IT'S NOT PERFECT...

It has been one of those weeks, you know, the kind where everything you touch seems like an epic fail...from the loaf of bread that would not rise, to the near death experience of a wrong mixture of chemicals while conducting a mixed media experiment, to ruining not one but two hand painted loving crafted journal bindings, and last but not least taping what you thought was a tutorial only to find out the camera was on the fritz!  Small potatoes in light of all the things going on around our world today, very small, nearly invisible, really and truly.

 (Yes I know I forgot to paint the birds other foot, doing that as soon as I am back in studio)

(This was initially supposed to be for a class but I think I have had enough of this particular project)

While I alone cannot clean up the mess this world is in, I can try and repair some of the mess I have made by my own  hand.  I began by spending quite a bit of time in prayer for the worldly mess I cannot handle before tackling the wee smalls in my studio.

After removing all the bindings and pages from the journal covers I was left with two empty shells with no idea what to do with them.  At 4:26 this morning I abruptly awoke with a seed of an idea.  I immediately got up and headed into the studio to see if I could make it work.  I spent time drafting a pattern, sewing, ripping out, resewing, ripping out again, resewing again, until I finally had a prototype ready to test.  It is not perfect, it has some flaws, but I love it anyway, my new iPad carrying case.

If only all the epic failures in our world were so easily repairable by just simply removing all the ugly parts and being able to begin again.  I have spent time drafting a plan of prayer only to see it ripped out of place again and again, its truly a test of faith and endurance when one only feels like throwing up their hands and giving up.  My project is not perfect, nor is our world, they have their flaws, but I love them both anyway.  I refuse to let evil overshadow all that is good and decent and kind.  I now carry the world at my fingertips in my new carrying case which allows me to keep abreast of all that goes on outside of my small sphere but its the world I live in that I carry in my heart and prayers for peace on earth and good will towards all mankind.  

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

blessings,

Sandy

"DOWN BY THE BAY" ART QUILT...

This little art quilt was inspired by a photo I took on a trip a few months ago. 

 Standing just behind a sand dune near a rickety weathered fence and a pile a of driftwood logs I clicked a pic of a small strip of shining sea that lapped against the bladed grasses of an estuary where a warm molten sun was slipping into sleep.  

Gulls circled overhead as the gulf breeze ruffled the water into little ripples that caught little winking glimmers of light.  

I stood rooted in that spot listening, looking, and savoring those complete and restful serene moments of feeling the weight of drift wood and shells in my hand, sun warmed sand under my feet, the salty tang of the breeze swaying the sea grass,  and noticing the rich layers of land, water, and sky.  

This little quilt is my interpretation of that experience. 

This one is a keeper, I am going to hang it in my writing cottage where I keep all my beach treasures.

I hope you all enjoy a serene beauty filled week and find inspiration where ever you may be!

blessings,

Sandy

FEATURED AT: THE ALTERED PAGE...

 Today a morsel of my artwork is being featured as a side dish to some amazing main course meals in mixed media at The Altered Page, 5x5: Chapter 8, the online version of Seth's "The Pulse of Mixed Media".  I had the honor and privilege of being a part of Seth Apter's 5x5 Project where an open call was held for mixed media artwork that was 5 in. x 5in. in scale.  Seth has curated an online gallery of posts being featured each Sunday for the months of November and December 2012 with photos, quotes, and links to each featured artist.  

(ELEMENTS OF NATURE, mixed media book)

I have truly enjoyed the weekly posts, meeting different artist through their artwork, being inspired by the diversity of the mediums and amazing talents that Seth has shared through this project, along with the added bonus of connecting with a like-minded community.  I hope you too will enjoy a Sunday afternoon stroll through Seth's virtual gallery.

(ELEMENTS OF NATURE, book text)

Heartfelt thanks goes out to Seth for being a champion of the art community and for the opportunity to be a small part of this project.

SERIES-OUSLY ? (Tips for working in an artistic series)...

 

I have recently been trying to get back in the swing of many things and getting serious about my art making is one of them.  I tend to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-create-whatever-happens-to-catch-my-fancy-at-any-given-moment kind of gal, disciplined working in not my forte and creating an artistic series requires just that.  This willy-nilly way of working has worked for me in that it has allowed me to play with a variety mediums, techniques, styles, and genres finding what I like to work with, what I like to create, and what I don't.  What has not worked for me is the inability to settle in and take myself or my art seriously.  Thus came the question of if I could have the stick-to-it-tivity that pays off in the end. 

Did you know that some, not all, but some publications will not accept art submissions unless you show them a series of 3 or more pieces?  Series-ously!  Did you also know that if perchance you were to have a gallery showing of your art that a gallery might require you to have anywhere from 15 to 20 pieces of work in a series?  Series-ously! Did you know that most art competitions require a submission of a series?  Series-ously!  Did you also know that by working in a series with set guidelines and a fixed list of supplies it forces you to be more and more creative with each new piece you add as you reinterpret the design yet keep it cohesive so it is recognizable as part of a collection?  Series-ously!  It is also a great way to instill some discipline in your artistic pursuits.  Series-ously! 

Working in a series will help you to hone your skills, define your style, and demonstrate your abilities to potential publications, galleries, or buyers/collectors.  This helps your work to be recognizable.  This does not mean you have to forever work in that same style, using the same medium(s), or with the same theme or idea.  A series is meant to be a complete body of work, once you have explored all avenues of that idea thoroughly then you can be free to move on to a different work.

So, what is a series?  A series of art consists of several pieces created around a single theme or idea.  This is not a piece of art that is duplicated over and over but a group of pieces that are connected, similar, or related through a common characteristic that pulls the body of work together even though they singly differ in some way.  To create a series you need to pick a theme, subject, or idea, a genre, medium(s), and it is helpful, but not necessary, to have a color story or repetitive technique for the foundation pieces as you build your collection.

I decided to try and discipline myself to creating a small 3 piece series of mixed-media work (baby steps!  you can't turn a grasshopper into an ant over night!).  I revisited a partially complete piece that has been hanging around the studio for quite some time now thinking it was high time it be finished.  I used it as my jumping off point to create a small collection of 16x20 canvas based pieces. 

The theme or the subject is: birds, this was chosen for me since I was using a previous unfinished piece and that happened to be the subject matter.  The genre here is a little hard to specifically define since it crosses more than one creative style so we will keep it simple and give it a broad label of: mixed-media.  The meduim(s) I chose are: fabric, paint, stitch, stamp, stencil, and typography.  My color story was inspired by colors that are particularly soothing to me: Wicker White, Wedgwood Green, Jamaican Sea, Drizzle Grey, Medium Grey, Old Parchment, and Coffee Bean.  I also wanted a repetitive technique to further link the pieces into a series.  In this case, I used weaving in one form or another to appear in each body of work.

For a grasshopper like me, this was a good discipline of learning that there is a time for work and a time for play.  Both are necessary and needful in the art making process but there needs to be a healthy balance of the two.  The playful side lets you experiment, discover, and explore.  The work side propels you forward in your artistic goals.  It is a series-ously hard lesson for me to learn.  I find repetition in any form boring and tend to subscribe to the one-of-a-kind art making principle.  But, if I want to series-ously take my artwork to a new level or playing field I have to put in the work, dedication, and discipline it requires to achieve that goal. 

I will keep you posted on the progression of these pieces and my little experiment in discipline.

SEWING SEA SHELLS BY THE SEA SHORE...

 

When packing for any trip it is essential that I include some sort of crafting supplies and my recent trip to the sea shore was no exception.  I chose a small pair of folding scissors, three sizes of needles, a partial spool of white thread, and a mini bottle of Tacky Glue (not pictured)...

 I stuffed two little satin coin purses (purchases from one of Beth's shops (blog: Gathering Dust) Gathering Dust etsy shop or Sugarpinkmoon etsy shop) full of tiny bits, one with fabric scraps left over from my latest project...

 The other with a few fresh water pearls, assorted beads, and some ready drilled shells and stones...

 Adding a few beach finds once I arrived...

 I used as my inspiration a cuff my sweet husband purchased from Diane Knott (blog:

Diane Knott's Musings) Cottage by the Pond etsy shop a year or so ago.  It is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry.  Diane's hand work is impeccable!...

 I set out to create some embellishment pieces to add to some fabric back grounds I had previously sewn...

 To use as pages of a fabric book to chronicle our vacation to the beach...

I sat sewing sea shells by the sea shore creating little embellishment pieces that were mostly done while relaxing on the B&B (balcony or beach!) where I could DREAM beside lapping waters...

 Soaking in the BEAUTY of the deep blue-green sea...

 Where the views of ocean, sky, and sand never cease to INSPIRE...

 Inviting one to EXPLORE...

 And DISCOVER the gifts of the sea...

Each embellishment is about 6 in. long and 1 in. wide.  I will be adding backing pieces as I attach them to the book pages.  The plan is that this will be summer project to work on when I feel inspired to.  I am still processing photos from the trip so I am not ready to begin assembling the book yet.

 When I got back home I started making my own version of shell embellishments for some of the book pages.  A little handmade paper, a loose sketch with a bit of shading, some wire, glue, and glitter later I had this...

Not too bad for the first try.

What are your "can't leave home without them" traveling art supplies?

Do you travel light too or do you pack your whole studio?

I hope your day is filled to the brim with small joys that make you smile and big blessings that make you grateful!

Blessings,

Sandy

P.S.  My blog posts may be few and far between, my mother has had a few bad spells, toss in a birthday, a three day holiday, a deadline that has to be met by the end of the week, a Handy Hubby who insists on going up to the farm a few days to get some projects done and I am tying to figure out how to breathe much less blog, I will see you when I see you!