Week Four - Create Art....

Wow, create art. Am I an artist?  That took some time to think. When I think artist, I think paintings, sculptures, and such. But I am not any of these.

At Dictionary. com, Art is defined as:

art

noun

1.

the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

2.

the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection.  See fine art, commercial art.

3.

a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art.

4.

the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and architecture.

5.

any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art;industrial art.

 Where do I fit into that???  I think I will choose number 1.  To me any art is an expression of someones thoughts. Those of us who make jewelry "create art". Using clay, wood, stones, glass and more are our art medias. We use them to create. We step out of our boxes, try something new, embrace new techniques...

So to me, we are ALL artist. Even if you sew, crochet, knit, needlework, paint, design.......you are an artist. You have create something for all to see.

So now I'll step off my box and show you something I "created" for a challenge. I had had the pieces sitting on my work space for quite a while and wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. But then...the pieces began to speak to me.....I had an image in my mind, and just started putting the pieces together.

 Here you have the finished product. The extra beading around the edges and the fringe were new techniques I was trying. I keep it on my work desk shelf front and center so that I can look at and remember, let the pieces talk. They know better than me!

 A few more of my "art" pieces are shown here. This one was  a challenge about Fairy Tales...

 This piece was done based on the colors and birds. You can see the birds on top of the white beads. This was the first time I had used a scarf or any other media of this type.

 Again I was working a challenge, and came up with this piece. It is my "Blue Mermaid"

 This is my most current one. I used a focal bead from White Raven Creations on etsy, and 5 glass head pins created by Rodney Mace at Fire forged Studio on etsy.  Since I can't do glass and I wanted to promote other "artist" I went to etsy and chose these two pieces. I have another one I am working on also that has a tiny cardinal hand felted by Leanne Pendleton from Got Crow Creations on etsy.

This was a fun pieces I did just to see how those pompoms would work.  As you can see they worked just fine!!!! I love looking at this piece, to me it is colorful, playful, eclectic, and out of the box. The pompoms are itchy if you wear it against the skin, but on top of a turtle neck I think it would be great!

I have many more fun colorful pieces I have done. I think of myself as eclectic. I have always wanted to dance to a different tune than everyone else. Making jewelry and challenges are my dance to a different tune outlet.

Thanks for listening!

For more "artful" people, jump over to Sally's site! The Studio Sublime

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Week Three - Time For Myself....Hmmmmmm

This week we were asked to show and tell about what we do when we sneak a few moments for ourselves. Not having any small children at home I do tend to have a little more time to "steal" for myself.  Usually it is at night...or on Sundays after church as I try to have that as our lazy day.

Usually at night I either, read, crochet, or watch TV depending upon what is on.  It is quiet in my room and when I am done with what I am doing then I can snuggle down in the covers with my husband, (when he finally gets home from the hospital - abt two more weeks)and go to sleep.





Usually on the weekends and sometimes at night, I do work on my jewelry pieces while I watch TV in the living/family room. We have a big tv in there so it is much easier to watch. I have a whole corner....to myself and my family know not to go in it!!!!!

And somewhat lastly, when the days are nice as they have been here in Florida, I get and work in the yard. The above picture is of some shrubs I am trying to grow from cuttings so that we have a little privacy.  I plan to plant some flowering bulbs in between for color.

The one to the right, is a garden that my husband and I work on together...it is kinda a hodgepodge of plants, aloe, a large cactus  lilies,  roses, bromiliad's. and so on. It is fun to get out and get your hands dirty now and then.

So these are a few of my favorite things that I do when I "sneak" time for myself.


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Week Two - The Word!!!!

GROWTH!


Growth....to open up, reach for the heavens, embrace life.

I think looking back that as teenagers/young adults we think we are really living, growing and enjoying life. And we do to a degree....but now....I can see I lived in the moment, which I think stunted my true growth.



As in the picture, this succulent plant will grow tall, but you can see the bends and angles that it made trying to grow straight.  To me that represents a lot of us in our early years.

 The straight and flowering top is us now in our somewhat pregolden years. We made it through the kids, and now our reward is not only grand kids, but a new opening up and blooming as we start on a new path.

 So this year, I want to grow!  With our kids gone, I would like to grow my relationship with my husband, back to that giddy love we had before kids...:-)  I would like to grow my relationship with my Lord, get back to my quiet times and bible reading. I would like to grow my jewelry/crochet business to not only bring in a bit of money, but because I love doing it.

I am excited to see what this year will bring and if by the end I am flowering!

PS. These plants are in my yard......They grow at the drop of a hat!

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Focusing on Life

52 weeks

one photo a week

Photo Prompt #1 ~ Self-Portrait

The new year has began. The time to reflect on the past is over. Anticipating what God has in store for me in 2013.

Company is gone, time to clean, time to put away the decorations. Checking my NEW list of the things to do.

Husband is back in the hospital, a two hour drive away. He's not happy and neither am I. But we want him to get well this time.

Have friends and family, but still feel a little alone.

BUT the year is young and I need to pick myself up and get moving!!

One of my friends has suggested we do a picture a week of our life. This is the first week.  Hopefully you will enjoy coming back and seeing how my year is progressing.  My picture isn't the greatest, but then I am no beauty, and I was a little tired from the company....hopefully I will have better as the year progresses.

I think this is going to be an interesting journey and I hope you will enjoy it with me.


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