Gorgeous and Fun

Art and Jewels

Bejeweled art - combining two things I like - paints and jewels :-). Something I worked on last weekend.

 

Now will you share something? Add your link below.

 

Pink and Blue

Colors of spring, the birds are back and there are buds on the trees...........

 

One of my photos that I changed in Photoshop Elements.

I hope you join in for the Being Creative blog party on Sundays! This Sunday will be exciting because I will be making some announcements!

 

Go on over to Beverly's to see more pink.

More Craving

Another book I am craving - Painted Pages by Sarah Ahearn Bellemare. This artist's work is so gorgeous! I suspect that this book is in my near future :-). 

 

Being Creative #9 - Big and Small Ideas

Week 9 already! Wow, time flies!! Feels like yesterday I started this series.

 

Today's topic - Big and Small Ideas!

Okay so today's topic is just things that I feel. These things are my version of my creative enlightenment. Things that I learned about myself. So I admit I am sharing these with some trepidation but it is time to overcome my fears (actually that is next week's topic) and I hope what I say helps someone else.

Let's get started, before I change my mind!

 

1. Play.

No really, just give yourself time to play. Put all the goals, intentions, thoughts away. And just play. That's when you have the most fun! Time to play leads to other things. But stressing yourself out that "at the end of these 2 hours I will have a masterpiece" - doesn't work! That way is just not fun.

 

2. Let it go!

Whatever you are worrying about, fretting about let it go and just go where your heart goes. I struggled. I wanted my work to look a certain way - the very first time I tried something new. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't! When it didn't look right, I learned to let it go. And just play.

 

3. Write down an intention and watch what happens.

Things that I wrote down a couple of years back are working out now. I talked about learning Photoshop last week, an intention that I didn't know how I was going to bring to life. I know I said this last week but it is worth saying it again. Things that you care about keep emerging over and over and eventually you find your way to them.

 

4. Multiple hobbies are great!

I got chided by an art teacher who said "Pick one thing - you want to draw flowers and trees and faces and figures and landscapes". But I couldn't decide, I liked it all! I understand what she was saying, pick one thing, work at it and you will master it. But turns out that this is not how I work. I like making jewelry, I like making collages, I like photography, I like Photoshop. These are the things I like most, at least right now! To get here though I have done other things on the way - knitted, made Ikebana and other floral arrangements, painted silk scarves and still like painting watercolors.

Am I a master at everything? Nope. But I found what I liked and had more fun!

Could I have been a master at one thing, if I did one thing only? Maybe.

And here is what I discovered - multiple interests kept me creative. If I don't feel like making jewelry then I play with Photoshop. And so this way my creative well gets replenished.

So now I absolutely refuse to feel bad about the multiple interests! They help me.

This may not be true for everyone - one interest or multiple interests - you decide what works for you. But don't let anyone else decide that for you.

Are you curious about that art teacher? I wasn't having fun, so eventually I stopped going to her.

 

5. Give it time - it is a journey!

I wanted to be a master at something and quickly! I wanted to produce masterpieces in 20 minutes.

But I learned to give things time. As much as I would have liked to know 5 years back that I like collages, I didn't. And if I hadn't stayed on this journey, played and played with different things I may have never got here. I may have never found out. I learned a lot on the way - I like working on small pieces, I like acrylics and gel media. I like to play with color.

But if I had given myself a deadline and said that I will know by the end of this week what I like - that would not have worked! I would not have been here today and probably not created anything.

 

 

6. Finding your style.

I love, love the vintage style. But my brain doesn't work that way, at least not right now! I love seeing the layers and layers of work. I ogle other artists' work who do many layers and marvel. But my mind doesn't work that way - I am good with less layers. That doesn't mean I haven't tried the multi-layered look, but it is not working for me. And I am accepting that. This goes back to "Letting it go".

Have I found my style yet? I don't think so. But I also hope that I do have more than one style.

 

 This week I am sharing a photograph I took of a sunset when I went for a walk:

The thing I want to share today is about photography. Taking photographs is creative work! I have had folks leave comments saying I would love to take part in your party but I am not creative - I just take photos. If you can capture one moment in time, distill out a feeling and record that feeling in an image - you are creative!

That's it!

 

Next week is the last week I will be talking. I will continue leaving the link tool open for folks to come share their creations each Sunday but the talking part will be done.

And next week's topic is the big, scary topic - the biggest fears. Am I creative enough? Am I good enough? And some more of such big beasties......

 

 

Keep Creating!

Amisha

Craving Something New

Thinking of getting this book, even though I have enough things to do and enough books that are unread.

Do you ever feel this way? Craving something new, just cause.......

 

Image from goodreads.com

Being Creative #8 - Tools, Tips and Technologies

Howdy! How have you been? Wow, it's already week 8! Two more to go and then I am done talking.

 

This week seems to have flown by. I have had fun working on some Photoshop exercises!

 

So let's get to today's topic - Tools, Tips and Technologies!

A couple of years back, I remember someone asking me if I play with Photoshop and my answer was no. Since I work at a computer all day long, I like to go home and do something non-virtual, making collages with paint and glue and getting my hands dirty.

 

But since then I have changed my tune. Today I like Photoshop for not just creating artwork and manipulating photos but as a tool. But before I talk about my favorite tools and technologies, let's talk about cheating. Yes, you read that right - cheating! When I use a camera or Photoshop, some times I feel like I am cheating. Have you ever felt that way?

 

Last year I read a book about Norman Rockwell - Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera by Ron Schick. Turns out he felt like he was cheating!

Norman Rockwell used to stage elaborate scenes, have them photographed and then use elements from different photographs for his final work. Every part of this creative process stemmed from within him and yet he felt guilty for using photographs! You can see some of the photos here in this blog post. You would think someone as great as him would have no such guilt!

 

And then I had read a book on art history that said that absolutely no one except for the cave man has created art in a vacuum. We are all influenced by what came before us. So there is no need to feel guilty. Of course, there is a distinction between inspiration and copying. But that little voice in your head is quite good at knowing that distinction.

Of course, copying is okay too - but only when you are learning and you can't take any credit for that work. In the old days, the apprentices who worked in the studios of famous artists started out by copying the sketches of the master. Actually a lot of the studios were like little factories. The master didn't have time to make art for everyone, so except for the important patrons, paintings for other customers were often put together by the apprentices. One apprentice would paint the trees and the other would do the grass!

 

Anyways, I admit to feeling some guilt when I use tools but these tools make life easier and help me accomplish my goals faster or more easily! There's nothing really wrong with that. At least this way, I keep creating.

 

My favorite tools, tips and technologies -

1. The camera. Point-and-shoot or SLR, you ask? It doesn't matter which one. 

Carry your camera everywhere. Use it to capture something that inspired you, something that intrigued you. You never know when inspiration will strike and a picture is worth a thousand words! And if you don't have a camera with you - use your phone camera. I have found that since I started taking my camera everywhere my outlook has changed. I see inspiration everywhere and I now have my own repository of inspiration to turn to.

 

2. Photoshop Elements - Gosh there are just so many advantages to this tool! So I am just going to list a few.

a. You want to convert that leaf you saw to a pendant? Take a photograph, use the pencil filter in photoshop to convert it to a pencil drawing. These days you don't need to trace if you use Photoshop this way.

b. You want to convert that beach scene to a watercolor? Take the photograph, use the watercolors filter in photoshop to convert it to a watercolor. And if you like, still paint a watercolor yourself, but Photoshop has now helped you in the visualisation process.

c. Resizing your drawings - I have drawn a doll that I really like. You can always trace a drawing the old fashioned way by using a light box or using Saral transfer paper (it's like carbon paper, but doesn't leave carbon behind). But I scanned in my drawing, saved it and then resized my drawing to different sizes for different canvases. This is fantastic! Now I don't have to eyeball the drawing and redraw it to different sizes. So much time saved and really manually resizing a drawing was not a fun part of the creative process.

 

3. Scanner/printer - Bring home those sticks, leaves, flowers that inspire and scan them! Not only can you record inspiration this way but use these as digital elements in your digital artwork. And the printer these days is not just used to print on paper.  You can print on transparencies,  Jacquard's printable organza, Golden's digital grounds, transfer paper! Talk about possibilities!

 

4. Use Big Huge Labs.com - to make your own photo mosaics, CD art, movie posters, calendar or generate your own color palette from your photo. And you can do much more, check it out!

 

5. Okay now for some hands-on tools to create textures with your art work - toothpicks, bottle caps, bubble wrap, sequin waste, corrugated board, wine corks, palette knives, tape roll holders, petroleum jelly, stencils, foam stamps, used credit cards.

 

 

I made this collage in a watercolor Moleskine book. And I have used some cheesecloth in this work, my first time ever doing so! 

 

What tools or technologies will you share?

 

Next week's topic - Big and Small Ideas. Things that I have come to learn along the way - like not trying to force a style of work that doesn't come easily to me.

Keep Creating!

Amisha

Moodboard To Go

You know how we were talking about jotting down ideas on Sunday? Talk about serendipity, Holly Becker of Decor8 Blog blogged on Monday about her mood-board-to-go! What a cool way of tracking ideas! And this could be a mini collage in itself!

 

Image from Decor8 blog.

Being Creative #7 - Writing Down Ideas

Hello! Hello! Thank you for stopping by! And thanks to all who participated last week.

NEWS - I received requests from folks to keep the party going. At the end of the 10 weeks I won't have anything more to say, so I will keep this blog party going but I won't be talking. I will just share images of something I made, I hope you join in with your creations.  

 

It's been another a busy week but this weekend was particularly exciting. I hail from India and this weekend India was playing in the cricket World Cup final and won!!! Indians are crazy about cricket, for all the diversity in India this sport is the great uniter. And the atmosphere in India at a time like this is unique. A billion people are glued to their TVs, the streets are empty when the game is on, the country comes to a complete stop!!! No work gets done. 

As soon as India won, there were fireworks and dancing in the streets. The atmosphere in India is electric and super festive. It's quite an experience!

 

Back in New England my creative activity this week came from Photoshop Elements. I have been learning this tool over the last year and have wanted to learn about it for longer than that. And I am loving it!

 

Before we move on to today's topic I want to shout out to Joyce. She works for a newspaper - does photography and more - and she will tell you she loves it, is a grandmother who devotes loads of her time to grandkids and is super-crafty (in the good way!). How she does it all, I don't know! She inspires me.

 

Today's topic - Writing down ideas!

This isn't a long topic but an important one! I used to think that writing/sketching ideas was not important. I will remember them. But I was wrong. After some time I forgot! And then I saw something that reminded me of the idea and once again it would slip away. So I did start writing ideas and in the case of jewelery I sketch my ideas. I also put down the date I jotted the idea.

 

And I noticed some things - the ideas that I really cared about appeared over and over. The ones that I was intrigued about but didn't care much about faded away. With the many interests I have this also helped me identify the top 3 or 4 things I cared about (jewelry, collage, photography and Photoshop). It helped me streamline through the zillion ideas buzzing around my head.

 

And another magical thing happened too. The ideas became intentions. Some of the things I wrote down 2 years are coming true now. When I look back at my entries from 2 years back I had written "want to learn Photoshop" and this entry appeared over and over. I didn't know where to begin and how. But since I cared about it enough, my subconscious was registering and percolating things that I didn't know. I paid attention to any information I got on photography and Photoshop. And when you care enough about something you try to find ways to make it happen.

 

That's the other fun thing about writing/sketching your ideas, you see your own evolution! It is fun to flip through your own ideas journal. And sometimes you even run into an entry where you go - "Oh yeah, I still want to do that".

 

And here's what I am sharing this week:

 

And if you had stopped by earlier this week, you would have seen this same image with yet another set of colors. I couldn't stop playing with the colors in my composition.

I bought the collage kit for this project from Cat Scrap.

And I can't leave you without some goodies. Here are other places to buy digital kits for collage/scrapbooking:

- Scrapbook Graphics

- Digiscrapkits

- Basic Grey

 

Do you have any digital scrapbooking sites to share? What creation will you share today? You can link up until Tuesday, April 5th, noon EST.

 

Next week's topic - Tools, Tips and Technology! What are you favorite tools? Do you ever feel like you are cheating because you are using some tool?

 

Keep Creating!

Amisha

Digital Collage

My first digital collage ever and loving it!

I bought the kit from Cat Scrap and played with it in Photoshop. Among other things, I changed the colors with the Hue/Saturation adjustments menu.

I am loving this - like I needed one more creative diversion :-).

Being Creative #6 - Inspiration!

Phew what a week! I had a busy, busy week at work and then I had Friday off. I was planning on doing nothing but that just isn't me! I can't keep still. So between Friday and Saturday I created 4 necklaces. Talk about a creative high! So what was your week like, did you create anything?

I also want to shout out to my 3 three kindred spirits - Karen, Moriah and Tricia. Ladies, you are super creative and you have no idea how much you inspire me!

 
On to today's topic - Inspiration! It's a big topic, isn't it? Or at least a long one. Yikes, I cannot promise to keep this short :-)

 

These are the ways I get inspired and keep my creative fire stoked!

1. Magazines - This was a given, right? Very, very obvious. Magazines from companies like Stampington. Interior design mags, fashion mags, style mags, food mags. You name it. But did you also know that their are digital magazines too? Stampington puts out some of their magazines in a digital format. And even for paper mags, you can order them online. So in case you live in a place where access to mags is not easy, don't let that stop you. Have you ever seen this artzine called Pasticcio? And if you like jewelry have you ever seen Bead Trends? It's gorgeous!

 

2. Books - If you have ever been to this blog before you know I love reading. So I am not just talking about technique books or coffee table books. I am talking about fiction too. Some authors paint such beautiful pictures with their words and the best part is that you get to fill in your own visuals. Don't believe me? Let me give you an example:

"A tea shop, especially Theodosia's Indigo Tea Shop, was a place that just naturally granted the patrons the permission to slow down. To sit at one of the little wooden tables impeccably set with sterling silver and bone china. To appreciate the way the sunlight filtered through the old leaded-glass windows, breathe in in the aroma of fresh tea and engage in relaxing conversation. And, of course, there was the major diversion of partaking in a languid three-course, four-course or even six-course tea menu. A menu that began with fruit or cream scones accompanied by billowing poufs of Devonshire cream and strawberry jam. The segued into three-tiered trays laden wuth cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon pinwheels, individual cheese and mushroom quiches, and other mouth watering savories. Of course, an Indigo tea shop grand finale always included sinfully rich desserts such as chocolate truffles, raspberry cobbler, apricot tortes, or miniature almond cakes."

From 'Blood Orange Brewing' by Laura Childs. It makes me want to bake or make truffles (I have done that in the past but hubby and I eat them all and I afraid for our healths, LOL!) or have tea or go out for tea. At the very least it makes me hungry!!

 

3. Movies - Have you ever seen "Alice In WonderLand" by Tim Burton, or "The Holiday" with Kate Winslet/Cameron Diaz or "Practical Magic" or "My Fair Lady" or period films? Lush settings, lush clothes, beautiful visuals to inspire. Do you have any recommendations for me?

 

4. Catalogs - Not just from your favorite craft supply companies but clothing catalogs like Talbots, Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, or from companies like Crate and Barrel. I pay attention to the wall art and designs on cushions and the colors! Just staring at those catalogs gives me ideas on color combinations that work. And the beautiful jewels are to die for.

 

5. Inspiration galleries from your favorite companies - Some on my favorite jewelry supply stores Artbeads, Vintaj, Fire Mountain Gems have inspiration galleries. 

 

6. Flickr - Join Flickr, even if you aren't much into photography itself! There are groups of all kinds that share interests - silk scarves, moleskine art, ferris wheels. After all "A Picture is worth a thousand words"!

 

7. Creative community sites like - Milliande Creative Community, Split Coast Stampers, Shutter Sisters. Do you have any communities to share?

 

8. If you are taking any kind of lessons - online or in person, inspiration can be found from the work of your class mates.

 

9. Blogs - But you already know about this! I just have a little tidbit. Look at the sidebars of your favorite blogs, see what classes or tools or people they mention. Go to the links on their sidebar. Because if you like their blog, odds are you will like the people they link too. I consider blogs to be a gold mine.

 

10. Do something entirely different! When I am stuck or jaded or just do not feel creative I do something entirely different. I go for a walk, watch a movie, go out for lunch. Go window shopping- shops like Anthropologie can be super inspiring! Or you see someone wearing some beautiful jewelery or a scarf that inspires you.

On Friday, I went out to antique stores with Karen and OMG! Just seeing the beautiful vintage lace, and little art cards from cigarette boxes, old maps, dressmakers books got my creative juices flowing. And of course, spending time with a friend like Karen - invaluable! Getting to rave about all the cool things that inspire and the projects we are working on - it was so much fun and so good for the soul! Thanks Karen!!

 

And here is what I am sharing today:

I don't have an technique to talk about here, I was just playing with paints. But those little frames you see? They are from "Melissa Frances", you get these in stamping and scrapbooking stores.

 

So what are you going to share today?
This party will be open till Tuesday noon EST, so feel free to link up, the link tool is below. And if you like you can grab the button for this party from the sidebar.

 

Next week's topic - Writing down ideas? Do you do it? Do you like it? Does it help?

 

 

Keep Creating!

Amisha