Many artists who sell in wholesale markets or in multiple venues have “lines” of designs. Others, including me, rarely repeat designs, always making one-off pieces. So I have to remind myself from time to time that working in series is an important part of a creative practice. Redundancy can strengthen the artist’s individual voice- not the same thing done over and over again in exactly the same way, but rather concepts improved and tweaked in different yet interconnected ways. It creates a recognizable style, which is important for refining one’s artistic voice.  

By creating multiple pieces around the same idea, we are helping the audience understand what our art is all about;  pattern or intent is evident, so viewers can get a sense of who you are. The process is not about repetition, but rather about being able to explore, investigate, examine or address particular themes, compositions or concepts in progressively deeper and more meaningful ways than is possible by making just one or two.  

And then there’s the sheer aesthetic pleasure, because a cluster of similar pieces looks fabulous! Above are a group of my bowls from 2017. When I make millefiori cane designs, I first choose a palette and mix clay, then I create a series of canes using my mixed colors, finally combining the patterns in different ways to make pieces.  Each of these bowls is unique, yet they clearly belong together as a set.  Every new iteration is an exploration, and inevitably the last pieces are  more interesting and more refined that the first.

Each summer, I have the privilege of attending an invitational retreat of fellow artists who work with polymer clay. The highlight of the week is an exchange of pieces. We have made pendants, bowls, totems, and beads among other things. The group decides on general guidelines and each artist creates about 25 similar versions of the same piece. Voila! A yearly experiment in working in series!
 
Sometimes a series varies by just a bit of color, like these Chinese inspired carvings of artist Nan Roche, one of the founding mothers of understanding polymer clay as a fine art medium. Other times,  a series can explore variations on a theme. Here are Katie Way's totems, both made for the same swap. Katie’s differ quite a bit in color and texture, yet are still easily identifiable as a set.  

​For my contribution to the totem exchange, I was inspired by the wonderful designs of the aboriginal Tiwi tribe.  Like the bowls, each one differs slightly from the group, and, as always, I improved as I worked. The experience of working in series has been valuable for me as a learning experience -  prototype, make samples, discard failures, reevaluate and refine!

Artists know that shows highlighting their body of work, bringing in customers ready to buy art like theirs, help pay the bills. Sometimes just one or two shows a year. Sometimes one or two a month. And if it's a venue like Portland Saturday Market, weekly. Shows are hard work, and when the cost of the booth, travel, meals and lodging are met and exceeded by sales, a thrill. Kristi and I have pared art shows down to only a few each year, and to those that are within a narrow niche--for us, ranch and rodeo western art. We've learned buyers of art know what they like, and will choose from the many options to focus on their favorite shows to attend. 

Facilitating and directing a show is also hard work, usually consisting of a team constantly looking to make it better. At the end of a show, smart leadership will debrief artists for valuable feedback, and act on ideas that come out of that process. Often, artists that have been faithful in their attendance, are asked to join an advisory board, or something similar. Kristi and I recently received a letter from one of those show teams for an art show we plan to display at in October. We think the letter demonstrates some of the great ideas that can come from great show leadership. It reads as follows:
 
"It's Spring in the Pacific NW and ... last fall, after the show, we sent out a questionnaire ~  we asked ~ you answered ~ we listened ~ we brain stormed ~ we have many winning new ideas ... We want you to think 'Art Extravaganza'!  We will have all art forms represented ~ both visual and performing ~ Opening on Saturday and Sunday only ~ Friday night gathering & dinner for artists to unwind and visit with their peers ~ Fewer booths to allow for a different set up arrangement ~ Spotlight Stage for demonstrating artists and performers ~ Showcase Gallery for one piece from each artist to submit for judging and People's Choice ~ Gallery area for pieces submitted for sale only ~  Children’s art display area ~ Finishing Touches Auction to replace Quick Draws ~ Central area for Slow Finish artists to gather for the patrons viewing pleasure ~ Ticketed Dinner and Live Auction on Saturday evening ~  Silent Auctions ~ Benefit Auction ~ Color Catalog with auction items ~ Full screen photos projected during auction ....
 
"We have hired an Advertising Agency to help us promote the show. We will continue to send out beautiful full color brochures to our Patron list ~ we have already secured ... publications for ads ~ we will use pertinent newspaper ads ~ we will have a very heavy social media presence and paid ads with them ~ we will also be pursuing public TV. Another piece to complete this advertising component is you contacting your own patrons...."
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​Being a member of Artistic Portland is a great chance, not only to sell art, but also to network and share ideas. Just like the debrief at the end of a show, participating in a cooperative and spending time with other artists, can help us in all areas of the artist life. And maybe pay the bills.

I have been a member of Artistic Portland Artist Co-operative for nearly four years. Occasionally I am asked why I choose to belong to a co-operative. I’d like to share my thoughts and experiences in this regard, so in no particular order….

Community – If I were to leave the co-op tomorrow, I think the first thing I would miss would be the community. As a working artist, I sometimes find that I am isolated since I work alone in my studio, although I do enjoy the company of my neighbor’s cat, Pickle, who essentially now lives in my studio. That’s a story for another day. I have met so many wonderful, talented, and interesting people at Artistic Portland. We share ideas and even resources with one another because we genuinely care about one another and want to see everyone succeed. I am quick to share my resources with other jewelers at Artistic Portland even though one could say other jewelers are my competition. I feel as though we’re all in this together so if we help one another, we will all benefit and hopefully be successful. If the gallery is successful, we are all successful.

A place to sell art and to gain exposure – This is an obvious one. When I first started creating mosaic jewelry, I mainly gave pieces to family and friends. I sold a few pieces here and there on Etsy but I soon found that I needed to have another venue where I could sell my work because if I didn’t, my house would be overrun by mosaic jewelry. I have a supportive husband but I doubt he’d appreciate me using up what little storage space we have in our small house, for my art.

Meeting customers – At Artistic Portland members can work shifts based on the level of membership they choose. I work two half days per month which gives me a chance to meet our amazing Artistic Portland customers. Yes, I'm talking to you! Working shifts also helps me to “get out in the world” rather than be sequestered every day in my studio (with Pickle of course). I have met so many lovely customers by working shifts; locals and tourists alike. It’s easy to start conversations with customers at Artistic Portland as the gallery is inspirational and customers often engage with the artists on shift. Many customers have shared their stories with me and I have shared mine with them. It’s been fun to learn about what brings customers into Artistic Portland. Often I find that people come into the gallery because they are looking for that “perfect gift” for family or friends and they like the thought of buying unique local art.

Sharing – I touched on this already in the community section of this blog but I think this concept deserves more attention. I am always appreciative when someone shares their ideas and/or resources with me. Sharing with others is a lovely gesture and demonstrates care and thoughtfulness. As I mentioned earlier, we’re all in this together so by sharing, we help each other grow and strengthen our community. 

Business acumen – Belonging to a co-op has helped me to pay attention to the business side of my art business. Since many of us work shifts at the co-op, it is easy to see how managing the day-to-day of a store can help artists manage their own businesses. Picking up business tips and techniques has been instrumental in how I operate.

Fun! – I thought I’d save this for last because ending on "fun" is just a good thing…always! I guess this category could be coupled with community but I thought I’d give it its own category. Simply put, it is fun to work in the co-op because the co-op has a lot of fun members. We have a member who is an expert yodeler, another member who brings joy to many lives because he spearheads a monthly activity that helps an underserved population, and a member who brings cats to life in a way that I’ve never seen before. I could go on and on about each member if space allowed! All of the members are unique in their own way and they each bring something to the gallery beyond their art.

If you’re an artist and you’ve thought about joining an artist co-operative, check out our membership page! We’d love to meet you!

How long have you been a member of Artistic Portland, and what appealed to you about joining the Co-op?
June 1st will mark my second year at Artistic Portland. I joined because I wanted to be a contributor to the local art scene, be around other artists and see their work to inspire me to go beyond my conventional thinking of what art should be.  

What’s your background?
I grew up in a very small town and my parents bought a business when I was 9 years old, so my background is steeped in the business world. I always made greeting cards for my family by cutting up old magazines and gluing to colored construction paper, but I've no had no training having to do with art.  
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I've always been attracted to glass art and while at an art fair oooohing and awwwwwing over the glass, one of my friends said, "You know you can make that yourself." So I took a beginner class and was hooked!  Besides my personal love for glass artwork, there's nothing like seeing someone fall in love with a piece from the gallery or see the joy in the faces of someone who commissioned me to make something special for them.

Describe yourself in one word. Why that word?
Optimistic. My glass (no pun intended) is always half full. I've retired from the business world so I get to play with glass whenever I want. My husband is my biggest fan and is always there to help with whatever I need. I get to spend as much time as I want with my sweet little grand daughter and I have a grandson on the way. Life is good.

Where do you create?
My husband helped me "build out" the unfinished part of our basement for a studio and I am lucky to have the finished part of our daylight basement set up as my gallery.

Every piece of jewelry is a small scale work of art worn on the body.   Each of the jewelry artists at Artistic Portland has a different vision, carefully crafted and unique. Jewelry from Susan Hunter features striking metalwork, while pieces of Beth Jones are delicate and romantic. June Martin’s signature mosaics are both geometric and subtly colored, while Petra Woodworth imaginatively combines found objects with metals and stones. My work in polymer clay is highly patterned and brightly pigmented, falling perhaps into the category of “statement” jewelry.
 
“Statement” jewelry necklaces are one-of-a-kind, attention-grabbing pieces which are often large, colorful and sometimes asymmetrical. Glittery or tribal, statement pieces transform that little black garment into a canvas.  Polymer clay is especially well adapted to making statement jewelry because it is a great chameleon.  Lightweight and inexpensive, it can be carved, twisted, painted or sculpted into infinite shapes, patterns and colors. Polymer jewelry artists have discovered a myriad of approaches.
 
My partner at our teaching studio,  ViaArtistica ,  Maggie Maggio, is an architect, so perhaps it not surprising that she is known for exploring and expanding the structural possibilities of polymer clay. Maggie pinches and twists polymer to create sinuous neckpieces.  The model shown here is from a series she has called “Octopi”.  Maggie’s wow factor comes from complex swirls woven into a dramatic neck piece.  One can fully imagine these pieces on the runway.

Another local Portland colleague, Wendy Wallin Malinow, has a completely different approach to making dazzling jewelry with polymer clay.  A metalsmith, illustrator and sculptor, Wendy transforms polymer clay into mysterious fantasy pods, bones and imaginative unearthly creatures.  Her imagination astounds! Wendy’s panache comes from vibrant colors and surprising shapes that range from naturalistic birds to gothic skulls. Her necklaces are eye-catching collectors’ pieces, which are also wearable

Kathleen Dustin’s calls her work “Wearable objets d’art” and her website showcases several collections of her polymer jewelry and handbags.  Trained as a ceramicist, Kathleen has explored several properties of polymer, including translucency and the imitative potential of the clay.  Here she pushes the boundaries of texture in her Tribal Bead series with lush mark-making, carving and the complex layers of pigment which create her distinctive palette, earning her a place in many galleries and museum collections.

My own work takes advantage of the lightweight nature and malleability of polymer. I love to form flat polymer into 3 dimensional petals,  disks and pods. Most of all I love creating and juxtaposing patterns, a bit like a collage artist or a quilter.   By mixing the primary colors of  polymer clay I can create virtually any color I want. The complexity of millefiori cane work adds rich patterns to the mix. Nothing makes me happier than creating a palette, then making a pile of canes on my studio table ready to create veneers. I invite you to come see my polymer clay jewelry at Artistic Portland!

​Attending an event at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, Oregon I was enjoying the presentations of several artists. Sitka Center, as part of its mission, provides artist residencies; and this was the conclusion when artists talk about what they have accomplished during their stay on secluded Cascade Head. Kindra Crick was one of the presenters. Her last name intrigued me as she introduced herself as a molecular biologist, and artist, who loved science but was also inspired by her grandmother to pursue art. As Kindra began clicking through her PowerPoint slides, she soon mentioned that her grandfather, Francis Crick, was the Nobel winner who had worked on the structure of DNA. And his artist wife, Odile, first drew the DNA double helix. To this day, Odile Crick's artistic concept of DNA still visually represents DNA's molecular structure.

Smitten by Kindra's story, I listened intently as she concluded her presentation focusing on a neuroscience inspired artwork installation, in collaboration with U of O Health Sciences University, called Cerebral Wilderness. She, as was her grandmother, is using art to promote the understanding of science. Kindra is often quoted as saying, "Artwork gives visual expression to the wonder and process of scientific inquiry and discovery."

​And it's not an isolated concept. Quoting Stanford University, "There is growing interest in the intersection of art and science, whether from artists adapting technology to suit their visions or from scientists and engineers seeking to explain various visual effects. To take advantage of possible creative sparks at the art/science interface, it is necessary for fuzzies and techies to have some knowledge of the language used by the other side. This interface will be explored through examining approaches used by an artist and an engineer in the context of the materials science of cultural objects."

​So now I look for opportunities to discover and contemplate these ideas and understand them better. Recently at a Fishtrap event exploring Native American, environmental and cultural topics at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture in Joseph, Oregon, the topic of art and science intersecting came up often. At Artistic Portland I look around at works on display, talk to folks browsing in the store; and have a growing sense that art, my friends creating artwork, can through their creative efforts help change the world.

How long have you been a part of Artistic Portland, and what appealed to you about joining the Co-op?
I joined AP in December of last year. I am drawn to the idea of a group collaborating to make everyone's goals a reality. It follows that when I started looking for a way to market my sculptures, I specifically began looking for a Co-op. Artistic Portland was in particular appealing for the wide variety of artistic expression represented. I enjoy being influenced by the different styles and personalities that are represented. I also feel that the customers' experience is enhanced with that variety.  Many members use the similar materials as I do- metal, glass, text, paper etc. - but we all produce wildly different results. The juxtaposition of those results enhances the appreciation for each artist's voice.

What is your background?
I have been a live entertainment technician since the mid -1980s.  I predominately work in lighting and scenic construction for  plays and dance. I began assembling sculptures in late 2017.

Where do you create?
I actually find this to be a complex question. The easy answer is in my home.  I have creative assembly spaces in my basement and garage. The text is composed on my computer.  But the inspiration/planning/creationeering happens inside my head wherever I am at the moment. Driving, showering, shopping, working, etc. Sometimes a creature will be inspired by a piece of junk I find in the corner of a deconstruction shop, or at IKEA. Sometimes I wake up with a solution to an assembly problem in my mind or see a piece of random Portland ingenuity that sparks new solutions. Other times a friend or colleague will make a suggestion that leads down a rabbit-hole of  creation.
 
What motivates/inspires your work?
My creatures often spring out of my subconscious without my permission. Most of the time, I don't realize what emotional/intellectual nugget was inspiring the work until a fair bit into the process. Eventually, I realize "Oh! This was my back-brain gnawing on global warming or social policy or the phone bill."

What kind of creative patterns, routines, or rituals do you have?
It depends on which part of the process I'm in. I'm fortunate to have a life partner who will give honest feedback while I'm writing/creating the text portion. I like to do the wiring and soldering while watching Netflix. While assembling, I try to incorporate materials in a way I haven't before to avoid overusing any one process or solution. Shopping for materials is a sort of creative routine because the new materials make me contemplate new solutions or new projects.

What is your favorite piece you have ever created?
In truth, I tend to be most excited by whatever sculpture I'm currently working on. The act of creating brings a level of stimulation and engagement that doesn't exist after the piece is finished. 

What do you like to do when you are not creating?
I have another career that keeps me busy. Other than that I'm a home body. I love having dinner with my partner or watching Netflix together. Depending on my mood, computer games and/or social media can give the brain a rest.

How long have you been a part of Artistic Portland, and what appealed to you about joining the
​Co-op?
I joined Artistic Portland in March 2018, after Susan Hunter of Bodie Design Studio talked to me at the Southeast Area Art Walk and invited me to submit my work to the jury, which just happened to be the next evening! I jumped at the chance, because aside from one or two shows a year, my quilts were languishing in a closet.  To have a place where my work would be seen every day of the year, and to get to work in the gallery and to gain an instant community of new artist friends and to be part of this group effort was an incredible gift. It was something I needed, but I wasn’t even aware it existed. To be invited was such an honor!

What’s your background?
I have a degree in Journalism from the University of Florida. I retired from journalism in 1992, leaving the copy desk at the Philadelphia Inquirer to marry Andrew and follow him to Portland.

Why do you do what you do?
When I was young, I wanted to take art lessons, like my older sister did. When I got old enough, we moved, and I never got the chance after that. The only thing I ever really drew was horses, and only in profile, and only the left side!

What would you say was your “ah ha” moment in going from thought to passion to actually starting your business?
Many of my friends on the copy desk at the Inquirer were quilters, but I resisted the urge, because of the mess, the time and the obsession with fabric. But when Andrew’s daddy was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, something just said, “Make him a quilt.” So I went home with one of my girlfriends after work, and she helped me design a block, and the next morning, I went to a fabric shop, where I heard someone exclaim, “I saw this fabric in a dream last night!” (Did I mention obsession?) Anyway, I showed her my quilt block and the colors I was using, and she told me to make sure to use different scales of patterns, so the fabrics wouldn’t blend into a muddy mess. (She probably saved me a year’s worth of bad quilts, with that one piece of advice.) When Andrew came back from his folks’ house, and I began to iron my first piece of fabric for his daddy’s quilt, I blurted out, “I think I just might be good at this.” I had to buy a machine and teach myself how to sew to make that quilt. I still can’t sew clothing! A couple of years later, when I retired from the paper, (at 30) I decided to start Alyen Creations, which is a name I came up with as a 9-year-old, from my name, ALYcia allEN. It’s pronounced Alien, like a Martian….

Where do you create?
I am fortunate to have a studio in my home, with 25 years of fabric and a pin-able wall to design my quilts on, a big cutting table and 2 Bernina 1090 sewing machines.

What motivates/inspires your work?
I make primarily landscape art quilts, based on photos from our travels, mostly in Europe and the Northwest. While I know I would be a lousy painter, somehow working with fabric allows me to convey the sense of places that I love. I also love it when people are drawn to touch my quilts. I know I have succeeded when someone wants to pet my work. That connection is such a thrill!

Who inspired you if anyone?
In 1992, I invested in a 200-pound bale of Vintage Japanese Kimonos with my best friend, and I was hooked. I have probably owned 1,500 kimonos since then. The fabric in each kimono is unique; the kimonos were hand-sewn and home-made in the 1940s-1960s. It takes an hour to take one apart. The fabrics often involve two or three design techniques, including jacquard weaving, kasuri dyeing, block printing, hand-dyeing, brocade, metallic and lacquered threads, shibori dyeing, resist painting, batik, roh weaves, gauze weaves – I could go on and on. The closer you look, the more you see in Japanese fabric design, and that inspires me to create art that pulls you in and rewards a closer look. 

Tell us how you choose your supplies, material, you use in your Art?
For my collage quilts, Origami Kimono Ornaments, Origami Obi Cards, and some runners/hangings, I pull from my palette of several thousand yards of commercial cottons. However, for my landscape art quilts, I use almost exclusively Japanese kimono fabrics. My basement is full of kimonos, and I have taken apart more than a thousand. I sell to other fiber artists what I can’t use.

Did anyone ever tell you couldn’t do it?
No, but every time I walk into the studio, I ask myself if I still can! Some days the answer is yes, and some days it seems like no, but when I push past the doubt, the answer is a resounding YES, and that is when I remember how happy it makes me to create my quilts. 

What kind of creative patterns, routines, or rituals do you have?
Sadly, none.

What is the most difficult thing about making your Art?
Starting. I am constantly starting, it seems, and I lose so much ground. I work in spurts, and sometimes they last for months, but then life gets in the way, and it can be months or sometimes years (like if we go on sabbatical to another country) and then when I restart, I have to relearn a lot of the techniques I devised, or re-solve design issues I forgot I had solved! It’s very frustrating, and sometimes it is easier not to start again! But that is one reason I was so eager to join Artistic Portland. Now, every day, art is a priority, in one form or another, be it the studio, working in the gallery, or taking on responsibilities to help run the cooperative, or brainstorming with other members about issues they have, that I have, or the gallery has. Thanks to Katrina, I am now having giclee prints made of my quilts. I never in a million years would have thought of doing that, but to her, it was obvious. Having others help me see what is outside my own little blinkered box, (to mix a metaphor) is incredible.

Do you have other staff, partners etc.?
Nope, just me.

What’s your favorite piece you’ve ever created?
A quilt of Saint Pere de Rodes in northern Catalunya on the Spanish Mediterranean. It is a ruined monastery, and the man who bought the quilt from me said that he was going to hang it right in front of his recliner, so that he could look at it all the time. 

If you could wake up tomorrow with a new artistic skill, what would it be?
The ability to master perspective!

What do you like to do when you're not creating?
I like to read real books I hold in my hand, especially old mysteries and novels from the 1920s that smell like my elementary school library in Florida! 

I have worn many hats during my 50 (cough, cough) something years on this planet and I’ve enjoyed wearing them all. I feel humbled and happy that I’m able to make a living as an artist at this time in my life. As a young child I spent inordinate amounts of time drawing. For whatever reason, paper wasn’t readily available, most likely because we were quite poor after our father passed away suddenly, so I used to draw on the corners of the TV guide. My father was an artist and a toymaker so I guess my interest in art came from him since my mother, god rest her soul, didn’t have an artistic bone in her body!

Throughout my childhood art was an avenue to express myself. I predominantly drew people and fashion though I was also attracted to drawing houses that had fallen into disrepair as I loved the textures and sense of history. I dabbled in water color as well and I remember my middle school art teacher framing one of my pieces and hanging it in the school commons for all to see. I dreamt of growing up and being a full-time artist but my step-father, armed with good intentions and a propensity towards the practical, suggested that I learn to type and take shorthand, just in case art didn’t work out. 

In college I majored in art…for a while at least. I later switched my major which resulted in two undergraduate degrees; one in psychology and the other in biological anthropology. I continued to study and practice art including screen printing. I worked a few secretarial jobs in San Francisco until I landed a job working as a production manager for a small clothing manufacturer. With my interest in fashion design this job blossomed into a career.
 
Life happened along the way. I was married, had a child, then I wasn’t married and found myself in the unenviable position of being a single working parent. Though I had a creative job, other artistic endeavors were put on the back burner while I busied myself with supporting my son.

Years passed, and though I was happy working in fashion, I knew that the company I was working for was being sold to a couple in Chicago. The new owners asked if I would be interested in moving to Chicago to work for them but the thought of moving my son to a different state as well as having to endure long cold winters was not appealing. I found myself out of a job after 17 years but also found myself in the position of being able to choose to do something new if I desired. Before embarking on new work adventures, I decided to take a little time to travel. My son left home for college, I was “between jobs" so off to Barcelona Spain I went! I only spent a month in Spain but it was enough to fill my soul with the beauty the city provided in the form of art and architecture. In particular, I was enthralled by the works of Antoni Gaudi. 

Upon returning to San Francisco, I found that there was an excellent mosaic instructor living in the warehouse space that I also lived in. I knew I had found my niche in art. During this time I also earned an MS in counseling psychology and started working in the mental health field but I kept doing mosaic for fun. I was also dabbling in jewelry design. It was during this time that I took a class in micro- mosaic with a focus on jewelry. I found I had a knack for working small scale. I knew micro-mosaic and jewelry design was for me. I continued to work as a therapist while keeping mosaic and jewelry as a hobby. Since I don’t wear a lot of jewelry myself, I wasn’t sure what to do with all of the mosaic jewelry pieces I was making. I discovered Etsy and decided to give it a go. To my surprise, people seemed to like my jewelry. How much fun is that?! Creating art you love and then getting paid for it!

A few years passed and we (my new husband and I) moved to Portland where my son also lives. Overall, Portland has been very kind to us and what started as a hobby and side job, has turned into a full-blown thriving business. I continue to work in mental health on the side but I create art full time. Though the path was non-linear, I am back to my roots of making art. I think both my father and step-father would be proud.  

​January inspires many of us take stock of the past year’s accomplishments and challenges, honoring cultural rituals or making resolutions to pursue new goals or do better on old ones. Growing up, my best friend’s German family always invited me to make three wishes for the new year while breaking off a piece of warm Neujahrsbrezel, a delicious sweet pretzel which symbolizes good luck. My husband’s family was a bit more dour. Honoring an Appalachian tradition - think backwoods Kentucky - my father-in-law boiled a pig’s head on New Year’s day, because hog jowl and black-eyed peas keeps you humble for the next year. When we lived in Spain we capped off very late celebrations by stuffing grapes in our mouths - the idea was to chew twelve grapes at once! 
 
Artists seem especially attracted to the idea of new beginnings, perhaps because we’re always searching for inspiration and relishing a reset. My studio partner Kirsten Carpentier invites friends to choose and embellish their word of the year, focusing energy into a single intention.

​One of my favorite bloggers, artist and bookbinder Roz Stendahl, advocates doing a little bit of everything you love on the first day of the year, sort of priming the pump with joyful activities. This year I followed Roz’ advice,  practicing a Bach cello suite I’m learning on classical guitar,  drawing a couple of pears, taking a walk in nearby snowy woods with a couple of happy dogs, and working on some canes for a new bowl class I’m teaching.

Personally, though, I love most of all to spend part of each new January 1 by diving into color, mixing hues and making Skinner blends, polymer clay gradients which are the basic building blocks of many of my pieces. Mixing colors is a lovely antidote to gray skies, as relaxing as meditation and a functional activity which helps me in my work. Since my polymer clay art is all about color, it’s a great way to get in the groove of new palettes and new designs. Sometimes I check out color trends like the Pantone color predictions for 2019, peruse delicious Design Seeds photos with their composite photos or take a trip though my Palettes Pinterest board. Mostly, though, I just merrily fiddle around. Here’s a pair of blends I made on January 1, 2019.  These colors could be jungle leaves, Carmen Miranda flowers, or eye-popping polka dots.

Stop by Artistic Portland in a few weeks to see what they become!