Together As One

For the last several years, I’ve participated in an annual Lend a Hand art fundraiser sponsored by The Muse in Frederick, Md. The challenge is to fill an 8-inch square canvas with artwork inspired by a specific theme. Everyone and anyone (professional artists and customers) are encouraged to participate. The full collection of canvases is auctioned to the highest bidder and the money raised is donated to a local charity. 

The motivation for this year’s artwork is a small scrap of a map and the words: “Together As One.” The charity recipient (Blessings In A Backpack) provides food for local needy children on the weekends. I finished my entry this past week and I’m pleased with the end result. 

The inspirational message, ‘together as one’ resonates profoundly in light of the violence and vitriolic language in recent news. My thought process in creating the artwork was inspired by a fistful of flowers. Each one is unique and could stand alone, but the impact of all of them together as one bunch is truly more powerful. 

If you’d like to bid on this or any of the auction artwork when it is available in September, let me know. You can do this long distance. Click on the photo to send me a message and I’ll be sure to help you participate in this artful fundraiser. Let's come together and help raise money for a great cause!

"Just Make a Mark..."

I recently completed an art project for a local fundraiser sponsored by my favorite shop in Frederick, Md – The Muse.  It’s a once a year event. Local artists and ‘Muse’ patrons purchase an 8 x 8 canvas to decorate and donate for auction. Each time there is a different theme and charity recipient. 

This year the collected monies will go to COIPP (the Children Of Incarcerated Parents Partnership). The inspirational theme is a children’s book called The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. In the story, a young artist doubts her ability to create art. Her teacher encourages her by saying “ Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”

Want to see more of the art collected for this worthy event? Here's the link to The Muse's Facebook page. Scroll down and take a look at the nearly 100 entries. And you don't have to live near Frederick to see the art in person or place a bid, no worries! Call The Muse to make your own mark -- the art can be shipped to you!

As is often the case, the lessons of a children’s story can resonate with us adults too. Shaking off self-doubt and the ‘I can’ts’ by taking a small step toward a goal is brilliant advice. I use this method when I’m stuck in the studio or tackling a daunting task. If I break down what seems insurmountable into doable chunks, the job becomes much easier. 

This week in the studio I’ve been chipping away at the various stages of clay-making on all sorts of projects. A kiln full of bisqued pieces were glazed and fired. I began creating a set of custom totems that will complement ones I installed several years ago. A surprise gift for one customer’s wife is now in mid-stage firing in the bisque kiln. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by all of these projects, I’m grateful and have embraced every step of their creation. 

Creative Resourcefulness

Workshops are a great place to learn. I've taught and taken clay workshops throughout the years. For me, the end goal is usually a new skill or information in the art of clay. The extra added bonus, I've found is the people connections I've made and the sharing that goes on with all class participants.

For example, Pinterest is the 'gold mine' I discovered while taking a clay workshop in Charlotte, NC. One of my class-mates asked if I'd ever heard of it. No. She opened up a whole new world of creative exploration for me. 

In the olden days, I would collect pictures from catalogs and magazines  to store in an 'idea notebook.'  I used these visual images to trigger my own creative juices  -- maybe a new shape, type of vessel or color palette would emerge from leafing through my collection. 

Now, Pinterest has become my creative muse. I store and explore Pins on a regular basis. It has expanded my creative world tenfold. 

Here is one of the latest pins I've added to my collection. 

I guess my message is simply this: don't stop learning and expanding your creative horizons. Creative inspiration can come from all kinds of resources -- just keep an open mind and you'll discover your own!