Friday, January 31, 2020

Summary: January Art

Our first month of Inspiration Collaboration was a great success! It's never too late to join in. If you're inspired to create based on any of our monthly Inspiration Images, we want you to submit your creation anytime! Send us your art and we'll add it to our monthly summary.

Here is a recap of the Inspiration Collaboration art created this month in order of receipt:


Sentimental Stargazer Lilies by Helen Eaton
"Sentimental Stargazer Lilies" by Helen Eaton
blog:   wordweaverart.blogspot.com
  Stargazer Lilies will always remind me of my momma.  She had a long row of flowers that she loved... irises, day lilies, tiger lilies... One year I bought her a pot of blooming stargazer lilies for Mother's Day.  After they finished flowering inside, she replanted them into her row, and they bloomed again every year.  We dug those stargazer lilies up when they moved to Northwest Arkansas and replanted them beside the porch where she continued to enjoy their beautiful pink blooms each summer. 
 This particular stargazer grew in my own flower bed.



Visions of Unspoken Stories by Darlene Awalt
"Visions of Unspoken Stories" by Darlene Awalt
instagram: dream.imagine.believe
 If a tree could talk, oh what joys and sorrows it would have to share.  
What story do you have untold under the tree?

Embroidered Cardinal Dish Towel by AJ
 I saw the picture of the cardinal and thought a cardinal would be just the thing to brighten up my old grey dish towels.  I did these completely freehand.


Primary Colors by Nelvia's Fine Art
"Primary Colors" by Nelvia's Fine Art
instagram: nelviamcgrath
For inspiration I used a combination of Helen's crayons and Sara's foggy landscape description.  The crayons made me think primary colors - so painted in shades /tints of primary colors.  Sara's comment we are past and future is yet to be determined - so thought this man was representative of his choices - you get to determine what his future might be. 



Kaguya's Virtue by Nelvia McGrath
"Kaguya's Virtue" by Nelvia's Fine Art
 instagram: nelviamcgrath
Bamboo is very symbolic in Chinese and other Oriental cultures, representing moral character/virtue, strength/resilience, modesty and loyalty. However, this is based on the Japanese legend of the princess Kaguya, a moon goddess.


Om by Sandra Walker
"Om" by Sandra Walker
 mmmquilts.com
 I've wanted to make a couple of my extra-special yoga students a little something for a while now; each year they bring me a Christmas gift and they both have written and said some truly beautiful words to me that I treasure. This Sanskrit sign for 'om' or 'aum' , drawn out slowly,' ah-oo-mmm' is said to be the sound of The Universe and that all living beings/organisms emit this deep hum.
You can read more about the project on my blog:
 https://www.mmmquilts.com/2020/01/project-quilting-111-notably-numeric.html


I Like Fat Birds by Whitney Eaton
"I Like Fat Birds" by Whitney Eaton
@whitneykay93

Snow Berries by Sara Harley
"Snow Berries" by Sara Harley
instagram: saraharley.photos
I love photographing birds and trees, they are my favourite things to capture with my camera. It was to my great surprise that Helen's painting "Snow Cardinal" inspired me to work with the colour red rather than the subject of birds. I spent a couple of weeks taking photographs of different red subjects (a difficult task in a grey Nova Scotia winter) and experimenting with my photo library on my computer. In the end, I settled on the simple, but beautiful, subject of winterberry branches. Nova Scotia winters aren't so dull after all.

Lady Bird by Nancy MacDonald
"Lady Bird" by Nancy MacDonald
instagram: nancy.m.artist
 Recently I spied a plump little female Cardinal and her partner sitting in the quince bush outside my window. I don't think I'd ever seen a female up close before and I fell in love with her colours. Her bright red partner was pretty impressive but the female had a little red cap, some beautiful red in her wings and tail feathers but most of her body was covered with creams, yellows and greys with a hint of red on the edges that made her look like she was blushing. When a little painting of a red Cardinal popped up as inspiration for the #inspirationcollaboration I had no doubt that I wanted to give this little lady some attention.
 
"Journey" by Cheryl McMickle 
 When I saw the prompt for "Sentimental Journey" I knew that I was already working on the same theme in my journal. This journal entry is a mixed media piece that includes collage, stamping, watercolor and transfer. Each journal page is its own journey so this work is a creative journey about my life journey.

"Manhattan Squall" by Lynn Hanousek
Facebook: Lynn Hanousek Designs
My paintings are generally quite colorful. When I saw “Barely There” I felt the challenge to paint something with a minimal use of color. I’ve done several silhouetted NYC skylines that have included beautifully colored sunsets that I recall from driving back home over one of the city bridges. In December we had a squall and when I saw the satellite footage, it was amazing how it rolled in. I imagine this is what it might have looked like if I was in Manhattan that day.




Let's Stick Together by Sara Harley
"Let's Stick Together" by Sara Harley
instagram: saraharley.photos

When I saw Helen's "Scattered Crayons" painting, I thought of two things...childhood and colour. Then I thought of life savers. Every Christmas, Santa used to bring me a "story book" filled with 5 rolls of life savers candy. I searched high and low this month so I could buy a roll of life savers for a photo shoot. It took me weeks, but I finally found some in a store I seldom go to. And, just like a child, I played with my candy.

"Everyone's There" by Lindsey Gann
"Everyone's There" by Lindsey Gann
instagram: lindesy_g

"Color Names" by Jeanne King
You can’t have been an elementary  school teacher without developing a special relationship with crayons. Forty years ago, they were the medium of choice in the classroom. Now, they’re something of a novelty as markers seem to have taken their place. I carried a tub of crayons from one classroom to another over the years. Although I’m now retired, I can still smell them, still see the waxy stain on the  paper if they’ve been left in the heat, still remember the pleasure of tearing off the wrapper, and still enjoy the many effects that can be achieved with the simple crayon . I’ve always delighted in the imaginative, descriptive names given to the colors and this piece celebrates that delight. 


"Color of Friendship" by Julie Brandt
web: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JujuBeePaints

Bouquet jolie! 
So many colors of a friendship.

Blue daisies given to temper the blues.
Brilliant yellows, and a soft orange to warm your spirit by.
Purple-lavender petals say what is true,
I care about you.

Sturdy stems for these beautiful blooms urge you on,
Despite your grief or sorrow.
Sweet leaves to rest upon sustain me.
I care about you.

Fuchsia powers through the dark times,
Radiating light and love,
Meditations on this brilliant palette of friendship.
Someone cares.
 I care.

By Julie Brandt


"You Can't Miss It!" by Helen Eaton
https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/

When I first saw Sara's photo, I thought, "Wait... I don't see anything!"  Then I looked closely.  There's much to notice, but it's Barely There."  There's a shoreline with trees and houses all subtly reflected in the water.  Sky and water seemingly one in the same but divided by the strip of life.
My mind veered the opposite direction from subtle.  I'm fascinated by people who paint their houses with loud colors... brightly colored houses in Scandinavia where much of their year is white... rows of happily colored beach houses... the random orange or purple house on an otherwise normal-colored-house neighborhood street.



Thursday, January 30, 2020

Your Art Inspired by Scattered Crayons

Sneaking in near the end of the month...another image inspired by Scattered Crayons. Inspiration images are at the bottom of this post.

Julie Brandt - Color of Friendship
website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JujuBeePaints
The Color of Friendship by Julie Brandt
Bouquet jolie! 
So many colors of a friendship.

Blue daisies given to temper the blues.
Brilliant yellows, and a soft orange to warm your spirit by.
Purple-lavender petals say what is true,
I care about you.

Sturdy stems for these beautiful blooms urge you on,
Despite your grief or sorrow.
Sweet leaves to rest upon sustain me.
I care about you.

Fuchsia powers through the dark times,
Radiating light and love,
Meditations on this brilliant palette
             of friendship.
Someone cares.
I care.
Jeanne King - Color Names
Color Names by Jeanne King
You can’t have been an elementary  school teacher without developing a special relationship with crayons. Forty years ago, they were the medium of choice in the classroom. Now, they’re something of a novelty as markers seem to have taken their place. I carried a tub of crayons from one classroom to another over the years. Although I’m now retired, I can still smell them, still see the waxy stain on the  paper if they’ve been left in the heat, still remember the pleasure of tearing off the wrapper, and still enjoy the many effects that can be achieved with the simple crayon . I’ve always delighted in the imaginative, descriptive names given to the colors and this piece celebrates that delight. 

Sara Harley - Let's Stick Together
instagram: saraharley.photos
Let's Stick Together by Sara Harley
Let's Stick Together by Sara Harley
When I saw Helen's Scattered Crayons painting, I thought of two things...childhood and colour. Then I thought of life savers. Every Christmas, Santa used to bring me a "story book" filled with 5 rolls of life savers candy. I searched high and low this month so I could buy a roll of life savers for a photo shoot. It took me weeks, but I finally found some in a store I seldom go to. And, just like a child, I played with my candy.

********************


Nelvia’s Fine Art - Primary Colors
instagram: nelviamcgrath  
Primary Colors by Nelvia's Fine Art
Primary Colors by Nelvia's Fine Art
For inspiration I used a combination of Helen's crayons and Sara's foggy landscape description.  The crayons made me think primary colors - so painted in shades /tints of primary colors.  Sara's comment we are past and future is yet to be determined - so thought this man was representative of his choices - you get to determine what his future might be.

********************

Inspiration Image 3 - January: Scattered Crayons by Helen Eaton

Scattered Crayons by Helen Eaton
Scattered Crayons by Helen Eaton
So you want to be challenged to add more color into your images? 
Well, what could be more literal than “Scattered Crayons” for inspiration!
However, you could find a way to use this idea without color at all… scattered logs of driftwood on the beach… pieces of silverware scattered the counter… Neither of those have vibrant colors!  But, maybe you’ll find a rainbow, a spilled bag of Skittles, or… some scattered crayons.



Inspiration Image 2 - January: Barely There by Sara Harley 
Barely There by Sara Harley
Barely There by Sara Harley

The view along the river one day in December was a magical, misty scene. The stillness created a mirror like finish on the river, with hardly a ripple in sight. The town was barely there, mysteriously shrouded in fog.   Life is an adventure...we are who the past has made us, and we'll become who the future creates. Like the town shrouded in fog, we cannot see what the future holds in store for us no matter how many plans we make.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Your Art Inspired By Snow Cardinal

Snow Cardinal by Helen Eaton has inspired many beautiful creations. (see her inspiration piece at the bottom of this post). Here is our latest addition:

Nancy MacDonald - Lady Bird
instagram: nancy.m.artist
Lady Bird by Nancy MacDonald
Recently I spied a plump little female Cardinal and her partner sitting in the quince bush outside my window. I don't think I'd ever seen a female up close before and I fell in love with her colours. Her bright red partner was pretty impressive but the female had a little red cap, some beautiful red in her wings and tail feathers but most of her body was covered with creams, yellows and greys with a hint of red on the edges that made her look like she was blushing. When a little painting of a red Cardinal popped up as inspiration for the #inspirationcollaboration I had no doubt that I wanted to give this little lady some attention. 

********************

Sara Harley - Snow Berries
instagram: saraharley.photos 

Snow Berries by Sara Harley
Snow Berries by Sara Harley
I love photographing birds and trees, they are my favourite things to capture with my camera. It was to my great surprise that Helen's painting "Snow Cardinal" inspired me to work with the colour red rather than the subject of birds. I spent a couple of weeks taking photographs of different red subjects (a difficult task in a grey Nova Scotia winter) and experimenting with my photo library on my computer. In the end, I settled on the simple, but beautiful, subject of winterberry branches. Nova Scotia winters aren't so dull after all.

********************

Whitney Eaton - I Like Fat Birds
instagram: whitneykay93
oil on canvas
I Like Fat Birds by Whitney Eaton
I Like Fat Birds by Whitney Eaton


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AJ - Embroidered Cardinal Dish Towel

Embroidered Cardinal Dish Towel by AJ
I saw the picture of the cardinal and thought a cardinal would be just the thing to brighten up my old grey dish towels.  I did these completely freehand.

********************

Darlene Awalt - Visions of Unspoken Stories
instagram: @dream.imagine.believe
Visions of Unspoken Stories by Darlene Awalt
Visions of Unspoken Stories by Darlene Awalt
If a tree could talk, oh what joys and sorrows it would have to share.  What story do you have untold under the tree ?


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Inspiration Image 1 - January: Snow Cardinal by Helen Eaton
Snow Cardinal by Helen Eaton
Snow Cardinal by Helen Eaton

When you catch an unexpected glimpse of color in nature, do you stop to appreciate it?
I know that the bird is a vivid red and is the star of the show, but would there be a story without the background of twigs and branches and snow? Embrace the unexpected glimpses of winter.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Your Art Inspired by Sentimental Journey

We have an a new art form to add to creations inspired by Sentimental Journey! The inspiration image is at the bottom of this post.

Cheryl McMickle - Journey
web: cherylmcmickleart.weebly.com
mixed media journal
Journey by Cheryl McMickle
Journey by Cheryl McMickle
When I saw the prompt for Sentimental Journey I knew that I was already working on the same theme in my journal. This journal entry is a mixed media piece that includes collage, stamping, watercolor and transfer. Each journal page is its own journey so this work is a creative journey about my life journey.
********************

Nelvia - Kaguya's Virtue
instagram: nelviamcgrath
Sketch using brush pen/pastel
Kaguya's Virtue by Nelvia McGrath
Kaguya's Virtue by Nelvia

Bamboo is very symbolic in Chinese and other Oriental cultures, representing moral character/virtue, strength/resilience, modesty and loyalty. However, this is based on the Japanese legend of the princess Kaguya, a moon goddess.

********************
Helen Eaton- Sentimental Stargazer
blog:   wordweaverart.blogspot.com
Original Oil Painting on 6" x 12" Wrapped Canvas
Sentimental Stargazer Lilies by Helen Eaton
Sentimental Stargazer Lilies by Helen Eaton
Stargazer Lilies will always remind me of my momma.  She had a long row of flowers that she loved... irises, day lilies, tiger lilies... One year I bought her a pot of blooming stargazer lilies for Mother's Day.  After they finished flowering inside, she replanted them into her row, and they bloomed again every year.  We dug those stargazer lilies up when they moved to Northwest Arkansas and replanted them beside the porch where she continued to enjoy their beautiful pink blooms each summer.   

This particular stargazer grew in my own flower bed.

******************** 

Inspiration Image 4 - January: Sentimental Journey by Sara Harley
Sentimental Journey by Sara Harley
Sentimental Journey by Sara Harley

As I age, I often find myself on a sentimental journey thinking about my parents and the home I grew up in.Over the recent holidays, I thought I would make a photograph as a tribute to them. We always had at least one Christmas cactus in the house and my dad was the plant person in the family. He loved gardening and fussed with indoor plants as well. The pot in the photograph was made by my mom. She went through a ceramics phase when I was a teenager and I've managed to keep two of her plant pots all these years (over 35 years!) without breaking them. 

Isn't it strangely wonderful how certain things can bring back such lovely memories?








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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

January Inspiration

We have four images to choose from for your inspiration in January. It's never too late to join in. If you're inspired to create based on one of these Inspiration Images, we want you to submit your creation anytime! Submit your work and we'll add it to our January summary.

Choose one image to use for inspiration in any creative way that you want (painting, collage, poetry, story, drawing, photography.....). Before the end of the month, send us a digital copy of your creative work and we'll "reveal" all the creations. (details on how to send us your work will be posted soon)



Inspiration Image 1: Snow Cardinal by Helen Eaton
Snow Cardinal by Helen Eaton
Snow Cardinal by Helen Eaton
When you catch an unexpected glimpse of color in nature, do you stop to appreciate it?
I know that the bird is a vivid red and is the star of the show, but would there be a story without the background of twigs and branches and snow? Embrace the unexpected glimpses of winter.

******************************
Inspiration Image 2: Barely There by Sara Harley
Barely There by Sara Harley
Barely There by Sara Harley
The view along the river one day in December was a magical, misty scene. The stillness created a mirror like finish on the river, with hardly a ripple in sight. The town was barely there, mysteriously shrouded in fog.
Life is an adventure...we are who the past has made us, and we'll become who the future creates. Like the town shrouded in fog, we cannot see what the future holds in store for us no matter how many plans we make.
here is a verse I wrote as a companion to the image:
barely there
just a shadow
of who I was
just a whisper
of who I might be


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 Inspiration Image 3: Scattered Crayons by Helen Eaton 
Scattered Crayons by Helen Eaton
Scattered Crayons by Helen Eaton
So you want to be challenged to add more color into your images? 

Well, what could be more literal than “Scattered Crayons” for inspiration!
However, you could find a way to use this idea without color at all… scattered logs of driftwood on the beach… pieces of silverware scattered the counter… Neither of those have vibrant colors!  But, maybe you’ll find a rainbow, a spilled bag of Skittles, or… some scattered crayons.

******************** 
Inspiration Image 4: Sentimental Journey by Sara Harley 

Sentimental Journey by Sara Harley
Sentimental Journey by Sara Harley
 
As I age, I often find myself on a sentimental journey thinking about my parents and the home I grew up in.Over the recent holidays, I thought I would make a photograph as a tribute to them. We always had at least one Christmas cactus in the house and my dad was the plant person in the family. He loved gardening and fussed with indoor plants as well. The pot in the photograph was made by my mom. She went through a ceramics phase when I was a teenager and I've managed to keep two of her plant pots all these years (over 35 years!) without breaking them.
Isn't it strangely wonderful how certain things can bring back such lovely memories?


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Pick an image....and go create! We are excited to see your creation!