Post-Christmas blahs and other things...

Christmas is over; yet another year has almost passed, and it surprises me how fast it goes!  I have enjoyed my Christmas tree, and eaten too much food... just like any other year.  The post-hoopla is both peaceful and deflating.  Where one word is positive, the other isn't.  The blahs show up every year, but it's not a big deal.  I'm glad the craziness on the roads is pretty much over.  I spent several evenings making mosaic art.  When other people baked their cookies, I baked polymer clay mosaic tiles.  I never was a good baker, but I can whip up a mean polymer clay batch!  I made these heart plaques/frames.  The hearts are made from old plastic Christmas ornaments that I sanded, decoupaged, painted, and then embellished with words.  I still have a couple left in my stash for future inspirations! 

 

I bought a star cookie cutter at Michael's for a dollar and made some polymer clay stars.  I stamped the words and painted the stars.  I will hang them in the kitchen window when I get around to it.  They could make awesome Christmas ornaments, so my friends might get some next year.  It was hard to get a good picture, but you get the idea...

What are you working on?  I hope you had some time off for the holidays and that inspiration is flowing.  Please sign up for my newsletter (top right hand column) if you want more inspiration and mini tutorials.  See you next year!  Have a safe and happy New Year's celebration!

New painting...

I have been on a roll lately creatively speaking.  I felt I was getting nowhere, so I started making up to-do lists every day, and it has helped immensely.  Not only do I write down the chores, but also the art hours.  That way they won't be frittered away on nonsense.  Life could so easily consist of habits and social media, but I really want to develop myself and my skills.  Now I'm getting a lot more art produced and it feels really good!  So, if you're stuck with whatever fuels your passion, try writing a list, scheduling in the boring but also the fun parts.  It really works!  You have to hold yourself accountable or get an accountability partner if you lack discipline.  Once your discipline muscle has gotten a workout, it gets easier to follow through.  Just be good to yourself!  LOVE everything about you, and stick with your passion in life.

Peace out!

PEACE original acrylic painting 8x8"

Hearts....

It's been a long time since I last posted in this blog.  I miss it, just as I've missed my inspiration for art for a while now.  Anyway, got some art journaling done, and that felt really good.  I also finished this mixed media piece that has more layers than a double-decker cake!  In the end, the art work turned out very simple....  It felt like I went around the block five times to get there.

Inspiration, hope, faith, joy, truth, happiness all come from the heart...

I went on a recent trip to Sweden where flowers were in full bloom... here are some pictures.  

Uppsala cathedral built in the 14th-15th century

Uppsala castle from the 16th century 

Supreme baked goods and tea/coffee... yum

Rune stone

Follow your heart...

You know how important that is for general wellbeing.  Art does that to me, and creating art even more.  When I'm in the midst of a project I'm really happy despite the challenges that arrive as the project progresses.  Stretching and growing as an artist can be uncomfortable, but what new birth isn't??  Here are some more pictures of recent polymer clay creations.  Not very challenging but fun!

Someone or something to celebrate...

Peace is good! 

So.... PEACE today to all of you, and lots of joy!!

Better late than never...

It has been a long time since I posted.  Moving to a new area threw me off my creative wave completely, but the inspiration is slowly coming back.  Creating is living well!!  I sent off a box of bracelets and necklaces to a artsy shop in Indiana this morning.  The line at the P.O. was unbelievable.  People are getting an early start with their Christmas shipping.  The line was reaching out the door and only two clerks working...

Some of the bracelets were simple beaded designs, but I also made this beaded necklace with a center bead that I found at JoAnn's of all places.  I love the colors...

What have you been making lately?  If you leave a comment I'll have a link to check out your site! 

Old tote becomes new...

Recycling, upcycling, those are popular words these days, and they should be!  I did my part yesterday by upcycling an old canvas tote bag.  I washed it, dried it, dyed it, and then embellished the front  with various fabric scraps and inspirational words.  The scraps were colored with acrylic paints and then let to dry.  I used my hands as paint brushes.  When all was dry I cut out pieces to please my eye, attached them together with fusible web on a panel of fabric the size of the bag, then stitched on top.  Machine and hand stitched with various colors and then attached the panel to the bag.  Voila, a nice bag for your art supplies, journal, or any other can't-live-without item(s.)

 

 

 I used a lovely teal dye and the bag was wrinkled and got this wave pattern.

Maybe recycle or upcycle something today??

Bad hair day under the sea...

Happy Independence Day!  Eat lots of water melon and cake! :)  I spent the day painting, the most fave thing in the whole wide world.  Came up with another mermaid, and here's the result:

 

This has many layers of paint and texture, and then I decide to paint it white and start over.

I did have the texture to contend with when I began on the face, but it added some interest to her features and to the roiling sea.  The sky is about as roiling, but what the hay, it's windy and sunny! :)

I forgot to post about when Horizon Magazine, the Magazine of Presbytarian Women offered me some good money to use one of my images:

 

Out of the blue they emailed me and asked if they could use one of my images.  Heck yeah!

 

The article is by Nancy Copeland-Payton, A Prayerful Sorting

 

My piece is a mixed media mosaic collage that I made a few years back, called Heart Path.  For a better view of the piece, you can check my Flickr stream.  There are lots of photos of my older stuff there if you're interested.  Anyway, the March/April issue was focused on Native Americans and the USA Mission Experience.  I was really impressed.  I've never heard of these people, or the magazine before.  I  knew about the Presbytarian church, but not what they had accomplished.  If you want to know more about the magazine, check it out at: http://www.pcusa.org/horizons.

Dreamworld with a heart...

I painted this intuitively seeing the figures emerging out of random color application.  I love it when I can see things in the paint and then enhance them to mean something.  One of the figures has a heart, and I added the word peace, since that's something we're all looking for, right?  I think I have a different style of painting emerging! 

I sold a painting at the exhibit at Easy Street and I painted Dreamworld to hang in that spot.  Looks great there.  It'll be up on etsy shortly. 

 

The first azaleas of the season are in bloom!  I love Florida... 

 

And the lone red bud tree in the yard is blooming.  At least I think it's a red bud.

 

The neighbors have a horse paddock back there, but the horse was in her stall eating, so no photogenic picture of her--Sara.  I will take one though; she's adorable.  She likes me because I spoil her with treats.  Speaking of horses, check out this Youtube video about a really smart horse.

Heart is in the air!

I guess Valentine's Day is one of those days...."eat-massive-amounts-of-chocolate" days, but we can also remind ourselves about focusing on heart related things like LOVE!  Or "lurve" or "luv" ...  Beloved thing that has many names that basically mean the same thing.  I think of a great big heart that encompasses our entire planet where people will lay down arms and instead make a joint effort to make sure everyone has enough to eat, a decent place to live, and clothes on their backs.  It could be easily accomplished if our attention wasn't focused on "this is my border" or "I want to control your oil/money/minerals/diamonds."  I would think it's time to grow out of this disease of "mine and yours" and focus on what is best for all.  What affects people in Africa affects us here in the U.S.  Time for humankind to grow up, don't you think?  I visualize a world where there is peace and people are happy, sharing their hearts with others!

Anyway, on a lighter note, I have been thinking "hearts" lately, and came up with some mixed media wall art with my ubiquitous polymer clay tiles.  I posted one on etsy which sold in 20 minutes!  I was so shocked I almost fell over!  :)  I made another one and posted that as well, and I'm working on another.  Running out of puffy hearts to use, though.  They are actually Christmas ornaments that I sanded and covered with strips of paperback books, and then painted and embellished with uplifting words.

The trees are dancing in the windy yard.  They are so happy it rained!  The cat wasn't too happy, but he could at least sit on the porch to prevent any water drops from touching his precious fur...  :)

1-1-11

Inevitably a new year!  All those ones.  Welcome to 2011 and happy new year to all of you my blogger friends.  You inspire me daily, and I get excited when I find someone new to follow.  Today was a quiet day.  I played with my cat Bailey whose favorite game is "hide the cat in the bag."

He likes to hang out inside the bag, only parts of him sticking out.  A gentle poke with my toe on his hip makes him crazy as he scrambles to turn around in the bag to swat at me.  Usually my toe is long gone by then.  :)  He knows that... the crackling sound of the bag is what's music to his ears, go figure.  He also has a catnip ball that he loves, and if you toss that into the bag with him, he gets lively.  Mostly though, he's a super laid-back dude, like the Dude, minus the dope... :)

I made veggie soup for dinner with black-eyed peas.  Yummy, and I loved the colors!

 

It had red cabbage, onions, celery, garlic, parsley, balck-eyed peas, olive oil, and seasoning.

Then I finished a shadow box project that I've had sitting around for such a long time it had a 1/4" of dust on it.  I used an old hook rack that I painted and distressed, then filled with meaningful words and symbols.  Hearts are close to my heart, and also anything natural, like the outdoors.  I had glued on some bought eggs in the nest of Spanish Moss, but they were too big so I had to make some polymer clay eggs that I painted robin's egg blue with brown spatters. 

Happiness is NOW, look within for peace and love. (Rather than the outside where it doesn't exist.)

 I had a red plastic heart that I covered with paper from a paperback I wrote myself then glued inspirational words like "live your bliss" and "choose joy."  It is a choice, either we decide to dig for that good feeling inside or we spend the day being negative.  Gratitude is a good path toward feeling joy!  The twigs are from outside where there is no shortage of those! :)

 Nature has a thing or two to teach us, so I like to include natural elements to honor that.  I'm grateful that I live in the midst of glorious nature!

The whole piece is about 16" inches long and 8" high.  Lots of fun to make!

Bailey now fell asleep next to me.  He's dreaming and twitching.  I wonder what he thinks he's catching...  He was not happy during the fireworks last night.  It sounded like they were setting off bombs in the neighborhood...

Do you know what you want to accomplish this year?  On a physical level I'm sure what I want.  I know what I love to do-art and writing.  On a spiritual level, I want to follow my Inner Voice more closely and also find the bliss in every situation.  I don't want to waste any more time on letting things "happen" to me, or to wallow in pity parties, or dwell on the horrendous things we do to each other and Nature.  If I can be an inspiration for upliftment, I'm one less problem in this world!  So, I wish all of that for you too, savoring living in the moment and looking toward things that uplift you and make you happy!  Happy people make good choices that are good for everyone.  Happy people spread the happy bug around!  You know what I mean! ;-D

I wish you a GREAT creative year!  

Winter is back here in FL!

It didn't snow yesterday in the Tampa Bay area, but the panhandle got the white stuff!  As I sit in my house bundled up with 3 sweaters I wonder if it ever will get warm again!?  I love the warmth, the hot chili pepper living, the sultriness (or you can call it muggy) of our summer days.  Can't wait!  My most beloved plants are inside, crowding my living room, but a lot of them froze dead in the past hard freeze we had.  It's the coldest winter here since 1956!  (So they say.)  I know, I know, I shouldn't be complaining.  For Valentine's Day have lots of LOVE and Chocolate, in that order! :)

Another day in paradise...

...as Tom Selleck used to say in Magnum P.I. Sometimes I watch the reruns and enjoy some the shenanigans they got into. I especially liked Higgins and the Lads. :)

I've been working on some collages, but not being very productive right now. Here's one, another inspirational "Living from the Heart." 'Tis the only way to live, isn't it? I sold the two previous collages here locally to a woman who saw one of them on Facebook. You never know where you might find potential customers. I always post photos on these online venues.

Mixed media is lots of fun, and selling them is GREAT!

xo

Maria