It’s been a long time since I’ve worked on any ceramic pieces, and these tiles I actually formed, carved, painted and glazed. Oooh the things I could create with a kiln in my garage...

I will never be bored in this life, that is for sure.

Since there are only 9 of these created ever, it’s taken me a little while to be ready to part with them ~ but I think it’s time for them to go to their new homes, so right now you can find them over at the shop.

Next week at this time!! This is where I’ll be. 

I’m honored to be the keynote speaker and a teacher at this beautiful, thoughtfully created first time event hosted by Sarah. I first met Sarah through this online world, via this blog in fact, and have since gotten to know her through my online classes and our little community, the Creative Coconuts. Such a lovely person, who also been a great support of me and Creative Thursday for so long - I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting it has been to be alongside Sarah as one of her dreams is coming true -

The inspiration behind Create • Explore • Discover from Sarah:

"My inspiration for the event came from a need and desire to help women feel empowered by their own creativity. A few years ago, I had a shoulder injury that required physical therapy. One day I came to therapy completely stressed, overwhelmed and ready to quit. My therapist sat me down and asked if I had time to do what I wanted to do with my day what would it be? I told him that I needed to create and that I loved photography. That afternoon he asked me to go out for 45 minutes and take photos. I listened and found an amazing freedom and sense of relief for taking even that length of time to do something for me, something that tapped back into my own sense of being and my own creativity."

I’m also excited to be teaching alongside two more lovely, lovely, super- talented creative ladies Liz and Denice. There are still a few spaces left if you want to join us.  Thinking that it might just be a little slice of heaven.

https://vimeo.com/29624111

It’s official! I’m writing a book through F + W Media, and it will be available under their North Light title September 2012. 

Since I shared the signing of my fabric line contract with you, I thought I’d continue the tradition and share the signing of the book publishing contract too. Almost a year + a lifetime in the making, it’s crazy exciting.

*deep breath*  *i’m writing an entire book by myself*  *i can do this*  

6 x 6 in.

On the heels of a great conversation about trust that lead to a spontaneous outing to a vintage furniture + gift store in West Hollywood, I came across this very old brass figure in the shape of a deer? donkey? dog? horse? Whatever it is I knew that this little fellow needed to come home with me to live in my studio. And I decided that it would forever be a symbol, a reminder of trusting my life even more.

I talk a lot about trust, in my classes and various blog posts over the years. It’s something I’m still working on; trusting that everything is working just as it should, even when I can’t quite see exactly how it is coming together - you know? the days when it feels like it might all be going wrong? In my experience, hindsight always reveals that it was all working out perfectly if I could have just relaxed and enjoyed myself more, instead of fret about the future. What can I say, even though I know this now, and I am getting much better at embracing this concept and making it my default setting, because when I do, life flows easier and I feel so much better; I still hesitate to trust fully and I still need small reminders. 

Enter the tiny character above. I thought if I need reminders, maybe you do to? So I share this with you.

{click here to buy original}

I’ve added just a few little Halloween fellows to the shop for a limited time. It’s starting to feel like fall around here, and I’m so excited about this - not only for the usual fun and excitement that accompanies a season change {especially this one because I’m already looking forward to carving pumpkins - ooh and my favorite roasted pumpkin seeds!!!!} but I much prefer the {cooler weather = happier me}

thanks so much for all the 'art on tv' love.  after all that excitement I wasn’t sure what to do with myself yesterday and then NBC re-aired the same episode and I was able to relive the excitement all over again, especially with my friend Liz on the other end of the phone watching at the same time ;) I don’t think they are playing it again today, so instead I’m taking another sewing class = just as exciting!! have a great weekend everyone!

In case you missed my tweet and Instagram photo that went something like this "Holy Sh*t my art on TV...now if they could just move that lamp"

"The gang celebrates" canvas was purchased through my licensing company, and they let me know that there was a possibility that it would be on the new comedy show, Up All Night on NBC. After living in Hollywood for all these years, even auditioning here as a commercial actress, you learn not to hold your breath about these kinds of moments. 

So last night we watched the series premiere... and for 3 seconds or so my art was featured in the opening. 

What can I say other than it really was ridiculously exciting to see it.  and a little surreal.

#happycreativethursday

12 x 9 in.

Inspired by a windowsill I walked by in Ashland, Oregon. Clearly a little fellow had set up his collection of dinosaurs on display in a row on a windowsill facing out through the window, and also right in front of the dinosaurs was a very small weeble wabble person of sorts. It was hilarious and I knew it needed to be a painting. 

On a side note, I was recently interviewed by Tamra Fleming.  Tamra hosted the Creative Souls Telesummit earlier this year {i just loved it}, and this month I am her guest spotlight speaker. The interview is available to listen to for the next couple of weeks, right here. An hour and 17 minutes. As you know, I have a lot to say and share with you all ;) 

{click here to buy original}

With my own fabric. Seriously. There is nothing more satisfying. 

What’s also special about this photo is that the pillows are resting in the seat of the very first creation, one of my hand painted vintage chairs, that I released under the Creative Thursday name in 2004. A full circle moment.

My plan is to post the entire fabric line {coming out so soon now!} in the next week or so. 

8 x 6 in.

The second in my black & white +  red series.

{click here to buy original} and I’ve also listed this one as print over at the shop because this image makes me so happy.

I  love making these.

Pulling together an annual collection of my work to share with you is quickly becoming one of my favorite projects every year. For this edition I’ve added some surprise details inside and incorporated a sampling of my new fabric designs! like the one featured on the cover. 

A limited edition is now available in the shop.

Well you should. You just should. Because it’s amazing.

Imagine an entire website dedicated to in kickstarter’s words 'follow and fund creativity' .

It exists people. It truly does.

No excuses, whatsoever not to pursue our creative dreams. 

It makes me a little weepy every time I log on to the site and see the generosity and support shown to creative people and their kickstarter projects. 

And there’s nothing that compares to the feeling of being a supporter to one or several projects. In fact I have recently decided that supporting kickstarter maybe be new form of tithing.

There’s nothing I love more than supporting {creative} people who are out there making it happen.

These are some recent projects I am, honored and proud to be a supporter of

Jessica Gonacha’s Rain Boots - I cannot wait for these!!!!

Lisa Field Elliot’s mission to help and document Midwives in Mexico

Nataly Dawn’s first solo album- seriously this is unbelievable. She asked for 20K and got over 100K.

And two more of my favorite people and sewers who are raising money to start their own pattern lines whose projects are funding right now!!!

Christine Haynes Sewing Patterns - she has 6 days to go!!!!!!!

Green Bee Sewing Patterns by Alexia Abegg

So if you feel inspired, please support them. We need their beautiful creations in the world. 

Another thing I love about kickstarter, is that you can donate whatever amount feels right to you. And you can literally see how with each project how every person and every single dollar counts. It truly does.

https://vimeo.com/28625257

You should know: the rest of the dried apples were very good, and the candle ~ also done! oh and I finished the remainder of a bag of walnuts as well.

Thinking about this some more after I shot the video, I realized that not completing a project, for me, is also in some way holding up what is to be next indefinitely. 

links related to this video:

get your house in order

my first video blog

my aquarian twin

You know what can happen when you’ve been blogging for a long time? {And by long time, I mean in blogging terms since I consider this medium to still be fairly new.} You, and by you I mean me, start to repeat yourself. And then if you’re like me, you might get slightly bored with your own blog.

I’ve always been honest about the fact that I’m not a journaler, and I didn’t start a blog as a means of having an online journal or expressing myself as a writer. I started it to share my art and also my podcast. Somewhere along the way I learned that I do in fact love sharing my thoughts with you from time to time, and that’s where some of those really lengthy posts come in.

I think what has happened between then and now is that I’ve felt like my blog should be something that ultimately isn’t me. I know I’ve thought of this before, but I still got caught up in what I thought a blog should be not how a blog would support and complement who I truly am. But in truth, keeping a consistent blog is exactly what has helped me become clearer about who I am.

Five years into blogging ~ yes, just passed that mark in July and completely forgot to acknowledge it, so I guess this is my acknowledgement {yay! for 5 yrs} ~ I’m having a full circle moment. Sometimes you have to try all kinds of 'different' to find your way back to what you started with. Exactly what happened in my career that ultimately lead me to Creative Thursday.

What I’m realizing is that

    First: I am an artist.

I favor expressing myself through imagery that I create, whether it be a painting, a photograph, or any of the other creations I make.

    Second: I am a voice

I also love sharing my thoughts out there in the world. This is where podcasting, writing, video-blogging speaking and teaching come in to the mix. 

As you know if you listened to my last podcast, I’m not about making big proclamations. I don’t even know exactly where this post trying to lead me, I just know that it’s once again time for a change.

I know that I love blogging and this practice of keeping a blog has been so helpful to me, as I mentioned above, particularly in the discovery and development of my art and my voice. Not to mention the community of people I have also come to know over the last five years. Sometimes when I stop to think about it, I remember just how incredible all of this blogging business is.

It’s Labor Day weekend here in the states, and since I’ve had my own business, this weekend has taken on a bit of a New Year’s feel to it. I know it’s also influenced by a season transition, especially from summer to fall. Memories of that back to school time, the changing of grades, preparing to learn again, the new clothes that I couldn’t wait to wear and the new notebooks that couldn’t wait to organize - It’s no wonder that this time of year always feels like the start of something new. 

I still love getting some new clothes and I guess my new notebook to organize is now my blog. This year in particular I have a big project starting, this week actually, and my fabric line is also officially making it’s way out into the world, very soon. So it really does feel like the start of a brand new evolution to Creative Thursday.

I’m excited to share all of this with you in the coming weeks and thought I’d clear the decks a little on the blog design {inspired by, you guessed it- Garbo}. A palate cleansing if you will? The sorbet in between the main course. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend if you’re in the states, and I’ll see you back here soon.

Thanks for continuing to come along on the journey with me.