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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by BeardedLady on October 29, 2002, at 5:18:55
Where are you from? And what kinds of paintings do you do? Oils or acrylics? Etc.
I am coming to terms with the fact that I am an artist. It is not a term I use to describe myself every, but people introduce me this way all the time, and I always look surprised. They say, "Well, you ARE an artist, AREN'T you?" And my answer is always, "Not really." I guess that's because I think of myself as a craftsman. What I do is more technical than artistic. I can't draw anything very well. I am really a writer, a poet, a designer, a teacher--those things first.
So I've been doing my craft, mosaics, for about ten years, and I am good at it. But just before I turned forty, I decided I needed to do some real art. So I did. I made a mosaic mannequin torso, with a working biological clock and stats on women's health. There's a butterfly in the stomach, too, with the words "anxiety," "fear," and "panic" around it. It's called "Midlife Crisis," and it's my first attempt at real art.
So that's me. Let's hear about you.
beardy
Posted by jyl on October 29, 2002, at 8:55:55
In reply to Hi, Grace: Welcome to Social!, posted by BeardedLady on October 29, 2002, at 5:18:55
wow,
a room full of creative minds.
i am an artist too.
i paint (acrylics)and like to carve wood.
why are the most expanded minds the ones that seem to be the most lost?
jyl
Posted by Pfinstegg on October 31, 2002, at 6:27:07
In reply to Re: Hi, Grace: Welcome to Social! » BeardedLady, posted by jyl on October 29, 2002, at 8:55:55
Just a thought..when you have any kind of severe, prolonged stress- enough to give you PTSD, anxiety, depression- it is your left hippocampus and pre-frontal regions which show shrinkage by MRI or PET scan. The left temporal region tends to get larger, in order to compensate for language and memory deficits, but the right hippocampus and pre-frontal areas show little or no change, no matter how severe the stress. Maybe that is one reason why visual/spatial skills are prominent among us!
Pfinstegg
Posted by Gracie2 on November 1, 2002, at 19:52:22
In reply to Hi, Grace: Welcome to Social!, posted by BeardedLady on October 29, 2002, at 5:18:55
Hi Beardy-
I've lived most of my life here in St. Louis. Moved here when I was 12 (from Arkansas), joined the Army when I was 18, moved all over the place for the next 7 years, including 2 years in Germany. I lived in Massachusetts for awhile after I got out of the Army, moved back to St. Louis (after my brother was killed, to be with my family - mistake!) - that was in 1986, and I've been here ever since.
I paint with acrylics, not much experience with oils. I've never made a living at it, but it does help bring in some extra money every now and then. I used to paint all the time, murals and large canvas, and I got pretty good at "faux" finishes. I'm not particularly sociable and terrible at selling myself, so much of my work was done at the houses of friends and family, for the cost of materials and maybe a bottle of good wine. I found it enjoyable and I didn't mind.Ten years ago, I was working at Shriners' Childrens' Hospital (an orthopedic unit) when the hospital underwent a major renovation. Most of the radiology department was sealed off from the construction for several months by temporary walls. Since the children waited for their x-rays in this dismal background, I brought in a large set of markers and started coloring the walls. The artwork turned out to be such a hit, I was asked to paint murals in the new hospital. Naturally, most of the artwork was in the new radiology department. One x-ray room has a jungle mural, one x-ray room has carousel horses, and the wall outside the rooms is a mural of outer space. I also did an "underwater" mural in the operating room waiting area. Because the walls in the "brace shop" (orthotics and prosthetics) waiting room were wallpapered, they asked me to paint a picture for them. I did a life-size canvas of Superman to hang in their waiting room, and they were so thrilled that they took me out for dinner. I also did a canvas for Occupational Therapy.
A couple of years later, I left Shriners and moved on to what I thought were greener pastures.
I had been wondering whether my pictures had been taken down and my murals painted over. So my friend was very excited when she called to let me known about the picture in the Wash U. journal with one of my murals in the background.In the last three years, partly because of the loss of some people I loved dearly, I started on a dramatic downhill slide. Without going into more grisly detail, this culminated with the police taking me to the hospital so I could be admitted to a mental ward. I stayed there for a couple of weeks and was discharged with a fistful of prescriptions for psychiatric medications. I quit painting and did not even think of painting
for another year. The year after that I did attempt some painting, but couldn't concentrate long enough to finish anything. Finally, at a crafts show that one of my friends had dragged me to, I picked up a small painted box and thought,
"Hmmm, I could do this. I could do better than this." And that's how I started painting small wooden boxes. They don't require the level of talent and time that a large canvas does, and I have two friends - one in the Poconos and one in Arizona - that own artsy stores, and they sell my stuff for me.Beardy - well, you asked! You can see how detailed this is, which is why I thought that it would not be interesting to the majority of people on PSB. I am also convinced that I lost interest in painting because of the large amount of Depkote that I was taking at the time, and I'm very interested in the reaction that psych meds
have had on the creative inspiration in other artists. This may have a place on PB but again, it would not apply to the majority.
-Gracie
Posted by Gracie2 on November 1, 2002, at 20:09:57
In reply to Re: Hi, Grace: Welcome to Social!, posted by Pfinstegg on October 31, 2002, at 6:27:07
I'm too lazy to go look up the article but I will if you guys insist. Although we have always suspected that women are superior, now it has been scientifically proved. Apparently, women who have strokes and lose the power of speech can be
taught again to speak by calling on a portion of their brain not previously used for speech. Men who have strokes and lose the power of speech cannot be taught again to speak.
I already knew that we possess a superior GI tract, and control of it.
-Gracie 8-)
Posted by shar on November 2, 2002, at 9:51:51
In reply to Re: Hi, Grace: Welcome to Social!-Beardy, posted by Gracie2 on November 1, 2002, at 19:52:22
I didn't know all that, and I'm glad you talked about it! It was very interesting to me; I'd always thought of you as sort of a renegade radiologist...didn't know you were an artist to boot!
8-)
Shar
Posted by jyl on November 2, 2002, at 13:43:51
In reply to Re: Hi, Grace: Welcome to Social!-Beardy, posted by Gracie2 on November 1, 2002, at 19:52:22
i havent painted for months...
it use to be my outlet.
now i could care less......
but the unfinished mural on my livingroom wall keeps laughing at me!
jyl
Posted by Dreamerz on November 2, 2002, at 15:08:31
In reply to when can i paint again:( » Gracie2, posted by jyl on November 2, 2002, at 13:43:51
Hard to start isn't it but after a short while you'll get swept away in the flow
Posted by jyl on November 2, 2002, at 16:08:35
In reply to Re:... tickle it with a brush » jyl, posted by Dreamerz on November 2, 2002, at 15:08:31
cant wait until this feeling of selfobsorbtion passes.....
i feel i am trapped inside myself longing to escape.~before i spend too much time here and begin to enjoy its solitude.
jyl
Posted by BeardedLady on November 2, 2002, at 21:08:58
In reply to tickle yor ass with a feather! » Dreamerz, posted by jyl on November 2, 2002, at 16:08:35
Was your subject line part of the best joke in the world?
beardy
Posted by Gracie2 on November 3, 2002, at 11:01:22
In reply to when can i paint again:( » Gracie2, posted by jyl on November 2, 2002, at 13:43:51
I'm good at starting things, not so good about finishing. If I quit in the middle of a project and let it go for months, it's really difficult for me to pick it up again. You might have to paint over the mural (which is almost as hard as finishing it) and start again when you're feeling more inspired.
Is there something different going on in your life, new medication or a situation that's got you stressed out?
-Gracie
Posted by jyl on November 4, 2002, at 6:13:29
In reply to Re: when can i paint again-jyl, posted by Gracie2 on November 3, 2002, at 11:01:22
really upset the effexor is not working:(
feeling so bad~starting cutting again.
feel really messed up
j
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