This weekend I’m participating in ArtSpace Maynard’s 11th Annual Holiday Art & Craft Show. This my last holiday art & craft show for 2011.
I’ll have new Ornimals (Animal Sculpted Ornaments), Pyramid Fortune Vessels, Soulful Sprites and Heart in Hand Talisman. The Sprites & Talisman make great stocking stuffer gifts! I’ll also have a selection of wine bottle stoppers, perfume pens, and business card cases if you’re looking for a more traditional holiday gift. And if you’re looking for wall art, I’ll have a small selection of artwork from my Languedoc-Roussillon series.
Here are three new Ornimals that are coming with me:
Well, it only took three complete video shoots plus a few short missteps and installing the newest version of iMovie. However, I am happy to announce that I can now finally share with you the video version of my latest series of artwork, Snapshots & Memories from Languedoc-Roussillon.
In this video you’ll learn about my inspiration for the series and hear a little more about the individual pieces. All of the artwork in this series is for sale. If you’re interested in purchasing a piece, please leave a comment and I’ll contact you.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and receive updates when new videos are posted.
Friend and fellow artist, Susan Lomuto, has created a project on Kickstarter. Her project is the aptly titled “The Apprenticeship Project.”
The goal of this project is to raise $1,500.00 by November 28, 2011. The funds raised for this project will help Susan document what it means to be a working artist today by working as an apprentice to artists across the country.
Susan is no stranger to working as an artist apprentice. She did just that last fall when she traveled to Connecticut and Washington, D.C to work as an apprentice to a jewelry artist, a ceramic artist and a glass artist.
This time, however, Susan needs your assistance to make the Apprenticeship Project even bigger. Her initial apprenticeship experiences appeared as posts on her blog The Daily Art Muse. Now Susan’s goal is to capture this documentation in three books: one book on the life of an artist, one photo essay book, and one book on her life and what brought her to this project.
To hear about The Apprenticeship Project, you can listen to Susan describe it in her own words:
Now isn’t this something you might consider supporting?
Still not sure?
Click on this link to read more about The Apprenticeship Project. You can even ask questions. If you decide to make a donation, your credit card won’t be charged unless Susan reaches her goal of $1,500.00 by November 28, 2011. How cool is that?
You can donate as little as $5.00 or as much as $5,000.00. And you can choose a gift to receive based on the amount of your donation.
I wouldn’t blog about this if I didn’t believe in the project.
We got away for a long weekend to New York this past weekend. An early anniversary trip. Over three days we walked almost 30 miles. Those 30 miles included two museum visits, a trip to ground zero, and walking through part of Central Park and Times Square. All that walking and I still gained weight. Darn those cupcakes!
Below are some shots from our trip, most from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was our first visit to the Met. After a few hours we were definitely on art overload.
St Patrick's Cathedral at Night
Atlas at Night
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Klimt
Barbara Hepworth Sculpture
I was not familiar with Barbara Hepworth’s artwork. You can read more about her here.
Jackson Pollock
Pollock’s large paintings are really impressive.
I’m sorry I didn’t write down the name of the artist who created this piece above. I believe his first name was Robert. Yes, that is an eagle mounted to this mixed media piece.
Cy Twombly
Wharhol
Which do you prefer? Monet’s Irises….
Monet
Or Picasso’s Irises?
Picasso
I like both of them. Each are unique interpretations of one of my favorite flowers. I do think, however, that I like Monet’s Irises better than his waterlilies.
Salvador Dali
How is this for a mantelpiece? I believe it is from the Vanderbilt estate.
The last room we visited had all this amazing Oceanic art. The ceiling tiles below were all created individually and then assembled to form the roof/ceiling of a home.
Ceiling Tiles
Headdress
The headdress above was worn in a certain ceremony. A male and a female headdress were typically used in the ceremony. The dancer wore the headdress for a very short period. And then the headdress was destroyed.
Strawberry Fields
This time we walked much further through Central Park and finally visited the area now known as Strawberry Fields. The Dakota rises over this area of Central Park. At the heart of Strawberry Fields is the Imagine medallion.
Imagine
As we sat on a bench watching people take pictures of each other on the Imagine medallion, I remembered being in Italy last year for our 25th anniversary.
While staying in Venice we visited the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. In the museum’s sculpture garden was a “Peace” tree with little pieces of paper dangling from it. Next to the tree was a container with pencils and pieces of paper with strings attached. Visitors were asked to write their prayers and wishes on the paper and then to attach the paper to the tree branches.
The Peace Tree installation was created by Yoko Ono.
Sitting by the Imagine medallion, it felt like we’d come full circle.
I am now 3/4 of the way through my blog anniversary celebration. Only one more giveaway to be conducted this month. Before introducing the final giveaway this Friday, 8/26, let’s see who won the week #3 giveaway…..
This giveaway had a jewelry theme, so what better way to choose the winner than with a Tiffany gift box.
All the names of those who left a comment were written on piece of paper and placed in the Tiffany box.
Then the box was shaken. Shake your head up and down. See the box move up and down.
And the winner of a copy of Debbie Jackson’s book “Polymer Clay Jewelry” and my Mokume Gane pin is…..
Mokume Gane Pin
…Diane S
Congratulations Diane!
Thanks to everyone who participated. Check back this Friday, 8/26, to see what you can win in the final week of my blog anniversary celebration.
I’m half-way through my blog anniversary celebration. I’m having a good time. I hope you are too.
This week, I’m giving away a copy of Debbie Jackson’s lovely book “Polymer Clay Jewelry: 20 Projects Plus Techniques” and one of my Mokume Gane pins.
First, Debbie Jackson’s book:
Jackson’s book is a great resource for the polymer clay beginner, for someone returning to polymer clay, or for anyone interested in using polymer clay to make ethnic inspired artwork. And that is one of the beauties of polymer clay. Versatility!
In the book, Jackson shows you how to create artwork inspired by Asian, African, European, and South American cultures. The projects focus primarily on jewelry such as pendants, brooches, bracelets and earrings. However, you’re a creative being and you can certainly adapt the techniques to other projects such as vessels, home decor, and sculpture.
The techniques you’ll learn in Jackson’s book include: Mokume Gane, building canes, making a push mold, making a Skinner Blend, carving, and using liquid polymer clay. Her step-by-step instructions are detailed and accompanied by clear color photos.
And my Mokume Gane pin:
Mokume Gane Pin
Pin Detail
Along with Debbie Jackson’s book, one winner will also receive this Mokume Gane pin. The pin was inspired by the colors of late fall with hints of Asian design. It measures 5 ” long and would make a lovely addition to any blazer or coat. The Mokume Gane design in the center features copper, gold, and black polymer clay. It is framed by textured black polymer clay and accented with copper Pearl Ex.
I rarely make jewelry anymore so this is truly a collectible piece.
If you’d like to enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post sharing one of your favorite sources of creative inspiration and why. Please include an email address when you leave a comment so I may notify you if you win.
Comments will remain open till midnight EST on Tuesday, August 23. The winner will be chosen on Wednesday. Giveaway items will be shipped via USPS and limited to U.S. residents. I apologize for the restriction on shipping.
The winner of this giveaway was Diane S. This giveaway is now closed.
Well, it didn’t take too long before I faced potential boredom with my sketching. In the days after returning from France, I looked around my house and thought “what is so interesting here that I’d want to sketch it?”
There-in lies the rub. It isn’t so much a matter of what looks interesting to sketch, it is a matter of making it a practice no matter what the subject matter. If the only reason I sketch is because the subject is interesting, I would’ve quit long ago. (And, in fact, I did quit sketching, several times in the past.)
This is when I had the bright idea to use themes or topics as my basis for sketching. Deciding on a theme or topic is a challenge in itself, however, it seems to be working for now.
The “What Do I Want To Sketch?” Phase
Glass Vases
Pear
Remote
Meals
Sunday breakfast
Salad
Breakfast bowl
Place setting
Cloth Napkin
Flowers
Sunflower
Globe Thistle
Did you know that Globe Thistle are made up of multiple tiny five petal flowers, like tiny stars? One of my favorite flowers and I never looked so closely at them until I tried to draw one.
Bee Balm
Another favorite flower whose petals sparked an idea in my head for an art doll.
During Dayle’s workshop, one of the field trips we take is to Albi. Albi is in southern France in the Tarn department. Its history can be traced all the way back to Bronze Age (3000-600 BC.) I didn’t see any remnants from that time period. We typically visit Albi to see the Toulouse Lautrec Museum and the St. Cecile Cathedral.
This was my second visit to Albi. Instead of taking many pictures of the Cathedral, as I did last time, I tried to focus my attention on the textures and colors. I hope you enjoy these images of Albi.
Before I left for France, I bought a small sketchbook. My intent was to draw in the sketchbook each day during my trip. I covered the sketchbook with a photo of a modern look French woman, packed my micron pens, and packed the sketchbook in my back pack.
We arrived in France, I move my sketchbook from the backpack to my purse, and there it remained, untouched, for 3 days. (I recall an art teacher telling me that she didn’t encourage students to take a bunch of drawing supplies on vacation because you put pressure on yourself to draw, which usually doesn’t happen, and then you feel guilty.)
As the end of our field trip to Albi drew to a close, we met Dayle at the appointed location. Dayle was sketching in her sketchbook. I promptly announced that I had also brought my sketchbook. Dayle asked, “Have you sketched anything?”
“Um, no. I haven’t used it.” I said.
Half jokingly, Dayle tasked me with sketching the facade of the St. Cecile Cathedral that stood a short distance from us.
Settling into my chair while we waited for the rest of our group to gather, I deferred Dayle’s challenge and opted instead for a set of shutters on a building directly across from us.
Shutters in Albi
And thus began my journey to sketch on an almost daily basis. Doing the first sketch reminded me, once again, that I do like to draw. In my senior year of high school, I was told during a critique with my art teacher that I couldn’t draw. Once I graduated high school, I avoided doing anything artistic.
Eventually, I came back to the arts and I’ve since forgiven that teacher for her cruel, nonconstructive words. I’ve tried the daily sketch task in the past, but it never stuck. After all, how many sketches can one make of their teacup, their breakfast, or the cats that never hold a pose.
But in France, it worked. And I’ve continued this practice now that I’m home. Though now that I’m home, I told myself that I’d like to do a sketch at least three times a week. That keeps my intention from feeling like a burden. I also received a little bit of advice from Dayle (paraphrased) that makes sketching a bit more fun: “Don’t worry about your sketch looking like reality.”
Below are more sketches that I did during our time in France. I’ll also share some of my sketches from home in future posts.
La Cascade Dinner Bell
Dining Room Chair
This sketch taught me that I’d completely forgotten how to draw perspective. An a-ha moment. Be a better observer.
Wicker Basket on Stool
This one is my favorite. Maybe I should sketch at night instead of first thing in the morning?
Over the next few weeks, I plan to share with you some of my favorite pictures taken during our trip to France. Today, we start with images of Soreze.
Soreze
Soreze is a magical village located in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, in the Tarn department. The village forms part of a triangle that extends from Albi to Toulouse to Carcassone. Soreze can trace its origins and development all the way back to 754 when Pepin of Aquitaine founded the Benedictine Abby Notre-Dame of Sagne in the fortified town of Verdinius.
Today, Soreze remains a source of history and culture. It has a long history of being home to artists and craftsmen.
The Images
On this trip I was focused on capturing images that would inspire my new series of artwork, Snapshots and Memories from Languedoc-Rousillion. Soreze is an excellent source of inspiration for this new series. Lots of colors, textures, doors, shutters, and statuary.
Festival Greeters
Soreze Side Street
Flower Pots
French Tabbys
Textures
Doors, Windows & Door Knockers
Statuary
I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of Soreze and its magical surroundings.
