grandmother who made art and let an enthusiastic, young Katia cut some of her flowers from her garden to make bouquets when I would visit. Man, was she ever rad.

Who do you think of, when you think of amazing women in your life?

Art Fart: Father Christmas

This summer I have been doing some work for the Toronto-based band, Father Christmas. They rock and were fantastic to work with! I really dig the visual style they go for and felt totally at home in the images I made for them. For the posters, front man Kyle gave me a simple directive; "make something weird". Don't mind if I do!

First I worked on a set of logos for the band - text and illustrations, one palm-tree version and a cactus one. We tried a few ideas and landed on a hand written text style, and a matching sensibility for the illustrations. I am so pleased with how it turned out, and it looks great on their t-shirts and pins which I will share a photo of soon!

The band are starting their East Coast tour this weekend, and asked me to make a few posters for those shows too - it was a treat to use the logo I'd just finished in the designs to debut it online.

(How great of a magazine find are those little naked gold people? I seriously want to make a bronze necklace pendant of them... wouldn't that be rad?)

They even asked me to include my boob illustrations in the poster - so fun to have a project that allows me to combine the various things I love to make! The collages were made mostly by hand, then scanned in and positioned with the text and logo details.

Check out Father Christmas's bandcamp page, and their facebook page for the tour details!
They've also just released a new single that I'm super into, you can listen to it here.

xo

Art Fart: The Art of Collaboration

Competition doesn't come very naturally to me. I was never a sports person - I hated being pushed to compete and WIN. I liked gymnastics - competing with only myself to do a better cartwheel than before. But I quit when the gym coaches insisted, at the ripe age of 6, that I start competing. Of course, it feels good to win, but I was a sensitive child and never liked the way people got mean when they were stressed to win. I remember my cousins having snow ball fights, playing man hunt, soccer, badminton, and having everyone get mad at me when I missed the ball or let down the team. I could never handle it.

Now as a grown up, I can certainly handle it. I've been known to get pretty competitive myself when I play cards against my fella or during a family game of Taboo. But there's a part of me that still doesn't love it. The same goes for the art world, which I'm sure we can all imagine or know is very competitive. And I haaaaaaate that about it. I want to collaborate, to work together, to support each other, to be friends (lol). Of course I'm not alone in this, but my overwhelming feeling is that the art world sees collaboration as a vehicle for personal success - work with someone who will help elevate you, as opposed to a pure enjoyment of the process of working together.

Maybe I'm wrong? Maybe this is just my experience. Maybe it's the art scene in my city?

I recently had a contrasting experience. I collaborated with my friend, Hannah Spector, who I met when we were both living in Paris. We were introduced by a mutual friend and later adventured to a Mexican Wrestling bar together. That's the extent of how we know each other, but we've kept in touch (thanks, internet) and both like collage and word-y things. We decided to collaborate and sent each other packages of cut up bits, papers, materials, for the other person to put together and compose. This was my result! Something more abstract than my usual, but I love it and had so much fun with this collaboration. It was such a delight to open up the package that Hannah had sent me and find an explosion of googly eyes and a parking ticket, among other things.

This is the kind of art I want to be doing. I want to work with others, I want to build community, I want art making to be more than just about me, sitting at a desk, doing my thing. Is this a bit idealistic? Maybe. I'll figure that out as I go, I suppose!

What is your experience with competitiveness vs. collaboration in the art world?

Creative Crush: Mark Bath

I am thrilled to be featuring the work of one of my former classmates, the very talented illustrator and printmaker, Mark Bath. I remember sitting in one of the classes I had with him and seeing his work for the first time and thinking: damn. Intimidating and inspiring! Mark's art is so technically pleasing and thematically intriguing and 100% the kind of work I'm into.

Also, Boobs. Ya know I love me some boobs.
I also love the creepiness contrasting with the whimsy of this above piece, titled "Crabwise", and I really dig what Mark has to say about it on his website:

"The image is about dislocation, and the unusual "dance" (that of a crab; left to right; never going forward) required of an individual who feels alienated from a beautiful place because of particular interests and sexual orientation."

It's hard not to appreciate a beautifully composed piece that also conveys a strong and unique message. Here are a few more pieces of Mark's that I have always been into:

Be sure to take a look at Mark's portfolio website to take a peek at his other beautiful work!


xo

Art Fart: Collage Sketches

Normally, sketches are associated with quick pencil drawings and doodles intended to get abstract ideas from your head down on piece of paper, or to practice certain things. Then, perhaps, to work out the details of the idea more clearly and develop a more finalized image - depending on who you are and what your process is. I never really thought of doing collage sketches until I felt like I had cornered myself into, well, a corner. I was putting too much pressure on myself to create "finished" work and to readily have new material to post on my social media and to continue promoting myself. Yuck! That's not a good corner to be in - it is paralyzing, frustrating, and boring. Especially when I also use social media to get inspired - the instagram "corner" is both an inspiring and stifling zone, which is a very conflicting way to feel.

So I decided to loosen up, keep it abstract, and throw some colours and textures and shapes together that I liked. To make for the sake of making, to explore composition as an abstract series of shapes. I also tried doing doodle squiggles on separate paper, then cutting those out and collaging them in with the rest - which turned out to be really fun.

Sketching is good for experimenting without fear of ruining a piece, for discovering new techniques and ideas, and building a visual dialogue between your inner self and your physical output. Why limit 'sketching' to pencil or pen? I'm trying to use my sketchbooks more often for my own creative development and well-being (and for fun!).

---

Do you keep a sketchbook? What medium do you experiment with?
If you share your sketches on your blog or social media, leave a link in the comments so I can check them out! You can see more of mine on my instagram.


ps. my sketches usually have words paired with them. Here are the words attached to these three, from left to right: burnt toast on a rainy day, not beyoncé's lemonade, cottage cheese by the sea.

Creative Crush: Andy Dixon

Andy Dixon is a New York based artist who comes from Vancouver, Canada. I love, love, LOVE, his use of colour and his use of line! The playful (and somewhat awkward) way that he captures moments really draws me and I end up taking the time to look at the whole image and all of its details and quirks.
Another very fun aspect of his work I've noticed while following him on instagram (@andy.dxn) is the inclusion of his own paintings in the backgrounds or settings of his other paintings - it's like finding little easter eggs!

I really relate to this particular series of four vases (Four Expensive Vases - the four most expensive vases to ever be sold in an auction) and the appreciation of decorative detail, and repeated objects. I also adore the background colours!

And of course, I have a definite appreciation for his Canadiana series. It's really nice to see work about my country - as so often the work I appreciate and admire and soak in, is not about home. I chose to share this painting of the Canadian Goose. Sure, it's just a goose (OK, two geese!) but it brings up such a multitude of stories for me - primarily about Goose poop and their violent tendencies and the time my sister had to smack one with an umbrella just to get past it to get to class... but anyway!

Check out Andy Dixon's portfolio website here

Who have you been crushing on lately?

Art Fart: Collage and Words

Recently I've enjoyed making this series of collages combined with some black out poetry! I love writing, I've always loved writing (hence the blogging!), but I haven't been quite confident enough to share it with others. This collage + black out poetry happened by accident and I'm so glad it did! It's just toying with some word play, but I feel like it's a step in a really exciting direction.

I have also been trying to include my own drawings into my collages - hence the odd sea-shell-y blobs I've included in two of these. It feels even more "mine" with my doodles thrown in.

The world is full of sunshine today and weather so warm I don't need a jacket - that feels SO GOOD. I feel so inspired, and excited by the opportunities ahead to create art and simply enjoy the process.

How is the start to your week?

Creative Crush: Matthew James Kay

Matthew James Kay is an artist I found on instagram (because where else do I find artists nowadays?) through his diagram poems account. I find Kay's word and diagram couplings so meditative and pleasing. They really resonate with me; there's something magic about the simplicity and happenstance and creative pairing that goes into this work.

Things also get real groovy when pattern and image collage elements come into play. And if you happen to know me, you know I love me some pattern and some collage so - win win!

Be sure to check out Kay's portfolio website, as well as his etsy shop to see which pieces he's willing to part with!

By the way, how would YOU read these poems?
I instinctively start at the top then work my way around clockwise, but sometimes my eyes jump around unintentionally! Curious to see how others interpret these!

xo

Art Fart: for Bowie

Oh Bowie.

No words or artwork or sentiments of any kind will suffice to express the loss the entire world is feeling - even as a relatively moderate fan such as myself.

I love the Bowie universe, and respect, admire, and appreciate the things he did in his life. He was an unrelenting creator, a maker of wonderful new things that really shook up the world. I love his aesthetic, I love his music, I love his attitude; I even love his ugly red Ziggy mullet. I donned it myself this past Halloween for my Bowie costume. I am very sad to see him go, and so awe-struck at the brilliant coincidence (which, I suspect, might not have been a coincidence at all) of releasing his latest and last album just 2 days before his death. Incredible 'til the end!
 
Bowie, thank you for the weirdness, and thank you for the magic and the sparkle.

xo

Art Fart: Touch me in the Sunrise

It's been a sick week for me - a mountain of kleenex later and I am still a snot factory (is that TMI? my bad). The plus side is that I get to stay home (so as to not infect the general public) and sleep and make things. It's been a long while since I have been able to sit and concentrate on art for hours and hours without interruption. I have had some of the ideas in this image, mainly the hand pattern, for a while and I'm glad I finally went for it.

I also recently acquired a whole pile of vintage playboy magazines which I am really excited to be using - the content is sometimes hilarious, and often quite beautiful. Something about hazy, gentle nudes is a breath of fresh air. There is something nice and subtle about vintage playboy shots, even if they are somewhat pornographic.

Anyway. I hope you don't mind some boobies.

xo

Logo Designs: Taking Comissions!

In the last few months I have been asked and given the opportunity to design some logos for a variety of people around me! Some for non-profit start ups, some for bands, some for personal logos, and for a variety of other projects too. I really enjoy the process and the problem solving, so I thought I would open up the doors to taking on some logo commissions!

Above is a collection of some of the logos I have done. Can you tell I like circles? Ha! I would be thrilled to discuss your project with you and hear what you're thinking for your logo, whether it is similar to anything I have here, or if it is completely different. I would love to help you get the logo of your dreams for whatever project you have in mind! My prices are fair and my process is quick and inclusive, I love to get to work and get feedback, and I love to work together to turn your ideas into a visual piece of logo goodness!

Send me an email at katia.engell(at)gmail.com with any questions and if you are in need of a logo and would like a quote.

xo

Creative Crush: Manjit Thapp

Manjit Thapp is an illustrator based in the UK. I stumbled upon Manjit Thapp's work on none other than instagram (that's normally how it happens) and was immediately drawn to not just double tap, but to actually check out her website (which doesn't normally happen).

The sense of design in Thapp's illustrations is divine. The balance of colours, the way her lines intersect and overlap, and the geometry - I am so into all of it. It has been a long time since I have looked at pieces of art and thought: I want to turn them into a room and exist in it. Do you ever get that feeling, when something resonates with you just that much?

Take a look at more of Thapp's work on her website.


Who have you been crushing on lately?

Art Fart: Eagle Woman

I've been focusing on trying to create landscapes and scenes in my collages. So here is my Eagle Woman in her natural habitat.

Happy Monday everyone!

NEW: Collage Print Shop!

Hello friends! Surely you've seen me post my collage work on the blog or on instagram. I'm really excited to finally have versions that I can put out there, that others can hold in their hands and put on their walls.

So I opened a little online shop! Right now it only has prints of 4 of my favourite collages, but it will be expanding in the future. There will one day be originals and all sorts of other goodies. Stay tuned, and take a peek at the shop when you have a minute - I'd really appreciate it :)


Which print is your favourite? 

Check out the shop here!