Lefty Spotlight on Free Spirit Janene

Lefty Spotlight on Free Spirit Janene

I made a new friend on Facebook the other day and her name is Janene. She told me that my lefty art had popped up on her computer screen three times in one day – kismet! So we met and she told me she’d really keyed into the left handed aspect of my work. It inspired her to give it a try too and she loved it!

Janene had been struggling with some tough emotions and creative blocks along with the chaos of too much going on and was just now getting back into art-making. At age fifty, she was finally making time for herself and for her art. Janene had recently discovered zentangling and was drawing a lot of faces but was frustrated at her lack of perfection.

Janene has drawn her whole life; it was her main outlet when, as a child she endured many surgeries.. As she grew up she pretty much dropped art-making until having children. That’s when the urge to create really left her. She was creating a whole new kind of art now.

“Its time,” Janene said “to get back into art-making. What a gift, it was like I never realized I could use my left hand. It was like having a new toy. I’d been trying to open my mind in different ways to help myself out of a slight depression and get my true self back again and this helped!”

Non dominant hand drawing allowed Janene to slow down. She discovered that her frustration over being perfect stopped too. Here’s what Janene painted…wow! She hopes to give it another try soon and I sure hope she does too.

About Janene Christman: Janene is a positive minded, loving, free thinker whose never-ending pursuit of creative living has lead her into loads of chaotic messes and good times often ending in a much needed nap.

 

 

Press Enterprise Artist Spotlight: CRABBE FOCUSES ON MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Press Enterprise Artist Spotlight: CRABBE FOCUSES ON MIND, BODY, SPIRITCRABBE FOCUSES ON MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

BY DANIEL FOSTER AND JILL JONES THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Published: 08 May 2012 03:43 PM

Artist Kathy Crabbe has chosen to address issues of the mind, body and spirit in her artwork. She uses an intuitive, spontaneous and process oriented approach to her work in a variety of mediums.

Crabbe studied art in Canada where she shaped many of her artistic themes as she studied the female form and women’s studies. She moved to Laguna Beach California and exhibited at the Sawdust Art Festival for seven years. Her work has continued to evolve and embody more humor and playfulness during those years. Living in Southern California also injected a brighter color palette into her work.

In 2000 she moved to Temecula where she now lives and works while she displays her artwork throughout the Southern California region. Throughout During her time in California she has also expanded her studies in printmaking and other media, taking courses and workshops from well known local artists such as Dixon Fish, Helen Shafer Garcia, Amber George and Leslie A. Brown.

In 2008 she started working on a series entitled “Journey into Intimacy” which consists of mixed-media paintings using charcoal, pastels and acrylics applied to smooth surfaces, using both conventional and unorthodox tools and methods. She has been known to use garden rakes, sponges, house painting brushes, fingers and other body parts as she layers and scrapes the surface.

In the “Journey Into Intimacy” series, patterns and symbols are repeated and serve to evoke deep emotions and reverence for the spirituality of nature. “I depict an inner landscape of the senses. Part dream, part yearning and part sacred symbol, the work stems from a holistic perception of the world. Emotions are spiritualized into divine patterns pre-existing in nature — the circle, a seed pod,” states Crabbe.

“Crabbe’s mixed-media paintings and prints are a journey into the forgotten parts of the self; those places, both emotional and physical, that are rejected, neglected, or under-valued in our corporatized and sanitized culture. These neglected places exude a dark kind of beauty and complexity as they form themselves in her work. This work is a foray into sweetness, light and danger all at once. It is deep intimacy — a deliberate mirror and an intent of reclamation. I look forward to following this series,” said Tangerine Bolen, executive director at Revolution Truth.

Crabbe’s BodyPrint Healing series of printmaking includes etchings and monoprints in which she again uses a variety of techniques and methods this time to explore transformative healing through the work.

“Instead of falling victim to pain and suffering, these feelings can instead be transferred onto paper, objectified, transformed and healed,” Crabbe said.

“Kathy’s artwork caught my eye as soon as she arrived at the Mt. San Jacinto College Art Gallery to submit her work for the show I was curating. I was pleased that she brought with her both an etching and a print, representative of a range of her work. The monochrome color palette was both soothing and inviting, and I was beckoned to look more closely at the images to see what they had to say to me. The pieces, both part of the BodyPrint Healing Series, had a lot to say about the healing and release that can be experienced when making art. I was more than pleased to include “V Etch” and “V 1” in Your Face Here: The Modern Self-Portrait and I look forward to seeing Kathy’s art on display in the future,” said Leslie Paprocki, curator, Your Face Here: The Modern Self-Portrait.

Crabbe exhibits extensively throughout Southern California. She is a member of the Plein Air Artists of Riverside (PAAR) and the Printmakers Network at the Riverside Art Museum (PNET) as well as a member of the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony in Temecula.

Crabbe will have work in several upcoming shows including a one day solo show at the Sun City Library on Sunday, May 27, 2012, Art and Earth: My Art, My World at the Murrieta Public Library, Tuesday, May 1 through Saturday, June 30 with an opening reception on Saturday May 5 from 2 to 4 p.m., and she will have an additional solo exhibit at San Marcos Library from Sunday, May 6 to Tuesday, June 24, 2012.

For more information visit the artist’s website at http://KathrynVCrabbe.com Article Source

Sag Spotlight on Gem Artist, Meg & Pirate Painter, Jeanne

Sag Artisan, Meg Arbo

Sag Artisan, Meg Arbo

Spotlight on Sagittarian Artist Meg Arbo Etsy Shop: Gem Obra

What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable? I think it is the moment I pick up a raw material and instinctively know what it needs to be; now that doesn't always happen. I had some beach glass on hand for years that I had picked up off the coast of Vancouver, BC, Canada, and I would occasionally look at it and wonder what it wanted to be and I recall the day I finally knew. I looked at it and I knew it needed to be a necklace - I thought it was going to be a simple pendant and earrings but was wrong.

What originally got you started creating your art or craft? Truthfully? I wanted jewelry and was too cheap to pay thirty bucks for mass produced plastic! I saw some thing in a store and thought, "Oh, that's nice..." then I picked it up, realized it was a thirty-five dollar plastic piece and instantly knew I could make better for less!

Who has inspired you the most creatively, and why? My father's side of the family is mad creative! I think my Aunt Chris, her daughters, and one of my other cousins really spur me on. Incidentally, several of them are Sag's, too! When we are together I like to joke that there is a great sphere of celestial power percolating around us and all should look out lest they be swept up in it!

How did you decide what medium to work in? Well, being a Sagittarius I have many interests and I feel that through various experiences, I choose my mediums. I am sure I will add others.

Medallion Statement Necklace by Sag Artist Meg

Medallion Statement Necklace by Sag Artist Meg

How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity? Several of my jewelry pieces contain items from my travels. I like that I can share a little bit of my wanderlust through my craft.

What do you like best about your sign and least? We Sags are the explorers, the travelers! We want to know what is out there and have wanderlust! My boyfriend is also a Sag and I just gave him a cruise for his 40th birthday! Obviously, we both can't wait to go! Least? Sag rules the thighs and hips. SIGH. I have large thighs and hips and lower back problems!

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft? There is joy in color and being unique!

If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why? Kumquat. Go on. Say it! Kumquat! It is a fun word to say and an underused fruit. I like to add a little bit to a glaze that I make when cooking chicken.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why? I also bake and act and I adore candy-making. It is fun to see people's faces light up when they bite into one of my creations and my Divine Peppermint Bark is available for purchase in my Etsy Shop. I have been acting since I was fifteen years old, but it is a hard business and I sometimes need to find other creative outlets to keep me going.

What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively? Let anything and everything inspire you! Don't just settle for one medium; explore many and see what tickles your creative funny bone! You may just end up being a Renaissance woman!

Spotlight on Sagittarian Artist Jeanne Hawkinson Galvaston, Texas, USA Etsy Shop: Galleon Gal Blog: Galleon Gals

Sag Artist, Jeanne Hawkinson

Sag Artist, Jeanne Hawkinson

What aspect of creating do you enjoy the most? Witnessing my research materials so I may create. My time is best spent en plein air which means "on location." To create you must have a positive environment, free mind, and dexterity of limbs and hands. I make my living with my talented inherited creations: an artist’s hands. Who has inspired you the most creatively? My mom's quiet ministrations, encouragements, sketching, and oil paint lessons. You know, the mentor as always stands in the Shadows of the Master. What is your preferred medium? My small child’s hands reached for color pencils; I was allowed to work with color pencils on geography maps in grade school. How did you decide what medium to work in? Sag is fueled by nature's astounding beauty, emotion, wind, waves, animal instincts, four elements of earth, and the absolute desire to create artwork to reflect one’s heart's emotional sagas; unending, and unyielding to taunts or torments from aggressive bullies in school and in life.

What do you like best about your sign and least? Best: Creative often earth moving powers and instincts. Least: Sentimental to the point of exhaustion.

Avast Galleon Gal Pirate Pen and Ink Art T-Shirt

Avast Galleon Gal Pirate Pen and Ink Art T-Shirt

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft? My weary eyes yearn to convey the beauty they have been blessed with past, present and future.

If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why? A Tangerine although small is aromatic.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why? Scratch Board Texture Tactile Sensation Satisfaction.

What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively? Do not be critical and treat yourself with respect. Take joy in your craft.

Is there anything else you’d like to share? Rush of ocean tides warm fragrant welcome sea breeze spirit of sailors gusting into the rigging singing sweet chords dream tears - my true inspirations.

Check out more Creative Soul Spotlights here.

What makes you Happy? Celebrate your femininity with Taurus Artisans, Jen, Cassie & Aly

Taurus Artist, Jen's daughter, Lauren Robinson Taurus Full Moon November 21, 2010 9:27 am pst

Spotlight on Taurus Artist Jennifer Robinson Huntsville, Ontario, Canada Facebook: Liv Jewellery Blog: Liv Jewellery

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable?

When it comes to making jewellery, designing is the most exciting part for me. I love laying out my gemstones, pearls and findings, and moving things around until I find an arrangement that I’m pleased with. I am a very visual person, and I often need to see a design before it “clicks” and I know that it’s the right one. I actually get a feeling inside when I know it’s right. Second only to the designing is ordering new gems. It’s like Christmas morning when a gem shipment arrives!

2. What originally got you started creating your art or craft?

I have always loved art and studied Interior Design in college, but after trying various art projects and media over the years, nothing seemed quite right. I would get bored easily and moved from craft to craft. Then I found a booklet while browsing through a craft store one day that showed the basics of wire-wrapping. I took home some headpins and beads and I was instantly hooked. Then I discovered the supply shops on etsy and realized that I could buy genuine gemstones, and the obsession with designing jewellery began.

3. Creatively, who has inspired you the most, and why?

My daughter Lauren has been my inspiration. She is a very girly-girl who loves pink, rhinestones and ruffles. I think as we get older we women sometimes lose that desire for femininity, particularly in the way we dress. Lauren reminds me every day how much fun it is to be a girl, and how important it is to accessorize! We women may have our hardships, but at least we get to wear beautiful things.

Taurus artist, Jen's earrings4. How did you decide what medium to work in?

I knew very quickly that I wanted to work with real gems and pearls, as this is the type of jewellery that I prefer to wear myself. I have always loved colour, and you can’t beat deep, red garnet, lime green peridot or brilliant blue topaz. Real stones sparkle and glitter like glass never will. And there’s something about smooth freshwater pearls – they just glow.

5. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity?

Being a Taurus, my strengths are patience, loyalty and steadfastness. You have to have a lot of patience working with teeny tiny gemstones and fine gauge wire! My designs are very delicate and lightweight, so I often use the smallest stones I can find. Taureans are also stubborn, and this is sometimes beneficial too – I will work and re-work a piece until it is just right. Taureans appreciate luxury, good quality and comfort, and this equates to luxurious jewellery and good quality gems. We Taurus women treat ourselves to the finer things in life!

6. What do you like best about your sign and least?

The thing I like best about my sign is my ability to be patient. This allows me to be a good wife, mother and friend, and to never sweat the small stuff. However, Taureans are sometimes a little lazy too. Luckily, I have chosen a profession that I am very passionate about. I rarely look forward to the end of the workday – I look forward to getting into my craft room to create! Now laziness is only a factor when it comes to housework.

7. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft?

The message I would like to convey is that we women deserve beautiful things, and should celebrate our femininity: think like a five year old girl, and don’t hesitate to wear pink!

8. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why?

Probably a peach: sweet. Plus my husband always says I have soft skin.

9. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why?

I have always enjoyed working with paper. I love the precise aspect of card making and the wide range of papers available. I often make greeting cards and gift tags for family, and may delve into selling them in the future.

Taurus Artist, Jen & her daughter

10. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively?

My advice would be to try many different art forms before you find one that fits. For me, it took 36 years to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. But once that happened, there was no turning back. Jewellery making has become such a joy for me, and I sometimes wake up with new designs in my head. I also just let pieces evolve. I will start out to design a bracelet, and in the end, it ends up as a necklace. It just looked better that way, and I didn’t know it until I saw it in front of me. Creativity will evolve if you let it.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

It’s true what they say – if you do what you love, you never work another day in your life. I never really appreciated the honesty of that statement until I experienced it for myself. I don’t work anymore. I create sparkly, beautiful pieces of jewellery for women like myself. When I see how excited they are to wear them, it makes me truly happy.

More About Jen

I am a woman who loves to create. Whether it’s an apple pie, a photograph or a piece of jewellery, I am happiest when I am creating something beautiful (and homemade pie IS a work of art!) I live in Huntsville, Ontario with my husband Scott, my daughter Lauren, three dogs and a fat cat. It is a very busy household, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Queen Anne's Lace Silver Sweetheart Bracelet

Spotlight on Taurus Artist, Aly New Britain, Connecticut, USA Etsy Shop: Amaranth Opulent Fashion and lifestyle blog: Her Lumpiness

Eternally awed by the beauty of the world, I live my life through a rose-tinted filter when looking at works of art made by both humans and nature. I have devoted my life thus far to the pursuit of beauty in all forms, and want to use every way I can to share what I've found. My current inspiration is in jewelry crafting, using hand-picked and hand-pressed local or naturalized wildflowers and plants I’ve collected myself from roadsides, gardens, and parks. These are combined with findings purchased whenever possible from local small businesses or independent Etsy sellers to create elegant, eco-friendly jewelry suited to the woodland princess living inside every woman, from students to grandmothers, and everyone in between. My pursuit of the old-worldly and the otherworldly has led me to Lolita Fashion and Lifestyle, devoted to the innocence and purity of a bygone or fairytale life, which I blog about and generally obsess over.

Spotlight on Taurus Artist Cassie Frost Chili, Wisconsin, USA Etsy Shop: Cakes and More

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable? I absolutely love the creative part of baking. I enjoy the fun of adding different ingredients together and in different ways to create something new. It always amazes me that you can take the same ingredients, yet by mixing them differently, come up with an entirely different result. I also enjoy the decorating end of my craft and seeing my desserts take on a new form.

2. What originally got you started creating your art or craft? I had dabbled in this for many years and about five years ago my partner suggested we try a few 'bigger' cakes. One thing led to another and soon we had friends of friends asking for cakes. We finally decided to make our craft a full time business and remodeled our garage into a licensed kitchen this past summer. Now we can spread the work and our business anywhere!

3. Who has inspired you the most creatively, and why? My daughter has been my biggest inspiration. She is six and still has the simple wonder in her eyes. I love to step back and look at him in the simple terms that she does. She reminds me to relax and enjoy the creative process and reminds me that the rush to the end result isn't worth it.

4. How did you decide what medium to work in? I chose cakes/cookies and edibles because it is the one thing that brings all people together. Everyone eats and everyone can come together over our items. I love being able to supply people with an item that can be both beautiful and delicious.

5. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity? The wonderful Taurus stubborness has been my shining point throughout this entire endeavor. There are many times that recipes don't turn out well, especially when creating something new. It takes the Taurus in me to turn right back around and throw another batch in the oven.

6. What do you like best about your zodiac sign and least? I think what helps me in my creativity is also both my most and least favorite facet of my astrological sign. I display the true stubborn-ness that goes with being the 'bull'. It has helped me reach all the places that I have been in life. However, at times, it has been a hindrance. It is important for me to take the time to remember that I am not always right, and sometimes take the time to listen to others advice.

7. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft? I would like to bring fun to food. I want people to enjoy themselves and take time to enjoy the time they have with the friends and family they share the treats with.

8. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why? I think a pineapple... Very unique and multi-faceted on the outside, sometimes prickly, but colorful and sweet on the inside.

9. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why? Paint. I love painting. The wonderful ways that colors mix and combine allows to show so many emotions.

10. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively? Enjoy yourself and do what it is that makes you happy. There are a lot of people out there that are willing to give you advice, and there is a lot of great advice out there. However, in the end you are the person that has to be proud of your own work. If you don't believe in your craft, no one else is going to either.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to share? Life is short- Enjoy every moment.

Taurus Artist, Cassie Frost

About Cassie

My name is Cassie and my partner and I opened 'Cakes and More' this past July. We have a beautiful six year old who always reminds us to take life lightly and enjoy every minute. We consider our baking time our fun time and spend a great deal of time as a family looking for new recipes and tweaking old ones.