New Terrarriums

Today, I made some terrariums. It is something I first wanted to do years decades ago. 

The largest one (above) will come to sit beside me at work.




Rains finally let up, to allow working outside.

 Since I could not find the precise mini-plants most suitable for terrariums, these may not last. But, I'll keep the lids off, see how they do, and replace as needed. 

It felt good to finally make something! This one (above) is "sedum makinoi ogon" but to me it looks like little clovers, appropriate for St. Patrick's Day just around the corner.

 Nearby, the bees were all a-buzz at the red bud tree.

New Notebooks, But Hitting a Creative Slump

I made a bunch of new notebooks last month, with my acrylic painted covers. Some I use to collect my art ideas, some are now in my Etsy shop.

This Steampunk one below has a cool fastener that really works and some lacey covering inside the covers. It's not in my shop yet since I don’t know how practical it might be but I love the look of it! What do you think?

 

 
Aside from assembling these notebooks, I haven’t been very creative making new pieces. Although I’ve had ideas for projects, weekend usually finds me trying to clean up my studio and cull items I don’t or won’t use anymore. Haven’t painted in a long time, either. Is anyone else having trouble getting motivated creatively in 2012? Tell me how you got out of artist’s block.

From Sketches to Completion

These earrings I made for my friend Lyn took a long road from inception to completion. Starting as a discussion before my Ireland trip in 2010, Lyn suggested collecting water from Brigit’s Well and provided me with various-sized vials with cork tops. She sketched an idea of using one as a pendant made from crochet. But the crochet idea kept throwing me off since I don’t know how to “free form” in yarn.

When I’d see jewelry ideas in magazines or books, I’d get ideas for different ways of encasing the cork bottle. I filled several pages in my art notebooks with ideas and possibilities. I experimented with copper wire and spirals but had a clunky design. Something clicked, however, when I saw mini-bottles in JoAnn’s jewelry section having screw eyes in the cork.

Then, I brought my materials and ideas to someone I know who does wonderful jewelry work—my sister, Maria! I showed her my last design and she helped me craft the earrings which I filled with Irish sand from the beach at Enniscrone, County Sligo, instead of well water. Lyn loved them—success! Sometimes it takes a long time for an idea to reach fruition. But don’t give up; you’ll finally reach a solution. It might be radically different from your initial idea but that’s what art is all about—thinking, sketching, trying, discarding, adding, starting anew, and finally reaching conclusion. Have fun!