Holidays With Heart

I'm poring over my finds from the One of a Kind Show today. Love it all. An entire floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago filled with artists doing what they are most passionate about. Oh what fun.

Here is my Vintage Sculpture heart that will find a place on my tree -- but a more permanent place after the holidays because I won't bear to wrap it in tissue and pack it away. www.vintagesculpture.com

Next stop: Weener Ware. Found a red cardinal in flight to wear on my lapel.
(www.weenerware.com)

Thomas Mann had lovely pretty things. Bought a tiny pewter heart to string on a necklace as a remembrance.... but will check out his catalog often! www.thomasmann.com

I could go on, and on. But I'm too inspired with thoughts to capture while the ideas are fresh in my brain. Got to get my hands dirty and be creative.

A Newfound Respect for Glass

My aunt and uncle from Grand Junction, Colorado were visiting this past week. I was introduced to photographs from their travels through Arizona and various parts of the west.

They visited a desert museum which features work by the artist Dale Chihuly. So I had to look more into this talented artist whose medium is blown glass. It is easy to marvel at the explosive color and intricate shapes that compose his glass sculpture. The interplay between art and nature are entwined in such a way it makes complete sense out of evolution and creation. But at the same time, you're delighted at his beautiful touches to supplement an already exquisite space.

There's Chihuly, an artist who is living out a passion for his craft and leaving quite a legacy for many generations to appreciate. Then there's my family tree of folks who appreciate "junque." Relatives who bend wire and bang metal into something other than its original shape, but still functional as art and craft. More about that in a later post.

Meanwhile, stop here and enjoy:
http://www.chihuly.com/installations/tam/Art/CdTAM2_Img0099B.html

Why I Make Things

Creating art has been a part of my life from the time I was about 3 or 4 years old. Some of my earliest memories are drawing with crayons on a big sketch pad as my mom spent afternoons oil painting at an easel. She was taking a night class at the time, and painted portraits. I have dabbled in all kinds of arts and crafts thoughout my life, including pen and ink, acrylic paint, watercolor, needlecrafts, graphic design, clay, and most recently, jewelry.

Art is as necessary as breathing. Whenever I'm feeling antsy or off-center, I want to get my hands dirty and create... something... regardless if the creation turns out particularly well. Artists create because they are passionate about life. The creative process can be as different for everybody as the end product they achieve.

Lynda Lehmann wrote, in Art and Power, "...We see glimpses of beauty and wonder in places where other people may fail to look, unearthing it at every turn. We see new relationships, both visual and metaphoric, sociological and scientific." (See http://www.creativity-portal.com/bc/other/art-power.html) And thank goodness for artists, who transport us from our everyday lives to momentary greatness through their creations.

Now that the seasons are shifting into autumn, my thoughts turn to Christmas and the wonderful bins of remnants collected in the attic, waiting to be turned into handmade gifts. And the urge to create is upon me.