SF: Greed

This week's topic for Friday April 6th: Sin #2: GREED!

This is an ugly one as well....uuuuh! What is it you are greedy about or feel greedy about? Is it material or is it a behavior? Are you greedy for emotions? Do you hoard? How do you want to change for the better? It can be small steps or do you rather take a big step to change?

Sometimes when life gets very busy, I get greedy for time - time by myself, time to rediscover myself. Mostly though, I'm greedy for supplies. When it comes to my knitting, I want lots of yarn and knitting needles. For my art, I want lots of supplies just in case I want to try something new or just in case I run out of something and need it right now.

Cheap supplies, expensive supplies, it doesn't matter. Tiny bits of paper, ancient tubes of paint, they're all stashed away somewhere. In my mind, I can see a use for all of them.

Unfortunately, I also have supplies that I've hardly used, like those colored pencils or oil pastels I bought, just to see if I like using them.

My goal is to finally throw out those old dried up tubes of paint and to actually use some of these supplies I've been saving before I go out and buy more. Now about those inks I've been wanting lately....

SF: Sin #2: GLUTTONY

This week's topic for Friday March 30th: Sin #2: GLUTTONY!

What do you overindulge in during your days in your studio while creating? Food or drink? How bad is it and how bad is it for you? How are you planning on changing it?

Actually when I'm deep in thought or painting or drawing, I tend to underindulge. It's only when I need a break and get up to walk around that I grab something to eat and drink. I forget all about the need for food and drink. If there is anything I overindulge in, though, it would be coffee. I have to start my day with coffee but not just any coffee. It's usually Peet's Coffee, although I try other coffees from time to time. While it's probably bad for me, it's one indulgence I'm not planning on changing. Most of the time, I actually prefer food that's good for me, so this is my little daily rebellion.

SF: Fragile

This week's topic for Friday March 9th : FRAGILE!

What is the most fragile in your studio? What makes it so fragile? What would you do without it and where do you keep it so it is safe and won't break?

Other than my sometimes wavering self-confidence, the most fragile thing in my studio are my family photos. Some are particularly old and dog-eared. Most are irreplaceable. Of course, there are some current family photos. It's the photos of family members who passed long ago that I treasure the most. They keep me connected to ancestors and family members I have never met or only briefly met. A few are framed and placed on a bookcase. Most are carefully stored in a box in the closet. Every now and then, I will bring them out and wonder what it would be like to know them then. Would my parents seem like different people than the ones I grew to know through my perspective as their child? Do I really see a part of myself in that distant ancestor?

SF: Quoted

This week's topic for Friday February 23rd suggested by Robyn: QUOTED!

"Quotes are so inspiring. They give us comfort in rough times or the push we need to overcome our obstacles or fears. They enlighten us and give clarity and "A-ha's". Some we keep around for a life time and let them guide us, others we forget about. We work with them maybe or pass them on to others."~ Robyn

I don't often remember to save quotes I like. This one inspired me because it seems so true of me. It's hard for me to be inspired when I'm overly self-conscious. Besides, I'm a fan of Aaron Copeland.

"Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness."
- Aaron Copeland

Another quote comes from one of my favorite, well worn little books, The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler.

"At times Joy is elusive - she seems to disappear even as we approach her. I see her standing on a ridge covered with oak trees, and suddenly the distance between us feels enormous. I am overwhelmed and wonder if the effort to reach her is worth it. Yet, she waits for us. Her desire to walk with us is as great as our longing to accompany her."

Find more Studio Friday Quotes here.

SF: Drawing a Blank

This week's topic for Friday February 16th: Drawing a blank!

It's one of the most feared events in the life of an artist. Sometimes it can take a long time to overcome this sudden stop of the creative juices. What do you do? How do you act and react? How do you get back to splashing around in all colours? Do you fight it or work with it?

There was a time when I didn't do much art for several years. I'm not sure why; a number of reasons most likely. I had a very hard time getting back into a creative routine. After all, what if I had lost my creative inspiration and skill? Art supplies are expensive. What if I just end up wasting them all? So I started back slowly with some inexpensive art supplies for children, an inexpensive sketchbook, some colored paper, some pictures cut out from magazines, and some other collected items. With some collages and quick sketches, I slowly got into my creative routine again.

Even though I'm past that major hurdle, I still have times when I don't have any ideas. During those times, I'll try to get outside and maybe go for a walk. I'll drive a different route to work and back. There's lots of inspiration at thrift stores, dollar stores, galleries, museums, and artist web sites. It also helps me to look at the work of artists who use different media than I use. Last but not least, I get a lot of inspiration from the ideas and sketches in my sketchbooks. My sketchbooks contain not only sketches but also ideas, techniques, pasted in pictures of things I like, abstract drawings, and thoughts. I can usually find a subject to start working on. Before I know it, the creative juices are flowing again.

See more Studio Friday here.

SF: The perfect art book

This week's topic for Friday February 9th: The perfect art book!
"As I was talking about books so much lately... if there was the ideal book for you as an artist on studios and life as an artist what would be the absolute most important thing in your eyes for it to have in it? What kinds of topics, elements, images would you love to have in it? A few words from your favourite artist as well? What would inspire you, what would support you, give you courage? Would you like it to be a big book with tons of pages or a small book?"


Ah, the perfect art book. It would have to be a very large book encompassing the books I use most often. Some would say I have too many books. The book would need to cover techniques of all kinds. Sometimes the starting point for a picture comes from a technique I haven't tried. Other times, I just need to find a technique that will give the effect I need. The book would need to have lots of pictures from nature. To me, the patterns in nature are so inspiring. For those times when I'm not feeling so inspired, I would want some material on creativity. That would include some text on artists and creativity so I wouldn't feel so alone in my feelings and some suggested exercises to help get me out of my slump. Finally it would include some pictures from a wide variety of artists using a variety of media. Some of my favorites include Georgia O'Keefe and Debbie New. It would also need to include artists that are new to me such as this fiber artist I found recently, Karen Kamenetzky who combines science and fiber art. Hmm, maybe it needs to be a self updating book.

SF: Travels

This week's topic for Friday January 12th suggested by Hanne: TRAVELS!

"Travelling is a wonderful possibility to open for new inspiration and ideas. I´ll say it´s actually one of the greatest advantages to travelling!

A lot of new impressions and probably also new materials to bring home for future artwork. Maybe new friends - who knows? Anyway, I thought it could be very interesting to know where other bloggers travel. And if you don´t travel right now because of limited econonomy or other restrictions - I think we always travell in our mind: dreaming of somewhere in the countryside - or maybe a big city loaded with museums, galleries and flea markeds for new "input" for our studios and art."
~ Hanne

The first place I thought about when I read this week's topic was our trip to the Grand Canyon in Arizona year before last. Pictures just can't express that feeling you get when you first see it in person. Miles of ordinary desert landscape suddenly drop away into an immense canyon. I've gotten more inspiration from the Grand Canyon and its history than any other place I've visited.

When a major trip isn't possible, though I like to visit a museum.

See more Studio Friday here.

Studio Friday: Changing Names

This week's topic for Friday January 5th suggested by Susan: CHANGING NAMES...

"I've been reading Twyla Tharp's book The Creative Habit and here's an idea from her book - " the ancient masters of Japanese art were allowed to change their name once in their lifetime. They had to be very selective about the moment in their career when they did so. They would stick with their given name until they felt they had become the artist they aspired to; at that point, they were allowed to change their name. For the rest of their life, they would work under the new name at the height of their powers." So let's presume we are at the height of our careers - what name would you choose and why? "
~ Susan

This is interesting. I am currently reading this book and I just finished this section. (It's a good book, by the way.) When my mom named me, she wanted me to have a different name. As a kid, though, I hated my name. It didn't help that at the start of school every year, I was always on the boys list instead of the girls list. My middle name just added to the confusion. I would spend countless hours thinking up new and "better" names. One of those names was Gloria. In my mind, I was Gloria for about a year. It seemed the complete opposite of my given name. But as time went on, I started to like my name. I liked the fact that it was different. I didn't mind the gender confusion. Now my name seems like a part of who I am, or maybe I am who I am because of my name. At one time I volunteered on a crisis line and I chose an alternate name for privacy reasons. It never did feel like it fit me. So while I can fully understand why someone would want to change their name, I'm happy with mine now.

Read more Studio Friday here.

Studio Friday: Proud Artist Of...

"How about you show a piece of art, or something that you have made in your studio, that really nobody has seen and you are proud of. "
~ Lee

I had to think about this for a while. My goal this year has been to actually show off my work, rather than just stashing it away. So I went back through my old stuff, and I mean really old stuff, and came up with this one. Up until this point, I viewed my sketchbook as just a place to practice my drawing technique. This painting came right out of material in my sketchbook. That's when I realized that my sketchbook was a good source for future paintings. You can see the transition in the type of material in this sketchbook from that point. I like it because I see it as a transition.

See more art at Studio Friday.

Studio Friday: Purely White

This week's topic for Friday December 15th suggested by Jo: PURELY WHITE!

"All these colour combos have given me an idea, especially with christmas coming...to do a 'white christmas' studio friday...where artists put together whatever they want...only using neutrals...or to be really strict....white, (being a textile artist its great to get back to basics and to restrict oneself to just one colour, then see how many different surfaces or textures you can find.)"
~ Jo

This is a postcard-sized collage (5.5 x 4.25 inches) using several specialty papers, some tissue paper and some ribbon.

This week's Studio Friday got me thinking how versatile white is. Right now when I think of white, I think of ice and snow and fog. In the summer, white reminds me of clouds, white sandy beaches, sea shells, and white cotton clothes. White in painting gives us those wonderful highlights.

You can see more Studio Friday at here.

Studio Friday: Favorite Color Combos

Travel watercolors and watercolor pencils.

This week's topic for Friday December 1st suggested by Sharla: MY FAVOURITE COLOUR COMBOS!

" I make jewelry and I find that I have certain color combinations that tend to be my favorite and I use more often. So I would love to see what color combinations everyone likes to use".
~ Sharla

Hmm... I always have trouble with questions like this. I don't really have favorite colors or color combinations. It's like asking a parent which child is their favorite child. The colors I choose are affected by the subject I'm painting but they are also affected by my mood. Sometimes I'm attracted to certain subjects because of their color. I notice that I often focus of certain colors when I paint. This year I went through a noticeable red phase, followed by a brief blue, green, and brown phase. Right now I'm more attracted to yellow and orange or yellow, magenta and purple to brighten up those gloomy days we've been having. It's nice to wallow in a certain color or color combination to get the feel of it and explore its limits before moving on to a different color.

See more Studio Friday here.

Studio Friday: Comfort

This week's topic for Friday November 24th suggested by Lisa: COMFORT!

" I recently splurged on a new office chair, and it is making a huge difference in how my back and neck feel at the end of the day, since I spend a lot of time at my computer. Now that the weather has turned a little chilly in the mornings, I'm using my heated lap blanket on my chair to make my work spot even cozier. I wonder what other artists do to make their studios more comfy. Comfort foods? Family photos on the wall? A cozy spot for an afternoon nap?".
~ Lisa

My major comfort is the day bed that I talked about for Studio Friday Indulgences. Since my studio is also the guest bedroom and home office, it serves a useful purpose but it's also the spot where I can read, nap, and think about my projects. My other comfort, especially on these colder days, is my woven shawl that I keep on my desk chair. It keeps me toasty warm on cold mornings or evenings when I'm writing, reading, or sketching.

See more Studio Friday here.

Studio Friday: This Is Me!

This week's topic for Friday November 17th suggested by Jill: THIS IS ME!

" How about photographing a collage of the things we work with? An arranged collection of papers and embellishments, or fabrics and trims, or paints and paintbrushes, or whatever it is we do that says "this is me." I know we did tools and supplies already, but I thought it would be fun to create a little collage of all the things we use - tools and supplies both, and even other things like a favorite cd, dvd, cup of coffee, nail polish etc that say "this is me and this is what I do".
~ Jill

This is me, or at least me when I'm painting, drawing, or doing some other creative thing. Starting at the upper left is:

• Coffee
• Fiber for spinning
• Color wheel
• Traveling art supplies
• Sock knitting
• Paint
• My reference books
• A variety of sketchbooks and journals
• Brushes

You can see more Studio Friday here.

Studio Friday: Studio Indulgences

This week's topic for Friday November 10th suggested by naomi: STUDIO INDULGENCES!

" What can't you live without in your studio."
~ naomi

My "studio" has always been a multi-purpose room. It's my home office, my studio, and the guest bedroom. But the last purpose, the guest bedroom, has been because it has the daybed in it. In reality though, we have other places guests could sleep. The real reason I have the daybed in this room is because I want it there. It's the place where I relax and take naps. It's the place where I read books and magazines (another indulgence).

Most important, it's the place where I sit down with a cup of coffee (yet another indulgence), spread out books and papers and contemplate where I'm going with my next project.

Read about more studio indulgences at Studio Friday.

Studio Friday: Interconnected

This week's topic for Friday November 3rd suggested by Nancy Bea: I AM INTERCONNECTED!

" I am not thinking of connections one might feel to other "great artists" of the past or inspiring, high-profile contemporaries, but the connections that help keep you happy in the studio. Artist friends you get together with for critiques or just coffee and supportive conversation.
For instance I am in a group of four women who get together for all of that, plus find venues to occasionally show together, and we encourage each other in every possible way. Maybe you are part of a class or group that gets together to try out new techniques once a month. Or do you have a beloved teacher you still talk with on occsaion who helps you feel connected to and strengthened by your past. Isolation can cause fear and despondancy: the artist alone in the ivory tower is often the one who commits suicide or stops working! We are all interconnected and honoring and recognizing that is an immense comfort and inspiration and source of strength for me, and I am sure for others too."
~ Nancy Bea

What an appropriate time for this topic! Lately I've missed my fellow artists and teachers. My interactions with the Internet community have been important to me lately but I've missed flesh and blood people around to discuss art. Last weekend I went to the artists' reception for the Tennessee Valley Art Association member exhibit where I was showing a couple of my pieces. It was so nice just to hang around and talk about art for a while. This is a very welcoming art association and this exhibit is one of my favorites. It's an exhibit where almost anything goes. You can see sculpture, pottery, painting, drawing, photography, collage, and fiberarts. The artists range from high school age to artists in their 80s and 90s. It's a wonderful reminder of the various forms that creativity takes. I had a great time. It was also a reminder that even though I have local friends who are artists, I don't get together with them enough. The interaction renews my inspiration and gives me the courage to try new things. Speaking of which, I think I'll go exercise my creativity a bit.

View more Studio Friday here.

Studio Friday: My Collection

This week's topic for Friday October 27th suggested by Silvia: MY COLLECTION(S)!

"Most people collect something, it would be fun to see what others have in their collections."
~ Silvia

When I first started thinking about this topic, it seemed like I didn't have a large collection of anything other than books. (I love books of all kinds.) I tend to get a few thing that interest me and then I'm off to something else. Then I remembered my pottery. My collection of pottery has been with me a long time. While it's not very large, it has grown steadily. Whenever I'm at an arts festival or a gallery and have some extra money, I'll often buy a piece of pottery. Family and friends have given me pieces over the years. These are a few of my favorite pieces. They have a variety of styles, but all are loved and used. There's just something about the care and inspiration that has gone into each piece that makes it a delight to use.

Studio Friday: Autumn Inspiration

This week's topic for Friday October 20th suggested by Kerri: AUTUMN INSPIRATION!

"Autumn inspiration - According to my calendar, today (Sept 22) is the "Autumnal Equinox," and it's my favorite season, so show me what you love about the fall - the colors?... the leaves?...etc."~ Kerri

Here's some pictures from around the house, except the tree. The picture of the tree was taken down the street. Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. I love the crisp, clean feel of the air. I love the colors of the leaves, the berries on the bushes, pumpkins and winter squashes, and the bright blue sky on clear days. It's also the time of year when the smell of homemade breads, soups, pies and warm apple cider permeate the air. Autumn is full of good days for staying at home, planning projects, painting, knitting, and cooking.

See more Studio Friday Autumn Inspirations here.

Studio Friday: Fear

This week's topic for Friday October 13th suggested by Casey: FEAR!

"I have been away from Studio Friday for a while, and I really struggled with the toot your own horn topic. It actually made me do some free-writing and I thought of another topic that might be helpful for some of the studio friday artists: Fear."

What an appropriate time to join Studio Friday than when the topic is Fear. I've been meaning to join for a while now but I keep finding a reason to put it off. I don't really have a fear of things like spiders, flying, heights, snakes, hideous accidents or anything like that. My art is another thing entirely, though.

First there's the fear of failure. Not the fear of individual failed pieces but the fear that they will all be failures, that I will be a failure. I'm getting past this though. I have to remind myself that I mostly do art because I enjoy it and because it's who I am.

Then there's the fear that comes with the start of each individual painting. Every painting seems to go through it's ugly stage. Early on you wonder if you're just wasting paper and paint. I have to keep reminding myself to push on. I learn something from every painting, even failures. So with each step I take, the fear gets better. Each painting is a stepping stone to who I am now.

The painting here is one of my favorites, an older watercolor painting on the news media and fear.

You can see more Studio Friday here.