Lyric Art

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

For Your Inspiration: the Tuba Exchange

I had my horn in to "the guy" who does the best brass work in the area.

His shop happens to be part of the Tuba Exchange in Durham, NC.

It's a lovely little place - if you are in the area it's worth the trip.

Creative Wisdom: Baby Steps

I've just spent the entire day at the middle school, working with their horn players - and recruiting a few new ones. I'm completely exhausted. No wonder my kids don't want to get their homework out of the way right when they walk in the door.

: Alphonse Mucha

So - since it's almost time for the rest of the troops to come in and get food before we rush off to various sports - today's baby step is very small.

Choose a piece of art you love. Look at it.
Analyze what it is about it that you love.

Mucha? I love, love, love his use of pattern, the sinuous lines hat lead the eye on a journey up and around and back again. In the print above, there is a repetition of the round shape and the organic but angular branching forms.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Quilting Arts Gifts!

Have you seen it yet?
This year's issue of

Quilting Arts Gifts
is on the news stands now. Wait - is there still such a thing as a news stand?

Nevermind - you can get your copy here.

I have a lovely little project included - showing you how to make a silk art scarf with a beaded fringe. Let me know if you like it. And - there is also an advertisement for my DVD, Bead It Like You Mean It with as special price for QA readers.

You might also like some of the tutorials here on this blog - check them out under the link up there under the header. It says "tutorials."

Creative Wisdom: Baby Steps

Remember what we've done so far? Cleaned off a spot or two, made a list, picked out a photo for inspiration...

Let's get just a little more specific today. Pick a work in progress, or something you'd like to start. Make a list of all the little steps that need to be done. Break it down to tiny bite sized pieces. Get the first thing ready to work on. If you get the urge and keep on going with it today, make sure to leave the next step out and ready to go for tomorrow.

Today so far I've looked at my possible entry deadlines (you can see a pretty full list of calls for entry on my website here.) I've chosen a show, ARTQUILTSwater that I want to be a part of and think I can manage. That's only because I've already got something in the works that will fit the theme. My list starts - iron cloth, find image to layer, pull out projector, mark image, find batting. Today I might have time to iron.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Creative Wisdom: Baby Steps

Today has been a very busy day with appointments that have kept me away from the studio. So what to do?

: Frame added with Snapseed - but otherwise unedited.

While I was waiting for my appointments I pulled out my iphone, which I personally believe is one of the funnest toys and most useful tools ever invented. I always have photos on it so I pulled up Snapseed - a digital editing app - and played around.

Today's baby step into creativity
find a "to-go" project

: Boosted contrast, used center focus to darken the outer edges, added a frame.

If you have something ready to go you won't waste time while you sitting and waiting, or while watching the television or riding in the car. I have several on-going "to-go" projects. My attention span is short so I only work on them occasionally and they can end up taking years to complete. That's fine. The point is just to have something, anything, to work on. Take a sketchbook and fill it up with drawings of your hand. Fill a candy tin with beads and a little bit of cloth and sew them on. Hand embroidery works well too.

: Can't remember - maybe it was the "vintage" filers that I played with - a little added texture. The sky really was that blue though - beautiful day!