Saturday, January 28, 2012

art every day...a touching reminder



i love to create. 

i really do. but it can get a little lonely sometimes. when i am in the process, there really isn't much else i am aware of. but when i am done and i am doing the other stuff...photographing, describing, measuring, listing, sending things out into the world, it can be a solitary process. 

this morning i received notice that a pair of earrings in my shop had sold. yay! i do love sales!
but this one will stay with me, i imagine, for a really long time. this note was attached to the sale...

"My father's name was Ellie (Ellis) and sadly, he passed away last week at 93. He loved birds. I will give these charming earrings to a family member. Thank you." 
my heart goes out to this thoughtful person and their family. i understand only too well how hard it is to lose a parent. and yet this note filled me with gratitude...that this man was loved so much that he will be missed and that his child chose something created by my hands as a positive reminder of someone important.  

if i ever forget that my work matters to someone, i can think of this note. 

i know that i will think of this man when i see birds, as i do with my mom when i see clouds.






Friday, January 27, 2012

art every day...falling deeper in love

did i mention yet how much i am loving this new camera? still haven't learned how to use it...i will get to it eventually. this was a shot from just after nightfall and the moon was laying there all come hither like. who could blame a girl? 
today i am grateful for my eyesight and ability to more fully experience nature.

Monday, January 23, 2012

art every day...THE BIG LAUNCH!

today i am grateful for people who don't just dream...they do!
i made this fine silver pendant to celebrate the big launch of the new company name, logo (can you guess what it is?) and website of a wonderful friend and 
FABULOUS coach, author and speaker, 
Mary T. Scott!  
check it out...MaryTScott.com
 

Sunday, January 22, 2012

art every day...gray clouds

today i am grateful for a sunny outlook and a warm home.
i think that i will have to scan these little paintings as photographing them at night doesn't seem too effective.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

art every day...my new zoom!

today i am really grateful for the optical zoom on my camera because i would never have been able to see this beautiful bird as more than just a little black spot! i am also grateful for red lights so i had time to snap this photo!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Monday, January 16, 2012

art every day... the ebelskiver learning curve

today i am grateful for the yumminess that is ebelskivers and for the willingness to make them badly so that that i could learn to make them well.

art every day...something's fishy

today i am grateful for the ability to shop at great local shops like ornamentea and great online shops all over the world. i love how connected we are.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

art every day...window shopping


today i am grateful for the beauty in life and how it seems to reveal more and more layers of sheer beauty the close i look. i am grateful for perfect moments.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

art every day...cow belles (or what i do instead of sleep)


last night i simply could not sleep.
no pillow arranging, no visualization, no nothing was going to make me go to sleep. finally, i felt i could fall asleep and POP! there she was...my muse. i have been toying (a little pun intended) with the idea of making some dolls. she has a fat body and long funkified skinny legs. attitude that just won't stop...in the delightful way.
and there it was...cow belles.
so i had to get up and do a sketch of one.
allowing for the fact that i was sloppy, exhausted and not drawing the way i wanted to, at least i got it on paper. finally, around 530am i was released to sleep.

today i am grateful for my muse, however ill-timed her visits.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

art every day...off and running














today errand day. had i used bigger paper, i could have included more of what i did.







today i am grateful for my little
red car that takes me everywhere
i want to go!




Wednesday, January 4, 2012

art every day...i m p e r f e c t

the reason that i chose to do art every day was because i want to uncover the artist in me. find my own style. practice and get better. 
well, in doing so (yes, i am saying this in just 4 short days), i realize that i am perfectly imperfect.  i am working on letting go of being 'good' so that i will get better. 
hence the i m p e r f e c t sketch of the day. read it anyway you want. 
and i have to confess, i miss my camera. expect some photos very soon!
today i am grateful that i am free to be imperfect!

Monday, January 2, 2012

art every day...blowy

such a windy day today. could just imagine mother nature breezing things up a bit.
 today i am grateful for making this commitment because i already wanted to quit!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

announcing my 2012 'a day' adventure!

today i am grateful for my awesome new inktense pencils that sit in their tin with vibrancy and life, just waiting for their moment to shine!
well, it's begun...my 2012 adventure...one day at a time.

this year, i have decided to do 'art every day'. let me tell you, that really scares me. and that's partly why i chose to do it.

so what is art every day? it could be anything that i consider to be an artful endeavor. painting, jewelry, dolls, photographs, a beautiful dinner or fabulous dessert. a twig house or a clay carving. who knows? that's a big part of it. inviting my muse in and then letting our creations out.  

when i started doing these every day things two years ago, i was scared that i wouldn't keep up with it. now that i have done them consistently for two years (even bringing each one along into the new year), i am scared BECAUSE i know that i will do it.

this is year, i want to have a breakthrough year with my art. i won't do that if i don't make art and make it a lot. so the order of 2012 is practice and reveal.

in doing this piece i used the derwent inktense pencils for the first time. love them and want them to have the chance to show all their capability in my hand. also used micron pens on watercolor paper.

in addition to my art every day, i am going to include one statement of gratitude for the day because expressing gratitude has become such a great part of my life. 

so we begin again.