om: learn as if you were to live forever

Last weekend I helped out my friend and Soft Flex Company co-worker Sara Oehler with her book signing event at Bead World in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sara was on-hand teaching a free make-it-take-it earring project and signing her new book co-authored with Jamie Hogsett, Show Your Colors.

I helped out with individual customers when needed, picked up flying scraps of beading wire and talked about Soft Flex Company products and projects with shoppers. Below you'll see me talking someone through the finer points of crimping. Bead World is a really nice store with helpful staff and being right off the freeway it was super easy to get to.

After the event was over Sara gave me and the Bead World staff a quick knitting spool lesson. I have wanted to get my hands on a knitting spool for while. Jamie and Sara have an entire chapter in their book dedicated to it and we have a bunch of free beading project ideas on Soft Flex's website using it. I LOVE texture and so it's only natural that I really love the designs made with the knitting spool.

Here is my first knitted wire bracelet with Soft Flex Company wire and a knitting spool!

It's a little wonky in spots but, for a non-knitter I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It took me a bunch of tries to get it started but, once you past the first few rounds of loops it becomes really relaxing and meditative. I love learning something new! Thank so much for the mini lesson Sara, love you!

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~ Gandhi
 

One Moment [OM] is a weekly meet up that promotes living in the moment.  Whether funny, sad, ridiculous, or banal, looking for these moments can promote balance in our lives. Anyone can join – read about it here.

art masterpiece: wyeth

Art Masterpiece is an art appreciation program offered to elementary children by parent volunteer guides. The goal is to help students look, think and talk about great masterpieces of art. I'm a volunteer guide and I am sharing my art discussions with you in this weekly post. Hope you enjoy it! 

 

Shed Lantern by Andrew Wyeth

About the Artist: Andrew Wyeth was born in Pennsylvania in 1917. Andrew was the youngest of 5 kids He was home tutored and learned art from his father. His father was a famous artist. Andrew’s father took his kids on walks and picnics in the woods to notice birds, nests, leaves and mushrooms. He took drives at night, turned off the lights and exclaimed "look at it!" to help them use their imaginations. He reads books out loud to his children and used all different voices. Andrew said "It was the most imaginative rich childhood you could ever want. That's why I have so much inside of me that I want to paint."

Andrew Wyeth is one of the great American painters. He paints what he knows best, the people and countryside of Pennsylvania and Maine where he spent his summers. His son is also a famous painter.

Andrew painted with egg tempera paint (which uses egg yolks as a medium). His father didn't think he would be able to sell them. Today his paintings sell for more then 1 million dollars. Although famed for his tempera technique, which he was fond of, but which took up to six months to dry, Andrew discovered dry brush painting, a method that enabled him to work much faster.

Not far from the Wyeth family home in Pennsylvania, stood a shed. One day in 1954, he entered the shed, and upon noticing a hanging red lantern, decided to paint the object in dry brush watercolor on paper; hence, Shed Lantern was born.

Below are the questions we discussed.

A. Subject

• What do you see?
• Is the lantern lit?
• Where is this?
• What kind of shed do you think it is?
• Where would a person be?
• Is this day or night?

B. Form

• Do you remember what colors are warm colors and what colors are cool colors?
• Warm = Red, Orange, Yellow Brown
• Cool = Blue, Green, Purple, Black

• What colors did he use?
• Vertical or Horizontal lines?
• Do you see a shadow?
• Look at his brushstrokes. How do you think he created texture with his lines? Scratched lines into wet paint with back if brush.
• Do you think he painted fast or slow? Why do you think that?

C. Content

• Is anything moving?
• Is it windy or still?

painting in progress: butterfly fairy

At the RAW artist showcase I met an amazing woman who enjoyed my work and commissioned me to create a custom piece for her. She requested a butterfly fairy and hibiscus flowers. I have been working on her painting for a few of weeks and wanted to share my progress so far.

Where I began ...

Shortened butterfly wings, added fairy and details on the flower.

Added butterfly wing details, created more voluptuous fairy,

added a second hibiscus flower with leaves and stems. 

It's funny to see how many times I have changed the color of the flower and I know that the color will change a few more times before I'm finished.

I have to say some of my favorite work have been commissioned pieces. I enjoy the challenge of something new and working with a client to create something they will cherish. That is true for my design, jewelry and painting work.

art masterpiece: woodville

Art Masterpiece is an art appreciation program offered to elementary children by parent volunteer guides. The goal is to help students look, think and talk about great masterpieces of art. I'm a volunteer guide and I am sharing my art discussions with you in this weekly post.  Hope you enjoy it!

Waiting for the Stage by Richard Caton Woodville

This picture was enjoyable for the kids because it is a narrative, giving a peek into a moment in history. The clothes, beards and the stage coach were all things we can discuss and compare/contrast to today.

About the Artist: Richard Caton Woodville.came from a wealthy Baltimore family. He went to school to be a doctor but, then decided he didn’t want to be a doctor. At 20, he went to Europe to study art. Richard produced most of his work after leaving Baltimore in 1845 and traveled to Germany, France & England.

This painting is called Waiting for the Stage and was painted in the 1800’s. 

Do you know what a “stage” meant back in the 1800’s? It was short for stage coach. (show picture, compare to how we travel today)

Who’s going to ride the stage? How do you know? The one man's bag is leaning beside him on the floor, ready to go when the stage arrives.

Do you think they are traveling together?  

Where do you think they are going? 

Would you like to have lived during this period of time, the 1800's? 

How do the people look? Do you think they are tired of waiting? We have all had to wait at some time and had to find ways to pass the time.

What are they doing to pass the time? One man reads the newspaper, while the other two men are engaged in a game of cards. Can you tell who is winning?

Sometimes to examine art we have to be detectives:

• Find the man wearing double scarves?
• What is under the man's beard?
• Can you find plates on the shelf?
• How many shelves do you see?
• How many spoons do you see?
• What kind of place are they in?
• Find the candle, what is it setting on?
• Find the coat rack, what is on it?
• Find the key.
• Find the man with the glasses, what is the name of the paper?
• Find a string, what is hanging from it? (sponge for cleaning slate)
• How many hats do you see?
• What is hanging above fireplace?
• Which one is married? How do you know? Find a wedding ring.
• Find the red bricks, how many?
• Can you see the cracks? What do you think they are there? 

 In Waiting for the Stage, Richard Woodville created a setting in which most spectators could picture themselves by including many details to enrich the story.

Would you like to be in this picture?

Do you know what colors are warm colors and what colors are cool colors?

Warm = Red, Orange, Yellow Brown
Cool = Blue, Green, Purple, Black

Are the colors warm or cool? Woodville's rich, warm hues and subtle shading enhance the familiar homey feeling we get from this painting. 

What direction is the light coming from? Do you think it us from the sun or indoor lights?

Does the picture look clearer up close or far away?

How does this painting make you feel?

Why do you think the artist painted it? Richard Woodville is known a “daily life painter”. He painted people in their every day lives to capture a moment in time.

artful cases and skins for your favorite electronics

Over the past few weeks I added some new items to my Society6 shop. Today, I'm thrilled to introduce to you this collection of art cases and skins to pretty up your favorite electronics.

Laptop, iPad, iPhone and iPod Skins are thin, easy-to-remove, vinyl decals for customizing your device. Skins are made from a patented material that eliminates air bubbles and wrinkles for easy application. iPhone Cases protect your iPhone with a one-piece, impact resistant, flexible plastic hard case featuring an extremely slim profile. Simply snap the case onto your iPhone for solid protection. 

These cases and skins are a delightful way to personalize your electronics and infuse art into your everyday.

iPhone Cases

iPhone and iPod Skins

Laptop and iPad Skins

 

two new paintings and art prints now available

Sanctuary Art Print

Sanctuary Original Acrylic Painting

Title: Sanctuary
Date: 2012
Medium: Acrylic, Charcoal, Oil Pastel
Surface: Canvas
Dimensions: 16" x 12" x 0.5"
Kristen Fagan ©2012

A mixed media work using acrylic, charcoal and oil pastel. "Be still and listen to your magic, the truth is you are enough, love yourself and awaken your secret sanctuary with your soul, trust in your magic."

Original for sale in my Etsy shop and art prints are available in my Society6 shop.

******************

Shoestring Acacia Art Print

Shoestring Acacia Original Acrylic Painting

Title: Shoestring Acacia

Date: 2011
Medium: Acrylic
Surface: Canvas
Dimensions: 20" x 24" x 1"
Kristen Fagan ©2012

This painting was inspired by our neighbors four shoestring acacia trees that delicately hung over into our yard. The weeping branches of a shoestring acacia subtly sway in the wind and are the home to sweet little yellow flowers.

Original for sale in my Etsy shop and art prints are available in my Society6 shop.

art meets poetry

The creative every day theme is language this month and it is also National Poetry Month. Poems are such a wonderful source of inspiration and that's something I usually overlook. I credit Leah for reminding me with her wonderful Inspired by Poetry post and look forward to being inspired by words this week.

For today, I want to share a poem with you. At the end of last year I created an art calendar featuring a colorful collection of my favorite paintings. My friend Dave who has a wonderful way with words graciously purchased a few calendars as gifts. After receiving them, he was inspired to write a poem using the titles of my artworks.

With Dave's permission here is his poem:

Sometimes we get caught up in life and it feels hard to Breathe. Our shoulders drop like a weeping Acacia tree, our emotions Swirl. We long to run in the tall grass, amongst the Dragonflies. We long to wish upon the Dandelion’s and wonder. We relish the Sunflower’s of daylight and the Fireflies warm signal of nightfall. We accept that we are Connected in Love, in Truth and in Spirit. We cling tight the Autumn Vines and accept change, we Breathe.

by Dave Pagano

How awesome is that? Isn't that is the sweetest poem any artist could ask for? This brought tears to my eyes when I read it.  Honestly, it was so unexpected that he was moved to write these words. They made my heart sing with happiness. Thank you so very much Dave, you have an amazing talent, my friend. xoxo

om: dying eggs

Tonight we boiled up some eggs and dyed them for Easter. Nothing too fancy. We used a simple egg dye kit. The boys added some lines and scribbles with a white crayon to get some of the eggs to resist the dye. The also ombre colored a couple. They are excited to hunt for eggs this weekend. Many wishes for a Happy Easter!

One Moment [OM] is a weekly meet up that promotes living in the moment.  Whether funny, sad, ridiculous, or banal, looking for these moments can promote balance in our lives. Anyone can join – read about it here.

art masterpiece: rauschenberg

Art Masterpiece is an art appreciation program offered to elementary children by parent volunteer guides. The goal is to help students look, think and talk about great masterpieces of art. I'm a volunteer guide and I am sharing my art discussions with you in this weekly post. Hope you enjoy it!

Summer Rental No. 2 by Robert Rauschenberg 1960

I have found that kids really enjoy abstract pieces. Especially in Kindergarten. They are used to seeing and thinking about art being pictures of real objects. An abstract painting challenges those thoughts and most of them enjoy seeing this "new" idea of art.

About the Artist: Robert Rauschenberg was born in 1925 and lived to be 82 years old. He is known as an American Pop Artist. Robert became famous for works of art that are collages of every day objects. He searched for a new way of painting, not so serious and more fun.

What do we call art that doesn’t look like real life? Abstract. 

What objects do you see? How do you think he stuck objects on the painting? He called his 3D artwork "combines" because he combined paint with objects such as scraps of clothes, tires and cardboard. This painter liked to pick up junk he found on the street, attach them to canvas and smear with paint. He had fun finding strange ways of putting it all together. One time he put paint on car tire and drove it over paper. 

What types of items would you like to put in a collage?

Let’s talk about the “elements of design” in this painting.

Line Look at the brush strokes where he painted. Do you think he painted fast or slow?

Shape What shapes do you see?

Color Which colors to you see?

Why do you think the artist painted it?  He was trying to get people to see art in everyday things ... If Robert can change the way somebody sees something, then they might see the world differently, so for that person Art has changed the world. And that is what Robert Rauschenberg believed. That's why he spent 61 years being and artist! 

How does it make you feel?

Does this picture make you think about art differently?

Art can be whatever you create. Have fun with it! 

I don't collage much but, I think greeting cards, ribbon, paper, magazine cut outs and paint is what I would likely reach for when I collage. Do you have favorite items to create collages with? 

To see all Art Masterpieces posts, click here.

april goals

“There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.” – Freya Stark

March started out with a bang with my RAW Artist Showcase. I was floating on a cloud for a couple of weeks and so full of gratitude for an amazing event. The rest of the month was a steady wave of activity. I posted lots of new work in my Soiety6 and Fine Art America shops. We had a breather in the middle of the month for the kids Spring Break. Although we stayed home and I worked daily, we kept our afternoons open with kid-centric activities and had a great week together. I wrapped up a custom wedding invitation suite and am sending it off today. The design turned out great and reflects the bride and groom and the location of the event wonderfully. I received my first Yoga Journal magazine this month (woo hoo!) and I finally purchased I'd Rather Be in the Studio by Alyson B. Stanfield (double woo hoo!). I am really excited to dig into that book and check out my free trail for a month of the Artist Conspiracy. 

March Goals 

Business - Profile cleanup. With so many shops and social media outlets I want to spend some time on consistency this month. I need to add my new bio and artist statement to my online profiles and update my profile picture and make sure all available items are posted for sale. Connect online with all the wonderful artists I met at the RAW art show and preschool craft fair. I did a profile overhaul and made them all cohesive with the same picture, bio and artist statement. I have yet to connect with the other artists I met and need to say hello.

Art - finish ladybug painting and begin custom butterfly painting. Ladybug painting is completed and the butterfly painting is in the beginning stages.

Design - complete wedding invitation design, continue work with logo design clients. Wedding invitations completed and shipping out today. I was buried in envelope liners yesterday evening but, I made it through and they turned out great!

Shop - add new jewelry, canvas earrings, note cards, prints to Etsy and also make sure Society6, FAA and Facebook page are all up to date. This is partially updated. I added original artwork, 2 new bracelets and gave my canvas earrings a makeover. 

Read - The Dragonfly Effect. I just finished and it was a great read. Refreshing to read about about marketing for social change. The authors, Aaker and Smith, break down popular campaigns that used social media well and explain the hows and whys.  The book is very easy to read. The premise is that there are 4 facets of a successful campaign or promotion: Focus, Grab Attention, Engage, Take Action. They liken this to the four wings of a dragonfly that, when using all four of its wings, can fly in any direction, not just forward. The authors present many case studies on how social media can trigger change. Though it's directed at nonprofit organizations, anyone interested in social media would benefit from this book.

Family - Spring Break! See friends, hike, roller skate, watch The Lorax and enjoy a St Patty's Day parade and farmer's market. Had a wonderful Spring Break. Kids declared it the best week ever! So, you can't beat that.

Health - work on not eating after 7:30 pm. I did okay on this. It did stop me from snacking "some" nights. I am going to continue to work on this. I really want to kick my late night snacking habit. I am weak when I am tired! 

Soul - continue meditating in the evening, find a video on you tube to help guide me, journal every day. This declined this month immensely. I need to bring my nighttime meditating back. It was really good for me. Journal writing isn't my thing so, if I could journal once a week I would be happy.

Creative Every Day *mixed media* - Suggestions: Create art in a mixed-media style, Film yourself at work and share it, Put on music and draw the way the music makes you feel, Create a collage of found items (junk mail, screws, keys, bits of yarn.), Express yourself in an art journal. I created this mixed media piece, showed my work in progress in this mixed media piece and updated my vision board.

April Goals 

Business - Check out www.score.org. They have great resources on their website, and offer free mentoring sessions with a seasoned professional. I need to get my business setup properly for growth. Connect with artist's I met last month.

Art - Begin custom butterfly painting and continue to work on mermaid painting.

Blog - Create a Wedding page. Think about blog series and schedules.

Design - Begin on new wedding invitation design client, continue work with logo design clients.

Shop - Add art necklace, note cards and 8x10 prints to Etsy. Add "Willow Tree" and "Ladybug Flowers" to Etsy, Society6, FAA and Facebook.

Read - Wheat Belly and I'd Rather Be in The Studio.

Family - Celebrate Ethan's 8th Birthday, Easter and Earth Day!

Health - No snacking after 7:30 pm. Start my day with hot water and lemon (somewhere I stopped this). Check out the yoga class at my local recreation center.

Soul - Meditate every evening, journal (written or art) weekly.

Creative Every Day *language* - Suggestions: Let the origins of a word inspire you. Use pages of a book in a mixed media piece. Try expressing yourself through the language of movement. Express yourself in an art journal.

 If you would like to join in The Meetup biz goals fun, head on over to Athena Dreams.