Tapestry In Fashion

Hola, Compadres!  I feel like a bad mama. I've been so busy, my poor sweet little blog is not getting all the love it deserves.  Sometimes it is so hard trying to balance it all but like a true soldier I keep at it.

I had a few hours of R&R this today so I decided to spend some time searching for one of the things I am madly infatuated with at the moment.  Tapestry! 

Now I know this may not sound exciting but after this post you will see why I am so hyped. Trust me, a good piece of tapestry is like comfort food.  It is soooooooo good!

Tapestry has always captivated me because of it's texture, depth and personality.  It is so much more than just a piece of fabric. Tapestry has heart. Soul. Love. And history.   Many of them are hand woven and can take months even years to complete. The hard work and attention to detail is what makes these pieces so endearing and special.  I particularly love the fact that tapestry allows for boundless artistic expression. From fashion to decor and beyond, there are no limits, only fabulous-ness.   

Enjoy.

I am still looking for a vest similar to the one pictured here but anyone of these pieces would be very welcome in my closet.  

I absolutely adore this framed piece.  So romantic and dramatic at the same time.  Pieces like these are hard to find but perfect to express one's personality and well worth the time spent searching for them.  

Cherio!

Native American Design...All kinds of Amazing

 For as long as I can remember, I have been totally fascinated by Native American Art.   The textiles, crafts, and jewelry all seem to have a spirit/story that gives it a life of it's own.  And, the craftsmanship..........well, it's just exquisite.  

Native American artwork is crafted with care and patience, and is still handmade by many different tribes. These very skilled artist have many religious and spiritual beliefs which they infuse into their design.   As a result, the pieces are both beautiful and expressive. 

Wood has always been and still stands as one of the most worked-with materials in Native American art but there is so much more to the art.   Bone beads, seed beads, coral, silver, feathers, turquoise, seeds, animal skins and even porcupine quills are all used in the art and jewelry making as well. In other words they were "green" before we even thought about it.  Native  Americans love the earth and they believe in taking care of it.  Their relationship with the land is one of total inter-dependence.

Here is a a beautiful quote by Owatsinas of the Nuxalk nation that about sums it up.
"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees."
~ Qwatsinas, Nuxalk Nation

There will always be a special place in my heart for Native American design.  The skill, creativity, patience and love that goes into each piece makes the Art so very special.  

Here are a few of my favorites!

Cherio!

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm

A few years ago I was in South Beach Miami hanging out with one of my best friends.   Out of the blue, and a very talented and sought after European Artist approached me and asked me if I would mind being his muse for a painting.  Of course I was very flattered but I wanted to know what that meant exactly.....hopefully nothing that involved me being nude.  Well, as luck would have it, he just wanted to paint a painting based on his perception and overall feelings about me.  He proceeded to talk to me for about two hours and a week later this is what he painted.  He dubbed it Wandalania!  

To be honest, when I first saw the painting I could not get past the nudity!  When asked what I 

thought about it, all I could gasp after a very long ackward pause was ".......uhhhhh..ummm........its cool"  Trust me, it was not cool. Nope, not even a little bit.

 You would think being an Artist myself, I would be used to seeing this by now, but somehow this was different.  This nude figure is his perception of me.  Why am I naked?!!!!!.....did he perceive me as being provocative?.....a diva?..........incomplete or conflicted?  I hate to admit it but I went deep into the cerebrum on this one, I completely over analyzed his art, which by the way sold for thousands to one of his wealthy South Beach clients.  Of course that didn't mean anything to me, so, I filed the picture of the painting away and totally forgot about it until yesterday. (I was sorting through old stuff)

Now that I am looking at this with fresh eyes I see so much more than what I saw at first.  I see my love for animals, water, plants and the earth.  I see myself on a path fully embracing the journey with confidence and swag.   Try as I may though, I dont know what the little figure disappearing into me is....maybe it symbolizes growth, like as I grow, the older weaker me is swallowed by the more stronger better me?  What do you think, any ideas? 

Cherio!

A lesson while Painting

Have you ever been psyched to do something, I mean really do it this time.  You get your game face on and jump head first into the project/challenge only to discover seconds later half way through that what you're trying to do is just too hard!!!!!   You think to yourself "I don't want to do this anymore.......what the heck was I thinking!!!" Well, such was my experience two days ago.

I had always wanted to do a series of watercolor prints with inspirational quotes.  These were going to be very spontaneous and heartfelt freestyle paintings. Just me, some paper and my watercolor paint.  So, there I was staring at a blank piece of paper thirty minutes in and not a thing comes to mind to paint.  That is, no ideas worthy of painting.  After almost forty five minutes had passed I decided to just doodle....maybe this would free my artist block.  

Some of my doodles and random drawings

I just started making random patterns and drawings without thinking about it.  Two hours later I had five pages of squiggles and curly Q's and I was feeling very frustrated and unproductive.  Disappointment was pointing its long bony finger at me and I was buying in. 

I was about to throw in the towel, tear it to pieces, and stamp on it when I found inspiration in the oddest of places.  My son's PS3. .....on the couch......where I nearly sat on it.  It suddenly occurred to me in that moment that I had endured fifteen hours of torturous labor without an epidural and presently raising a teenager who is helpful, well mannered and loves God.  Heck, if I could do that, I could do anything. Besides, I am not a quitter.  

You know what I did next?  I went back to those  watercolors with fire in my eyes and a "Lets do this!" attitude.  I painted without any expectation or self judgement what-so-ever.  I did my best, and this time that was enough.  And you know what else? It was soooooo relaxing and so much fun!  You have to try this.

Look at how my doodles look framed!  Try it!  If you are not confident drawing shapes or figures, just try doing washes of watercolor on paper.  You'll be amazed at what you can do. Just picture it:

Walmart..........watercolors $4.00..........watercolor paper $4.00

Reward?  Priceless.  

Easy Breezy Eco Chic Jewelry!

I am passionate about a lot of things in the Arts but I have to say making jewelry from natural materials really gets me going.  My imagination goes into over drive every time I see a seed or a pod.  Friends and family bring me all kinds of different seeds and you'd swear they gave me the Hope diamond by the reaction it gets.  Lol, such is my love for this stuff.  Now having said that, I think I should show you a few of the pieces I designed from said seeds and other natural materials.  I am constantly integrating new ideas and elements into my design so who knows what I will think of next......