Creative Life Sampler

 A Trip to Ventura How often do we go through life with blinders on, so focused on the task at hand that we don't take in our surroundings? Recently, I needed to take a little trip to Ventura for a fabric run. Single in purpose, I would have gone from point "a" to point "b" and back without a thought, but two art boxes side by side at a street corner caught my attention.  Two artists used wave imagery in different  ways with very different color palettes. It has been a over year since I've added to my collection of photos on the subject of creativity on city streets. Like so many others, I just haven't been out and about as much as I have been in the past. The sighting of these examples got my creativity radar going. When I'd parked the car, I decided to go for a little walk with cell phone in hand to take in a couple of blocks.    It was great to go treasure hunting again.  For more examples of murals and art boxes from my travels check out "Bl

 Letters in a Different Medium Initials created with plastic beaded necklaces  Today is the start of the legendary New Orleans tradition- Mardi Gras. One of the features of this celebration are the family friendly parades, which include elaborate floats and colorful, imaginative costumes. Participants throw beads, and other items, to the spectators along the route as they march and perform. It's a vibrant atmosphere.  Unfortunately, Mardi Gras will look very different this season, festivities have been pared down considerably to meet the demands of the moment. This is a shout out to all the undaunted, creative people of New Orleans who put so much time and effort into this celebration in the best of times and who are calling upon that creative energy to rethink the celebration for 2021. I'm reminded of a project from a few years back that was inspired by New Orleans. We used old plastic beaded necklaces to create initials. The beads were hot glued to sturdy foam board and hung

Letters are Multiplying The work continues on my updated version of the ABC sampler.  The letters for this wall hanging are all done with the reverse appliqu é  technique, in preparation for a workshop I will be giving in March on this skill. I've got a nice stack of letters completed at this point and it has been a great instruction aid in progress. I'm making mental note of the process and the pitfalls as I go.  Looking forward to sharing this versatile technique with the workshop attendees!   (To see my first post on this project, check out this link: https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2021/01/project-modern-abcs.html )

A Tribute to Maya Angelou This pillow was created as a gift for a family friend who feels a special connection with the poem by Maya Angelou entitled Still I Rise . The yellow lettering is reverse appliquéd on navy and the pillow was backed with a vibrant rainbow stripe to reflect the hopeful, encouraging message of resilience on the front. Poet and activist, Maya Angelou (1928-2014) is the author of 36 books, including her first auto-biographical work,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, written in 1969.   Angelou's internationally acclaimed memoir became a bestseller, making her the first African American woman to achieve that distinction for a work of non-fiction.  (For more on Maya Angelou's achievements check out this link: https://www.biography.com/writer/maya-angelou )