Time to Tile

My new shipment of mirror bases arrived today. I have nine, blank canvases to work with in a assortment of shapes and sizes. Round, square, oval and a daisy. After spending the last few days hand cutting my newest thrift store plate finds into tile, I am ready to create. I will be showcasing some of my works in progress here once I get started. Of course the finished pieces will be listed in my Etsy Shop and a few on my web site too.

Etsy.com ~ Your Place to Buy All Things Handmade

It has been a year since I first signed up as a seller on Etsy.com. Even though I have had a web page for 7 years now, Etsy has given me even more exposure and helped me share my work with even more people all over the world. I love everything Etsy represents and I am grateful for the opportunity it has given me to continue to work as an independent artist.

What is Etsy? This paragraph is taken from the Team Etsy page and sums up what the site is all about quite nicely.

"Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. It was built by artists, for artists -- and for those consumers conscious of the true value of handmade goods and their creators. That said, Etsy is more than mere marketplace. We are a thriving and growing community, supportive and respectful of each other."

If you haven't already, take a moment to visit my shop over at Etsy. And don't forget to check out the Showcase where 36 sellers show off their top items. New artists are featured everyday.

Influential Daisies & Advacado Appliances

As a child, I can remember being intrigued by the somewhat tacky, and often loud patterns on fabrics and wallpaper in our apartment. Besides the fact that you couldn't help but notice them (I am talking huge, olive green, gold and black flowers all over the kitchen walls!) there was something beautiful about them to me. I wanted to trace them in my tracing pad, I wanted to color them with my crayons. Visually they were interesting to look at. They were confident, energetic, they shouted "look at me!" They also spoke volumes about an era where there was no fear when it came to home decor or fashion. Just pull out the family album from 1977. I am sure you will see what I am talking about.

Perhaps it is the memories of my wonderful childhood that make it so rewarding to use these patterns in my art today. The sundresses my mother used to sew for my sister and I ~ the rust and brown velour furniture we would hang out on in the living room ~ the plaid butterfly color shirt, floral blouse that Gordon and Maria on Sesame Street would wear as they sang ~ the bright red shag rug throughout my Granparents house which of course went perfectly with the scotch plaid stitched couch with the wood detail ~ the list could go on for days.

Mosaic art allows me to take an actual piece of the past and use it to create something new. Old dinnerware still full of color and brilliant design once again evoke the emotions I had when I looked at that wallpaper all those years ago.

Welcome!

Me, 5.22.79

What better day to finally start my blog than on my birthday? Rather than add this to my list of things I'd like to do, I am jumping right in and beginning what I hope will be a fun and meaningful part of my creative journey.

I will be sharing my work, thoughts, ideas, fellow artists and things that inspire me. Colors, patterns, photographs, works in progress, words of wisdom and my day to day adventures as I work in my tiny studio and keep on reaching for the stars.