Through My Eyes

Just a quick post to share a favorite photo. It was taken on a recent field trip with my oldest. This one encompasses so many of my favorite things: circles/spheres, texture, nature and an incredible shade of green. I hope it inspires you too! Check out some other inspiring nature photos in this thread in the Nature Inspired Art Flickr group and if you haven't already, come by and join the group and share your nature inspired art and your inspiring nature photos!

Be Inspired - By Silhouettes, Taking a Step Back

Do you remember standing in front of a projector in Elementary School, while your teacher traced your head and then cutting it out and proudly presenting your silhouette to your parents? Well silhouette's have made a comeback in a big way. They are no longer just for proud parents, now they come in all shapes, sizes, colors, subjects and mediums. Silhouette's are very popular these days and searching on Etsy, you will find all kinds. I was inspired by a treasury list a couple of weeks ago that featured silhouette's, and I have been meaning to do a piece on them for the blog.

Most of the time I am telling you to take a closer look, but this week I want you to take a step back. My purpose for featuring the silhouette's isn't so much to inspire you to create a silhouette in your work, but to get you looking at the shapes and forms of things without looking at the details and texture. I know, I know me telling you to simplify and not look at texture? Crazy huh! But honestly while I love to focus on the details, I also like to look at things in a graphic sense, focusing on the overall shapes. I really love block printing and screen printing because they often feature silhouette's and simplified graphic images. Here are some amazing silhouette's I found on Etsy (click each photo to see more work by the artist). Pay close attention to the shapes and forms.
















































































I told you silhouette's are big, and no object is off-limits. A lot of artists are also incorporating patterns into their silhouette's to add further interest. Take some time this week to step back and focus on the shapes and forms of the objects around you. Blur the details and you may find a new inspiration or an intriguing shape or grouping of shapes that will spur your creativity. Just make sure that when you step back, there is nothing behind you. I would feel terrible if anyone got hurt while trying to find inspiration.

You Were Inspired by What?

OK, yes I have been extremely delinquent in my blog posting this week. I was so proud that I got a weekend post in last week, and then I just haven't been able to get it done this week. I actually have several posts already created in my head as well as 1 interview and another one I hope to get soon, so hopefully I will carve out some time to get back to blogging. I apologize for lack of inspiration this week, but hopefully this little post will make up for it.

I am often saying "take a closer look" at things and you may find some new inspiration. Well while looking a little closer at my sons treasures from the last post, I found a very interesting pattern inside the little hats of his acorns. The same pattern is on the actual acorn where the hat sits. I am guessing the pattern is created from the place where the 2 connect. (I know a brilliant deduction) Well I thought it would make a cool texture for something, so I went ahead and carved a stamp. I actually carved several of the little circles on one stamp, but I didn't like the effect when I put it to clay. So I put it away until I bought some great antique brass finished ring bases. The warm brown color made me think of the using the little stamp again, only this time using just one circle. Oddly enough the circle fit perfectly in my cutter, but it left an untextured ring around it. I wasn't too sure what I would do with that, so it sat a little longer. Meanwhile the boys and I went on one of our nature walks and found a bunch of acorns in different colors. I had an inspiration. The non-textured part would be perfect for a little punch of color, so I took the cues from the acorns again and used a golden yellow, green and rust red. of course I distressed them a bit, and I really love how they turned out. They are perfect for fall and a bit smaller than my other rings, so hopefully they will appeal to folks who though the others were too big. I think overall they have a lovely texture and organic feel. I already have some ideas for similar pendants and necklaces, so we'll just have to see if I have any time to create them. So, I tell you to take a closer look again, and if inspiration strikes, but doesn't turn out how you thought it would, walk away and come back to it, you may find that the inspiration just needed a little more time to marinate in your brain.




















These last 2 photos show a different pattern that I found. Maybe they will inspire you. Also check out and/or join my new Flickr group, Nature Inspired Art. It is a showcase of artist creations inspired by nature. We already have over 200 members and 128 photos in our pool!

Through My Eyes - Tiny Treasures

My sons and I often go on nature walks and inevitably Kyle, my little collector, will pick up this and that along our travels. We have boxes of rocks, seed pods, acorns, leaves, and bark, etc... Sometimes we make art with them, but mostly he just likes to take them out an look at them. Recently I have started photographing some of his collections. It helps me practice my photography skills, and also helps me look closer to see the textures and colors of the item. Sometimes items appear very different when they are photographed. They also serve as a memory of the little treasures my son brings home almost daily. One day I will have to get rid of most of his collections, but I will still have the photos to help me remember. So, since it is Saturday and I rarely post on the weekends, I thought I would share a little of his collection, and hopefully they can inspire you the way they have inspired me. Go for a walk this weekend. Pick up some tiny treasures of your own and have an inspired weekend!

You Were Inspired by What?

If you have been reading my blog , you know that I can be inspired by just about anything and this past week I was inspired by my leftovers. I like to recycle and use recycled items in my work, so when I took a picture of the cardboard that I use for painting pendants for the Flickr Crafting 365 Group, I saw the potential to create a new line of ACEO's called "Leave Nothing Behind". This is the original photo that inspired them:


I was encouraged by Liz from Madeinlowell.etsy to make the cardboard into an ACEO. I decided to start painting my pendants on cardstock so that I could make them into ACEO's easier than using cardboard. Here is what I came up with:























The pink ones were featured this week on the ACEOToGo blog.

These will be going into my Etsy shop sometime this week and they are also available for trade!

Remember, keep your eyes and mind open and you may be surprised at what inspires you! If I hadn't taken that picture, I may not have seen the potential in using my scraps to create something new.

Be Inspired by Patterns

Just about everywhere you look, you can find patterns. From the lines on the road to the rows and rows of windows in a skyscraper to the tiny patterns of veins in leaves. Patterns also are prevalent in home decor and clothing. I find a lot of inspiration in these patterns. There are so many possibilities; stripes, dots, checks, florals, diamonds, etc... Something about the repetition is very appealing to me and I enjoy sketching patterns and creating patterns with the textures in my work. Apparently many other artists are inspired to create and use patterns in their work. Check out the creative use of patterns I found on Etsy (click on each picture to see more work by the artists featured):



































Take a little time this week to look at the patterns around you and think about how you can incorporate patterns in your artwork. Create your own patterns by repeating a design. Go to a fabric store and browse the different fabric patterns or browse scrapbook papers for new and interesting patterns. Here are some great Flickr groups all about patterns: Patterns and Designs, Patterns in Nature, Repeating Patterns. Please remember to use all of these things as inspiration and not outright copying. I leave you with my idea of a perfect pattern. Wake-up, be inspired, create, go to sleep, wake-up, be inspired, create, go to sleep and repeat everyday!

Be Inspired by a Favorite Book

I don't know about you, but I love to read. I can easily get lost in a book and they can be very inspiring. This month's PCAGOE Challenge was to create a polymer clay item inspired by a favorite book. My entry was the inspired by the "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Eric has been a favorite of mine since childhood. The bright colors and texture and childlike quality of his illustrations have always inspired me. This book was also the first book I bought for my first son, Trey. I knew I wanted my kids to have a love for Eric Carle and his books too. We now have a small library of just about all of his books, and they are always favorites at bedtime and while I will probably pass most of their kids books on to someone else once they outgrow them, my Eric Carle library will stay and hopefully I will be able to share them with my grandkids too! The other reason I chose Eric Carle is because I wanted to try a new polymer clay technique. I received some alcohol inks from PolymerClayproductions.com (they also have a tutorial available) and was waiting for a reason to use them. The water color painting in Eric Carle's illustrations was something I thought I could duplicate. It was fun to try something new. They had frames on sale at the craft store, so I thought a frame would be fun. I ended up backing it with strong magnets, and now it is on my refrigerator!

The other PCAGOE Members really found some creative ways to interpret their books. Some created images of main characters, some used the illustrations as inspiration, recreating colors, textures and patterns, others created scenes as they "saw" them, while others used the meaning and themes of the book to translate them into art. These are all fantastic ways to be inspired by books. Take a some time to vote for your favorite entry in this months challenge. Just go to pcagoe.com to vote! You will automatically be entered to win 1 of 2 polymer clay prize packs worth over $75 each!! Here is a mosaic of this month's entries:

After you vote, take a little time to find a good book and enjoy a little reading. Let the book speak to you and think about the characters, themes, events, illustrations, the emotions, and even the words and see where inspiration takes you! You may be surprised to find that reading is not only fundamental, but it is also inspiring!!