Show and Tell: vessels

I have a weakness for small, hand formed bowls and vases.   The pieces below are the latest additions to my collection.

On the left is Rainy Day at the Sea Side from Nesting Emily.  It just arrived in the mail today, and I absolutely love it!  The other two pieces came from a local boutique called Una.   The shop is known for their stunning clothes, but they also have a stockpile of vintage and found ceramic goodies- all priced very reasonably.  These two beauties were a total of $16. 

[Shown in the first image are ceramic pieces from Pigeon Toe and Leah Nobilette, both from Portland.]

Inspired by macrame

In recent months, I've been itching to take up weaving.  I don't have a loom (as of yet), so I've been thinking of alternative ways to intertwine yarn.  One idea that came to mind was using knots.  I have never been a huge fan of macrame, but I was quickly won over when I saw the works of Australian artist Sarah Parkes.  Her macrame creations are a far cry from kitschy. 

In addition to lighting and plant hangings, Parkes also has a macrame jewelry collection.  I love the rosette necklace on the right.

Yesterday, I decided to try my luck at macrame.  And what started as a spontaneous idea became a several hour ordeal!  Here's a look at what I made.

The only experience I've had knotting yarn was when I made friendship bracelets as a teenager.  I found that dressing a bottle was a little trickier than dressing a wrist! I wanted the macrame design on the bottle to be organic, so I didn't follow a pattern.  And, instead of cord, I used flax yarn (which is more like twine).  The texture of the yarn definitely gives a different effect than cord -more like a crocheted look. 

Glass and rope scream beach to me, so hopefully you caught on to the sea theme.  I titled the piece Seafarer, in honor of the explorer in all of us.  I imagine the newly adorned vessel to hold sand from a faraway place or notes of affection.

I added this piece to a new section in my Etsy shop called Exclusives.  This will be home to unique, one-of-a kind creations (like my embroidery works, painted rocks, etc.). 

Oh, and don't forget the mega giveaway ends tomorrow!  I've enjoyed reading all of the comments so far.  Your thoughtful feedback and encouraging words always fuel my creative energy.  Thank you!

My Week

perfect day for a wedding in Shedd, Oregon (population 963)

restored 1930's onion barn that has been converted into a dance hall for the evening

the girls perform an impromptu ballet

hummingbirds feeding at sunrise

it's been a hard summer for tomato plants in Portland- not enough sun

these are the only ripe ones at the moment

printed new sticker designs and didn't like them at all! 

tried different settings to fix color saturation and kept getting the same poor results

maybe they'll print better as cards? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

on a more positive note, i got invited to be part of an online art exhibition in December

so, i've been busy working on some new pieces

above right is one of the new works i might submit

i'll be sure to post info on the event once i have more news

Birthday Giveaway!

In celebration of Habit of Art turning one, I’m giving away a package of goodies to one lucky reader.  The giveaway package includes one print of your choice from my Etsy shop (up to $20 value), a new assortment of fabric tape, and a pocketbook gallery of original art and sketches!

For a chance to win the art prize shown above, all you have to do is leave a comment below.  I’m curious to know what you’d like to see more of in year two of Habit of Art, so any feedback on favorite posts would be greatly appreciated.

On Thursday, Sept. 30th at 12p PST, I will draw a name and then announce the winner of the giveaway on this post.

Update:  Congratulations, Esti-  you are the winner of the art giveaway!

Thanks to all who participated and wrote such thoughtful comments.  My Etsy shop turns one in November, so expect another giveaway ; )

Habit of Art turns one

A year ago today, I wrote my first post for Habit of Art.  My purpose in starting a new blog was to talk about art.  289 posts later, I feel like I have only scratched the surface.

What I've learned along the way . . .
the world is smaller than you think
blogging every day is harder than flossing every day
technology will inevitably fail you at the most inopportune moment- multiple times
there are a lot of talented people out there
who don't get enough credit
some of the most encouraging words can come from strangers
i love what i do

Thanks for reading.
(Check back tomorrow for the birthday giveaway!)

Artists I like: Tom Moglu

You may have noticed that I have a fascination with triangles.  I use them a lot in my work.  So naturally, when I came across the art of UK artist Tom Moglu, I was in triangle heaven.  I love how Moglu juxtaposes the sharpness of a triangle with soft, earthy tones.  And the way that he repeats the triangles and analogous colors is reminiscent of woven works. 
The piece below, Roasting Like Chestnuts, is one of my favorites.  Aside from the fact that I do love roasted chestnuts, I'm intrigued with works that show line movement.  In this particular piece, it's as if the moving lines are breaking through a fence of triangles. 

To see more of Moglu's fabulous art, click here.  And while we're on the topic of triangles, check out my new jacket I found at a local resale shop.

I was serious when I said I'm into triangles.

Blast from the past

Today, I spotted a bumper sticker that I had designed over 20 years ago for my high school!  Just to make sure my claim was correct, I went home and rifled through my memory box.  And there it was- my one copy of the bumper sticker.

In my memory box, I also found a sketchbook from one of my high school art classes.  On one page, my teacher wrote, "Are you trying to draw from actual objects?"  The comment made me smile because that was something I repeatedly stated to students when I taught high school art.  I guess the practice of observational drawing can never be overstated in the art classroom. 

My Week

playing around with a lensbaby // i might have to get one of these

now that the girls are back in school, 

my husband and i have recommenced our weekly lunch dates to the food carts 

one of our favorites- vietnamese sandwiches, 2 for $6

it's the busy season for family photos

three photo shoots scheduled this weekend and several more in the next few weeks

started a large panel painting // still mapping out the foreground in my head