On My Work Table

Do you recall the sneak peeks I gave you of these on facebook back in June?

I was able to finish up this past week but I needed Randy's help to come up with a way to be able to hang the pieces that would allow them to still move! Why? I wanted them to retain some of their original intent. Do you know what they are now?

THAT'S RIGHT! OLD VINYL LPs!! They were beyond use from scratches but they sat still long enough to get paint on them! I have 3 that are with two each and one that has three. Every one still spins! They are able to be hung on the wall in this vertical position. They have a protective matte finish on them as well and as you turn them you get ever changing art! I would recommend limiting the amount of handling if you want them to last YEARS. Oh and yes the grooves are still visible. They also have a decorative bead in finish the center. 

Fricken Chicken See is Cooked!

The photo isn't the best (its cold and overcast here today)

 but I am really happy with it. Hope the buyer loves it!
(She did! And so did the husband! YAY!)

Red Ginger Update!

How do you like me now?

Keep watching!

1124

Now this lauhala I am happy with!

210pm

banana leaf added

318

blocking in for ginger

um....sometime before dinner....

1150 am Weds

HAPPY!!!!

Artistic Growth

I just wanted to share what I am working on that is not in my art journal per se. I am in the midst of working my way through Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way.

                                            

 It has taken me a while to get into it because I wanted to have a good handle on working on the morning pages and artist dates. Journaling on a regular basis ( forget daily) has never been my thing. I go through spurts where I do consistent work and then it drops off for whatever reason and eventually I pick it up again but nothing where I feel I can say I have a habit of journaling. So I committed to the morning pages for 30 days and found a good set of parameters that I could live with. Julia says you should complete 3 handwritten pages. And that it doesn't matter what you fill them with but they are daily. My personal standards are 30 minutes or 3 pages which ever comes first and my goal is 5 out of 7 days a week. Weekends are difficult since my normal routine doesn't exist when Randy is home. I also chose a slightly smaller journal rather than the notebook paper size. These seem to work nicely for me and most days I fill more than 3 pages and I have even managed to journal on weekends more often than not. I must just need to have that freedom to blow it off when I need to. Since there is no guilt to it it is easy for me to jump back in there and pick up where I left off.
This week I began working through Week 1 assignments. I won't bore you with all the details but will say that it is imperative that we as parents and adults look for those children who are creative (every child!) and go out of our way to encourage them to pursue their creative interests. Provide the materials, encouragement and support they need to keep going. Sometimes all that is needed is a kind word or praise for their work to keep them doing what they love. Esteem artistic pursuits as valuable and meaningful and as possible careers and not merely as hobbies or simple past times.

I am also working through Diana Trout's Journal Spilling; Mixed Media Techniques for Free Expression.

                                                          

 I have been through it before but far more haphazardly than this time around. I have used it as a reference book but really wanted to go through it slowly and savor all the wisdom and nuggets she imparts in the writing. Here is one nugget I found that should not be missed: "(A journal) is wabi-sabi: beautiful and dying; ugly and living; a perfect vessel with a crack. It has a true, deep beauty like a woman over 50." The woman is pure genius!! *L*   I have done 4 double page spreads based on her instruction and am about to begin playing with resist.

An Inkling?

Check this out! Saw it in my WACOM newsletter and its now on my wish list...

The Inkling digital sketch pen is now available at Amazon

"The Inkling pen allows you to create digital sketches while working on standard paper or in a sketchbook. It's designed for the beginning stages of a creative project, when laying out new concepts. Sketches can later be transferred to your computer for refinement."         ~ Sandra Trainor, About.com

Isn't that cool? Has anyone used this already? What do you think about it?

Creativity Journey

I am taking a class online called "Twelve" and for me it is a journey into creativity. Originally intended to be a scrapbooking class I already see it becoming so much more. We are curating ideas, triggers, photos, memorabilia, information, resources and working them in to a system whereby you can easily find them again when you need them.

I only wish I had this years ago when my brain was really clicking and ideas flowed rapidly. At this season of my life I have the TIME to create but perhaps some of my best ideas are lost to bits and scraps of paper I never knew how to corral until time would allow for deeper exploration. But that doesn't matter much to me really.

I am crossing into all areas that I am currently interested in and working on. I am gathering ideas for scrapbook layouts, stories I want to tell, future pieces of art, new leads to check for our genealogies. Its really amazing AND I will be able to tap into them when I am ready to work on each one.

Occasionally as I am sitting and pondering things I find myself doodling (nothing new there). Thought I would share something new that is happening on my art table though. I normally keep it covered with brown paper to help absorb the mess of paint, ink, water, gels, etc that I manage to slop everywhere. I laid out a nice new clean piece before we went to Big Island for New Years. After a couple projects it now has some lovely green splotches, white streaks, etc dabbled about. I decided to grab my sharpies from their carousel and began to doodle like I usually do in my journals. Yesterday the girls sat at the table to chat and I tossed them some markers as well. Hand tracings appeared. Katakana images. A paw print. Scripture. Numbers. Words. I think it will be a cooperative work in progress for a few weeks. Here is peek...Enjoy!

Mele Kalikimaka from the Far Side of the Sea

Mele Kalikimaka! This is a page from my 2009 journal.


Far side of the sea, originally uploaded by Trish Nonaka.
A few days ago we went dpwntown to view the huge gingerbread display and wandered in to a gift shop where I found this beautiful shell enameled in my favorite colors. It had to come home with me of course!

Yesterday I remembered how much it reminded me of the sketch I had done so I was anxious to combine them and share a bit of Hawaii with you for the holidays!

Another Peek

abcs1, originally uploaded by Trish Nonaka.
Progressing. Its the perfect day to be inside creating. Outside we are experiencing Hawaiian snow (aka: rain) but this also means the waves are good.