a couple of new mixed media artworks

Well, I’ve clearly proven myself to be liar when I said I didn’t want to make art anymore. Today I finished two artworks – One mixed media artwork about having fun with experimentation and colour, the other with so much meaning and emotion I feel quite vulnerable in sharing it. They’re quite polar opposites actually to be completed right after one another.

So I’ll start with the one I’m comfortable with, and go from there.

This is ‘Autumn Breeze’.

It’s inspired by bold colour combinations, surface texture and the changing of seasons – and I had lots of fun making it. I really let go with this one – dripping inks onto the page to merge the colours organically, mish-mashing a bunch or shapes and textures together until it felt finished. I really like it actually – it feels quite vibrant and light hearted to me, just like a colourful doodle, and reminds me of Autumn, one of my favourite times of the year. I love it when a ‘no-plan’ comes together! Tee hee!

I’ve popped it in my shop already – I’ve a feeling this one will find a home :)

http://www.chrissyforemanc.com/page7.htm

The second artwork, as I said, is loaded with raw emotion for me, and I’m actually afraid that if I show it, my intentions might not be received the way I wanted to put them across in this artwork – This troubles me, because the meaning is so important to me this time. I wasn’t just playing with gay abandon like the first artwork (although it was a hugely enjoyable process), I wanted to really clearly depict the feelings and wishes in my heart …  and I guess that’s all that really matters in the end anyway.

So, this is called ‘My Vast Heart is for You’, and it’s about my heartfelt connection to the beautiful child growing in my belly. It was actually meant to be a self portrait – I wanted the look on ‘my’ face and the overall ‘feel’ of the artwork to show my openness, my surrendering, my love and my open heart for my unborn child.

But looking at it finished, it actually reminds me of a baby girl’s spirit with an open heart, connecting with me in life. It feels really powerful and quite intimate to me, which of course, it is. All along I thought I was drawing myself, feeling baby in my heart, but it actually looks to me like baby’s feeling me in hers. I’d like to think it’s both. I wonder if I’m having a girl?! it feels very feminine.

Anyhow, this is just another reminder for me about how personal and powerful art making can be, and how useful a tool it is to express my emotions and feelings. I’m 17 weeks pregnant today, so if in three weeks I do find out I’m having a little girl, I think I’ll have to frame this one to keep in her room. Boy or girl, I’m sure they know they’re already loved and welcomed into my heart.

Luv C xo

artist interview – belinda suzette

Late last year I stumbled across an artist’s work and I instantly fell in love. The art was bright, bold, quirky and really awakened the little child in me who loves to dream up inconceivable concoctions of the imagination.

I’d love you to meet the artist, Belinda Suzette. Not only is Belinda’s work amazing and inspiring, she’s also a fellow Australian and she’s pretty cool to boot. Here’s what she had to say in her arty interview with me. Squeeeee!!!!

 

 

Who is the person behind Belinda Suzette’s art?

me - perpetually torn between town and country, travelling and tending garden.

How would you sum up your work/style in a couple of sentences?

Colourful, playful, character driven flights of whimsy. i tend to create shapes and patterns, like a kind of equation.

 

 

How did your practice begin?

To quote sherlock, art is my path of least resistance. I simply fell into it. out of high school my friend filled in the application form for uni and forced me to sign it, i got in and went on to complete a bachelor of visual arts. from there it was a move to the big smoke and lots of shoulder rubbing within the arts community. then it was time to traverse the earth for a few years. upon returning to Oz i made the wonderful discovery that i wanted to study illustration. so i did. and here i am.

 

 

Have you faced any challenges in your work to date?

being an artist is always a challenge and one that i mostly welcome. the constant drive to create, the desire to push myself and the need to generate work is relentless and can take its toll. finding that balance between job and career can be very tricky. i employ the art of compromise always and that makes life tight in terms of time.

Who have you learnt from?

other artists, people i collaborate with, mama sue and papa peter.

 

  

 

What do you love most about being an artist?

the ability to see beauty in almost anything, and the lateral way i live my life.

Do you have a ‘day job’ or is art your full time occupation?

hence the aforementioned job to support my career, i'm content with the compromise; so as long as my day job is involved with the arts i'm a happy camper. In the past i have worked at an art gallery, in an arts organisation and i am now a very newly appointed illustration teacher at TAFE.

 

 

Can you finish these sentences:

In another life I would love to … be a bird or a bear.

If I had all the power in the world I would … share it, and do away with coal and nuclear.

The first thing I do every morning is … yawn, stretch, make the bed and walk my man to the train station.

My motto is … act the way i'd like to be, and soon i'll be the way i act.

Do you have any links, upcoming events or advice you’d like to share?

don't despair, do what you do, don't compare, be inspired, push a little bit harder....and watch this space!

***

So much radness!! I totally recommend that you check out Belinda’s blog – she also features some of her amazing public art pieces, paintings on guitars and so much more!

www.belindasuzette.com

www.belindasuzette.blogspot.com

Belinda Suzette on Facebook

Thanks so much for featuring on my blog Belinda!

etsy circles – how i use it

After my recent post about etsy and ‘why i treasure’, I’ve spoken to lots of people who wanted to find out more about the new addition of etsy ‘circles’. I am by no means an etsy guru, but I do find the circles feature to be a useful networking/lazy marketing tool in my experience, so I figured writing about them might help other etsy store owners with ideas.

I've only recently started using the ‘circles’ feature myself, because initially I had no idea what it was used for. I keep a pretty busy schedule and I didn’t want yet another social media tool clogging up my time. However a couple of my friends starting using it, so I thought I’d give it a trial.

I’ll start by saying that etsy ‘circles’ go hand in hand with  the other newest feature, the etsy ‘activity feed’. If you've used facebook before it's easier to get your head around how the etsy activity feed/circle works, because it's similar to how the facebook ‘news feed’ and ‘like’ systems works (where you can see what your friends are saying and enjoying currently). In my experience, the etsy features work like this:

Once I added a few friends to my ‘circle’ on etsy (by clicking on the ‘add to circle’ button on their profile), I noticed I began to see  information and images from these people appearing in my activity feed. The activity feed featured items, stores and treasuries that my 'circle friends’ have favourited or created recently. I’d also be able to see if someone else has favourited or featured my work, via my activity feed. An activity feed looks like this.

These are three people in my circle, with their icons on the left hand side. I see that the person up the top has favourited a photographic print from My Monography, the middle person has created a new treasury list about rabbits, the bottom friend has added a coffee mug cozy by Knot workshop to their favourites. Because of my activity feed and the friends I have in my circle, I can now see three new images and stores that might be of interest to me as well.

If I love one of these items too, I might check out the store and I might favourite it myself.

From here, the circle continues sharing  - For example, just this week, I had already added ‘Knot Workshop’ crocheted goodies to my favourite stores, meaning that when my circle friend noticed the items I’ve added pop up in her activity feed she has gone for a look herself. I’ve found new favourites the same way too – in fact, I found the Knot Workshop through another circle friend!

You can see the viral-like networking and marketing capacity these features allow for store owners.

So, in a nutshell, if I've got 30 people in my 'circle', all of them will see this new item or store I’ve favourited in their activity feed too. Additionally, when someone favourites an item in my store, all of their 'circle' friends will see it and might pop over to my store for a look themselves too. Because of this feature, your store and items get noticed by so many more people than if you’re not involved in any circles. You can read up on any privacy settings on etsy here if you’re concerned about sharing your activity.

So basically, long story short, it's another way of sharing new work, seeing new work and having your work seen by more people – and it’s free. I know I've been in loads more treasuries and had lots more of my artworks favourited than before I was in any circles, so maybe it's worth a try if you too have an etsy store. I don't find it to be invasive at all and it's fun to see new inspiration without having to trawl to find things myself – and it all comes to me. If I’m having a busy week, I just don’t check it – nothing lost, but lots gained. It’s also given me a lot more incentive and knowledge that I’m on the right track and that people are indeed enjoying my artworks.

I think with any small business, it’s just as much about exposure as anything else.

Thanks for all your great comments by the way – it’s been nice to put these thoughts down and hopefully help someone else get their head around new stuff too.

C xx

why i treasure

Since joining etsy in September last year, I’ve had some ups and downs in my enthusiasm for the hand-made/crafty site. Admittedly, my sales have ebbed and flowed as much as, and often alongside with,  my enthusiasm. But just recently, rather than focussing on how much I’m selling in my artsy store (and the undercurrent worry that ‘Don’t people like my work?’), I’ve really started to see and feel the value in networking, sharing and connecting with other artisans all over the world.

One of the things that have tipped my scales towards a more appreciative side for the growing artsy monster, is actually the little additional features etsy offers such as ‘treasury lists’, ‘favourites’ and the more recent ‘circles’ and ‘activity feed’ options.

For me, these inclusions in my etsy membership have actually become joyous extras, because I’m more easily able to find beautiful work to muse over and more often than not, I’m waking up a few times a week to find that new friends & strangers from all over the world have stumbled across my work, and have included it in a treasury with other beautiful crafty/arty items. YAYSIES!!

It’s not all sitting back and twiddling thumbs though. As someone who appreciates and feels honoured by others sharing my work, I am also a keen ‘favouriter’ and ‘convo’ queen, meaning when I stumble across stores and items that really catch my eye, I take a moment to contact that creative personally to let them know. And to be honest, I’m doing it because it comes from my heart. I really believe there’s something beautiful in sharing your appreciation for others and life in general, and if nothing else, it makes me feel good to do it!

Just initiating this contact has actually forged many new relationships with people I can now call my ‘etsy besties’. The value in this is that when I feel the urge to create a treasury list to showcase the things that I’ve found inspiring in recent times, I only have to click a button to see a lovely long list of eye candy from my favourites!

So without further ado, here’s a few treasury highlights from the last week or so, both ones I’ve created myself, and have been fortunate enough to be included in by others. If, by chance, you’re an etsy store owner too, I’d love to check out your work too, so let me know your store name and I’ll pop over for a visit!

Speak soon sunshines :)

***

‘The Colour of Joy’ by My Nostalgic Feeling (that’s me)

 

‘Love is In the Air’ by SVGmade

‘Honey, you’re the bees knees’ by WestcoastKnittery

‘An Eye on Style’ by MycyclesArt

‘Growth’ by AlyrooArt

I hope you enjoy these and find some beautiful items to appreciate and inspire

Cxx

my mojo may be returning!

If you were around last week, you’d have read about my missing mojo, when I’d actually wondered whether I’d ever want to make art again!

Well low and behold, over this weekend I’ve felt my mojo creeping back – and it’s feeling fanstastic! In the last couple of days I’ve completed two brand spankin’ new mixed media artworks, I’ve gotten all excited by receiving my new shipment of luscious eco art paper for my art prints, I’ve restocked my entire etsy shop with my full prints range, and I’ve visited my favourite art gallery, GOMA in Brisbane. Something’s a shifting! YAY!

To start with, I completed my submission for the upcoming ‘Reincarnated Kimono Project’ (2 kimonos, 15 artists).

 

I’ve called this one ‘Elements’, because it reminds me of fire, air, water and earth. To make it, I chopped up a few of my favourite features from the original piece of kimono fabric, arranged and glued them onto some beautifully textured art paper, then added in some hand-drawn elements using watercolour, pen and crayon.

It’s a little more minimalist in style than I’d usually create, but that was a goal I’d given myself for this art piece. I actually struggle with minimalism, as because my work is usually so busy and full of texture, I’m always wondering if there’s something ‘missing’ when I try to reduce the number of elements in my work. I think it’s come together okay though – What do you think? I’m thinking a nice black frame will finish it off quite nicely. If you’re interested in finding out more about the upcoming Reincarnated Kimono Project exhibition, you can check out details on facebook here.

This morning I woke with an urge to make a gentle artwork to explore and express how I’m feeling at this stage of my emotional journey, in terms of my pregnancy. I’ve noticed a lot of anxieties come up about whether I’ll be a capable ‘vessel’ to bring my beautiful baby to full term, and now that I’m inching closer to 16 weeks, those old fearful tapes running through my head are feeling a little old, and sucking the joy from this new and wonderful time in my life.

I created this simple artwork, which I’ve called ‘Starting to feel on top of things’.

It hasn’t shown up very well in the computer scan, but there are some really beautiful, soft and gentle textures and movement in the hills and in the sky. That little brown area down the bottom is a nest with an egg in it, sprouting soft, Autumn leaves. Here’s a pic I’ve taken by the light of the window here to give you a better idea of these little intricacies.

Once again, it’s a lot more ‘minimalist’ that I’d usually go for, but I actually didn’t create this artwork as a ‘proper’ mixed media work – it was more of a way to connect with my feelings and create a loving and safe space to explore ‘how I’d like to be in the world’ in relation to my life at this time. I actually feel very calm and full of loving energy when I look at it. It feels peaceful to me, and I actually love that for this one, the original artwork is the thing that retains its specialness. Maybe it’s the influence of relaxing into the pregnancy more. I’m really loving the watching my tummy starting to swell :)

All in all, it’s been a really great week. Maybe just feeling really good is what is naturally allowing my creativity to pitter patter back in.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! C xx

preparing for a kimono inspired exhibition

The super lovely Melanie from Kimono Reincarnate asked me recently if I’d like to be involved in a group exhibition in April, called ‘The Reincarnated Kimono Project’.

The idea is, that Mel sends all the artists involved a piece of recycled kimono fabric from her beautiful stash, and we then need to somehow refashion it into something else for the exhibition. Here’s my yummy piece of fabric - I received it in the post today. Squeeee!!!

So, for the exhibition, I’m undecided whether to refashion it into some fabric jewellery, like this leafy piece I made late late year …

Or whether to chop it up and weave it into a mixed media artwork, like I’ve done with some navy Japanese fabric pieces here, called ‘Passive Fleurette’.

I’ll keep you posted with what I come up with. In the meantime, you can check out Mel’s stunning kimono inspired jewellery pieces and accessories in her etsy store (like this gorgeous brooch below), or visit her super inspirational blog here

C xx

some thoughts on making and mojo

As my morning sickness subsides and I’m starting to feel better, I’ve got a little more brain-energy to reflect and think forward about my work and my art, and how that’ll now fit into my life now with a bub on the way. I mentioned in a previous post that since I’ve fallen pregnant I haven’t felt much like making new artworks. I thought this might change once I got over feeling nauseous … but it hasn’t.

So it’s a strange situation to find myself in – previously I couldn’t NOT make art – it was like I was bursting at the seams daily with an overflow of creative energy that had be harnessed and grounded by making new art. But now …? It’s just not there. There’s no powerful force urging me to create. There’s no new ideas popping up in my head so fast I can barely catch or record them. And now I’m actually left feeling, well, a little artistically ambition-less to be honest (if that’s even a word. Now it is!).

It’s funny -- when I was over-run with creative energy, I actually longed for respite and peace. Now that’s what my body is giving me and it feels so foreign I’m not sure if I’m just being lazy, of whether the creation of a baby is fulfilling that creative need inside me at the moment. I wonder whether I should be pushing something that once came so naturally to me, which now has lost its appeal to me.

Strangely enough, recently the thing I have felt super excited and creative about is the thought of going back to uni to finish my teaching degree. Teaching is something I shelved years ago in the pursuit of my art practice (I worked in child care for 10 years), and now here, I find it has come full circle again, with me seemingly wanting to let go of my art practice and get back into teaching again. I feel like I have so much to give creatively in the form of teaching young kids, sharing their development and sense of wonder about the world. Life sure is strange and at times I wonder who’s really holding the reins of my life, as I’m constantly surprised by sudden changes of direction in life that seem to come from nowhere!

So at this time in my career, I’m not really sure where I’m headed artistically. I’m not sure if my art business, the things I’ve worked to hard to build up over the years, is beginning to wind down while a new chapter bubbles up. If this is the case, it’s totally unexpected for me, and I almost feel silly for having put so many countless hours of work and hugely reduced income into setting myself up as ‘an artist’ over the years.

Alternatively, maybe it’s just a ‘stage’ I’m going through. Perhaps the hormones and creation or a little being inside me is enough for now, and my mojo will come back later down the track.

Or maybe there’s millions of other outcomes I haven’t even thought of yet.

Who knows where the next chapter will lead?

C xox