Tag: artoverload
When I Don’t Feel Creative: My Top 6 Fixes
Am I the only one that has moments when the creative muse takes a vacation? When you don’t feel creative…what do you do?
This is a topic that seems to raise it’s head when I’m the busiest. I have tons to do but can’t seem to rid myself of the cobwebs long enough to get through it. Well…when I don’t feel creative here’s my top 6 fixes I put into action to try to coax my muse around.
1. I clean. Believe me when I say cleaning is not my favorite thing but wandering around the studio, organizing, and picking things up always seems to loosen up the creative spirit. Not only does it help clear the cobwebs but I always seem to find things I had forgotten I had. And those things seem to sneak into my next creations!
2. Pull out the sketch books and doodle. Draw anything…straight lines, stick figures, swirls…anything and everything! Just put pen or pencil to paper and see what manifests itself. I draw whatever comes to mind and pay no attention to whether it is “art” or not. Just the simple putting pen to paper allows me to feel more creative.
3. Take a break…go eat something, have tea or coffee maybe a glass of water or take a handful of vitamins. Just be for a few minutes.
4. This goes along with taking a break but do something goofy with your family. Go lighten up and be free with comedy! Laugh lots and then laugh some more. Play cards, dig out a board game…watch a silly movie. I promise being crazily happy with laughter will take your mind off things and your muse will crawl back without you noticing.
5. Find your creative peeps and do something together! Lean on your tribe for support when you can’t find your own muse…maybe one of theirs will pop over and let you borrow some ideas!
6. Sleep it off until the next day. Sometimes all you need is a good nights sleep and all things appear new again.
Be kind to yourself. Those moments of “stuck” never hang out for long. That muse will come running back.
Until next time!
Show Ready: The Season Of Crazy
So it’s October. The days are getting shorter and the nights have a certain chill in the breeze that wasn’t noticeable a month ago.
For me this time of year means it’s almost show season…the season of crazy and high gear! 15 hour days. 7 days a week. All the way through December.
I thought you might like a peek into how I get show ready and how crazy it can be. Let’s start with the state of my studio…
So. I feel the need to explain. When one tries to be show ready several things seem to explode. The most common occurrence happens all over the flat surfaces. Things seem to multiply. Procreate. This area is actually 2 feet wide and 8 feet long. Guess how much of it I can work on right now? Um. Yeah. None of it. Moving on…
This is my main work area. Yes. I still have a 12″ square to work in. Really! I do. A square foot. Yeah.
My resin area. You get the idea. Show ready means every surface is covered in something that needs to be beaded, wired, coated, sanded, tagged, cured, colored, painted, glued, left alone, cast, patinaed, ground, sawed, polished, sealed…and or finished in some way. Otherwise show ready would just be a myth.
More to come…
Ice Resin Play: Rings & Things
Welcome to my world of ICE resin with rings and other things!
If you haven’t played with ICE resin you need to get your keys and head for the nearest craft store to pick up a package of it…right now!! (also available in my shop) The cup above photographed a touch yellow in the light of my studio but it isn’t. It is perfectly clear. Those few bubbles all went away with a blow of breathe through a straw passed over the top.
My set up is on a tray for several reasons. A tray allows for many projects to be set out at one time, it’s easily moved if i need the space at the table, and simple to level if my work surface is wonky. It’s lined with a silicone mat so drips don’t mess up it’s surface.
At the top of the tray are some faux druzy experiments using the chunky German glass glitter from the Iced Enamels line. Moving right a skull and enameled (Iced Enamels of course) ring that i made from scratch…meaning that i actually made the metal ring base. A new skill i’ve been working on (read obsessed over).
Coming clockwise along the bottom there are six skully bezels. Lots of Ice Enamels plus a layer of yummy opal mica flakes…my favorite! Under those are some polymer clay transfers coated in resin and almost ready for beading into earrings.
Last but not least an open back ring that resembles the outside frame of a pocket watch. The lady’s face on the left is a tape transfer for that circle. Hopefully it will come out the way i want it. See through and a memento of my clients Mother.
And then there are these. Giant copper trays that i soldered onto etched rings bands. Filled with huge artsy fartsy paper colages…and more enameling. They are just waiting for resin.
Next time i’ll show you how the resin changes them…
Always,
Susan
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Creative Overload with a Side of Geek
Say hello to Dr. Evil…and my slightly bemused son.
The last Sunday of July we had the privilege of participating in one of the largest geek, nerd, science fiction, super hero conventions in the world. San Diego Comic Con. Wow…what an enthusiastic crowd!
Of course there were super celebrities and super heroes but the unsung “hero” of this show are all the super, super talented artists through out the show floor. The drawings and paintings were extraordinary. Comic characters drawn right in front of our eyes…amazing! Caricatures, pencil drawings, sharpie marker sketches…it was all there.
Then there were the “you tubers” and my daughters latest obsession…Markiplier. She watches him all the time. These young guys are an entirely new form of “celebrity.”
Ben Affleck’s new Batman cowl debuted alongside these two artwork cowls. Handpainted and drawn…pretty amazing!
For next year i intend to do some homework and research some of these talented artists. Really soak up some inspiration.
Did you attend this year?
