It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these mosaics from my flickr favorites. Flickr fav.s are definitely one of my favorite features in one of the Internets largest image sharing sites.
Ever struggle with recognizing what your own creative style is? I like to think a glimpse of that style might be revealed by looking at your flickr favorites. Flickr favorites are the images that catch your eye, photographs that steal your heart and pieces of artwork that you wish you had thought of first. By looking at your favorites you might start to recognize similarities across the collection, certain colors, textures, techniques or subject matters that are often repeated. I find it fascinating that by looking at other people’s images, you might start to learn more about yourself.
If you have flickr and haven’t utilized the “Favorites” option, I encourage you to click that little star over those pictures that catch your eye while browsing the site. If you don’t have flickr, try filling a notebook or journal with magazine images. You just might start to see a larger picture.
Tonight was my first community ed. ceramics class. The teacher, Michelle, said one thing that I want to remember and share here. She said there are three parts to ceramics, the wheel, your body, and the clay. She likened the clay to a rock. It seems like a rock is so hard you could never manipulate it, but if you use the wheel and your body properly the rock will always be the one that gives. You are happening to the clay, not the other way around. I think it is something that can apply to many parts of your life. If you remember that you are the one in control of your obstacles and you use that confidence, everything else will bend to make way.
I forgot to take pictures before the class wrapped up, so I am using the above picture by http://www.flickr.com/photos/macbeck/ through creative commons on flickr.
I’ve added one more reproduction print to my shop. This piece was another from my August challenge that sold very quickly. It was based on a blurry photograph I took of a street scene. After posting the original back in August I immediately received messages from a small handful of people who wanted to buy it but were disappointed to find it already snatched up. Here is another chance to make it yours for only $9.
For weeks I have barely passed the threshold to my art studio. Honestly, it’s a mess and instead of facing the monster I would dash in, grab materials I needed and work in my bedroom or living room. Finally this weekend my desire to use my spinning wheel grew larger than the power that laziness has over me. Once I got into the groove of the pedal and fiber, inspiration took over. I wanted to make more. I found myself cleaning off my drawing table which had been mounded with a foot high’s worth of materials. I wanted to paint, I want to draw, I want to create new paper spiral pendants, I want to knit mittens, I want to assemble envelope sets, I want to create found art pieces, I wanted to break out my sewing machine, put together more recycled bubble mailers and create the coloring book extra I mentioned a post or two ago. It goes without saying a simple action has refueled my creativity.
Last week I signed up for a local community education wheel throwing ceramics class with a bunch of friends. It starts this week, meets for 5 sessions, and the teacher is great and is allowing us to come in on our own time outside of class and work. I’ve been thinking of all sorts of ideas. I have so many areas of interest and have the idea of incorporating some of my handspun into some porcelain pieces. It’s been a while since I’ve done wheel throwing so we will see if any of my designs make it to fruition.
This morning I woke up from a funny dream. My best friend and I were back in second grade. We didn’t have the same teacher back then, but neither did we in the dream, so she went to the classroom next door, like it was then. It was funny to me because of that saying “If only I knew then what I know now”, well it was like that. Let’s just say I totally ruled at second grade! The grammar lesson was a jamoke, and then this girl from second grade was telling me about how she wanted her own website, and I was all “been there, done that”. I’d be a second grader with an attitude if I knew then what I know now, lol.
In my last post, I shared a letter I received from someone who purchased one of my Artomat paintings. This week I have received a couple emails regarding Artomat. One was from someone wanting some tips on submitting and the other was this AWESOME picture from Marisa who purchased this painting from a machine at her school. I asked her if it was okay to share it on my blog because it’s my first picture from an Artomat customer and I was so psyched. Holla Marisa! How cute is she? With all the Artomat messages lately I think the world is trying to tell me it’s time to start my next series.
I just listed another reproduction print in my shop this morning. It’s from the photographs I took a couple years ago of snow falling through the tree branches. The thing that’s so cool about this piece is how it looks like a drawing or painting, but it’s actually an unaltered photograph.
This morning I had a great idea to create a “coloring book” style booklet to add to orders as an extra goodie. I’m excited to start working on this project.
Lastly, are you in need of some umph? Listen here.
I stole this “20 things” post from Ms. Kara and I changed the last question. Feel free to play along and let me know if you do.
1. Show us the inside of something cute-
Inside bishop’s mouth. It took me three days to get this blurry mess, but here it is - inside something cute.
2. What’s the last home cooking you had?
I made chicken and dumplings in the crock pot. I just throw in chicken broth, chicken, plenty of veggies (carrots, potato, broccoli, celery, onion) and let it cook on high till it boils, then drop in dollops of dumpling dough (I just use bisquick), cook another 10 minutes or so until they rise and poof up. Voila!
3. What do you miss?
I was actually thinking the other day about the kids in the nursery (from my old weekend job) and how I miss having little kids in my life. As I was telling Rosa the other day, they see you and come running with open arms. Fortunately, my brother and sister-in-law, Dacia are expecting and I can’t wait to be an Aunt. I’m going to be “Uncle Art”, my sister is “Uncle Moneybags”, lol. Kids are fun. Kids that belong to other people, even better, lol.
4. What makes you laugh?
5. What’s your favorite word?
hmmm, not sure if I have a favorite word but “Duh” definitely has a place in my daily vocabulary. It could be worse, I could be saying “Big Duh!”
6. What are you trying to quit?
Laziness. I want it cut from my life.
7. What’s your favorite commercial right now? Jack LaLanne’s juicer. I want to be a juicer.
9. Link to a great blog you’ve discovered lately… nosideup
10. What’s the last craft you made?
11. A photo of the last happy mail you got :]
This is hands down the coolest mail I have received lately. It’s a letter from someone who purchased a painting of mine through an Artomat machine. She wrote me back in my own super secret code. How cool is that?
12. Something you’ve gotten lately?
a new flat panel monitor (my first!) and a new webcam in which to skype!
13. What are you looking forward to?
14. Post a recent snapshot of yourself.
This is the last snap shot I have of myself from a couple weeks ago.
Our friends Tom and Nikki (on the right) invited us (me and matt on the left) to NIU’s homecoming game.
15. Recent Favorite Movie?
I can’t think of a recent favorite (something I liked enough to buy and watch over and over) but I did go see “Where the Wild Things Are” yesterday and I liked it very much. I felt it really captured certain feelings from childhood. Now I want to build forts and dress up in a monster costume.
17. If a movie were made about you, who would play you?
I would of course. It would be a documentary. I asked matt who he thinks would play me in a movie and he said Drew Barrymore. He only said that because he knows I like her AND because he’s obsessed with trying to convince me she has a crooked smile.
18. What gives you goosebumps?
Yawning.
19. Share a new obsession.
3 weeks ago would have been crocheting big scarves, then two weeks ago it would have been playing bejeweled blitz and farmville on facebook, then a week ago it would have been knitting meathead hats but now I am obsession-free and feeling kind of lost. I thrive on obsessions and I currently find myself without one. What will it be next, what will it be?
20. Something that made you happy recently.
My sister and I went to see Rhett Miller on Friday night. Something that makes me happy is this arm move he does here. Sorry the picture is bad and the sound is atrocious. He’s singing Barrier Reef.
This weekend I stayed in, kept cozy and kept busy. I put up insulation plastic on the windows to keep us warm. I also caught up on washing and folding/hanging laundry, which is no small feat when you live with a man who instead of doing the laundry ever, just goes out and buys an entirely new wardrobe. One time I counted the pairs of jeans of his I found that needed laundering and it was over a dozen! Me, well, I’m a girl so I have plenty of clothes (that’s a given) but I only wear my favorite few outfits over and over and over again, so my part of the laundry can usually be done in one big load. At any rate, it feels so nice to have all of our clothes folded or hanging up, instead of grabbing clothes from clean hampers or directly out of the dryer. Now the task is to stay that way, but that’s always the hardest part isn’t it?
Between loads I found time to knit these two hats this weekend. They are based on the Meathead pattern. I say based because if I follow the pattern for large, it still comes out child sized. Maybe it was designed to be a child’s hat? Funny thing is when I decided to knit one last weekend I whipped it up from the pattern in no time, but it was obviously too small. I grabbed the hat I made when I bought the pattern a couple years ago and I had made it completely different from the pattern. Which means that I had probaby made one and it was too small so I adjusted the pattern to re-make it. I love when I do things like that. Some might see it as making the same mistake twice, but I just see it as a sample that I really am who I am. “Look, I did this before, and now I’ll do it again, lol.” I love the shape of the hat, but had to alter the pattern so much that I really only borrowed the same ribbing for the bottom and reduced in the same style at the top to give it the acorn top shape. It’s not a hat for everyone, but it’s quirky and that fits me just fine.
I’m glad that so many people have gotten excited about the fontcapture site. I twittered about it and it got “retweeted” a handful of times. Rosa and Bri have already created their own fonts and Rosa is actually asking others to trade fonts with her. Colliebox on twitter suggested the creative idea that you don’t need to just stick to your handwriting, but you could use pictures like a dingbats/wingdings type font. How fun is that? Or just think of all the creative fonts you could create. I remember back in college my friend Jenny created a “left handed font” for design school and that completely blew my mind. The font I created for $15 through another site years ago and was so disappointed with was made with my block lettering that I use often in my artwork. I think I will redo that font with fontcapture. Please let me know if you’ve created your own font, I’d love to see it in action. I could have used it for my super secret code for my last Artomat series.
I’ve also added another reproduction print to my shop. It’s the Tree Stump piece from my August daily project. I loved this piece so much! After it sat in my shop for a week or two I started growing attached. I figured after the month was over I was going to remove it from the shop and keep it for myself. I don’t often get attached to my own pieces, so when it did eventually sell before the month was over I knew immediately I had to get prints done. What is it with tree stumps anyway? I love them, in a whimsical fairytale sort of way.
Speaking of woodland creatures, I found the awesome-ist creative halloween costume on craftster yesterday. It’s a gnome riding a snail. How cute.
My computer crashed for the second time in about a week. Fortunately I have a laptop too. Maybe the world is telling me to work on No. 11 on my list of things to do in 2009 (turn off my computer for an entire week).
I’ve listed the above photograph reproduction to my Etsy store. It’s a picture I took with my digital camera probably a year ago. It’s on Crego Road, if you live around me and wondered. I love it because of the tall wild prairie grass in the foreground. Did I mention that all reproductions are only $9.
Check out this video by Jen Gray. I think you’ll like it. Maybe you’ve seen this video before, then you’ll probably enjoy watching it again!
Ciao!
I’ve been adding some things to my Etsy shop, including these paper wrapped spiral pendants. They were kind of a hit in my shop before, so I’ve made a bunch more. I also do custom pieces, so if there is a specific color scheme you would like, let me know and I will create it for you, no extra charge.
I also have all the new reproduction pieces ready to add to my shop. I’ve already added the one above, but keep an eye out for more through the rest of the week.
I have just a few more quick links I’d like to share of things I’ve gathered from the internet lately.
I have been waiting for this pattern from my friends Kelly and Jenny. Together they designed the most comfy sweater ever. And with the temp.s dropping lately we all could use a little coziness. Check it out!
I’ve been listening to artist Haley Bonar. I think she came up on my pandora and I was drawn to the adorable picture on her album so I just had to find out more about her and her music. I read her genre was Alt Country (which I love) but I would say she sounds an awful lot like Tegan and Sarah, so if you like them, you might dig her music.
Speaking of Tegan and Sara, Sheasy blipped this video a week or so ago and I’ve been listening to it tons.
I found this flickr group pool devoted to etsy packaging! Gotta love great packaging. I know I’ve kept some beautiful envelopes that I’ve received over the years. How about you?
A couple of weeks ago my altered art shoes were featured in an article on AOL about creative uses for chalkboard paint, on ShelterPop. Check out the article here, I was so excited about the last feature which had an entire car covered in chalkboard paint. I want that car!
I haven’t blogged for over over a week! And it’s not for lack of anything to say. I’ve caught an extreme case of the lazies. Fortunately I think it has passed.
This last weekend my sisters and I had a craft booth at a local church festival. I brought my Framed Yo-Yo Sets, reproduction prints, and button sets, Chris had greeting card sets and Dacia makes rosaries. It was two days and even though it was predicted to be a rainy, stormy weekend, it turned out quite pleasant. The second day was extremely windy and our tent (even though it was anchored down) tried to take flight on several occasions so we finally just took it down.
I finally did another “What I Wore Today” illustration, seen above. It’s actually from a few days ago. I felt pretty rockin’ that day.
On my birthday I got a wonderful email from a woman (hey, Stacy) who had purchased one of my mini paintings from an Artomat machine. I was very excited because I had not yet heard from anyone who had bought a piece. For my last series I received several kind emails. This time around I had included a “super secret message” which I thought would draw people to my site with the lure of sumthin’ special. Instead I didn’t hear from anyone. Then I get the message from Stacy and we emailed back and forth. During the conversation she asked me if I had a correct link, because the address I included on the booklet took her to an error page. As it turns out I idiotically included the wrong address on the booklets that went out with each painting (even though I double and triple checked). Seems I posted the address with a 2008, rather than 2009 in it, since it was January and we all know how long it take to get used to using the new year. This explains a lot. Now I can tell myself that each and ever person who purchased one of my paintings tried to contact me back. Yep, I think that’s exactly what happened :D
Last Friday I had the most wonderful thing happen. I was out running errands to prepare for the craft show the next day and when I got home I found I had a sale in my etsy shop. I opened up the email to see they bought 3 items, so I continued to scroll down the email and I see a 4th item, and then a 5th AND THEN A 6th ITEM! One person had purchased 6 items from my shop! At first I thought it must have been a mistake. As it turns out Cassandra (holla!) had seen my shop before, but had lost the address. Flash forward some time and she is getting married. She is shopping on Etsy for a garter and happens across my shop again. My “you are my favorite” piece spoke to her, as it was something she and her fiancé said to each other often. She purchased that piece as an addition to the grooms gift and bought the other pieces for herself as well as bridesmaid gifts. How cool is that? I felt so honored to be involved in her wedding, even if only in my small way.
So, it’s now Friday again and I’m ready to get productive. I have a to-do list ready to go! I hope you have a productive Friday as well :D
