The bumpy, lumpy, windy path of the creative journey

      It has been one of those mornings...no one of those weeks. Self pity, woe is me, a bit of hopelessness. Tears, anger, frustrations. Reading scripture, crying my eyes out, feeling alone, reading more, feeling hope, KNOWING that this shall pass and sunshine will find its way out of the clouds but the lump never really leaving the chest and the eyes never really totally drying.
      I am feeling abit overwhelmed lately. I always felt like I was on the right path and that path would stay fairly straight because basically I always did the right things. Little did I know that when I lost my job a year ago would I be put on this most creative bumpy, lumpy, windy path with such a vague map to follow. Now I'm pretty spiritually minded, but am not one of those people who seem to effortlessly hear God's voice and follow the map that was designed just for them. When I found myself jobless I felt the door closing but I did feel another opening and still do. I found myself praying heavily some days asking for concise direction and I would not by coincidence find an email with an order or an email from a woman who admired my work and needed encouragement to find her creative side, or an accepted submission for a magazine on the very same day. Ok God, I KNOW I'm supposed to be traveling this creative road but the time has come where I need to find a job and make some money. It's not like I'm asking for a job with a lot of money attached, I'm not. I'm not asking for an important job telling people what to do all day. I'm not! Just something to help pay the bills, feed the tummies and maybe even keep the house!

I could also use a bit more help on the creative road that I was put upon last year. Just a little insight on how to create a bit more income there. Afterall the more I can do on my own, the less I have to depend on others.
Ok my pitty party is over and done with for the rest of the day.  I will not even go back to the job sites again today. I think I will paint instead!

French Knots and Ric-rack

Ric-rack. There's something about it that evokes wonderful childhood memories. Cards of it made their home in my mothers sewing box. It was found on her aprons, embroidered guest towels and pillowcases. Yes, along with those memories come smells...homemade cookiies, lavender soaps, you get the idea. So out came the ric-rack when I decided to do some embroidery projects. I have always loved the simple process of hand embroidery. I was taught one very hot summer when I was about 10, when i was oh so bored. My mother brought out all of her supplies from when she was younger and taught me this lost art. That summer I made many tea towels and pillowcases from the most delightful vintage patterns from her stash. At the time they were so old-fashioned...bumble bees hanging up laundry with  a saying "Be clean". You can imagine how corny that was in the day of flower power and peace signs! Of course after learning the process I went on to create my own designs to decorate my jeans and peasant shirts.
I have so wanted to pick up the hoop and needle again and thought my dress designs would be adorable on these towels. How I love french knots. They seem to add the most feminine touch to any design. And of course the absolute finale touch had to be my beloved ric-rack! I think these may have to become kits on Etsy in coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Oh and by the way, my original tea towels from many years ago are now gracing my kitchen a good 60 years after my mother bought these patterns at Woolworths for 25 cents. How lucky is that?

Plates are not just for food

I seem to have a thing for plates lately. I used to do a lot of mosaic work where I would use broken dishes in my pieces. I have a huge collection of plates from those days and decided to hang some on a very large boring stair wall. I love the way it turned out and oh, the color! My next project will be incorporating some into the garden. Maybe a parade of colorful plates bordering a flower bed? We'll see.
My son gave me 12 bisque plates for Christmas and I finally finished painting them all. The thing I love about painting ceramics is you never know how it will turn out. Because the colors you paint with aren't even close to being true, it's a total guess  on the outcome. I love the anticipation of waiting for the firing to be done. I now have 12 pretty little dessert size plates. Can you just see a cute cupcake or a piece of cheesecake drizzled with pink berry sauce served on these little cuties?

3 Followers...Yay!

The roses are in full bloom now and the backyard is the most beautiful place to sit and write while I have my morning coffee. I prefer the process of writing in longhand as opposed to sitting at the computer. It's easier for me to compose my thoughts in such an inspiring setting. I will usually sit at the computer late at night to put my final words in whatever I am working on at the moment.

My biggest roadblock to this whole artist thing has always been and continues to be networking. I work on it everyday whether it's adding friends to fb, commenting on a blog (thank you Juliette) or messaging someone I don't know about their art. It's all about the baby steps. Since my endeavor into the art world 2 years ago, I have made great strides and will continue to conquer the networking thing. I am greatful to all of the artists out there who are so supportive and helpful to me.

Oh...and I have 3 followers now! How exciting is this? See, it's all in the baby steps! You 3 are my first steps...thank you ladies!

Mother's Day Brunch

My kids took me out for brunch on Mother's Day. It turned into a big fiasco, receiving some of the worst service I've ever had in a restaurant. I felt so bad that they paid so much of their hard earned money for it. We made the best of it though, because after all we were together. As we sat waiting I couldn't help notice the pretty "older" ladies with their pretty hats and their Sunday best on. They made me smile in a not so great situation. I think more women should wear hats. Gloves too. I think the world would be a prettier place to live in.
Couldn't help but be inspired by women like that. I came home and after a nap started this collage. I love the way it came out!

Have a Little Faith

As I continue to write this blog, I realize I must have a little faith.
I was in a scrapbook store last week called Scrapbook Island in San Jose. I had never been there and saw (and bought) so many papers I had not seen yet. The colors are gorgeous and prompted this little collage.
The message is to myself as I embark on the next phase of my book...Collage Couture, by Northlight books, due out May 2011, new workshops this summer and coming up with new ideas with my art. I've been in a bit of a slump lately and the colors of all these papers sort of woke me up last weekend. I ended up making three new collages using this color scheme. They all look like sisters so I shall call them the Tree Sisters series. I continue to be insspired with these colors as I work on some vintage embroidery pieces to be made into kits eventually.

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Well, I have been told by many that I must start a blog and I know it's true I need to. But I keep telling myself why should I? Who really cares what I have to say or what I am doing? Then I realize how many blogs I love to read every day. I think creative souls do care.

In this world of art and publishing it is very important to blog. I have always believed that us creative types must be there to support and inspire one another and this is obviously the best way to do that. It does feel a bit strange tho.

I have no idea where this blog will take me. I really have no idea if it will remain just about art or if it will go in a more personal direction. We will just have to see.

I suppose I should tell you a bit about myself. I have been drawing fashion since I was 8. I am not particularly girly, I am more of a jeans and tee shirt kind of girl but but I love drawing girly feminine and sometimes glamourous fashion illustrations. Two years ago I took my love for paper, fashion and mosaics and put it all together into my fashion collages. I really liked the way they turned out so I wrote an article and submitted it to Somerset Studios magazine. It was published and from that point on I keep submitting and to my delight they keep accepting.