Monday's mini-interview with Dee Larson-Sullivan

What inspires you? I am inspired visually by interesting design and architecture , vivid colours against a light background; the beauty of nature; well designed textiles and wonderful papers that are patiently waiting to be re-used and turned into art. I think it is a mix of the smell of incense and the sound of happy or harmonious (usually acoustic) music that inspires me to wake up and make something. I also tend to be inspired by thoughts of God , family and nature. Beyond those, I guess a sweet cup of chai or cinammon mocha will inspire when nothing else will do.

How do you turn your inspiration into art?

I am not sure how inspiration morphs into art. I guess the visual stimulation mixed with sweet scent and sounds get my creative engine started and the concepts of life experience naturally flood canvas, clay or paper in an interesting and sometimes lovely way. Often times inspiration will take some time to build and then overflow into a piece of art. With me it never seems that anything is quick or instant in its effect. Inspiration mixes with all that is going on in my life until it becomes an interesting recipe cooking in my heart and mind and later in the art 'oven' of my kitchen/studio. (which is really our kitchen table or office desk...not glamorous but it works for me)

How do you balance art and family life?

~Haha! Balance is not something I have attained yet. In our home it usually goes something like a teeter totter. If it is summer I work on art around 11pm-1am (if I am not sleeping or exhausted). In the fall and onwards while the older children are in school I take 2 or 3 days a week during our baby, Bella's, afternoon naps, and that is my creative playtime. Don (my love) is really great at taking me out on dates or exploration ploys, at least once a week , to keep the inspiration coming, and I probably spend 2 hours on the computer in the morning blogging or reading other artist's ideas on life, which also helps in the inspiration department. I guess that could be construed as balance, with four children and all that life entails, balance for us is fitting in what we love whenever we can.

Thank you Dee so much for this short but sweet glimpse into your life and art!

When I was in art-school I was warned that having children and making art were an either/or. It is absolutely wonderous to see how many of us decided to juggle both, even if at times it seems impossible and overwhelming... What I was thinking about when looking at Dee's artwork is how really her life, children, wonderings, and all, do make their way into her art that beams with playfulness , and a spirit of joy and exploration.

You can take a better look of Dee's artwork and blog here and here.

Almost there...(and a photo from a walk a few months ago)

Almost there... The new studio has been painted , with three coats of the loveliest, vanilla icecream-off white-paint- over a dark-Greek-blue. Phew!!! My right arm grew an inch longer and its sort of hanging from my showlder now... The old studio is turning back into its original use, as a helping-laundry, ironing room, which I am so happy about- its something that will seriously help with keeping a sense of order in the house.

The house, the home- I have been doing so much thinking and reading- the house , the home, the way we bring our children up, the emotional life and how sometimes the chaos there is reflected in the physical chaos. I have been reading 'Home Comforts- The art and science of keeping house'. Its such a wonderful discovery. (by Cheryl Mendelson) A treasure to keep.

I am still running to meet my own deadline which is tomorrow. By Tuesday when Lucy and Dimitri go back to school I will have planned a manageable house-cleaning routine, two weeks of meals , and have the house clean, and neat. None of this 'colourful' laying out all the colours and paints and brushes on open shelves. No more pink carpets that swallow dust and charcoal and have horrific acrylic stains. I am putting everything I can inside something. The key to a happy home I know now, is everything having a place to be put neatly away. The more I see clear hardwood floors, bright walls, and white cushions, the happier and metntally healthier I feel...
I am ready to face a productive, creative, exciting new 'school-year' now. I have to tell you September and January are my two favourite months. It's that sense of new beginnings that brings me such joy and anticipation ...
Off I go then to finish things up! Have a lovely Sunday!

Baking playdate

Do you think it might have been the extra zealous hand stirring and mixing?

We made the best chocolate chip-pecan cookies yet!

YUM...

mini-vacation

Seattle is only a four hour drive from Vancouver. So we thought what an ideal mini-vacation destination. Only four hours away and only two nights to spear. And I took only two pictures... I think I needed a break from the camera, and I needed to take in as many new impressions I could in three short days! One of the best things about a vacation must be breakfast in bed, with delicious mini-croissants and a good book on my lap. Guilty as charged of course, since my husband was off early in the morning without even breakfast for business meetings and I lay luxuriously in bed with my daughter watching cartoons...

Then we walked, visited SAM(Seattle Art Museum), were thoroughly delighted by the sights and sounds of the Seattle Public Market, which apparently is the oldest in the US, ate (when we could finnaly make our way through long line ups in restaurants...), fell in love with the architecture and the sense of history it emanates, and absolutely marveled at the buzz and great energy of this gorgeous city...

I am back to my house duties now...

Monday's mini-interview with Belinda Kemp

What inspires you?

Saturated or blurred colours in the landscape {my surroundings} are very inspiring to me. I really like the colours outside on a grey day after it has rained~ the prominent colours seem to jump out. How do you turn your inpiration into art?

I usually do this subcosciously! I try to use sketchbooks but end up mainly using loose pieces of paper which I can cut up~ and stick up in a visually obvious place in my work place : on the walls or pinboards. It's just a matter of time! I try to make quick sketches of an idea and add enough notes so I can remember the thought when I get time to try to create the work.

How do you balance your commitments to family life and art making?

Aaaagghh, it's tricky!

They both feel like they need to be full-time jobs { I think lots of us know this feeling} but I try to squeeze as much into the time I have available. I do have 2 'school hours' slots {9.30-2.30} and Saturdays in winter, which is coming to an end soon. I do most of my computer work at night before dinner~I am super lucky in that my husband cooks and is very supportive of my need to work.

And Sunday afternoon is really the official 'family' slot, which if I think about it, is not enough either! I kind of have to just try to live it and do things without thinking too much or I get a bit stressed/unsettled and try to reinvent the balance. I know the kids are only little for a short time and that down the track I will have 5 school-hour slots!

But it is a juggle fitting in family time, work time, time out for both of us individually, exercise for both of us, socialising and haircuts! I often wonder how other poeple do it :)

Actually, I'd love to hear about some good timetables!

Thank you so much for the insights into your art-parctice and life Belinda!

I've been admiring Belinda's artwork for some time now and I am delighted to see how the clarity and depth of her work are a reflection of her thinking and her life.

For more please visit Belinda's blog here, and her etsy-shop full of lovely treasures.

My creative space!

One thing leads to another, and I start one thing , and lo and behold another thing pops up begging for reorganisation and I move this to that and that to the other, and finally my whole studio space will be moving to a new, bigger room without a pink carpet!!!! You must understand how much this means to me! Real , beautiful floors that can be wiped clean at a moment's notice...But first I must paint...a lovely, warm, creamy white to compliment the warmth of the floor and to reflect as much light as possible since this room is in the basement!

Now, I have frequently mentioned I have no clue when it comes to plants. So I am asking for some advise. What do you think I should do with this lovely plant that keeps growing...

Look at it, its just gorgeous but should I cut it? I repoted it just a couple of months ago and it probably needs a new home once again. On the label it had it said it likes shade but it has been on a singleminded quest for the sun... Any ideas would be welcome...

Did you visit Kootoyoo to enjoy the amazing creative spaces that meet there on Thursdays?

A list of the joys of the last couple of days...

1. I won a brooch! It came all the way from Australia just for me! Reread makes the prettiest brooches from old children's books...now I wonder why my brooch says 'no cakes'- is that a command? a warning? a gentle reminder of my Mediterranean pear-shape that has to be kept under leash? Hmmm, I will try Reread, I will try , but I am afraid if the right cake comes along .....Thank you Reread!


2. More lovelies in the mail!!! Elk sent this beautiful ATC for me and a 'heartfull' for Lucy too!
Now how gorgeous are these!! and what lucky girls are we! The little birds here carry messages of friendship , creativity , and having a 'heartfull' of joy!!! Have you visited Elk' s blog? It's a stream of the most exquisite poetry in daily photos and thoughts... Thank you Elk!

3. Nigel and I watched 'Julie and Julia' and its one of those films that stay with me for days on end and makes me all happy and warm inside and I am afraid abit hungry as well- particularly for all things cooked in butter!!! (I cried allot too,OMG, I cry when something makes me happy now-not just a sniffle, but a stream of tears-)

4. The living room area, the kitchen and Lucy's room are almost finished and thoroughly clean! Now I need to move my studio downstairs, to a much larger room that I hope will help the creative process unfold in an uninterrupted flow (haha)...

5. The sky yesterday evening was a delicate, exquisite pink , the air so fresh, the temperature perfect, at the end of the day our walks by the sea wall are true blessings...I am loving this summer!

What joys have come your way lately?

Monday's mini-interview with Sarah

What inspires you?

Many things inspire me. In looking back over my work I notice that I am drawn to subjects that have both aesthetic value and social or cultural significance. No matter what the subject, my work contains repetitive shapes and vibrant colours.

How do you turn your inspiration into art?

Turning inspiration into art can take on many forms. Often I take photographs of the subject I am interested in, the salmon run, bathers on the beach, consumer goods etc, then I put all the photos on a board in my studio at home. The photos become paintings as I layer drawings, paints, textures over the canvas or board. Each piece can be based on a particular photograph or on several put together depending on how the composition works.

How do you balance your commitments to family and making art?

Balancing family life with my job, teaching art, and then finding time for my own art is a challenge. I did a bunch of work before my son was born last year and then making art went out the window for a while, although I have participated in three exhibitions since his arrival. I have a backlog of ideas and not enough time to see them to fruition. Enjoying life with my son is a priority right now and as he is getting more independent I am finding pockets of time to keep my art practice alive.

Thank you Sara so much for the insight into your life and art practice!!

:)

If you would like to find out more about Sara take a look at Sararaco Designs here

Have a lovely Monday xxoo

Wordless Sunday...(you get the picture!)

At the end of this though I do get a treat- I am going to watch 'Julie and Julia'!!yea!
How was your Sunday?

A change in perspective

Some mornings you wake up and it all feels like an uphill battle....Doesn't it? And sometimes it feels like an insurmountable wall....

And then you get some lovely mail from Guylaine from Montreal, with some beautiful little ones...

And you get some warm and sweet comments on your blog, and then you find out that Katharine of Woollywotnots has just featured your work on her blog along with some other lovely artists and blogging friends!

Then you feel surrounded by something warm and soft and gentle....

And suddenly life seems like a manageable, exciting landscape, full of colourful goodies!

Hmm, what changes your perspective on a grey day?

My creative space

My creative space this week has to do with lists, organising, reorganising, visiting Ikea ( a girl just has to when she is moving things around!), going to the dollar store for more paper supplies- because frankly there can never be enough paper supplies, period!
I wrote a huge list of all my' to dos'- and I almost pulled my hair out- but then I went and got all these sketchbooks and notebooks and folders with dividers and of course I have my little moleskin that I carry with me everywhere and do tiny drawings of cars and whatever the day brings...while I am waiting in traffic (and hopefully its my husband driving...)
Believe me this August I am going to get that beast called 'mess' tamed...-once and for all! and then I am going to blow that smoke away from that gun of mine ... and paint my nails very-very pink!!!

Have fun in all the creative spaces around the globe meeting up at lovely Kootoyoo!!!

Some more thoughts about doing mini-interviews!

I really wanted to post a few more pictures from the show- I personally found Sophia's kitchen garden an inspiration...even though I don't think it's in my stars to ever become a gardener... But I can take photos...

And I can definitely eat- ...

Lucy had fun with visiting Lucy...look at how relaxed this cat is...permanently in kitty-heaven..

And I wanted to say, yes, I bought a lovely dress for the second Sunday of this show- I am becoming so inspired from Elsita (the hidden seed)- I need to add the dress thing to my life- I tend to slip into the jeans unifrom if I am not careful-Publicly today I promise to resist the uniform and have some dress-funnnnnn!

AND I am inspired by the idea of doing some mini-three question interviews- I am very very interested in how women artists and crafters balance their family life and their art- I will be posting about Sara (the third artist in the show) next Monday- but I was thinking of doing this a regular thing- Monday three-question interviews....

What do you think?

Three questions for Sophia

What inspires you?

Most of all colour-everywhere, natural and otherwise. I love how colours move and change next to eachother and how they create a mood. Good design, innovation, and seeing other people be creative excites me too. Actually, a blank white wall is super inspiring because I want to cover it in colourful paintings.

How do you turn your inspiration to art?

Inspiration needs to simmer for a while inside. Suddenly it starts to bubble and needs to transform into something tangible. I'm not disciplined, I feel inspiration everyday but I don't paint everyday. When I do paint nothing else matters and I have to do it.

How do you balance your commitment to family life and being a mother with your art work?

The moment I found out I was pregnant I wanted to paint. I painted a great deal during that time and I 've been painting ever since. My son is very creative so we do creative things together. I had great art teachers growing up and I want to make sure he experiences some of the same things I did, in his own way. I'm lucky to have a supportive family so when I need my own time to create I can usually get it.

Sophia has an Etsy store-take a look!

Thank you Sophia!

A brand new world

I love this- I know one is not supposed to say good things about one's own work (that's what I was told)- is that modesty? Blast it! I think its self-defeating, and its hypocritical !- well I don't always like my own work, and there are some pieces I keep around hoping someone else will love them more than I do- that's probably cheating isn't it?
Like there are times I have shown something, and I sort of avoid...looking at it too much because in my heart I know it embarasses me that something about it is not right... I have to learn to listen to that faint voice more- I always know if something is good or not but I don't always like to admit to my own truth.. you know, don't you?

Ususally it takes some time, a day, a month, a year-

You have to be brave either way- brave to stand up and say -I love this- and brave to immediately toss it to the recycling or better yet, cut it up, use it for collage, or if it is work on canvas repaint-

But these I am lovin ...

Its sometimes hard to figure out where you are in a new landscape, how do you find your bearings? A lot of my 'new' work is exactly this- a new country...Its so exciting, but I think I have a foot still behind in the old world and I just need to yank it forward and not let anything drag me back...Am I making sense ? I am in a strange mood, I need a fortnight in a spa-I am just joking...

What do you do to clear your head and move forward?

My creative space

I started my 'big-clean-up-in August-project' by tackling Lucy's room. We have been doing it in bits and pieces because there's so much else going on at the same time. But really, it's an extremely satisfying process - we did it just like they do on tv!!! : took everything out, seperated the thingies and more thingies...in piles and boxes, and then rearrranged the furniture, and added a whole new bunch of much needed shelves! I just need to go through the little thingies now...and sort the paper for recycling. One thing we can be sure of, Lucy doesn't need any new pencils for the new school year!!!

Earlier this morning I had to go to the life-drawing studio and replace a session manager who is on vacation. I worked mostly in my moleskin which also gets my creative juices going...So there you go,two creative spaces today, one in colour, one B&W!

Enjoy more at Kootoyoo- Thank you Kirsty!!!

August, and redifining order-

That doesn't make sense does it? Redifining order in August? It should be the month where you put your feet up, count nonexistent clouds, splash in some water or other, and eat watermelon until you are pink and sticky...Well, it wasn't meant to be this year. Rea is probably doing something of the sort in Greece. But as I told the rest of my clan, if we go away on vacation and come back to this jungle of a garden of ours we will immediately waste all this new found energy on feeling terribly guilty and irritated by it all. But,...if we stay and work on the garden we will feel so good and reenergised , it will be like we have just had a vacation in the Bahamas... Well, the point is that they bought it!....We are staying and taking the third week of August to

redefine our amazingly neglected and terrible looking garden...We are hoping to create the garden that takes care of itself and needs no maintenance- hahahah- so we sill probably put as much gravel as possible and do a stone garden instead-( by the way these are some pictures from the weekend I didn't post before- some of my work, Lucy the visiting cat, and an image from the Little Nest-don't you love those blues?)

The garden aside, I need to do some serious cleaning around the house, as well as some inner psychic cleansing as well, if you know what I mean. I feel like writing pages on end in my journal, making maps and lists of where I want to go and what I need to accomplish and what I need to leave behind. Do you do that sort of thing?

I am not a hoarder, when it starts to feel like we have been accumulating too much stuff I becoome irritated and annoyed, and start getting the garbage bags out...In and out!

But I do have a goodie for you to link up to- I came across Eric Carle's blog- don't you love him?

I found it here...

Have a lovely Tuesday....

Sunday open-studio day

A couple of months ago I jumped with joy when my dear friend Sophia suggested I show with her at her house during the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver. It's a brilliant opportunity for artists in our area to show our work in our homes. I had opened my house during the last two years and had invited friends to share my space as well- but this year I felt too busy to repeat this, so I delighted at Sophia's suggestion! And wasn't I fortunate? Not only is Sophia a lovely, hospitable person, she is a very talented artist and her house is ideal to show art in. First of all you come to her gorgeous garden, of which she has turned a corner to a lovely vegetable garden. I tell you Sophia has many talents!

We will be doing this again next Sunday and I hope to take some more pictures of Sophia

herself and her work so that day I will be posting a mini-interview with her.

This is the work of the third artist -friend showing with Sophia. I have yet to meet Sara (I will next Sunday) but I can tell you I was very impressed by her work, my photos don't do it justice- she was showing a series of oil paintings on recycled shipping crates that she discovered abandoned and put them to good use. Her theme is 'salmon-run' and though initially the paintings might look abstract, you look closer and you get swept away with the layers of illuminated water and fish ....

This is Sophia's work but I want to show you much more next Sunday. The larger painting is made with acrylics, but most of her work is done with gouache on paper. Her sense of colour harmony is delicious, her textures soft and juicy, and the whole room with her artwork looks absolutely sophisitcated, tranquil and beautiful just like Sophia herself. More of her work can be found in her Etsy-shop!!

As far as my work , I loved looking at it in Sophia's home. My colour work, as you probably know, can be intense and loud (oh boy) and it looked perfect in a neutral, elegant, beautifully illuminated enviroment . Ok. I am a lucky girl....Thank you Sophia!