Art soothes

Its been a tough week here...I work up Tuesday at 4am...to get to work by 6am...and as I stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen...I glanced out the window and noticed...my car was gone...I had to look twice...yep, the driveway was empty...

Really?  who steals a 17 year old Subaru Outback...another middle-aged women with a golden retriever?  Come to find out from the police that Subaru keys are easy to file down and use in other Subarus...who knew...

After dealing with the police, I wouldn't make it into work on time...I was scheduled for a short shift...so I just stayed home...and after drinking too many cups of coffee and thoroughly reading all three morning newspapers, I decided that I needed to do something to calm down and focus my attention elsewhere...so I went to my work table...and began cutting...and pasting...and sanding...and made some art...

Here's the first piece I completed..."once again"

This piece is part of a collaborative art group on Facebook...each artist using the same vintage target...but each in their own fashion...you can view the entire gallery on Facebook...you don't have to sign in  or belong...get all the details here...

Then I finished up this piece "simple-hearted"...sparked by the remainder of the incredible vintage wallpaper that
I used in "Simplify, simplify"...

 

I like that the vintage blue flower earring (with the back removed) mimics the blue clover flower...

And then later in the day...a package arrived...

it was almost too beautiful to open...that French paper triangle hat is to die for...

but I did...

Belle Brocante is an awe-inspiring blog...recently there was a week of giveaways...I was a lucky recipient...

vintage lace...old buttons...a fabulous artist trading card...a unique French coin...

yes indeed...art soothes...

Fresh Paint wrap-up

I know that it was a week ago that this annual art show wrapped up...but I was immediately thrown into the throes of wedding planning (more on that later) so it took a little extra time to get everything put away, photos organized and blog updated...

It was a great show...beautiful weather (though a tad windy!), gorgeous venue, wonderful camaraderie and happy customers!  Several of my original collages from "a former life" series sold...including one of my favorites...I'm sorry to see it go...but it went to a gentleman who loves irises as much as I do...

There were many great artists...a few of my favorites here...

What...you say you missed the show...or you don't live in the Pacific NW...not to worry...these artists either sell on etsy or you can contact them for info on where to buy their art...

 

Jody Carlson Cain - Latitude Studios - http://latitudejcain.blogspot.com/

Christine Stoll - https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChristineStollOnEtsy

Peter Godwin - http://stores.homestead.com/hstrial-PGodwin/StoreFront.bok

Sarah Bak - https://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahBak

Shelley Holm - From the Alley to the Gallery https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShelleyHolm

Tammi Sloan - My Brown Wren - https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyBrownWren

 

And me...https://www.etsy.com/shop/fourcornersdesign

 

I'm hoping to having my mini collages in my etsy shop by the end of September...but in the meantime, if you are interested in buying one, just email me for details...

Simple gifts, part four

A wedding is always such a joyous occasion...

This bride's colors are white, silver and black...I wanted the gift wrapping to reflect her choices...the white and silver part was easy...white curlicue paper with a silver shimmer, tied up with while tulle...but the black had me stumped for a moment...

Rummaging around the studio...the eureka moment...a touch of black, the mesh weave giving just the right amount of lightness...

Tied up all together...a pretty package...

Want to guess what the black mesh is? 

It's the remains from trimming a black solar window shade...
















Eco-chic voilà!

The dirty dozen

edited with two layers of kk texture deardreamer2
linking up to texture tuesday

Last week I wrote about how inspiring it is to peek inside the work spaces of other creative souls...so I thought it was only fair to give you a peek inside of mine...but you have to remember that I have spent the past weekend at a local art show...not that my space would be any tidier if I had been at home...but its a good excuse!
 

So here are a dozen random shots of my office work space...
taken later in the day so the light is fading...and maybe makes the mess seem more...arty...


I have three large bookcases in my office space...filled with books...and lots of other stuff...

I keep thinking that I'm going to do a great project with old embroidery hoops...you never know...

The framed collage is a piece I made in college...using what was available as supplies to a starving student...magazines...the etched bird is from my high school art class...in between all of the math and science courses, I managed to squeeze in one year of art...







































The print in the back is a page from a catalog I kept while living in London...where "four corners design" was born...I always thought the saying was quite appropriate...

the boards above my desk...one galvanized metal, the other cork...

more mementos...the postcard of the building with the pillars...the hotel my sister and I stayed at when we visited Florence in 1993...when we stayed in the "special" room...

my collection of black croquet balls...with an "8" ball thrown in for good luck...

Since I spend a good chunk of time in here,  it would seem that I would become oblivious to my surroundings...but looking around as I took these photographs, it is clear that their energy influences my work...as evidenced in the collage that I made from scraps on my table one day...

And now, as promised...the winner of my giveaway...a signed author copy of Where Women Create Inspiration is

Claudia

email me at amy_duncan@yahoo.com with your mail address Claudia so I can send this bundle of inspiration to you!

Thanks all for participating...
now I really do need to clean up...pics from the Fresh Paint art show coming up later this week...

Simplify, simplify

Just in time for my art show this weekend, I've finished the last of the series of nail boxes made into multi media assemblages...
  First there was "Precious Life"...
      and then "Cre8"

and now..."Simplify"

As I've mentioned before, the foundation of each collage is an old nail box I picked up at an estate sale last year...I wanted to preserve the grain of the old wood...and all of the markings on the box...so I only painted the interior...and worked primarily within the confines of the inside space...

I incorporated a "Little Blue Book" into each assemblage...and blended it in such a way that is still possible to examine the book more closely if so desired...the library pocket holding this book in place is on the right outside panel of the box...

A bee and a flower...








it really doesn't get much simpler than that...

This collage...along with several others will be at my booth this weekend at Fresh Paint- Festival of Art...
Saturday and Sunday...
10am - 5pm
at the Everett Marina...























I'll be in Booth 24 - stop by and say hi...

and don't forget I have a giveaway going on...you have until Monday to enter...all the details here...

Artists at work...and a giveaway...

Recently I had the sublime pleasure to visit two artist studios/workspaces...I love seeing other artists' spaces...
     how is it organized - or not...
     what tools and materials are at hand...
     what surrounds them as they work...

First up...on Sunday there was a reunion of sorts...those who had taken Seth Apter's Mixed Media Memoire workshop on Whidbey Island in May...John Arbuckle was kind enough to host...in his garage...with art supplies everywhere and plenty of table space, I was able to just about finish my journal that I started at the May workshop...surrounded by other artists in the midst of creating helped to motivate me...


www.artjuvenation.blogspot.com

www.jennarizzo.com

www.wendyleelynds.com

I promise that I'll finish my journal soon
so I can share a few of the pages with you...


















The next day I travelled south to Bellevue to meet up with Jan Reingold of Izanna Jewelry...Jan is going to design a necklace for me to wear at a very special wedding...daughter #1 of the Southern Man, who is marrying her own southern man...in Atlanta in early September.

A few of these glass shards from ancient Rome will be the highlight of the piece...
a perfect combo of glint with grunge...












Jan's studio is filled with eye candy...she kept apologizing for the mess...looked like heaven to me...

 

My studio is truly the messy one...getting ready for Fresh Paint art show this coming weekend...and trying to downsize in preparation for a possible move, I'm all about cleaning stuff up and clearing it out...

So I'm offering a giveaway --a copy of Where Women Create Book of Inspiration written by Jo Packham and Jenny Doh...and this copy has been personally signed by Jo Packham...

Its filled with many artist studios to drool over...and I'll have one less book to pack!

Just leave me a comment here on my blog...and include your email if its not activated on your blogger profile otherwise I have no way to contact you...you have until next Monday August 19 to comment...winner announced on Tuesday August 20.  Want a second chance to enter..."like" my four corners design Facebook page and leave a comment over there as well...

back to cleaning up the mess...though likely I'll get distracted...creating once again...