Good morning fellow artists, challenge enthusiasts, and bloggers from around the globe! Today I’ll be taking you back through a journey that my friends and I took a few weeks ago. To call this a journey is a bit of an understatement. I would call it a creative, competitive, expressionistic, emotionally moving, artistic, paint off to the death. Where the public is the judge… are you ready to finish this battle?

What is the GIA?

Leisl

This challenge leisl made two beautiful images, one labeled “RUN” the other and unnamed artistic masterpiece. Leisl took the elbow painting movement and created a new style within it, the elbow dotting maneuver. Leisl’s expression:

“RUN” by Liesl

Eva-Mae

Eva-Mae is known for leading the revolution of the elbows in this competition, as she was the first to conquer the challenge in a different way. At first it began from a challenge to paint without your hands, and most used their mouth to wield their paintbrush. Not Eva-Mae! She found it difficult and unnecessary, so she pained with her elbow instead! This the elbow movement  had begun.

“My soul” by Eva-Mae

Emily

Even though some of us may not be introverted, I find that we all are somehow  relatable to introversion. Most likely you were not there and did not experience the 1million “ummm(s)and I don’t know”s but I was! So I will tell you… it was a lot. I find it charming, one laugh from her is worth 1,000 words from the rest of us, and there were A LOT of words from ALL of us.

”a silver night” by Emily

Amelia

Amelia is the Co-founder of this Artistic Challenge, and Co-hosted this event with me. Her work in this competition I found very… reflective (pun intended) as it showed her sorrow reflecting off of her glossy tear strewn eyes, and her soul standing in the makeshift mirror. “This picture symbolizes the loneliness in my heart” said amelia as she longingly described that emotionally expressive night. When we gave the challenge of incorporating your worst fear, she began to express the loneliness creeping up on her, “by expressing this loneliness with friends we were all able to keep the demons at bay”.

What did we learn?

”the importance of friends… family… expression… The importance of paint” – Liesl

By painting and challenging each other, we learned more about each other, what we fear, what’s important to us. By expressing our fears and our values in Art, we realize how much we are not being open with each other and ourselves. I would recommend this activity for new friends, or any form of relationship (friend, family, marriage, teens) going through a rough patch. It makes people be more open, and makes us really realize what’s happening in our lives.

It made me remember the importance of loving and being close to friends and family even though the fear of trusting people is always inside me. It made me realize that fear is a great thief, and fear has the strength to ruin your life if you feed your fears. Fear is something that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, and how to life my life above my demons. I recommend you try to do the same in your life, even if it seems useless or stupid!

Here are some of the things that we learned from our experience:

Judge US!…

Cast your vote for who you believe did the most creative, expression filled art out of the contestants! Be our judge jury and executioner! (Exept usually murder is frowned upon so probably not the executioner part). It all comes down to you!