Favorite Things

Do you have a favorite thing?  An obsession that occupies your mind often?  I have a few favorite things...I love boots, jewelry and makeup.  Fragrances are also at the top of the list.  I ADORE my dog!  And believe it or not, I love and collect dragonflies!  My interest in dragonflies began a few years ago, and since then, I've managed to collect several pieces of dragonfly treasures. "The main symbolisms of the dragonfly are renewal, positive force and the power of life in general.  Dragonflies can also be a symbol of the sense of self that comes with maturity. Also, as a creature of the wind, the dragonfly frequently represents change.  And as a dragonfly lives a short life, it knows it must live its life to the fullest with the short time it has – which is a lesson for all of us".  (courtesy of http://www.dragonfly-site.com/meaning-symbolize.html).  I enjoy surrounding myself with this beautiful symbol as a reminder to embrace life and the change that comes with it. Think today about some of your favorite things and why you love and enjoy them.  
Check out some of my dragonfly jewelry at www.artisticadornments.com.  

Inside Me

When I was younger, I spent a lot of time reading and writing poetry.  In moments of isolation and loneliness, I found solace in putting pen to paper.  Although most of my poems were childish and allowed me to pine about lost loves, I have held onto one particular poem for many, many years.  I titled it "Inside Me".  Each time I read it, I'm gently reminded that even though I did not understand the words I was writing at that time, innately, I grasped the concept of self reliance and spirituality.  It wasn't until many years later that I fully understood what the words actually meant.  So often, we search for things "out there" to fill voids in our life; however, you will never find true happiness out there until you discover it "inside" first.

"INSIDE ME"

Sitting here, thinking for a while,
My mind seems to travel for miles
Back to a somewhere long ago,
The time, the place I do not know.
Rain falling, wind blowing, lightening bolts
Are the things a remember the most.
A puzzle, a maze, a crazy face,
Darkness so deep in this lonely place.
I try to run, I try to hide.
To the top, to the bottom,
Inside, outside.
Searching for something stable and strong.
Finally, a hand, but I’m still alone.
This hand seems familiar , like I almost know it.
It’s so very dark, so this hand, I hold it.
Then out of this darkness, suddenly a light.
Almost blinding, it’s so beautiful and bright.
I move toward it slowly, closer so that I may see.
If I’m all alone, then whose hand could this be?
With the help of the light, I hold on with my life,
And before my eyes, as strange as it seems,
The hand I’ve been holding belongs to me.
Now, I’m back to the place I was before,
But I understand so much more.
The things I want, and the things I need,
I know I can find them
Right INSIDE me.

The beautiful pictures I've included in this post are by digital mixed media artist Howard David Johnson. His full gallery can be viewed at www.howarddavidjohnson.com

Add a Little Magic!

When the weather is gray and cold, the days still feel excessively short and the beautiful sun is absolutely nowhere to be found for days at a time, I must continually remind myself that I am the one who decides if I'm going to have a dreary, sad day or an upbeat, postive one.  It's so easy sometimes to "slip" into that lonely place of isolation, especially when you depend on seeing the sun to keep you sane!  (I'm a Southern girl; the absence of sun is challenging for me to grasp sometimes).  When I begin to feel a little sad, I am reminded that I have the ability to add my own sunshine and magic to my day.  Whether it is sharing a few playful moments with my dog, having a meaningful and funny conversation with my husband, or creating or discovering something new and exciting, the rays of sunshine slowly come shining through.  It's totally up to me to recognize these precious events as magical moments to be treasured.  One of my absolute favorite quotes is by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer:  “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” I choose to see sunshine and magic in each and every day, regardless of the weather.  I encourage you to do the same. 

Prescription for the Blues

These beautiful prints are by a husband-and-wife design team Angi Sullins and Silas Tobal of Duirwaigh Studios.  I just adore these gorgeous pictures.  Something about the lovely colors, the complicated layering and beautiful quotes speak to me and inspire me to learn more about this creative outlet.  I'm feeling a little blue tonight (I blame it on the lack of sunshine here in the Midwest and endless cold days), and when that mood strikes me, I find solace and peace in such beauty.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  For more eye candy, another fantastic mixed-media artist is Anahata Katkin.  I find her work is comparable to Duirwaigh's; both are equally mesmerizing.  When you feel a little blue too, visit their blogs:  Angi has two - Message from the Muse and Angi in Wonderland and Anahata's blog is Anahata Katkin.  A certain prescription to bring some sunshine to your day!

New Horizons with Digital Art

I love learning about new things.  When I'm not working, I am researching fun and informative artful avenues.  My latest obsession and interest is exploring the amazing and mesmerizing world of digital art.  Digital art is much easier shown than explained, thus the beautiful pictures I've included in this post.  This artwork was designed by Izabella, a digital, mixed media collage artist who creates absolutely unique and stunning work.  Each time I visit her blog and browse through her photos, I'm inspired to learn more about this creative, digital world.  For those of you who are familiar with my jewelry from Artistic Adornments, you may recognize that many of my soldered pieces are made with digitally enhanced pictures.  I aspire to ultimately create my own, personal artwork to include in my jewelry.  Until then, I will continue to use artists, like Izabella, who have mastered the art of digital mixed media.  To continue on my path of exploration, I'm ordering "Digital Expressions:  Creating Digital Art with Adobe Photoshop Elements", a book by Susan Tuttle, which provides the reader and mixed-media artist through 25 stepped-out digital projects created with Adobe Photoshop Elements.  Stay tuned as I'm sure I'll let you know the exploration progression! In the meantime, have fun checking out the blogs of Izabella, Izabella's Blue (http://izabella.typepad.com/izabellas_blue/) and Susan Tuttle, Ilka's Attic (http://ilkasattic.blogspot.com/).

Don't Be Afraid to Play

I love color! Vibrant, brilliant or muted, colors can be the key to major transformations within your home, your wardrobe or your appearance. Color enables painters to manifest beautiful artwork, interior decorators to build beautiful spaces within our homes and fashion designers to create trendsetting statements each season. As a makeup artist, a huge aspect of my job is to continually look for colors that compliment my customers and make them feel spectacular. I'm always looking for new and interesting color combinations that are playful, expressive and most of all, that work! I look for colors that exist together in nature, I analyze artwork for new ways of visualizing color selections and I play with different color mediums. When experimenting with different colors, the most rewarding thing you can do for yourself is to have fun and play! Don't be afraid to get down and dirty with mixing and for added fun, research a little research on color theory. See things through the eyes of a child; they never question if green goes with purple - they just put them together and make them work. For fun, visit www.TAAZ.com. It's a website that allows you to be your own virtual hairstylist and makeup artist. Enjoy!

Finding Your Creative Muse

We are all creative beings, but let's face it; we all need a little inspiration every now and then. There are times when I become stagnant and put my creativity on autopilot, resorting to methods that are tried and true, but that do not challenge me or provide me with much needed variety. It is during these I seek a muse. A muse is a guiding spirit or goddess that is thought to inspire a poet or other artist. Muses originate from classical Greek mythology. Zeus, the sky and weather god and Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory and considered one of the most powerful goddesses of her time, had nine daughters each of whom presided over song, poetry, arts and sciences. These daughters were known as muses. Now you don't have to channel the creative spirits of Calliope, Clio, Erato or Thalia, but you can find your muse in everyday surroundings. I find inspiration in the beauty of nature that surrounds me, the innocence and unbridled spirit of children and animals and the simple peace that greets me each day. The key is to become more aware of where your inspiration originates, and allow it to integrate with your creative endeavors. Sometimes, inspiration is found where and when you least expect it. Just stay aware and expect your muse to manifest. Now I'm off to do some manifestation of my own. Happy musing!