inspiration: blogging 101 e-course.

Back in July I was lucky enough to win a spot for Ashley from after nine to five’s first e-course, Blogging 101. I was so excited to start. With family and the baby it took me a while to push my way through the course but I am so glad I did. She really put everything she could into a one month course. It’s geared towards people who have already started blogging and want to give their blog a push towards success. Success is really what you make it. Ashley has great ideas for making your blog just the way you want it to be. She also includes weekend projects to help you incorporate the ideas from the course directly into your blog. I really thought I knew what I was doing when it came to blogging but I learned that I have a lot of learning to do.



Sometimes you need a little push from someone else to really get your great ideas started. Ashley’s Blogging 101 e-course is perfect for that. It’s so reasonably priced too, for all the information you get it’s a STEAL! She also has started another e-course on time management as well as offering “pay what you can” consulting. I’m seriously considering the consulting myself.

Ashley is an extremely intelligent kind hearted person; you can see that in her blog. She has wonderful ideas to help you and your blog or business. Check her out at after nine to five blog and shop. You won’t be sorry, I promise!

round up: adorable illustrations.

Lately, for whatever reason, I've had the uncontrollable desire to draw. The biggest problem I'm facing is that I'm horrible at it. I was actually improving quite a bit while I was taking a drawing class for school but it's been a little while and I'm rusty. One thing I've always struggled with is drawing people.

There are so many artists on Etsy that I'm truly inspired by. I'm hoping with a lot of practice and some imagination I can somehow get even a little bit close to their abilities.

{pop pop portraits}
{nan lawson}
{katep}
{honeycup}
dazeychic
ashleyg

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

artful outfit: starry night.

I think everyone, and I mean everyone, knows Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. It's an iconic piece of Art History. For me it was the first pieces of art I was ever really introduced too. It's always had a very special place in my heart.

Starry Night by Vicent Van Gogh 1889

{dress: ruche}{shoes: bumbleebuck}{clutch: BrighterDay}{earrings: spotted moth}{necklace: cocodelayinc}{hair comb: amandaarcher}

inspiration in unlikely places.

People gather inspirations from just about everywhere. I gather a lot of mine up and stick them on my tumblr, just a bunch of images and ideas I love. I’ve shared a lot of inspirations here on my blog as well. There have been many artists that have inspired me. Since I’ve been back to school I’ve really enjoyed my art history classes and gaining knowledge of the “greats” like Henri Matisse. Of course there is the artist who inspired me to do photography in the first place, Jerry Uelsmann. There is one unlikely artist that keeps me going on a regular basis, my daughter.



I’m so glad she enjoys coloring, painting and crafting so much. She doesn’t like coloring books that much either. Give that girl a piece of blank paper and a pen and she’ll create a work of art. Okay I’m her mother so I have to say that, but I really love to watch her. Our house is covered in the things she’s created. We have her paintings in just about every room of the house. I think it's also very important for young childern to learn to express themselves in creative ways. Even if they don't continue as they get older its something they can always remember and enjoy.



The thing I think I love the best about her “art work” is that she has no fear. She doesn’t care if she messes up or goes off the page, it’s her creation and she’ll make it work. Aurora isn’t afraid of color either. She might decide she only wanted to use one color, or every color available to her. Sometimes I wish I could be more like that. If I didn’t worry so much about my “art” being perfect I’m sure I would create much more than I do.



It’s funny where we learn our lessons from. My lesson and inspiration comes from little Aurora, who isn’t afraid to cover a blank piece paper with beauty!

a moment for something cute.

I wanted to just take a second and share something extemely adorable and creative I discovered a little while go. Have you guys seen My Milk Toof? These two little "teef" were created by Inhae Renee Lee, she has an insane imagination and created ickle and Lardee who get into all kinds of fun adventures.






They even have their own book!

Seeing this makes me want to work on stop motion again... maybe... just maybe...

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

mellow yellow.

Spring has really come on fast and it’s got me thinking about colors and patterns. This spring I’m really drawn the many beautiful shades of yellow. I’ve never been into yellow for the most part but there are some really great items out there right now that defiantly have changed my mind.

I just recently discovered Spotted Moth and I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing because I love so many things about that site!
Ladybird Dress - Spotted Moth
Lemon Créme French Macaron Soap - Spotted Moth. This looks good enough to eat, yum!
Twig Necklace - Spotted Moth

Etsy Finds!!
Retro Buttercream Sunsuit - Butter Toast Boutique.
Lemoncello Skinny Enameled Bracelet Trio - bullfinchbarbury
One of a Kind Hand Embroidered Pendant Necklace - Merri Weather Council
Handmade Pencil Pouch Soft Yellow Ruffle - Milk and Honey Handbags

What are some of your spring color inspirations?

quirky characters.

I don't know if you know this or not but I LOVE Nan Lawson's art work! I love the colors she uses, her lines, and funny characters. She is also a very gifted photograper, she's a total inspiration package.

Feathers

I was so very excited when she announced she was going to be making wearable art. It made me squeal like a little school girl! I just had to share because they are so cute.

Feathers Brooch Pin

My Little Keyboard Brooch Pin

Grunge Typewriter Necklace

Adorable right? Maybe I can hint to someone to get one of these lovelies for my birthday, *hinthusbandhint*

Have a great day!

Etsy Art Inspirations.

Recently I've been itching to start painting again. I've been having trouble getting started, one of the reasons was I couldn't really get to my supplies. They were tucked away under a ton of... stuff in our closet. Maybe that was just an excuse, but no more! I cleaned the closet out yesturday and I can happily get to everything I need!

I have to say surfing around on Etsy always inspires me to paint and create. There are so many artists that really inspire me to pick up a paint brush and just go for it! I wanted to share them with you, maybe you'll get the painting bug too!

GollyBard

danitashop

lindsayart

michelemaule

thesecrethermit

groundwork

tascha One of the reasons I love Tascha's art so much is her youtube videos. She records herself painting and plays it in fast motion. It's so interesting to watch. She also has some other really cute tutorials and videos. Check her YouTube out here: time with tacsha.

I can only hope that I can aspire to be as talented as these artists. Practice makes perfect! So, what am I doing blog?! I should be painting! I'll be updating you on my progress.

Happy Monday!!!

new inspiration.

As many of you know I started back to college this past July. So far it’s been going really great and I’m learning a lot! I’m sorry, did you say, learning it college?! Go figure! I think I might be retaining some really valid information for the future. I’m currently enrolled in my second Art History (well this one is technically Art Survey) class. Not only do we get to learn about a style of art but one of assignments is to create art. How cool is that?

During the course I’ve gotten to study some really amazing artists but one that really stood out to me was Henri Matisse. He’s one of the founders of Fauvism and a very versatile artist. If you’ve never heard of Fauvism it is a style of art created in the early 1904s and was so shocking to audiences at first it was called “fauves” which means beast. Not only was he one of the founders of a style but over the years he was constantly evolving as an artist. In his later years in life he had surgery and wasn’t able to sit up and paint he could only lay in bed so he created paper cut images. Nothing could keep this man down he always had to be making art. I think that’s really admirable. It’s really inspiring to look at his artistic metamorphosis and I love each phase he went through.



Women Reading 1894
+++++


Woman with a Hat 1905 (an example of Fauvism)
+++++


The Plum Blossom 1948
+++++


The Sorrows of the King 1952
+++++

These are just four of his the massive number of his works. I hope I may have sparked your interest in something you may not have known before. Fauvism inspired me to create this painting, well it was also my assignment, but I still enjoyed doing it.


Daisies


Happy Trails!

my first inspiration.

I’ve been asked a few times who my favorite photographer is throughout the time I’ve been back in classes. I love so many different artists I’ve found through Etsy and other research but I always go back to the same photographer. Back when I was taking photography 101 at community college I was introduced to Jerry Uelsmann. His style was completely unique to me and I fell in love with it.

His work is very different from my style and typically my taste but something about it draws me in. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he started editing images into wonderland before you could do it on a computer. He took time and great effort in creating each unique image in a dark room. The grit and grim of his labor I think shows in his work. Every single one of his images still blows my mind.


His work was truly my first introduction to Photography as an art form and I think he will always remain my favorite.

Check out more of his photography at his website.

Also, take a look at his wifes work. Maggie Taylor is also one of my favorite artists.



Happy Trails!

poetry

I was going through some old notebooks of mine and stumbled on a poem I wrote years ago. It was published in a book called “Under a Quick Silver Moon” and copyrighted to me. Now I myself have never actually seen this publication but I think this was the peak of my writing skills when I wrote this so I wanted to share it.

sad angel eyes
gazed down upon me
they could see right through me
feeling every pain in my life
a shocking wave of faith
crashed down upon me
as i wept over a dead mans eyes

sad angel eyes
see through the world
as they gaze upon the mess we have made
and the life we lead that scares them

and innocent child left today
now i know he isn’t far away
he’ll be guiding me
and helping me
ever single step of the way

sad angel eyes
wondered into my gaze
and i thought of my blank stare
and my dull eyes of despair

so what are your guesses on what it’s about? It could be so many different things that have happened in the past several years, but what does it mean to you? Share with me in a comment and maybe I’ll disclose the true inspiration later. Thanks for reading!