Some artsy goals for '11

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.  ~ Thomas Merton

I've had a renewed focus on art in our homeschool and in my life during the last part of 2010. I'm feeling the need to make it even more a part of my life in 2011. I think it's a way to connect with who I was earlier in my life now that my daughter isn't in the "watch me 24 hours" stage any longer. It is probably a way to connect with loved ones no longer close to me. (My uncle that passed this year was very talented in nearly any art he tried, and my best "sister-friend" back home is a extremely talented artist... and she gets paid for it! ;)  Art brings me joy, and it brings me to a place of worship and praise for our Heavenly Father. I might not be good at it, but I enjoy it. I'm also focusing on JOY in 2011... and...


ART = JOY!



In 2011, I plan on...


Renewing my love of photography.
I took several classes in high school and again in college, and I absolutely lost my heart to photography. I haven't had the opportunity to spend much time on it over the years, and I miss it desperately. I've joined the masses of the quick instant photo to document my child's life. My black and white enlarger collected dust to the point that we sold it on Craig's List. My much loved Minolta needs a major overhaul. But, inside lurks a photo or two that would love to come out and play in the light. I'm starting fresh with a new digital that my mother bought me for Christmas (no fancy DSLR yet - but hopefully the budget will support it one day!), and I'm going to pretend that I've never taken photo one. I'm going to relearn the basics, practice with photo editing (I have nearly zero experience beyond the basics) and learn to love digital. I fought it for years, and now I will curtsy politely and make nice. 

Learn to paint with watercolors.
Again with the memories of bygone days, but once upon a time I did take a painting class. Because I was drawn to photography more than painting I only took two very basic classes that gave me a taste of acrylic, oil, and watercolor painting. My college classes focused more on drawing than painting. I never gave it a lot of focus, but now I would love to learn. My grandmother is a very talented artist who painted in watercolors, so again it's a way to connect with her. I'm armed with some basic materials and now challenged with finding some time to practice and play!


Knit and crochet for me (not just gifts or the shop.)
I love to create things with fiber, but I have a tendency to gift it away. I am going to set up my "11 for '11" list of projects over at Ravelry if anyone is interested in joining me! (Leave your Rav name in the comments and we'll connect!) I'd love to learn some new skills to kick it up a notch. Oh, and I need to finish a few projects. But I think that is another post...


Begin sewing again.
I love to sew, and my wonderful husband gave me a new sewing machine a few years ago. A move, family illness and random life bits have kept me from giving my machine the one-on-one time it needs. (I know I keep mentioning it but when you have two losses in one year with one involving cancer and treatments it seems to really be a focus - or stumbling block - that recurs month after month.) I have stacks of fabric and patterns galore. I'm going to sew. :) I want to complete another quilt. Yes, I machine quilt. Don't judge me. <insert giggle> Again, I have made one... and promptly gifted it. Apparently 2011 will be the year of creating selfishly because I would love to complete a quilt for us to keep here. Wall quilt, lap quilt, bed quilt. I'm not picky. Just a quilt, thanks.


Rejoin the local art museum and visit. Regularly.
We used to visit our museum so frequently that the docents knew my daughter's name. They would keep stickers behind the desk to give her after she showed them what she had sketched in the galleries or in the sculpture garden. In 2011, I want to return enough that a docent knows our names. 


See at least three shows this year.
We've only made it to one show a year over the last few. In 2010, it was Cats for my daughter. She loved it! This year, I would love to see one musical, one ballet, and one play. Here's hoping that I can make that goal. We used to attend our local high school's productions... more fun. My daughter loves it, and I want to instill in her that art is important. A large difference between our society and the society of the past is that the arts weren't just appreciated they were assumed. Art and music were a given part of life, even in families who weren't financially blessed. (Family music around the piano, anyone?) I dream of changing even just our family... if it is important to me then it will hopefully be important to our daughter, and her daughter, and her daughter. Our impact is great, and we can use this to share our faith, our knowledge, and our passion. Art = passion if you haven't guessed yet!


What are you going to work on in 2011? Find a passion. Art or not. Just don't tell me if it isn't art. (Just kidding!)

Crafty Book Review: Doodle-Stitching by Aimee Ray

Doodle-Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery Designs for Beginners by Aimee Ray

2007, Lark Books; 128 pages




Summary from GoodReads.com:

"Asian-inspired lampshades embellished with flying fish. Canvas sneakers decorated with pink and white swirls. A pretty pillow adorned with a sleeping bunny, sweetly curled up. All it takes to create these appealing projects—or add charming embroidered touches in no time at all—are a few simple stitches, some easy techniques, and the nearly 30 projects in this book. Begin by learning several styles for outlining, filling, decorating, and appliqué. Find out about floss, fancy threads, fabrics, and needles. Get the scoop on hoops, and the lowdown on transferring your very own designs onto every type of fabric. The fresh ideas, witty patterns, and clever color illustrations take stitchers from novice to accomplished in a blink of the eye!"


My turn...

I picked this book up on a whim when I was in one of my "I need inspiration" moods. I'm so glad that I did. I LOVE this book. Did you catch that?

Love. This. Book.

Do you doodle while you are on the phone? You can do this. Like to draw on a scrap napkin? Yep. You too. Copy, alter, or start from scratch with your own original design with a doodle. It's completely approachable after you've read this book!

I don't have much experience with embroidery. I've done a bit here and there, but my hand-stitching is typically limited to finishing work and the occasional cross stitch project. I've tried my hand at embroidery a few times but honestly there are some basic stitches that my mind just wouldn't allow me to see. Aimee Ray does a fantastic job explaining the how along with the why in each basic and decorative stitch. She also tells you how a stitch might morph into another, or how two may be paired together. The photographs along with her description create some kind of magic because I GOT it! I can actually see how these elements come together to create patterns! This is earth shattering people. Seriously. It is.

Another great bit in this book comes by way of explanation of fabric and method. Each is explained (again with photos), and best yet even the patterns tell you step by step which method of transfer should be used, to hoop or not to hoop (not a question after you read her description) and how to make changes to make the piece YOURS. I tend to be a "buck the system" kind of gal. I always make changes. If a craft requires me to copy a work in full I tend to work through half and never finish. I honestly think that I will finish any project that I choose from this book. Best yet, because there are photos of motifs created in slightly different ways or with slightly different materials to illustrate the flexibility in design my mind's eye has already started coming up with designs.

Practically speaking this is a great book to grab if you are new to sewing and would like to embellish a purchased item to give it that hand-made touch, and yet it is also a good book for the shelf of a seasoned crafter. Pick it up and enjoy.

Now, go stitch something!