DIY Kitchen Table

I was inspired by a recent "pin" I found on Pinterest, which illustrated a picture frame that doubled as a kitchen table. Well, I decided to make my own! I bought a simple frame, plywood and hardware, and the following pictures show how it turned out... Total cost of project: $110. Definitely worth it.

Quote: "And in that moment I swear we were infinite" - Perks of Being a Wallflower
Table Color: Distressed Teal
Frame Color: Dark Brown
Size: 24"x36"

Watercolor Stop-Motion Video

 Time to take a poll!!! I have been talking with my roommates about the possibility of creating a watercolor stop-motion video. We have to brainstorm story elements, but before we do so, we want to hear from you! Feel free to take the poll on the right-hand side of this blog, and/or comment underneath this post and let me know what you think! What should the story be about? What should it feature? Here are a few samples of my past work to give you an idea of the type of watercolors that would be featured. Enjoy!

Buy & Sell

"Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves - to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today." - Stewart B. Johnson

It was a huge week for me: I've decided to start selling my artwork online. I don't usually sell my artwork, and I don't want to depend on selling my work to others, but rather let other people enjoy my work as they please. I love creating, mainly because I like making something that will put a smile on someone's face. By far, I'm not trying to "make it big" as an artist, but rather just challenge myself to get my artwork out there in the world - to allow others to critique my work.

I have two different sites to buy work: on etsy, you can purchase an original personalized watercolor portrait, and on blue canvas, you can buy prints of work I've already created.

I hope you enjoy my work, and please feel free to contact me if you would like any other types of artwork! Feel free to check out my portfolio online at www.elissahogan.com as well.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family" - Anthony Brandt

I've been on a roll with the watercolor portraits, but I have to say - the joy is not only in the experimentation with the new medium, but it is mostly in the work to correctly portray those that I love. I have done portraits of family and friends - anyone who is willing to have their likeness painted on paper haha.. The feedback has been overwhelming.
I find it challenging to get someone's eyes right - because I truly feel that this is the most important aspect of the image. I will never be able to fully portray someone's soul through watercolor, and I've come to terms with that - but I will still try my hardest to get as close to that goal as possible.

The idea for creating these portraits in the first place was to just practice with watercolors; but as I've continued to get requests for paintings, I've realized that the greatest achievement is the reaction of the individuals who volunteered to be painted. The joy that they proclaim is more than I ever could have imagined, and has reminded me why I enjoy art in the first place. I don't think that I will ever try to "make it" as an artist in the world, because I can't see myself enjoying the pressures of working to sell my artwork. Instead, I love creating art that makes people happy. I strive to paint their likeness because of the happiness that it creates in return. Not to sound cheesy, but you can't put a price on that. Of course, it would be wonderful to be "recognized" as an artist in the greater community, and I'll never turn down the opportunity to show my work or create pieces for individuals around the world, but I will always do so just to support the smiles that erupt as a reaction to the work.

My family has been extremely supportive of my art from day one, and they continue to do so - even volunteering to be guinea pigs of the latest medium that I choose. But, more than just support, this has created an atmosphere of exploration and discovery - and it has shown me just how much joy you can instill in the world when you're willing to take a risk, and have a full army of loved ones that are supporting you non-stop.

Anyone who is reading this, if you would also like your portrait created by me, please feel free to contact me either through this site, or through www.elissahogan.com. I would be happy to create artwork for anyone, but would love it even more if you are commissioning my work to put a smile on someone ELSE's face as well. I'm all about spreading the love and joy in the world :)

Experimentation and Discovery

"It's hard for corporations to understand that creativity is not just about succeeding. It's about experimenting and discovering." - Gordon Mackenzie

I've been experimenting with different mediums lately, and this is my latest self portrait: watercolors and sharpie pen combined to create a fairly surprising result. I've been wanting to make more art lately, but with creation comes this pressure to make it look AMAZING. I have seen so many incredible works of art, and I want to be able to create something just as powerful. But that's a LOT of pressure to put on myself as an artist! So instead, I've decided to experiment with different mediums, so that I don't feel this pressure - by using a new medium that I'm not accustomed to, I can free myself with the thought that it CAN'T be perfect, because I'm trying something new. And it becomes a process of experimentation, rather than a 100%-successful result.

I try to take this mentality to my career as well, but I realize that it becomes much harder. I want to experiment, to "play" and not worry about failure - but when you have deadlines, budgets, peer reviews, and execs telling you whether or not your idea will work, you don't want to waste time and resources on "playing" or experimentation. You feel this inherent need for your idea to be PERFECT. But what I'm starting to realize is that in order to make a great idea, or a creative solution, I need to strip away the pressure to be perfect and just see where the medium takes me. Try something new, look at an idea from a different perspective, and see what happens! It may not have the result you are looking for, but I can promise you that you will find out something new that you never would have thought were it not for the opportunity to release yourself of the pressures of life, and just explore.

Life and the Quest for Identity

" If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?" - Chuck Palahniuk

I'm beginning to fully realize the importance of personal identity. I know who I am deep down, and how I see the world - but the confidence to follow my instinct is usually subjected to the pressures of how others view my character, my work, and my goals. It is so important to believe in who you are and where you come from, but it is entirely too easy to drop your dreams for the expectations of others.
How do you stay intact with yourself, when the world throws curve balls every second of every day, forcing you to question? How do you stay strong, when people around you try to tear you down? Your reality starts to crack and crumble at the seams, and it is so difficult to piece it back together.

Trying to figure out how to stay whole in a world that seems to break so easily.

Eyes

" Love to his soul gave eyes; he knew things are not as they seem. The dream is his real life; the world around him is the dream." - Michel de Montaigne

I find that a person's most truthful and beautiful quality is in their eyes. An individual's eyes tell their entire story: where they've been, what they've experienced, how they see the world, and who they truly are. I find that I can usually tell immediately who a person is the second I make eye contact with them - from close friends, to strangers on the street. I always wonder what it is that makes it so obvious and clear, and I find myself painting and drawing eyes to recreate that honesty. For some reason, it never completely translates to paper, but I have made it my goal to try to really focus on that aspect in my artwork.
I want to use art to try to compliment what I see in my daily life, and express those emotions honestly through different mediums. We'll see how it goes, and where this work takes me.

This is the beginning.