My Dear Blog....You Are Not Forgotten

Dear Blog-
Please forgive me for neglecting you and not posting as I should. It appears that it has been nearly 2 months since I last posted to you. I have been well and have thought of you often. I suppose that that is not an excuse for not actually writing. Beginning today, I shall promise to make weekly posts and be more attentive.
Yours Truly, Karilyn

P.S. You are what keeps me creating!!

(drumroll please)......Finished Necklaces!!!

In blog entries of the last few months I have been bemoaning the fact that I have hoards....I mean stashes of beads and I have done little with them but to gaze at their loveliness. Well Karilyn got busy these last few weeks and made some stuff....as in necklaces. Below are a few of the wired-beaded creations that I came up with. My next challenge is trying to get good photos of jewelry...but we will take one small victory at a time for now.

Artist Quote

"Art, to me, is the interpretation of the impression which nature makes upon the eye and brain."  Childe Hassam

Staying True To My Self Exile From Beadland

About 3 weeks ago I wrote that I was exiling myself from any sort of bead buying or acquiring.....and I have stayed pretty true to my word. I have only purchased some Swarovski flat back and chaton rhinestones from Fire Mountain, and that is it!! I also have finally taken the time to search high and low for any beads in my house and to create some sort of organized chaos out of what I have found. I have managed to empty 3 plastic bins. All of those beads are now separated by color into a dozen plastic shoe boxes.

What I find amazing about the process is seeing how many green beads I have AND how many different hues of blue that I have collected (everything from aqua to violet blue and powder blue to navy blue). I've always known that I gravitate to certain colors and types or shapes of beads.....so to conquer this, I have sometimes taken my husband to bead shows as a second pair of eyes to seek out beads. While he doesn't delve into creative endeavors outside of cooking and baking, he does serve as another perspective and shows me beads that I would have overlooked, but decide to look at more closely because they seem interesting to him. Also in this exercise of sorting through my stash of beads, I had ideas for some of them and immediately set those beads aside for soon-to-be projects- so I am now a step ahead in the design process. I may be exiled from Beadland, but I am ready for some beading bliss with what I already have!!!

Self Exiled from 'Beadland'

As of Thursday, August 18th, 2011, I have officially self exiled myself from any sort of bead shopping. That means no bead shops, no bead fairs or shows, no bead departments or aisles (as in JoAnns, Michaels, Hobby Lobby....not even Walmart!) and no online shopping (Fire Mountain, Artbeads, Fusion Beads, eBay, Etsy or any other such online venue!). I have not come to this self exile because my husband saw the bags and bags of beads in my craft room.....I have done this to myself because I have found more than enough beads to almost open my own bead shop and have yet to do much with them! If there ever was an episode of 'Hoarders' that profiled a woman with a huge mostly unused stash of beads.....that would be me! Granted, opening various bags and plastic tubs to see what I have and deciding how to organize it all has been like Christmas. Its funny how you sometimes forget what you have until you revisit it. Needless to say, I have plenty of beads to play with and to create things with. I just need to start delving into the stash and into my imagination. So if you see me shopping for beads in the next year.....shoosh me back home.

An Artist Quote....of sorts.

"Work is the miracle by which talent is brought to the surface and dreams become reality." Gordon B. Hinckley

Gone for a while....now back again

When I started this blog I intended on publishing a post every couple of days. Well I let the blog wander to the back of my brain and just sit there for the last two months and haven't done much with it in that time....although I have thought about it often. I had been away on a couple of adventures and I am now back home ready to make things happen in my creative life.....and on my blog. Stay tuned.

I met Arthur Diehl in Tucson

Okay.....well I didn't really meet Arthur Diehl, I just happen to learn about him for the first time and instantly fell in love with his work. I happened to go to Tucson to meet up with a friend who was attending Spacefest III. While Marianne was at the various Spacefest activities and functions, I decided to check out a few places in Tucson. I learned about the many museums that the University of Arizona has on its campus....one of which was an art museum. For a small admission of $5, I made my way through the museum and enjoyed the variety of the artwork it housed. The very last collection I saw was that of Arthur Diehl. I had never heard of him before visiting this museum, but I quickly got introduced to Mr. Diehl. Arthur Diehl is described as an English landscape artist or impressionist. Both descriptions are fairly accurate, but I think he is so much more. His father was a conductor of an orchestra in England and his mother was a novelist. These influences of music and writing from his parents also provided Diehl with other ways of self expression. He had a studio for a period of time above a music store where he would often go and paint and/or play piano for the store's customers. He also was very patriotic and attempted to join the English army during WWI, but was refused due to his age (he was born in 1870). Since he couldn't serve in the armed forces, he wrote some prose that were published in a small booklet titled 'Tommy Rhymes' to commemorate his homeland and friends. I am fascinated by people such as Arthur Diehl that not only create beautiful paintings, but also create in many other ways.

Arthur Diehl is an interesting artist. His artwork ranges from impressionistic to art deco. Some of his ocean and beach scapes are almost watercolor like in their ethereal feel. Many of his city scapes of European villages or city streets have a sketch like feel to them in the way they were painted. This sketch like technique in Diehl's painting give them an impressionistic feel and an almost dream like quality....as if to remind himself of a fond memory in another time and place. One of his last paintings is a portrait of his son that he painted from his hospital bed at the end of his life. This portrait is somewhat monochromatic and was painted within 30 minutes, but what makes it interesting is how finished or complete is looks. May artists are described as prolific, and Arthur Diehl is one of those artists. He produced not only paintings in canvas sizes that we are so accustomed to seeing, but he also painted very tiny miniature landscapes so that anyone, regardless of their price point could purchase from him. I think that speaks to his heart and how he wanted to share his creativity with everyone, not just the elite or wealthy.

It is truly interesting who or what you will find when you go out and explore.....and what a find Arthur Diehl was!

Writer's Quote

"If we are to flourish as creative beings, if we are to grow into wholeness, we must bloom wherever we are planted." Sarah Ban Breathnach

Mary Blair's Small World Wonderland

Currently, the Disney Gallery at Disneyland is showing some of the artwork of Mary Blair, an Imagineer that helped bring to life many films and attractions and murals for Disney. Below are some of the artworks that she created for 'Alice in Wonderland', 'it's a small world' and mural installations that are seen in Tomorrowland and the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. Mary Blair's artwork is distinctive in its bright and bold colors and simple geometric shapes with a modern edge. I have always loved the facade of 'it's a small world' with all of the various circles, squares and triangles creating this intricate and fascinating entrance to a very sweet and whimsical attraction. What was interesting in viewing her work was how often she collaged colored pieces of paper or fabric to create a piece. Not all of her pieces were paintings only. In some of the pieces, there were still traces of pencil where she had marked off a grid to assist her in laying out and planning her work. When I see how she worked, it gives me ideas of how I may approach my art.



An Artful Quote

"Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life. It engenders a spirit of gratitude. It develops latent talent, sharpens your capacity to reason, to act, and to find purpose in life. It dispels loneliness and heartache. It gives a renewal, a spark of enthusiasm, and zest for life."  Richard G. Scott

I have to give thanks and credit to my friend Sherry for finding this quote. Richard G. Scott is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church.

Just Play!

I was catching up on my emails today and I had received an offer from one of my craft magazines for a book on polymer clay. While I have seen some interesting projects done with polymer clay, I haven't been overly inspired to work with it. This book, though, really piqued my interest in wanting to go buy a bit of polymer clay. I was also very interested in the book. The woman who wrote the book (Patterns in Polymer, by Julie Picarello, ISBN: 9780871164094) had some fascinating designs and techniques that had me entranced by the detail, color and composition of her pieces and not seeing them as just another item made out of polymer clay. I may still buy her book, but I want to attempt to do as Ms. Picarello did.... find my technique and 'voice' in the material. I do not want to copy what another artist has done, but rather learn their technique and make it my own or incorporate it into my repertoire of skills and knowledge. For now, I think I will just play....or as Nike says, 'Just Do It'. I think that in this play or time of experimentation, I will see what it is that I can do and what more I would like to learn of the material. It will be then that I think I will be ready to seek out the instruction of Ms. Picarello's book and build on my own experience. I have some plans to block out time to not only play with polymer clay, but to also play with some other materials and techniques (particularly resin and soldering) and see what I come up with. I will definitely post my results.

The Artist, Formerly Known as Karilyn

With the Royal wedding of William and Kate just over a week ago, I was interested and sometimes amused at some of the titles that the royals use. There are probably those like Princess Diana that grew into her title and I am sure that there are others that never seem to measure up to or feel comfortable in taking on a royal title. In the real world, people take on the titles of doctor, lawyer, professor, general, senator, etc. In the case of such titles, one has to work for it by earning a degree, working through the ranks or kissing a lot of babies to get elected. Basically you either are a doctor or you are not. You do not have to have a degree to be an artist and there is no governing body that licenses you or grants you that title. I think one of the hardest things to do is to label or title yourself an artist. I think it is hard to do because art is so subjective. Art is very personal and not everyone will connect with it....that being said, if someone doesn't like or 'get' a piece of art, the artist is still an artist. I remember when Charles Barkley was playing in the NBA, Jim Rome (a radio sports commentator) would ask if Barkley was any less a great player than Michael Jordan, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson because he hadn't earned a Championship ring. I found myself yelling at the radio that there were a lot of bench warmers on those winning teams that got rings, but didn't have the talent Barkley did. Barkley's game play and passion for the game made him one of the greatest players, not a ring. The same goes for artists. You don't have to have paintings in auctions selling for thousands or millions of dollars to call yourself an artist. Your skill, passion and imagination are what make you an artist. And it just seems fitting to give oneself a title if that is what you are engaged in. I have been calling myself a 'mixed-media artist'. That title feels comfortable to me and I don't feel silly telling people that that is who I am. I think the reason I chose that title is because it doesn't sound stuffy, it is a true statement or label about what I do and I don't believe that people automatically assume that I do some kind of highfalutin fine art akin to Renoir or Van Gogh. Giving myself a title does make me take my art more seriously. It makes me work a little harder or be more in tune to what I want to accomplish and produce in my artwork. I think choosing and using a title tells people that you are serious about what you do and it tells yourself the same thing. If I really wanted to go beyond a label or title, I could always come up with a symbol that represents me....like Prince did. Hmmm....now what would that look like?

Artist Quote

"Painting is easy for those that do not know how, but very difficult for those that do!"  Edgar Degas

Making Time for Art & Blogging

I haven't posted for almost a week, but I did think about it several times.....I just didn't make myself sit down and blog. That is the thing about any creative venture.....making the time to do it. I think so many of us feel that creating is a luxury activity and that we only do it when we have gotten all of the have-to's and honey-do's out of the way and our 'regular' life is under control. For those of us who like to paint, bead, sew, draw, collage, assemble, etc., it is an inner need to delve into those activities and be ourselves. I once had a magnet that said something like "Women who enjoy life do not worry about housework." In other words, forget the housework (it will still be there), go and do those things that bring you joy and enrichment.

Almost an Artist Quote

"When I stand before God at the end of my life. I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" Erma Bombeck

"An oil change and some art work, please."

That pesky "maintenance required" light came on and I finally took the car into the dealership for its needed oil change. I got to the dealership and one of my regular service advisors assisted me, Paul Dolan. As he wrote up my service order, he told me to check out a surfboard that he had painted that was hanging inside the waiting area of the Service Dept. I don't know what made him want to tell me about his art....maybe it was the artsy jewelry magazines that I was carrying, maybe I looked like a fellow artist or....maybe he just wanted to share it with someone. I love when people want to share their artwork with me....I always feel honored, because art is a very personal thing and it can be a very vulnerable, but great experience for the artist. I also love the interaction with fellow artists, its like we have this unspoken instant connection....that we are part of a secret brotherhood of sorts.  I am always amazed at the creativity that people have and how they express it. So I not only got my oil changed, I also got to see a mini art show of sorts. It goes to show that you can find art in places that you would not expect.

Paul Dolan's surfboard (pictured below) is displayed at the Toyota Carlsbad Service Center in Carlsbad, CA. Paul paints surfboards, boogie boards and also does painting on plexiglass sheets. Paul creates artwork under the business name of 'Pauldoeartco' (Paul Doe Art Co).

My Name is Karilyn, and I am a Beadaholic

Probably the one supply or material that I buy for no specific project at any given time are beads. I have quite a stash of beads!! I know that there are other crafters, artists, sewers, etc that have hoards of papers, fabrics, found objects, old photos, buttons, fibers, paints, pens and pencils, embellishments......and beads. I've thought about the reason for my hoard of beads and I've decided that I buy and hoard beads because I need to have them, but not for any specific purpose. I buy beads because I like their color, sparkle, shape, texture, patina....and so on. I usually buy beads with no project in mind or with a general idea of what I may do with them. Rarely do go bead shopping for a project and have a design sketched out or shopping list made of the bead types, sizes, colors, etc that I need. I guess I am a 'bead by the seat of my pants' kind of gal. To add to my craziness of bead buying, my husband will occasionally go with me to bead shows or stores and will show me things that catch his eye....I appreciate this because he often shows me strings of beads that I would have otherwise overlooked and gets me to look at colors, in particular, that I am normally not drawn to. And of course, my husband is enabling me to add to my stash o' beads. For now, I will make occasional additions to my bead stash, but I am going to start making time for creating. I want to bring those beads out of their boxes and bags and let them shine......then I can go bead shopping for more!!

Artist Quote

"There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." Pablo Picasso

Fonts, Fonts & More Fonts

My last posting was about the details found at Disney Parks. Disney is also great with fonts and lettering of any sort. They understand that the right signage adds to the theme or time period that they are presenting. I took a lettering class at Ricks College (now BYU Idaho) many years ago and learned a bit about font or letter design. Ever since then, I've been more aware of signage and how a font or the placement of lettering can really make a product or location stand out. Below are just a few examples of font types and lettering that are in use at Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland. Some of the fonts are very simple with no serifs and others are quite ornate with swirls and ornamentation added. 'Disneyland' is more calligraphic in nature, 'Waste Please' (from a trash can in Frontierland) is made up of logs and 'Grizzly Peak' is chisled into rock- proving that letters can come from anywhere and be created in many different ways. Even Walt Disney's own handwriting has become a distinct font in itself.

I am very inspired by all of these letter forms and I have a project in mind....I guess more of a personal challenge. I want to create an exemplar to send into 'Somerset Studio' for the lettering section of their magazine. What a kick if it got published....and if it didn't, what a great exercise just to see what I come up with. I'll definitely post the finished product.

Disney is in the details

It has been said that "God is in the details" and I believe Disney also understands detail. On a recent visit to California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort, I took some pictures around the Hollywood Backlot and side street area that leads to the Tower of Terror. The details that Disney put into some of the facades and architecture are phenomenal. For me, this is pure eye candy. Not only did Disney do a great job of 'reproducing' beautiful buildings, but they also transport you to another time and era. You catch a glimpse of early to mid 20th century California architecture. The influence of Art Nouveau, Greek Revival, Victorian, Gothic and Spanish design are mixed for a unique look. I took quite a few pictures, but I plan on going back for more....I like having a stash of photos like this for inspiration and reference for my own artwork.

Artist Quote

"Blessed are they who see beautiful thngs in humble places where other people see nothing." Camille Pissarro

To Use or Not To Use

My mom and dad just purchased a new car. It isn't the first new car that they have ever purchased, but mom said that they were being so careful so as not to incur that first ding. I think this is so true with so many new things that we have in life. I know it is how I am with so many things, but particularly art and craft materials.....even found objects. I'll buy fabrics because I like the print or color of it. I buy beads because they are sparkly, shiny, colorful or just plain unusual. I buy paint, glues, papers, thread, yarn, ribbon, jewelry findings, canvases, tools, felt, colored pencils, silk flowers, rubber stamps, paint brushes,etc....the list goes on and on. Some of these supplies are bought with a specific purpose, but most are purchased without any project in mind. The material just begs to be brought home in hopes of one day being used. I bring these purchases home and carefully store them away in boxes or on shelves in my craft room for future use. Like my mother being careful with her new car, I find myself careful with my art and craft supplies. I have thought about why I am so slow to use some of my supplies and I think it is fear of failure. Fear that a project will not be what I want it to look like. Fear that I will waste good materials and never have them available to use again. Fear that I will not be able to learn a new technique. Fear of experimenting and being okay with the outcome, no matter what it may be. Fear of not getting it right the first time. (I'm sure there are other fears that I have not thought of yet.) Understanding these fears, or at least realizing them, will help me be more free to delve into some of my boxes of treasures and begin to use them. I know that part of this process will involve planning projects and being meditative about creativity, but the other part of this process is being okay with just playing and experimenting regardless of the outcome. I think the greatest tool that I have started to use is a notebook to write down ideas and sketch in....basically a journal of sorts. I'm sure as I regularly brainstorm, problem solve and doodle in my journal, I will be more at ease about the course of a project. There is one quote that comes to mind, "Plan your work and work your plan"......I think I will be using that more often too.

Artist Quote

He said that the purpose of his art was "to testify that we live in a beautiful and orderly world, not in chaos without norms, even though that is sometimes how it appears." M.C.Escher

Lessons for Kari

I have finally found a use for a patchwork pillow cover that I have had stashed away for many years. As I stated in my first post, "Let Me Begin....", I sometimes find things that I just have to have but have no idea of how I am going to use them. This was the case with a patchwork pillow cover that I found at one of my thrift haunts in Portland. It was a simple square patch design...but the almost brittle fabric and vintage calicos begged to be adopted and cared for. When I find objects such as this, I wonder who made it, what kind of home or family did it belong to, how did it survive and how did it find me? Because of the vintage aspect of the piece, I wanted to showcase the calico designs and not overwhelm them. I also collect quotes, poems and words to live by....so I decided to take some of these inspiring words and incorporate them into the design. I also added some stitched flowers, velvet flowers, postage stamps of birds and butterflys, Chinese fortunes, lace, ric rac and seed beads. To finish off the project, I attached a color copy of a childhood photo of me and letters spelling "kari". I guess I wanted the words to speak to the child in me in hopes that I may have heard them and held to those ideals....and if I still need reminding, they are there for me now as an adult.

My next step is to carefully wrap the project to be mailed for submission to 'Art Quilting Studio' in hopes that it finds its way to the pages of the magazine. My fingers are crossed that they want to use it.

Of paper beads and tweens

I had an opportunity to share a bit of creativity with some 8 to 12 year old girls at church. I'm of the opinion that you really do not know your subject until you can successfully teach someone else what you know and how to execute a skill. That was my challenge one particular night last October.....to teach these tweens how to make paper beads. I had a huge unused stash of scrapbook paper that I cut into long triangles. With paper triangles, bamboo skewers and white craft glue in hand, I was ready to educate these girls on the finer points of paper bead making. Some girls dove in, were enthused and ended up with some very nice beads. Other girls were equally enthused, but struggled with rolling the paper and finishing it with glue.....with a little bit of cheerleading and one-on-one instruction, these girls saw improvement in their technique with each bead. Then there were one or two girls that were not the crafty type and were not excited about the task at hand, but with some encouragement managed to roll up a few beads and didn't seem to hate it so much in the end. After the class, I had scores of paper triangles left just waiting to be rolled into beads. I spent several nights watching reality TV and rolling my beads. It made me wonder if the ladies in Uganda watch 'Dancing with the Stars' while they are making their beads.....probably not.

Artist quote

"Whoever wants to know something about me- as an artist which alone is significant- they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognize what I am and what I want."  Gustav Klimt

Let me begin....

I've been creating since I can remember....whether it was by coloring, drawing, cutting or pasting. I always looked at 'raw' materials with great wonder. I may not have always known (and still sometimes don't) what I would do with any particular swatch of fabric or ball of yarn or piece of construction paper, but I usually took great interest in its color, texture, pattern or any other properties it held. With some materials I knew exactly what I wanted to do and delved in....in other cases I stowed the treasure away waiting for inspiration to come along. I still use my materials this same way today. There are those pieces of ephemera, beads, fabric, scrapbook paper, etc that call my name and immediately let me know what they are meant for. On the other hand there are those things, particularly found objects or discarded items that beg to be brought home, but have no immediate need to tell me how they wish to be implemented. My hope is that this blog will tell the story of how I 'hunt & gather', plan and assemble any given piece of jewelry or collaged item I come up with. I would have just used the word create in the last sentence, but I have found in the last few years that I truly plan my work. I'm no longer the young girl who just wants to use something because I find it interesting or beautiful, I am a maturing artist that wishes to honor what I have found and to share it with others.

In future posts, I want to not only share my art work and my process of producing it, but also some of the other creative outlets that I have run into.