Little things about the day

While I feel right now I need to focus on the big picture with my studio work, in my personal life I am finding joy in the little things.

Today's small joys :
} Scoring homemade shortbread and noticing the holes or perforations as a thing of beauty.
} Talking with artist friends, sharing ideas, accomplishments and woes, and bits of helpful info. Camaraderie is so valuable when you work solely in the studio.
} These beautiful seed packets from Christy are simply amazing and I am humbled. Thank you Christy! You have until tomorrow to enter for a chance to win your own set in her giveaway!
} So I guess I have been looking at things closely this week, and while this brings joy I am also discovering some challenges. Through the hard stuff I have been telling myself to just "show up" and am finding those little joys {and good friends} can start to get you through it. Oh, this is a new watercolor, a work in progress.

Thank you for sharing your inspirations!
H

ps. Oh good grief. I forgot to tell you, the sale in my shop ends tomorrow then those sale items will go poof! Gone forever.

 

Inspiration wall {Autumn}

Since yesterday was the first day of autumn, it seemed fitting to rearrange a few things on my studio wall. I'm feeling drawn to butterflies, birds, and colors of blue and gold. How about you? What is inspiring you right now? Feel free to leave a link with your comment. I look forward to hearing...

H

ps. You may recognize the garland, it is made by Jeska. I leave mine up all the time!

On creativity

Hi,

I want to share something with you today. My Dad emailed me a link to this video talk {above} given by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love". Here she talks about nurturing creativity and one of the things I found interesting is how thoughts about the source of creativity have changed over time; creativity was considered to come from an 'other' source and how now it can be regarded {or misconceived} as being held within an individual 'genius'. She talks about the stress, fear and pressure related to those ideas and how as artists and makers we can work through that and "show up for our job".   She also cites compelling stories shared with her by veteran poet Ruth Stone and musician Tom Waits. If you have twenty minutes to watch, I recommend it, or if you just have five minutes, you may still find it interesting.

H

Sketchbooks and letterpress

Hi!

Over the weekend I went downtown and got a few moleskines and thought I'd share part of the first page with you. There is something special about beginning a new sketchbook isn't there? I usually like to save starting a fresh one for a new year or birthday but didn't want to wait this time. I got a small, thin one because while I am good at starting a sketchbook, it can take me several years to fill one up. Surely I can complete it sooner than that! Maybe if I dedicate a little time daily to putting my ideas here rather than on bunches papers all scattered about then I can do it. You think?

What I really want to share with you today is my friend Christy's amazing new shop!  You have got to go see it, the site in itself is a work of art!  I'm not kidding.  Not only is her letterpress work unequaled in quality but her beautiful new store design just showcases it perfectly.   One of my favorite new products of hers are these Personalized Seed Packets.  She will letterpress a name of your choice onto these beauties, making them a smart and lovely gift for a gardener you know. Or if you're harvesting some heirloom seeds from your summer garden, these are just the thing you need!  I also love these Wine glass markers and everything on her Assortments and Sets page. Go see for yourself, she has so many lovely letterpress goods.  You may also visit her blog to leave her a little note.  I know she'd love to hear from you.  :)

Till soon,
H

Sunday

Simply saying hi and hoping you're enjoying the last moments of your weekend. I just swept a ton of leaves that had fallen from the ash tree onto my studio stairs and am thinking this is just the beginning! And I must deal with the laundry draped over the kitchen chair, since it has been there for several days after all. I'd rather just be outside on this golden afternoon, despite my five hundred allergy sneezes. Ah well, no matter.

I'll return tomorrow with news about some talented local friends and maybe a peek from my sketchbook.

H