Great Day

Who would have guessed that the smallest show I did all summer would be the best?
Yesterday, I participated in the Fesitval of the Arts Art Walk in River Mill Park downtown. I did the same show last year and had a lot of fun, but this year was even better, I think, in part, due to the new location. Lots of people wandering town happened by and the set up was more of a circle than a line, so I was able to see the other artists there. There was drumming and dancing and a fairly good crowd, so yes, much better than last year.

My mother helped me set up my little booth, which was wet work as the ground was spongey and moist from all the rain the day before. My feet got soaked, but as it didn't rain, that was my only complaint all day long.

Lots of people stopped to chat at the booth; some cute kids asked lots of questions. As this was more of an exhibition/demonstration than it was a sale, I had my sketchbook and my samples on display for people to leaf through. Many people were interested in the design process and it was fun explaining my techniques to them.
My sketchbook display and work area took up one whole half of the table. Therefore, I had to downscale my finished jewellery set up quite a bit. The above photo is about everything I had out. It's a little windswept, but I still made some sales, which was great.

The other artists were pretty cool too. I met quite a few locals which was nice, as I'm still getting to know the arts community around here. The gentleman next to me, Terry Gill, was demonstrating his watercolour technique. There was a bit of a lull around the time that Seguin brought me lunch, so I went over to give it a try. It was very fun and freeing, he encouraged me to paint in the same way we were taught to develop our samples in school; that is, don't think, just go and let it happen.


This is a photo of the resulting painting. He also gave me a print of one of his pieces to take home. They're quite a bit more finished than mine...as I understand it, he kind of lets the paints do what they want and then develops a landscape out of what happens. You can check out his work here. https://www.impressionsofnature.ca

The show was only three hours long and the time passed so quickly. But almost the instant the last few items had been packed into the car and we all got in, the rain began to fall, hard. It was as if it had been waiting all day for us to finish up. With the rainy summer we've had, I couldn't believe our luck.

So overall, a very positive experience. I'm keen to do it again next year. Just one more to go this summer; Sunday, August 16th, look for me in Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge for a second Canlove International festival. More details as the time draws near.

New Necklace and Other Things

I've got a new idea for a necklace today that I'm pretty excited to work on. That's been happening a lot lately, ideas popping into my head, things to try, even when I'm not actively sitting in front of my work table, experimenting.

It's reassuring, really, as I've found it's a lot harder to keep the creative energy in one's life once school goes away and things like work, chores, friends and family start chopping up your time (delightful as some of those things may be).

But lately I've really been feeling it, the urge to create, so much more than just my jewellery, too. Inspiration has been coming from all around me, songs on the radio and shapes and smells, stories in books, shows and movies, even patterns and colour combinations pop out of everything I see. I feel like some sort of artistic vampire, hyper alert to my surroundings, ready to make a meal of any inspiration I come across.

If that's what the life of a full time designer/artist is like, than I've definitely made the right choice.

Finished!

A while ago, I was commissioned to create a pair of wrist pieces as a gift for a couple who will be getting married in the Bahamas. The requirements were that the pieces were to be beaded and they were to include the pair's names, the date and the location. I was also told the bride's favourite colour was tiffany box blue.


The couple has since been given the pieces and I feel safe posting them for you all to see. So here they are!

It's Coming, Really!

Today is the first gloomy day all week. The sunshine is gone and I actually see little snow flakes in the air. It could be the dry sand on the visible pavement, the sound of a little kid on a bike, the cool (not cold) air, or maybe just my relentless optimisim, but I still feel spring creeping up on us.
I've been making all kinds of new jewellery in anticipation. Lots of new colours! Keep an eye open; I'll be posting photos soon.

High Hopes

As 2009 approaches, I find myself feeling more optimistic about my future than ever before. It's probably just that psychological clean slate thing, but I'm feeling very hopeful for all I'm going to accomplish in this coming year and all that's going to happen.

The fixed time where one year ends and another begins is just something we made up, I understand that. But frankly, the timing couldn't be better. It comes shortly after Xmas, just when everything we've been building up to for the last month or so is over and we're settling down and thinking 'what's next?' It gives meaning to a month that is otherwise grey and dull and a little empty. And yes, while I acknowledge that we could thrust our fists into the air and say, "I'm making some changes for the better!," any time that we wanted too, there's something about that established once-a-year time where everything officially starts fresh that's terrifically motivating. During this time, it's somehow less difficult to put our pasts behind us and focus on the possibility our presents and futures hold.

So what is it I'm feeling so darn hopeful about? Creatively, many things. I've got grand plans for a big new project (or maybe two) I'd like to start soon, as well as many more little ideas for my current work. Seg's got a super fantastic camera coming in the mail, so I'm hoping with his help I can get some great photos taken of my work. And with those photos, a website should be in the works as well.

It's not all fun stuff though. I also intend to keep getting better at treating this creative stuff like a job. Learning to focus on my work when I'm producing at home, to take it as seriously as I did when I was in school is still something I'd like to get better at. It's easy to convince yourself it's not that important when no one else seems to take it very seriously, but why should they? It's up to me to show everyone how important it is, not the other way around.

More than anything, thinking about my youngest brother the other day made me realize how much I've got left to do. It occured to me the other day that by the time he's 18, I'll be 30. Not that old, really, I realize. But if I reach that age and still feel like I'm waiting to grow up, it would be a bit of a blow, I think. I want a home by then, I want a car and a bit of security. I want to have established myself as an artist and a designer. I want to feel less like I'm just standing and limply flailing my arms about.

I've got other goals I'll need to attain in order to make this happen, some financial, some organizational, some spiritual. But mostly, I want to keep developing as a creative person with a creative career, because that's what I want to build most of that other stuff around.

I'm curious to hear if any one else is setting goals or making resolutions or just has plans. Tell me, tell me, if you want to. And check out this website too. It's all about making a list of goals, seeing who else hopes to achieve the same things, getting encouragement and tips from others.

Good luck friends, see you all in 2009!

http://www.43things.com/

Some Lovely Things from the Last Few Days

First of all, LOOK!!! Poor Seg and John had to leave for work at ten to seven this morning to get this all cleared out of the way for people's feet and cars. I'll have to leave for work 15 minutes early so as not to be late (snow slows me down) but otherwise I think it's beautiful.

I love when cats and humans pose the same. It's one of the best things. Just like this old favourite.

Penelope is great. I find she is just like a baby in that I cannot stop taking pictures of her; the only thing is she moves so fast all the time that I can hardly get a picture of her in focus. It's a bummer because I miss all sorts of great moments, but it's neat as well because I catch so many great shots I never intended.




My favourite little family came over last night for Rockband and Scattergories. It was good fun, and really nice as one of the things I like doing most in the apartment is having friends over. Takes it from a house to a home.




Speaking of families, Loki is the sweetest adopted dad I've ever seen.

A friend of mine has me creating a set of wrist pieces as a gift for someone. It's beading, beading, beading. It's been a while since I've done any proper beading, but I'm getting the feel for it again. After I go back and fill in the gaps, I think it will look pretty nice. I'll post the finished pieces as soon as I'm able.

Christmas is coming. This year it's gotten into my head and won't get out. I'm not even bothered by the way all the stores are decorated up already and how you can already hear Xmas carols playing. (Normally that drives me nuts--oversaturation!) But I'm pretty stoked.

That's all. Off to make rotini and bracelets!

Lovely November

I'm feeling pretty good today. I woke up to sun and fresh air and didn't even realize until several hours in that I had forgotten to set the clock back, and was therefore further ahead than I thought. I ade some telephone calls and wrote some e-mails, things that always make me feel productive and responsible even though they're such little accomplishments. (Probably has something to do with the fact that I am oddly scared of the phone. Calling anyone for business, work or even sometimes fun reasons makes me anxious...silly,huh?)

I've got so much work to do with this week on artistic pursuits. A project to finish for one person, two more to design for another. Some work of my own to finish off, as I finally feel ready to show some stores my finished pieces. Another personal project I'm absolutely itching to start. And two local women to speak with about moving forward in the textile world. How exciting to be making these contacts! I'm pretty stoked. And my week has been scheduled in just such a way that I ought to have plenty of time for all of it (famous last words). But still. Feeling good.

Hallowe'en was great. I finished my costume and was utterly pleased with it. Everyone else looked great too. We swung by my mother's place so she could see us all dressed up (just like being a kid again) and then went out to the Hideaway, the only party in town. It was a pretty good time, Seguin even won second place in the costume contest, I was the super-cheesy-proud girlfriend for sure.

It had been a long time since I had a costume idea I was as enthused about as this one, and it had been since grade 13 that I worked so hard on a costume. Now that I'm all finished with it, it goes in the closet, I suppose. My last handmade costume is still there, a white corseted fairy dress made of old sheer curtains. It's been out and used again several times since then, once by my friend Skye, once by Fiona, two or three times by me. I was talking to a woman at work the other day about keeping old costumes for reuse, and now that I'm adding Lydia's wedding dress to the stash, I realize I really like the idea of keeping them all, of building up my own personal costume wardrobe. What fun to have access to a whole variety of dress up possibilities; for Hallowe'en of course, and for lending to others, but for any sort of dress up party, for fun photo shoots, for videos and good times and crazy nights where you might just feel like dressing up. And think what a collection it would be if I did this every year!

Here's some pictures of the costumes. Enjoy!

Too Much!!!

Sometimes I feel like the creative urge is both a blessing and a curse. This usually happens at times when I feel so full of thoughtful energy and inspiration, I just don't know where to direct my focus. There's just so many great things I could be doing. There's things I want to paint and things I want to journal and things I want to write. Photos I want to take and then a million different things I want to do with them.....stitch them and collage them and use them to tell stories. There are things I want to sew and manipulate and create and build, sometimes the ideas come so quickly I have to stop and draw them all before I forget, and even then I know I won't actually pursue even half.

There are just too many inspiring things....photos that are so aesthetically appealing I want to duplicate them or add into them and draw attention to them. Others just give me some sort of feeling that I want to capture and communicate somehow. There are techniques I want to explore, to see what I can do with them, what I else I can come up with. Even certain materials just beg to be used, their colours, their textures so tempting I feel like I just have to do something with them.

The problem is, how's a girl to find time for all of it? Even if I didn't have to cook and eat and earn a little moolah and clean up once in a while, there wouldn't be the time. Even if I completely shut out my friends and family and the beautiful world and refused to leave the house, it couldn't be done. (And then, I think the inspiration would go as well. How can one continue to spew colourful life without taking any in to begin with?) This is where the curse part of it comes in; having this ocean of inspiration and so many ideas, and barely being to dip in a toe.

Even if I did, someday, work out a life for myself where I could pursue my artistic endeavours to my heart's content, can someone as unfocused as myself ever really become successful?? Would I be able to develop anything to the extent I would like if I have so many other ideas? Does that 'jack of all trades, master of none' concept apply here??

How does one decide what to master? Do they have to?