*sigh*

I fantasized about endless, rambling studio hours when the weather was warming up this past spring, but life got in the way. “Clumps” of creative time were all I could muster, but not nearly enough to fill me up. And alas, here we are, holidays fast approaching and 2022 is winding to a close.

But, some fun new crafty things did happen! Here are a few of examples of items that are heading over to Dandelions gift shop in Barre, and they may end up at holiday fairs near you! Keep your eyes open! 

I’m taking a short break from indoor art projects, but wanted to post a snapshot of the beauty all around the studio, including the oh-so-inviting front porch! Ideas are percolating, but for now, I’m enjoying this relaxed summer pace. I’d also like to point out the finished chicken mosaic in its summer location. It was a fun project and I’m pretty happy with the finished result.

We had some special friends visiting the studio on this chilly spring day, and they had lots of fun creating stepping stones for their Mom’s garden! Using bits of glass, rocks, buttons, plastic critters and letter stamps, these creations are true works of art! Nice job B. and R.!

There are multiple projects in various stages of completion in the studio, the biggest of which is a mosaic that will hang on the wall of the front porch as soon as it’s finished. That will open the workspace for fun projects I have planned with some of my young artist friends. Spring is HERE! Windows are OPEN! 

and at Dandelions in Barre! New Little House items were added to their displays today. If you’re shopping for a Valentine or just to pamper yourself, take a trip to this quaint little shop – you won’t be sorry!

https://www.dandelionsbarre.com/

Studio art projects took a vacation during the last few weeks as I recovered from foot surgery. But before I took time off, I completed my submission to the Brooklyn Art Library Sketchbook Project.

My book, along with hundreds of others, will be cataloged, digitized, and packed up for a “road show” of sorts, traveling all over the world for all (interested) eyes to see! The goal of this project is to encourage creative storytelling within a global community. To learn more about the project in general, go here, and click the “Sketchbook Project” link: https://brooklynartlibrary.org

To view my piece, watch for a link to be posted in an upcoming blog entry, sometime during the month of September.

The biggest takeaway I’ve learned from my pandemic clay project is that even the most skilled clay artists don’t know EXACTLY what their piece will look like until after its final kiln firing. The whole process has some unpredictability to it, and the big reveal is when it comes out of the kiln for the final time. I was pretty pleased with the results of my first attempt at this. I learned a LOT and had a lot of fun.