leslie-discovering-the-worl-blog

[leslie-discovering-the-worl-blog]

Check out my Online Portfolio! @lesliereuter.weebly.com #onlineportfolio #mywebsite

[leslie-discovering-the-worl-blog]

Becoming FEAR-LESS

I came to the conclusion, that I was paying way to much attention to fear in my life. We are so consumed by worries, anxiety and fear!

Everyone is constantly wondering, what will the future bring? We all know that nagging feeling. All the what if's. And the constant worry about “tomorrow”.

And the one time we don't fear, other people come and ask why the hell we don't fear, making sure we fear again. Because people fear. It's always been this way, it always will be this way! REALLY?

What if we stopped fearing? What if we actually stop fearing and just went for it? What would life be without fear??

So 2014 just began and everyone is making goals for the next year.. This year I decided to become FEARLESS.. well, at least to fear less ;) I realized that what's holding me back the most is fear. Simple, stupid fear. And in the few times I overcome it I have to admit, that the fear that was trying to hold me back in the first time was stupid, not even worth thinking about anymore. Bill Johnson said it really well:

“Fear is a self fulfilling prophecy. It invites the very thing you are afraid of!”

I don't know if you like the bible or not. I like it. It gives me life. I think it has one of best life advices. But however you think about it, the Bible says it a lot: “fear not” or “don't be afraid”. Some people even say it says it 365 times, so for each day one “fear not”. Well if so or not, fact is, God says it a lot to His people, throughout the entire bible. So I guess, it has some kind of importance. I've always read those phrases as an advice, “Fear not for I am with you”.

What if we actually take that as a command and not just a nice suggestion? What if we actually take Him seriously? What if we actually say, “If you say, don't fear, then I won't”?

I want to try it. I want to dare not to fear. If all the world tells us to fear, I wanna be the one that says NO, I actually believe, that when God says “Fear not, for I am with you”, that He will be there! We all experienced it. Once we overcame our fear it actually worked pretty well. It wasn't as bad as we thought it would be.

Why the heck are we actually listening to that “fear”? We all know, fear is our biggest enemy, so why don't we decide to go against it? Why don't we try to live life to the fullest, kick fear in the bud and actually do what we always wanted to do?? I don't wanna look back some day and wonder what would have been if I actually dared to live? I wanna look back and say, I had fear, but I overcame it and dared to follow my dreams, against all doubts, prejudices and worries, I actually did it and it was great!!

[leslie-discovering-the-worl-blog]

Title: True Value Artist: Leslie Reuter, Germany Medium: watercolor and ink on paper Size: 36cm x 48cm In my work I try to show simple things, that are obvious to us and almost plain, but the moment you start engaging and thinking about it, it reveals a hidden message. Something you don't see at first sight, but when you look closer or go deeper into the topic it reveals more to you. I love to get the viewer to think and engage with the object in front of them. In this series I wanted to show how a point of view changes by using the element of progression. I did this by using the progression from black and white to colors and the disappearing from hard lines. They represent dark and light and the change from darkness to light, that reveals the true value. I always liked the effect that watercolors and ink have in combination. It gives depth and strength to the piece but keeps it soft and without harsh lines. For this series, I wanted to portray the change in the point of view as light is taking over. What looks like a simple, plain rock actually is a beautiful, colorful diamond. The stone itself never changed, but as the light shines on the stone it's true value or identity becomes visible. It's been there the whole time, but you only see it when it comes into the light. So many times we walk past those diamonds, not realizing the value and beauty that they carry. Maybe they've been overshadowed, laying in the dark. But as soon, as truth shines upon them, their true identity becomes visible. I want to challenge you, to seek for these Diamonds!

//////////////////////////

In meiner Arbeit versuche ich simple Dinge zu zeigen, die ersichtlich und fast schon einfach sind, jedoch in dem Moment, wo man sich mit dem Objekt beschäftigt und darüber nachdenkt, eine versteckte Nachricht offenbaren. Etwas, dass man auf den ersten Blick nicht sieht, doch in dem Moment, wo der Betrachter näher heranrückt und tiefer in das Thema geht, legt es mehr offenbar. Ich liebe es, den Betrachter zum Denken zu bringen und Ihn in das Objekt vor Ihm einzubeziehen. In dieser Serie wollte ich die Veränderung der Sichtweise durch das Element des Verlaufes zeigen.  Dies zeige ich, in dem ich den Verlauf von Schwarz und Weiß zu Farben und dem gleichzeitigen Verschwinden der harten Linien benutze. Sie repräsentieren Dunkel und Licht und den Wechsel von Dunkelheit zu Licht, welches den wahren Wert offenbart. Ich mochte schon immer den Effekt von Aquarellfarben im Zusammenarbeit mit Tinte. Es verleiht dem Stück Tiefe und Kraft, aber lässt es zugleich weich und ohne harte Linien erscheinen. Für diese Serie wollte ich den Vorgang einer Anschauungsweise darstellen, während das Licht übernimmt. Was wie ein simpler, schlichter Stein aussieht, ist eigentlich ein wunderschöner, farbiger Diamant. Der Stein selbst hat sich nie verändert, aber in dem Moment, wo das Licht auf den Stein fällt, wird sein wahrer Wert oder seine Identität sichtbar. Es war die ganze Zeit über da, aber man kann es nur sehen, wenn es ins Licht tritt. So oft laufen wir an solchen Diamanten vorbei, ohne ihren wahren Wert und ihre wahre Schönheit zu erkennen, die sie in sich tragen. Vielleicht wurden sie, im Dunkeln liegend, überschattet. Aber sobald die Wahrheit auf sie scheint, wird ihre wahre Identität sichtbar. Ich will dich herausfordern, nach solchen Diamanten zu suchen!

[leslie-discovering-the-worl-blog]

I'm working on my series for the object conference in Hamburg. Slowly making progress. By the way, you should come!! Check it out: http://movemeant.org/hdl/object/

[leslie-discovering-the-worl-blog]

Lion&Lamb I'm amazed by the lion and the lamb. Both in one. How powerful! So diverse but yet going so well together. I wanna be like that. Wild and dangerous, full of might and authority but peaceful, pure, young like a child and lighthearted. There is so much revelation in the combination of a lion and a lamb!! :)

[leslie-discovering-the-worl-blog]

What is trash? It is something so ordinary in our life and still we barely think of it.

I asked myself that question and came to the conclusion, that it is something worthless. Something we get rid off, because it has lost its purpose or we simply don't need it anymore. But is trash always trash? How many things, that seem worthless to me, are maybe essential for somebody else?

Inspired by this, I thought about our lives and what kind of trash we are living in or dealing with, realistically and metaphorically. I show trash in its simplicity. Showing what we're so used to, but never pay attention to. Using trash to represent our way of thinking and living. What does trash reflect about us? By using light watercolors I aim to emphasize the simplicity and with the black ink line-work give it weight.

My goal is to show trash as we may see it every day, but tell the deeper message that is behind these things.

What you might call a pile of cardboard might be someones home.

Where we only see trash and worthlessness, people live and they have an identity.

What about the memories, that hinder us from growing?

Or the things we throw away, because we strive for something new?

--------------------------------------------------------

Was ist Müll? Es ist so gewöhnlich und doch verschwenden wir so gut wie keinen Gedanken daran.

Ich habe mir diese Frage gestellt und bin zu dem Schluss gekommen, dass Müll wertlos ist. Etwas, was wir loswerden wollen, weil es seine Bestimmung verloren hat oder wir es einfach nicht mehr brauchen. Aber ist Müll immer gleich Müll?

Wie viele Dinge sehen wertlos für mich aus aber sind vielleicht essenziell für jemand anderes?

Davon inspiriert habe ich über unser Leben nachgedacht und mit welchem Müll wir es zu tun haben, oder sogar darin leben. Realistisch und metaphorisch gesehen. Ich stelle Müll in seiner Einfachheit dar. Das was wir so gewöhnt sind aber nie wirklich wahrnehmen. Ich benutze Müll, um unsere Art zu denken und zu leben widerzuspiegeln. Was sagt Müll über uns aus? Die Aquarellfarben heben die Einfachheit hervor, während die schwarze Tinte dem ganzen Gewicht verleiht.

Mein Ziel ist es, Müll so darzustellen, wie wir ihn im alltäglichen Leben sehen und gleichzeitig aber auch die tiefere Bedeutung, die dahinter steckt, zu zeigen.

Was du als einen Haufen Pappe bezeichnen würdest, ist vielleicht das Zuhause eines anderen.

Da wo wir nur Müll und Wertlosigkeit sehen, leben Menschen mit einer Identität.

Was ist mit den Erinnerungen, die uns davon abhalten zu wachsen?

Oder mit den Sachen, die wir wegschmeißen, weil wir dem Neuen hinterher jagen?