Project no.13: "Red childhood" (a still life project)

"A memory photo slide"

Project no.12: "The sun & the shadow"

Project no.11: "The minimalism in the light"

The experiment between black and white

About tree weeks ago, I did my first photo exhibition.

It was part of a color themed evening, combined with a theatrical performance and art activities.

The exhibition's photo collection was a combiation of portraits and still life full, exploring color and the city of Athens.

I had a few photo that (due to space) didn't make the final cut.

And today as I was looking at them and thinking oof posting them on my photography's Facebook page, I thought 

"what if these shots that supposed to be in color, where turned into grayscale?!".

So, I worked on them and turned them into black and white. 

And I think that the experiment is quite interesting....

Reinventing happiness (no.5)

Lately, I've been drawing a lot. 

Usually sitting in my balcony and creatin for hours and hours!

It's the basic thing that makes my mind calm down and reduces the almost constant thinking.

So, following lines and creating beauty, for me!

And color. 

A great part of my abtract art and collages. 

Having depression is like being in a constant state of...grey. It goes from light shades of grey to really really dark ones. And drawing and creating collages is a way for me to add color to my life. 

Every new colored pencil or pen I'm buying is like a choice I make, an addition of a certian scent and shade to a tough time....

Yes, I have obsessive compulsions and constant thoughts, and very bad and dark moments and depression, but I'm still making my choices and trying to make my everyday life better.

Sometimes, I only need a black pen, some colored ones and a good piece of paper!

"Yellow Glass" (a photo)

Reinventing happiness (no.4)

I'm creating abstract art for some years now. 

Lately, I try to draw my mental situation. The other day I did an abstract drawing of my mind and the weights that keeping it in the place where it is these days....

Well, trying to recreate your mental state and exact feelings is quite hard and a little bit tricky...!

Trying to give the piece the best accuracy.

Plus, it feels good and kind of weird in the same time, seeing the way you feel on paper. 

It' like your feelings and thougths turn into objects, flesh and bones, paper and ink!

Reinventing happiness (no.2)

Today I watched "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (and the movie following it, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"). It's about a hotel in India and its elderly guests. 

All  this color....!! Shades of yellow, and red, and blue, and purple, and green, and almost every other color that exists! And all the fine embroidery on the fabrics and clothes! All the beautiful patterns in architecture, jewelry and on any element that catches your eye! Well, it's a Hollywood movie after all, it can't be 100% accurate to the real thing, but still looks amazing!

You look at all these beautiful things and you can't help but think that if there's so much color to lighten up the world, the world can't be a very bad place. At least not always....

Plus the idea of travelling and getting to know different cultures, seeing new things, taste, smell.... I should travel someday....! But maybe watch some trevelling documentaries for now.

(image source: imdb.com)

P.S. Those beautiful couple of lines in the end of the second movie, spoeken by Muriel Donnelly (the character of Maggie Smith):

"You have no idea now what you will become, 

don't try to control it. 

Let go.

That's when the fun starts."

Photo of the day!

Reinventing happiness (no.1)

You know these people that are able to find small pieces of happiness in their everyday life. A cute bird standing on top of a tree, a beautiful colored flower, the amazingly shaped clouds in the sky, etc. I used to be one of them. 

Until I wasn't any more. 

It started out slowly, it was more and more difficult for me to notice those  tiny bits of beauty. And it took only a few months to end up with depression. Me, that my philosophy is that happiness is a way of life and a life's goal, having depression. In combination with my obsessive compulsions that after 10 years have made my everyday routines so hard! 

So, I'm standing here today, feeling sad most of the time, not feeling like my usual self anymore, not being able to normaly do simple things (it's hard due to my obsessive compulsion even to move properly inside my ow house sometimes and sometimes it's even hard to get out of bed), feeling very anxious when I'm outside (because the next trigger might be waiting around the corner, right?!), not being able to dream and set goals like I used to, having thoughts  of self harm and a few more things. Oh, among all the above I'm giving my 120% to feel better. I do literary the best I can. Plus, the help I'm getting from my psychologist. And there's a chance of visiting a psychiatrist too, soon.

What's helping me the most in this difficult time is a small three-letter-word with much power: art. I'm lucky enough to be an artist. I'm using words, color, photography, music, drawing, singing, jewelry design, to express myself and basically breath. And I'm using the word "lucky" because it's pure luck to being able to deal with situations like mental health problems using art! 

One particular thing I have noticed lately is that even through hard times like these, I'm finding myself feeling deeply passionate about art in certain situations. Sometimes it's a concert, others a song or a movie. And this caught me thinking that....what if I could beat my depression and obsessive compulsions through art?! Always in combination with therapy of course. 

What if I could feel better using art (creating, admiring, studying) and in a way... reinvent my happiness?!

"Weekend" (a photo)

"Eros breaks his bow"

How a different perspective can change the way you look at something

& the beauty of a 3D work of art with its different angles....

* "Eros breaks his bow",

by Georgios Vroutos,

1896

"Purple & blue" (a photo)

The "Star Wars" post-its.

A few months ago I decided to do a "Star Wars" marathon for the first time. 

After watching all 6 films (the 7th had just premiered in theaters) a friend asked me to draw something for each film, something to show the impression each film left to me. 

So, since I basically create abstract art I decided to do a post-it with an abstract drawing for each episode. 

For me, creating my abstract designs is like following lines, and that's what I did with this mini project, but always having in mind each movie.

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