Another Inspiring Artist – Barbara Briggs.

 

I’m off to clean up the studio and get ready for the Silver Threads show this weekend.  Instead of looking at my somewhat addled creations, why not look at someone I admire greatly.  Barbara Briggs is a jewelry artist who’s work is so incredibly original that she inspires me to to move beyond the mundane and search for something that really challenges my talents.  Her blog is always interesting, and I’d love to share it with you.  Just click here to go directly there. 
http://barbarabriggsdesigns.wordpress.com/

Here are a few of her works I really love:

 

Someday they will refer to this as “her Mermaid period”.

“The seaweed is always greener in someone else’s lake.” – Sebastian “The Little Mermaid”

 

I can’t seem to help it, but lately all I want to paint are mermaids.  I just love an excuse to give a woman some real hips, even if they end in a flipper.  I got this little piece of driftwood from a neighbor, and before too long …

 

She will be for sale along with a few other painted pieces and much of my jewelry at the upcoming Silver Threads convention this weekend at the Sands Hotel in town. Geri Dibiase will also be there displaying her wonderful wares.  Hope we get to see you there!

 

Esme the Cat

“You know you are getting old when it takes too much effort to procrastinate.” ~Author Unknown

I’ve been putting off completing (okay – starting) a commission I took long ago.  I finally gave myself a deadline, and actually told the client what it was.  Then I was stuck – I had to do it.  I had a lovely pic of Esme the cat taken by her owner, a highly experience photographer and journalist, so I had a great place to start.

Esme – Carefully perched on a copy of the New York Times.

 

 

I then rounded up my pastels, and went to work.  Here is the work in progress, along with the final result.  Now I just have to deliver it to Philly – maybe next weekend, or the one after that…

Do you have a good story of procrastination, or of conquering the procrastination devil?  Leave us a comment and share.

 

During ………During ……… Completed!

Ever give a bird a bath?

Our green cheeked conure, Kiwi, loves a good bath.  Give him a bowl under a running faucet, and he is in heaven.  His favorite thing is when the bath is over, and he gets wrapped up like a birdy popcicle in a napkin and get dried off and petted for a good half hour.  He may look like he is being very wary, but he is really enjoying this.

Our boy

A week of Art … and beer.

So when my friend and fellow artist, Kandi Lippincott, invited me along for an Artist’s week at her timeshare in Hilton Head, I immediately accepted after hesitating only long enough to to pack a bathing suit, watercolors, pens, my pastels, two watercolor pads, two types of pastel board, a Bamboo pad, my computer, a small easel, three art magazines and one book on pastel art, plus two books of short stories . (Artist ADD is real my friends!).

The week was relaxing. Hilton Head beaches are some of my favorites, with just the right amount of waves with low tides that provide miles of wonderful hard sand beaches for riding bicycles.  We even had our own personal artist’s muse and model in the form of another guest whose name was, of course, Art.  Art had a face that made us all want to prop him up in the middle of the room with good lighting.

I snapped a sneaky pic of Art when his eyes were closed 

Quick Pic of Art

The pic of Art was done with special pencils made to work with watercolor.  After sketching, just wet to spread the shading around, and then it is permenant and regular watercolors can be added.  Lots of fun to play with.

 

Using more traditional watercolor techniques, I did this painting of a crane.  I am particularly pleased with my choices of quotes on this painting — one from Sadako (of the thousand paper cranes), one from Hart Crane, and one from Niles Crane!

Can you find the small child in the middle of his creation?

 

 

 

Art was truly everywhere this past week, from the sand sculptures that looked like the opening scenes from Game of Thrones.

Hilton Head Artist’s Week

Never invite me to bring art supplies on vacation unless you have lots of space.  I can never decide whether to work in watercolors , pastels , pen and ink , or (fill in the blank).  This was today’s crane pic.

The  quotes are “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world . Sadako” and “Have you noticed the are fewer hazelnuts in these biscotti

. Niles Crane” and “One must be drenched in words.  Hart Crane.”

To Be Creative, Embrace the Limitations

Sound pretty counterintuative, doesn’t it.  But I think every artist should watch this Ted talk.  Hell – everyone should.  Embrace the limitations, whether it be a limited palate of colors available, too little time for art, or a perceived lack of talent.  Embracing limitations leads to creative solutions within those limitations which , as this young man says, let you conquer your world.  Enjoy.