Art Journaling

My Muse is waking up....

It's been a while...

...and I am feeling a bit frustrated.
Needing, wanting to do something creative and having some kind of block.
It's almost painful. Like a loss. I have been sitting with it, waiting, trying not to force anything, let it flow...
but nothing is coming out.

It is swirling around inside of me feeling trapped. In my stomach...then up to my head, down my arms...back up...trying to find an exit.

I have never felt quite like this before. The creative juices always poured freely out of me in the form of many mediums/styles/techniques. This is new and uncomfortable.

Any wisdom, guidance, thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

- from a greatful heart

Something's Coming...

Something has been brewing, creatively, for quite some time now...

Not sure what it is, but I have been feeling it for a while.

I stopped painting full time several years ago and have since created a collection of jewelry...which has been my primary artistic and professional focus since then.

It's been great and I continue to enjoy crafting jewelry but I have been feeling like there is something new about to bubble up...It's hard to explain but if feels like a stirring inside.

Anyway, above is a sneak peek at some miniature, "Goddess" sculptures I have been playing around with. Are these my new creative path? I'm not sure...

More on that soon...

My Crafty Abode Series – Painted Privacy

When we moved in our home it bothered me that there were open windows on top and both sides the front door.

At night you could see right into our kitchen and dining room clear as day.

Not good for someone who lives in her PJ’s when home.

I struggled with wanting more privacy but not wanting to loose the beautiful natural light streaming in. I tried sheer fabric panels but it was distracting and to fussy looking for me.

Then it hit me…I am an artist…paint!

Using a specialty paint called Gallery Glass I was able to simulate stained glass which gave us the privacy AND light. Being slightly impatient when it comes to starting the fun part of a creative project…I chose to do a loose pattern that I could free hand with little prep work or planning.

Above is a section of the final product.Fluid leaves with a frank Lloyd Wright type box border. I kept the colors muted and natural and tried to highlight some texture. That added to the privacy without loosing the transparency.

When the sun comes through, colors fall on the white molding and bring a bit of cheer…especially on a New England winters day.

My Crafty Abode Series – Our “Water” View

The end of our hallway was boring…white and boring.

I hung a mirror…that was ok but not great. I tried a picture and still not great. Because there is a door located close by, there wasn’t room for piece of furniture… so my options seemed limited.

This seemed like a job for my paints and brushes…What I ended up with is a water view and some faux, trompe l’oeil curtains with tile steps that lead out.

Over all, I ahave been fairly happy with it. I's been there for a while and lately I have been contemplating changing the view. I like the curtains but feel I might need a new perspective.

Who knows…soon there might be a new picture to include in these posts!

My Crafty Abode Series – Our Pet Tiger

We had just moved and were scheduled to host our big, annual 4th of July party for the first time in our new home.

Somehow, in my sick, “creative obsessed” mind, the night before the party seemed like the ideal time to start a new painting project.

By now my husband was used to these creative bursts and knew it was best to just go with it and get involved.

So with a ladder, my brushes and some paint I created this beautiful, majestic animal while Steve read aloud to me. We were up very late and I am trying to remember…but I don’t think I finished him that night…I think his eyes might have still been in pencil for the party.

Anyway, he is still with us and I love seeing him up there while we are in the kitchen. It’s almost like he is part of our family.

When we did our addition I was concerned that he would be damaged by the construction but they did a great job being careful and working around him.

He doesn’t have a name…and I kind of like that. He seems mysterious and untouchable…like he could take off at any second.

Serenity in Nature...

“There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations.”

- Washington Irving

Simple Contrast

This is a picture I took on a recent trip to California.

While the flower itself is so pretty…it was the contrast of light and dark and the simple color pallet that drew me to this particular photo.

I think the feeling of this could translate into beautiful jewelry.

The rose…creamy and ivory set against the deep black reminds me of a more romantic time. It makes me think of some kind of light focal piece framed by onyx, jet black or midnight bluestone.

In a necklace that could mean a beautiful light pendant dangling from a strand of dark beads. For a bracelet it could be multiple strands of dark stones secured with a light clasp. For earrings it could be a dark bead with a waterfall of light strands flowing from beneath.

Mostly it is about the contrast of dark to light and a simple color pallet…

classic…in shades of two colors.

Color combinations don’t have to be complicated…play with the intensity of just a few colors and see what magic can happen.

Creative Jewelry Packaging Series - Clear Top Boxes – Part one

When looking for boxes to package my hand crafted jewelry I chose clear top boxes.

While a little more expensive than other choices I thought they would serve two purposes…Storage and display.

For me they have worked great.

I was lucky to find them at a local company that buys surplus items so I got a really good deal. I have also ordered some from popular jewelry supply and packaging catalogs.

The size I found to be the most useful is about 5 x 7 and about .5” deep. The clear top nestles into the box instead of on the outside for a clean look. I found that the cotton commonly found in jewelry boxes got caught on my findings and ended up looking messy so I chose not to order the cotton filling.

Instead I bought a large piece of felt and cut it to fit inside the bottom of the box. I also sometimes use colorful card stock to mount smaller items to so that there is more body and so it’s more rigid.

Look for more ides on how to get the most out of your clear top boxes in my future blog posts!

Vegas, Baby - An Inspiring Destination

You never know where you will find inspiration.

On a recent trip to Las Vegas I was reminded about how much creative inspiration can be found in that special city...not generally what it's known for.

I grew up there and now as an adult it is so obvious what a huge influence the fantasy and drama of Vegas had on me both creatively and artistically.

My love of color, being drawn towards over scale, over the top design and of course my need for sparkle and glitter.

I think it's easy to forget that each person has such different life experiences and that they can be expressed through their art or craft. That each is important and valuable...but different.

On this trip, being surrounded by all of that "theater" made me want to rush home and create ANYTHING!

I am sure some day soon there will be photos of Las Vegas inspired creations here!

Having a Blog - My "Why"

I have always struggled with the concept of narrowing my focus. There are just too many things that interest me creatively and way too many mediums I enjoy working with.

When I sat down today to write a blog entry I felt a little stuck...so I asked myself "Why do you have a blog?".

I had a flicker of worry because I didn't have an immediate answer.
I worried that my blog is too "all over the place" and that I don't have a specific target audience.

After being still for a little while I realized that this blog is about me...me, the artist.

"Me, the artist" IS "all over the place" so it actually makes sense that my blog would be too!

The entries are simply snippets of my artistic endeavours, useful tips that I have discovered or adapted over the years and anything else that speaks to me.

That's it...

Enjoy!