I {heart} Saturdays

Since I’m in San Diego at the Seaside Soiree having a blast with loads of talented ladies, this Saturday’s inspirational imagery is all about the siren’s call of the ocean. I love blues and greens reminiscent of seaweed and open waters.

LOVE this fashion shoot and how the model looks like a beautiful human jellyfish from this great website called eye candies blog.

I do a lot of wire wrapping in my work, but my aesthetic is much more toward the simple and sculptural. I’m not into what I call “fussy” wrapping where there are jags here and jigs there. Sea glass is so beautiful to use in jewelry, but it can be a pain to drill to make a hole. Check out the simple wire work of this piece and how it lets the beauty of the found object glass to shine through. This comes from the site JP with love Polymer Clay.

I also love this beautiful little ceramic shell stick pin from the same blog. The artist did an amazing job with the glaze.

Oh my, this outfit makes me swoon. So easy and breezy and classy. Makes me want to wear it to dinner where hubby and I sit on the terrace overlooking the ocean and drinking mojitos. Website is NKHenry handbags and accessories.

That’s it for this week’s I {heart} Saturdays. I hope some of these images inspired you to go into your studio and start working with some ocean-inspired colors or themes. When I return from the Seaside Soiree, I’ll be sharing more about the event and some pics on my blog.

Here’s wishing you a truly Artful day!

I {heart} Saturdays

Some of you checking in with me today for my I {heart} Saturdays are going to think I’ve gone off the deep end for my “what inspires me today” images. Let me explain.

I’m working on my next book and my art deadlines and photo deadlines are approaching so quickly it feels like a freight train bearing down on me. Normally these deadlines wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but I’m juggling others for CHA that must be done at the same time. I’m hopping from one project to another throughout my work days, and there are times I can’t remember if I’m pickling my jewelry or pickling my brain.  

On top of finishing my book projects, I’m having to think about my hands — particularly my fingernails because step-out photos are up soon. I have writer/artist hands. My flanges are my favorite tool and it doesn’t matter if I’m typing on the keyboard or making art. My hands are the work horse of my body. I can’t even comprehend spending money on a manicure (pedis are another story though because a girl has to have pretty feet in sandal weather.)

This sounds like such a petty thing to be worrying about, but there are so many nuances that go into publishing, I thought a few of you might be interested to see how many details you will have to keep in your brain when your time comes to write your book. Trust me, clean hands and nice nails make for much better pictures, even when you’re doing an art book and the photos are all about technique.

The photos pictured here are interesting to me because nail art is another form of self-expression and beauty. Though my digits will never look like any pictured, the colors and designs are as uniquely personal as one’s fingerprint. The images come from an idea website for nail technicians, and the binary code one comes from an article in PC world on nerdy nail designs.

Here’s wishing you a truly Artful Saturday!

I {heart} Saturdays

Public art is something that inspires me, always has. Scottsdale, Arizona, where I used to work as a visual arts editor, is just one of the cities in the United States where 2% of the budget for public projects must go toward the installation on public art. This is why you see sculptures throughout downtown Scottsdale, large-scale murals on freeways and sculptural bus stops.

As I travel across the country, I always notice the public art in other cities. Even if the pieces themselves are not my artistic sensibilities, I always appreciate the fact that the city leaders are doing what they can to support the arts by infusing a visual aesthetic into the public landscape. I think it is important for our children to see murals on city walls and sculptures in their parks, to learn a visual language during the time they are figuring out how the world works.

You guessed it. My inspiration this week for I {heart} Saturdays are amazing sculptures found across America’s cities and towns.

The first one made a list for the worst public art. I totally disagree. I happen to love this mixed-media heart. Whomever decided it belongs on the “bad” list needs some basic art education in my humble opinion. I think it is interesting and the epitome of mixed media.

I found this Before I Die project on the web and thought it was so cool because it is true public art with community participation. Read more about the artist Candy Chang and her amazing public art project.

Take a look at Atlanta’s Rise up the Ladder art installation. SO inspired by the colors of the ladders and all those crazy angles that appear to defy the laws of physics.

I don’t necessarily “get” the blue bear peeking into the windows, but the scale of the piece excites me. The artist inspires me because he pushes the boundaries of space and scale in a big way.

That’s it for my inspiration of the week. Here’s wishing you a truly Artful day!

I {heart} Saturdays

Today’s inspiration comes from the color tangerine. I’ve been looking at this color for the past few weeks each time I walk outside on my deck. The oak trees are turning colors, literally changing my green forest of mostly Ponderosa Pine trees into what looks like the underpainting of yellows and fiery oranges in the distance.

I love the color orange. It excites me and make me think of life in motion. How can anyone or anything be dreary when tangerine enters one’s vision field?  

Here are some random photos of I found on the web this week that makes me want to  grab a blank canvas, some orange paint and some images from my stash to create something bursting with the essence of tangerine. Hmmmm, now that I think about it, I have some tangerine beads in my stash, along with an old advertising tin with orange writing. Think I’ll whip up a necklace this weekend while I’m working on some other samples.

 

 

 

 

Here are the links to the photos, arranged in order from top of bottom. Here’s hoping your Saturday is a Tangerine Dream kinda day.

http://leitesculinaria.com/64725/recipes-tangerine-and-beet-salad.html

http://www.weirdomatic.com/little-tangerine-man.html

http://mocoloco.com/archives/004294.php

http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/makeup-and-beauty-tips-gallery/nail-polish-colors-for-summer/tangerine

http://www.bakeryonstate.com/html/tangerine_dream.html

 

I {heart} Saturdays

With this Saturday being the first weekend in November, I thought I’d make today’s I {heart} Saturdays about gratitude. There are so many things in my life that I’m thankful for. As we head into the holiday season with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s as good of a day as any to be inspired by the generosity of the creative community at large.

 

Just a quick reminder about the word:

 

grate-ful \ˈgrāt-fəl\

appreciative of benefits received b : expressing gratitude <grateful thanks

affording pleasure or contentment :pleasing b : pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated

— grate·ful·ly \-fə-lē\ adverb

— grate·ful·ness noun

 

First Known Use: 1552

 

Synonyms: appreciative, glad, obliged, thankful

 

 

Here are some images that inspire me today.

 

 

 

 

I really enjoy taking time each week to surf the web and find images that speak to me and share them on my I {heart} Saturdays posts.  I will always cite the sources where I find these images. If any of them are under copyright and not available for re-publication on the web, please email me and I will remove them asap.

 

Today’s links:

 

• http://shannrugby.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/love-simply-grateful
• http://theantisocialmedia.com/anti-social-media/rule-7-be-grateful/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/snoshuu/2744476573/

 

Here’s wishing you a truly Artful day!

I {heart} Saturdays

Another very quick post today for I {heart} Saturdays since I’m teaching in La Jolla at CKU (Creating Keepsakes University).

I saw this posted on someone’s wall on Facebook. The only reference to its originator is The Book of Quotes. If anyone knows more about this and where I should be giving proper credit, please leave me a comment and I will add it.

It’s probably pretty easy to see why this quote inspires me. But the reason I wanted to make it my inspiration for today is because as I’m surrounded by scrapbookers who have such a passion for documenting and keeping their families’ personal histories, I’m thinking about my own children.

I feel such responsibility raising children in today’s world. I want to teach my son and daughter how to keep their hearts open to life’s opportunities, but to also be powerful by not allowing people to stomp them down and make them ever feel less than or not good enough.

I’ve dealt with low self-esteem in my life and the effects of it. Part of my mission now is to let people know they are good enough just the way they are. Whatever hardships or problems or issues we have are our life lessons. We can change our life by changing our thoughts, our words and our actions. I truly believe each person has something they came into this world to do, and success is a given with focus, hard work and positive energy.

I want my children to see this and to know this deep within. I want them to listen to that little voice and to know — simply know — that who they are is enough. Better than enough. They are phenomenal.

Here’s wishing all of you a very Artful day!

I {heart} Saturdays

I spent Thursday and Friday in Phoenix working on an upcoming article on an amazing once a month shopping event called Sweet Salvage. I wrote a post about it in August when I stumbled across this amazing vintage shopping extravaganza experience. I knew from the moment I saw Sweet Salvage that I absolutely had to write about it and take photos, so I called one of my favorite magazine editors and pitched the story in a very high voice. I was practically squealing with glee, which I think might have helped sell the story (grin).

Because I’m writing about it, I really can’t sneak peek here on my blog. (The magazine must have first dibs.) This little French dolly, however, inspires me to no end. I simply had to buy her!

There was so much inspiration at Sweet Salvage, but today I’m dedicating I {heart} Saturdays to Brooke Giannetti. She writes the inspiring interior design blog Velvet and Linen and I was lucky enough to meet her Thursday because she was doing a book signing of Patina Style at the event. Brooke’s book is stunning. The photos in this large coffee-table hardback book will make you swoon. Plus, she is gorgeous and so very, very nice. I’m always thrilled to meet people where talent and beauty and sincerity are all rolled up into one person.

Brooke’s book, Patina Style is my inspiration for today. Check it out, you won’t be dissapointed if you, too, are a lover of vintage items infused with authentic texture and color.

Note: I haven’t had the time to download my photos from my camera. These photos were taken from Brooke’s blog and photo credit belongs to her. Thanks Brooke!

Here’s hoping that you are having a truly Artful Saturday!

I {heart} Saturdays

Check out this AMAZING video on YouTube by Gallant and Keen. It’s a short  stop- motion art film that is divinely beautiful and has already inspired a couple of sketches in my journal for ideas. Without saying anything further, here is my inspiration for the week. I hope you love it as much as I do.

I {heart} Saturdays

Photographer Chris Ranier has the most amazing photos of body art in other cultures on the Smithsonian's website.

I love the look of tattoos. Flesh full of beautiful imagery with colorful ink on bare skin to declare one’s body a work of art in and of itself.

It took me a long time to muster up the courage to get a tattoo. I did it for my 40th birthday present to myself at a beautiful (clean and professional too) tattoo shop in Jerome, Arizona when I was writing a feature on one of my favorite art colonies. I was shy about my tattoo and, at the time, wanted to get something where very few people would ever see it. It’s a small red asymmetrical heart with swirly vines and I wear it every day on my heart to remind me to remain open to life’s fullest gifts and potential.

As I’ve become accustomed to my intimate tattoo, I’m ready to get another one in a place where it’s visible to the world. Either my ankle or wrist or foot, not sure yet. I thought about the back of the neck, but even that one would be hidden by my hair. I’ve been thinking about the imagery, and especially, of the words. It’s not something I will jump into lightly, so I’m taking my time.

Now this is cute. Double foot word tattoos in the fun black-and-white peekaboo shoes.

So this I {heart} Saturdays blog post is all about the inspiration I get from ink, and from the people who wear their art so boldly and beautifully.

Angel wings tattoo from http://mawortattoo.blogspot.com/

Full arm tattoos. I find it brave to forever alter oneself in this manner.

I hope you are having a fabulous Saturday and a truly Artful day!

I {heart} Saturdays – Clever Logo

Just a quick one this Saturday, as it’s a busy family weekend to celebrate my son’s birthday. I thought I’d show a company logo that inspires me.

What do I like about this image? Humor, color, the leaf cleverly acting as an upturned mouth, and great marketing where the product and it’s brand shines through like the sun slicing brightly through the clouds on an overcast day.

I have no idea what this bakery actually sells, but I can tell you after seeing this company logo, I’m ready to buy one of everything. This isn’t just about eating a sweet treat, it’s about engaging all the senses along with a wallop of humor to boot.

Again, I found this on fab.com in the inspiration section.

Here’s wishing you a truly Artful Saturday!