Thankful Thursday...Black Friday...Sanity Saturday... Simple Praise Sunday...& Cyber Monday

 

Looking ahead, it appears that there are few days of importance 

following our wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Day's that have their own "title", their own "brand"- 

Black Friday & Cyber Monday. 

I've added my own brands to the following few days...

t h a n k f u l   thursday

that wonderful day that we reflect on all that we are thankful for.

b l a c k   friday

the day that we are told we should be shopping for the best deals. 

(In honor of Black Friday I am running a few specials. 
Check "the nest" to see what the savings will be.)

s a n i t y   saturday

the day that I and others, will finally relax and collect our creative brains.

s i m p l e   p r a i s e  sunday
the day to think about, and honor, where all of our creativity comes from 
enabling us to be able to produce these artistic gifts for others.

c y b e r   monday
the day we are told that we should order online- especially from etsy! 


to all of the wonderful people who have supported me, shared with me, kept a watchful eye on me, and sent their friendship to me... I am  t h a n k f u l !

check out the specials at www.twig2neststudio.etsy.com
Coupon codes start on Black Friday through Cyber Monday! Look for the specials....

Forth Magazine - Around Town | Montrose Art Walk and The Happening Gallery Fine Art Show

~ g r a t i t u d e    p o s t  ~

So, every once in a while, we fall off the planet of "blogging". 

It seems so trite to say "I have been so busy with... and... and...." 

 ...but in this world of social networking, branding, & internet marketing- 
I am finding that sentence coming out of my mouth more often than...

"because I'm your mother and I said so!!" 
(which I swore I would never say!!!)

 It's amazing to me that so much time can be taken up with planning, 
with lists, and the business part of "a r t ",  in a way that 

I never experienced in all my years as a graphic designer. 

I am reminded every minute that I sit at this computer 
(rather than the easel, or the counter with my decoupage) 
of how the   w o r l d   i s   c h a n g i n g.

I am loving and hating this change all at once.


I've been noticing the seeds starting to grow~ 

with the sale of my "first" mixed-media painting 

at Ventura ArtWalk

 

 

and this lovely mention from Forth Magazine at the Montrose Art Walk.

 Forth Magazine - Around Town | Montrose Art Walk and The Happening Gallery Fine Art Show

I've been anxious and wondering if all the "technical time" will  yield something good and 
I am starting to see the  sprouts.

 

so...  g r a t e f u l  for seeing the sprouts

Boxes of L O V E ...

This past week was a whirlwind...I thought it might be fun to share a small post 

about this weeks adventures. 

... c o n n e c t i o n s ...

A couple of month's back, I had the privilege of doing a custom piece, for a sweet friend, 

from my tennis group. She had requested a personalized plate, as a wedding gift 

for a young couple of which, they were very close family friends with.

Upon receiving the website information to gather photo's from... I had the realization that I knew this young couple as well. The bride was a friend, that my daughter knew back in the elementary school days. Although they grew up with different friend groups, there was a friendly connection throughout the years. I was thrilled to be able to create a "special plate" indirectly for them, and honored to feel like 

I was part of something artful & loving.

Well, it came to be, that they  l o v e d  their plate, and requested a box to be made, for each set of parents to be presented at the rehearsal dinner. 

I was supplied with pictures and words- 

and... a little info on style and colors... 

It was a hard process to come up with something that would honor their   l o v e...

It was  t h e i r  chosen words that made it all come together...

"To our children, we give two things, one is roots, the other is wings."

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always...and I'll never forget my way back home."

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”…Thank you 

for always being there for me…    And now, for us…"

And yes- I did find myself getting a little emotional through the glue and the paper. 

It made me think about my own children and their stages of life right now. 

It made me think of how proud those parents must have been 

to receive such a thoughtful gift from their children. 

And it made me think about the  

c o n n e c t i o n s 

to people we have in life

 So these are the boxes that  l o v e  built...

This post was part of "sneak peek friday"--which in my case became "sneak peek sunday". 

If you'd like to share a bit of yourself, your studio, your art, your process, 

your anything...

check out

  http://www.studiojru.com/

Take a peek at  s w e e t  Jennifer and her inspirational work at Studio JRU,

  as well as many other creatives every friday (or sunday- in my case).

a N E W season....

We're starting a "n e w   s e a s o n". 
Fall begins once again, sneaky in it's approach. Taking away the daylight and breathing 
a few cool breathes our way. Just a tease in Los Angeles, as always. 

Being a native NYer, I grew up with a sense of "life's seasons". A sense that at least 4 times a year, life would change.  I tend to think of the 4 seasons as, the season of cozy & family , the season of catching up & organizing, the season of new awakening's, and 
the season of growth, purpose & color....... F a l l 

I feel as if I have been going through a   y e a r   of   f a l l   already. 
The journey has been filled with fear, fun and far more insight than I could have ever imagined.

 f a l l ...

seems like a good time to be grateful for creative gifts, supportive friends and seeds of change.

s e e d s ...

It started with a   p o d ~  an awakening ~ a seed of an idea...

...the process & it's growth ~

...it's purpose becomes as defined as it's color ~

...branching off into new growth this   f a l l   beginning with a pod.

So.. do you r e a l l y want to know?

It's  "s n e a k   p e e k   f r i d a y" according to dear sweet Jennifer,
of Studio JRU. (http://www.studiojru.com)  

What a wonderful way, for us creative types to share our work, 

our environment, and our inspirations.

For me...it all starts next to the   c o f f e e   machine... 
homemade cherry & chocolate chip scones.
Did I mention I like to bake and cook?

hmmmmm... what painting?

A lot of artists have a studio, one large or small room, an out building, 
a loft, a table... I kind of make my way throughout the house and have different purposes for different parts of the house. My house has been known to have decoupage papers, glass and glue all over the living room and dining room one day~ all to be removed and setup for a gathering of friends and food, the next.
My house, my art, & my work is always in a state of "c h a n g e".
 

The kitchen counter is my favorite work space for acrylic, oil & decoupage.

The most beautiful  l i g h t  belongs to the kitchen and dining room. 

The kitchen is the  c e n t e r  of my home, and I suppose 

the  c e n t e r  of my art spirit as well.

(the only kitchen downside was that-- the kids never knew if they could eat the fruit on the table-- we always had to clarify if it was still life or real life fruit!)

The dining room table is where the makeshift photo studio is and

where decoupage pattern design happens. If the dining room table could write a book, it would have many stories to tell of what a long hard life it has had~~ used as a workhorse, and yet dressed up for many occasions. She's managed to look great for her age and maintain timeless beauty...

...while being the support for every new piece I create, and photograph 

before moving to the "studio room"...

to list on etsy, blog about creative connections, 

or continue to work on a graphic design project.

I guess, in a way, my studio involves going around in circles...

but the circles are always creative, fulfilling and come with a much deeper meaning. 

My studio is my home & my center where 

f a m i l y,   a r t,   &   c r e a t i v e   s p i r i t 

all join together as  o n e.

a new work~ from this weeks circles...

Mama Bird & Flying Lessons...

Maybe you've noticed all of the sweet little Kelly Rae buttons, or my enthusiastic mentions (in almost every blog post since "Leaping toward the sky...")
about the Flying Lessons e-course. I can't tell you how much 
I have been impacted by the most generous soul of Kelly Rae Roberts.

It's a funny thing...I found KR a few years ago online,(http://www.kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com/) and was inspired by both her art
and writing. I kept her blog in my favorites and would draw near to it,
for inspiration from time to time. She became this- almost imaginary friend
with a message that anything was  p o s s i b l e.  And why not,
as she was wildly successful, speaks from her heart and allows you
to know her, in business and personally, from the depths of her being.

Okay- so I'm a fan.... imagine my excitement upon finding the first e-course ever offered by her. In a nutshell... I thought if I could glean
a few tidbits to help me along my journey-- it would be well worth the minimal investment. Well, I could prepare a banquet with all of the helpful tidbits I collected.
I am here to say that not only did the course speak to me
about the creative journey, the business side and the heart of the process,
but it gave me more inspiration and confidence
to create in ways I didn't know I could.

I have to say, that this bundle of information is helpful to  a n y o n e  in a creative business of any kind. It's jam packed with every practical piece of information learned by one giving spirit, who believes in
S h a R i n g  herself with a capital "S".

A true opportunity lies within the pages below, which were
created from the maiden flight.

(click on this affiliate link~if you are interested in knowing more 

or to purchase any of the Flying Lessons ebook series.)

And by the way... about the cute little birds above~~ I happened upon in a wonderful little store called  b o t a n i k  ( http://www.botanikinc.com/) in Summerland, California a couple of weeks ago. Just loved these little birds as a momento of the "taking flight" journey. 

Stepping O U T of my zone...

Insert canvas- instead of glass... Insert liquid acrylic paint instead of oil 

or watercolor...gloss medium instead of linseed oil and you have an 

"o u t   o f   m y   c o m f o r t   z o n e" 

experience. (At least for me~ at that moment.)

I've been wanting to try acrylic forever, and finally put the pieces together. 

For some reason, I was thinking that each area I explored, was separate unto itself. Almost like, I'd have to complete a journey or perfect an area, 

before I could look toward another. Well, much to my surprise, I listened 

to the whispers chanting... "break the self-imposed rules."  

What a freeing, joyful experience.

Consider the rules  b r o k e n  &  a new path cleared for  f l y i n g.