Thank you to the River City Bangkok for selecting this painting from my “365 days of Karolina” project, as one of six winners of the “art no distance” social media campaign.
365 days of Karolina. 365 self-portraits. 365 intimate reflections!
Dear friends,
the project I started one year ago on my 44th birthday “365 DAYS OF KAROLINA” has come to an end. Therefore I would like to thank you all for joining me on this personal journey of art and self-discovery. Thank you for all your likes, comments, shares, for your feedback and kind words.
As said, I started this project 365 days ago, as a challenge for myself and to better understand who I am at this stage of my life.
I have come to realise that to create art, one needs to peel off all the layers, and be ready to dig deep inside oneself and pull it all out. It’s not easy, it’s often painful and scary, but necessary. It’s how we grow as people, and as artists.
The self-portraits I created aren’t always “pretty”, but that’s ok, the idea wasn’t to show a realistic representation of myself that would be pleasing to others, but rather to be real. We mostly think of a self-portrait as a picture of a face, but obviously, there is so much more to who we are, outside and inside, and this is what I tried to explore through this project.
I hope at some point, to be able to show you all 365 self-portraits in a “real” exhibition and not only through social media. I’ll keep you posted!
Even though “365 days of Karolina” has come to an end, I am still here and still creating. Please stay in touch on my Instagram page: karolinagacke.artist or on Facebook: theartofkarolina.
Love to you all!
Painting with what you got at home!
Being creative has so many benefits, it can be fun, it can help you express yourself, release your emotions and escape from what’s going on outside. It can help you relax, get in touch with your imagination and get to know a new side of yourself.
And if you don’t have paints or brushes at home, no problem!
I would like to show you how to create art with a few basic products you might have at home. Coffee or tea, beetroot (put a small piece of beetroot in hot water for a few minutes), cotton pads, Q-tips, a small stick.
And please don’t say- oh, I can’t draw, I’m not good at art. This is not about creating a masterpiece. It’s about doing something for yourself, so just let go and have fun!
Turning to art in times of crisis
We are all dealing with this situation in different ways. The way I try to come to terms with what’s going on, is through my art. I’ve said many times that I really believe in the power of art to help and heal us.
We need it, as food for our soul, now more than ever.
And at a time like this, art is a way for me to express myself, to make myself heard, to release all the emotions in me, to find distraction, to escape reality, to create my own happy and safe place, and hopefully to also give other people a moment of inspiration and joy.
My recent self-portraits from my project “365 Days of Karolina” are all very much influenced by the current crisis. Every day I paint a portrait of myself and write something about my mood and thoughts that day.
I know I can’t fix the world, or change anything, but what I can do, is give you my art. And maybe it will inspire you, maybe it will help you realise that you are not alone and we all share common emotions, or maybe it will just fill up a few minutes of your day and allow you to forget about what’s going on.
I would love you to have a look at these self-portraits.
Click here to access my “365 Days of Karolina” page. Start from Day 312 to see the portraits influenced by the crisis.
==> You can also find this project on Instagram- 365daysofkarolina (click here)
My painting donated for charity
The Girl at the Lotus Pond. Mixed Media, 70x90cm, 2019
Happy to be part of this year’s edition of the Polish charity event WOŚP.
This year I have decided to donate my painting “Playing in the Lotus Pond” to be auctioned for the charity WOŚP. This charity does wonderful work to help children in desperate need of medical care all over Poland, and they have been doing this for 28 years. Every year, in January, money is collected all over the country and even worldwide, and everyone does what they can to help. To find out more information about the charity, go to https://en.wosp.org.pl/
This year, for the first time, the Polish community in Bangkok have also decided to participate and collect funds here.
The painting I am putting up for auction, is called “Playing in the Lotus Pond.” It is a colourful acrylic and collage piece, inspired by Thailand, with a young girl in the foreground, and lotus flowers and Thai letters making up the background. The lotus flower is often a symbol of purity, enlightenment and rebirth, and is a perfect analogy for the human condition- even when its roots are in dirty water, the lotus produces the most beautiful flower.
Follow the link below to take part in the auction, 100% of proceeds go to WOŚP.
Please share this post, so we can reach more people!
And please help me help!❤️ CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE AUCTION
Let’s make this a year of standing together, of giving and sharing, the world needs it now, more than ever!✌️❤️
Happy People? Asks the "Brixner" Magazine
Thank you to the monthly Brixner, and especially to Irene Dejaco, magazine for writing about my piece “Happy people in my town” and the discussion evening at Kompatscher Galerie in Brixen.
Source: Brixner, November 2019