happenstance

Lately I've been finding that the most offhand thought/gesture/action yields the best result...I get the sense sometimes that over-thinking the process just bogs everything down...and grinds inspiration to a halt...

In my year long creative class, be still 52, we've been focusing on real life photos...those vignettes composed in a moment's notice...

I had been trying to photograph a trio of my vintage calipers...no matter what I did, I couldn't find an angle or composition that worked for me...frustrated, I started putting them away when the tiny acorn I picked up on my walk with Calvin caught my eye...I literally threw it on the ottoman (where I was taking photos) and it landed in a caliper...I took a shot, cropped it and...

Cleaning up the dining room table...a stray feather that I picked up from a parking lot over the weekend 
(I know...I pick up a lot of things off the ground), laid it on a stack of ticking to take back to the studio...that looked kinda interesting...grabbed a clock face off my desk to add a third element and took the shot...

More cleanup...composting the sunflowers I bought at the farmers market two weeks ago...a quick snap with my phone camera before the last of the petals drop off...perfectly imperfect...

Finally...trimming my rose bush last week...snipped a few blooms not yet faded...thought it would be fun to compose a vignette with them...place in a vase...put on my white painted table...add a book...maybe a pair of reading glasses...take glasses away...get out stool to shoot from above...remove book...it goes on and on...nothing is right...once again, putting stuff away...still have one of the blooms in a silver vase...I spy my vintage clock faces in my office...toss them on the table...add the vase...that's it...

I think sometimes we make more of something than we need to...must remember...simple is the best...

edited with kk texture lookup

Linking up with kim klassen's Texture Tuesday...more simplicity at its best...

Layer it on

As the seasons change, I like my surroundings to reflect the current mood...so with summer waving goodbye and autumn knocking at the door, its time to put away the seashells and white slipcovers...change it up a little bit...maybe some fall leaves...old books...anything rusty...

Need some help in setting a tone?  I have just the thing...
the latest issue of American Farmhouse Style has hit the newsstands...and in it you will find "5 Steps to Creating a Seasonal Vignette", a simple guide written/photographed by me.  

Using what you already have, I give a simple outline for changing your seasonal decor...for whatever suits your style. 
I firmly believe that your home should reflect who you are and provide a place of comfort and solace...how better than to be surrounded with the things you love.

And of course there are other wonderful articles - from dining alfresco during the fall season to a gorgeous yellow kitchen that I just love...

Come on in autumn...make yourself comfortable...I definitely want to enjoy you before winter makes its appearance...

Daily Ritual

As September begins, life settles down...summer always seems so fancy free...doing as you please at a moment's notice depending on the weather or the mood of the moment...

With the return of autumn, there is going back to school...which seems to get everybody into a routine...establishing a pattern, a rhythm to the day...which makes it easier to keep track of a multitude of responsibilities, duties, appointments and commitments...

Though I don't have young kids to keep track of, there is still plenty of hubbub that needs to be orchestrated... and finding a time and space to be creative can often be relegated to the bottom of the list...

My friend Kate gave me this book for Christmas...and I've been reading snippets of it...discovering how other artists manage their creative process...












I do find its helpful to have a regular routine, especially for the start of the day...I like to ease into the day...and even better if I can have a little solitude...since my work schedule is such that I get up at 3am, I have the quiet of the early morning to drink a cup or two of coffee, check my email, get a brief roundup of news...breakfast, shower - and then out the door at 4:45am...

I'm a list maker - sometimes on paper, sometimes in my head - so I usually have a good idea of what I need to accomplish in any one day...and I always include at least one creative activity.  The best advice I ever read was that if you are going to be an artist, you needed to show up and create - every. single. day.

Sometimes its prepping for a collage...sometimes its setting up a photo shoot...other times it can be designing a new product line...or playing around with metal, wire and wood...it can be as elaborate as building a new display or as simple as posting a photo on Instagram...but its always something...and usually more than one thing...

So I urge you to pick up a copy of Daily Rituals...your local library probably has a copy...and think about starting a daily creative routine...whatever it might be...

Joining the group over at kim klassen's Texture Tuesday...
kim's regular Texture Tuesday posts (and the Friday Finds posts) 
are two inspiring avenues to kickstart your creative mojo...
all of my photos in today's post were edited with kk texture reentry...

Winding down...

As the calendar turns over to September, it is inevitable that summer is winding down...it has been a glorious summer, weather-wise, here in the Pacific NW...not too hot, not too cold...just right.

Here at our place, Its been a season of changes...and commitments...travelling the miles and then staying put...enjoying the sun, but knowing the rain will come.

On this Labor Day, I hope you take a moment to savor the last bits of summer...
put up your feet...and wind down a bit before fall makes its official arrival...

Art Parties for Fall 2014

I invite you to join me at an Art Party this fall...the new schedule is posted and there's plenty of creative inspiration...here's the details...

What is an Art Party?  

Its a creative opportunity to join with like-minded souls...to be inspired to cut, twist, paste, design, laugh, kvetch, paint, eat & drink, relax...while constructing a one of a kind project...with no worry of what supplies to bring nor any concern about clean-up...

Each art party will feature a different creative project as described below and will be held at my workshop art studio in Everett, WA. Seats are limited so early registration is encouraged.

Registered attendees will receive additional workshop information and directions to my studio with the email supplied by attendee via PayPal purchase. 

Credit card payments accepted and all payments are made through PayPal. Registration sales are final and non-refundable; however a registration may be transferable.




Have a question or special request?  Want your own private art party?  With a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8, you and your friends can celebrate a birthday, enjoy a girl's day out or just have a ton of creative fun!  Feel free to email me at amy_duncan@yahoo.com



FALL 2014 WORKSHOPS

Rendezvous with Resin
Been curious about working with epoxy resin but a little hesitant to give it a try? Come and join the group while constructing mini 3-D collages, captured forever in a layer of resin.  We'll use bottle caps, jar lids, tart tins and tin can tops to make ornaments, magnets and decorative pins...adding in buttons, postage stamps, clock gears, ribbons...
the options are limitless...  

Date: Saturday September 20
Time: 1-4 pm
Workshop Fee: $45

Corrugated Cardboard Journals
Using the common material of corrugated cardboard, you'll create a one of a kind journal.  Peeling apart the layers of the cardboard or carving out an inset design will lend a textured effect to the personal story you tell within its pages. Collage designs crafted from magazine ads and junk mail will inspire you to see the potential in any sort of leftover paper scrap and set you loose on a whirlwind recycled tizzy!

Date: Saturday September 27
Time: 1-4 pm
Workshop Fee: $40

Altered Tins
Metal madness reigns in this workshop!  Starting with a simple tin box, you'll fashion your own miniature shrine or create a special memento for a friend. We'll cover transfer tape techniques that can be used to layer images for a collage effect.  There will be plenty of vintage photos so you can embellish your own "instant relatives" as part of your design...add a wire hanger and it can even be a holiday ornament...

Date: Sunday October 19
Time: 1-4 pm
Workshop Fee: $45

Petite Prints

New in my etsy shop...

Petite Prints!

High quality prints of my latest photographic collages...in a 6" x 9" print...
ready to be framed...
or just taped up on the wall for instant art...
or sent to a friend for a surprise greeting (envelope included)

(FYI - the print you receive will not have my watermark on the front)

Only $4 each plus shipping...

a sampling of the series...see the complete series at my etsy shop...

because who doesn't like a little art to look at...

Digging this vintage vibe...find more vintage inspiration over at Knick of Time
Vintage Inspiration Party...