Calling All Sweethearts

Okay, I've got some probably less-than-welcome news....Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Now, you can always postpone thinking about this and go with the last minute grab some flowers-n-candy, whatever sparkly thing the local chain jewelry store has on special, and ho-hum your sweetie again. OR, you can take a little time, find that one-of-a-kind something that speaks your heart's sentiments or appeals to the interests of your sweetie's heart.


While visiting the Etsy shop of Pamela E. Miller, creator of art and jewelry, I found that she expresses her creative philosophies quite eloquently:

I feel that creating art is a way of sharing your soul with others. As you will see in my artwork: sometimes I am very flamboyant and always colorful, sometimes confidant and peaceful, other times angry or chaotic. I think all of my emotions; passions come out in my works.

What better approach to finding that special gift than to look to others with the special gifts of transforming passions into art? Pamela's artwork includes colorful seascapes, vibrant cityscapes, stunning abstracts and fairies/fantasy art. Trained at the Maryland Institute of Art, Howard Community College and Capital College, she has exhibited at the Chesapeake Gallery in Prince Frederick, Maryland, and DMG Artwork in Annapolis. She also has jewelry for sale in her shop - fun creations full of color and fanciful wirework.


So take a little time as you shop for your beloved, and consider shopping for an art piece that speaks to you from Contemporary Original Art by Pamela E. Miller, finding more about her and her inspirations on her blog. I'll leave you with a piece she calls "Huge Happiness" - may you be blessed with some this week.

Etsy as Art Gallery

There is a perception of Etsy as a site for DIYers doing the crafting thing, when in fact it is becoming a location that professional artists are more and more often drawn to expand their exposure beyond the brick&mortar art galleries, shows and single artist websites. A professional graphic artist by day, and personal artist by night, George McKim is one such artist. After a classical art education, his portfolio of exhibitions and gallery affiliations extends impressively over more than 20 years.

At George McKim's Etsy shop, you can find mixed media collages, paintings, linoleum cut prints and note cards based on his creations. I find his lino cuts especially compelling, as I love their graphic detail, and his series of sunflowers just beg for multiple "Warhol" display. (I did as best I could with Blogger's image load above - aren't they fabulous?!). He has written about the process on his blog, if you're unfamiliar with this particular type of art printing. His prints are all signed and numbered, too. I'd recommend a general tour of his blog, as well, as he writes wonderful features on some very interesting art events (check out this platinum-n-diamonds skull, for example), as well as well-written features on Etsy shops from an artist's perspective.

Painterly Dreams

Sometimes when I'm tense or awake at 3AM, there's a place I like to go to in my head where cool breezes blow across a blue lagoon, with white sand beaches and the warm sun in my face. My toes dig deep into the sand, I sip something frosty and sweet.....ahhh, the relaxation kicks in as I settle into my momentary mental vacation.

Well, Mary M. Hamilton of St. Petersburg, FL is at your service to take you away on such a vacation. Her painterly impressions of seascapes, florals, even animals evoke a place of light and beauty. An artist with a formal college degree in art, she has continued her education throughout her career with participations in workshops and classes from nationally and regionally-recognized artists, and collaborations with other artists.


Beginning often with an image or images from a library of hundreds of photographs she has taken, Mary's paintings have recognizable subjects set in the midst of background objects that may or may not be so well-defined, creating visual interest and intrigue. Not one to control her media, her art is truly impressionistic, realistic without being photographic.

Lucky for you, you don't have to actually make the trip to Florida to treat yourself to one of Mary's painterly vacations, but can drop by anytime you want by visiting her at her Etsy shop, Dream On, and reading more about her on her blog, Dreams About Art. As for me, I'm thinking about a cat nap......

The Maine Event

MaryAnn Anderson from Norridgewock, Maine, and the Etsy artist behind BackWoods Creations, has been doing the arts and crafts thing since she was a "wee child." Her mom always told her that idle hands can make trouble. Now her hands are busy keeping the creativity flowing, but she insists she still finds time to get into trouble. MaryAnn's creative endeavors focus primarily on painting, fabric, textile art, and the creation of art dolls.

The results of her creative efforts include whimsical batik and handpainted creatures such as Fergus above. Not toys for children, but three-dimensional fabric sculptures inspired by real-life animals, often created to raise funds for Etsy for Animals. EFA is a street team or group of artists and craftspeople on Etsy who donate some portion of their sales to animal rescues and charities. They change the charity monthly, and BackWoods Creations donates 10% of the purchase price of her EFA-specified listings to the charity designated for month of the purchase/adoption.


MaryAnn also creates fabric art jewelry and mixed media collages for a shop that provides a variety of options to indulge in her artistic expressions. Head out to the BackWoods to see for yourself, and find out more about MaryAnn on her blog.

Is it time for a Blue Moon?

Known as a rare event, the next blue moon won't happen in the sky until May 2008. Lucky for you, a more accessible rare event (that of discovery of beautiful art) can be had by a trip to Indigo Luna. The Etsy shop of mixed media and textile artist Rachel Kitterman, her primary passion is fabric, and she has been making art quilts and dolls for over a decade now. Rachel also loves paper, altered art, mixed-media, knitting, crocheting, jewelry, artist books, photography...pretty much, if it will hold still, she'll make art out of it. Her store has an amazing and ecclectic sampling of all the creative things she loves to make.


Her work is infused with the environment of her world - a 5th generation Oregonian, growing up in a lush and verdant valley, playing in the damp woods and blackberry thickets - she can't imagine living anywhere else.


Three things (of many) we have in common, from Rachel's list of "100 Things About Me":
55. I broke my tailbone when I was in high school.
69. I’m a very good speller.
97. I am a chronic procrastinator and a perfectionist.

and one more for good measure:
100. I believe in synchronicity and karma.

Go check out her complete list on her blog, and generate some good karma this holiday season by shopping handmade at Indigo Luna.

Feed your Head

and your eyes! I found the work of Etsy jewelry artist Alternate Bliss to have all the aspects of desirable accessories (for me, anyway) - clean style, beautiful materials, and something to spark the mind. Tanya Brumett, a mixed media artist who includes jewelry in her offerings (as well as ACEOs, original art and art prints), works a lot in fine silver clay to create little pure silver masterpieces like the White Rabbit.


I especially love pieces that incorporate words to pique your interest, or reflect your attitude, or focus your daily walk. For many, the word "Imagine" is just that kind of word, even a call to action as it evokes the utopian words of John Lennon.

And speaking of music, an apparent source of inspiration for Alternate Bliss, these "99 Red Balloons" earrings recall the anti-war protest song of Nena's from the '80s, as well as the movie, “Le Ballon Rouge,” a short film directed by French film-maker Albert Lamorisse in 1956. This film follows the adventures of a young boy who finds a large, red balloon throughout the streets of Paris. In their wanderings around Paris, the young boy and the balloon encounter a gang of bullies, but tragedy is replaced by a magically happy ending.

So feed your head with evocative and beautiful jewelry from Alternate Bliss, check out her art while you're there, and find out her musings on life through her blog.

Spark your creativity

One of the neat things about Etsy is the number of vendors on the site that cater to the new crafters' love of vintage and repurposing of old into new. There are many artists that use the vintage items as part of their new art, and others just love to have the vintage items in their environment. Being of a certain "vintage" myself, sometimes I find things for sale from my own childhood - LOL! Creative Sundries has a shop just chock-full of vintage ephemera, cookbooks, sewing patterns, jewelry, and collage art and repurposed items - all of that certain "age."

This fun little plastic tray from American Airlines has been altered through decoupage and the addition of an authentic Mexican loteria card - perfect for your keys, don't you think? Or maybe change you're saving for a "rainy" day?















Vintage on Etsy is about taking the old and making the new.....what could you do with this funky image from a newspaper ad for a pharmacy? Insert it into a collage perhaps? But you should see what's on back of this original newspaper ad - perhaps an even more compelling image to work with. But you'll have to click on the pic to get to the listing to see for yourself!

So Etsy is not only your one-stop-shop for all things handmade, but also a treasure trove for materials and inspiration. Come check out what the Minnesota mother-daughter team of Creative Sundries is doing with vintage, and read more on their blog.

Game On!

Lauren, the Etsy artist behind Lost Mitten, is a self-proclaimed, major video game addict, from prehistoric Nintendo to present-day Wii. Living in Brantford, Ontario, Canada she has been creating handcrafted items for her Etsy shop since September 2006.


In addition to her love of video games, Lauren's talents are so diverse that she includes in her loves knitting and crochet! She also loves to create journals and other paper goods, as well as needlepoint, acrylic felt creations, pinback buttons, and jewelry. There seriously has to be something for literally everybody in her shop. Especially those looking to appease their inner geek. And who doesn't have an inner geek? Okay, maybe those with outer geeks, but you know who you are. Check out Lost Mitten, and her blog, and get your game on.

Dreamweaver in Art

Like many other artists, Etsy artist Paulette Insall from Portland, Oregon has been creative from a very young age. From making knotted bracelets and hair accessories as a child to taking photos for her high school year book when she was older. She never thought of herself as an artist until a few years ago. For many years she dreamed of painting, but could never bring herself to pick up a paint brush until October of 2006. That's when her love of creating stories with paint and paper began.

Paulette's art is reflective mixed media, and is available as original art, fine art prints and note cards - something for every budget level - for anyone drawn to her beautiful, dreamy images.

These days when she’s not busy entertaining her very busy four year old son, you will find her stealing any moment she can in her home studio pouring her thoughts and emotions out into the visual stories she creates through her art. She gives us the opportunity to share in her art through her Etsy shop, her blogs - one on Blogger, and a brand new one, where she also is participating in the 90-day blog challenge - and on her website and on Ebay.

Tropical Flava

A Canadian transplanted to tropical Belize, the Etsy artist behind Coconut Palm Designs uses her creative energies and graphic design capabilities to craft signs and ACEOs (collectable small format art cards). The cheery "Welcome" sign is carved, handpainted, and sealed against the elements. What a happy way to greet your guests to your space.


I especially love this bright, colored-pencil ACEO of a tropical wildflower from Belize. I can only imagine what a different world Belize must seem for a Canadian. These art cards are fun to collect, as they are the size of a playing card (2.5X3.5 inches), and yet are original works of art. Coconut Palm signs and dates all of her cards on the back so that you can be assured of owning an original.

To see more of this artist, do drop by her shop, and read more about her on her blog.

Elastic Zucchini

I must confess, I am clueless as to why the shop of Etsy artist Ren Adams is named Plastic Pumpkin (hence the tongue-in-cheek title of this post). Now, an explanation is given in the PlasticPumpkin blog, and I do get the quirky and fun part and how that ties into the art. What Ren does offer is fun, and it is also philosophical, and intriguing: artwork and crafts for the discerning (and playful) collector. Ren works in a variety of media: mixed media assemblages, pencil, marker, acrylic, Chinese brush painting, watercolor, oil pastel, pen & ink, etc., finding something special and engaging about each artistic method and taking every medium seriously. Plastic pumpkins? Nowhere in sight. Only beauty everywhere you look. Memorable name, though...method in the madness?

In the words of Ren Adams: "About Ren Adams"
-------------------

I've been doing artwork my entire life (even scribbled in my own baby book) and for me, it's more than a "hobby" or "job" it's a state of mind and a fulfilling pathway. I can't NOT do it. I simply must. If I'm not drawing, painting, or otherwise expressing myself (however badly), I'm not in harmony with everything around me.

Art is a sensation, a sense of humor, a sense of elation, a tantalizing window... it's pure energy, pure thought, and pure darkness, and pure light.

I explore themes, people, and places that intrigue me...

I'm also a Taoist and a lot of my artwork reflects my spiritual pathway (the art of compassion, simplicity, and patience). I practice Qi Gong meditation and enjoy artists who aren't afraid to be themselves.

The art of Plastic Pumpkin Designs has heart, as well, and as would be expected from an artist who creates through spirituality. In support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Ren donates 50% of the proceeds from the sales of certain pieces in the EtsyPink section of the shop.

So take some time out of your day for a look at intriguing, beautiful art in a shop who's name you're not likely to forget. Also, for more detailed information about this Albuquerque, NM artist, check out the website.

Maybe I'll start a band under Elastic Zucchini, if it's not taken already.