Seashore inspiration continues...

These are a few of my favorite creations ...

Did I mention that I live in a historic vintage cottage steps from the ocean

and that I have a fascination for seashells ?

I am in awe of their structure and beauty.

I have been making my own molds to create shells out of clay

and enjoy glazing them in an array of varying colors,

that will never fade over time.

I believe each of us is affected by our environment.

I live in gratitude each day for the gift of living where my spirit soars.

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Watercolor renderings

Splashing about...

on paper,

with one of my favorite subject matters.

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Coral wreath design

Unexpected sweet little find at Big Lots,

coral colored beaded wreath and small seashell pics,

are assembled and attached together

with some of my own ceramic lustered creations included

for added pleasure and sparkle.

Experimenting with clay...

and stamps, and wax, and glazing techniques

then including some of my favorite collectibles...

lace, ribbon, and vintage buttons,

for new, one of a kind ceramic designs.

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Cashmere sweater weather

It was pretty, pink and a favorite that I inadvertently shrunk.

Fortunately the new size of the sweater was a perfect fit for my adorable

7 year old neighbor who was thrilled with the cozy pink acquisition.

When she out grew it she returned it for me to create a warm wrap

for her tiny tea cup chihuahua,

cutting off one sleeve and adding a little soft pink netting

for a girlie collar ...too cute!

There was still plenty left, that came in handy,

for creating sea shell ceramic pin cushions,

and later a hand painted and beaded flower pin.

Re purposing is good!

Collage creation becomes a greeting card

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Knowing art helps heal hearts and lives

I have created a greeting card for a dear friend and fellow creative soul who is

going through a most challenging time right now.

Like most of us she still appreciates snail mail and hand crafted creations.

It may be difficult to see the name of the boat painted on the side.

It's called Free Spirit !

The inside reads,

merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily...

( here you need to pause and allow the reader to finish the thought )

and on the left side pasted inside a puffy white clouds

on a sky blue background are the words,

DREAM BIG !

Missives from Paris

have arrived in this weeks post.

Using the front of envelopes, I continued to play with my new paints.

Then filling them with Paris paraphernalia I chose to mail them

to myself just for the fun of it.

I would have preferred pretty postage stamps, but having left them with the concierge to post I ended up with a Paris metered stamp over pictures of folded airplanes.

They are still fun and the folded plane images are clever.

Fortunately my adorable lover indulges me in my whimsy and creativity.

He surprises me with a ditty that makes me smile, and the necklace,

beautifully and meticulously handcrafted by a French woman,

his Valentine gift to me!

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Sennelier art supplies ( Couleurs pour artistes )

On the left bank of the River Seine and directly across from the Louvre Museum is an amazing 123 year old art supply store.
Sennelier's was frequented by Cezanne, Picasso, Degas, and many other famous artists.

It is family owned and operated since 1887.

They create many of their own paints and pastels.

This is pure joy to visit, and a visual delight every where you look.

I came away with Sennelier gouache in Lemon Yellow, Carmine, Cerulean Blue Hue and Titanium white.

Later that afternoon I played with my new paints to see how many different colors I could create with these 3.

I filled one blank page out of my journal before I ran out of time and space on the page.

I love color mixing and the unlimited possibilities !

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Paris Valentines

I spotted the charming store front from across the street and was instantly drawn to it.

Upon closer inspection I viewed the perfect Paris Valentine display.

Happy hearts day,
and greetings from Paris,

with love,

XoX p

Marie Antoinette's Hamlet at Versailles

After traipsing through the over-the-top opulence of Marie Antoinette's main residence in Versailles it was a pleasure to walk down the steps and stroll across this amazing historic property over to the charming hamlet she created as her escape from the formalities of Louis XVI's court.

Here she created her own world...

It was so serene, right out of a story book,
it felt a bit surreal to be exploring, and snapping photos to share, with almost no one else around, just the farm animals who didn't seem to mind at all.

Here is my thought as I write this post...
about a woman who lived over 200 years ago.
It seems to me women have been creating their own realities for years,
knowing their own well being and that of their families depended on it.
Charles Lindbergh's wife, and mother of 5 children, Anne Morrow Lindbergh comes to mind and the beloved book she wrote in 1955 the "Gift from the sea".
She understood the need for balance in our lives and time to one's self.

She took herself off to the seashore every year to replenish and nurture her soul.

May we learn from their lives, and enrich our own.

Doorways of Paris

Besides being enamored with the artistic craftsmanship and attention to detail in the architecture of the buildings all over Paris, I seem to have a particular fascination with the uniquely beautiful doorways,

Their size alone gives me pause...

Having me in the photo gives you a better visual perspective of the actual size.

You will need to click on the photos to see the intricate carvings and details.

I believe part of the attraction I feel for these beauties is the symbolic nature of doorways,

that, and my innately curious mind...

To open them and pass through takes courage and a willingness for change in your life.

They may be seen as gateways to another world,

with mysteries that lie on the other side,

and the potential for all kinds of fun new opportunities...

Packing for Paris

I took a break from packing today to take a snap of some favorite wardrobe pieces that are making their way to Paris with me.

Black cashmere coat and scarf, fur trimmed hat and gloves, big bag for traveling with, going out to dinner boots, and an adorable wool sweater.
Who knew photographing black clothing could be so challenging. If the photo is too dark you cannot see any of the lovely details.
If it comes out too light the pieces look grey instead of black. I'll admit I am on a learning curve with this. ( And open to suggestions ) Let's just compromise and even if it looks grey, trust me, it is black. Except the sweater with the ruffled collar, it really is charcoal grey with black embellishment on both collar and cuffs.

I found some 1 1/2" diameter book rings at Staples today that are working beautifully for binding my new travel journal pages together. This way I can pop a couple pages out at a time to work on instead of trying to juggle the chubbiness of it all.
I've also been pulling together art supplies and reading material to pack in my carry on bag for creative amusement on the long flight, but can't seem to find where my mini watercolor set has disappeared to...

Preparing for Paris...

I am creating a new journal to fill while I am in Paris.
I've been pilfering through piles of paraphernalia in search of miscellaneous papers to combine.

I enjoy drawing, especially people, and airports are a great place for quick gestural style sketches, so sketching paper is a must, water color paper too, just in case I find time.

The rest is whatever I find to work with. Much of it is too light to hold up to the stress of travel so I pick up some paint swatch cards to fold and glue on the ends for durability.

With a few snips with decorative scissors we have pretty and practical.

Of course we need to include pockets for the little odds and ends that need a secure place to be tucked away, such as post cards, hotel stationary, match books and maps.
Most of the papers I prefer to leave blank until I reach my destination and the energy there takes over.

I can already envision using the local Paris newspapers classified ads pasted in as the perfect background for a charcoal or graphite rendering of an ancient architectural design.

Journal Pages

I'm preparing for a trip to Paris next week.

The lists are growing,

what to take, what to wear...

and I promised my self that I would create a new journal, just for Paris

I learned not so long ago (1994)
that a typical bound book was not created for the type of journaling I did.
The binding broke within 2 months and the pages splayed out 5 times the width of the binding.

Thank God it came with a little elastic strap to pull itself together.

Inspired by Katherine Hepburn's quote,

"Go out and have a life that's is full of adventure and fun."

I did just that !

At the time I called it my visual journal.

This is before the days of scrap booking as we know it.

There were no cool papers to purchase or fun scissors for trimming.

Enjoy the snaps, and a glimpse into my past

I'm off to prepare some new pages for my Paris adventure.

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Speaking of shoulder weight...

I've had the opportunity to page through most of the paraphernalia collected at the CHA show. My mind filling with ideas, visualizing much more than what is being shown in the pile of collected catalogs and after several hours,

It is time to take a little creative break.

There is a heavy canvas bag calling for my attention....

Unexpectedly, I find myself back in my studio digging through some of my past clients upholstery fabric samples for a swatch with dark blues and white as I was drawn to the heavy cotton canvas bag so generously supplied by the company

named Merchants Overseas.

I was thrilled to come across an Italian cotton paisley swatch from Ralph Lauren that was a perfect match, and considering the company's logo had served its purpose,

being exposed at a trade show, I chose to do a remake of the tote covering

the wording with this fabric.

The new look is simple, chic, fun and a super quick sew.