Monkey See Monkey Do

My little five year old loves to work on his "projects" just like Momma.

Today he comes into my studio, announcing he needs some paint and paper for a new project.

I clear off my table, moving my books in progress far out of splash-range. I set up a placemat on the table, a tarp over my rug, and an apron over his clothes and let him go to town.

Apparently he was inspired by my art journals! This was all him, no prompting from me at all. Children have such a talent for color!

I am an artist...I am an artist...

*Repeat to self over and over*
It has taken me a while to realize that I really AM an artist! Ever since I was able to hold a crayon in my hand I always told everyone I was going to be an artist when I grew up. I loved to create things and draw pictures. When my dad went on business trips I would spend my time making a special welcome home project for him. Sometimes it was a colored banner, decorated streamers on the back door, or a giant paper flower.

I recall in the second grade my friend Lisa and I started a comic strip. We added a new segment each morning during coloring time. By the end of the year I had about a ream of paper's worth of comics. Lisa and I thought they were hilarious and came close to wetting our pants on a daily basis laughing as we created them. The only thing I remember is a story about a caveman frozen in a block of ice which melted when an explorer shined his flashlight on it! I wish I still had my comic book but my mother threw it away in the name of "cleaning up". My mom just didn't get it.

A watercolor I did in high school of Marilyn Monroe

Through the years I took all the art classes I could and majored in studio art in college, but I never felt like I was "good enough" to do this professionally. I pursued other careers partly because I didn't believe I'd be able to support myself financially as an artist, and partly due to the influence of my college's career development department. They didn't know what to do with me; the only career they could suggest for me was to work in a museum.

One of my Art Club projects Ophelia's Memories

I continued to create art on the side, but really didn't get serious about it until about until I joined an art club sponsored by a local rubber stamp store. We had monthly projects and when I first started showing my work to others, I felt like I was just pretending to be an artist. The encouragement and compliments from my friends really helped me gain confidence in my work.

My first sale...the early version of Sand And Sky Seaglass Journal

It was a big step for me to start selling my work on Etsy but the immediate success I experienced was exciting and confirmed this was what I was meant to do! I sold my first piece in less than 24 hours but before anyone gets too envious, I must state I experienced a dry spell for several months afterward with no sales due to my ignorance regarding marketing!
This summer I had a fabulous opportunity to work with the Arnold Grummer company to design a book project for them (pictured above). They are a small family company specializing in handmade paper products and supplies. You can find their products in arts and crafts stores as well as their website.

I suppose this means I'm officially a professional artist! I still sit in front of my desk in my studio and repeat my mantra to myself over and over. I am an artist!

A New Direction

I've been working on a new idea for the last couple of weeks. My creativity has not been quenched by using pre-printed papers, so I decided to focus on making my own. I'm still going to continue my line of Classic journals, but I'm expanding into new creative territory! If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I'm rarely satisfied with doing the same thing. I like to change it up.
So here it is...one of my newest creations...a sneak peak as it hasn't even been listed yet. This is my Morning Sun Dragonfly Journal.

I've used handmade paper, not made by me--this time. I'm working on that--it's just so messy I'm waiting for the right time to do it when my toddler isn't around! He'd LOVE to "help" Mommy make paper! I have plans with my artsy friend down the street to take an afternoon one day soon to dive into that project.

I used watercolors for the background wash, acrylic paint for the stamped flourishes (Heidi Swapp), and a dragonfly stamp (Above the Mark). I painted the dragonfly in blue and green to resemble a darner dragonfly.

One of the reasons this project (which encompases about 6 journals) took me two weeks to complete is the fact that I was consumed with researching copyright policies from the stamp companies whose images I've used. Some companies state their policy right on their websites; others take a lot more research. I've even made contact with several companies that have gone out of business, but there are still others for whom I cannot find any contact info, so I won't be using their stamps.

When a company says they have an "angel policy", this means you are free to use their stamps on any handmade project, even for resale. Some companies claim to have an angel policy but after reading all the fine print, I discovered it was more like a "demon" policy! You can use their stamps for items you plan to sell, but only at craft shows, church bazaars, or locally. You can't sell in a fixed retail location, over the internet, or if there's a full moon. I'm joking about that last one, but you get my point! Some of these companies with the tricky angel policies are Anna Griffin, Autumn Leaves (clear stamps sold at Target), Close to My Heart, and Hero Arts. They certainly won't be getting any more of my business.

Among artists and crafters, the most common misconception I've come across is "I bought it, I can do whatever I want with it". Yes, in the privacy of your own home--not if you plan to resell it! The world of copyright law is very confusing and you almost have to be a lawyer to understand it all. Even within the field of copyright law there seems to be a lot of confusion.

Be aware that angel companies cannot give permission for their designer or licensed character lines because those characters are owned by someone else. For example, Stampabilites states on their website they are an angel company, but you cannot use their Peanuts, Sesame Street, House Mouse, or any other licensed character stamps.

Stick with the angel companies, get it from them in writing, and you should be safe!

A Wasted Afternoon

During my free time this afternoon, I decided to try a technique I saw in a magazine. It was a dye & salt nature printing technique. I should have been working on finishing up my books, but I thought I'd take a little break from that. Besides, if the technique was successful, I may be able to incorporate it in my art.
So, after much preparation, gathering my dyes, watercolor paper, drop cloth, newsprint paper, and so on, I walked around the garden with clippers in hand. I came back into the kitchen with a collection of fern fronds, grasses, leaves, and flowers and was ready to go. I followed the instructions step by step, only to become more and more puzzled as I went. It seemed there were some details left out of the instructions. I got so frustrated I just gave up. So much for that project. I should have just worked on my books...*sigh*
Well, NOW I will go work on my books. I have three more beach journals in the works, one using the same color scheme as the photo below. I'm trying different colors with the other two. My goal is to have them ready to list this weekend. Good luck to me! I just need to avoid magazine projects and I think I'll be okay!