All things artsy.
At the beginning of the New Year, I began my search for a word. Something to focus on for my life and purpose. I was drawing a blank. This was unusual for me. Then it came to me. My focus would be on my line of chickens! This year I was going to draw 500 of them. Why 500? Why not. By the time I finish, I am sure I will find a place for them. I’m already up to 109 and having a jolly good time of it.
I’m still honing my book, The 12 Days of Christmas.
Stay tuned!
To remain creative, sometimes an artist needs to step away from the project they are working on and do something completely different. That is what I did in December.
Felt, embroidery floss, needle and thread, trim, beads, ribbon and stuffing. What fun! I’m already wondering what to try next on these cold wintery nights.
How many times can a person start over? Every day if you are human. As an artist, I find that every day there is fresh inspiration right in front of me. Color combinations, characters I meet on my walks, weather that surrounds me, friends I visit with, books I read, movies I watch and on and on.
The world is a fascinating place to live in. Even in our seclusion we can find joy. I am not about to stop singing or dancing out in the great outdoors. The fresh air fills my soul and I can go back to the studio and begin again.
In my seclusion I am finding new purpose. I am reaching out to people with encouraging cards I create just for the recipients. My imagination is taking off and heading in new directions.
Just like my little character named, “Peepsqueak” always says when we sign books, “All things are possible!!”
Oh what fun it is to sit and sketch. I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, even if it’s only for me. When you were born to create, nothing else satisfies. In the old days, artists were reveered. They were sometimes supported financially so that they might go on creating. What a leap we have made to this century where artists are often misunderstood to be lazy and dreamy-eyed. Who would not be dreamy-eyed with all the ideas we have rolling through our heads!
All of that to say, if someone wants to support me while I sketch, step on up to the plate! Haha! back to.sketching!
via PicsArt Photo Studio
There is so much involved in designing. One must be up on the trends for color and pattern and more. I always have my eyes open to finding things I love to look at!
Here are the Pantone color trends for 2013.
http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=21005&ca=4
I had to take a close look at them. . . some of them bore me unless they are paired with an “eye-catching” color. Color is so amazing! It can make your day! It can bring a smile to your face, and warm your heart. It can also bring you down. Why else do people get depressed when they experience too many gray rainy days? All that because of color? Yes! Think of the feeling you get when you take a walk and come upon a beautiful scene. Do you ever “OOOOoooh and Aaaaaahhhh?” Do colors grab you?
Colors can calm the soul. One of my favorite movies is Miss Potter. I like her spunk, I LOVE that she talks to her cartoons, and I also love the scenes of her beautiful English countryside. The colors speak peace and tranquility.
One might want calm and peaceful and serene colors for the baby nursery. So why did I decorate my first child’s nursery in bright sunshine yellow with brown and Kelly Green accents? ha! Because I crave bold colors! All I could think of was that my baby would wake up and want to be inspired by what she saw. The room had to be warm and happy and that it was!!
As the room progressed to fit two more daughters into it, we moved to pinks and browns. I loved it, but the girls were not really drawn to it. Interesting.
In my house, you will find that colors change often. If I could, I would paint my house every year! My husband jokes about our bathroom being smaller because of the many times I have painted it! I am thinking of a new color as I type!!! I am leaning towards a beautiful blue with just the right amount of purple in it! Baby blue is okay, but I always want something with a little PUNCH in it! I like to walk into a room and hear my heart sing! La la! Wall colors can be muted but if that is the case, in my house, the paintings must sing! Oh how I love a noisy house filled with color.
So what am I to do? Follow the trends? Or start my own trends? Am I brave? These are the questions every designer must face. I always lean towards being a renegade trend setter! ha!
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