Inspiring « Hidden Art

Category: Inspiring

Feb 20

Clean Drawer Giveaway

Would you like a peak in my drawers? I’d be glad to show you since I just revamped and organized my ephemera/project file cabinet.

Notice the labels on the hanging files? Before I just had things randomly shoved in the cabinet, but now I can find that perfect piece of ephemera for collage. This is my vintage drawer and includes categories such as book covers, embroidery patterns, music, nature, report cards.

The middle drawer is filled with longer items such as vintage sheet music and larger magazines, plus cardstock and other specialty papers, and my favorite magazines.

The bottom drawer has projects in progress, drawing paper, and magazines used for collage.

Before these drawer were organized, piles would form on my desk top because I wasn’t quite sure where to put my stash if I wanted to find it again. And now…

The file cabinet is just to the left of my work desk, so everything is easily accessed. Some of my favorite vintage books like dictionaries, record books, encyclopedias are stored on top of the file cabinet.

Right behind my desk is my solder station.

This is an old high school shop class work bench. It is the perfect work and storage space for soldering. All I have to do is spin my desk chair around to be facing the solder station.

Here’s the view from the back of the solder station.

And to the right is blue dresser full of paints, mediums, oil pastels, all those lovely art supplies.

I have everything stored in plastic shoeboxes, so if I need to remove supplies for teaching a class or for transport, I can easily pull out the shoebox, pop on the lid, and go.

Relief! Without the piles and clutter, I am much more free to create. Disorganization really hampers my creativity. I like to make a mess while I work, but I also like to start fresh with each project.

One thing I realized while organizing my file cabinet is that I have an abundant supply of ephemera. What better way to thin it down than to SHARE.

Enter the Clean Drawer Giveaway by leaving a comment on this post sharing why you love ephemera, or how you organize your own ephemera. I will randomly draw for the Sweet and Chunky Ephemera Package on Sunday, February 28, and will announce the winner via blog post.

I love to use ephemera to package my soldered jewelry sales. Here are a couple sweet packages prepared for shipping today:

This sweet little ring was a commission using the first measure of Clair de Lune.
The packaging is a report card from 1929.
This packaging is a vintage postcard sent from England, postage stamps intact.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Balance, Inspiring clean clutter drawer ephemera Giveaway organization

Jan 31

Self Care: Play

Yesterday, January 30, 2010, was the first day I had really let loose and played in my studio just to experiment and have fun since this year began. Although I am so thankful for the day, I am also sad that a month passed without playfulness. This month has been full of creativity, but the time of creativity all had a purpose. It was all done with an end goal in mind. I had to create X to accomplish Y.

This year, this decade, began with focus and goals. I really want my art and teaching to provide enough income to cover workshops and supplies to enable me to teach at Veronica’s Voice. Now at the end of January I am ready to pitch this focus on making money, even for a purpose, even doing what I enjoy, for freedom and play. Although this focus has forced me to jump hurdles and set goals that I otherwise would not have accomplished, I also built myself a huge wall of ARTIST’s BLOCK. The wall is officially torn down, and I’ll be using the rubble to have fun and play this coming week. While I will not be changing what I am doing creatively speaking, I will be changing the reason behind it all. What a great reminder to do what I love to do because I enjoy being creative and sharing this joy with others, not because I have to.

Yesterday, to begin my playfulness, I tried out the new Tulip Fashion Graffiti Paint Cannon, but rather than using it for fabric, I loaded it with a watered down mix of fluid acrylics to try out potential Art Journaling applications. It’s been a cold winter and I miss spray painting with my stencils. This appears to be a great alternative, although the lines are not as neat and crisp as spray paint offers. This newly released product is currently only available at Michaels. And thanks to Pam Carriker who gave me the heads up on this fun tool. She’s also done a great video tutorial on her blog. Here’s the first little spread I created, background painted haphazardly with acrylics then sprayed with the paint cannon over a paper stencil. Then I added detail with paint pens and those cute little kids.

And a couple more just to try out different stencils and backgrounds. Both of these images were created using paper doilies.

On another note, I just have to share how much I have been enjoying this book:

Patti Digh does a great job of addressing the complacency that often immobilizes our society from being compassionate, but she does it in a way that makes one want to take action and live intentionally. Rather than preaching, she tells stories, relational stories, that enable the reader to see past every day happenings into the richness of caring about others, about being oneself, about seeing life through a new lens. She gives a great dose of fresh perspective. Besides thought- and action-provoking stories, Patti also compels further thoughtfulness through a series of writing exercises and additional challenges. Since I began the book during the busy holiday season, I opted out of doing the exercises, but intend to work back through the book after I’m done reading it the first time. Yes, I’m already planning on reading it again.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Art Journal, Balance, Inspiring, VERONICA's Voice Art Art Journal artist's block life is a verb paint cannon play purpose

Jan 08

Creative Every Day 2010

Leah at Creative Every Day is such an inspiration and encouragement. This will be my third year of participating in her Creative Every Day Challenge. As the name implies, each day I aim to do SOMETHING creative. In all honesty, some days the most creative thing that I do is brush my hair a little differently than usual, but that is life.

Right before Christmas I found the greatest tool at Bearden’s Stained Glass, the Beetle Bits Mini Glass Cutting System. How exciting to be able to cut my own glass! I am no longer limited to the shapes available by retailers. This particular cutting system only does straight lines, so no curves or circles yet, but it just opens up creative possibilities.

My first use of the tool was cutting glass for a project I had already begun, my Christmas presents to the beautiful women at VERONICA’s Voice. I cut the standart 1X3 microscope slide size to make these pendants:

Then I cut smaller and smaller. My neice received a petite pendant for Christmas, one with musical notes cut from a 1934 Etude Magazine. My bad, no picture.

But here’s another petite pendant of the same size made for sale both on Etsy and Artfire:

Do you remember ever writing the True Love Always symbol in Elementary or Jr. High School? I guess it does date me a bit. Now with the texting and all, new symbols have taken the place of the old school TLA.

I just love these little things, my new favorite size pendant. Now to make a custom Amanda petite pendant. Smile. Oh yeah,

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Art Every Day, Challenge, Inspiring, VERONICA's Voice artfire beetle bits CED2010 etsy glass cutter pendant petite soldered true love always

Dec 06

Anticipation and the Hidden Art of Letter Writing

I do believe that letter writing has become a lost art. When I was a young, I wrote letters continually to friends and cousins. One of my most frequent gifts was stationery, and I loved it. I still have a box full of my favorite handwritten letters and sweet cards received from others. I am transported back in time the moment I unfold the pages of an old letter, and know who the sender is just by the handwriting.

Recently my mother shared a book with me, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The book is written as a series of letters from the various characters in the book. By these letters, I have fallen in love with the characters and emphasized with their place in history in a very fresh and real way.

This book has also rekindled that joy of letter writing. This past week I’ve written two letters with no intent other than to share a bit of my life with the recipient. I could share the same information by phone or by email, but there is a joy in receiving a letter from a friend. My hope is that I will form a new habit, or rather reform an old habit, because I found as much enjoyment from writing the letters as I’m hoping their receipt will cause.

I loved receiving letters from my grandmother when she was living on this earth. When I was younger, I found it odd that she always wrote of the weather as a prominent portion of her letters. It wasn’t until later speculation that I realized how much a farm wife’s life and activity would depend on the weather. What she accomplished each day would be determined by how hard the wind was blowing or by chance it might be raining. Now when I look back over her letters, I can understand so much more of who she was. I have a record in her own words.

One joy I distinctly remember from my letter writing days was the anticipation of receiving a letter in return. And yes, that is how we used to communicate. I didn’t call my friend from Colorado, or my cousins in Oklahoma. Each day would bring the hope of a letter in the mail for me. Ah the sweet pleasure of anticipation.

There is so little that we have to anticipate these days with communication links so instant. With Facebook and Twitter, I now can know not only what little things are going on in hundreds of lives that I really hadn’t been connected with before, but I can also contact and get a response from someone within moments. If I have to wait a day to receive a reply, I think something must be wrong.

My mom always likes to wait until Christmas Day to open gifts. We used to beg and plead to open just one on Christmas Eve (when I say used to, I mean every Christmas since our birth to present day). She often allows it, but doesn’t want to open any of her own, not until Christmas. She enjoys that sweet pleasure of anticipation. I may be on the brink of understanding.

So from my enjoyment of writing these two letters last week, I propose a challenge to you. Write a letter to a friend and mail it, even if you see or talk to your friend regularly. For all you artists, send mail art, but also add a sweet handwritten letter somewhere on that art. Use one of your favorite pens and some nice thick paper, or your very favorite scratch pad. Talk about the simple details of that moment of your life. Enjoy.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Challenge, Hidden Art, Inspiring anticipation history joy letter writing

Nov 19

My Brain is a Zentangle

Zentangle 1 The Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors has a fun article, “Add pattern to journals with Zentangles and transfers” by Sandy Steen Bartholomew. I’ve seen many Zentangles, but the timing must have been just right because now I have Zentangle fever. I’ve been a fan of JK Bees art for some time, which is extremely Zentangly. Check out her Black and White album on Flickr, or her Moleskine journals. Love it!

I think these zentangles are such a perfect picture of how my brain feels lately. So full of so much, and everything intertwined. No wonder I’m drawn to them. This year I did not join in the Art Every Day Month challenge because of my trip to Amsterdam, but for my own fun, I’m planning on doing a zentangle a day for the rest of the month.

November is typically a difficult time of year for me. It’s usually when I am hit with a bad case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I was fully aware of this before stepping into the Amsterdam trip and knew the week could turn out quite interesting, but guess what! No SAD. I think that it had a lot to do with how I embrace the outdoors this time of year. Normally when it gets chilly, I find myself indoors for longer periods of time. The Amsterdam trip forced me outside, walking each day, all day, no matter the weather. And I feel great. Upon returning home to the same chilly, wet weather I experienced in Amsterdam, being outside suddenly didn’t seem so shocking or uncomfortable. In fact the air felt quite invigorating. I’m hoping to keep up this love of chilly air and the great outdoors as the season progresses. I will miss the layout of Amsterdam though. It truly is a pedestrian and bike friendly city. No sprawl. And the scenery and architecture are so lovely.

Amsterdam Discovery Trip

The highlight of the Amsterdam trip for me did not occur in Amsterdam, but rather Haarlem. For those of you that have read Corrie ten Boom’s, The Hiding Place, you will understand. Corrie’s personal biography is an amazing inspiration to all who have experienced suffering, and even for those who are discontent with life. Her story will put life in perspective. And I had the honor of stepping into her home and seeing firsthand all the rooms and the stairs I had envisioned while reading. I don’t want to spoil her story. Read the book. Even now I well up with emotion thinking of her experiences and approach to life. I am so thankful that she was preserved to share her story.

The Ten Boom watch shop is now a jewelers, and I was so please to see the Ten Boom name preserved.

My little camera just did not perform in a pleasing manner while I was traveling, so I was very thankful that the museum had a book full of pictures and stories about the Ten Boom family. A Visit to the Hiding Place: The Life-Changing Experiences of Corrie ten Boom was available for purchase only from the museum and has found a place in my home. It is a reminder of God’s restorative power, how He can use the most horrific events to produce goodness, forgiveness, and unfathomable love.

amanda ∞

The Ten Boom watch shop is now a jewelers, and I was so please to see the Ten Boom name preserved.

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Posted in Art, Art Journal, Hidden Art, Inspiring Art Journal Cloth Paper Scissors Corrie ten Boom SAD The Hiding Place Zentangle

Nov 04

Fried Chicken Permeates

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Amsterdam, my husband did the grocery shopping. He came home with the makings for some delicious meals, and last night he cooked the most scrumptious fried chicken. The smell of this comfort food permeated our home, our clothes, our hair. When I went out last evening, I smelled the chicken. When I awoke in the night, I smelled the chicken. And today as I packed my bags, I still smelled remnants of that delicious meal. Fried chicken will ever remind me of Amsterdam and I’m not even there yet. The smell also reminds me of what a loving husband I have.

So I’ve been trying to wrap up loose ends before I leave in the morning. Today I got another circle journal passed on its way. The theme for this journal was Virtue & Vice.

My addition to this journal:

Vice

Virtue

It’s hard to see, but I wrote lots on the Virtue page in white gel pen. After building a basic collage for each page, I had fun with spray paint, stencils, and a rarity for me, glitter.

My heart is displayed on the page as the words reflect my view on Virtue and Vice:

I’ve made enough bad choices in this life. I’d prefer the good, but that doesn’t always happen.

According to Noah Webster:

Virtue: Moral goodness; the practice of moral duties and the abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law. In this sense, virtue may be, and in many instances must be, distinguished from religion. The practice of moral duties merely from motives of convenience, or from compulsion, or from regard to reputation, is virtue, as distinct from religion. The practice of moral duties from sincere love to God and his laws, is virtue and religion. In this sense it is true, that virtue only makes our bliss below. Virtue is nothing but voluntary obedience to truth.

Vice: In ethics, any voluntary action or course of conduct which deviates from the rules of moral rectitude, or from the plain rules of propriety; any moral unfitness of conduct, either from defect of duty, or from the transgression of known principles of rectitude. Vice differs from crime, in being less enormous. We never call murder or robbery a vice; but every act of intemperance, all falsehood, duplicity, deception, lewdness and the like, is a vice. The excessive indulgence of passions and appetites which in themselves are innocent, is a vice. The smoking of tobacco and the taking of snuff, may in certain cases be innocent and even useful, but these practices may be carried to such an excess as to become vices. This word is also used to denote a habit of transgressing; as a life of vice. Vice is rarely a solitary invader; it usually brings with it a frightful train of followers.

My desire is to be obedient to truth. By trusting that God’s word is true, my desire naturally follows to be obedient to His word. I, like all of mankind, am so far from perfect, but it is a true and heartfelt desire of mine, a passion even, to be obedient to God. When one has received a love so immense, how else can one respond but with total surrender? So I pray that any vice that may be found in my life would be revealed to me and tossed in the flames. This continues to happen as God transforms my life, molds me. I am continually convicted about attitudes and actions that I display. One step at a time I am changed.

My thoughts go to Gladys Aylward, missionary to China in the 1930s, who was named by the people of her community, Ai-weh-deh, Virtuous Woman. Well named, she devoted her life to utter obedience to truth. What a beautiful example of virtue her life displayed. A great read about her life is Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman.

And next week I get to visit the home of another virtuous and inspiring woman, Corrie ten Boom. Can’t wait! The Hiding Place, written by Corrie ten Boom, is one of my absolute favorite books of all time, a very intense look into her own life.

So tomorrow morning I’m off to Fried Chicken, uh, I mean Amsterdam. I’m hoping to keep you posted on all we experience, and for fun I’ve added the Amsterdam clock at the top of the left sidebar. Let’s hope we all adjust quickly to the time difference!

amanda ∞

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Posted in Altered Art, Art, Art Journal, God's Word, Inspiring, Transformation adventure Amsterdam circle journal. fried chicken obedience truth vice virtue