Oh there are so many blogs that are just filled with such inspiration, but today I have a completed project that was inspired by Carol's wonderful blog The Polka Dot Closet!
This amazing lady can take the most ordinary item and turn it into something beautiful to behold and do it with simple, clear instructions, that cost very little to accomplish. Perfect for me!
Whether you are a crafter who wants to find great ideas for your next show or just want to create a more lovely home inexpensively Carol is one of the best "go-to" gals I know for crafting ideas!
So naturally when I was recently given an old greenish, metal lamp that had belonged to my aunt (and really didn't suit me at all) I thought "what can I do to spruce it up?
Carol had taken something similar and painted it, distressed it and added crystals to make it into a one of a kind candle holder and that idea stuck with me. So when I was contemplating this old lamp (the glass globe had broken years ago) Carol's creation jump to mind and voila!
I had been lucky enough to get hold of 3 huge cookie tins of crystals from a friend who had worked for Schonbek here in upstate New York a few years back, so all I had to purchase was a can of spray paint and some jump rings.
Of course now I need to get a lovely pillar candle to do the holder true justice!
So thank you Carol for generously sharing your knowledge with all of your followers.
If you haven't had the chance to visit Carol's blog, give yourself a treat and drop by, you will love it!
Tina xo
Like everyone else I have been having a huge amount of trouble with Blogger. I have to sneak in the back way as I call it and even then there are times it will refuse to load for me.
Consequently I have managed to get a lot of chores done both for myself and a good friend who needed my help the past 2 weeks.
Today though, I worked on a painting I had started last month and thought today I would give her another coat of oil colors and as of this minute I am happy with it so far. She needs a lot more shadowing I believe.
I tend to see things I way I want them and not as they are, but for now here she is.....
I had to take the photo indoors as there is a horrible wind blowing outside today and I couldn't take the chance that she would end up 2 counties over, so there is a lot of glare....oh well c'est la vie!
I hope everyone is having a great Sunday, whatever you are doing!
Everyday I get up with a full heart and mind just bursting with plans for the day!
I'm going to paint, clean, organize all that crafting and sewing stuff finally......
And then at the end of the day I crawl back into my bedroom like a whipped pup...yep, another day in the disappointing world of broken dreams and missed goals...sniff.
Ok I do get some things done, but nowhere near what I had seen getting accomplished in my mind's eye!
Inspiration....where does it come from?
Looking at the fabulous posts on your blogs, browsing through my favorite magazines, nature, my garden all of the above
and then sometimes it just arrives on the wings of a beautiful, bright bird!
So this past week I tried to put that concept into a painting. I took some bamboo pieces a friend had given me, a generous amount of texture medium and built a nest that I then placed in a tree made of paper. I added some little fellow seekers (to keep me company on the wait) and there she came as big as life, Mama inspiration, on the wings of possibility, singing a song of joy and carrying within her the seeds of an idea to share! It made me smile when it was finished...
So I decided to try something I have thought of for awhile now....
A portrait of Frida done with paper mache on canvas board. This is just the second layer with much sanding in between. When this is dry I will sand again and refine it a bit before painting. So far it has been a fun project and today I hope to get another layer applied.
Today is a good day!
Tina xo
I love getting lots of things accomplished each week and to say I fall short of the mark most of the time is an understatement.
You see I have neighbors who love to cruise over to my place every afternoon (morning, evening, whenever) for coffee and although it's nice that they want to come over to see what I am doing each day it can be counter productive sometimes.....ok most of the time.
I finally managed this week though, to kindly explain I needed some "alone creative time" and IT WORKED! YAY!
So I was able to work on a couple of paintings to donate for an auction to benefit the local animal shelter.
Because this is a small town and unemployment is high our local shelters are always struggling for help. Sadly although I have been leaving messages all week to find out where and when the auction is, no one has returned my call! So later today I will be putting these on paintings on Ebay and donating the proceeds to the shelter.
I have always used the proceeds from my pet portraits to care for my rescue pets also, so if anyone would ever like to have a portrait done of their pet please do let me know and I will be happy to work out a price with you!
Have a wonderful weekend...and keep creating beauty in your life!
Tina xo
Happy is she who has been able to paint the last few days without too many interruptions!
I have always been fascinated with the process my mind goes through to arrive at an idea that leads to a painting. I suppose this is what this painting is about, ideas and choices. Like a plant sending down shoots into the soil, tenderly feeling it's way looking for sustenance.
I include pictures taken in differing light, as I wanted to get the photos as close to the actual color as possible. I used some metallic paint and it was really hard to get it to show the true shade.
The top photo is outdoors in natural light and the second is indoors under a bright light. This is a close-up of the details.
Oh well between Blogger, my camera, and the weather it is a miracle I was able to post anything at all!
I wish everyone a blessed Memorial Day and a stress free weekend....
Tina xo
