Friday, December 7, 2007

Inspired.


I have felt so inspired lately.  My timing is terrible as maternity leave ends soon, and I will have virtually no time for my new found creative outlets.  

It all started with Etsy, and breast feeding.  When Nora was born I was having difficulty remembering which side I had nursed her on last.  If you don't nurse equally on each side you end up with lop-sided, engorged breasts.  Not nice.  With a 2 year old running around, and a newborn to worry about, I just couldn't keep them straight (literally).  I thought surely there must be a product out there that could help me so I did a Google search for "nursing reminders" and the first site that came up was an Etsy seller, Bibon, who makes dairy daisies, cute little nursing reminders to clip on your bra strap.  Fantastic!  I purchased 2 sets immediately.  

With my new even-sized bosoms I started to look around on Etsy, and was in awe of all of the beautiful artwork and photography.  I immediately signed up (it's free!) and began cataloging my favourite items and sellers.  I started to think about drawing again, and forced myself to create a shop on Etsy where I will (hopefully) eventually sell some of my sketches.  I found the artist Mandy Sutcliffe - creater of Belle & Boo on Etsy, and purchased two of her gorgeous prints for Nora's room (pictured above).  I also discovered some wonderful pieces she created, called the Superprincess Series, which were inspired by a beautiful little girl named Ava Rosemeyer.  Through this I found a blog written by Sheye Rosemeyer, Ava's mom.  Sheye is an incredibly talented photographer in Australia who lost Ava in a tragic accident.  I began reading Sheye's blog every spare minute.  She shares touching (and often humourous) moments of her life with her husband and four children accompanied by her stunning photos.  I have never seen such beautiful photography, the colours are so vivid they look like paintings.  Reading her entries, both happy and painfully sad helped me to appreciate the "little things" more and inspired me to create Clinka's Apples.  

As for the drawings... I have 14 rough sketches of what I want to do, but haven't managed to get to an art supply store for proper paper and pens!  Maybe ball point pen on Post-It notes could be considered a new artistic medium.

jbxo 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Every artist was first an amateur."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do."
Epictetus

Anonymous said...

I have read interviews with artists and spoken to a few and they all say that you need to devote time each day to creating something. Although it is a creative process, you have to regiment it, the same as you would a work-out routine. Some artists set a time frame, such as two hours a day. Whether they feel creative or not, they devote their time, even if it is just to jot down ideas. It is difficult and I don't do it often enough. I love "Quoth I"'s second quotation.

Maybe we should turn "Hills" night into "Creative Night". What do you think, Justine Bobby?

Anonymous said...

Funny you should say that Cherry; because...........
"Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day."
Thornton Wilder

Mandy @ Belle and Boo said...

oohhh thank you for the lovely post about Belle & Boo & I too am hooked on Sheyes photographs, aren't they the most beautiful things you've ever seen. I am lookinf forward to seeing your art works, Starting is the hardest bit & you have done that now.
Mandy :)