June

It's almost June, which means it's almost time again for 30 Days of Creativity. I'm not sure I want to commit to it this year. On the one hand, it may be exactly what I need. I've been feeling a little stagnant and stale, and by forcing myself to create every single day, it could force me out of that rut. On the other, meh.

It was very discouraging when the shop where I had my art closed after 14 months in business, and a little depressing for me that my work didn't sell any better than it did. I told myself I'd take a month or so at the beginning of the year to refocus. A month or two has become five. I have a new computer, updated software, and no excuse not to get my website updated. Except now I'm fighting inertia, too.

...I think what I really need is for a friend of mine to kick my @$$... *sigh*

Layered Photos

These are some of the layered photos I did Sunday. Had intended to frame them up today, but health prevented it. :P Some of the ones I did I'm not happy with, and will redo. But for now, here's a little eye candy:

Blackberry Lily

Sun in the Trees

Canvas Rose

Coleus

Monstera Leaf

Rose After the Rain (w/ Diamond Glaze droplets)

Snowy Branches

Tigerlily

Trumpet Vine (w/ Diamond Glaze droplets)

Waterfall

White Rose

Yesterday's Art

As part of 30 Days of Creativity, I have been trying to make at least one thing every day. Here were yesterday's contributions:

Felted Egg with Tiny Birds

Wish Box

The Wish Box has been in progress for a while, I just needed to finish it. Finish it, and mail it to the person for which it was intended, in fact. Mulberry paper collages the top of a repurposed candy box, the sides and bottom were painted with random patterns, then covered with tissue paper. The whole exterior was then varnished. The sun is recycled paper, pulped and molded into a flat dome, and separate "arms." It was glued onto the inside of the lid and varnished. The words wonder, faith, love and hope were painted in the bottom and varnished.

Today I went to a local art fair, and hung out for a bit with arty friends who were exhibiting. I am counting it as part of the 30 Days (plus 2 weeks, since I started early), because being around creative people is good for me, and I don't do it often enough.

30 Days of Creativity

So I decided to do this 30 Days of Creativity thing, which doesn't actually start until June 1st. But I was jazzed so I started early.

First thing was actually finish up something I'd started a few days ago. It was inspired by something I saw in a blog post and I decided it was finally what I was meant to do with the single vintage clip-on earring I've had for more than 20 years (found at an antique mall, maybe; it's been a long time).

Felted Egg

My egg is plastic (the blogger who inspired me used real eggs), wool roving felted to the outside, embellished with tulle, moss, ribbon roses, string pearls, and that marvelous vintage earring I had to have.

Then yesterday I was pretty laid up with a migraine. Then this morning I made this (still headachy, but the hell with it):

Dance of Creation

I'm pretty pleased with it. She's made with painted twigs, fibers (fancy yarns), a molded paper pulp face, and beads, pinned to glitter felt set into an oval frame (glass removed). She was really fun to make.

And since I was unable to do anything on Thursday because of the migraine, I made a second thing Friday to make up for it:

Copper Mesh Egg Cradle

The free-form mesh egg cradle was made by taking a rectangle of copper mesh, folding over the edges (in an attempt to protect my fingers from the pointy edges), pushing it down into a lid for a start, then gently folding, rolling, shaping the sides into graceful (hopefully) ruffles. I was trying to get the metal to look like fabric. The copper's a nice contrast with the green egg, I think. (The egg was given to me by a friend, who told me it was petrified dinopoop, AKA coprolite. Must've been a vegetarian... *ba-dum tschhh*)