As the Art Flies

D.I.Y. Project Week - inspired by Mollie Makes Magazine

2012-01-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

I am a teacher at a San Francisco high school. Between the 2 semesters we have an interim course period of about a week where teachers can teach a class to 18 students. The courses range from Iron Chef, Dorm room cooking, Physics of Sledding and Yoga. This was my first year doing the program. Inspired by Mollie Makes Magaine http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com I created a D.I.Y Project Runway class to teach students how to sew (basic sewing machine use) and make accessories. We started with a coffee cup cuff, moved on to a wallet - inspired by one one of the articles in Molli Makes. Then I let them loose to be creative and use a variety of magazines and books I have from Tida Finnager's books to, yes, Mollie Makes magazines, and Altered Couture. I am so proud of my students. 90% of them have never sewn before in their lives! I had 15 girls and 3 boys.

Note: Because I didn't get permission from their parents to use their images, I am only going to show their products. Cheers!

Wallets

Coffee cup cuff.

This student took a tank top and used it as a pattern and created this bag.

Clutch with applique.

Drawstring bag all done by hand.


Zippered bag. Hey, I never showed them how to set a zipper...they figured it out themselves!

There were more things that they made Infinity scraves, messenger bags, belts and all but I wasn't able to get pictures of those. I had 5 days to teach them to sew and though not everything was done with a 'professional' eye the students learn something and had fun with it. In the U.S. or at least in California, many schools do not teach home economics anymore. One funding is not there for it. Secondly, no one is coming out of college to teach home economics anymore and you have to have credentials to teach it in the public schools. So, I thought this would be a great way to get young people into something different - thrift it and make it.

This project was done on mostly donations. I got a lot of the fabric and notions as donations from parents and the community. Teachers and parents and students lent their sewing machines. Of all the sewing machines we had one worked the best an old 1960's Singer. Amazing, right? All the others kept breaking down and were too sensitive for use.

Now with that said, I plan to do this next year but get another teacher to help me and we may break it up to more crafting and will include sewing, knitting, embroidery, jewelry making it but the premise will be thrift it then make it.

Cheers.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Wednesday after Christmas I went for a walk with a good friend and her 2 month old daughter. We often walk together to get exercise and keep up with each other in many ways. As we walked we encounter two very uplifting things. One a family had set up on a deciduous tree a small plastic bucket with mail tags and permanent markers. The sign asked: What are you thankful for? Both my friend looked at all the fluttering tags with expressions of thankfulness. We added ours. What a wonderful way to celebrate our lives and share our joy of life no matter what is going on in our lives. This simple mode of expression was a beautiful gift that this family could share with their neighbors.

We advanced to an eatery and had a nosh. While we sat in the sun - yes we were wrapped up against the chill but the sun warmed us - a monarch landed in the bush next to us. He/she wondered below the canopy of the leaves and the then boldly emerged to stand for its photo op. What a beautiful reminder of how precious life is and how strong even a simple creature like this butterfly is. This butterfly is probably one of the early arrivals of flocks of migrating Monarchs braving through ancestoral memory the migration from southern climates to come north and start life again. Many do not make it but those that do remind us how strong we can be in life's journey to survive and thrive.

Best wishes in 2012 to you all. May your days be filled with creativity, love, hope and joy. No matter what the world (media, politicians and other unhappy souls) say or do, don't let anyone steal your joy and share it that joy. Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays and best wishes in the New Year!

2011-12-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel and blessings this Winter Soltice! Dear creative kindred spirits I wish you all a plethora of creative opportunities in the new year! I am happy to say that I have begun my efforts to develop a more creative habit of mind than I have currently. I pushed myself to enter a painting in a show through the Berkeley Art Center. BAC had a call for entries for their winter show and a friend sent me the announcement. I just felt it was the writing on the wall to get out there and show my work. In the flurry of trying to get the piece framed and delivered to the curators, I forgot to take a picture of it. Silly me! In anycase, I am proud of my effort.

The wreath above is one of the creative efforts I made for the holidays. I use to go into a Martha Stewart mode and decorate, bake and make for many years but my job in the last 5 years took all the joy out of my spirit and I haven't done anything for years. This year was different. With a job change, I was able to release the bad karma of the last job and take on one that gave me a sense of Joy and freedom that I use to know. So, with that said, I have been crafting, baking and making again. What JOY!

So, to 2012 I look forward to continue what I started this holiday. Year round crafting, painting, sewing, baking and making. My heart is full. Best wishes to you all and your families. Cheers.

The colors of Winter

2011-12-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the holiday season I have been indulging in making decorations for the house. For the past 8 years I have been sleep walking through my life and have not felt anchored in what makes my heart sing and dance. In 2011, a change in my job situation has enabled me to clear the cobwebs in my heart and I can breath again. Essentially I lost my job but gained a new one in which I am paid a bit less but I have more personal freedom and time. As I adjusted to the new job this past fall, I was looking for something creative to do but was 'creatively blocked'. Reading my favorite magazines, I found repeatedly artists talking about being blocked and they would say - 'When blocked, just do something! Anything!' So, I did. I created a mood board. I showed it in my last post: http://astheartflies.blogspot.com/2011/11/art-every-day-challengechallenging.html

The board is in my kitchen and is a cork board with a frame that I covered in an oatmeal colored linen. I use silk pins to pin up the images and papers to create a temporary collage that symbolizes the season. I enjoyed that so much that I've decided to do one for each season and regularly change it to satisfy my creative moods and decorate my house.

My holiday decorations are focused on red and white as a theme. Does my theme change every year? Yes, it seems every year. I don't do a 'tree' so I make it up with lots of garlands, wreaths, flowers and all. For some reason red and white resonated with me, this year, and I have followed theme. As my house is evolving into a space that has black and white furniture, and accents that are black, white, red and burlap beige I decided that I would make my winter mood board around those colors. Here is the result:

The whole board complete.

Detail

What I like most about doing these temporary collages is it allows me to play with images, colors and textures without worrying about permanency. Art on a whim, then living with it and tweaking it and just enjoying the process of playing. A lot of the images are from my favorite magazines like Marie Claire Idees (France), Country Living (British), and Somerset Life (US). Other images are from Christmas cards from years past including some I collected at flea markets from the 1930's.

I hope to share some of my new holiday decorations. I made two wreaths...no, three! I made one for the front door and I have made two more to hang inside the house in various places. So, more posts to come, stay tuned!

Art Every Day Challenge...challenging...

2011-11-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

At Creative Every Day, http://creativeeveryday.com, Leah has continued her November challenge to do art everyday. She never waivers from supporting us in doing what we can, when we can and share. Though I struggle with getting something 'arty' in everyday, I did come up with a autumnal collage for my kitchen.

I have a linen covered mood board that I have used to pin up images for redecorating my house. I took those down and have begun a journal of ideas. The blank linen has been staring at me for a while. Then the November Art Every Day came up and I was thinking of things to do. Well, why not create a mood board for the Thanksgiving holidays and the wonderful autumn we are having in California? So, I did. Here is the result:

I source the images from my favorite magazines like Country Living (British) , Marie Clair Idees (French), Country Home and Gardens (British), Martha Stewart Living and many of the Stampington magazines like Somerset Life. Putting this together got me in the fall spirit and a creative mood. Thanksgiving is around the corner so I am planning to apply my 'art everyday' in a culinary way as well as decorating my house for the event. A process to be sure. Then, on 'black Friday' I plan on staying home where it is safe and begin decorating for Christmas! So a possible mood board change to come.

Cheers.

Cinnamon and Apples

2011-10-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like the smell of warm butter, apples and cinnamon on a fall day. A family tradition during the fall and winter is to have pan-fried apples for breakfast. It is like apple pie without the crust but quick to make and delicious with the other items on your breakfast plate. Here is the recipe:

(Note: You can increase and decrease this recipe to meet your needs - this is a hand-me-down recipe that has no specific measurements so play around with it).

Ingredients:
Apples (see below)
Ground Cinnamon
Brown sugar light or dark
butter or Canola oil
A well seasoned frying pan - Cast iron is best
Dried Cranberries - optional.

Apples - pick Gala's, Empires, Pink Lady or your favorite apples. How many? One per person to be served.
Core the apples and cut into wedges - should be able to get 8 out of each apple

Using skillet - medium high heat - I love my cast iron pans - use 2 tablespoons of butter or Canola. (Butter is traditional but for those cutting their fat can use the Canola.

Once the butter melts (don't let it burn), add the apples and keep them moving so they don't burn. (If using the oil wait till it gets hot but not smoking).

As the apple brown, add brown sugar - for about 4 apples a 1/2 cup is fine. Increase by increments if you have a lot of apples. Too much over powers the apple flavor and makes it too sweet.
Let the sugar melt as you keep the apples turning so they are coated by the syrup that is forming. Sprinkle ground cinnamon to taste.

Keep the apples moving so that they caramelize in the brown sugar and cinnamon. I like to add dried cranberries but you don't have to. Raisins work, too! A handful will do.

When the apples are brown and coated add about 1/4 cup of water cover and steam a minute or so then remove the cover and let the water evaporate from the syrup that should be forming. Keep the apples moving coating them in the syrup.

When apples are tender but not mushy serve!

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Autumn is here! Yep, even in California

2011-10-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

I have lived in California all of my life. It is one of the most beautiful states in our country - sorry I am a little bias. I have been to other states and have found them all beautiful in their unique way - Virginia, Louisiana, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii, New York, and Massachusetts. When I lived in Los Angeles, you basically experience two distinct seasons, summer (May to October) and a combination of fall and winter which was often just cold and wet (November to April). When I moved to the Bay Area with all its micro-climates there was a sense of seasons that come close to the traditional Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Now, mind it is no way comparable to back east or other parts of the country where deciduous trees reign. No, no. But here, if your patient and open yourself to a Northern California set of seasons you will see a cold, wet winter from November to February, a wet but warming spring from March to June with a couple of hot spells thrown in, a summer from June to late September, (again, it depends on where you are in the Bay Area since in the city it is foggy and cool but in the East bay and the valley you see from the 80's to triple digit hot and dry. Then Fall slips in around October and the liquid amber trees flare up during mild days and chilly nights. No it is not like back east and that is okay.

Recently, on my way to work the first week in October, the morning sunset was stunning and illuminated a fall day ready to begin.

The day was a mild with the air dry and warm with a dusty edge to it. The Sycamores and liquid amber trees are beginning to shimmer in reds, golds and rusts. Until the rains came, the nights have turned chill with inky skies and the scent of hearths firing up signaled that our Northern California autumn has a arrived. For you back east folks, if the temp drops below 60 around here in California, our little sun bunny skin break out into goose bumps and we flare up the heaters. I know, that ain't cold but it is to us....smile.

Some mornings on my way to work, I stop at La Boulange, my favorite food stop and I get a mocha to set me up for the day. My favorite barista, Alexis always does clever things with the drink. This past week she gave me an autumnal leaf to celebrate the advent of fall.

As Autumn evolves over the coming days, our California farms will finish the harvest, events like, Fleet Week (which just happened), harvest festivals and pumpkin patches will spring up along the highways, in open lots and special places like ArdenWood down in the south east bay. http://www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood Fall has come to California.

Leah Piken Kolidas from http://creativeeveryday.com Creative Everyday has provided us with the theme of Autumn to enhance our creative powers. I hope to complete a piece I started a week ago and get it ready for you all to see. I love leaves and leaf shapes and with the colors of leaves right now is just stunning and I am inspired. I am working on a piece that involves collage, printing and painting, so, look out for my next post which I hope will be by next week if not earlier. Cheers and happy fall!

Family history in a collage

2011-09-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

I am all fired up and inspired by Leah Piken Kolidas' challenge for September. Creating with history as the theme. So, I have already posted a tutorial on how to make a depression/war-era trivet. I have also created a collage using photos of my grandmother as a young woman in the 20's. Here is the result with details. Enjoy!

I call it Lemon Pie. My Nana made the best lemon meringue pie.

Detail


Detail

I am trying to build my art around the three things I like: Drawing and painting, sewing and all thing vintage. Mainly this is a paper collage with photo transfers on to cloth as well as the addition of vintage laces. The ground is thick hand made paper with a deckle edge. I really enjoyed putting this together. It started as one thing some sort of grid collage and it evolved into this. Enjoy!

A vintage craft

2011-09-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hello! Yes, it has been a while since my last post but dare I say the cliche? "Life happened!" Anyway, it did but I am back and making the effort to share. As the title of this post states, I am going to share a vintage craft. Yes, a tutorial. The inspiration came when I walked into a store that carries vintage items for the home as well as one-offs from our crafty and arty community. I found a vintage trivet made from cotton fabrics of about the late 30's to 40's and bottle caps! It was adorable and showed signs of being loved and well used. Well, as we are all being 'green minded' and try to recycle, reuse and reduce our carbon footprint, I thought this would be a great little craft to figure out and use to make gifts for my friends. Here is the result of my trial and error of replicating what I saw:


Finished product.

Supplies:
Bottle caps - Wash, rinse and dry if you don't want a 'yeasty' odor to linger. Note: Because I used caps from non-twist bottles I had to pick and chose the ones that were the least dented.
Fat quarters of your favorite stash fabric.
Needle, thread (I used quilting thread), scissors, paper for a template (I use freezer paper).

Tutorial:
Create a template. A circle that is larger than the bottle cap.

I layered all the fabrics and pinned template with one pin.

Showing the 4 layers

Cut out your circles.

Turn and use a running stitch around the folded edge. Yes! It's making a yo-yo.

Gather the thread slightly to get it started.

Place the cap top side down into the yo-yo.

Finish gathering over the cap and tighten. Lock the stitching.

A completed cap.

Arrange your caps how you want.

Run threaded needle under the open edge to outer edge where you want to attach to the next cap.

Insert needle into the edge of the next cap and begin buttonhole stitch to secure the caps together.

Buttonhole stitch in progress.


Close-up of the attachment. Finish off stitching then run needle through towards one of the cap openings and snip.

Once all the caps are attached in the pattern of your choice (diamond like mine, hexagon or other shape), your trivet is ready to use. You could cut a felt shape and glue to the bottom of the trivet to protect the stitching and soften the contact between table and trivet. Your choice. I left mine as it is. It became a gift for a girl friend who likes vintage and loves to cook.

I hope you can use this tutorial to your advantage. Please let me know how yours came out and if you have any comments or suggestions on how to do this craft in a better way, please share with us all. Cheers.

July - Creative Everyday Theme: Blue

2011-07-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

One of my blogging groups is Creative Everyday - Leah Piken Kolidas' website http://creativeeveryday.com She gathers like minded folk around being creative everyday and encourages us all to exercise our talents and share them. She provides themes to stimulate those of us who are looking for a direction to take off on to and for those of use who are blocked or sluggishly procrastinating getting into our studios. In anycase, I finally have gotten past my block and thank you Leah I produced something! The theme being blue I did a collage using phototransfer, rubber stamping and adding type. Here is my first effort in a long time.

"Awake, O north wind...Blow upon my garden, let its fragrance be wafted abroad." - The song of Solomon

My summer vacation has begun with blue skys and warm days that have been long awaited. Given that California has experienced the coldest and wettest year so far and last summer was a precursor of it, I thought this collage spoke of clear summer days with lazy clouds and winged spirits free to soar.

Finding inspiration

2011-06-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have been at work finishing up before vacation starts at 4:00 tomorrow. Yippey Skippey! I have pretty much completed wrapping up things before I leave. With that said, I have been...dare I say it? Surfing the net and finding so many talented and exciting folks! My goal for doing this? I want to re-kick start my creative life. No more putting things on hold. No more putting my creative life on the back burner. I am struggling with how self focused that sounds but frankly, I have been a pillar of salt for everyone but me. So, finding balance is what is I must achieve. It is my Capricorn nature to be of use to others - my practical nature puts business before pleasure. However, there is a side to us that is down right mischievous and playful but we often lock it up. Open the door and throw away the key! I am out and ready to shout to the world I am a CREATIVE person and I will live it, dance it, sing it, love it and enjoy it.

Okay, who did I discover in my wondering around in the electronic ethers? Well for starters: http://annekata.blogspot.com This is a great site with tutorials and all but unfortunately she has stopped blogging. She will be keeping her site up for reference. If you are into creative handsewing - check her blog out.

Then there is, http://blog.caseybrowndesigns.com/ I love vintage clothes and styling and this blog is loaded with images and ideas. She provides tutorials for sewers and crafters all with a vintage lens!

Through MollieMakes Magazine http://www.molliemakes.com I found, http://cocorosetextiles.blogspot.com/ What a lovely site - all things bright, sunny and fun.

I have been inspired by these wonderful people and hope to let the juices ebb and flow naturally. One thing I am working on is a studio space in my house. I am all over the map in my house when I am sewing and crafting, baking and drawing. Too crazy for me when I start tripping over materials, bags, the cat and all. I like things to be organized and methodical so I am trying to reorganize my house so that I can have a permanent space for being creative. I checked out: http://www.home-designing.com/2009/05/craft-room-home-studio-setup where I found some other links and ideas. I have a small 10 x 10 foot square space - my dining room is open to the living room and kitchen. It has two walls on is all window. No carpet but hardwood flooring. Though I have been planning to convert a corner and wall in my living room, I am thinking more and more that the dining room (where I usually end up anyway) has better lighting, no carpet to stain or mess up and space to house furniture, et al. What will I do for a dining room? Well, the living room is big enough that I could set up a double drop leaf table that can be whipped out for dining at any time. I can't seat more than 6 at my table in this small place anyway so dining entertainment is limited. I hope to post pictures of my pre and post organizing and decorating as I go.

I think good lighting, organized materials and a table surface at least 31" from the ground is the start of a good studio whether sewing, crafting or whatever. What do you think?

Summer time and the living is easy!

2011-06-20T15:42:00.001-07:00

Hello, hello! I have returned as the crow flies. Work has over shadowed my life but I am free and easy. I have a job, so I am blessed. I am enjoying a well earned vacation and I am simply dying to get back into the groove creatively. So thank you for hanging in there for me. Will post soon.

Happy Valentines Day a day early!

2011-02-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Love comes in many ways and forms.

Best wishes for all the love

you can fill your heart with.

Here's to love and its capacity to

build HOPE which in turn builds

Optimism which gives over

to JOY.

Valentine's cookies I made for my family. I haven't made sugar cookies with icing in years. What gooey fun! The entire kitchen is covered in a layer of flour dust and the smell of freshly baked goods. Yum!

Full Moon

2011-01-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

The full moon has been spectacular this week! Here is my impression - a simple rendering.

Guess what I found?

2010-12-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

There is a very odd sensation when find something that you had literally forgotten about. Not like the box of photos you haven't opened in year but you know what is in there. You can picture it in your mind. The sensation when open a box you have walked by for 3 years not given it a second thought to pull it down in a whorl wind of cleaning and open it. What do I find? UFO's - but wonderful UFO's that really brought me joy when I was working on them. Most of them are textile related and just unfinished. I sat there for an hour - instead of cleaning - going through 3 round hat boxes filled with various needle work projects. The majority of them were the results of a couple of classes I took at Thimble Creek www.thimblecreek.com . The projects were a 9-patch quilt top - all it needs is sandwiching and quilting. A felted wool applique project. Just needs to be made into something. And, the other project was a needlepoint tea cozy I started as a Christmas present, what 8 to 9 years ago. (A little embarrassed there).

The other project was an art-quilt-a-week project I started in 2007. I was getting into art-quilts at the time and I wanted to make a quilt a week so there would be 4 quilts for each month. Seasons was the overall theme. My love of nature and biological illustration prevails through all of them. I stopped in May...I got a new job, and my life changed especially when I moved and went from a 2 bedroom place to a one bedroom abode. No more studio space. Sigh.

Here are some the best samples of what I did.

Winter


Winter #2


Early spring


Spring #1

Spring Equinox

Summer #1

Summer #2

Autumn

There are more but these are the ones I really liked myself.

Actually after the hour of looking at what I had done, I decided, hey, I am not so bad! I can actually create good work. Why am I so hard on myself all the time? In anycase, I am looking forward to the new year once the holiday crafting and creating comes to a close to get back to figuring out my creative genre.

I want to concentrate on one genre because I often spread myself thin on a number of artistic genres and not do any of them well. Since I love working with textile ( I am very tactile) I love to draw and paint. I love mixing and putting together (mixed media) - why not put it all together? Art quilts or mixed media paintings may be the way to go or start. So, dear readers - a new release on my creative life. A new opportunity to give my creative life a specific objective. No deadlines just plain experimentation, playing around and having fun.

Stalled again... :(

2010-12-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers - I am stalled again. I have read articles that say if you are not producing then perhaps your heart really isn't in this. Really? Yet, something inside says I am not done. There is more to come, wait. Be patient. Whispering hope. Well anyway, that is why I haven't attended to this blog in a while.

Will the holidays spur some crafting and then some art and then....

New Hope

2010-11-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have not been very committed to my art blog. It has been a while since I have been able to focus on creative endeavors outside my sewing experiences. Sewing is easy for me and I tend to procrastinate on my 'art' by sewing instead. Lack of confidence? Yes. I am still rebuilding my confidence in my art. Partly because I have stretched myself to try new things and when you are learning new things you don't feel as comfortable doing them. So, why stretch? Mostly the human need to grow and exercise one's sense of wonder and knowledge. Why not stick to what I can do - which is biological illustrations including botanical and zoological portraits? I really got bored! I live in a time when art exploration is not just about intellectual, museum quality work? I feel inspired by other ways of approaching the same topics. I feel like the impressionists and the cubist and all the modern artists getting us to look at the world a different way. I, too, want to interpret my world in a different way. So, in my struggle to expand my 'art'. I have ebbs and flows of creativity. I am in a flow state right now.

I finally figured out that I could combine my talents - drawing, painting with sewing. I love the feel of fibers. I love to draw. I love to sew! Why not create art that gives those creative wings some flexibility? I have been trying to explore mixed media and art quilting. My favorite artists in this area are: Linda and Laura Kemshall, Beryl Taylor, Heidi Lund, Carolyn Dahl, Jane Davies and Elsebeth Gynther & Christine Clemmensen to name a few. They have inspired me to look at all my talents and try to bring them together. Its a long and hard struggle but I am making it work.

I have started a 'sketch-a-day' trying carve out time for art. I work full time and it is hard at days-end to muster any energy for something I am not yet comfortable with. I bought a fun and silly book where each page gives you a prompt and you make it happen. Here are some of them:

You know the prompt - drops of ink and blew it around.

Crayons are not just for kids! I loved this one. See the spooky face at the top? I did this one around Halloween...

The prompt was to draw the sun in 10 different ways. I interpreted it with embossing powders, shredded fabric circle, cut-outs, string, sponging, ink and blow, and crayon!

I have started on a mixed media art quilt. I have been making paper fabric (a la Beryl Taylor) and found some photo transfers, ATC's and other bits and pieces from other trial and error projects and putting things together. It isn't there yet but here is the first draft:

So, I have renewed hope in what I am trying to do. I really just want to be creative for its own sake. However, ultimately, as I near retirement (in 3 to 6 years), I am thinking of ways that I can put my creative endeavors to work for me without loosing the joy it brings. For now, I can just relax, be creative and enjoy it.

I hope to be more diligent about posting. Thank you for being so patient and sticking with me. Best wishes.

Why I haven't been posting....

2010-08-22T13:03:00.001-07:00

So sad but true - life is happening. I work in the educational field and this year we started school August 16th. Yes, 3 weeks before the Labor Day holiday. Good thing? Summer 2011 begins Memorial Weekend, but that doesn't help us right now. So, I have been snowed under with getting the school year up and running. With that said, I beg your pardon for the silence and no updates. I hope by the middle of September to have plenty to post. Please dear readers, keep checking in - who knows I may get a minute to breath and post something. Blessings and many best wishes as summer winds down and autumn approaches. Cheers.

It is the end of July! How did that happen?

2010-07-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hello, it has been a long time since I have made any entries to this blog. Many reasons: I got focused on my other blog http://lachatelainechocolat.blogspot.com This venue focuses on my love of history, historical clothing and domestic arts. Yes, I got distracted. In addition, work has been a bit of a downer and draining of any creative juices. I am much more confident with my sewing and cooking. I am still a fledgling artist - my 'rebirth' has not been consistently growing. However, with a vacation - 3 weeks long thank God - I have begun to adjust my attitude and refocus on my art. So, I worked on one painting thus so far: Agapantha Collage

20" x 15" Image, text collage and botanical portrait

Detail of painting

I had been collecting images of Agapantha flowers and I wanted to develop a portrait that was not the traditional image on a blank ground. I am trained as a botanical illustrator but I love to do mix media and collage work so I am developing a way to connect the two.

I have other images in my head similar in process and hope to be able to work on them on a regular basis.

I have been struggling to find time to be creative beyond my sewing and craft projects - not that I get them in that often either. I guess it is about finding balance between what I should do and and what I want to do. 'Gotta pay the bills' my left brain whines, but I essentially don't want to sell my soul to a worker bee life. So, my plan is to do something creative everyday. I have talked about this again and again with friends, family and in my journals but it never comes to fruition. I am tired of whining about it, so in the effort to celebrate life in general, I will be working towards a 'creative' life - the life I dream about, think about and have been too afraid to attempt. So, with that in mind, apologies for being away so long, I am back, ready to rock and roll with my art and will be sharing as often as possible. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Cheers.

Springing into action

2010-04-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

The rain and cold continue but I am really loving staying in doors playing with many creative endeavors. One is the art journal I started at the beginning of the year. I did intend to write in it but it has evolved into a place to play with collage and mixed media techniques. From several resources I made up a list of techniques (packing tape transfer, rubber stamp, etc), themes (ocean, winter, etc.) and other ideas that would provide a jump start on each page. I printed them out and then cut them into strips and put them in a jar. I fish around in the jar and pull out the various ideas - about 3 to 4 - and begin playing. So, here are some of my results, enjoy!

Collage and soldering

2010-03-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

After a very long and hard week at work, I has two wonderful things to look forward to: 1). The time change - yes, I love this time change because the days are longer and when it is as beautiful and sunny as it was this last weekend, it is a fantastic shift. All winter I am getting up in the dark and going home in the dark after work. As a visual-kinetic person I need LIGHT to keep my energy going. I welcome spring with open arms! 2). I took a class at Castle In The Air http://www.castleintheair.biz from Ulla http://ullam.typepad.com/ullabenulla on making ornaments and jewelry of small or miniature collages between glass and soldering them together. Here are the ones I made:

The top piece is has lace sandwiched between glass that I had to circle cut. The piece to the left of center - are three 1 inch squares linked together. The two to the right are made from microscope glass with the collages sandwiched between them. The central square on point was an exercise in adding the decorative wire at the top. The 1/2 circle is not done but shows what the piece looks like before you solder.
Soldering isn't hard but it isn't easy either. Well, not for me. I am one of those crafters that swiftly works through projects. With soldering you have to really slow, slow, slow down and methodically apply the solder so that it ends up smooth. For my first efforts, I did pretty good and I really loved the process. Ulla is a fabulous teacher and coach so it was easy to quickly get into the projects she set out for us to do.

I think I will do more of this in the near future. Birthday presents and Christmas presents present chances to work on my technique.

A little creativity - Good medicine for the soul

2010-02-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

Out of my sadness for what happened to me last week, I turned to a bit of creativity to heal and sooth my nerves. So, for Valentines day I created little heart ornaments out of paper and added a few pink, red and white M&M's and sealed it in a bag. They went over really well at work, everyone appreciated the gift of my love.

I have also been catching up on my art journaling here are some of the finished pages since January 1:

This journal entry isn't done but is reactive to my experience last week. I will upload the finished week when I can.

In any case, for me art and being creative is very soothing and yet enriching. It is meditative and yet instructive. Art in its various forms and outcomes is just plain feeding of my soul and spirit. When I get cranky I turned to something creative to do with my hands. Cooking something can often fill the void, too. Cheers!

From adversity comes healing through art

2010-02-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

My week began beautifully after a great sunny weekend. Yet, the unexpected curves in the road sometimes bring you right up to a challenge or obstacle before you have time to think. For me it was having my laptop literally yanked from my lap and hands as I was sitting enjoying the sun and working on an email. The attack wasn't expected of course and it leaves you feeling pretty low. I was not hurt and though it made some problems for me at work, the computer is less important than my well being. With that said, I stayed home from work and began regrouping with some art work. I woke up and decided that I needed to be creative and get myself back to a centered way of looking at life and move forward, so I started working on valentine gifties for my colleagues and I also worked in my art journal. I cooked food from scratch and played with the cat. No pics yet, but I hope to have some to post tomorrow if not Saturday. There is a quote - which I can't remember who said it and the exact wording but it goes like this:
Forgive but don't forget. If one forgets, one loses the lesson. The lesson: being more aware of my surroundings. Also, from adversity there comes a strengthening of the fibers and forgiving prevents me from stewing as I am sure they (my band of terrorists - there were 8 to 10 of them ) think I am doing. I won't let them still my Joy. Cheers.

Inspired

2010-01-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

I am inspired by:

The natural colors of linen and natural fibers http://mci.blogs.marieclaireidees.com.

They remind me of a quiet morning on a winter's day and yet the crisp coolness we seek on a hot summer's day. I have been living in my condo for two years and never did anything to personalize it - decorate it. I have just been living in it, filling it to the rafters and now overwhelmed by the lack of space, too much stuff and just uninspiring to be in. So, new year, new plans and new hope. 1st order of business - wreck and order - weed the garden of my groaning shelves, drawers, closets and cabinets. 2nd order of business - review my idea board I started last year for decorating the house.

Greys, neutral cool and warm colors keep showing up as my palette with hints of bright colors. I also like dark colors - rich and creamy. I have an eclectic nature in that I love vintage and modern together. I love the mix of shabby chic with Parisian urban styling. I like mercury-like glass, china, sliver and pewter, dark woods and black painted furniture. Yep, eclectic. Now, how to achieve all this...on a shoe string? DIY - most definitely on painting and crafting soft furnishings.

All of this will take some time and probably the whole year to complete but it will be a work in progress - an artistic endeavor and hopefully I will love it. I am the worst about making decisions about colors on my walls. I know what I want but will it look good? Friends say - "You won't know until you get it up there and heck you paint over it if you don't like it." Keep your fingers crossed.

Winter Images from Northern California

2010-01-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

Coastal Northern California can be very beautiful during the winter - even without snow. The mornings are often veiled in fog or mist. The sun rises in icy pink on a cadet blue sky. The moon shrouded in clouds - very quiet and mystical.

Trying my hand at photography this year, too. :)

Getting the ball rolling!

2010-01-11T11:36:00.001-08:00

So, my goal this year is to revive up the 'creative life'. That means not just doing art but also being creative in every aspect of my life - putting the 'J' back into Joy! Sewing is one of my creative talents that I actually enjoy once I get a project going. I started the year off with a quickie project:

I was invited to a 1930's Lounge party on New Year's day. What to wear? So, the week before the event I pulled out some fabric I found at Joanne's - yes, Joanne Fabrics had this period-like print! I then used the Decade of Style pattern for 1930 Kitchenette Pajamas. It went together rather well and was a hit at the party. I felt really comfortable and it was fun to wear. The party, itself, was delightful - everyone was dressed in 20's to early 40's lounge wear - food and 'beverages' abounded! Amazing how energetic folks were after New Year celebrations that went into the wee hours of the morning!

On my sewing list this January I am to make an 18th century traveling outfit for a day by the sea on Feb 6. I belong to a fabulous group called Les Societe des Lumieres and we engage in 18th century events and learning about the social history. Our first event this year is to go to the Pelican Inn (a replica 18th century coaching inn) at Muir Beach for nuncheon and tea.

Prior to that I need to make a 1940's day dress for the Art Deco Society's Membership Appreciation Party on January 24th. As a member of the board of the ADSC, I want to look vintage - well, since I am 54 (in a few days) so I guess I am pretty vintage already...smile

Art has been happening as well. I am really excited about the renewed energy I seem to have found where I can balance my work, social and creative life with the mundane domestic routine thrown in there. I therefore hope to post more this year.

As things come up I will post and look forward to your comments and notes. Thanks.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hello. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas day. For us Bay Area Californians we are having a chilly, crips and clear Christmas day. Cheers to you all.
I have not been very 'artistic' these past months. Most of my attention was on the school play in which I costumed 20 actors with proper costumes for Mid Summer's Night Dream. It was a success but everything went to hell in a handbasket in my house and everywhere. So, I almost have everything put back in order just in time for Christmas.

I am keeping Christmas simple this year. Very few gifts - more about experiences is my approach now. So, I cooked Christmas eve dinner for my parents and one of my brothers who is up visiting. I use a combination of recipes from 18th century Virginia, Martha Stewart and other favorite modern chefs. It was fun to plan, and make it all and for the most part it all turned out well. Hurrah.

So, Merry Christmas - enjoy the family or extended family. And best wishes into the new year.

Tiny art, big learning curve!

2009-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

ATC's - Top left: Spider; Top right: Batty flight
Bottom left: Comfort me with apples; Bottom right": Black & White

ATC's are a wonderful way to play without the scary expanse of a large canvas or format. The ATC's above were part of a group that I began a week or so ago where I played with different bits and pieces and techniques within a small space. I just wanted to 'do' something and I wasn't ready to dive into a huge long term project. So, I got cracking on these 2.5" x 3.5" canvases (actually chip board).

ATC's - Top left: Water Fall; Top Right: AutumnToile
Bottom: Lady of the house

These little pictures were fun to do since I didn't have an agenda or expected outcome. I could just explore, play and make it up as I go. I used paint, images and bits and bobs. During the process I tried to think about color, texture, and composition. How did I succeed in these areas?

Nature has many surprises!

2009-10-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

So when you look at this image (above) what do you see? A ghost? A swirl of spiritual mist appearing real and solid only to elude your grasp? Well, nature can surprise you. I was holding one half of a mussel shell - while zoning out in front of the tube (when I should have been doing something creative - sigh) and I turned it over to see revealed this image! I found this shell on my walks along the beach and harbor near my home. I have had this item for months and never noticed until my mind was quiet, not really listening to the video I have seen 100 times - and bang there it was a ghost's imprint - could it be the imprint of the soul of the mollusk left behind?

This is what the whole shell looks like.

So, how does this inspire me? Well, if nature gave me the gift of creativity and then this little ghost has a reminded me of this. So, though I don't have anything to show for my effort yet, I actually turned the boob tube off and pulled out the art supplies that I recently and neatly reorganized so I could find them and got cracking. I just played - no agenda - just played all afternoon. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon in California and I just played.

Nature keeps it real for me. Nature keeps me looking, smelling, tasting, feeling and listen. Food for art and thought is right there everyday - enjoy it.

Art in Food? Food as Art?

2009-09-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Not exactly an artistic endeavor but a creative one? When I limit myself to just posting about art, in its 2 dimensional form, the results are inconsistent posting. As I continued my daily agonizing over not having done anything creative (art) and equally not posting, it came to me that I could be posting about any creative process I go through on a daily basis. When the art of collage or drawing or painting won't manifest itself on demand what else do I do that is fun, playful and creative in a different way?

Thinking, thinking, thinking...slap on forehead - PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD! I tried a recipe from a book - Andrew Schloss www.amazon.com/Homemade-Hurry-Shortcut-Recipes-Delicious/dp/081184899X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253829985&sr=1-5
I used a banana and chutney - A. Schloss asked for Grey's chutney but I picked up an Apple-cranberry chutney from Trader Joe's. This red jellied goodness supported my autumnal mood. Anyway, you mix melted butter with the chutney and spread it on split bananas and run it under the broiler till bubbly and browning. I served it with French Vanilla ice-cream putting an a la mode spin on it. My autumnal plates from Martha Stewart and ooo...la...la!

So, what was creative about that? Well, taking a recipe and tweaking it with my own tastes might be considered minimally creative. Ah, but the photo! The photo was to record my endeavor before the ice melted and it all went pass my taste buds. The question is, how to make food look appetizing in a photo to get those salivary glands going and get someone to want to try the recipe out. I am not a photographer by training - completely an amateur but it was fun. I took about 10 pics with my latest toy - iPhone - and this was the best before, as I said, the ice cream melted. Playing with my food - Love it!

P.S. Oh, the book is fabulous - get it as it is worth it for cooking fresh food with little trouble.

The joy of learning!

2009-08-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hello! I have been away much too long, but here I am writing about a class I took at Castle In The Air on 4th Street in Berkeley, California. www.castleintheair.biz The class was taught by Ulla Norup Milbrath ullam.typepad.com/ullabenulla. This class was help us develop a portfolio of mix media back grounds. Now, I have probably every book out there that talks about mix media back grounds, etc. I have also played with many materials and created samples playing around and seeing what happens. Yet, there are those little nuiances that other artist know about the techniques, that one can't learn from the books. So, off to the class I went and had a blast! Here are some of the results:

This is an example of foaming shaving cream, a spritz and dribble of Alcohol inks.

This back ground is using a rubber stamp and ink and spritzing with water to get an echo effect.

Text cut and glued, then smudged with a sage green chalk, walnut ink spritzing and Japanese lace paper. This really has an antique look.

Okay, this was so easy! A very wet wash of color on watercolour paper then pat down a scrunched plastic wrap - let it dry and then peel the wrap off. A great background of an abstraction of leaves.

Rubber stamping an overall print!

The class was really fun as always at Castle In The Air. I recommend taking classes there to get your artist block - unblocked! I have signed up for Ulla's ABC's of Altered Books - I looking forward to learning more techniques.

Challenge - Recycled Junk

2009-07-17T13:27:00.001-07:00

The finish recycled junk clutch.

Sample of melted plastic sheet with paint.

The challenge was from Mixed Media Monday www.mixedmediamonday.wordpress.com and here is my entry. I used a technique I found in the January/February 2009 Issue 22 of Cloth Papaer Scissors. The article was called Paper & Plastic by Alisa Bruke (alisaburke.com). You take plastic grocery bags and essentially melt them into one sheet, paint the sheet and embellish the new fabric and turning it into something else useful. I made a small clutch purse. I lined it in muslin, quilted it after using liquid acrylic paints. The paints did chip off a bit when sewing so definitely put a clear coat of varnish on after you sew it. The varnish will not be good for your sewing needle. It was fun and a good way to kick off my stay'cation (vacation at home). Enjoy.

Stalled but thinking...planning

2009-05-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

My hands have not been idle but they are involved in other projects that are not art related. Can you say - blocked? I am just not there for some reason. I am not with the art vibe. I keep painting journal pages one spread after the next but nothing comes to me. I figure I would take many creative people's advice and cover the scary blank pages with paint and see what happens.
So, what has happened is I seem to be content to study various 'how to books' like the wonderful publication of Jane Davies'. Hoping for inspiration. The sparks are being nurtured.

In the meantime, I am working on a different creative endeavor all together. Yes, it is creative as my dearest friend Catherine has said many times. I am building an 18th century gown from scratch. Yep, for me not a doll. I belong to a group called La Société des Lumières. A group of women and men who love all things French and 18th century. We are having a picnic this coming weekend and I don't have a stitch to wear. Mmmmm...perhaps that is where the artistic juices are going? I have the sewing skills and costume design skills - so I guess I am indeed engaged in the art of designing clothing of another time. Will keep you posted.

Impossibilities challenge

2009-04-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

So there was a challenge to do art work around the word: Impossibilities. The impossible headdresses and hairstyles of the French court in the later 18th century were the inspiration for this piece. Now, I attempted to submit my entry but couldn't remember which challenge group proposed this topic. Geeze! I believe it was Illustration Friday http://illustrationfriday.com/ but they have moved on to another topic, so I will try to submit it there. When challenges go up on blog sites, people seem to submit images right away! I am just getting started so I need to be patient with myself and keep up as best I can. Anyway, enjoy.

Inspire Me Thursday Challenge - Green

2009-04-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here is my entry for Inspire Me Thursday Challenge (www.inspiremethursday.com). There is something very beautiful and sensual about a fern frond uncoiling. Enjoy!

Wednesday Stamper Challenge

2009-04-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

Spring has been a mix of rainy days, chilly air inspite of a bright sun and then down right HOT! And I am lovin' it! Anyway, got back to checking my favorite blogs and those blogs with challenges to spur on the creative juices. I took on the curent challenge of Mittwochstempler or
Wednesday Stamper
(http://wednesdaystamper.wordpress.com). The challenge was to take the back of a postcard sent and collage, stamp and whatever. I live near a harbor and coastal area and on my walks I am inspired by the beauty of the sea, the shoreline and the animals that inhabit the ecosystem. Dare I call this: Post card from the Titanic? Maybe not. :) Enjoy.

2009-04-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

I am back! Phew! I thought I would never get a minute to work on my blog. I haven't had internet service at home for a while and working on my blog at work just isn't an option. But, here I am. On a rainy day, spring break - and I decided to take the break off - and I am still in my jammies and love'in it!

Now, what is this little tea-cup clothed, articulated doll all about. Well. I took a class at Castle in the Air (www.castleintheair.biz)
on April fools day and I had a blast. The class was called Art dolls and was given by Deborah DiSalvo (deborah_disalvo@agilent.com ). There were only 4 of us in the up stairs studio and for 2 hours I was able to let go of any expectations and made this kitty doll and started another one that I plan to finish this week. It was just the simple act of cutting and putting together little articulated paper dolls that opened a flood gate of thoughts.

Recently, I have been working on an art journal that is based on the guidance of "The Creative Entrepreneur: A DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real" ( by Lisa Sonora Beam) and it is really getting me to think about what exactly do I mean by, "I want to be an artist." Can't make art my business until I know what the heck I really love to do, right? With that said, the art doll class got me thinking about what it is I really like to do. I like to make things. I like the challenge of putting together a design or image and figuring out how to make it real. By training, I am a technical drawer - i.e. I can produce botanical and entomological portraits without a problem. Sigh, they just don't really sustain me. I costume, I like to sew. I like cutting out things and gluing them down. I think the urge to construct things came from my architect father. This art doll class - as simple and fun as it was - became a window into my own soul - a simple eye opener that perhaps my "art" is more craft oriented. I am feeling pretty jazzed about this discovery! In fact, I got a bit over excited and ran right out to get the Xylon machine to make stickers - a great way to back papers to card stock without all the mess of glue. JoAnne Fabrics stores have coupons for discounts all the time for those machines - Score! I also ran out to the Alameda Flea Market on Sunday April 5th and scored some German scrap and other vintage ephemera. So, here we go! On to a new adventure? Yep. The second doll will come.

In the meantime, I am learning to make time for "art and play". I finally got exercise into the routine - making it a natural - must do. Now, getting my art on the same track is going to be important. I am taking another class at Castle in the Air on the 22nd of April. This is a watercolor class centered around birds. I can't wait!

Yikes where have I been?

2009-03-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks - but life happened! I have been on the move since I last posted - Geeze! a month ago. Believe me it was hard to have to let many things go to the back burner. In anycase, I am alive and kicking! So what have I been up to? Work - the mundane habit of work - Monday through Friday. It is a good thing that my job is rewarding - education. I did get a bit of travel in. I got up to Yosemite, California for a few days! I belong to the Art Deco Society of California - a non-profit group that works to preserve and educate the public about

art, architecture, and social culture from the 1920's to the 1940's. The Ahawhanee Hotel was built in 1927 so our organization puts on a heritage program at the hotel. We have lectures, tea dances, speakeasie cabarets and a big gala ball and everyone is dressed 1920's to 1940's. It is very fun. Here is a pic of the winter wonderland, Yosemite fresh with snow!

Lace - Inspire Me Thursday Challenge

2009-02-17T10:52:00.001-08:00

Good morning all! The challenge at http://www.inspiremethursday.com, was lace. So, after a few attempts, I came up with this 6 x 6. My past has adventures in historical re-enactments and events, so lace for me could mean lace for cuffs and ruffs or the lacings in a corset or a high top shoe! In this case I interpreted the word, lace, as a verb - to lace. Enjoy! I did.

Go Mom!

2009-02-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

I want to congratulate my Mom! She entered the annual TALB show in Richmond and although she didn't win the award for the show she was in the front of the gallery instead of at the back, in the corner, in the dark. I am really proud of her. My Mom retired way back in 1987 and though it took a while she finally got back to her desire to be an artist. Here it is 2009 and she has produced a lot of work, sold many paintings and is so happy. My Mom has always been creative. As a kindergarten teacher you have to have a lot of creativity to build the capacity to learn in small children. She was also creative in our home with holiday projects and all. Like many of us, she put her much of her creative energy into her job, her family and home. This was great for us since we all inherited her joy of being creative. But, she never really fed her soul - her spirit. In any case, she is now enjoying her work and it is fun to talk to her about her art and the processes she goes through to get where she wants to go. I am really proud of her. Congratualtions Mom! :)

Sense and sensibility

2009-02-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

How is it that you can begin the year with every intention to be faithful to your creative spirit and then you look up from the valley of responsibility to see your spirit clinging to the mountain waiting for you to rescue it off the edge of oblivion? I know I am not alone but it is still frustrating when there is some part of me that wants to unite body, soul, spirit and mind to balance my life and have creativity playing a major role in my life.

Firstly, I have tried to crave out time for exercise (with my 20's and 30's, okay, and my 40's long gone gravity is messing with the physical me). That has been a huge struggle since I am not really athletically inclined. I have, however, been very consistent with exercising at least 5 times a week for 30 to 40 mins. Secondly, spurred on by the latest issues of Art Journal, Artful Blogging, and Cloth, Paper and Scissors magazines I was able to light the fire for art but it turned out to be harder to keep burning. I am looking a little less gelatinous but my spirit sags. Why? Why can't I just DO IT? Do it in the morning, do it at night, do it while I exercise or sitting in a meeting or whenever? What is 'doing art'? Is it a process of lots of materials all the time or just a simple pencil sketch for 10 mins? Why is it so hard to just 'do art' if supposedly I love it so much? Why is it that my sense always wins out over my sensibilities?

In reflection I discovered a couple things. One, when I was successful in 'doing art' on a consistent and happy level I was established in a living space with enough space for me to be messy and spread out without feeling like I was living in a disaster area. I could close the door! I was also established in a job that I knew well and was okay with taking time to do art first and 'work' later. In other words, I had found a balance in my life of work and play. Currently I am in a transitional period where I have new digs and I started a new job. I haven't found my balance yet. I no longer have extra space to do art - its my living room/dining room area - learning how to work within that space isn't comfortable yet. The new job is nearly 3 years old and I am just now getting the hang of it. I taught for 18 years and for the last two and half years I have been an assistant principal, so the job has longer hours and though I don't have lesson plans to do or papers to grade, I am usually mentally limp when I get home. Ergo - no mental capacity to do art - the body is willing the brain is not. Thus I become a weekend artist when I don't have a ton of errands to do. I guess that is something, eh?

The second reflective acknowledgement was much more interesting to me. I have a lot of creative ideas but they never come to reality a lot of the time. Why is that I would often ask? Well, I discovered that when I get an idea, my brain starts figuring it out and before I know it the finished idea is in my mind's eye. Great! My body responds with 'let's make it!' My brain says, 'why? I did it already'. This was quite a revelation to me especially as I was talking to a fellow artist and he said the same thing - he often gets ideas and works them out so completely in his mind that it never reaches paper. How do you combat that? Even when I try to make what I envision it never comes out as I saw it in my mind and I don't often accept it as it is - it isn't right, it doesn't match the expectation. Am I allowing the critic in me to constructively discourage the creative child with in?

Hope is the latest buzz word these days but, for me it has not lost its value nor will it ever. I do have hope that at some point in time, I will break through the box I have put myself in and let my artistic spirit take the driver's seat on my journey through the other half of my life. That some how I will get comfortable with a messy house and be satisfied with a simple sketch of the cat sleeping when I get home from a long day. I have hope because I am learning that I am not alone in my struggles. The latest issue of Artful Blogging allowed me to meet - figuratively speaking - kindred spirits who struggle just like I do. We struggle to reconcile our practical and sensible selves with our creative child. Our creative spirits don't want to have to beg, borrow or steal time just to exist. Also, I have begun to meet other women and men who are also trying to balance sensible and practical living without sacrificing their artistic and creative sensibilities. Community! If a village can successfully raise a healthy child, then I know the Blogsphere and other like communities are a sanctuary for my creative spirit to have room to grow and flourish.

So, I have just gotten through a hard week a work, too many late meetings but I have a good feeling about the weeks to come. I know I can do this. I know I will find my balance again. I do have hope that my practical senses can work side by side with my flighty but energetic sensibilities. As Gandalf says to Frodo, "it is not the time we have but what we do with the time we have that matters..." Cheers!

January is nearly over...how'd that happen?

2009-01-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

Here it is January 26 and I haven't quite gotten into my groove yet? Is this a good thing? Perhaps having a groove too early becomes a ditch or trench you can't get out of? Anyway, I am slowly learning how to do this blog thing and I have had a couple of visits, thanks!

No matter how fast January as has gone, we can't say it was a quiet month. The euphoria that has surrounded the inauguration has not only been uplifting but I really and truly feel there is hope to recover ourselves together. Whether one voted or not for President Obama, we all have to give him and his team the chance to make a difference and we have to help in small and large ways. We can't sit on the sidelines and wait and see. It is going to take all of us to bring this country up from the bottom of the barrel and over the top flowing with prosperity and joy.

I got the latest from Somerset Studios, "Art Journaling". A friend wanted it for Xmas so I got it for her. Of course I had to have a copy, too.
What a fabulous resource for ideas! Yet, I set it down, thinking - well if I do art journaling I won't have time to do 'real art'. You see, in my head to be an artist you have produce an art piece that is sellable. In other words, the only validation for doing art was to create something that can be hung on someone elses wall. My practical and logical mind agrees with this notion - there must be a purpose and outcome to all endeavors. Yet, in the back of my mind there has been a spirited buzzing that was fighting this idea. That buzzing became a louder and louder and is now a battle cry - creativity is not measured by the quantity of what you sell. Creatively is the expression of one's soul and the spirit of engaging with one's environment. To sell what one creates is not a reason to create.

Journaling is not new to me. I have written in journals off and on since I was a teenager...uhm, long ago. As a teacher, have kept special summer journals where I would write and record the fun things I did over summer vacation. I would paste in pictures from trips and other ephemera from travels and social events. However, journals focused on artistic endeavors is new to me. The time it takes was daunting to me. Yet, I want to use my journals to play with techniques and learn from the experiences. So, my goal is to make my journals a source of creative play and a resource for future "art pieces". I worry that I will not be able to carve in the time to do the journaling. I do journal each day anyway, so you'd think that it would not be a problem. Mmmmm...can I do this? If I get this off the ground perhaps I can follow Pam Garrison (www.pamgarrison.typepad.com ) lead and keep several journals for different outcomes? Or maybe what Kari McKnight-Holbrook does (www.backporchartess.blogspot.com) may be a fun way to go - where she journals based on themes that she explores. In any case, I am excited to find a way to just get the juices flowing - to jumpstart my creative spirit. How about you, what way are you allowing 2009 to be a creative year?

Winter in California

2009-01-07T15:39:00.001-08:00

Cloud watching is one of my favorite things to do. The confirmation of the clouds, their translucency or density, how they move with the air currents and play with the sunlight. These images are along highway 5 heading through the San Joaquin Valley on Christmas Eve day. The rain had stopped and the weather was icy cold - okay for California anything below 50 is icy. In spite of the previous rainstorms of the night before, the air was very dry. So much as changed due to global warming. Sigh.Capturing all this on camera is was fun and challenging in a moving car. However, one of the 'hobbies' I have picked up is photography - not for the sake of the taking a picture for art sake but recording my surroundings - it is the naturalist in me after all I was a science teacher for 18 years. In any case, I am trying to learn how to use my digital point and shoot for more than just pointing and shooting. The next step is learning how to massage the images on the computer? Although, I do prefer to draw and paint to computer manipulation, so we shall see.

Weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society -- things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed.: E. B. White (1899 - 1985)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have been planning to start a blog every since I picked up a copy of Artful Blogging. Through this fabulous publication, I learned that there is a huge community of creative people doing wonderful things. There are people like me out there enjoying their creativity and sharing it! The question for me was - Geeze, what could I possibly offer compared to the fabulous musings and projects that are already being documented? Intimidated was lightly expressing my feelings. My plans for a blog remained just that, scattered ideas that could not come to fruition - fear drove me away. However, that idea would not evaporate - like a bee in a bonnet it buzzed constantly looking for a way out. I searched and read blogs and enjoyed them. I even began to email the authors and got wonderful responses back. So, why was I feeling intimidated? These folks are wonderful and open! What was I afraid of? Thus, I finally decided that I wouldn't know what I could offer or share until I do it. Just like figuring out what color to paint my walls. Do I really want to paint that hall wall chocolate? What if it is over whelming? What if it makes my small condo cave in on me? Well as a friend said, "Do it. If it doesn't work you can paint over it." Of course she is right, So, here I am creating a blog in hopes of creating a space to connect with people and share my musings and works. If it doesn't fly, well, the blog is gone in a click and I move on. Yet, I hope that as my connections grow through you, I will learn how to share in a meaningful way and through you improve my blog.

So, 2009 is finally here! Hope infuses the air! 2009 is going to be my year. It won't be a beginning but a continuation of a journey long started long ago but derailed from time to time. As my profile states, I am what I call a born again artist. I have been a creative person all my life. I am fortunately surrounded by artists and creative people in my family and extended family including friends. But, I drifted in and out of art during my early adult life which began to include needlearts (embroidery, historical costuming and other needlework). However, the more I drifted the more drawing and painting began to wane.

I became a teacher at 32 and a lot of my focus and energy went into my practice - to teach middle school kids and to get them excited by learning. Yikes! Never a dull moment but it would leave me spent with no energy to do creative things on my own time. I would reach the weekends and have just enough energy to catch up with housework, pay the bills and the start but not necessarily complete the occasional sewing project. I found I was not feeding my soul - providing it with a balanced meal to repair and grow on. Then, cancer knocked at the door and I got my wake up call. Since 1992 I have been a cancer survivor and thriver but it has taken me this long to finally rebuild my spiritual and artistic confidence.

In renewing my artistic energy the old struggle between drawing and needle arts began to flare up. Which do I do? I love them both? Lo and behold, the new-age genre of collage, assemblage, altered books, art quilts and the like began to bubble over the art world and I was devouring hundreds of dollars of books and magazines. I discovered that my talents as an artist and a seamstress could be combined on many levels and thus my renewal began - I was born again. I now hope that I can consistently feed my soul through creative endeavors that are fun and enrich my life and those around me.

With that said, I had an inspiration to make Christmas cards to send to family this year. These are just a sample of the art cards I created. I used watercolor postcards for some and little 2.5 by 3.5 canvases for others. I have a stash of art papers and old Christmas cards and ribbon and I went wild with it. I made 15 in all - phew! I had so much fun and it brought the spirit of the winter holidays back into perspective for me. I use to, many years ago, spend from September to December making cards and gifts...I had lost that somehow.

I have been given a soulful transfusion with this little project and I am itching to try something else. So, once again, welcome to my blog, I hope to update at least twice a week so be patient with me as I get the hang of this. Oh, by the way, can anyone tell me how people get their sidebars loaded with pictures or links? Blogspot is pretty user friendly, but I am still a bit intimidated on how to develop my page. Thank you for visiting! Angela

P.S. The following words will be weaned from my vocabulary over 2009: intimidated, fear, disorganization.