Adventures in Creativity

Streeeeetching!

Hola mi amigos! Greetings from the sweltering state of MA. It's not so bad today compared to what has been quite a stint of hot sticky weather. Just a couple of weeks ago, we were trying to cope with 60 degree days in June. Now, it's been the reverse. 95+ every day. Dangerous weather to be outside.  

But, that's really neither here nor there. A while back, my husband and I purchased a painting by a local artist. His name is A.J. Schlesinger. What makes his work even more impressive is that he battles cerebral palsy in order to make it. He works with a tracker and designs all of his creations. 

Ours is called Aura. It is an abstract piece of golds and oranges and greens. It's beautiful. But, it was created on an un-stretched canvas. Now, I have never been involved in the art world in a way that would have me stretching canvas. My husband, however, has. So, in a joint creative endeavor (which is really my favorite thing to do) we purchased materials and stretched it ourselves. 

First task, a drive out to Pittsfield to Home Depot with a stop at Miller Supply on the way. What a great discovery, a wonderful fine art supply and framing store much closer than Central Square in Cambridge.

Whoo Hoo! 
Misty clouds along Rte.8 made it a gorgeous ride.

Upon returning with lumber and brackets, we cut two pieces 30" long and two pieces 19" long. We sanded three edges on each piece so as not to damage the canvas as it wrapped around the edge. Using, the L brackets, we attached the four pieces of lumber and created a frame. 

  
 

Then, using a canvas stretcher, we attached the painting at each center point and moved along the edges.

 I manned the staple gun while Vin did the actual stretching. It's a rather delicate procedure as you don't want to damage the canvas in the process. I guess this is why many artists choose to create on stretched canvases rather than loose ones. 

This is the back. Not too bad. Almost no bulging at all!

And, voila! The front of Aura! I managed to catch a rainbow from my window prism in the right corner. 

 Here it is in our "library". I can see it from my office, the studio and the living room. 

I'd ultimately like to create a gallery space in the living area, above the television. We are having another piece framed locally. And I just negotiated a purchase of an original Dawn Nelson! Yee Haw!

It feels so incredibly fantastic to have original works by artists I know and respect, by friends. Now, onto the next collaborative project!

Card Swap2

My cards arrived!! 

What fun to received a delicately wrapped package with such great handmade goodies inside! 

 

 
 

Thank you to Missy Balance at Crafty Carnival for organizing this swap. It was great fun. Looking forward to the next one!

Miniature Magic

I've always had a fascination with all things miniature. I can remember going to the museum as a child and seeing those miniature recreations of pilgrim villages. They were so detailed and so realistic. I played with doll houses but not the kinds you see people collecting. Mine was much more child friendly, chunky and sturdy. My mother's friends made it for me. I loved that thing. 

My husband and I had dinner at a friends the other night. Our hostess opened a drawer and there, nestled inside, was the tiniest little grater I have ever seen. It could not have measured more than an inch and a half in length. How cool is that!

Whenever I'm out and about, the tiniest things catch my attention. Mini cupcakes, which I had for my birthday and they were yummilicious! Mini hors d'oeuvre forks. Tiny little salt wells. Who even uses those any more? And my list goes on and on. Now, I wouldn't consider myself obsessive but others may disagree. Ask my husband. :) Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of the choice minis that share my world. 

How can you not love this little guy. We found him on Central Square, Cambridge.

This little wooden Buddha was my mother's. I have no idea where it came from. He's missing a few fingers and toes but he's here in my office with me. He makes me think of her every day.

This Buddha is REALLY mini. Perfect for tagging along in a purse, reminding me to slow down, stay relaxed, etc. The heart is jade.

You can see the potters signature, Jensen. No relation but I thought it was cool. We found this studio in Vermont while we were on our honeymoon. She had gorgeous things and a little wall shelf labeled mini pots. Well, of course I had to have one, or two. 

   

What girl doesn't need a mini tape dispenser and hole punch. The tape is pink! All office emergencies covered!

And last but by no means least, a mini pin. It reminds me of those band pins from the 80's we'd collect and display on a jacket or bandanna. I like the play between words and images. We have a plate with an artist and the word starving and one with a monkey face and the word funky. I see some of the miniature work out there and marvel at the painstaking patience and talent involved. I applaud the artists who do it. 

Mini things = happy things. What things make you happy?

Yours in Creativity!