Wow! The last few months have been so busy...
Sierra Art Trails in Oct.
Then I had a little Money Doll workshop in November, hosted by the lovely and talented digital artist joyce Whycoff
We gathered at her mountain home.
She made us homemade veggie soup...how sweet is that?
Everyone was busy every minute and I'm pretty sure they had a lot of fun.
I made new friends...
Everyone seemed really happy with what they created.
When we finished it was late and I wanted to get off and home before it was too dark.
Winding mountain roads and all..so I took no photos....
but joyce did...
http://joycewycoff.blogspot.com/2011/11/money-dolls-work.html
joyce's colorful little Money Doll
This little duo below went to the KPFA Art and Crafts Show in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago and speaks to how much easier a dream or desire comes into being when sharing it with another who wants the same thing.
They found a home.
This show is the biggest I do all year...
My half of the booth that I shared with joyce...
We really did well together..
the travel..
the evenings..
the set-up and break-down..
our time in the booth..
Shows can be a bit of a challenge...emotionally and physically.
It's really cool to have had it go so smoothly and create good memories.
My belief about shows is that if you go just for money you will miss a lot.
Of course money needs to exchange hands.
there are booth fees..
travel to and from..
hotel room..
food..
materials for new creations..
and always new items to use for display, etc.
So yes, we working artists need to sell our creations...find them homes....so we can keep doing what we are called to do.
But in there too is the opportunity to share why we do what we love....
and that is an amazing high.
Talking to the people who FEEL what my Muse and I offer.
It's hard for me to explain but something happens...magic..
joyce shared this on her blog...
As Saturday began, I started to see the effect of her art on others. Time after time, women stopped by to tell her which of her spirit figures they had and how important they were in their lives. I saw women spontaneously begin to weep when they entered our booth, touched by julie and her spirit and the figures that embody that spirit. It was a great reminder to me of what art can be..more than a decorative object...
a talisman of connection between people and the universal spirit that connect us all..
http://joycewycoff.blogspot.com/2011/12/veni-vidi-no-vici.html
I am honored by her words...and by the women who open to my figures...
and who share their stories with me.
What a blessing.
Fun
Custom shoes
amazing craftsmanship
Georgeous
Stunning jewelry
Friendly neighbor all the way from Idaho
Friend and inspiration
the lovely Maggi Belle who comes and plays for both days every year.
We....Maggi, joyce, my daughter jillian, our friends Brian and Shane all headed for Market Street Saturday night when the show closed to share a meal at a tiny vegan restaurant. Best burger ever!
Yummy..
and what a joy to break bread with people I enjoy so much!!
These were show stoppers....just wonderful!
Food and coffee are upstairs...
on my way down with a cup of caffeine on Sunday the massage lady said..."deep discount for artists"
sounded good....
but no time and didn't want to miss anyone who might stop by to say hi.
She is called, 'It all leads back to you...'
....and now what?
2011 has been a year of reflection...
...and a year of many changes.
So, now what?
I like to start a new year with direction.
A vision.
....and right now I don't have that focus....not for my personal life or my art...
So many things are interconnected...as you wise readers know...
nothing stands alone
I am a believer that thoughts become things, that the more I focus, and the more steps taken in the direction I want to go, the more likely I will experience what it is I call.
Yes, I know that sounds like a no brainer and it is..
and that's why the need for a clear vision...
gotta get my 2 cents in...
need to let the Universe know my desires....
not just drift.
Drifting causes me anxiety.
And I have been experiencing that.
Maybe everyone is..
The state of the world could definitely cause a bit of anxiety.
It's scary here on the little Blue Planet.
I read somewhere that WWW3 has already begun...and it's Man vs Mother Earth.
It's a war we can't win...
She will go on without us.
I know change is coming...and I know it can blow in from many directions....and a wise woman would be getting a little more centered and start moving in the direction of her dreams.
The direction that feels supported and as though the wind will blow against my back.
Focus.
Wishing you all a new year with the wind against your back,
blowing you in the direction of your dreams.
xoxo
Happy New Year
3 comments:
Julie, I very much enjoyed the photos and reading about the show, and Joyce, and what she wrote about you. Eugene is a place where artisans are valued, though nothing like in major metro area like San Francisco. Were the figures that went to the KPFA Art and Crafts Show made of fur? I just hadn't noticed that you work with real fur.
Hi Snow...
I've heard Eugene has a large and exciting art community. It is hard as a working artist to work in a void...community is important...I am fortunate to be in an area that has more artist per capita then anywhere else in CA.
And yes...I do use fur in some of my figures...and I don't have to buy it...I get fur given to me by people who find it among their things and gift it to me to use.
I'm glad you stopped by Snow..xo
I enjoyed this post so much! The way Joyce Wycoff described people's response to your work moved me deeply because this has always been what I wanted for my work - to touch others and inspire them in that way.
I love the idea of money dolls and I definitely want to make one of my own. I could certainly use it more than anything right now! I also feel what you're saying about these earth changes and the way things seem to be getting progressively more intense and it scares the hell out of me, and I think, like you, that the thing to do is to focus stronger and harder than ever on my dreams and my purpose for being here.
Wishing you a blessed and bountiful 2012, filled with goodness and magic!
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