Other Creative Souls: Dallas' Linda Bourgault

As a creative person, it fascinates me to discover what makes other like-minded souls tick. Check out the work of Dallas Artist Linda Bourgault. Linda has an uncanny knack to manifest grace and gentle wisdom in all of her work, whether it be painting or photography. She is fantastically prolific. We will be showing work together this Saturday night at Kettle Art Gallery during the ArtHash exhibition. 

If you're local, come check out some amazing artwork by 50+local artists and what's sure to be a night that will leave you with some stories to tell...

Name/Location:  Linda Bourgault, Design District, Dallas, Texas

Education: Art, Southern State College, Magnolia, Arkansas
                  Radio/TV/Film, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas

Hometown: Hot Springs, Arkansas

Tell me about your work in one sentence. 
I live to create and create to live!

Describe your normal day.
What's normal???

My day begins with meditation, eating a healthy breakfast, write morning pages, take care of business, emails/social networking, and phone calls, work in my studio a minimum of four hours, but usually 8 - 10 hours, and often times much longer... as long as the muse stays with me I keep going. I take breaks along the way, but if everything is flowing I keep painting, shooting or processing images. I make time for friends and family... meet for lunch or do something different so life never gets dull and recharge my batteries. I don't do boring worth a damn!

What are your passions? Art, nature (water whether oceans, lakes or rivers), cinematography, exploring, learning, living authentically, imagination, people (their stories/life experiences) and helping others. I'm dedicated to helping others to help themselves, especially to tap into their creativity which enhances everyone's life whether you a child, adult, CPA, engineer, artist or homemaker.

What are your goals? To be self sustaining as an artist and photographer; continue exploring my fascination with visual poetry as an intuitive and emotional response to imagery in form and materials; develop national/international gallery representation, solo exhibits; continue formal study & training; participate with a trade only gallery and/or interior designers; continue to explore and learn from the rhythms and sensuality offered in nature; develop and offer creative workshops; donate art to charities; join or establish a non-profit organization promoting creative enrichment for youth and adults and to share my vision of 'visual poetry' and how it enhances ones life.

Who are your creative influences?  Photographers: Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Scot Miller, Alfred Steiglitz, Edward Steichen, Paul Strand, Dan Burkholder and Jan Skulpin-Burkholder  Artists:  Picasso, Leonardo Da Vinci, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Billy Keen. Architecture: Goudy and Frank Lloyd Wright.

How do you set the table for your muse? Show up every day to do the work. I always listen and move to music when I paint. Sometimes I sit quietly for awhile just musing or take a walk... I need the organic 'connection' which takes me away from my work and then reconnects me to it. Call it a filtering process that removes mental debris which opens me up further to remaining in the 'now.' This is what helps keep me grounded and focused and frees my imagination.

Are there any other relevant experiences that shaped who you are today and what you do?
How much time do we have? Maybe I should write a book...
There are so many people and experiences that have impacted my life ranging from tragedy to ecstasy as well as the simple to the complex in daily life.

My family... especially my Mom and Dad instilled love along with responsibility, accountability and appreciation for nature. My late husband... always do your best, trying isn't good enough, persistence and tenacity pay off, and integrity. My Uncle Bob... encouraged me to read, learn and explore. I learn something from someone or something every day.
Is there anyone who you really look up to as an inspiration?
Celebrity or the expression coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." isn't what I'm drawn to. Although I recognize it as having a strong influence in western society and it's troubling ramifications. I'm much more interested in substance and sustainability as an artist and an inhabitant of our planet.
The kind of people I find to be inspiring are those who practice persistence and tenacity, creativity, use their imaginations, dreamers, visualizers such as Mary Colter, Julia Cameron, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bill Worrell, Maya Angelou and Steve Jobs.

What motivates you on a daily basis?
My intense need, passion really, to tap the creative energy I've had building within me for so long...  shooting and painting are the vehicles for utilizing this energy to create (art)! I also need to put food on the table and that's a HUGE motivator for me.

I do indulge daily in French roast coffee and a piece of dark chocolate. I call it my 'breakfast of champions' since I can't get my motor runnin' without it.

What's your working style?
When I'm shooting I keep working until I've captured the imagery I need. That can be as short as an hour or much longer depending upon whether I'm shooting for myself or for a client plus other variables. It's the same with processing images.

When I'm painting I block out a minimum of four hours at one go, but I prefer to block out an entire day or days totally dedicated to painting whenever possible... it just flows much better that way. Of course, there's always other things that need doing, so I take time for business and personal activities. Even though I do my best to maintain a regular schedule, whenever I'm 'in the moment' I keep going until I'm tired. So I may be up all night, work until mid morning and then sleep during the afternoon... it just depends .
 What are your websites/social networking links?
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lulugraphix-Art-Photography-Studio/150375998351691?sk=app_2373072738
Website:  linda-bourgault.artistwebsites.com

Other Creative Souls: Carolyn Collins

There's one more Artist I wanted to highlight before the debut of our Art Show, The Seven Project, Saturday night: Carolyn Collins. Carolyn and I had never met before we began working together on The Seven Project, but in her I have found an unbelievable talent (check out her conceptual portraiture, the image, below, has unofficially become "the"branded image for our upcoming show), beautiful creative spirit and someone I am proud to call a friend. Here's her story:

Name: Carolyn Collins
Occupation: Owner, photographer and artist at Carolyn Collins Photography

Current City/Hometown: Dallas, TX / Abilene, TX

Education: Hardin-Simmons University - BBA Marketing/Management

Describe  your work in one sentence.
I am a light chaser, seeking light that beckons the heart.

Describe your normal day.
My *normal* 18-22 hour day begins with espresso on the balcony while I read/answer e-mails, return phone calls, juggle my schedule & update my calendar. The rest of the day/night is creating order out of chaos. It is a methodical routine of avoiding the routine by utilizing my gifts of ADD, OCD, left/right ‘brainism’ and goofy optimism. Having an intern has not changed my normal day… but has allowed me to create more and accomplish more throughout the week.

My *ideal* day includes a cocktail of laughter, love, physical activity, pleasure for each of my senses, feeling of accomplishment, finding a solution to a problem, making a stranger smile, learning something new, having an ‘aha’ moment, and going to sleep completely exhausted in a good way. I have more ideal days now than I thought possible in my former corporate life.

I am now trying to discern if there is truly much difference between *normal* and *ideal* in each workday, aside from the desire to sleep as long as I would like.

What are your passions?
Music is my drug. Photography is my passion. Building bridges between people is my mission. I love animals and have some strangely compelling affinity toward dogs, horses, elephants, gorillas, dolphins & whales (we simply connect and silently communicate on some higher level). I adore children and elders… and am blessed that they are naturally drawn to me as well. I’m a greenie… repurpose when possible, recycle when unable to repurpose, replant what we reap, etc. (yet I drive a gasaholic that ‘thinks green’ only  when the traffic light is turning yellow).

                                      

Who are your creative influences?
My greatest creative influences have sprung forth from various mediums (film, music, painting, etc.). Their genius ability to evoke such deep emotion through their original works open(ed) pathways for me to more clearly ‘speak’ through my lens. Just a few names whose works have profoundly influenced the ‘flavor’ of my photography are: Federico Fellini (film director), Albert Lamorisse (film director), Gregg Toland (cinematographer), David Leeson (Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, mentor and close friend), Steve McCurry (photographer), Dorothea Lange (photographer), Hal Samples  (photographer, mentor and close friend), Ansel Adams (photographer), Robert Mapplethorpe (photographer), Boris Vallejo (painter/illustrator), Mark Rothko (painter), Frank Lloyd Wright (architect), Marguerite Duras (writer), Mozart (music composer), and an enormous list of musical composers/musicians (several whom have become dear friends).

Are there any other relevant experiences that shaped who you are today and what you do?
My parents (especially my dad) had very giving and forgiving hearts. If dad met someone in need, he would hire him/her (even if it meant creating a position). If he encountered someone in pain, he would counsel them and ‘turn on a light’ so they could through their darkness. My travels around the world allowed me to live in other cultures and develop my intense curiosity for different perspectives. It is the painful, the challenging and the traumatic experiences in my life which have led me to a much deeper understanding of (and appreciation for) the preciousness of fellow humans, fragile moments, and life itself.

Is there anyone you really look up to as an inspiration?
My dad, Albert Einstein, Herb & Dorothy Vogel, John Romero, Johnny Cash, Liv Ullman & my best friend (each for very different reasons).

How do you summon your muse?                                                                                                             
Dance under the influence of, and frequent nearly overdosing on, a steady stream of drugs (music is my drug, remember?). What kind of music? Um, do you have half a day for me to list all the genres and instruments in the world? Submerse myself into nature. Look deeply into a person’s eyes.  Drive my car. Close the eye my contact lens lives in so I can see through the blurred vision of the other near-sighted eye. Watch or listen to someone else quietly create.

What motivates you on a daily basis?
I’ve been given a new day… that, in itself is motivation. I am addicted to espresso, but can’t think of a ‘guilty’ pleasure that gets me going, but let’s just say that I find much pleasure in simple things. ;)

What's your working style?
It depends on what I’m doing. As a full-time freelance photographer, I am an artist and a business owner. If I am tackling the necessary tedium, I will take frequent breaks so I don’t screw up. Yet during those breaks I am still being productive in some way…  exercising, cleaning, checking e-mails, cooking, uploading images, reading, something. If I am creating (shooting, editing, writing, etc.), I may be so in the zone that 10hours pass before I realize it, and I’ll take a long break by either switching creative gears to another medium, letting my mind wander in nature, soaking in a hot tub, or hanging with friends. I have learned to go with the flow of my ADD/OCD, let it take the lead. Since I have learned this, I have accomplished much more in less time on a regular basis.

What are your websites/social networking links?

www.carolyncollinsphotography.com

I’m also on Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Myspace, Reverbnation