mjd - release - stitched pouch/mat - 2015

our life is made up of moments,

ephemeral in nature.

but in the midst of them

they are as solid as stone.

each one adds

to the one before

creating a work 

of intricacy and depth.

each one holds 

its own significance

yet none 

should define you. 

with every breath 

you are new

and opportunity is reborn. 

learn to dwell 

in the present

and 

in the presence

of all life's wonder. 

new beginnings -

wishing for you - 

opportunities to 

break out of your shell

so you might try 

something new.

what i did this weekend ~

this weekend brought the opening of the monmouth festival of the arts... a show i had been making pieces for since december... emily came with me to the gala on saturday night and we got to see all kinds of wonderful art... sadly, i was only allowed to take pictures of my case... 


this was part 3A of my personal april challenge... 1 & 2 had to do with submissions... as these dates approached, i began to wonder if this 'feel the fear and do it anyway' thing was working... but they came and went and i met the deadlines... 


up until 24 hours ago (and my chest is pounding as i write about this) i was ready to write about this alter-ego of mine... who seems to take over now when i am presented with opportunities to try new things - she did/does not consult me, rather jumps in with both feet... then looks back at me and says 'this will be good for you, you'll see.'


almost in tears yesterday morning, i was not so sure she was right... you see, i had agreed to do a demo at the festival - part 3B of the april challenge... in january, the email came in - 'anyone who wishes to do a demo, please let so-and-so know with the title and topic of what you would like to do'... bam, the alter wrote right back to the co-ordinator... she didn't even ask me! i tried to put this in perspective, after all - some of you guys are teaching at bead fest, teaching regularly, at retreats, at big shows... i know this - i admire you for it and give you so much credit...

ok, so by now you know that facing fears is a big topic for me - and it is something i like to talk about because i know that lots of us feel that way... a piece of personal history - my mother tells me that the month before kindergarten  started, i asked her if it was going to be too hard for me... if i was smart enough to do the work... and i asked the same question for many years... seems i still do... 

i have begun to get comfortable sending in to publications because i don't see anyone's face... i still get the 'can i do this?' feeling about the idea and writing, but i am not at risk of stammering and shaking in front of a real live person... 

now i had VOLUNTEERED to do this at a very busy festival... and guess what? they most kindly gave me a sunday time slot... actually, you were asked to give them 2 time slots and they would make the final selection... my alter picked sunday and tuesday... the festival very nicely gave me sunday - the busiest day... there is a fine line between being excited and terrified... i was not bordering on terrified, by friday i was - certifiably... 

i knew i was going to have to create the components in all of the steps... that i would have to jump ahead 2 - 3 days in under 2 hours... so i busied myself with that part... 

as i realized i couldn't even think about it without shaking (i get nervous reading to a classroom of kindergarteners if that puts this in perspective for you) i knew i would need a thorough outline... just to keep me moving along in case i got stuck... 

got there, had about 16 -20 people in attendance - including emily, a very dear friend and a woman i met through etsy - and gulped... it helped immensely that they were interested and asked lots of questions... in truth, i got asked so many questions it felt more like a class than a demo... and i was grateful that the ice resin people have an 'ask the ice queen' place on their site... and then it happened, i was having fun... 

i walked out of there on clouds - the coordinator asked how it went and i said, 'great!' not 'fine'... i hope someday to know enough to maybe do some teaching at classes... i still get nervous thinking about it... but i am grateful to this alter of mine who pushes me now... who is showing me that with the proper preparation, kindergarten is not too hard for me... 

have you seen ~

have you heard?

loads of movies are seen by members of my household - somebody has to help the creators of film! so we had been going back and forth about 'avatar', james cameron's newest film... with a budget of over $200 million, one thinks of his blockbuster 'titanic'... so why hasn't there been a big stir? or did i miss it? or ~ i have another theory, but that comes later... 

'the secret to film is that it is an illusion.'

~ george lucas

love, love, love fantasy and sci-fi... and i had heard about the incredible cgi in this movie... ok, that's great... but what about plot, characters? will i care? i can appreciate great visual beauty... but i want to feel... i want my heart to ride a rollercoaster... i want to pull for the underdog, i want to marvel at it all... 

so i expect a lot... but i should, right, from a film with this kind of budget?

i had no idea that movie theaters were so crowded the day after christmas, i thought every one would be hanging at home, hungover from the activity... i wouldn't have gone anywhere, except that i had promised we would go... and it was pouring! my parents arrived at the first theater only to find it was sold out... so we headed to a different one and just got in on time... 

we sat down, the movie started... when we arrived on pandora i was dumbstruck (ok, maybe i shouldn't say that, i don't talk in movies) i was awestruck...

at its core, the story line is not new... but then history keeps repeating itself, so it is quite relevant... in a way, it is because of this that it is so moving... so sad...

when a bioluminescent forest scene came on, all i could think was how incredible it must have been for cameron... how 12 years ago when he wrote the story and dreamed, there was no way for him to create  this world complete with a new language... and when it got figured out, how incredibly & utterly rewarding it must feel...

it is in 3D, but not the kind that is used for shock, you know when things come flying out at you... not the kind that makes you sick... rather it immerses you in his world... it is subtle and necessary... 

later in the film i was thinking about how amazing it was that despite the visual grandeur, i wasn't oohing and aahing anymore about it, the story had me in its grip... so seamlessly did he meld acting, storytelling and scenery that it was balanced... 

'the length of a film should be directly related

to the endurance of the human bladder.'

~ alfred hitchcock

good point, oh master of suspense... it is long - 162 min... so don't buy a drink! you won't want to leave...

there are those who are criticizing many aspects of it, saying he copies storyline, but as i have pointed out - this is so relevant because the theme is universal and so of course it has been told before in different ways... people are pointing to movies it is like instead of the historical events that inspired those other movies... dig deeper, think bigger...  that it is the way of a war-like species, a species that colonizes, that doesn't respect the ways of indigenous people... some take pokes at the spiritual aspect... ok, so now i am going to really stick my neck out and say that i felt at home there... i really and truly did... 

but back to the first query - about why this isn't making such a stir... i think you will understand when you sit there... i think that you too will feel that you are seeing something completely different and groundbreaking... like when you saw the first 'star wars'... like when you read the harry potter books as they were being written, and understood that you were in on the ground level of something... that in a century, they would be considered children's classics and you got to read them in real time... i felt like this was the equivalent of seeing the first talkie or film in color... you know this is special... you know that things will change... but you also know that people sometimes aren't ready for it until others have paved the way... 

as a mom, i took my kids - ages 11, 13 and 17... it is pg-13... blood is kept to a minimum... but there are battle scenes & violence... if your kids have seen 'transformers' or 'star wars', i think you might be ok with this... the epic battle was powerful... this movie is not all about beauty... but that makes it mean something... for neither is life... 

'you should see your faces!'

~ trudy - the fighterpilot

i needed to sit through the credits (i wanted to actually) just to decompress and absorb... but it is an impressive group - skywalker sound, weta workshop, lucas films - brought in to create this world... i know i used a lot of superlatives in this post, so forgive me... but i really do feel this way... and if you go, and you are interested, do a search in your tv listings for an hbo: behind the scenes segment (i happen to have verizon, so it is in my search)... it will give you an even greater understanding... because when i got home, i wanted to know 'how' and 'why'... 

you are going to love this ~

[artist] noun

1. a person whose work shows exceptional creative ability or skill.
2. a person who expresses themselves through a medium.

this definition of the artist comes from the inside cover of a new magazine called 'touched creatively' ...  jodi ulschmid is not only an artist who has her own etsy shop & blog, but is also the editor of this magazine and its companion blog ... her mission is one that fills my heart with gratitude & joy... both magazine & blog profile those who are pursuing a personal path paved with the hard work & dedication it takes to follow their inner muse...

'if you can change the way people think, 

the way they see themselves,

the way they see the world.

if you can do that, you can change the way people live their lives.

and that's the only lasting thing you can create.'

- chuck palahniuk

jodi is trying to do just this... in an age of mass production and dollar stores, items that have been touched by the hands and imaginations of people are sorely needed... but more importantly, the public needs to see the value of these creations... objects of daily art that reaffirm our connection to each other,  to the unique voice we all have... objects that keep our environment from being sterile... some of my most favorites possessions (even though i try very hard not to be attached to material things, i have a deep love and appreciation for all kinds of art... and so i like to be surrounded by some of them) have fingerprints embedded in them forever... i love this!

'weathering the storm'

i would like to share with you what she wrote to me when i enquired how and why she branched out into the publishing world:

'I grew up knowing I wanted to create, but people around me always said 'you can't make a living from fine art'. So the closest major to what I most enjoyed was Graphic Design. After graduating and finding a good design job, I found there was something still missing in my life. When hearing so many co-workers say they 'wished' they could be creating art from their home, my mind started to wander. Then my husband and I had our little girl and my world changed. I realized how quickly life passes by. I didn't want to miss the big moments in my daughter's life and I figured what did I have to lose doing art and design from my home? I also didn't want to be the person who just 'wished'; I wanted to see what I could make happen.

It was my husband who sparked the idea of the magazine. He told me about a new company, MagCloud, that prints magazines for anyone. He suggested that I publish one featuring my art with someone else's. Little did he know I would end up with several artists across the US in my first issue. Why did I get so many artists? Well, I know that there are many people wanting to create. Some are just starting down their creative path and some are looking for more exposure. The purpose of Touched Creatively is to form connections, to inspire individuals of possibilities within their own lives, to encourage creativity and promote the handmade community. Handmade work can't even compare to mass produced items and buyers need help seeing this. Originality, quality, thoughtfulness and care goes into the making of a handmade item and this is what Touched Creatively wants to showcase.

I am a firm believer in following your dreams. You'll never know what could happen unless you try. I'm continuing on my creative journey, always learning and being inspired by the world around me, and hoping to touch hearts along the way with special meanings and purpose.'

this community is so nurturing & proactive... let's spread the word about jodi and 'touched creatively'...

new blogger & zombie walk update -

'there are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.

one is roots; the other, wings.'

-hodding carter

my daughter emily has started her own blog - she is a free spirited creative writer with an inherited tendency toward the sarcastic... and, as tamekah once commented on a post here, kids see the world through a fresh lens... it's thought provoking, refreshing, sweet and challenging... everything they are supposed to be! she is also a cinema & literary fiend... a child i am very proud to be able to call my own... 

also, nj zombie walk is estimating at upwards of 1500 participants in the lurch through asbury... we are already psyched for next year! oh, & i thought you would probably appreciate this, while watching 'zombieland' i was figuring out how to make woody harrelson's turquoise necklace - geek!!

learning

'i am always doing that which i cannot do,
in order that i may learn how to do it.'
- pablo picasso

my experiments with polymer clay are continuing... the first night i decided to try darker clays & was thinking i was going to have something called pearl-ex to use as a highlighter... however, at the two craft stores i went to, they didn't have it... from the depths of my mind was something whispering 'alcohol based ink'... i figure that had to have come from reading a post by heather at humblebeads or lynn at llyynn ... because they really are the pros... so i went back to the craft store and got some of them along with some lighter colored clays... i applied some different colored inks to some of the darker clay beads to see what would happen... the blue bead in the upper left corner has slate on it, the one under it has the meadow green on it...

when i applied the inks to a lighter clay bead, it put the light color into relief... the inks have a watercolor type finish the way i did it using a felt pad... some of the beads are just testers to see how the ink colors come out after baking... and what they look like on different base colors... they got much more subtle... so i am wondering if i should be applying them afterward sometimes... i am not sure if i like the green... & the different effects you can get... i like the way they bleed... my favorites are from the top two rows... zoa art today had a post showing a current mag containing an article on polymer clay, so i think i will try to grab that...
these beads happened when i applied ink to the rubber stamp itself... then i added some extra color to the one on the right... i do like the kind of distressed look they have... the middle one was a thought for the abs challenge this month - then i realized it's the 29th already!

re: a cube - that was trickier than i had realized as you have to push into the stamp to get the imprint... as you turn sides, it got sloppier - i was ok with how it was by 3 sides, sometimes... am going to keep at this... just to see what happens...

did you do anything different today?

this is what started it...

this unassuming intake valve that most people never see... it's all my brother's fault! he brought us pieces of his vw van's engine that he rebuilt/restored so that the kids could understand the engine hands on... yeah, he's pretty cool! i saw that original vw symbol and wanted to be able to make an imprint... it distracted me most of the day...
my stream of consciousness way of thinking led me to luthien and cindy pack... luthien has been posting about her work with polymer clay - i really love tutorials and appreciate the time it takes to put one up... she has even gotten to the point of opening another etsy shop for that work... good luck, luthien! cindy and i go back - thanks to blogger i now have the privilege of knowing her - i was a customer and really admired her work... the picture above is from my stash... don't you love that medusa head? i worked with the clay about 10 years ago or so, making stuff for my kids that they could play with, creating number pins for them to wear to school on their birthdays, teaching them how to use it for school projects...
but now... i admit, i am wanting to see what i can do for my designs... so, i went to a craft store last night 'just to see' ... and i found this awesome stamp that has so many different textures on it... i am envisioning making cubes with different patterns on each side - i don't know if this is going to work or not, but i will give it a try... of course, then there's the whole getting-the-right-color thing ... always the details! :o)

this is of course occurring during a visit from my brother who i haven't seen in a year... and also having to get ready for a show on the 12th (for which i want to do some work with silver like i have been with copper)... but, as leann's post was just about, perhaps the pressure will yield rich rewards...

thought this was a great quote regarding inspiration-

'the artist is a receptacle for emotions that come
from all over the place; from the sky,
from the earth, from a scrap of paper,
from a passing shape, from a spider's web.'
- pablo picasso