goodbye 2011.

a lot has happened over the past year and i hope you have taken the time to reflect on the memories whether they were good or bad because they are all a part of you. i always hate to see a year go but always look forward to the unlimited possibilities a new one brings. i celebrate many milestones with 2011. starting this new blog gives me the chance to explore art without limitations. for finding my creative mojo and allowing myself to believe once again in my artistic abilities. being inspired by everyday things to give me a burst of energy for artwork. to all of you for your willingness to share in my daily adventures - thank you! so as you raise your glass to the new year, i hope you will think fondly on the past and excitedly towards the future - happy new year one and all!

red inspiration.

it all started with a crate & barrel holiday catalog. colorful layouts filled with fonts unimaginable and gorgeous photos of holiday wonderment. so, what does this have to do with anything? well, it lead me to several canvases of inspiration. one of red, one of brown and several neutrals just waiting for creativity to strike. this one has found a home in ohio with a dear friend and the others, well, they are filling my studio this festive season. be safe, kind and have a great holiday with family and friends - merry christmas!

comfort zone.

i am trying to work out of my comfort zone a little each week just to stretch my abilities in creativity. after finding a magazine page of white, grey and pink, i knew this would be a stellar challenge. not only did it feel very girly and feminine but the thought of pink well, makes me think of princesses and barbie dolls. so while trying to rough it up just a bit i found the black circus fabric and the great twisted paper stems. crumpling everything and making it look just a bit messy made me feel better about the color scheme and added a bit of me to the piece. so i hope you'll be willing to step out of the box every now and then, you never know where the possibilities will take you.

favorite quote.

here's another view with the quote as the focal point. it has to be one of my favorite quotes of all time. thank you tim holtz for putting it into a rubber stamp for all of us artists to use! i have been creative my entire life, just ask my mom. from coloring day and night, to copying comics every sunday, to art classes throughout my school time and finally to studying art in college. each life possibility has given me the courage to imagine art as my life and as a career. how great is that! i'm just so grateful and i hope you are doing what you are meant to do in your life. after all, we only have one to live so you better do it to the fullest, each day, every day. have the courage, find the possibilities and imagine what it will feel like to be in that life you have always dreamed about :D

a tilted view.

same piece of artwork as yesterday but a new off kilter view showing just a bit more of its entirety. you will now see that the birdcage is actually made into a skirt on a dress form. the ribbon tied at the waist as a sash and well, the bird, just added for sparkle. when working with dimension i have a hard time building up the layers i just love to discover so adding buttons and the clip holding the quote are two ways to do it subtly yet effectively. i'm continually learning and trying to make each layer important and meaningful but sometimes i just want them there without a lot of hoopla, just as a dimensional element. i guess that's why it is called mixed media because it doesn't always have to make sense.

irony.

i love irony. its definition - the use of words to express the opposite of what one really means. i'm not using words here but a visual reference. a bird outside of the cage, irony. a pretty ribbon adhered with a rusty safety pin, irony. a patinaed cage and a gilded bird, irony. so fun yet so ironic, love that and it made me smile :D

today.

my thoughts today are on 2012, my goals, my artistic direction, my plan to succeed in this creative endeavor i call art. i've done a lot of stumbling this year and see a path that is inviting, intriguing and creates butterflies in my belly - it's been a while for that and i love the inspirational energy it is giving me. i can't wait for the new year to bring me a fresh start, unexplored discoveries and an artistic journey that holds no boundaries. so, what were you thinking today?