Oiseaux

You do

Courage

Courage is an interesting thing, isn't it? When I first hear the word, I think: "fortitude in the face of danger". But to me courage is a quiet, inside spark.

I made this piece for Vicki Sheehan, winner of my custom collage giveaway through Sofia Barão's Creative Ones series. Vicki had asked that her collage theme be "courage" because she's trying to find courage in her own creative journey. I can completely identify with that: just two years ago I was stuck in a creative hole that I'd been in forever. If anyone had asked me for a quality I wished for, it would have been courage!

So I guess this collage is for me, too.

This piece measures 7 x 10 inches, and the yellow string extends off the top a few inches so Vicki can frame it with or without the extra string. (I am such a fan of strings hanging off of things, I couldn't cut it off.) One of my favorite parts of this collage is the tiny plane taking off on the yellow runway at the bottom. It's the last thing you notice, but it gives the collage a happy, "go for it" feeling.

Vicki, I hope you like it! And all the *creative courage* in the world to you.

Pure abandon

Creative Ones ~ Giveaway

French artist Sofia Barão has started a wonderful tradition this summer: Creative Ones. Each week she interviews artists, asks about their top 10 loves, and hosts a giveaway. I've been reading her blog for several years now.. it is always an inspiration.. and I think her Creative Ones series is so, so great. What makes an artist tick is very interesting to me, and I love to see what inspires people's lives.

And, who can resist a giveaway? I was lucky enough to win a necklace by Miranda Van Dijk a few weeks ago, and it's now on the way to me from the Netherlands. Yay!

This week I am lucky enough to be Sofia's Creative One. Click here to see my top 10 loves and to enter to win the Creative Ones giveaway:

*A custom collage made by me* 

Give me a theme, a word, a color, and I'll make you an original piece of art and send it happily on its way to you. I'm very excited about this. I love making things for people. So please enter!

Where I do some of my work

I took this photo for my interview at Jess Gonacha's blog Pecannoot, and thought I'd share it here, too. I snapped the picture after tidying up quite a bit... it's currently messy again with piles of paper and bits of things. 

The framed picture off to the far left is a pastel still life that my mother did in highschool(!) and you can see my poor Mac screen is suffering from a cobweb of scratches my daughter made with my wacom pen.

Here's a list of my petite art collection: Julie Avisar, Amanda Hawkins, Sofia Barão, Clare Bowers, Hadley Hutton, Lisa Congdon, Sue Hadden, Michelle C. Moode... plus a few art postcards. My art table is a total disaster right now or I'd include a picture of it, too.

Thank you

I have a lot to be thankful for lately. I mean, I always do, but I've been getting some lovely nods and votes of confidence from folks lately, and I'd like to say thank you.

First of all, I've recently had one of my items on the front page of etsy! This is the first time I've ever made it to the front page, and I was totally thrilled. Thank you, valleybelow, for choosing my bookplates. What a gorgeous treasury, no? I was tempted to buy everything listed. Check out the gorgeous necklace in the middle by florabond.

Secondly, thank you to Cassandra of The Plasticity of Happiness for a delightful (and indepth) review of my collage, From Me to You. Each week Cassandra chooses a piece of art from etsy, a song, an artist, and then a random "surprise" for her readers. Cassandra must have been an art history major or is currently an art critic, because she explains artwork in a way I've never experienced! Her blog is not to be missed.

And thirdly, thank you to Angela of Twofab for posting my work on her wonderful blog. San Francisco-based Angela shares the blog with Los Angeles-based Kelly, and each post reads like letters between the two friends. They both post about what interests and inspires them, and it's a great read with lots of beautiful photos. Plus, they refer to each other as Wally and Dunkle. Love that.

If You Don't Know What to Do, Ask the Sun for Advice

Pecannoot

Here are two pieces I just finished for Jess Gonacha's new blog, Pecannoot. The subtitle for her blog is: "Make Everyday Abundant", and it's such a wonderful place to visit, filled with happy and affirming thoughts. Go visit, I promise you will leave with a smile on your face!

I've been thinking a lot lately about abundance, and about the goals that I have for myself, and how easy it is to get wrapped up in the fear and unknown of a crazy economy. When I sat down to make some art for Pecannoot, what popped into my mind was the natural world: how there isn't any fear or striving at all in nature, there is just having and being. And that's where the above ideas came from. 

I feel soothed looking at these two pieces because it reminds me that we are all part flower and part bird, and we are so lucky... because we have everything. 

Press!

I just received this in the mail from the wonderful Suzanne at Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine: the October/November issue, featuring a little bookplate from yours truly!

I was thrilled to see that my Night Owl bookplate made it to the contents page (above) and also on the Noteworthy page (below)

I was happy to see several of my favorite etsy-ians on the page as well.

I've been working all day on bookplate orders, and I have about 2+ hours of cutting to do before I can get them off in the mail. I've been listing new items late at night lately, and because of the time difference, have been getting orders from the UK, Australia, and Taiwan. So anyone out there with an etsy shop, try listing late at night and see what happens!

also

last night I stumbled upon the most lovely, inspirational piece of writing about being an artist. I promise you'll want to print it out and hang it up where you can see it.

Design Work Life

Courtney of Design Work Life was wonderful enough to write about my work on her blog several weeks back. I'm so glad I found the blog, it's an inspiring place to visit, full of patterns, great art and design. -And thanks, Courney!