An artists touch

e

Before getting to the images of the finished stitched hanger I just wanted to share these images.

As a creative artist it can be a challenging matter to move to a new place because all your favorite sources of supplies are no longer so readily available. It's an even greater challenge when you move to another country - let alone a wee island (25.000 inhabitants!). Of course there's the internet (thank goodness) but you know those moments when you stand there and just need that one bit. That's what happened the other day when I ran out of black vintage buttons. And I knew any online source would take at least 10-14 days. What's a girl to do?

Well, I remembered a teensy antique store I once saw in a narrow deserted alley - you'd have to be real eager to find it. I popped by to find a little old Greek man who of course didn't understand a word of English - BUT right there next to him on the counter was a bowl full of old buttons! And I guess this is where you realize there's a difference between the words antique and vintage. These buttons all had real patina and a feeling of pre-war times.

Anyhow, I was so lucky that another girl was in the shop who kindly did the translation. I found this little dish and a small selection of buttons. I inquired about the price (next to nothing) and he humbly wanted to know if that was okay? Yes, for sure. So I'm thinking it'll just be wrapped up in a little reused platic bag (as they do in many small stores here) but to my delight he wrapped it up in brown paper and attached a handwritten businesscard and darling little buttons on strings!! It somehow felt so authentic and Greek and I just loved it. 

I told the girl to please tell him that I loved the packaging and he glowingly answered back that he was an artist - obvisously delighted that someone recognised the extra glowing touch.

Isn't it a thrill to receive packages where you know extra care and effort has been put into the wrapping? I didn't open this package for a few days but just enjoyed the added glow. 

"For those whow are willing to make an effort, great miracles and wonderful treasures are in store" 

Isaac Beshevis

It's right in front of you

e

Do you know this concept that sometimes you can't seem to find something because it is just in front of you?? Well, it's curious because this seems to have been the case with my creative dry spell when I couldn't find what was next for me (you can read more about this in my earlier post).

For a few years now I've purchased stitched textile art on Etsy - just being in such utter amazement at the brilliance people are able to create with their hands, hearts and minds. I seem to be endeared to small creations that have been meticulously created - although not necessarily perfect. I've truly come to love imperfections - it's like a sign of work in progress... continued refinement. Does that ever stop? - I hope not. Well at some point recently, with my two new gifts in hand (btw, they are called black & abandon!) and newly inspired from the card stitching, I decided to try it for myself - and I have fallen in love with stitching! Spiced with a few mixed media influences. On top of it I've started experimenting with making my own nature dyes (this is truly fun and exciting) and I made a great beetroot brew LOL! a few days ago (image above). It created such a fantastic pink color! Here's a few close-up images of one of my recent creations (at stitched hanger) where the silk has been dyed with the beetroot. It was not intentional, but it matches the pink mercerized thread exactly.

In the images above and below you can also see that many layers that has been used - paper upon silk upon parchment upon vintage lace upon burlap - it's almost like a cake!

And making sure to make use of my trusted new gifts - plenty of black in the details...

and abandon... lots of ripping and tearing both textile and parchment, placing things randomly and trusting they're where they should be.

And just loving the many different textures tulle, lace, linen, silk - just such a great contrast and match to the coarse burlap.

Finished with a sweet word extracted from the text I've machine stitched unto this piece. I'll post an image of the entire creation when it's completed. I love it!

Where new began

 e

Uprooting and moving to another country is a major upheaval - so many new things to get used to (culture, language, services, etc.). Little did I know when I boxed up my creative studio that it would be more than a year before it was all laid out again. It's a long story (moving from Scandinavia to a little Greek island) but as you can imagine, after more than a year you have creatively moved on. Only thing is that when you haven't been creative in all this time you don't actually know how you have moved on. 

During all this time I've followed many other artists and getting creatively tickled but I somehow seemed unable to tap into my own creative source - a creative writers block. If you've tried it you'll know how hair-pulling'ly frustrating this can be! Anyhow, at some point i got caught by how several people talked about the fun they were having with mixed media artist Christy Tomlinson's online paint & journal workshops. Words like fun, playfulness and creative mess kept appearing and I thought; this is what I need to get going again! Just being able to play and not being too serious - no need for perfect end results. So I signed up at the same time as also joining in for the yearly Great Big Card Swap. What a strangely serendipitous concoction!! Before I started making my card for the swap I watched some of Christy's inspirational videos. This girl truly masters creative fun, playfulness and the art of abandon - just being able to go with the flow and not minding too much where it all lands up, and yet her creations are just gorgeous messy perfections. I love it! 

So of course I'm thinking; I've gotta try this. Only thing is that when I started playing it looked like blah! and there seemed to be no flow whatsoever. But still, when I watched Christy's first few videos I got two major AHA moments or personal insights - some that truly rocked my creative foundation (more about them at some later point). And I somehow felt that it didn't matter if this attempt at journalling didn't work for me because I got two huge gifts (insights) which was obviously what I was meant to come there for. Feeling strangely freed up I instead started playing with ideas for the card. At first a bit careful and tentative (and it apeared a bit boring too!) but then I decided to give it a go with the two new insights I'd just had - and magic began to appear (at least for me). Creative juices started to flow!

I'll write more about my two gifts at some other point and just leave you with this snippet of the finished card. It's made from three layers - linen, vintage lace and a darling floral vintage fabric, several different threads (machine and hand stitched), thrift store buttons, beads, sequins and paper. The theme was BLOOM (which I handstitched into the piece) and I added the text: "Don't forget to smell the flowers on your way."

l

The message in the name

eee

 

There's a funny and unexpected story behind the name I work under... Saints & Apostles.

You'd probably smile if I told you it originates from Mary Poppins! There's a song in the movie called "Feed the birds" - a song about a little old bird woman who each day sits on the steps of Saints Paul's cathedral selling bread crumbs for the birds. Part of the lyrics goes like this:

All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can't see it,
You know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares

I love this idea of some celestrial beings looking down smiling when humans show that they care for something or someone. My special someones are the cats that I rescue on the little Greek island where I live (a place in the world where there's a real need for proper animal care). The proceeds from the sale of my art goes towards their food and medical care (you can read more about their rescues on my blog about animals: God's Little People). The song is said to have made Walt Disney misty-eyed whenever he heard it and he would often request it to be played by his musical composers.

I've also come to attach a special significance to the timeless wisdoms uttered and passed on by saints and apostles (and prophets and sages for that matter) throughout the ages - words that I've come to use in my art. A source of such beauty, depth and inspiration.

This image is of a purse made a few years ago with my beautiful saint avatar. Made with unbleached cotton, lined with dusty pink silk and a whisp of silk chiffon on the zipper pull. Although my artistic and creative style has now moved on I'm still very fond of this little creation.