The Art of Growing Artists- Part II

Last week I showcased some of the young artists I met at the Explore the Arts camp at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC. In this post you're going to meet more artists and also hear about how art inspires writing. The pictures, videos, and poetry are mine. The italicized portions are excerpts from an essay by Donna Baier Stein, "Art for Contemporary Writers" that appeared in the July/August issue of Writer's Digest.

Ekphrasis and....Collage?

The literary term for describing in words what you see in a picture is ekphrasis. The practice can be traced back to Plato and Aristotle, through the Renaissance and the works of the Romantic poets, all the way into literature of the 19th century. Typically, the word ekphrastic is applied to poetry. 

Creating collage with Judy Verhoeven

But fiction writers, too, can derive inspiration from physical works of art. Herman Melville uses ekphrasis in Moby-Dick...Taking the practice a step further, visual images can become actual prompts for an entire story or novel.

Ekphrasis and....Dragons?

Eric Benjamin demonstrates the art of dragon drawing

 Whatever medium you choose— from painting to sculpture, pottery to pencil illustrations—art can trigger a story inside of you. Here are some ideas for finding your own ekphrastic story starter: 

*Wander through a museum *Browse an art collection online*Visit a local gallery *Check out a book of art history from the library*View a collection of poster prints online or in a store. 

          (Carol's addition: Visit your local arts camp or school!)

The old aphorism “a picture is worth a thousand words” is most often attributed to Arthur Brisbane, a famous newspaperman. In 1911, Brisbane urged members of the Syracuse Advertising Men’s Club, “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” He believed in catching a reader’s attention fast and forcefully. Don’t waste your time fumbling for words, he was saying, when an image can get the job done better. Inadvertently, perhaps, Brisbane was setting up pictures and words as opposing forces. Ekphrastic fiction reunites the two, as a picture can actually produce a thousand words. 

Ekphrasis and...Music?

If Brisbane is correct, how many words do these videos inspire?

Jeff Holland led Drums and Shakers

Drum Set and Snare Drum

with Dr. Gary Robinson

Beginning Guitar with 

Matt Dingledine

Ekphrasis and....Improvisation?

Instructor Mia Hartley Phillips said second and third graders created this dance following a discussion of music evoking emotions. 

Ekphrasis and....Me?

Oh, Dragon!

With tail unfurled

claws paw the air.

Dance, prance

in vestments of turquoise, purple,

red and orange.

Royalty.

You dwelled in a canvas cave

until life breathed in you through

imagination.

Imagination

molds

chunks of clay

into a fierce monster

or a bird sitting on her nest.

Imagination turns paper

scraps into sunflowers,

blue and pink fragments

into hydrangea,

paint droplets

into

masterpieces.

Imagination

swirls swathes of filmy cloth

and suddenly, 

a young girl is a fantastical creature

hatched from an egg

in search of her sister. 

Imagination

unfurled

unfettered

unashamed.

Art begets art.

Ekphrasis.  

Thank you, Donna Baier Stein for introducing me to the concept of ekphrasis. And thank you, Explore the Arts students, for giving me the opportunity to practice it.