Rhythm

A busy week but a nice flow.  Another shipment went out to Gallery 50 in Michigan.

I went with Z and J on a little road trip to see the Picasso Exhibit in Richmond.  Funny we did a lot more of this kind of thing when the boys were younger, and they don’t really remember a lot.   Now everyone is more free to look or not look and find what is of interest to them, and the discussions are much better during the trip.  Another event coming up this weekend.

I have been working late the last few days, the creative juices are flowing.  The trip really helped-sometimes your just need to get away, I guess.  The logging that I started last week has  given me a nice rhythm, I had forgotten how much I like to just doodle and write little bits.  So it will continue.

Have a great weekend where ever you are!

Creativity

I am super busy working on a wholesale order this week.  I always get so many ideas at the last minute, it is some of my most creative time.  Doing wholesale has been a great help with the focus part of  my work and design.  I have things more planned and it helps me focus.   I did just move my studio to a new location in my home last week, so the focus is a little cluttered right now.  I will have new images of my studio soon.  This photo below is a little sample of my current collection.  I am combining screen printing, with applique and embroidery(hand and machine).  Also this client wanted all items with house/home themes.  I try to make each one a little different (since I use some reclaimed fabrics) it can be a challenge to make each piece of art unique but also work as a collection.   How do you stay creative, without being distracted?

Changes

It seems like things come full circle. I am back to blogging, I miss it so much. With all that has happened in the last two years I am glad to have a new direction in my life. Still creating but in a different way. Just finishing an order to ship. I hope you will follow me in this crazy creative life.

The Shape of Nature

Here are more photos from the Gardens.  I have been working with design ideas and the boys, drawing everyday things and nature.  It is part of the shapes of leaves, plants, and objects that I am working with in the new collections.   I think I need some mood boards, to help get the overall feel of things.

 

Beautiful Garden Event

Last week the Cultural Alliance had their annual Spring Event. This year was so great to be hosted at the Virginia Botanical Gardens in Norfolk. It was a great time and helped raise money to support the Arts in the Hampton Roads Area. I was helping with the event, but I did have a few minutes to sneek out for a little walk through the gardens. It was a perfect evening and I snapped a few photos for inspiration.

 The colors are so beautiful.

Fabric Friday and Focus

It has been a busy day.  I am working on several deadlines involving several different projects.  I have been thinking about color as well.  I seem to work in a random way and my focus now has been to try and create themes in color and design.  To make it easyier on myself in production as well as my personal life.  A I have been updating my studio and sorting through boxes and all it is surprising all the work I have created.  But what I also find is a kind of hodge podge of finished work.  This makes marketing harder and we tend to waste a lot of time changing directions.  I see a lot of people on blogs and forums taking about this all the time.  We all love to create and there is so much inspiration available, it is hard to get down to work with a focus.
I found this beautiful fabric by jajasavage at flickr today and it goes along with the clothing designs from yesterday as well as my current color pallette for my fall collection, so here is the Friday inspiration.

Fashion Fabric Techniques

I work in many types of fabric dyeing and printing.   It is always amazing to see other artisans that are so skilled in their work.   Itajime: clamp-bound resist dyeing is something they have perfected.  I am currently working on some clothing for myself, also since I never seem to have summer garments that work with anything else in the closet.  This is a clothing style I love, the patterning and color is perfect and they use many “green” natural materials and techniques.
Ocelot Clothing, designer Angelina DeAntonis

Invitation to Print

In all the research on screen printing and other fabric design processes, I can across Spoonflower. It looks like a great idea still in Beta stage. I am happy to say that I have been invited to have some of my designs printed to check out the new system. Now to get to work one of all those ideas in my head.