Thankful Thursday - The Gift of Curiosity

Did we all learn the word "curious" from this little fellow?  

Curiosity:  a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in humans and other animals.  ~Wikipedia

We artists are a curious bunch, and perhaps mixed media artists are the most curious of all.  We constantly ask "What if?",  "What can I use to...",  "How can I?", and best of all:  "Why not?".  The thrill of exploration, experimentation, discovery, and ultimately mastery is what keeps us going, posing questions, and leaping out of bed in the morning (well, maybe not actually leaping, but a reasonable facsimile thereof!).  And, we love to share our results with each other, in hopes of answering someone else's "How can I?".  Of course, the Internet and YouTube videos in particular have made this information and technique sharing easier to access (Curious about how to create marbled paper with shaving cream?  Make mono prints on clay?  Use that Fiskars cutter you just bought?  There are multiple videos on each topic).  But to me, there's no substitute for being face-to-face, learning about another artist's original "wild" idea, first plans, unsuccessful results, back-to-the-drawing-board moments, retries, and ultimately, seeing her successful project realized.  It's those bumps along the road which are most instructive, and which often lead off onto another creative tangent or 'accidental' discovery which can be used later (those are the best!).  

We here at Your Creative Connection celebrate and embrace curiosity; we encourage it in all we do.  Penny, Jeanne and I can't wait to reveal what we have been working on to share with you in October!  In future blog posts, we'll show you our moments of experimentation and discovery which were born out of our asking "What if?" and "Why not?" in preparing our Studio Sessions for you, our Creative Explorers. 

We're excited about what's to come, and if you're curious too and want to take the leap and explore with us, why not register for our October 11~15 retreat? 

Until next time,

MDP

Thankful Thursday - Partnership

One of the distinctive beauties of being an artist is the serendipitous nature of collaboration or partnership involved in what is, in the main, a solitary venture.  While we often work in solitude, the artist is never wholly ‘alone’ in their endeavors.  From the affiliation with galleries, festivals,  and/or other venues to sell ones work, to the interactions with those who love and support our work, to the companionship of students for the teaching artist -- there are myriad forms of alliance (once again:  connections!)

We are very fortunate here at Your Creative Connection to have creative partnerships with a handful of the outfits who make some of our favorite things!  Just last weekend, we were able to share some perfect papery goodness with the attendees at our Notes to Our Future Selves  PopUp Art Event in the form of samples from the fine folks at Strathmore Artist Papers.

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Our guests enjoyed an afternoon of creative communion, whiling away the hours making Mixed Media Mail Art and remembering what matters.  We will have a full and proper recounting of the day in a future post (replete with LOADS o’ photos)…  The creating didn’t end when the event was over, tho’!  We took our own advice to heart and created postcards to thank not only our guests, but our partners in creativity as well.

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I have been a fan of Strathmore’s toned papers (Tan and Gray) since they came out a couple of years ago.  The NEW Blue Toned Mixed Media paper (coming soon to an art supplier near you) may be my new personal favorite (!)  ...and the new Heavyweight Mixed Media is DIVINE (and totally deserving of its own blog post)!  This fall will mark the 11th year I have worked in partnership with Strathmore to promote their offerings.  I am grateful for the opportunity to share with others the goods that make what I do so enjoyable.  I would love to be able to share some of that goodness with YOU! 

Let’s have a Give-Away!  Super easy, loads of fun, and three lucky folks will each get a trio of Mixed Media Paper sample pads – sound good?  Here’s how you can enter for your chance to win:  each action garners one (1) entry…

A – Sign up for our Newsletter
B – Like and comment on this post on our Facebook Page
C – Share the post on Facebook, and give your friends a chance to win

On Tuesday morning (04/17/18), I will engage the services of my pet partner – the inimitable Wito the Wonder Dog – to draw the winners.  Best of luck and remember:  you can’t win if you don’t play!

Until next time!
 - PLA

Thankful Thursday - Friendship

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."  ~Anaïs Nin

      I love this quote because it describes my relationship with my dear friend, fellow creative soul, and business partner, Penny Arrowood.  Our first meeting was unremarkable:  as a guest at a gathering of the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild, in the diminutive back room of a local craft store, I met many women that evening. Penny was busily taking notes on the proceedings, so I assumed she was the Guild's secretary (an assumption which turned out to be prophetic), and her enthusiastic welcome and genuine interest in my work was wonderful (you can read more about our Guild adventures here). 

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”  ~Linda Grayson

      From that unassuming, almost random beginning, a true friendship was born that thrives today.  We've shared many triumphs, weathered many a storm, and through it all, our affinity for each other (and a well-turned phrase, a well-engineered pop-up book, or a well-made chocolate bar) has grown.  The "new world" which has evolved from our friendship is Your Creative Connection, and we seek to share our vision of camaraderie, creative exploration, and community with you.

      Our first event, "Notes to Our Future Selves," is in just two days.  We are looking forward to presenting artful mixed media techniques and our third Teaching Artist Jeanne Faith d'Orleans, meeting new Creative Explorers, and giving just a taste of what's in store during our grand, mixed media retreat in October.  Sound like fun?  It's not too late to register. All of the details are here.  See you on Saturday! 

Until next time,

~MDP

Thankful Thursday – Connection

Lately, I have had much cause to revel over and reflect upon the wonder that is Connection.  Whether observed as an amalgamation (aka:  combination, blending, unification), or a coalition (alliance, confederation, league, society), or an agreement (harmony, accord, unity) it typically denotes a beneficial union…

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I recall learning years ago that “the shortest distance between two fixed points is a straight line” – and then being required to do math involving letters to prove this and several other notions, repeatedly (?)  Author Patti Digh has said “[t]he shortest distance between two people is their stories,” and this rings true for me *over and over* both before and after its hearing.  Perhaps truer still, the amazing Victor Borge told us “[l]aughter is the shortest distance between two people.”  It would appear that there are as many ways to describe connection as there are ways to manifest it – laughter being a personal favorite (!) 

This year I have been particularly aware of the many different instances of connection woven throughout each day.  Be it personal, professional, creative, business, or otherwise the power of each is profound.  The intersection of different social circles, like overlapping ripples on the surface of still water – peaceful, sustaining, creating new patterns and movements.  We are daily changed by the choices we make and the connections we forge, however brief they may be.  I am daily grateful for the fact that this amazing exercise is ongoing, and that there is no shortage of opportunity for more of it.

I am particularly grateful for the amazing connections I share with my creative cohorts, Michelle Davis Petelinz and Jeanne Faith d’Orleans.  There have been stories shared and laughter echoed to strengthen this coming together.  There is a certain synergy to our exchanges, and it yields the sweetest results!  The latest of which will be on display on April 7th!  We invite you to jump start your Spring in an afternoon with Your Creative Connection as we host our very first Pop Up Art Event:  Notes to our Future Selves.  Hands on creative fun, the double joys of connection and community, and mail art to share or treasure.  We have loads of fun in store; and it’s an excellent way to get your creative juices flowing.  Register today – space is limited!

Until next time!
   ~PLA

p.s. -- …thinking that this topic sounds a bit familiar?  Yes, gentle reader, this is an area near and dear to our hearts and minds; Michelle has spoken of connection before, as have I.  I am fairly confident that we will, in our own time, touch on this again.  It is no coincidence that this is a recurring theme for us, or the larger part of our name.  It is at the very heart of what we do, what we offer, and what we seek.

Thankful Thursday - The Joys of Teaching

I've wanted to be a teacher since elementary school; I loved the idea of standing in front of a classroom and writing on the blackboard (yes, they were all black back in the day), the smell of newly sharpened pencils, crisp new notebooks, and one of my favorite classes every year was art (of course).  And although I did not choose to become a traditional classroom teacher, I now teach art to children and to people with disabilities.   

My students have ranged in age from 18-months to 102 years old, and I enjoy the challenge of presenting projects which are fun, colorful, and appropriate for each audience.  I have learned as much if not more than what I've taught, and my students are a constant source of amazement.  And yes, I do believe teaching is a superpower:  from the 3-year old who went from saying "I can't!" to "I did it!", to the 10-year old who figured out how to take "junk" to make something "cool", to the 40-something woman who began by declaring "I'm not artistic" to exclaiming "Wow, I didn't know I could do that!", to the non verbal man with autism who won an art contest with a project we created, to the 100-year old who said she remembered how much she loved coloring when she was a child as she proudly showed off her painted paper seascape, teaching is indeed a joy for me.  
I'm looking forward to more joy and more amazement when teaching my "Mindful Mandalas" printing technique during our upcoming Pop-Up Art Event on April 7th, and to having a full day to teach multiple mixed media techniques during my retreat Studio Session at Haw River State Park in October.  There'll be more Studio Session details coming soon, so stay tuned!  

Wishing you joy and amazement in your life,

~MDP

Thankful Thursday - Tools of the Trade: Clay

Over the years, I've experimented with a variety of tools and techniques in the pursuit of what will help me create my mixed media work.  There have been some notable failures (I never could get the hang of doing elaborate polymer clay caning), but thankfully there have been more results which have become studio staples.  Here are some of the tools I use, and for which I am very grateful, for they allow me to realize my creative visions in clay.  

Surface Texture

This is the "secret" to a faux raku-fired effect.  The oxide gives the clay surface just the right roughness and sparkle which is still visible under added layers of paints or powdered pigments.  

Surface Color

These are my go-to paints for a raku-fired appearance.  They're vibrant, metallic, and versatile; looking equally good on paper, fabric or clay.  

Clay Conditioning

The motor on this pasta machine, which was a gift from my husband (thanks, Honey!) is a life/hand saver!  No more battling with  recalcitrant clay...I am the master!  

Cutters

My collection is eclectic, including some meant for baking, for clay, and for leather working (Love these, especially the tiniest ones).  

Some finished work, showing how I've used the "tools of the trade" described above.  

I've shown you some of mine, and if you join us on April 7th, Penny, Jeanne and I will share even more of our "go to" tools and techniques in our "Notes to Our Future Selves" mini Studio Session.  For all the details, and a link to the registration form, click here. 
See you there!

Until next time,
~MDP

Save the Date! April 7th, 2018

Greetings, fellow creative explorers! 

We are thrilled to announce our very first Pop-Up Event!  Make plans now to join us on April 7th, from 1:00-4:00pm, at Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh, NC for an afternoon of creativity in community.  You will enjoy a mini workshop that highlights every facet of the jewel that is Your Creative Connection:  Creativity, Community, and Self Care.  Spaces are limited, register today for Notes to Our Future Selves.  Enjoy hands-on fun as you meet the Artist Instructors that will present our premiere event at Haw River State Park in October.

We will while away the afternoon in creative bliss, as Jeanne, Michelle, and Penny share some of their favorite techniques.  We will work on lovely papers from our friends at Strathmore Artist Papers.  You will be creating fully functional art, as our final compositions will work as artful reminders to yourself or beautiful gifts for others by way of Mixed Media Mail Art!  We will busy our hands with the creation of Kintsugi Hearts, Mindful Mandalas, and Found Poetry.  Participants will leave with at least three frame-able and/or mail-ready mini masterpieces.  Plus:  there will be Door Prizes, refreshments, and special offers to be had.

As if all of this isn't enough to tempt you:  Attendees of the PopUp Event will get the 1st look at samples for each of our Studio Sessions in October!  What are you waiting for?  Register today.  Double the fun by inviting a friend!  Don't wait too long -- spaces are limited!  We look forward to seeing you for artful adventures on April 7th.

Thankful Thursday - The Joys of Friendship and Collaboration

The past two weeks have provided ready reminders for much of which I am grateful, not the least of which the sense of completeness that has ensconced the happenings here at Your Creative Connection!  We are now a solid TRIO for all of the wonderment that is our October gathering at Haw River State Park (10/11-10/15, 2018).   This addition comes with some glorious strings attached, as our Special Guest Artist for Haw River ’18 is *among many other things* an incredible fiber artist!

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For me, this collaboration represents the joining of two creative forces in my life – an alliance of two Tribes, so to speak…  The resulting energy has been a joy to behold!  Michelle and I had the opportunity to spend some time in the studio and at the planning table with our Guest Artist last weekend, and WOW – just:  wow!?  We have significantly upped the “mixed” portion of this unique, mixed media experience to wondrous ends!  …and I truly believe we have added to the very heart of it, as well.  Our friend and fellow creative adventurer brings her all to her artistic endeavors – her work unites heart, hands, and mind to amazing effect.

Please help us welcome our friend, collaborator, and creative hummingbird:  Jeanne Faith d’Orleans!  You can learn more about Jeanne, her creative process, and see more of her work on her Gallery Page.

We are thrilled for this creative connection, and are wildly excited for what lies ahead.  Speaking of which:  if you want to have the inside scoop on all things Your Creative Connection, please take a moment to become a Newsletter Subscriber.  You’ll get first dibs on all the latest news and announcements *up to a week ahead of everyone else!*  Hey, we are a low-volume affair and we’ll never sell/share your information with anyone.  We only want to ensure that you don’t miss out on any of the exceptional goodness that is happening in the coming months!

Until we meet again!
 - PLA

Thankful Thursday - Expanding Vision

Just like George Peppard portraying the cigar-chomping John ‘Hannibal’ Smith in the 80s *camp* TV classic The A Team:  “I love it when a plan comes together!”  This perfectly sums up the latest work from my creative efforts! 

It began last year, when I decided to commemorate my journey to the big, 5-0 with a series of mini-canvases.  Dubbed “#50for50,” I chronicled the progression of these diminutive beauties in daily Facebook posts and weekly wrap-up posts on my Blog.  In Week 3, I was showing three canvases each day – the photos became a little puzzle for me – my challenge to find a visual line that continued across multiple surfaces created at separate times.  It was a fun little break in the routine of photographing, editing, captioning, and posting the tiny offerings each day.

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A snippet from the Blog, Monday, May 22, 2017 - Week 3 Wrap-Up

This past Christmas, I had the occasion to do more of my “line finding” in the creation of a few special gifts for a few special people.  Once again, I was taken by the simple joy of finding/creating a link where one did not intentionally exist.

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A trio in primary tones -- yet another favorite.

My latest work features more of this method, employed to greater effect by using more sizes of mini canvases and working with intentional color ways.  I have also adapted the background to the theme, and I think it makes a world of difference (!)

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The first three pieces in the new series:  Melodies of the Sea

What JOY!  …to roam freely in the realm of creativity – finding new ways to do a favorite thing – creating novel ways to employ/expand ones vision – making a technique already beloved even more ones own…  These are the tendrils that enrobe me, when I am well and truly “in the zone”.  What takes you into the perfect creative state?  What is your favorite thing about spending time there?  Wouldn’t it be great to spend 3 or 4 whole days in such a place?  It’s easier than you might think to do just that!  If you are not subscribed to our Newsletter, today would be a mighty fine day to change that!  If you ARE a subscriber, Thanks *ever-so-much!*  …keep an eye on your Inbox:  Big News is on the way!  

Later days…
 - PLA