Monthly Archives: January 2007

I spent the evening sketching and inking and playing with composition. Now I have fifteen sketches I would like to paint! Here’s a little one I inked for fun. Inking to me is such instant gratification, I love it! Also, I wanted to try my new Koh-I-Noor pens, which I like better than Micron despite the little balls of inkynes they leave when I lift my hand off the page.
I bought another owl necklace at the thrift shop today! This one is all segmented and swings when he’s around my neck. Has anyone seen this “model” before? He is marked J.J. on the back. I also found two yards of old shamrock fabric and a pretty antique white vintage cardigan with lavender roses on it. I wish to wear more vintagey cardigans over blouses and lacey tank tops to stretch out my spring wardrobe.
I hope for snow. Each morning I peek out of the curtains only to find a slight sugary dusting. It gathers around the hills and rocks and makes my morning commute pretty though.
Today I ate a half a box of Girl Scout cookies. Mmmm…
What inspiring things do you have planned for February?

I take all kinds of notes on them.
Please excuse the smudges!

I bought a necklace of yellow glass beads, a bird vase for my alter and a beautiful book… which is torn to shreds now! I’ve been painting all weeekend and I decided to integrate the pretty inner cover of the book into my painting. I scanned it before I tore it from the book. I love the texture.

I went for a long winter walk. No snow but snow white mushrooms were growing from this twig.

Beads, vase and candles.

Locket and locks.

Closeup of orange flowers on the vase

A tiny preview of my painting. Its 18 by 24 inches on canvas painted in acrylic. I haven’t worked this large in quite some time so I am so excited! I am enjoying painting little scenes within scenes. At first glance they seem like a dreamworld but if you look more carefully they are rooted in real life. I am still on the theme of human/ animal interaction and over development of the land. Thrifted/ recycled items play a big part in my inspiration and development process, and I like to use tidbits of found treasures here and there to add to the magic and wonder.

I have decided to make a series of the above painting after I finish it. I really would like to start selling/ showing my art and making prints very soon. I love painting so much and all my free time from now on is going to be spent in my studio:)

xoxo

Some of my vintage linens and lace and delicate pressed pansies with fern I pulled out of an old whimsical wooden frame this week.

Feeling quite faded myself. I am going to spend the cold cold weekend quietly working on my art. I was only able to work on one sketch this week and I wasn’t happy with the colors. Autumnal hues just aren’t my thing anymore.

Recent loveliness:

~*~*Scrimshaw and all sea pastimes- Found some beautiful designs in one of my books. Very inspiring.
~*~ Warm Wool- a nicely fitted knee length pea coat I got from the thrift shop yesterday.
~*~Old Books- a great stack of them to use in arty projects. The covers are so grand!
~*~ Baby Blue- like a robins egg, speckled with sepia
~*~ 1930’s Wallpaper-I have a roll of it I found in an abandoned house and this week I finally thought of something to do with it!
~*~Dioramas- a little different than the ones I used to construct for 3rd grade projects. I would love to construct one with my paintings.

posted in

More from my collection:

warmth to all and have a great weekend
xoxo

It is a beautiful day. I’ve been working on a large painting on cotton canvas that is my favorite so far. It consists of a sleeping fox, little houses, drips and spills, with a light earthy palette. I’m sitting on the floor of my studio room listening to the sounds of Mahogany connectivity, my all time favorite album right now. I bought new glasses so I can finally see the tiny details of the tree branches and each blade of grass. I went Friday and found two of the most wonderful necklaces of all. The cameo is a jumbo scale locket! I also inherited some pretty cool letterpress printing things, which I have absolutely no intention of using but they look neat. I think my favorite colors are ecru, navy, the lightest mocha brown and gray. With splashes of brights.

xoxo

I spent my three day weekend painting and relaxing. In such dreary weather I have been snug in my little room. I took a walk in the cold rain and sipped warm coffee and tea on my breaks. And just in time…It was warm and rainy, like spring:(
And now It’s suddenly very chilly and windy here, but I like it!
Just a little snapshot of the state my workspace yesterday. You can see the painting I have been working on floor, sketches on easel. I moved my computer to floor because I needed room on my desk to do my sketches and mix paint. It also helps me concentrate, as it is crazy uncomfortable being online all hunched over on floor. I really need to post photos of my studio soon, I finally have things arranged pretty and in a way I can work comfortably.
Here is a scan of things that inspire me right now. Recently I found skeletons of leaves I had pressed in an old storybook from a few years ago, and shell-like spiral fossil.

Dreaming of living in a little sea town….

I painted this today while waiting for the background on one of my larger paintings to dry. My layers keep getting more and more intense, the journal can barely close anymore! The complexity that I used to put into my art quilts is finally being translated into my painting, which I am ecstatic about. But the paintings will be very different…I want to paint little scenes within scenes of everyday life rich in symbolism mixed with hopes and dreams, very far from fantasy world I used to dream of. Humans and nature coexisting.
I waited… and waited, hours later it was still wet! My miracle mixture, Liquitex Ultra Matte Medium (which I use to extend my paint volume ) also extends drying time by HOURS. I still love it though.
Now I am going to spend all my time putting my creative energies into a series of works called “Land and Sea” which will consist of larger, 18 by 24 inch paintings, sculptural pieces and maybe a fiber piece too. I have never been this excited about painting before, and I owe it all to my moleskine which got me into the groove again.

I had an absolute surge of thrifted finds, kind gifts and great sales this past month! I just had to document it all here. Everything resides in my studio as a source of constant inspiration… and as a distraction from this wet, warm winter. I wish for frostiness:( I titled the sketch “A very wet winter”. Once again I was thinking of the suburban fox that I met last july and wondering what he was doing with himself in this horrid weather. Feeling a bit better, still very dizzy though.

some photos posted to

A find from the sal army. This bluebird planter is actually quite large and I am going to plant beautiful paperwhite bulbs in it!

My husband bought me a new pair of boots this holiday season and I just had to include them in my sketch. The leather is soooo soft and light, just like i’ve been wearing them for years. They are surely my favorite pair and I am going to wear them til they fall off my feet!

My mother-in-law gave me a lot of the most beautiful vintage jewelry! The top two bracelets are from her. They are made of bakelite.

This golden ring reminds me of the skeleton of a dried leaf. It has a royal organic feel, like the faeries crafted it.

Some more vintage brass jewelry. I am slowly building up a small collection of cameos. The cameo is a heart locket.

Little enamel rose charm. The satin in the background has such lovely coral-like shapes woven into it. It is from an old wedding dress from the 1050’s which never got sewn and sat in a dress shop until I bought it!

Pretty brass pendant.

Vintage dress form. I have been looking for one of these for ages. Although this is one of the adjustable ones it suits me just fine. I love the heathered gray fabric its made from and the base is so cool! I think i’ll display a fragile victorian lace blouse.

Ah, eye candy! On loan but I want to buy a copy for ideas. I like how they mix vintage fabrics and laces from all eras.

I hit the sales at Anthropologie and bought some beautiful things. I have been eyeing this little ornament since I saw it in their catalog this autumn.

The spiral shell is one of my favorite symbols. I found these thee in a bin at Anthro as well. They are tree ornaments but I am going to keep them out all year for inspiration.

I nearly had a heart attack when i laid my little paws on this….from Anthro as well and the sale price was fabulous! Its wool and sooooo wonderful. I will hang it all year!

And I leave you with this…

~*~*~*Sarah

I am very, very sick and can barely move, let alone do any of my art. In between sleeping all day I was thinking about my things I did in 2006, places I visited, art I made.

My favorite store of 2006, ABC Carpet and Home in NYC. Picture taken in June. I love the color, textures and shimmery light….the store has total ambiance. So inspirational!
http://www.abchome.com/

A few adventures of 2006 that I can recall right now in my feverish memory:

~*~Made my inspirational tables all the way through the year. Built a willowy faerie house out of sticks, moss and dried holly leaves. These tables have intensely connected me to my muse and the seasons as a whole.

~*~Sewed and sewed like an absolute madwoman! Vended my goods for the first time, sold lots! Made around 40 (yes 40!) intricately sewn and painted bags, one wall hanging this year.

~*~Continued with my walking/ running routine. Took long walks in all kinds of weather (including snow storms and downpours!) and took lots of photos of nature.

~*~Traveled 4 hours alone dressed like a faerie to attend the Spoutwood Farm Faerie Festival! Met up with friends and had a very magical time.
http://www.fairiefestival.net/

~*~Rediscovered my love for color and all things vintage. Started to thrift and antique shop on a weekly basis. Started to collect vintage clothes and other unique threads for my wardrobe.

~*~Continued my goal of waist-length natural hair. Groooooooow.

~*~Moved to a new place, right near Whole Foods Market! I have never eaten so healthy and organic in all my life.

~*~Got a new studio room. Set it up with all of my favorite, inspirational things. Its a lovely, cozy little space with lots of light and room to work.

~*~Went to Renegade Craft Fair, got to see my dear friend twice this year!
http://www.renegadecraft.com/

~*~Traveled to Maine, hiked in Acadia, the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Stayed in a room above a cute little cafe.

~*~Visited Boston for the first time and explored.

~*~Visited Salem again. Stayed at a quaint little b and b neighboring Nathanial Hawthorn’s The House of the Seven Gables.
http://www.morningglorybb.com/index.htm
http://www.7gables.org/

~*~Traveled to Maine again a few weeks later! I love Maine!

~*~Started to rediscover my love for sketching and painting and journaling. I take my sketchbook wih me everywhere.

I am so excited about my plans for 2007 I can barely contain myself. Being sick I have been thinking of some beautifully strange ideas. I have been working on a series of 10 paintings on stretched linen for the new year to get me started. I can’t wait until I am well enough to resume creating!

brightest wishes for the new year!

peace and love,

Sarah
~*~*~*~*

I had a wonderful New Year and I hope all of you had the same! Been busy recently and I haven’t posted in awhile. I’ve been intensely concentrating on my art. Sketching a lot. I creating a comfy space in my studio, set up all my paints and put my brushes out in inspiring vinagy canisters and pitchers. Now I spend the evenings sitting and quietly drawing. First things first… I’ll start with a goody post!
I got a lovely pair of vintage owl salt and pepper shakers from a good friend. On my studio shelf…

I just love the lighting in my studio room at dusk.
Happy New Year!