Tuesday, August 12, 2008

gratitude redux



in the month or so that i've been blogging, i've been given a lot... it's taken me by surprise. i had no idea i'd meet so many kindred spirits, receive so much support, and feel such joy at interacting with the cyber art community. thank you...

i wanted to give away something as a way of saying thank you, something that came from me... so i made two beads, a bone and a heart -- two shapes that are meaningful to me and that i love to make. yeah, i was so motivated to have a proper way of saying 'thank you' that i fired up the torch - a rare event these last months!



a close-up... copper, silver, gold, and paladium leaf, as well as miscellaneous powders and frit on the surface.



just plain ivory (moretti, for people who know glass)... the base of the heart is ivory too. the heart's about an inch tall, and the bone not quite two inches. you can go here to find out why i love to make bones...

i'll put the name of everyone who's posted a comment in a hat on sunday and draw a name. and, if you want to comment but don't want the beads, that's fine too! just let me know in your comment...

if you're not a bead wearer, you can:

1. set them on a shelf and gaze at them
2. hang them from a keychain
3. hang them from the spine of an altered book or journal
4. use them in altered art
5. hang them in trees
6. bury them for future archeological expeditions to dig up
7. hold them

8. give them away (probably the most important)

okay, now i'm going to try and win something on this blog!!



lisa blackwell of zoa art just painted her studio and posted pics of it on their blog. it's fabulous... you'll see... she's going to give away one of her bronze pmc pieces to someone who posts a pic of their studio. so lisa, does this count?! it's not much compared to your wondrous space, but it's my teeny, tiny little art room!



jim and i are leaving tomorrow for a trip to mt. shasta and ashland, oregon. i'll be taking my little (3" x 5") travel journal with me...



i paint simple little pictures in it... something to remind me of the way a place feels. this is the first pic i painted in it, sitting on a rock on the side of mt. shasta almost two years ago. i remember being careful not to tip the tin of caran d'ache crayons over and have them roll down the side of the mountain!



this is the last painting from mt shasta. it was cold out and i was sitting in the car. wow, if i hadn't put them in this post, i don't think i'd have noticed the similarities in the two pieces... in the first one i painted a flower just emerging, and in the last one the flower is in full bloom. and they both have hearts in the bottom center...



in ashland i'm going to be sharing art stuff with friends, so i'm taking my journals from the last year. one year's worth here...

goodbye for a few days, and, muchas gracias!!

17 comments:

  1. Hey girl,have fun!
    Those journals look so ... could I just get my hands on them for a few minutes, how I'd enjoy that!
    Your heart and bone look so special, they are surely destined to be someone's treasure.

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  2. Oh so perfect for you and bigger than your studio in PT( except for our fab studio on the bluff, that was big and counts as a studio.)
    I love your heart and bone bead!
    Have a great time this weekend....

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  3. Okay, I'm in for the drawing! AND may I say your travel journals make me look pathetic! When we travel?, my only concerns are where is the best ice cream and best margarita! and not an art supply in sight! Also, Lisa, the pics of your studio? fabulous! Those are the colors of the inside of our house so I'm a bit partial! Travel safe!

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  4. hey annette! smiling here! we will have fun-- as soon as i finish responding to these comments i'll do the final packing -- all traveling art supplies in their box!

    tony and lisa... there IS no better studio than the bluff... well except maybe the creek. : )

    jeane, jeane... i find it impossible to believe that anything you have or do looks pathetic. you do everything with style!!

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  5. Hi Lynne - what mouth watering pics you have provided us with here. I am drooling! Your teeny tiny artspace is beautiful and i love ALL the artwork on your walls (no wonder you're so inspired). Your travel journal is to die for and as for those beads - WOW! Thanks for buying my zine :o) and yes, I'd be more than happy for you to add a link to me. Have a great trip and I look fwd to seeing the art you come back with :o)

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  6. Okay, that heart is just plain gorgeous! Beautiful, just beautiful ... and I really love how your work has been evolving.
    Safe travels dear one - xoxo

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  7. I know exactly what you mean about the blogging experience taking you by surprise. Barely knowing what a blog was, I just hurled myself into it a few months ago, never suspecting that I would become part of such a supportive, inspiring, encouraging, uplifting, and talented community. And that includes you - you generous soul!

    So much to comment on in this post!These are lovely beads. The bone one is even more meaningful having read why you like to make bones. My favourite item on the list of how you can use them is: hang them in trees! Although I would probably set them on a shelf and gaze at them. Your studio space is so cozy and packed full of inspiration. Your drawings are pure light and joy. And your journals! I would love to get my hands on those bursting books and take a peek. I imagine they are filled with pure gold!

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  8. Lynne, the smoothness of the bone ... and the detail and color/texture in your heart is beautiful.. How do you do that!! It is precious..

    I Really love seeing your studio and the art on the walls.. It is so neat.... Mine is a mess!!!

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  9. Delicious looking journals. If only I could sit quietly in a corner (very careful not to spill my coffee) and absorb every last magical page. I would hang the bone on one of my special totems. Wait till you see my "Beachcomber" totem...you will see what I mean.

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  10. As much as I love your beads past, present and future, I don't want to be in the running as beads I have. If you ever decide to send a page across the country, count me in, in, in.

    Love from dustland...

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  11. Lynne,
    Where do I start!
    Firstly it's not fair showing 'closed' journals! Would love to have a peek inside...love your drawings too. Beads are gorgeous...Have a wonderful trip away...maybe we could have a peek into those journals when you get back!

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  12. Another great post! I am so glad that you have had such a welcoming experience blogging in such a short time. As always, I love to see your journals and their pages. And those beads would look great hanging from one of my books or journals! Thanks for offering them!

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  13. HI Lynne,
    Wow I am so excited you started with your beads again. I cherish mine- they are enchanting! Those 2 are spectacular! And your travel journals... did you make the green one? Love it! I am so inspired by you!
    Safe travels and send my regards to the mount. I know what you mean about blogging.. my cup is filled up too.
    Caroline

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  14. This is a wonderful post. The bead is incredibly beautiful, and the bone as well. Your art corner is also amazing. And your journals...you are a beautiful artist! Roxanne

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  15. notmassproduced... oh, there was never a second's doubt as to whether i'd buy your zine! i LOVE your art. it speaks. and thank *you*!!

    hey sweet woman, yes, always evolving...

    kate, as always, you've put it so well... it really has taken my completely by surprise.

    lol, gwen! i thought my art table was pretty messy when i took that pic! i have about a square foot of working space on it (rolls eyes).

    i'd love to create *more* texture on beads like the heart-- i'm working on that. as for the smooth surface of the bone, that's just practice and a tool called a 'stump shaper'. it's a marver with curved edges so you can make things like bones. hands down my favorite glass tool.

    robyn, your beachcomber totem is (like everything you do) utterly amazing. i don't think i can gaze at your creations too much... yeah, a bone would look sweet in there...

    hey jan! yes, beads you have... you're in for sure if i give a page away...

    hi jo... lol, okay! maybe i'll start showing pages from last year's journals... i've done lot of different things in them, that's for sure. and thank you about the beads!

    you're welcome, seth! whatever you might do with them will look great!

    hi caroline, no i didn't make the green one-- i bought it in a shop in mt. shasta. it has some soulful handmade watercolor paper in it, which i love... thank you about the beads... : )

    hey roxanne! thank you!! i'm just getting rested up! i am so inspired by our visit...

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  16. Wow. One years's worth of art journals there?? Amazing. Makes me want a day to come and explore every page! And your heart and bone...beautiful! And to me there is nothing better than ANY space that is all your own! I love yours!

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