Easy Gift Wrap Ideas from your Recycling

Scenario #1: You've got the gift bought and you're ready to wrap it and OH NO! Not a shred of tissue paper/wrapping paper left in the house- What to do??? You run back to the store, shell out another $8-10 on a card and a bag (not forgetting the tissue paper) and wrap it in the car, in the Target parking lot. You are, of course, late to your event, and there's tape stuck to the back of your dress.

Scenario #2: You've got the gift bought and you're ready to wrap it and OH NO! Nothing to wrap with. But you're crafty and don't despair because you know there's SOMETHING in the house that you can make look good. You walk over to the recycling bin and take a look and find a few tin cans, some saved brown paper grocery bags, and assorted boxes. A little paint or glue, some ribbon, and you've all you need for a fantastic presentation. Go to it girl!!!

I've had a few occasions to buy gifts for lately and have made the commitment to using recycled materials to wrap them with.The purple can? the previous night's fire roasted tomato's. The paper wrapping? Grocery bags.

Here's a birthday card I did up recently- I cheated with this and used some left over scrapbooking papers and letters I had on hand. But the inside of the card is a page torn from the flyleaf of an old book and technically the button is a found object.... :)

There really are so many options. Sew an old sock shut, use a toilet paper tube, Shona Cole and Lisa Guerin had a fabulous article in the first Greencraft about transforming old cereal boxes into beautiful gift bags. Following their cue, I prepped up a bunch of boxes recently and am embellishing them in my spare time. My hope is to get a small stockpile started so that when I do need a quick bag or box I've one on hand and can avoid that last minute rush to Target. Hopefully this post has given you some ideas too!

The Connection between Inspiration and Motivation

It amazes me how hard it used to be to come up with an idea for my art. Any idea at all. I would sit here, at the dining room table, with pastels in hand and my sketchbook in front of me and nothing would come. I'd look outside and think "how beautiful". But if I tried to draw what I saw, nothing would come out right and I'd end the time more frustrated than I started.

Now inspiration comes frequently and almost casually. This morning, all it took was a quick glance at a photo of an artist working on her project to get me up and going. The image of what I would make popped into my head in a moment. I see trees waving, spring birds, and deep greens against a bright robin eggg blue with some earth tones thrown in for depth. Now, when I look at my blank paper I can envision the sketch completed. Like Michaelangelo's famous comment about seeing the angel in the stone and carving to set it free, I can now mix reality with the imagined in my mind to the degree that I can "see" them combined. When I look at a wall, I can see the painting I want to put there. I don't have to draw it out to see it any longer, but I used to. My sketches are mostly visual notes now.

Being able to visualize, the instant inspirations, the dozens of ideas; these are all benefits anyone will experience once they've committed to creating. It starts simply, although a bit tediously. Like learning a new language, I put my time in relearning the rudiments of my art. I kept a sketchbook, I drew whether I felt like it or not, I searched out new mediums and techniques. The key, according to many great artists, to feeling inspired, is not a great imagination but the ability to work, whether they feel like it or not. Often the greatest are those who were simply tenacious. They could not, would not, give up. In mind, that means inspiration is the result of motivation. How do you motivate yourself to work? Do you have goals, dreams, aspirations? Is it something you love the feel of doing? Do you have a set time for creating or do you wait to find those times when you "feel" like it? Leave a comment- I'd love to know what motivates you to create.

Here are some of my favorite quotes on the subject. Enjoy!

"Amateurs look for inspiration; the rest of us just get up and work."- Chuck Close
"Don't wait for inspiration. It comes when one is working." - Henri Matisse
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. " -Pablo Picasso
"I'm not inspired every day I go to the studio, but you've got to push yourself. Do it every day and once in a while things will really click. That's the biggest high you can imagine."- Jamie Wyeth

The Importance of Being a Beginner

I went to a metal working class last night at The Studio at Rush Creek. It felt absolutely wonderful to be in a studio atmosphere again, and I loved the class I took. I learned to use a jeweler's saw, a metal punch, a foredom flexible shaft drill, and a whole slew of other things. The class was actually titled Riveted Jewelry, and everyone in the class had a chance to make a pendant. It was so exhilarating to be learning something new and so I was surprised at how inept I felt at the same time. It's hard being a beginner at something. Especially if you've gotten pretty good at your "thing". I felt extremely unskilled, made a ton of mistakes, and generally had a wonderful time.

But here's how my evening went:

• I cut out the heart shape with a jeweler's saw and snapped the blade.

• I punched out the silver disk and because I couldn't remember which way was right, I unscrewed the handle, popping out a spring, that thankfully went back together pretty easily (before too many people noticed).

• I decided to give the edge of my disk a "hammered" look and because I missed the edge ended up "texturizing" the entire disk to cover it up.

• I used the saw to cut a 1/4" slice off of a copper tube for the center rivet, and lost it on the last cut-twice. So I spent quite a bit of the time crawling around the floor and asking people if they could please move a little so I could get my bit of tube. I realized the second time around I had low ride jeans on so that made the crawling around a little interesting. Crawl, yank up the jeans, crawl, pull down my shirt... you get the idea.

• I dulled the drill bit (I think) because I forgot to hit a divet to mark the drill spot first.

• And I filed off a couple of nails, as I was trying to even out my cut on the tube rivet. I'd claim I ruined my manicure but I rarely have one so the uneven appearance of my nails isn't that big of a deal.

It was hard to feel so clumsy again, it was hard to keep asking for help. I remember though, it's how I felt it when I first picked up the wire. Now, the wire just flows for me. I love it. Will I get to that point with the metal working? I don't know. But I do know that before I can be good at it I'll have to let myself be a beginner and let myself make mistakes, and generally screw up a lot. That's how we learn.

Audrey Flack, in her book Art and Soul, relates a conversation with another artist where she admits she did bad art for a whole year when she picked up her watercolors again. She was an extremely skilled sculptor at this time and to be willing not only to put herself back to the beginning, but to go through the experience of "making bad art" for that long is such an inspiration to me.

So be a beginner again, let yourself make bad art, be gentle with your artist self as you learn and make mistakes; it could be the start of something wonderful.

Creative Block vs. Creative Avoidance

It might be spring fever but I'm having the hardest time concentrating and motivating myself lately. I feel a real resistance to creating anything. It's not creative block per se, but creative avoidance.

Creative Block is where I can't come up with an idea to save my soul, and I feel tapped. I don't want to work, I don't want to make stuff, and I do not want to think about creating at all. But I yearn for it. At some level I need it and I feel badly about it. As if it's something lost and I can't find it.

Creative Avoidance is something else. I usually feel this at some point in a big project. I'll fly through the envisioning phase and then hit the execution and WHAM! I hit a snag and the creative avoidance steps right in. Then I don't want to think, see, feel, or be around art of any kind. I don't want to see my supplies, I don't want to be reminded of my art and I certainly don't want to expend any of my energy in it's pursuit. Creative Avoidance makes me feel guilty. I know that if I sat down and tried even a little I could come up with some ideas but I DON'T WANT TO!! Thinking and being a creative person taps us sometimes and I know there are times where I just don't feel like I have anything left to expend.

One of my solutions for creative block is to get around my materials, and do something mundane. Like spray paint washers and make my little cork bases. Or clean out and organize my art room. Committing to spending some time in my sketchbook is good too. Getting out and looking or talking about art with some friends who understand is a fabulous tonic.

For Creative Avoidance I like to sit down with my journal and remind myself of my goals. I have short, mid, and long term goals for my art. I choose one and write about it. Then I make a list of things I can do now, things that won't sap my energy. Like doing some research on the web for ways to seal your pastel paintings on canvas. Degas did it and I tried steam from my teakettle and it worked kind of... I'll think of a list of things I've wanted to try, and pick one. Or I'll play like I did a few posts ago. It makes me feel good to accomplish something and sometimes that's all it takes for me to move out of this stage.

Just curious, but what do you do? Do you experience Creative Block or Creative Avoidance? How do you move out of it? I'd love to know!!!

WIP: Creating on the Road Again

This weekend we (my family) took a very long drive. We tripped over to visit my in-law's, and it's about a 7 hour drive from home. We did it on Friday and then back again on Sunday. I have learned through the years of these trips to use the time well. My husband and I chat about whatever we're thinking of for a while, and then fall silent, then chat again when something else comes to mind. It surprises me how many little things I think to tell him when we're together which don't normally get said throughout the day's busy-ness. I also brought along some fabric and stitching supplies and worked a bit as we traveled. The little quilt at left was something I began on our way home- just for the fun of playing. It feels now when I look at it that it has a message for me but I can't tell what. The look of it is similar to the other little quilts I've done several of this last year. It's not new, but there's something new about it and I can't tell what.

But maybe the message of it is something like this: Like the road we took on our trip, our art can seem well traveled sometimes. We don't always experience that thrill of excitement that comes with discovering something new. But if we continue to travel that road we'll make discoveries and it will be rewarding in a new way. As if we're finding out something new about an old friend- it delights us. I've been doing the wire and fabric art for over two years now. The longest trip artistically I've ever been on. Usually I flit all over the place from one medium to another. At times I miss the excitement of the doing something completely new all the time. But at other times, like this last trip, when I was able to sit and chat with my husband, and play at this new little quilt, I appreciate I'm able to just sit back and indulge in those small moments of discovery and connection. We're trained to fall in love with the brand new in our culture, but when we discover something new in the familiar there's a joy there too. By continuing on the path we're on, instead of trying everything and anything all the time, we make discoveries we would never have had the experience to reach if we had not continued on the road we were on.

Creating on the road again. What road are you currently on? What new paths have you discovered because you're continuing on a familiar path? What new discoveries? Just something to think about.....

Inspired Read:The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole

I accosted someone at the bookstore yesterday. I had run over to get a quick peak at Shona Cole's new book, The Artistic Mother. I fell in love with the projects, her voice throughout the book, and the wonderfully encouraging contributing artists. So when I noticed someone else standing there perusing some of the same books and we started chatting, I had to tell her all about Shona's amazing book. It's funny cause I am not a salesperson by nature, but when I find something worth feeling enthusiastic about I can't stop sharing it. It feels like such an amazing find.

I'm excited too because I've been anticipating Shona's book for some months now. Ever since North Lights Facebook staff starting posting links to her blog and teasing us with allusions to her book. It was so hard to wait. The absolute best part of it though is that the book is BETTER than I'd even imagined. The projects are new and unique, the techniques are all things I want to try, and the inspiration and encouragement is deep.

I was also completely delighted with the connection Shona illustrates between writing and art. Better still she shows how you might use your writing to inspire your art. I noticed that some of her projects had a functional component as well. We moms are busy and yet want to be surrounded with beauty and creativity and Shona features a handmade calender, to-do sheets, planning tips, and other motivational ideas in her projects. Love love love this book. Can't wait to snuggle in this weekend and read it thoroughly. I'm also very grateful to Shona for taking the time to share in book form her how-to experience on being both a Mom, and an Artist. Writing a book is amazingly time consuming and I'm in awe that this mother of five was able to do it and do it so well.

Definitely worth accosting someone with. :) For more on Shona, and her book check out her fabulously inspirational blog, An Artful Life, here. There is also an amazing sounding group starting up soon, that will be working through some of the projects in Shona's book. To find out more about this click on the link above. Now, off to do some art...

The Difference Between Wishes and Dreams

Last week as I was watching the Olympics, the newscaster was telling a quick little anecdote about one of the bobsled athletes that caught my attention. This 20 something athlete had first heard about the Olympics as a child, when her school had a staged a small Olympic program to celebrate the games that were happening that year. She says that her dream to be an Olympian started on that school platform. I wondered, how many other kids were there participating with her that might have had the same wish as she- to one day participate in the Olympic games? How many of children the world over have watched these last two weeks and in the watching formed their own Olympic dreams? Then it came to me, the difference between a wish and a dream.

Thousands of children may wish to participate someday. Hundreds may dream of it, but for some, a very few, the wish became a dream, and the dream became a goal. Why? Why do some of us have a passing wish to do or be something, and to others it becomes a dream? Why do we have the dreams we do? Last year, I read somewhere that our dreams and abilities are given to us by God. They are desires given to us and they can be seen by us as a clue to our purpose. I believe we all have a purpose, we were all given lives that can be fruitful, AND fulfilling. The trick for many of us is discovering that purpose. That's where prayer, and the desires of our hearts can be our clues.

When I was a child I wanted to be a lot of things. I wanted to be a doctor, a fashion designer, a poet and an artist. But as I grew, the one burning desire I couldn't put aside was the dream to be an artist. I knew how far fetched that was- but it got to the point I didn't care. It felt good and right to create. I knew it was a part of me that I needed to pay attention to, that God was directing me to. Right now I'm living the life of my dreams. It's easy to forget that as I'm trying to meet deadlines, or frustrated because I'm feeling overwhelmed, or scared to see that God is directing me to a cliff and telling me to jump.

I know, absolutely know that this is what I was created for. I don't know how it is part of God's plan, but I do know that to create, to be an artist satisfies that desire I've had my whole life. What dreams do you have that you just can't "grow out of"? What desire do you guard and hold on to? What whisperings do you hear? It's the dreams, not the wishes, that are God-given. That will tell you who you are and what you were made for- that reveal your purpose.

Be A River

Feb. 2010- I was paging through some older posts tonight and found this that I did early on and it really had me thinking about how pertinent these thoughts still are to me. So I thought I'd share it again and maybe it'll trigger some pondering in you as well. I'd love to have you share your thoughts on this. :)

If you could be anything in nature what would you be? Would you be a tree? A mountain? A small still pond? I was looking at some photos from our vacation last summer. It was a good reminder that spring will come. Looking at this photo of mountains and trees and the river I felt some renewal and a peace.

Then this afternoon I was flipping through old sketchbooks and found this teeny tiny little entry in one from college.It was titled River as Life. I guess it was a personal creed I was thinking about because it goes on..

Meander through life.

Surround yourself with nature.

Be a source of life for all that surrounds you.

Be constantly moving and changing- sometimes slowly, sometimes in a torrent.

Be a still small creek that yet carves its own way through mountains.

I would add to that to be patient when life moves so slowly and enjoy the almost stillness. You're gathering strength for the rapids to come.

Local Craftiness: The Studio at Rush Creek

Last Monday I walked into the place of my dreams. Seriously. I've dreamed of a place like this. Fortunately for me it actually exists and get this, is only about 10 minutes from where I live in Plymouth, MN. It's called The Studio at Rush Creek and is an art studio, boutique, AND makes a mean mocha. I was contacted by the Studio via Etsy last week and on Monday brought in some work to place on consignment there.

It's a fabulous place. I had a great time looking around and with that lovely coffee smell permeating the air I think I could sit and sip for hours- especially if I can create at the same time. I took a look at their class schedule and they offer all sorts of classes. Painting, jewelry making, an intro to encaustic, and lots of lovely sounding stained glass and glass fusing classes. Slumping glass is one of those projects I've been interested in trying for some time but haven't taken the time to search out an opportunity to learn. The price is right too with the average class taking two hours and costing only $24 plus supplies.

When we met we worked out a class which would introduce my wire and fabric techniques. Pretty exciting! I'll be teaching the techniques for sculpting wire birds and stitching fabric to wire to create a hanging wall display on Thursday, Feb .25th from 7-9 p.m. These are simple techniques and once you've you tried them I know you'll be hooked. The wire work satisfies that need we creative types have to "make stuff" with our hands. Stitching the fabric to the wire is repetitive and promotes a feeling of meditation. Similar to the feeling you get when knitting or embroidering. It's a wonderful craft to try with no experience necessary!

I've done some teaching in the past but this will be my first class teaching these techniques and I am so excited! I would love to have any of you that are local to join me! If you have any questions about the class, please contact me. To register, just click on the class schedule above. Happy Crafting!

Almost There!

Whoo-Hoo!! Thought I'd post an update and get back in touch with my blogging self. On New Year's Eve I hit "save" for my last chapter and today I sent in the first four chapters and the intro to my editor. The book is almost done and I can't believe it. The last few weeks have been all up hill as I did a balancing act that would do a Cirque du Soleil performer proud. Without giving you all the gory details I did want to mention that I have a new laptop that is not compatible with my camera and because we did an emergency eviction over Christmas while some repairs were made to our home I can't access my old computer files/art/camera stuff so until I get computer savvy I'll be limiting my time on blogger.

I'm also 1o days away from my manuscript deadline and while I have it half sent, until I can yell "DONE" I'm going to be a complete recluse. I can not wait to return to all of you and I have lots of plans to share. So have a wonderful wonderful few weeks!!!

Blank Beauties

So my funk lasted two days and I said ENOUGH and decided the best solution was laughing with my 4 year old and playing with my art. I enjoy them both so much and they do my soul so much good. The playing part came easy since I'm still obsessed by the possibilities for my new angel forms. I'm thinking gardening angel with seed packets collaged to the thread form around her middle, and I'm seeing "wings" everywhere I look. So I spent a little time and made up two more "blank canvases". They're the basic form but without the personalities yet. Although I couldn't resist adding a little heart to them both. And maybe I'll just keep one of these as is. Sometimes simple is good.

But I find it's more fun to embellish.

Monday's

It's funny how those "Monday" kinds of days so often fall on Monday. For whatever reason, today has been one of those kinds of days for me. It's been a struggle from the moment I woke up. I even went back to bed thinking that might salvage the day but, no. Still a Monday.

How do you deal with these days?

Actually, I feel like I need to clean house. I sort of let everything slide on the weekends thinking that Monday I'll clean it all up and start the week fresh. I've had that attitude toward my life lately too. I let it slide knowing that I have the book to finish. But it seems that if you let life slip just a little, before long it's a landslide and you're trying to figure out what to do with all the rubble.

I know what to do. I need to take care of myself. I need to give myself permission to cook some nice meals instead of just throwing everything together at 5 o'clock. I need to stock some yummy good for me eats in the cupboard instead of raiding the Halloween stash when I hit that 3 o'clock low. I need to get outside and soak up some Vitamin D and I need to exercise daily to keep my serotonin levels up.

I need to do a little self nurturing and spend some time with my husband by the fireplace and cultivate that comfy feeling. Instead of burning the candle at both ends. What is there about work that makes us think that we have to sacrifice everything else for it? I don't know. But I do know that if I take a little time to recharge I'll feel a lot better.

Maybe that's the lesson of Mondays.

The Cherry On Top

Sometimes in life we hope and pray for what we need and really don't expect anything more. Then it comes, not just what we'd asked for- but above and beyond. It's as if God is showing us how much more he could give. It's the cherry on top. Last week I had one of those experiences. Not only did the photo shoot go incredibly well but all week long I was excited for Friday night. Yes, that was the end of the week and I knew I'd be so glad to have it over, but I was also looking forward to celebrating with a friend. That was the Cherry on top.

So Friday night after the shoot was over, I was able to "meet" my friend Shelley for the first time. We've been e-mail friends for over a year now. We met on Etsy way back when I'd first started. She was one of my first customers and when I looked up her shop I had to convo her and tell her how WONDERFUL and truly AMAZING I thought her work was. I've convo'd many of my customers but somehow Shelley and I really hit it off. We're both artists and we're both Christians and I think that gave us a base to start from that really helped the relationship along. I now count her as one of my very best friends and so, when I found out that my publisher was in Cincinnati- as is Shelley- I suggested we get together at the end of the week. It was so fun to anticipate and all week long I told people about it. It was funny to see the caution that came to people's eyes when I told them I was going to meet a friend from the internet. It does sound like the beginning to some horror flick, but I was confident we'd have a blast. And it was so fun!!! Definitely the cherry on top for the whole wonderful experience.

And really, finding friends and kindred spirits has been the best thing about all of my adventures of the last year. Any of you who are artists know how special it is to find those kindred spirits. You know, the people who just get you and you don't have to explain yourself to, I count so many of you in that group. Strangers who leave comments and become friends. Some of you I know well, and some I've yet to get to know. I appreciate each and every one of you though- and want each of you to know that in this adventure, you're all the cherry on top for me. Thank you!

SPOOKY!!

We're starting to get into the season here and yesterday's shopping trip did nothing to curtail the urge I'm feeling to spookify my home. The first shop I walked into was brimming with cauldrons and witches and spooky spooky decor. LOVED IT! So I bought a few things and set them up while cooking dinner last night. I couldn't wait. Unfortunately that meant that my family did. We ate a little late. But when one feels the urge to decorate I say go for it! So I pulled out my bittersweet garland and played around with some crows I had purchased earlier. Very very fun.

Then this morning I woke up with plans for adding some written wire words (BOO!) and a spooky tree. I pulled out a tree form I'd started a while back and finished the wire work on that and let Jasper put his little cat and pumpkin knick knack under it. He's always afraid I'm going to sell the stuff he likes so he made sure to tell me that it was NOT for sale. Kind of cute. I'm thinking it needs some spider webs and maybe a noose. Or some bats and ghosts hanging from it 's branches. I also have some boo-tiful orange and black fabric that I'm thinking might look really cute stitched to the leaves. Although that might be over kill. Still I like the idea. I've also got some plans for a big wire spider's web with a scribble spider to hang in my foyer. Or maybe we'll make the spider's body of fimo. Ideas... ideas! A big moon would be fun as well.

And just to whet your appetite a little more... I want to introduce you to one of the most creative books I've stumbled on lately; Matthew Mead's Halloween Book. It's got one great idea after another and I just positively love them all. Party decorations, yummy spooky eats, stitched fabric moon quilts, and fabulous little needle felted pumpkins are just a few of the goodies in this must-have or at least must-look at book for the season. I love it! Oooh.. and in the next few days I'll try to post a few more scary ideas and I have a tutorial that's been requested as well. Lots and lots of fun you won't want to miss. And remember now...(insert spooky cackle here) YOU'Ve BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!

At the Lake...

We've been at the lake for the last few days. And July, I decided, really the best time to be here. Minnesota winters last a long long time and so many of our trips to the lake don't include any lake activities. But in JULY- we've done boat rides, Jasper's gone fishing and swimming and tonight we'll do a campfire. Very nice to be here. I'm also getting some work done, some writing done and some projects defined. Played with chicken wire this morning and will play with plaster this afternoon. What could be better?

Hope you are all finding the time to enjoy right now as well. Happy Summer!!!

Life Close Up

Close up everything looks different- Sometimes it looks big and overwhelming. Sometimes we see parts we never saw before. I had a spider crawling across my wall yesterday and before I could give it a good smack my son stopped me. "Wait Mom, I want to see it close up." Then he got as close as he possibly could (inches) and just looked. He counted it's legs, he tried to figure out where it's eyes and mouth was and really looked. I'm fine with the things outside but absolutely hate how many we have living inside with us. They look like mini tarantulas. So icky. I wouldn't have looked twice at it. But because he did I did too. It was kind of cool. I'm glad he stopped me from just reacting and made me appreciate the spider for just a minute. I still whacked it... but I did appreciate it before I did. Still doesn't sound good. Oh, well. Life.

My thought is that looking close is an important part of observation. Which can be a huge source of inspiration. I'm thinking in particular of Monet's water lilies. I was able to see the panels the MOMA has in New York several years ago. They were just beautiful and the result of his fascination with his subject matter. Monet himself referred to himself once not as a painter but an observer. Which puts other series of his, like his studies of light and haystacks into a sort of Leonardo da Vinci like recording of what he sees. What amazing art was the result of these two men's interest in observing nature- closely.

My self assignment in my sketchbook will be, I think, to observe something CLOSE UP and see how my observation of it will change with the change of perspective. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Some Thoughts on Motivation

Lately I've been shamefully neglecting my blogging goals. Which was basically to blog all the time. Have to say though that I blog when I'm creating and excited to share what I've been working on or I blog as a way to explore ideas through writing. Neither of which motivations have been happening the last week. I hit the deadlines I'd been working towards and kind of just stopped everything. I did that thing that we did in college after exams. You know push and push and push and then CRASH!!!

I would feel horribly guilty about it, knowing the next deadline IS just around the corner, BUT I think I needed the time to seperate. Get back to life a little and relate to the other people who live in my house (husband and son).

A couple nights ago I had a friend staying with me and we got to talking about goals. How important are they? Do they just set you up for feeling badly when you can't meet them? There are the specific goals- like blog 3-4 days a week. And there are the unspecific goals like treat my self well. Then there are the really big too far a way to be sure of goals like "take art classes in Italy and paint in Provence". These are great dreams but as goals.... Yeah I'd like to work towards them but I'm fonder of my more specific and immediate "to do" lists. They make me feel good. I'm rather shameless when I make them too. When I sit down in the morning at breakfast and make it I put down things like, "take a shower, make breakfast, write to do list..." Then I can cross some things off right away and I feel like I'm off to a great start.

Although I argued for setting some mid term goals as well. When I started to play around with the wire and fabric I set a few goals. My first was to let myself learn without constantly critiquing my work. Another was to submit to a magazine within the next year. One was permission to play and the other was a challenge to work towards. I completely committed to both. For maybe the first time in my life I was determined to try for something real. Hard to kid yourself with the "someday" I'll make a difference in my life when you have a concrete timed deadline you've set for yourself. Hopefully, this makes sense to you all. I admit I'm trying to work through my thoughts on all of this myself. I've been trying to identify what was different about this time. I've tried things before but never gotten as far as this. Usually I'm a get excited and try, hit resistance, fear failure, and retreat sort of girl. But something has changed. Maybe it's a sense that the impossible is possible. Maybe it's a willingness to be gentle with myself. Maybe it's my newly found sense of discipline. I don't know. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks!

Making Our Footprint

Today I footpainted with my son. We started out with brushes and everything but he'd only made a couple of brushstokes before he was sticking his finger in the watercolors. Soon he wanted to make his handprint and since that was great... he figured why not a footprint too?

This is the kid I thought didn't like art. Which of course was an arrow straight to my bosom.

The incident made me think about art and again, why do we make it? Do we make it to be pretty? Do we make it to make a statement? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I think a lot of artists (maybe you) do create to express themselves but often it's the hook that gets us. "What happens if....", "What if I did...", "When you mix_and _ you get..." I saw it today in my son's eyes and heard it in his voice. He REALLY just wanted to know.

There are a lot of reasons I create. But the wanting to know- it's a big one.

Some Tips for Submitting to a Magazine

Next week is the deadline for two magazines I absolutely love. One is Sew Somerset and I have been completely fortunate that they have included my work in their last 2 issues. My goal was to make it into three in a row. I thought that would fix my wire and fabric work in the minds of the subscribers better than appearing every once in a while. The second magazine is also by Stampington and actually just premiered this June. It's titled Art Quilting Studio. I loved the clean professional looking layout of this magazine. Rather than incorporating any sewn pieces it concentrates on the world of art quilting so it seems to have a more cohesive feel than the first. Sew Somerset is still my personal fave though, just because the projects are all over the place and I LOVE all over the place.

So these two deadlines are then next two goals I'd like to hit. They're on my mind so I thought I'd share my thoughts on submitting.

1-Find the magazine that best fits your work and style. Scope it out and try to get a feeling for the projects they like. For instance, I put more mixed media into the projects I submit for Sew Somerset just because their reader base seems focused on that. So when I created the "believe" mini quilt I added part of an old carpenter's ruler. It pulled the entire piece together and if I hadn't been searching for that little added "something" I might not have thought to include it.
Basically, KNOW THEIR AUDIENCE.

2- Go for Broke! Include an article proposal. It felt completely audacious submitting an article proposal with my first group of work but I figured it was worth it if it put my work in the feature section vs. gallery. Although I would've been thrilled just to have it accepted into the gallery. Published is published! I googled magazine proposals to find the format I should follow. As for topic- did you create a new technique or mix media in a unique way. Is there an interesting story behind the creation of these pieces? Artists love to know what inspires others so telling a little about what inspired you is a great addition to the proposal/article. It also helps if you have 2 or more pieces to illustrate your article idea.

3- See a Need and Fill it. Sew Somerset seems to get less submissions for their wearable art section than the others. You might have a better chance of getting accepted if you tried focusing on a section like that. Could you adapt your work to a wearable format-plus you could be discovering a whole new direction in which to take your work! Fun!

4-Be Different. Don't worry if your work is a little offbeat or a stretch for the magazine. It should fit the general theme per Tip #1 but it's great if it's a little off. The editors could be looking for something a little different to help them expand their look. No one was doing wire and fabric sculptures when I submitted them. I figured they did use sewing techniques so although it might be a stretch that might also be appealing. You never know!

A Question for us all-

Over at Singlestone Studios blog, Shelley asked the question- "What keeps you going?" I thought it was an interesting question about motivation. What keeps you going? Is it the next idea? The latest new product or material you can't wait to try? Is it your goals? For me it's all of the above. But more than anything it's the desire to be whole. There were dark years where I didn't have the energy or motivation to create. Although my mother nagged me to death about it- I just couldn't do it. She saw what I knew too- I was an artist and to be an artist- not creating art- it's miserable. I felt drained and unhappy all the time.

If you look at it one way- it's that darkness that now propels me. I don't want to go there again and so I do the opposite of everything I did then. If I have an idea now I don't stop to see if it'll go anywhere. I think about it, but don't obsess completely. I follow it and find out. Sometimes it's a dead end but more often then not it's a path that continues on. I play a lot more. I don't worry about making "serious" art any more. I create from a joy within myself instead of a horror toward myself. I'm self encouraging instead of condemning.

Lately I've heard people make a few comments about my work I thought was interesting. A couple of people referred to how joy-filled it can be. Another mentioned it was "uncensored". I'm not sure what I think of that. I honestly don't think too hard about what my work portrays to others. I make it because making it makes me happy. I also have a deep sense of being grateful. I am now able to be the person I was created by God to be. It makes me just really really glad to be doing what I do. But I'm curious- what makes you go on? What keeps you busy and creating? It might be something worth thinking about!