Cosmopolitan

I created this 5 x 7 collage on paper using a little hexagon paper punch and magazine pages.  It is mostly made up from an October 2012 cover of Cosmopolitan magazine featuring Zoe Deschanel.  I was really drawn to the neon pink and orange combo paired with black and white.

Spring Rain

 I recently finished setting up a proper little studio space in my home 

so I can finally get back to making. 

Feels good!

Working Through The Fear

I purchased all new, good quality acrylic paints months ago, finally upgrading from those inexpensive 2 oz craft paints. I've been putting off using them due to basically, a fear of failure. But I've been experimenting with them the last week and it feels good to be working through my inner critic.

5 x 5

Just listed a new 5 x 5 inch polymer clay mosaic piece in my Etsy shop.   

I really love this color combination and can't help revisiting it.

To see my full shop, please click here.

The Blues

I just completed this polymer clay mosaic this past weekend and I really love the purple/blue/silver combo.  

I also tried  the technique of stamping permanent black ink onto white clay and it worked out very well.  

This piece is now listed in my Etsy shop which you can see here.

Fun With Polymer Clay

I love watching how-to videos on YouTube.  As a self taught artist, I find YouTube indispensable for finding new techniques, processes and products.  One of the channels I go back to often is from artist Patti Parrish.  She's a wonderful lady and a real hoot.  She posts her Ustream recordings of art sessions which range from mixed media painting, stencils (which she also designs), gelli plate, and polymer clay.  You can check out her videos here.

It's from watching her videos that I became interested in making polymer clay tiles/mosaics.  So I purchased some polymer clay, stamps, pearl powders, and a few other supplies, followed her instructions and gave it a go.  It was a lot of fun making the tiles and then fitting them together like a puzzle.  For a first try, I'm pretty happy with the results.

I mounted the tiles onto one of my 6 x 6 wood tiles that I usually use.  I went with a sort of steampunk theme because I had that wonderful octopus stamp that I really wanted to feature.  I had bought it months ago without really knowing what I would do with it, just that I loved it.  Plus I had a bunch of gears and clock hands that I could use.  Really anything metal or glass can be put right into the clay and baked, so it's fun looking for bits to use (old jewelry, glass beads, metal buttons, etc).

I will be putting this piece in my Etsy shop shortly, which you can find here.

A Peek

Something I've been working on.  More to come soon.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Weekly Haul

I love garage sale season!  I acquired some great stuff this week for collages and assemblages.  

I want to start working on some assemblage boxes that incorporate both found objects and collage elements, displayed behind glass.  I'm just in the process now of gathering an assortment of interesting and fun things to choose from.  The hunt is on.

New Collage

Just finished the next collage in the series.  I've been putting it off for a few days.  

I always find the glueing process a bit nerve-raking.  

It makes me start second guessing my choices before I lock them down.

On my screen this looks pinkish.  It's actually a white background but it seems that if I try to color correct it, it turns out blueish. (?)  I'll keep working on it and see if I can get a better picture.

Stocking The Store

I have been slowly adding art pieces to my Etsy shop, trying to build up my inventory.  

As of today there are six pieces including the newly listed ones pictured below.  

You can have a look at my Etsy shop here.

Etsy Shop Now Open

I am glad to announce that I have re-opened my Etsy shop.  Once fully stocked, I plan to feature both prints and original artwork, including pieces from my 6 X 6 series.  Today I added my first item in the shop: "Junk Collector", a mixed media assemblage.  You can view the listing here.  

More items to be added soon.

Love

6 X 6 Collage on paper

New Phone Case Design!

I'm excited to announce that I have added a new phone/laptop/device case/skin to my shop. This one is called Noise and it comes in a variety of shapes and sizes for tons of different phones, laptops and devices. You can get this cover here or have a look at my entire selection of designs here.

A Work In Progress

A work in progress... figuring out my next collage piece.

120 Volt Beauty

11 x 14 inch collage on paper

Bingo

Mixed media on 8 x 10 inch wood panel

This is one of my very first collages, made many years ago.  

I had never shown it online before and finally just got it scanned.

Same Idea 2 Ways

I made two attempts with this idea.  

The first one I worked on didn't come out as I had hoped, so I tried it again.  

Now I'm not sure which one I like better.  There are things I like and don't like about each of them.

I had a bit of a creative set-back in October and it left me with a lot of self-doubt.  Even though I felt the urge to create and had ideas, I was listening to that negative inner critic that told me everything I make isn't good enough.  It can sometimes be hard to get out of the mindset of, "If I don't even try, then it won't be bad".  

Well, today I finally dove back in and made something.  I'm trying not to judge it too harshly and instead just enjoy the feeling of creating once again.

Little Owen

Today I visited the Stony Lake Furniture Company, a beautiful store located in Lakefield, Ontario.  They specialize in locally designed and handcrafted furniture, art and home decor items. It is perfectly curated and has a light and comfortable feeling that reflects the natural beauty of area.

While there I got to meet Owen, store owner Lisa Besseling’s adorable brussels griffon.  She assured me that Owen could handle the stairs quite well, but he seemed happy to survey his territory from his perch at the top of the stairs.

How cute is this little dog?!  Apparently he's a bit of a local celebrity too and has his own Twitter and Instagram following.  You can see more of Owen at @OwenTheGriff.