Art Ravings

Chop's Garage t-shirts available at http://www.chopsgarage.com

2010-04-21T16:35:00.002-06:00

Chop's Garage t-shirts are now available at http://www.chopsgarage.com/chop-s-garage-t-shirts.html !!

Go check it out and while you're there check out the way cool site he has built over the last couple years...bikes, babes and tech info plus all you need to know about "Chop's Garage - Old School Service for American Motorcycles in Pocatello Idaho" :)

Chop's Garage is now open for business!

2010-04-09T17:58:00.002-06:00

If you are in Pocatello or the surrounding area you'll be pleased to know that Chopper has opened Chop's Garage, his own service shop for Harleys and other American made motorcycles. Many of you knew Chopper as the Service Manager for the local dealership and know that he has 19 years of dealership experience as a master mechanic and is factory certified. You also know that he is someone you can trust and that he has a whole lot of technical knowledge under that bald head of his :D

Check out the Chop's Garage facebook fan page button to the left or visit his website at http://chopsgarage.com and then ride on over and say hey!

Nine Dragons Sculpture Art now only available through http://www.adyinart.com

2010-04-08T13:45:00.003-06:00

Nine Dragons Sculpture Art and paintings by Sue Choppers-Wife are now only available through my website Adyinart

At the moment I am mainly doing portrait commissions, but you can see all of my work on my site and contact me there.

Downsizing

2009-06-17T16:31:00.001-06:00

Well, when the main job supporting the house is downsized then other things need to follow suit. So I am downsizing my inventory here at Nine Dragons Sculpture Art and giving some great savings for a limited time.

Here's your chance to purchase high quality original oil paintings, sculptures and unique wearable art designs at a fabulous price...most items are marked off at 25-50% off.

All items have the same guarantee as they did at full price...satisfaction guaranteed. My products are made with the best quality materials possible and each is an original design by myself.

These products were all priced at a fair market price for the quality hand created expertise that went into their creation, so this is an exceptional deal and will not be offered again. All of these products are available through my site or any of the following 1000 Market markets of which I am a member in good standing:

Wearable Art Market

Bohemia Esprit

Mind Body Spirit

Pacific Northwest Market

Rocky Mountain Market

All purchases are through guaranteed Amazon Payments...one quick and easy click for the item(s) you want a fabulous deal on. Hurry...limited time offer!

Sue Choppers-Wife/Proprietor Nine Dragons Sculpture Art

Today's Eye Candy!

2009-06-04T15:40:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to share some lovely eye candy with everyone :)

The first photo is of my first bearded iris bloom from propagation splits I was given last year. I planted around 30 of different colors but so far this is the only one to bloom. It's really huge, standing about 2 1/2 foot tall and the flower is about a handspan wide.

The next photo is of my birthday bouquet that Chopper got me...he said he wanted to overwhelm me with them (since several women stopped him in the store to tell him how lovely they were I guess I wasn't the only one!)

The last are from my neighbor...all those blooms are on a single stalk...and they smell just heavenly.

And lastly...my latest creation...the Big Bold Bohemian Bangle Bracelet

Hope you enjoyed all the eye candy!

Sunday Night At the Market III - Swooning Over Art

2009-05-29T07:53:00.001-06:00

Welcome! Please join us here for our next Sunday night chat.

June 7th - 7PM Eastern, 6PM Central, 5PM Mountain, 4PM Pacific

Curious about the treasures Wearable Art Market artists seek out?

Want to know what favorite art materials these artists can't live without?

Interested in seeing a show and tell of their most recent artworks?

Join us here: http://www.1000markets.com/forums/23/topics/4689

in the WAM forum for our monthly Sunday Night At The Market chat to discover answers to the above and more....

Our Sunday night get togethers are informal, fun, informative and open to all. We love passing around the chocolate, tea and cookies and sharing info about our passion for wearable art. Bring your questions...we'll do our best to answer them. Bring images of pieces from your treasure troves to share with us.

Hosted this month by Wearable Art Market merchant fatalattraction, owner of le Enchantment at 1000 Markets who also created this awesome photo montage!

2009-05-13T13:44:00.001-06:00

Lavender and Russet - what a lovely color combination for jewelry!

2009-05-08T14:26:00.003-06:00

Ok...this is my latest creation...a Lavender and Russet Square Tile Bracelet .

I love purple, but sometimes it seems overwhelming in a piece of jewelry, so discovering that russet would complement and tone down that purple was a real nice treat for me. As an artist I'm pretty familiar with most color combinations, but this is not one you see often. I'd love to say it was something I came up with, but the actuality is an even better story lol.

You see, there's a certain enhancing lubricant tv commercial that uses an opening flower to demonstrate the effectiveness of using this during certain special moments. That flower was colored in gorgeous purple and dusty rose tints and really grabbed my attention. I'm pretty sure that I was supposed to be more taken with the product than the imagery ... and I'm not sure what that says about me, but that's an artist for you ... we always jump to the eye candy first!

Time Management for the Small Jewelry Business owner with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain

2009-05-05T09:36:00.003-06:00

Running a small jewelry business when you're dealing with the issues that stem from having chronic pain from fibromyalgia, is sometimes quite the challenge. It doesn't help that most of us that deal with FMS are classic Type A personalities. When we're not flaring we always seem to be pushing ourselves to extreme limits to make up for lost time. Sometimes we can get away with weeks of non-stop scrambling on studio time, updating our online listings, blogging and googling plus keeping up with all the other non-art related facts of life like house and yard maintenance.

But then it always happens that one day you'll type one word too much, lean over the drafting table just the wrong way or just wake up, right back in a major flare up that will sometimes last a month or better. Not only is it extremely painful to have a frozen shoulder, weak back, cramped muscles or a general flu-like feeling, it's also extremely frustrating to just have to stop all the projects you have on the table. You would think that after 8 years of dealing with these cycles that I would've learned to manage my time a bit better.

The trouble with FMS is that you do have some good periods, and it's easy to tell yourself that THIS time it will be different. But sooner or later you pay the price for that thought. There's a saying that if you do the same thing over and over you will never get a different outcome. How true is that?

So after my latest downtime I decided to take the bull by the horns and try to change things. Since my last bout involved a partially frozen shoulder I realized that I could not spend quite so much time typing online. Instead of trying to keep up with daily blogs on two sites, chatting on market forums and responding to a heavy email load I switched my schedule up. I decided that I could only spend up to two hours a day doing online work, except for Tuesdays and Fridays, when I would do regular blogs, update listings, catch up on forums and correspondence. I figured this would give me a lot more studio time.

I've been doing this for over a month now, and it has helped me to heal and taken a lot of the pressure off...and we know that stress is the biggest factor leading to flare ups. But for some reason I was not improving my studio time. I'd jump on the computer first thing in the morning and then just drag myself through the rest of the day, barely accomplishing anything. But then a good friend of mine, Karen Casey-Smith , sent me a blog excerpt that she'd read saying that if you want to fail at creating then be sure to start your day off by jumping right online and setting yourself up to be a 'responder' instead of a 'creative starter' the rest of the day.

Wow! That really struck a chord with me. So I decided that from then on I would only turn the computer on in the morning to check for orders. I ignore everything else until the afternoon's two hour session and what a COMPLETE difference it has made in my work days. I find that instead of sitting with my second cup of coffee at the puter I now sit on the couch with it and my studio space is directly in my line of eyesight. I start thinking about what I'm going to do with my day. The next thing you know I am working away and I am extremely happy with my progress lately.

That is not all I do to be more productive... I change tasks every couple hours and make sure I get up and move around as close to hourly as I can. Every other day I do gentle arm stretch exercises, and then I do a simple 10 wall pushups and 10 lunges. It's sure not much of a workout but it's helping my core muscles which have really been weakened. I can't walk for any long distances due to some back issues but I do get out and walk the perimeter of our large uphill back yard a few times, and if the weather is bad, I walk from room to room in the house several times a day.

I take SAM-e to keep my moods from swinging and I've recently started taking MSM (on the recommendation of Karen again) for my connective tissue health. I still take advil in the morning but I have noticed that I'm seeing some improvement in my joint areas. I'm not quite sure how the MSM is different but glucosomine and Celebrex have not been helpful in the past. Years ago I was on anti-depressants and pain meds but they did more harm than good and I think I do much better with natural supplements that my body already produces.

So, while this is no guarantee that I'll never have another flare up, it's helped me to manage my working time with good results. Hopefully when I do flare it will be for a shorter duration in future and my scheduling will allow me to keep working. I hope this is of some help to those with chronic pain issues. While there's no doubt it sucks to have to live with something like this, it helps to try and remember just how sweet the good days can be and make the most of them with a good plan for the present.

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Forwarding an Invitation to the May 3rd Sunday Night at the Wearable Art Market Discussion hosted by Streetnoodles

2009-05-01T09:08:00.002-06:00

This month the open discussion in the Wearable Art Market forum will be based around the strange things artists sometimes do for their art...sure to be a lot of laughing on this one!

Here's the original invitation posted by this month's host Streetnoodles

Get out your pencils and mark your calendars, the next Wearable Art Market Sunday gathering will be May 3rd; 7pm EST, 6pm central, 5pm mountain and 4pm pacific time, till whenever!

The thread will be in the Wearable Art Market public forum--http://www.1000markets.com/forums/23

The "Wearable Art Market" is eager to break down the walls between buyer & seller...opening the doors of discussion that will help everyone to understand a little more about our varied crafts and the inspiration behind it...even the day-to-day mondain tasks needed to be done to follow our passion.

With that in mind, the artists of the Wearable Art Market will be getting together Sunday evening and we'd love to have you join us!

Art will be the subject of course-- inspiration, latest ambitions, recent successes-- or works in progress-- BUT i recently watched an old video of "A Chorus Line"...and the question that came up, "what i did for love"...corny i know BUT i would like to ask a variation of that question--"what is the most silly or humiliating thing you've done for art? ...think about it & bring it to the forum!

I suggest you pop some popcorn, or maybe some salsa & chips, beverage of your choice, barefeet or "bunny" slippers a must, and maybe a pillow for your bum...we're in for the long haul.

Hope to see you there! (what does this photo has to do with my sacrifices for art?) teehee!

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Today's Market Finds at 1000 Markets

2009-04-28T08:42:00.005-06:00

1000 Markets

We are a community of marketplaces, large and small, connecting artisan merchants with the people who love their products.

Our markets are more than just collections of products; they are full of people and stories. They have voices and personalities.

Our merchants are small, independent, artisan businesses built by people who love their craft. They make and sell unique products, based on their own vision, personality and story. Working together, these artisans create marketplace communities - gathering places where merchants can exchange ideas, and customers can browse and talk.

Our markets are large and small, broad and narrow. Some have themes, like food, crafts, or art. Others cultivate a sense of place around a region. And some exist simply because the people in them share friendship or common values. Each market fosters its own one-of-a-kind community, always unique and interesting.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN MARKET : High-Altitude Artisans

We are artisans of the Rocky Mountains, encompassing the beautiful states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.

Our products are the kind you might discover at a great farmers market, craft fair or at a quaint little ski-town boutique. Our work represents a wide variety of art and craftsmanship - from pottery to photography, jewelry to papercraft, and everything in between.

We have brought our shops together here for you to explore. We hope you will visit often and be as inspired as we are by the amazing beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARKET : Unique and One-of-kind artisan products from the Pacific Northwest

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest Market - a place to find wonderfully talented artisans from the diverse states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

From ocean to rain forest and from desert to mountain, the Pacific Northwest has amazing variety not just in weather and geography but in people and art. We hope you can find your very own piece of the Pacific Northwest here.

Come explore our market learn more about our beautiful states.

MIND BODY SPIRIT : Nurture, inspire, heal, create!

The purpose of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace is to offer quality products that are designed to nurture, inspire, heal and honor the spirit inside all of us. This marketplace is positive in nature and non-denominational.

Quote of the Week: "It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility." -Rachel Carson

BOHEMIA ESPRIT : A Place for the artistic...bohemian soul...

Bohemia Esprit...the spirit of bohemian...the free soul full of spirit...finding truth, meaning, art and freedom in expression.

We at Bohemia Esprit seek to provide a marketplace for the bohemian spirited person to shop, discover new ideas and products and find information on the bohemian lifestyle. Our mission is to encourage artistic expression that while is oft times against convention still speaks of quality handmade and artisan produced pieces of art.

WEARABLE ART : Art For The Body

A place to find creations of art that extend beyond the traditional. Welcome to the Wearable Art Market. Our creations are here to adorn the human body. Wearable art jewelry, clothing and accessories. All of our shops will entice you to visit.

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Full Moon Rising

2009-04-24T13:45:00.002-06:00

I've been working on a new necklace but it's pretty detailed and is taking forever, especially since I'm dealing with some physical issues that only allow me to work in spurts. Sometimes that can be frustrating, as I really like best to keep a steady work schedule. It used to be that I'd bounce up every day like the sun, full of energy and ideas for the day, but lately the sun hasn't shown its face much.

Sometimes when we're not getting the results we want, we tend to focus on the negatives and forget that there's still a beautiful world all around us, if we only take the time to notice it. I was a little lost for a blog today...I did a new pendant but it's still cooling from the oven and so I went to my photos for inspiration. I took this photo from my front porch at the end of last June, about 8:30 at night...the sun was setting in the west as the moon rose in the east. I'd totally forgotten about it after uploading it to the computer.

So, as I was looking at it, I started to think about my situation in relation to the photo. Just as the day is taking away the sun and dropping into darkness, a new light comes. It's not as bright, its light is cooler, and it comes less often but it is beautiful in its own right. Soon that light will be the only beacon in the sky. I realized that the sun may be gone but the only reason I see that moon is because the hidden sun is still lighting it from the other side of the world. It's not gone, it's just waiting for the earth to turn again before it shines on my face once more.

Sometimes the darkness closes in on us in one form or another, but it doesn't mean it's an ending. Sometimes you see the light and other times you forget to look for it because you are bemoaning the loss of brilliant brightness and cannot see the soft glow above the distant hills signaling that there is still hope. Maybe it's not always this obvious, maybe sometimes you can't find it at all, but it is always there.

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Bohemia Esprit at 1000 Markets

2009-04-21T12:52:00.007-06:00

Bo·he·mi·an
Pronunciation:: \-mē-ən\
Function:: noun
Date:: 1555

1 a: a native or inhabitant of Bohemia b: the group of Czech dialects used in Bohemia2often not capitalized a: vagabond, wanderer ; especially : gypsy b: a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others

es·prit
Pronunciation:: \is-ˈprē\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: French, from Old French espirit, Latin spiritus spirit
Date:: 1573

1 : vivacious cleverness or wit

2 : esprit de corps

from Miriam/Webster online dictionary

Ok...so now you know what it is and had a teeny peek at some of the fabulous artisan work at this market, so come take a look to see what else we have to offer!

Bohemia Esprit at 1000 Markets

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

In honor of Earth Day - my Heaven and Earth Pendant

2009-04-17T12:20:00.002-06:00

This Heaven and Earth Pendant is number 13 in my Negative Spaces - Random Meanings series and quite seriously is my favorite so far. It's 3 1/2 inches long, but because it's polymer it's light as a feather and not at all clunky for a larger size pendant.

The thing I love about doing these pieces is that it's all impulsive...suddenly out of nowhere I get the urge to do one and I have absolutely no preconceived ideas. I just grab (or mix) a color that seems right, the shape is completely random...when it looks right, well, that's just it. Usually I just find a stamp pattern and do it once...this one required a blending of 4 different stampings and some tool imprints to make it 'just right'. Not MY 'just right' but whatever the fates decide.

As soon as I saw this I knew its title and I knew the finish it needed. The base is a lime green and the patina is a copper metallic. The photo shows the blending but it can't capture the way this glows like gold when the light hits it...it's just awesome.

I don't what it is about this series...and I don't know how long it will continue or how it may evolve...but it's really like someone besides myself is behind it...and that is what makes it so unique.

Happy Earthday, World...I hope the coming years are kinder to you.

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Mind - Body - Spirit: Two Places, One Healing

2009-04-14T14:09:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was a day when I desperately needed to get away. For the past 9 days I've been dealing with some pretty rough neck and shoulder issues and my soul needed some of nature's healing. So Chopper, Boots and I headed out of town to Cherry Springs to catch the first flush of spring.

The ride was painful, spring showers dampened the walk and you would have thought it was a miserable day to be tromping along a nature walk, especially with nary a bud to be found on the trees yet. But not for me, because nothing restores my soul as much as just being a part of nature's annual rebirth and having the bonus of a day spent enjoying my family's company.

I love the way sap turns red in river willows and lichen turns plain stone and bark into wondrous colors and patterns. These photos are beautiful but they can't catch the feel in the air or the wonder in my heart as my eyes rested upon what is the true world around us.

On the way back we came across a herd of deer feeding in the Arbon Valley...deer are one of my spirit animals, and always a sign of hope, so it was a special way to end the day.

Then I came home, still hurting but much replenished, to find one last gift...an invitation for my shop to join the new Mind Body Spirit market. My body still has some healing to do but my spirit is full :)

I hope yours, too, is replenished by sharing some special moments with me in my photos and then seeing what else is good for your soul at "Mind Body Spirit" :)

Sue

http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Down Time

2009-04-07T06:51:00.002-06:00

Just a short notice to say I have some shoulder issues going on and will have to take some downtime from the computer. I'm fine, doing physical therapy and have gotten through this before, but won't be able to keep up with the blog, twittering etc for awhile. My store at 1000 Markets will still be open and I'll be reading other blogs etc when I can, just won't be commenting. See you when it's better :)

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Sunday Night at the Market -- You're Invited!

2009-04-03T14:21:00.009-06:00

One of the most special things about 1000 Markets is the way the format encourages everyone to get to know the people behind the art!

With that in mind, the artists of the Wearable Art Market will be getting together Sunday evening and we'd love to have you join us!

Art will be the subject of course-- inspiration, latest ambitions, recent successes-- or works in progress-- general levels of creativity, chocolate addictions-- Who knows what else and where it will lead? Join us and find out!

The thread will be in the Wearable Art Market public forum-- http://www.1000markets.com/forums/23 on

Sunday April 5th, 7 EST, 6 central, 5 mountain and 4 pacific till whenever!

Just jump right in with your own comments and observations (or questions if you're a wearable art fan) and help us make this first Sunday Night at the Market a grand success!

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Pacific Northwest Market shop - wire tree jewelry

2009-03-31T14:18:00.004-06:00

Welcome to a new market at 1000 Markets called Pacific Northwest Market. Here we offer the very best of the Pacific Northwest and the great thing about a regional market like this is the diversity of products. I'm going to have a lot of fun introducing you to some of the shops there (of which I am one), and you know me...I'll zone right in on something I love. So, check out this fine little collection of copper goodies offered by wire tree jewelry .

Ever since I was a little child I've had a fascination with how oil film sits on top of puddles in an awesome array of colors. I can't tell you how many times I was told not to 'dawdle' because I was mesmerized in place, so you have to know I was going to be mesmerized when I saw this collection of fire patina on copper! I not only love the colors but the shapes of the pieces is so zen-like that I definitely have one on my wishlist :)

So if you too are fascinated by ripples of rainbow colors in a zen setting, then please stop by wiretree's shop to get your own little hypnotizer :D

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

A Collection of Art Pendants and Necklaces presented by the Wearable Art Market

2009-03-30T11:00:00.003-06:00

Each week I will be presenting a small selection from one of the Wearable Art Collections in the Wearable Art Market at 1000 Markets. This week's feature photo collection sampling is entitled Art Pendants and Necklaces .

"Wearable art, also known as Artwear or "art to wear", refers to individually designed pieces of (usually) hand-made clothing or jewelry created as fine or expressive art. While the making of any article of clothing or other wearable object typically involves aesthetic considerations, the term wearable art implies that the work is intended to be accepted as a serious and unique artistic creation or statement. Pieces may be sold and/or exhibited." (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_art ")

The Wearable Art Market has a wonderfully diverse selection of products, so please drop in next week to see one of our non-jewelry collection categories. Or you can go take a peek for yourself by clicking on one of our Product Collections, found on the home page of the Wearable Art Market .

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Art for the Body re-blog

2009-03-27T15:09:00.003-06:00

This is a re-blogging of this week's feature artist on Art for the Body...a Blog of Wearable Art presenting Sharon MacLeod

Sharon's work is strong, vibrant and heavily ethnic. She works with an unlikely combination of materials. The bracelets start with her own graphic art that is printed on thin paper, which is then meticulously laminated to various sizes of small tubing, and then assembled with a variety of materials including polymer clay, glass, metal, rubber and plastic.

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

The Breast Cancer Diary - a Gift from the Heart

2009-03-25T12:05:00.002-06:00

I am writing this blog entry to share with anyone who has been touched by breast cancer the brave and wonderful blog my friend Linda has created as she goes through her own personal journey with this disease. The Breast Cancer Diary http://thebreastcancerdiary.today.com/ comes from her desire to share information that will help others to fight this with all the informational weaponry that they can amass.

I actually met Linda when she contacted me on my own blog, one artisan to another. For some reason something clicked and we started corresponding and developed a wonderful friendship. We've never met in person but we've truly come to know one another over time. I love her dearly for the wonderful spirit she has.

When she first found out that she needed a biopsy she was just like most of us, she was scared...and she counted on the health care professionals to help her. The reality of that was quite different than she'd imagined and her first few weeks after this devastating news was filled with more questions than answers.

Imagine...you are informed you have a life threatening disease that must be dealt with urgently but no one is following through...you wait, scared to death, for solutions (or at least the proper signposts so you know what path to follow) and no one gives you any or even seems to care. Meanwhile that clock is going tick. tick. tick.

Fortunately, Linda got the recommendation to seek out a good cancer center for treatment, but even that took information that wasn't readily available. It was then that Linda decided to keep this diary...to help others so that no one would ever have to go through that terror and confusion when time is of the essence.

Linda is still deep in the midst of her journey. She had the cancer removed from her breast just days ago but the biopsy results just came back yesterday with the news that it had gone into one of her lymph nodes. She faces yet another operation and then both chemo and radiation treatments.

My friend is a fighter...I believe she will come through this. She has the best care available now and her attitude is just wonderful. It's not easy to share this experience with others and it's a baring of the soul that has no purpose if it does not help those who can use this information. I'm writing this blog to try and get the word out there by whatever means possible.

I want her to be able to help others, it's a wonderful way to take something terrible and have good come from it. And, because she's my friend, I also don't want her to walk alone. So please, if you know someone dealing with breast cancer, send them to her diary...it may help. It's not about a pity party, it's there to help others have an easier journey in their own fight.

And if you are one of the lucky ones untouched by this, then just take a moment and drop by her side for a moment, so she doesn't have to walk alone. http://thebreastcancerdiary.today.com/ Thank you.

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Wearable Art Accessories Product Spotlight

2009-03-23T14:56:00.002-06:00

I'd like to familiarize people with how the market concept works at the new venue called 1000 Markets by using an example of the Product Collections that are featured on the home page of the Wearable Art Market . In the Wearable Art Market we have 13 feature product collections (an auspicious number in my humble opinion) and the painting featured above is used to illustrate the Wearable Art Accessories collection. A customer can just click on the link attached to this photo and immediately be whisked to this collection where they can peruse the full collection.

I've included a photo above of just one of the many pages in the Wearable Art Accessories collection to give you an idea of the fine selection available in just this one category.

Stay tuned and I'll give you a peek at some of the other exiting collections in the weeks to come! :)

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Ok, I guess I have Spring Fever, too!

2009-03-21T11:42:00.004-06:00

The last few days have been glorious here in SE Idaho..temps in the 60's and green starting to spring forth. It won't last...in fact we have snow and temps 1/2 that high predicted for tomorrow. But I have had a spring project waiting for me since Christmas.

A close friend of mine who lives in Alaska sent me a lovely and unusual gift in memory of our days together when we used to haunt the greenhouses there. When you live in the Interior spring is not just a season, it's a release from winter's prison, and nothing screams change more that bright greenhouse raised riots of color of seedlings waiting for a new home.

I suppose I'm behind the times, but I had never heard of "BloemBox" . I guess Oprah highly recommended these little seed boxes as gifts, but this was my first time seeing one. Not only is it a lovely idea (am sure it's patented or I'd be oh so tempted to create my own!) but the one I got was unusual in the fact that it was promising me roses from SEED.

Yes, roses grow from seed in the wild, but as far as I know is always sold as bushes that are already established. I can't say I'm sure that these will grow, or survive once transplanted but I would not be the garden adventurer I am if I didn't try.

The photo above is showing my homemade greenhouse for (hopefully) 32 new rose bushes (the Hens & Chicks wanted their photo taken too...they just sort of 'walked' in and took over lol). I discovered this method last year and it was extremely successful for starting seeds.

Yes, I'm guilty of buying bottled water...I cannot stand the taste or the color of city water here and I usually drink water on the go, when it's handy to have an easy to carry container. It makes me feel terrible that they fill up landsites though, so this is my way of recycling at least some of them.

What you do is cut the bottles in half, the top will slide into the bottom with a little maneuvering. Toilet paper rolls cut in half are used for the 'pot' inside...one per small bottle, 2-3 per large. A good mosisture bearing light potting soil is ideal. Everything is moistened and then the lids are put on. I leave the top up on the snap lids and poke holes in the others...this keeps it from getting too wet, yet retains a really nice misty condition inside the bottles.

Later, when the seedlings are a couple inches high, the caps will come off completely. I set the whole thing on a tray so I can move them around easily. When it comes time to harden them off outside, I remove the upper half of the bottles and I transfer the bottles to a heavy plastic milk crate...this allows the sun and air to still reach the plants but prevents them from being knocked over by the winds.

Last year I started some creeping thyme this way and they were very happy little plants. My trouble always comes when it's time to transplant since we live in the high desert. Too early and the nights will freeze up, too late and the sun will fry them and no two years are exactly alike. Fingers crossed that these little guys work, we removed a huge shrub in front of our house last fall than left a perfect area for a rose garden :)

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

The Ideas behind a Creative Series of Art

2009-03-20T10:37:00.008-06:00

I've been seriously pursuing an art career for just about 15 years now, but this new collection called Negative Spaces - Meanings in Random Patterns is my very first exploratory series. It hasn't happened quite how I would have imagined...the odds were that any series I produced would have been paintings, and yet this evolved as a jewelry pendant series. That's not to say that I might not cross over to another medium to explore this further, but at the moment I am content to explore this medium. As I said before, it began as a fluke...I just wanted to play with making some negative impression from an already deeply carved piece. I found it fascinating that the images created something quite different from the original stamp and that each piece also had hidden meanings for me. The above photo is of the eight pieces that form this collection, but there have been several other attempts that didn't quite fit the vision I have. The interesting thing is that the failed pieces became molds for two of these pieces and one is a piece made from a mold I completely designed myself. I think that I will be making a lot more of my own molds...it becomes a little less random, perhaps, but that is part of making it my own vision and because I will be making impressions the final piece will still have some random effects (that hopefully work). My first mold was made from polymer clay but I think I will move to soap or wax for my next mold and see what happens...that is the best part of doing a series, I think...it evolves as you go and failures become success. What more could an artist ask for?

Sue
http://ninedragons.1000markets.com

Want to know what 1000 Markets is about? Check this byhand.me interview out!

2009-03-17T09:05:00.006-06:00

I've been a member of 1000 Markets since mid-November and I'm totally passionate about it. I consider myself lucky to have been involved in this wonderful site while it's been developing in Sneak Preview and am very excited that we are moving towards our Grand Opening this spring.

And so I was delighted to see that ByHand.me just did an extremely comprehensive interview with Matt, the CEO of 1000 Markets. Trust me, if you're one of the people wondering what this new venture called 1000 Markets is about, it's all right here in this article and is a must read for consumers, artisans and those in the Social Media arena that want to see what doing something the right way is all about.

As an artisan shopkeeper I have developed a huge respect for the whole 1000 Market team...I find not only does this site work for me in regards to quality, ease of use and support, it works for me because I also believe in the vision, quality and integrity of the concept, due to the people behind it. I do not give blind loyalty to anyone because, personally, I feel that people need to earn my trust.

When Matt speaks for the 1000 Markets team and says "Ninety percent of what I do, I do because I love supporting artisan businesses." he is telling the truth...I have never seen a management group so willing to listen and implement ideas meant to help these selfsame artisans that have come together at 1000 Markets.

And I know, beyond a doubt, that when this site has its Grand Opening the trust of the buying public will also be earned...they will have a wonderful shopping experience, buying quality hand made products from a service oriented group of artisans backed by a trustworthy institution called 1000 Markets.

If you are like me and like to make your own decisions based on integrity and trust, please take a moment to read this interview at ByHand.me and then come check out 1000 Markets . We're still in sneak preview and as Matt said, we're still rolling out some improvements like the category navigation system, but I know you'll be impressed.

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Notice about change of management at Peace and Love market

2009-03-16T12:54:00.003-06:00

This is to serve as notice that I am no longer associated with, speak for or am in any way involved with the Peace & Love market. I have removed all accounts associated with this market under my personal and business name, but there may still be a few things out there where I have previously spoken on behalf of the market that could not be undone.

I do wish all the merchants who are a part of this market much success in their endeavors.

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Exploring new Concepts leads to a new Series

2009-03-13T16:04:00.003-06:00

Sometimes art is hard and you have to squeeze with all your might to find your voice. And sometimes it's a matter of wanting to just play...a sort of hmmmm, what if I did this moment. That's how I accidently fell into this new concept series called Negative Spaces - Meanings in Random Patterns.

The photo above is called Raven Dance Pendant. I describe the process as follows:

The method used is a reverse stamping process, in other words it's using the negative spaces formed in an already stamped or carved piece to create a new pattern. By only using a certain area of a stamped piece I create a random pattern to fit the shape of the pendant. But yet, not so random, as I find that each piece seems to call up something that has recent meaning for me.

The carved piece I used for this and the other three pieces done so far are from a four sided dragon carving. I'm showing this one first, as it's actually the head of the dragon. It's not really identifiable here, and wasn't meant to be. I used Pearlex powders to darken the recesses and highlight the raised areas.

As an artist I rarely see shapes as just shapes...they always bring something to mind...either because it looks like something or reminds me of something, at least in my own mind. And that is part of what being an artist is...you see something in your mind and set out to re-create it so that you can share it with others.

Usually that is done with a preconceived idea but in this case it was entirely random, sort of like a dream that is telling you something you already know but maybe weren't aware of. This concept is fascinating to me. Like reading tea leaves...messages in randomness, with meaning.

I'll reveal the other pieces in the next few days, meanwhile I'm taking this idea and running with it...creating patterns of my own to see if they also 'come out of the other side' when I put them into play. Heady stuff for an artist!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Looking for inspiration...

2009-03-12T16:41:00.005-06:00

Well, it's actually been a productive day for me but even though I fired eight new pendants they weren't ready for finishing, so I decided to play around with a couple photos I took. The first photo is completely untouched, though I did crop the image. I went to fill a pot with water and noticed the water was neon blue. I realized that the cobalt pieces in the window were being reflected in the water stream and wanted to get a unique angle of it. I love how it so sharply focused in on the water.
I did a ton of effects on this next one...none of the colors are accurate since I boosted the heck out of them and then cooled the temperature. I took this photo of my pieces still in the dutch oven on a plate glass (it keeps them flat while they cool). I noticed the cool, barely there, reflection of the overhead chandelier and wanted to bring that out so it looked like a mirror reflection.

I don't know why I do this stuff...I guess I just enjoy seeing unusual effects that I might use as inspiration down the road. No sense keeping them to myself :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Finding my Tweet voice

2009-03-11T12:14:00.007-06:00

Now that I'm firmly entrenched in the world of online marketing and social media I'm slowly learning that I need to find my own voice. Currently I'm managing two Twitter sites, one for our Peace & Love market http://twitter.com/peacelovemarket and one for my own work http://twitter.com/9dragonslady (feel free to follow either or both!).

Surprisingly I'm doing a bit better with the market blog than my own, though that may be because I have a stronger base to work with per demographics. It's a little easier to tie into other people's crossover interests too...like music...so far we have the Foo

Fighters http://twitter.com/foofighters following us plus a real rocking group I just got introduced to called Citizen Icon http://twitter.com/citizenicon . I think Twittering involves a lot of you scratch mine, I'll scratch yours, so I do a lot of re-tweeting followers' tweets.

I also try to play up the market products with a bit of foreplay in the form of questions...hoping to perk a bit of interest in following the link. It's hard sometimes...I know we have some awesome products and a lot of fun, interesting blogs and forum topics to engage people but I've never liked or wanted to be the slick salesman. I figure quality sells itself...but only if people know where to find it.

As to my own work and tweeting it...well, I think I need to just talk it up a bit rather than hard sell. I don't want to bore people with an endless parade of product (why click when you know what it's for?) or a boring minute by minute update of my day. So I'm falling back on my old WIP habits..which is short for Work in Progress. I used to do threads and blog posts that went on for weeks and months, and now I have to do it in one short sentence. Well, I'm using a bit of foreplay there too...don't you want to see the head I just popped in my freezer??? lol...of course you do...and it's now a twitpic.

Of course, I still haven't gotten any famous bands to follow me...I mean if you aren't Ozzy or Alice Cooper what use do you have for a head anyways??? :D

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Pi Squared Necklace

2009-03-10T15:14:00.003-06:00

Here is a photo of my latest Wearable Art design, Pi Squared Necklace . It is composed of 69 hand cut polymer clay beads and each bead is connected by a handmade sterling silver fitting. It's overall length is 20 inches. My favorite thing about this design is how each bead moves independently, flowing in an ever changing pattern around your neck.

You can find this necklace in my 1000 Markets shop Nine Dragons Sculpture Art or at the Wearable Art Market .

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Trying out different tools for Social Media interaction

2009-03-09T15:08:00.003-06:00

This photo is showing my new toy, a browser application called PeopleBrowsr. You don't have to download anything to use it, just go to the site and start using it (though you might want to bookmark it and certainly want to watch the tutorial video). This is a small photo, so maybe you can't really see what is here but it is showing 5 different photo streams from Twitter. I can simultaneously keep track of my own posts, my followers' posts, those I'm following, any comments on 1000 Markets and any comments of the Peace & Love market. I can also pull up other things to look at, like who is re-tweeting me or talking about a comment I've made. It sort of makes me feel like a spider who has spun out her web and is waiting for visitors (though I'm not trolling for dinner lol). I also can check and post to other social media networks through here, like Facebook, Flickr, Youtube and Google search plus several more.

I've also been exploring some other tools for Social Media like myopenID , SezWho and JS-Kit. This all started when I happened to come across a comment I had made on PR 2.0 that had a (who is this?) behind my user name...I clicked on it and found a little history of comments I had made on the web in various places. Hmmm...veddy interesting! I now have an open ID, and an account with both SezWho and JS-Kit. I may not need those things, but I have a feeling some of this will be important down the road, especially for someone trying to market.

I now have a new comment area on my blogger and it allows comments to include photos. I use my open ID to comment, which is kind of strange, since I've always used my blogger ID. A person can also connect with Facebook or Yahoo plus more or as a Guest with a chosen nickname. It also allows others to say if a previous post is offensive. I hope that this encourages people to comment, so try it out and let me know :) http://artravings.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you're trying any new toys too!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Twitter spam

2009-03-07T10:06:00.003-07:00

Admittedly I'm new to the world of Twitter, but I already know that it's a super social media tool. My purpose for being there is to promote our Peace & Love market at 1000 Markets . Right from the very beginning I was very upfront about it. I know a lot of people use it as a one line chat box, and I myself will use it that way to respond to friend's posts, but the main objective is to bring awareness about our market.

I've already learned some rules about gaining followers...no endless streams of format product hawking, throw in some interesting asides via links to things of interest and absolutely no direct messages to push my products. I try to keep my posts interesting and reach beyond the sphere of my artisan friends so I have a larger audience. I courtesy follow other businesses when they follow me. Slowly I'm building up a following.

But I'll tell you right now that I don't like direct message marketing, ESPECIALLY when you don't know the first thing about me or my work, but pretend you do. It seems that some people aren't so interested in tweeting as they are in having a way to directly contact people that might be a sucker for their sales pitch.

Last night I got a 'following' notice from a new online shopping market called Zibbet. I've seen them around, they seem to be trying for the same group of artisans that belong to 1000 Markets and were quick to jump on the bandwagon of no up front fees. Hey, good for them...but I sincerely doubt they have the overall vision that makes 1000 Markets one of kind or the inherent class that comes from the jurying process at 1kM. But you know, they followed me, so I did a courtesy follow back.

Next thing you know I get this in my direct inbox....

Love your range of work!! Check out Zibbet.com when you get a chance...we'd love to have you on board! No upfront fees!!

zibbet / zibbet

now...really? You love my range of work? What exactly do you love about it? Which pieces made you feel I had this range? Was there one in particular you liked and why? Do you even know my name? I mean, come on....is that the best you can do for a pickup line?

I'm an artist; for years I avoided marketing because I could not stand that slick 'you're an idiot, so I can sell you my snake oil' approach that sales people have. It's only since I've become interested in helping promote my market that I found there's a different way. The people that buy/use your products are just that...people. They have feelings, interests and don't want to be treated like idiots. Sure, they all buy things, but why should they choose your thing? Maybe because you cared about what they think, feel and have an interest in. You didn't just treat them as a statistical number in your line of fish that you've hooked and tried to reel in.

I can tell you unequivocally that I will not even check out Zibbet's site. I have no interest in associating with that kind of a place for my products (which yes, by the way, do have an interesting range and deserve to be in a place that actually knows why and appreciates it).

So fyi, zibbet....there's a new world of change coming...social media. You don't control it, and we're not going to fall for your old salesman tactics, because we've decided we've had enough - I care where my products end up. Take notes or you won't last long.

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

http://twitter.com/9dragonslady

I bought something at 1000 Markets!!

2009-03-05T09:57:00.002-07:00

I bought this lovely lampwork vessel from 1000 Markets last night, from Rosebud's Lampwork Beads .

I hardly get anything special for myself but I've been in love with her little glass vessels since way before Christmas, and I finally just couldn't stand the lust anymore!

I really had a hard time deciding exactly which one was the 'perfect' one...I really love cobalt and she has a lovely cobalt piece, and then she has some really unique open cut pieces too...but in the end, this was the one that said 'me'! :)

If you've never shopped at 1000 Markets, you're in for a treat. They use Amazon Payments and it takes less than a minute for a person to order, pay for and receive confirmation from both 1000 Markets and Amazon. And personally, it feels super to support quality artisan work and that is all you will find there, yep, one shop after another full of wonderfully crafted items!

I've already gotten a letter from Mallory saying it would be shipped today and I'm so durn excited that I grabbed these photos from her shop so I could feel like it's totally mine before I even get it.

So today I'm telling others that it's ok to treat yourself once in awhile and the perfect place to do it is at one of the 1000 Markets shops , and be sure to take a peek at the rest of Rosebud's Lampwork Beads while you're there!

Sue

http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Wearable Art on Youtube

2009-03-04T13:11:00.003-07:00

This is a Youtube video of a fine selection of Wearable Art designs now available at the Wearable Art Market .

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Gallery Show for Women's History Month at ISU

2009-03-03T12:10:00.004-07:00

So last night was the opening of the Women's History Month gallery show at Idaho State University. My painting "I am, Therefor I can" is seen in this first photo. The theme of the show is to deconstruct fairy tales in art or writing so that it shows the young women of today that times have change and they have a voice they need to use.

This painting is by CJ McCoy who is the head of the Women's Study Group at ISU. I wish you could see the little silkworms spinning the stockings from the toes up...I love touches like that!

This is another of her paintings, to show that this is another view, less seen, of Cinderella's life. Many people got into the spirit of the exhibition by dressing in costumes...it was rather surreal.

Here we have CJ McCoy as the 'bad' witch with one of her students as the 'good' witch...the costumes were great!

I thought this last photo was wonderful...when we left the exhibit we happened to drive by this lit up peace sign in someone's front yard. Yeah...love it!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

2009-03-02T12:03:00.002-07:00

Check out this collection of products available now at Peace & Love Market

Sue

http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

An Ode by Gary Jacobson

2009-02-27T20:58:00.002-07:00

This was just posted on our peacelovefanclub forum by a very special person, Gary Jacobson, author of several books on one of the most important aspects of the 1960's, the Viet Nam War. It's absolutely beautiful poetry about peace.

Somewhere Out There by Gary Jacobson

If you want to know more about this great man who sacrificed so much for our country, and then gave back so much, please see his post just below this poem and visit his site too. You can also find his site through our link page.

thank you, Gary :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Being a market manager...what a learning curve!

2009-02-23T13:45:00.002-07:00

I'm an artist and have always wished that I could just create and not have to market my work. That's no way to sell your work though, so I've had to learn the hard way. Now I find myself in the strange position of doing nothing but marketing!

Just recently we volunteered to start up the Peace & Love market at 1000 Markets . I have a fellow manager to help, Deb of Baubles Buttons Beads and we also had the design and marketing help of Mem at Mem's Pocket Palette . Once we got approval to start the market process it was just the three of us working on it.

We spent hours on the phone. Deb had a full time outside job and Mem was setting up a second shop of her own and squeezed in working on the markets banners and collection photos.

I did a lot of the grunt work at the puter as we set up the home page, policy and about page, forum and collections. We brought in Lee of Abelee's Handcrafted to take care of the blog. We started strategizing on marketing as we brought the founding members in.

We then added JJ of Painted Bull to act as another sales manager. Some of our strategy was to keep our merchants informed of all the steps we were taking. It really helps to know what the plan is and how it will promote your business. Besides that we've networked, twittered, stumbled, joined groups, joined webrings, blogged, set up a sister website as a portal (thanks SiteKreator for sponsering our site!) , contacted people to link into us, responded to hundreds of messages and emails, set up meetings with web consultants, studied up on search engine optimization and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

We've done all this in 3 weeks...from approval to begin, to where we are now. We are at the top of google searches for peace love market and peace love fan club. We've had 172 hits in 72 hours on our fan club site. It's not massive, but really good for a brand new website.

Granted, it's a full time job for me and the rest of the Golden Team. But we have enthusiastic support from all our merchants and, thankfully, understanding families. I cannot believe all that we have learned in the last three weeks! And the best thing of all is that I just love being a market manager...it's a time thief, that's for sure, and sometimes we're all running on empty, but it's ever so rewarding and will only get more so as our merchants become successful.

Next on my list? Time management!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Building the Peace Love Fan Club site using SiteKreator

2009-02-22T23:13:00.007-07:00

I'm really excited to announce the creation of the Peace Love Fan Club http://peacelovefanclub.com - a sister site to Peace & Love http://peacelovemarket.com , with special thanks to the generous sponsorship of SiteKreator, who donated a feature rich website.

I've had a personal website with SiteKreator for several years now, so I have a little experience with their interface. It's a WYSIWYG program that makes everything so easy that I sat down and finished this website within one day! And we're talking tons of stuff here...loads of pages, photo galleries, a forum, widgets and html code and behind the scene stat tracking.

Not only is it gorgeous but it's really a cool site for our Peace Love Fan Club...where they can tell stories from the 60's and 70's and even upload their own photos...all while listening to a special playlist of favorites from that era. Ease of click through to check out all the products at our market is super too...and if they use the pop out feature of the playlist they can groove while they shop :)

So if you're in the market for a great website (or want to have a little fun) check out peacelovefanclub with a dot com ... see you there!!!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

First Weekly Artisan Feature for peacelovemarket !

2009-02-20T14:35:00.008-07:00

Well, hey...our very first peacelovemarket artisan feature!!! I'll be choosing a different member each week, and like picking a name from a hat it will be whoever happens to show up first in our revolving merchant shop list. So...let me introduce you to the work of WB Eckert ...an artist whose work I greatly admire.

Let me backtrack a moment....

Our products in the peacelovemarket are based on the 1960's and 1970's and bikers were a huge part of the culture then too. It was all about the freedom of the road and living life in the moment to the musical roar of a V-twin engine. Any biker chick worth her salt was a royal queen on the back seat (and sometimes in the driver's seat...heh, heh) and this limited edition print titled One Hot Ride Foxxxy pretty much captures the feeling of just why we were Queens of our biker world...we were HOT!!!! Nuff said!!!

Stepping away from the hot mamas...let me introduce you to Bill's graphic side...this original painting Arc Flight capitalizes on his feel for 'flow' and color...when I look at it I'm am darn near hypnotized by the feeling of eternal motion and continuation.
I'm going to leave you with my favorite painting here...I just absolutely sigh in contentment every time I see this limited edition print of Solo . Do you not just feel an absolute connection with this ethereal sea being? Can you feel what it would be like to forever float in Mother Earth's beautiful womb? See...art isn't about just painting what you see...it's about capturing what you feel and sharing that with others.

I'm just going to leave it here with a big thank you to Bill for sharing that. Please be sure to check out the WB Eckert shop to see more of his work and take a moment to drop into our special market to see just how his work flows with all the other merchants in Peace & Love http://peacelovemarket.com

Peace!
Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

2009-02-19T11:08:00.004-07:00

Our Wearable Art Market feature for this week focuses on Caroly

n Tillie .

I must confess that I never thought much of the idea of eating raw fish, but lately a little sushi bar next to where I buy my deli products has caught my eye. I found myself entranced by the lovely colors and groupings...each offering looking like a miniature piece of art. So I can totally understand how Carolyn came to the decision to use sushi as the inspiration for her gorgeous jewelry!

I can totally picture myself wearing this Nigiri Bracelet but since I actually found the courage to buy some of that lovely sushi (and found it to be DELICIOUS) would I be able to resist wanting to lift my arm to my mouth throughout the day???

The color in the Toro Earrings are a sheer delight...crisp, clean and highlighted by a frame of frosty silver...yum!

This last piece Forged Ebi (shrimp head pendant) just tickles my fancy too...can you imagine all the attention it would get???

Sushi...eat it, wear it!!!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

2009-02-16T19:54:00.004-07:00

Ok...you all have encouraged me to continue with this :) Remember they are _my_ philosophies, and may not fit all...

- Harleys are for girls, too. To ride, to drive, to build, to just plain have fun on.

- We can't do what we want, get what we want, be what we want all the time. We can strive to do as much as possible and hope we are able to get what we need.

- Encourage and support yourself as well as others.

- Everyone is different but many of our feelings and goals are the same.

- Opinion only matters if it is sought.

- If you believe it is right, it is. For you.

- Stand for what you believe in - with action.

- For your whole life there will be those who try to tke advantage of you - be wary.

- Sex is an act of procreation that all animals are compelled to do. It is not love.

- Parents are rarely who we need them to be.

- We should be the parent we needed, to our own children.

- Regret is a waste of time. Move on. Improve. An honest apology is a worthwhile use of time. Once.

- I believe there is a force greater than me. I don't believe it is called god.

- I feel I should be good because I feel it is right

- I feel I should learn and grow because I have been given that capability.

- I should enjoy what I have been given. Learn from what I haven't been given. I should work to enrich what I have.

- There is a reason for everything in nature. Just because we haven't found ours, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Think - if our job was to be caretakers (of the earth) then we haven't done very well.

- Balance in all things is important.

- Everything has an opposite.

- There are too many laws.

- Anyone can learn if they desire.

- Ears have to be open to hear. And mouths shut.

- I was a willful child. A rebellious youth. I have found true love. Happily in pursuit of my artistic talent. I am honest. Loving. Caring. Kind. I have lost my way. Found it. Lost it again. I believe I know what success is. It is doing the best you can with what you have. Failure is a step to success. We all die. It matters to no one in time. History only leaves a few names. And Mickey Mouse is as famous as Mona Lisa.

- A good mood is an open door for other to walk into.

- Positive leads to positive.

- Your life's path can change in an instant. Remember that on bad days as well as good.

Well...that's it! I'm thinking I might have learned a few things over the years, so it was all, good and bad, worth it :)

Thanks for bearing with me!

Sue

http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

The Philosophies of Sue

2009-02-14T12:24:00.004-07:00

I came across this section of a notebook yesterday and I have no idea when I wrote it...but I guess it really does sum up how I feel about things! So hope you don't mind my sharing my strange philosophy of life.

- You may wear many names in your life, but you are who you see yourself to be.

- There is a difference between control and guidance. A guide will lead you through their experience, allowing you to learn for yourself. A controller will live your life for you.

- Always be open too learning, but never trust a single source.

-Trust your inner voice (if you are sure it is yours).

- Laugh at yourself. Only.

- Realize that you will never be safe.

- Imagine that you are hurtling through space and time. You can't go back where you've been and you can't see where you are going. Around you are screaming neon nebulas, blazing suns, whizzing meteorites and other hurtling beings. Reach out and touch what you can. Fill your eyes with beauty. Listen to the ages. Taste the energy. Smell the atmosphere. Lend a hand to those who have lost their way. Enjoy the ride.

- Power. You.

- Never seek to be someone else. Not only will you fail to be them, you will fail to be yourself. If you don't like yourself, learn to.

- The definition of 'cool' - self knowledge. Knowing what fits who you are. Exuding confidence. No one can make you cool.

- Honesty. To yourself. To others. The most important lesson to liking yourself, others, to being liked. If some don't like you, lay the blame on them, if you honestly like yourself.

- Moose are not pretty creatures. Yet behemoth RV's line up to take pictures. Even if you've seen thousands of moose, the next time is still neat. Why?

- Why is a wonderful question.

-Aging is a difficult process. It leaves its mark. I am a well read book. My pages are filled with a wonderful, horrible, happy, sad, rich, poor, loved, hated, lived, existed life. I love this book and it keeps getting more interesting and challenging. My book is always here to pick up. There is no ending that I will write. It is beyond Pullitzer. I love every tattered page and am thrilled that there are yet blank pages to fill. Somethings will write themselves - always a surprise. Some I can make up myself. I will march through it, skip through it, dance through it - because it is my story.

- A soulmate is a wondrous thing. Imagine someone who wants to co-author your book! Willing to write themselves into your book and inviting you into their own story. How wonderful when you have writer's block! It is totally possible for two people to walk through life together. Happily. Not easily- until the steps are measured so the pace is the same (if the freedom is given to each to step differently when needed).

- Love is worth it

I have more and maybe will add them in another blog tomorrow, but this seemed a fitting ending for Valentine's Day :)

note - As I said, I don't even remember writing these, though it's my handwriting lol Some things may have been adapted from things I've read or heard so I am not claiming ownership of anything except the fact that these ARE my personal philosophies :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

2009-02-13T12:39:00.003-07:00

This week's Wearable Art Market featured artisan is the jadedog .

I've always loved intricate traditional beadwork and durn near ruined my eyes many years ago when I practiced this exacting art. I just love how Darcy has added a completely modern twist to her beading, creating a true wearable art feast for the eyes.

One part of great artwork is choosing just the right names and boy, do I love these two!

First we have Elephant Tracks which is the piece I was most attracted to when I first saw Darcy's work. I love all things African, especially love elephants and this title alone took me off on a flight of fancy (but oooh, did you see the lovely details?)

Next we have It Began With Ann's Expression Now, I have no idea who Ann is or what her expression was (shock, dismay, astonishment?) but geez, sure was fun making up a story that might fit. Once again the details draw you in...the beading is technically perfect and has a wonderful rhythm in the placement.

I hope you enjoyed this week's feature and please be sure to visit both Darcy's shop and the Wearable Arts Market for more luscious art!

Sue

http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

I am, therefore I Can - finished Castle oil painting

2009-02-11T14:57:00.003-07:00

Well, I think we have come to the end of our journey with this painting. I know it's hard to get the feel of the real thing in a photograph this size, but if you click on the picture you will get a better idea. The colors are very close to what I have in the painting, as are the values, but you are going to see a lot of sharpness in the trees that is not that exaggerated in real life. The cameras pick up all the different colors and sort of separate them.

In the end I had to really kick back the color intensity of the castle itself, so that it would recede behind the figure. I had a good long discussion with an artist friend about the perspective and think I have learned a few tricks for the next painting :) This one though, is a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) lol.

I have to wait for this to dry before I try a frame...want to see how it looks in both an antique silver and antique gold...each will accentuate a different part of the painting, so am not sure yet.

I truly appreciate all the feedback that I've gotten with this long process of painting...thank you so much for following this whole 6 week process!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Looking for a little Peace & Love?

2009-02-10T00:16:00.005-07:00

Oh boy, do I love seeing a wonderful concept become a fantastical reality! Today marks the Grand Opening of the new Peace & Love market at 1000 Markets :)

The whole concept of this market is to take the taste and flavor of the 60's and 70's Peace and Love Movement and integrate it into the new millennium. So while some items are retro, others will be a new spin on an old idea...how exciting is that?

I've put together a little collage of just a few of the items that are available in this market...I kind of thought of how it might look if you'd just had a full day of shopping for goodies and just now were pouring your sweet take out to admire :)

Please take a moment to visit us at http://peacelove.1000markets.com , look at all the purties and take a moment to join in on some of the fun in the market forum.

Peace out!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

In a bit of an Animal mood

2009-02-07T15:03:00.002-07:00

This song was my personal anthem when I was 13...teenage angst? You bet.

At that time in the past, the biggest band around was the Beatles. Now there's a lot of Beatle songs that tie into my memories, but even though 'edgy' wasn't a word then, that was how I felt about the Animals. They had a real deep blues base (love the blues...mainly due to them) and somehow most of their songs touched upon how I felt inside.

They had a rawness and loads of rebellion that fit with the happenings in the world around me then. Think about all that was going on then...the civil rights movement, the Nam war, the atomic bomb drills in school, the questioning of everything...geez, how can a 13 year old deal with all that?

I dropped out and tuned in to cope...but you know, it wasn't all bad. This culture had a depth to it that the older generation didn't get. We said 'man, you had it all and you are ruining it...it doesn't have to be this way!' And for awhile there were so many of us that they had to listen.

They say that everything is a circle, and today I feel that is where we are...back to that point where so many of us are saying that exact same refrain...it doesn't have to be this way. And you know what? We've got their attention again...let's make it work this time!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Soaking in some Vitamin D and castle update

2009-02-04T13:33:00.004-07:00

I can't believe it...a productive day all around PLUS I actually got to sit outside, barefoot on the porch (at the beginning of February!) and soak up some rays. :)
This is the view out my back door and I can't help but start to dream of what things will look like when spring comes. My favorite thing in the world is to just sit and listen to the birds sing while I look out over this vista. It was nothing like the cacophony that spring will bring, but I did hear several birds chattering happily.

I've been real busy with market business plus I have several projects going...this shows the two necklaces of square beads that I'm working on (loads of fitting to still make for these) and it shows the ongoing hyperbolic crochet piece I'm playing with...it sort of looks like a swimming stingray at the moment lol, but will be fun seeing how it changes.

And I know I said no more updates until this painting is done, but it's going to go into next week and I know you were dying of curiosity lol! The lighter tower roofs on the right are what I did today, tomorrow I will go back in and darken them with the same colors as in the other roofs. I also have to lay in the red trim in one area. You can see I started the sky on the left, but haven't carried it to the right yet, that's just a fresh coat of white to work on. I've misted in the back hills and knocked back just about all the castle buildings to get them to sit behind the figure just right. I'm still not quite happy with the hair but this is getting close to the final painting, as I've been taking my brush at the end of each session and working over the older parts to tie everything in together.

It just feels good to get so much done and still be able to sit outside and play hooky for a bit. Life is good!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Wearable Art Market feature - fatalattraction's le Enchantement

2009-02-02T13:10:00.002-07:00

This week's Wearable Art Market feature artisan is fatalattraction of Le Enchantement .

Gale's work is uniquely her own style in every sense of the word. I've chosen three items, the first two leaning towards her wonderful sense of color and form and the last is just one that I totally have my eye on because it's well, just so me!

The Lady Sarah Textile Cuff just captures my imagination with that haunting color combination. Although it has a rose shape it makes me think of a lovely lotus sitting in one of Monet's paintings :)

And who on earth could not be captivated with the title of She was a Black-Eyed Bumper Car ?! Gale's product description have so much flavor I want to eat them right up :D

The last feature piece is the Taking Fire Ring which I just lust after, so couldn't not include it lol

I think we're lucky to have fatalattraction in our market to lend such a wonderful flavor!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Where it all began...reference photo for my castle painting

2009-01-30T20:08:00.004-07:00

Well, here it is, the reference I put together for my painting. I won't be showing the painting again until it's finished...which should be sometime next week :D I put the last painting update here too, so you can compare the two...there's been a lot of little changes since then, but close enough for comparison. A lot of other artists think painting from photographs is not good...and if one were to exactly copy a photograph they would be right. Areas that look pitch black in a photograph are not like that in real life. Colors don't necessarily work well in a painting (if you want a harmonious look) and sometimes you have to really play up contrasts and edit what doesn't work. And when you photoshop images together, well, they _look_ photoshopped and you most certainly do not want that effect in a painting. So...not only was I tackling a lot of firsts in this painting (first full motorcycle, first full building, first realistic landscape) I had to make the figure on the bike (me!) blend into the scenery. Plus, if you look close you will see that the photo of me on my bike was a horrendous reference picture. So...things I had to change were numerous. I lightened the castle so it wouldn't be so ominous. I left out the people at the castle door. I went with a light adobe color rather than mud yellow for the castle blocks. I edited out the huge wall patch on the tallest building wall. I got rid of the big black hole to the left of the coach house. And I integrated the bike into the scene (at least I feel so). There's so many little things that needed adjustments too...certain colors are sprinkled through out the painting so things will tie together...you may not see the slight hint of road color in the bike, but it's there. And there's hints of green in every single element in the painting. Anyways, to date I have blocked in all the white on the balconies but need to wait for it to dry to do the trim. (which is going to be a killer lol) I put in all the roofs on the tallest building and I've started the sky on the left...plus I went around the whole painting to tie things together. So...a few more roofs, finish the balconies, fix the windows and finish the sky...and that will be it....I can't wait!!!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Castle painting update - landscape completely blocked in

2009-01-28T13:33:00.004-07:00

It's almost as hard to get a photo as it is to paint this piece, but it's close enough to give you an idea of how the painting works together now. The problem is that the camera will exaggerate the reds and downplay the yellows. When I bring up the yellows the red is way too intense and I then have to tone it down. So the trees lose a bit of that true orangish look and become a touch browner. The other issue is that after adjusting colors I have to sharpen the image and it sharpens the edge of the mid-ground trees way too much. So if you click on this photo to see the larger image, get up and step about 4 feet away from the screen and then you should see it pretty close to the real effect.

I don't even know where to begin on explaining what I've done in the last two sessions. Yesterday I laid in the back hill on your right and put the mist cloud in at the end, it is a dusky pink and white mix...the pink looks a bit magenta in this photo, but in real life its a lovely lavender gray, because the green under the pink adds a touch of blueness to it.

Today I was bound and determined to get that lower right corner done. I had a heck of a time getting the colors I wanted, both in the rust and bright greens. There is so much going on there that it just started to look overworked, so I wiped it all down and started over.

When I laid in the new base I started dabbing in the darks...and suddenly felt like Vincent Van Gogh was looking over my shoulder. For the first time I actually got his vision through a painter's eyes, all those dabs became details that weren't actually details...sort of pointillism but instead of merging to become one thing they separated into a mass of things in a single group...kind of hard to explain, sorry! It was very cool looking though.

Sadly, I couldn't leave it like that, as it wouldn't flow with the rest of the painting, so softened it out by whisking a soft brush over it, only a tiny hint of it is there, if you look for it up close. Then I became one of those mad frenetic painters...I just started throwing yellow citron color dabs in there in general shapes and directions of the detailed tangle in the reference. Then I did the same thing with the darks. I thought it would never work, but when the mad inspiration ended, I sat back and said wow.

Understand that it's a really a mess of brush strokes...totally and completely abstract, not one actual leaf was painted. When you stand close everything looks undefined and a bit fuzzy, like when a photo is slightly out of focus except for the subject. But this is a good thing, because when you sit down on the couch and look over at the wall it looks like the most perfectly detailed forest ever painted, because the eye is reading the mass instead of details and I think that's how we actually see a forest in real life. Again, if you're looking at it up close you're not going to get that effect, but stand back and it just all works...if I sound amazed it is because I am, this is the first time I've come to understand how it works.

Ok...so session wasn't done. All that yellow green threw off the colors in the castle. Suddenly it was looking way too pink. So I took some yellow ochre and glazed over all the buildings. I took a light blue and toned down the blacks and the whites in several key areas to make the figure on the bike stand out more. I dabbed in some burnt sienna accents here and there and then knocked it back with a little green.

What I especially like about this composition is that the road leads the eye to the castle, but because the wall on the right curves and disappears it allows the eye to travel up and around the castle too and it ends back at the figure. I was taught that an eye needs to be able to move around the painting in the direction the painter dictates for the painting to work as a whole. So far it seems to be working.

Now I'm really excited...I get to do the balconies and rooftops and then finally the sky. This will be the most fun part because it will pull the whole castle together and the sky will soften the furthest stand of trees to give more distance plus soften the rooflines of the castle...can't wait to see it!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Wearable Art Market feature - elenamary

2009-01-27T08:17:00.004-07:00

This week's feature Wearable Art Market member spotlight is shining on elenamary .

Elenamary's style is very unique and I had a hard time selecting which pieces to feature, since each one is fascinating. But as I went through her products my eye was continually drawn to certain pieces, so this week, the eyes have it!

The first piece is Eye love U . The eye charms are made in Turkey and are protection against the "evil eye" .

The next piece The Seer also includes an eye charm...this one makes me think of the phrase "tears from the sea".

The last one is my personal favorite of elenamary's, called Sew Chic . Sometimes designs just have a certain flow that feels just right every time you look at them, this is one of the first pieces I saw when I came to 1000 Markets and I still love it.

I hope you have enjoyed this little preview of another one of our Wearable Art Market members!

Sue

http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Wet snow, castles and square beads

2009-01-24T16:21:00.003-07:00

This is the view out our back door this morning...it looks like sleet but it was really big fat flakes coming down so fast that they ended up looking like icicles hanging on the tree in the photo. It was way too dark inside to paint today but I did take a photo of my last session.
I can see that it is going to be a killer to get a good photo of this painting, I had good light when I took it but I still had to adjust everything to approximate the colors and tones in the painting. I realized as I was blocking in the trees on the right that they are bordering an old moat. You can see it at this stage, but the whole area is under brush in the reference and so it wasn't evident.

Since I couldn't paint today I thought maybe I'd play around with designing a new necklace. Spent most of the morning sketching something up and then the rest of the day extruding, cutting and drilling over 300 quarter inch square beads for my project.

This is a photo of them in my dutch oven just before popping them in the oven. I'm going to have to hand sand just about all of them to get a clean weave pattern.

So we know what I'll be doing this weekend lol!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

How something I always wanted became my new shop logo!

2009-01-22T10:40:00.007-07:00

Have you ever read a book and become entranced with an object one of the characters possesses? I read a book called Taipan many years ago. The story was set in Hong Kong and it chronicled the life of the head of a major trading company there. In one of the scenes he is sitting at his desk, about to sign an important letter. He reaches over to a case and pulls out something called a 'chop', which is slang for a Chinese character official seal. I can't remember, but I'm sure the seal was an intricate carving of jade or some other precious stone and it was pressed into a special red seal wax and then affixed to the letter. I'm not exactly sure why that object caught my imagination...I immediately lusted for one, knowing full well that it was something I most likely never would have the need for.

Then, just three weeks

before this past Christmas, I was perusing the National Geographic catalog of hand made artisan products from around the world and what did I see before my saucer shaped eyes???

Yes! A chinese seal... carved in the shape of a dragon, in a brocade box with yet another embossed dragon, that came with an additional dragon motif delft blue porcelain seal jar! Then I read the description which said that Chinese artisans would carve YOUR NAME in the seal!!!

Wow, I could have Nine Dragons put on it, use it to sign my business letters and, even better, incorporate it into a logo!

I let out such a loud whoop that my husband came running lol. Next thing you know the dear man tells me to order it as his Christmas present to me :) :) :)

The reason I didn't write about all of this at Christmas is because the order got messed up. It did not arrive until the day after Christmas (though I'd been assured it would come in time) and instead of having the characters for Nine Dragons it had 4 characters...one to represent 'ni', one to represent 'ne' and I never did find out what the other two stood for. (if you put together ni and ne...you get 'nine'...not exactly what I had in mind). Understandably, we were both very disappointed, I had very carefully explained what I wanted.

But I must say that National Geographic stands behind their handmade products. Phone calls were made directly to China, I was told I did not need to return anything and was reimbursed for my shipping and a rush was put out for a new seal with the correct symbols. I was informed that my order was shipped from China on the 12th and I had it on the 20th...absolutely the way I wanted it.

The symbol you are looking at is simplified Chinese character based. Traditional Chinese has the same symbol for the number nine, but the dragon symbol is comprised of two rather complicated symbols, so I'm happy to have this more simplified version...it looks nice and crisp.

The next step was to incorporate it into my banner for Nine Dragons Sculpture Art shop at 1000 Markets. Well, it really wasn't as simple as I thought it would be. I'm a firm believer that artwork should always take center stageand right away I could see that the red on white stamp was not going to work. So straight to my Gimp photo program I went.

Got rid of the white background...and added it as a layer to the banner. Still no good having a bright red logo. So then I tried changing the color to the same gold I use for the font. It took ages of fiddling until I finally matched it, but it still was fighting for too much attention. So I went through several steps of resizing, duplicating, trying little logos here and there and all over the place and loved nothing.

I was ready to give up after about 3 hours of messing with it and my husband told me not to give up, that he knew I'd figure it out. Then off to bed he went, leaving me sitting at the puter with a stubborn look on my face. Not long after, I came up with the gray on gray approach. It only took another hour to figure out how exactly to get the gray I wanted since I was not able to use transparency on top of another transparency. I must say I learned a ton of new tricks and ideas while doing this...wouldn't work for this project but I sure have some inspiration for future ones!

Anyways, I'm now quite happy with the result and so excited to finally have my very own chop and logo! My next step will be to use this as a template for my business cards by expanding the gray down below the banner and using that for my information.

Woohoo!

Signed,

Suehttp://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

2009-01-21T12:30:00.002-07:00

Today was a day where I just didn't have it in me for a marathon painting session. I started out wanting to get the majority of the trees into the right side of the painting and realized there were so many dark areas that I needed to let it dry before moving on. I also realized that I usually just show photos of the end of my sessions, which does not allow you to see some of the actual steps, so this is a good opportunity to see the actual block in of my darks. It's really just a map of the dark areas, they'll be refined in the next stage. So the first photo is of the end of today's session. The second photo shows the wider view, from about 3 feet away, so you can get a sense of the distance in the painting. It was taken right after I blocked in the darks and before I moved on to make some changes. I wish I could put them up side by side because there are a lot of little differences between the two. I wanted to start tying in the balconies and roof areas to the rest of the painting, so the first thing I did after blocking the darks was to put a glaze of payne's gray and ultramarine blue over the coach house roof. It darkened the value just enough that it allows the face of the figure to come forward a bit and it will work with the darker values on the roof that I will need. I ran the same mixture over the bridge house roof too. It's a very subtle difference but it's giving a nice depth to the colors. Then I blocked in and detailed the very first balcony and roof, just above and slightly to the right of the figure, at the edge of the largest and furthest building. In a painting the rule usually is that once you change something, you always have to adjust the things around it to fit, and it held true for this too. I went back in and reinforced the wall edges, the windows and faded out everything together. It's not supposed to jump out at you, just sort of blend into the building's edge :) I also took the brush that I'd used for the roofs and lightly ran that mixture over the reds in the building to knock the intensity back. Pure white is rarely used in paintings, except as accents. Whites have shadows...warm for the sunny areas and cool for the shaded side. So even though the balcony looks white, it's far from it. One side tends towards blue and the other a rose pink. The dark gray of the balcony roof is mostly a mixture of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue and the lighter side of the roof is mostly white and ultramarine blue, with just a hint of pink to it. The red cross bar is burnt sienna dulled down with paynes gray. Then I went back to the face. This face is only 7/8 inch tall...it's extremely difficult to shade something that small for dimension. You can see where it was when I started in the third picture. The photo is a little fuzzy, but so was the face. Every hollow and contour of the face is defined by highlights and shadows, just as in real life. I have been using a triple zero brush which is extremely tiny, but it's very hard to control in such a small area. I used a mixture of burnt sienna and payne's gray and very carefully added shadows under the cheekbones, at the corners of the mouth and around the nose. I then took a little bit of a mauve and used it to shape the sides of the face. The end result is the last photo. This is probably as much as I can refine the face. I still need to do a little work on the hands, at 1/4 inch there's not much I can do with them and they need to sort of fade into the background as much as possible. This is where being a perfectionist can drive a person crazy :D but I'll return to them later. This is just how I'm painting this particular piece, every artist approaches things differently, and even I will change approaches depending on the painting. This painting has so much going on that I constantly have to re-evaluate the situation to keep the flow. I'm very happy I started as I did, it's much easier to adjust the background to the focal area than vice versa. And if you will notice, almost every color I use is echoed somewhere else in the painting, which in the end should make for a harmonious color palette. That way everything seems to fit in the scene without standing out like a sore thumb :) I think tomorrow I'll work on the highest balconies and roof tops. I'll have to go darker than I want for the roofs because the sky color will actually work into the roofs to give an atmospheric effect. That's the plan anyways! Thanks so much for following along! :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Castle painting update - blocking in the hills

2009-01-20T17:00:00.001-07:00

Well, the stone layers can go home and it's time for the roofers to come in! I finally have all the walls blocked in and I've got a good base for the trees to the left of the castle. I have to wait for it to dry and then refine a little bit, but not too much, as I've got a good sense of distance started. I will finish all the greenery, the balconies and the roof before adding the sky. It's an overcast day, so it will be gray, I intend to pick up colors from the painting and incorporate them into the grays. The rooftops will be darker than you are seeing on the coach house right now, but I needed to start with a lighter value for glazing purposes. I got a little bogged down by the sheer massive undertaking of all those walls, but now I'm starting to get excited again. Imagine...I'm creating an event that never was! And yet in the making of it, it is somehow now a reality (well, almost)...how cool is that??? :D

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Wearable Art Market feature - Streetnoodles Handmade jewelry and more

2009-01-19T16:08:00.004-07:00

This week's Wearable Art Market feature member is Streetnoodles. Birds are one of my favorite things and this is one place where I can find lots of them! My favorite piece is the one shown above, a bird portrait necklace.

I'm also loving another necklace featuring a pretty handsome beetle. Normally I'm not really into insects but I really love the color combination on this one (plus he can't escape!)

For those of you who love nature, but would rather stop and smell the roses, then I have just the thing for you too...these lovely ivory rose and pearl earrings.

Please be sure to stop in and check out more of Streetnoodle's products in the Wearable Art Market!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Castle painting update - blocking in furthest castle bldg

2009-01-17T14:17:00.002-07:00

I've uploaded this photo small so you can get an overall feel for it as a whole, you can click on it for a large detailed photo.

I'm going to leave it at this stage until Tuesday when I'm hoping to get all the block walls and chimneys done. I think doing the balconies and roofs after that will be fun. So far I'm pretty happy with how things are receding.

I think the tallest building is part of the original castle, the lighter building to your right is a bit newer and the coach house and bridge entrance the newest. The unfinished building to the rear is also part of the original castle, it's so old that the blocks had crumbled and it's been replaced with some sort of plaster on the wall facing to the left. I completely left out another area that was plastered because it totally ruined the flow of the painting. That's called artistic license :)

It took one 4 hour session to block in the ivy and undergrowth on the right and another session that was a little longer to do the back building. The color had to be just right to work for fading, showing age and distance, and the main issue was getting the right tones, if an area was too dark it would pop forward.

The process will be slow for a little while longer, but I'm hoping that it'll speed up towards the end....we'll see :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Macro frost!

2009-01-16T16:32:00.003-07:00

I froze my butt off getting these frost photos first thing this morning lol! Hope you enjoy them :)

It's been a busy day for me, I finally opened a Flickr account and then joined the new Wearable Art Market group there. I'm pretty excited about that because it's an open group for anyone that creates Wearable Art (as per the wikipedia description posted there) and it will be fun seeing outside WA along with our own.

Chased down a few dust bunnies today too :D

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Frost Magic!

2009-01-15T17:25:00.002-07:00

This morning we woke up to a magical world filled with frosty remnants of a freezing fog. I couldn't wait to grab my camera and catch the magic before the sun stole it away. The first photo is a distance shot of the hills behind us with the moon still showing in the sky. Be sure to zoom on all of these for full effect :) The second is a rare shot of the sun itself, just barely risen above the mountains across town, the fog made a perfect filter! The third and fourth photos are of a candlestick pine (sort of like a pinyon) at the back corner of our yard, it looked pure silver from the house. The fifth shot is of a now freezing (instead of burning) bush :D And the best is last...this is the hedge about six feet from our back door. For sure look at this one zoomed (click on photo)...it looks like brush strokes in an actual painting! Hope you enjoyed the view as much as we did!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Castle painting update - blocking in castle (excerpt from 1000 Markets blog)

2009-01-14T15:45:00.001-07:00

Although I have lots to still work on in the front areas, I'm really, _really_ happy to be finally blocking in the main castle. At this point I'm keeping all details to an absolute minimum. As I go back there will be less and less detail, as it's easier to add more details later when I can judge how they fit into the whole as far as receding goes. The castle reference I'm using is pretty dark and dreary so I'm deciding my color palette as I go and keeping my values lighter. It is a lot harder to lighten things than to darken them, although anything can be changed once the paint is dry. I can also use some glazing techniques in the finish stages, if I keep it light, as each layer of glaze darkens the painting. As I go back I will start adding cooler blues and violets to the earth colors, as the eye sees warm colors as being closer. When I get to the final stages of the background I will actually bring some of the sky over the rooftops to fade them even further into the background. Another trick for achieving distance in a painting is to use tone gradation rather than hard lines for edges. For a painting to look realist a painter needs to mimic the human eye process. We see things clear and sharp when they are close but at a distance things start to melt into each other. There is also an atmospheric effect that comes into play. Some soft edges are still used in the foreground but this is an illusional trick to get your eye to 'slide' over some areas and focus on the sharper images the artist wants as focal areas. I cannot believe it is already the middle of the month and I really need to get some serious amounts of canvas covered in the next 2 weeks. Once I am done using the paintstiks (oil paint in a stick form) then I will move to the tube paints... they can take up to two weeks to dry this time of year, so I need to have as much worked out as possible so I only need to add glazes and highlights.

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Lavender Cottage - Wearable Art Market Featured Artist

2009-01-12T16:40:00.004-07:00

This week's Wearable Art Market featured artisan is Lavender Cottage . I always have a hard time choosing which pieces to feature, but this time it was quite easy, as the first feature piece is right at the top of my own wishlist :)

You see, I have a thing for dragonflies. No matter where I've lived, be it Alaska or Florida, there are always these quickly darting flashes of living iridescent color to engage my imagination. So when I saw this Enchanted Dragonfly ring, and Cheryl's suggestion that the size would be suitable for a thumb ring, well, it went right on my Amazon wish list (which I intend to show my husband come birthday time)!

I recently did a necklace based on water movement, so this piece entitled Water's Edge Pendant was also a cinch. I love how the balls just seem to be floating in a tide pool, and the background setting for this photo is just perfect for this piece.

These are just two of many wonderful designs on Cheryl's site , so be sure to take a peek and add to your wishlist!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

heART supplies (excerpt from 1000 Markets blog)

2009-01-11T16:47:00.003-07:00

I was talking with my friend, Lynn of BlueStone of Orcas Island today and she mentioned pulling out her heart supplies. She was speaking of actual hearts for Valentine themes for her jewelry, but I took it as calling her art supplies 'heart supplies' and it really got me thinking.

I'm not one to get all mushy about Valentine's Day (hey, if I get a card it's a talking hot dog asking me to be theirs lol) but I do believe art is from and of the heart. I think every artisan gets a little heart jolt every time they sit down to go to work and see all their supplies laid out. It does not matter if the supplies are jewels, raw materials or tubes of paint...it's all something to get our hearts racing, for we are about to make a gift of love for someone else.

Thanks for that lovely thought, Lynn!

I'd also like to thank Jacquie of JLynn Creations for the absolutely lovely feature she did on my shop. I adore beach glass and she's got a lovely selection in her 1000 Markets store, so be sure to drop in and check it out!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Castle painting update (excerpt from 1000 Markets blog)

2009-01-10T13:39:00.005-07:00

This morning I shut my puter off and settled down to a 3 hour painting session. Keeping in mind that this is basically an underpainting, I'm really satisfied with today's progress. The roof for the coach house was mostly done yesterday but it seemed to be floating in all that white canvas, so first order of business was to get the correct values painted around it.

One of the harder things to learn as a painter was how to get the correct values in color. Red, for example, seems bright but it really is a very dark color, especially if it is set next to a light color like yellow. For years I had a hard time with greens...there are a lot of green shades and they lean towards one of the primary colors, either red, blue or yellow. Put the wrong shade in the wrong place and it totally throws off the perspective.

When painting trees you don't really just lay a shape down, you break it into dark, mid and light tones and then go back with a highlight to pick out a few bright spots. If you look at trees in a painting up close, you are just going to see blobs of color with no rhyme or reason, it's not until you stand back that it all melds together. Brighter greens, with more yellows and oranges will come forward, cooler greens with more blue will recede. They get hazier in the distance also.

The part that I've actually had the most fun with is the coach house roof. Except for the bridge house roof, all the roof tops are a slate gray color. Yet, there is no true gray whatsoever in this roof. A true gray is just a mixture of black and white. But gray can be any color that has been toned down to be a neutral color. You can tone down colors with a complementary color (green with red, violet with yellow, orange with blue) or you can add a slight touch of black to it.

The roof is mostly a grayed blue and mauve, with white added to one of those colors for highlights. It's fun to paint with colors for gray, it seems to be so much more alive than a dead flat gray.

I'll be doing a lot more to the bridge house later, for now I have the values close enough to paint around it. It needs some detail work (and brick straightening lol) but if I try to do too much now it may be overly detailed and become the focal point instead of the figure on the bike.

I won't get back to this until Tuesday, but plan to carry the painting to the right now. Sorry for all the skewed perspective on this photo but I was trying to grab a picture before the light changed, a storm is heading in :)

Check out the beaded lily to see the series she has started; she asked several artists from The Wearable Art Market to put together something that featured our hands and today she started with mine :) Hope you enjoy it!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Time Management and Art Deadlines

2009-01-08T13:22:00.004-07:00

I have a deadline coming up for an art show and an uncompleted painting. I know that the only way to get it done is to keep it a priority and four days a week I sit down first thing in the morning and get to work on it. It's important to do this even on the days I have other things to do, because if I start making excuses and procrastinating I will never make the deadline.

I used to push through 6 or 7 days of working but found that pushing that hard would actually cause more harm than good. Life is about balance, when it leans too far in one direction one of two things will happen. Pushing will tire you out and keep the brain from functioning at optimal level. When tired, a lot of mistakes get made, which cost extra time to fix. On the other hand, procrastinating will take away the momentum needed to complete a project. If you don't keep the muse happy she'll go where she's needed :)

The downside of a push like this is that it does sometimes seem like all work and no play. When you are doing art for yourself it's more like playing, you can enjoy the moment. I find myself missing the other art I've been doing...no sculptures or concept jewelry is even being attempted right now because I need to focus on the deadline, but I do miss it. Normally I would be able to allow paint drying periods to be time for working on multiple products, I'm doing my first layer of paint in paintstiks this time so that I can get overnight drying and keep working.

Today was my chore day..housework, bill paying etc. A day away from the work of my art, but not exactly a day off either. And yet, I found myself itching to be painting, so the work schedule I've set up for myself is doing it's job :)

On another note, I want to thank Mem's Pocket Palette for the lovely and unexpected feature she did for my shop at 1000 Markets today. I hope that you'll take a moment to go visit her shop there, I am totally in love with her Nesting bowl and get a giggle from her Ol' Folk collections every time I see them. Thanks, Mem!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

A little progress on current painting

2009-01-07T14:38:00.007-07:00

Well, I've close to a quarter of the canvas covered now :D The trouble is that every time I sit down to paint I'm spending a lot of time going back and making small adjustments to areas that have dried. When people say that paintings look like a photo they don't realize that rarely does the painting look like the actual photo(s) used for reference. Since paints do not have the infinitesimal variances that nature's color spectrum has, they cannot begin to come close to the actual colors. Not only does a painter need to approximate those shades, they have to make them work as a painting, and paintings have different rules than nature. A photo also cannot truly capture the colors correctly and photos tend to take darker areas and turn them into black holes and also wash out bright colors. So really, painting from a photo reference is like a fine tuned dance where you have to anticipate your partner's every move or fall flat on your face. :D Painting is completely an illusion. How else do you make something three dimensional work on a two dimensional plane? Luckily, like magicians, painters have their own bag of tricks. There are techniques to make certain areas come closer or further; warms advance, cools recede, perspective and size relationships also come into play. The focal area needs less detailed areas around it so it will stand out. Certain colors next to each other will make one jump forward. Painting a large scene is a lot harder than doing a single subject, the figure on the Harley is only 7 by 3 1/2 inches and it's too detailed and small to be able use large brushes and sweeping strokes. Even though I've pretty much abstracted the engine, each stroke counts and one stroke at the wrong angle or value ruins the whole effect. This is also an overcast day painting, when there is strong light it's easy to use shadows and sharp light contrast to define areas. Here the differences in values are sometimes just a slight, subtle shift. Value is really much more important than color to making a painting work. After I have finished each session I have to stand way back from the painting and see how it all works together, and then fine tune the painting so it's cohesive overall. That involves a dab here, step back, another dab there, step back again, more dabs, until finally you step back and it all makes sense together. I enjoy a challenge, and I learn from each painting I do, but it sure would be nice if one day I've painted it all and therefore instinctively know exactly what tone and what color will work the first try, no matter what the subject. I think the pigs are scheduled for flying maneuvers that day too :D

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Two lovely features done on my art!

2009-01-06T14:39:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I found out that my baby chimp sculpture pendant was featured in Moods and Appetites . Since Japanese art was the inspiration for my foray into the world of sculpture , I was double excited to see my work along side of two very famous historical Japanese artists.

I love Katrina's approach to blogging, she has a very interesting way of tying historical and modern art together in an informational format.

I spent hours there last night checking out all the wonderful links she has too.

Today I was doubly blessed to find yet another lovely feature on my Nine Dragons Sculpture Art store at 1000 Markets.

For the love of beads is a blog written by a fellow 1000 Markets artisan, Mallory, of Rosebud's Lampwork Beads. Mallory is a wonderful glass artisan herself (I'm in lust with her glass vessels and can't wait to own one) and I love her sidekick, Spike :)

Thank you Mallory and Katrina, you've gotten my New Year off to a wonderful beginning!

Sue

http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

thebeadedlily - Wearable Art Market Featured Artist

2009-01-04T15:54:00.005-07:00

Today it is my pleasure to share the gorgeous beadwork of my fellow Wearable Art Market member, Sarah Kelley aka thebeadedlily.

I've chosen these two pieces to showcase her work because they are my favorite, although just by the teeniest margin. I also think that they are very representative of her artistic vision of tying her own work to the works of the past.

This first beaded cuff is titled Hamunaptra. The focal scarab grabs the eye immediately but it's easy to see and feel the Egyptian connection in the pattern and choice of colors for the beads.

One of the things I like most about some of Sarah's work is her use of different sized beads to tell a story, something I rarely did in my beading days, counting on pattern for my story. Her approach is much more innovative and exciting :)

This second cuff is a more traditional bead piece but I adore her use of the bone beads as an edging.

Hands Against Time is photographed against an art background from Dawn of Art: The Chauvet Cave. Note the color similarities, which act as a connection point between past and present.

These are just two of her cuffs, so be sure to visit her shop at 1000 Markets to see more of her exciting beadwork, and while you're there, check out her primitive metal series and stringing too.

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Artistic Resolutions for the New Year

2009-01-04T14:43:00.004-07:00

Last night I found myself painting at one in the morning and realized that I need to make a New Year's resolution to bring more balance into my life.

It seems that every year I set goals for what I'd like to accomplish and then push myself to exhaustion trying to meet them. This year I have the same type of artistic goals and have even added more responsibilities on top of it.

And it's not that these things are unreachable, I just don't seem to know when to stop.

This doesn't seem to be an issue in the summer as much as it is during the winter months. In the spring I just have to hear the birds singing and I'm ready to go take a break outside and just enjoy the ambience. But during the dark and cold days of winter I have no distractions. I'd love to be able to just sit and relax but I can't just sit there and stare at a wall. But working until the wee hours of the morning is neither good for my health nor my art. So, what to do?

Well, I'm going to take my weekends off and not work on work. Five days a week is plenty of work time, considering I have a home to take care of too. I won't commit myself to not using the time to catch up on computer work, but I will save as much time as I can to just rest up. I'm also going to give myself a curfew. No work after 8 pm. If I want to play, perhaps just experiment with some techniques, then that is a bit different and might be a way to relax without boredom.

It seems strange to make a resolution to do less, and to have an artistic resolution that really has nothing to do with art goals, but I'm thinking that after a certain point I'm just spinning my wheels or sliding backwards anyways.

Perhaps by being good to myself, I might actually get more accomplished in the long run, and I think that might work as a worthy New Year's resolution after all!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Castle painting update (excerpt from 1000 Markets blog)

2009-01-03T17:17:00.003-07:00

At this stage I've finally got the whole figure and Harley blocked in, close to the end values I'll want. The building I believe to be the coach house is also blocked in, along with the road and walled edge. There is going to be more value change on the road but it has to wait until the paint is dry. Technically this would be called an underpainting, but it's a little more developed than most underpaintings because there are so many different things for the eye to look at that I have to constantly adjust to make sure the eye will go where I want it to in the end. Usually most of the detail goes in the foreground, but even though the bike is closest, I'm abstracting it somewhat to keep the eye on the figure and middle ground. So you'll see stronger colors and contrast on and around the figure. Backgrounds are usually cooled down and softened so they'll fade into the distance. One issue I'm running into with the castle is the various color changes. It looks like the coach house and front entrance wall are the most recent additions and from a different quarry than the road cobblestones. The castle itself looks to have gotten quite a few additions over the centuries, some walls are very weathered and others have been completely mortared over. I've decided to essentially paint what is there and decide as I go how it gels as a painting. Since this painting is for a show that is supposed to deconstruct fairy tales it might just work if it's not the Disney version of a castle :) It's also funny/ironic that when you go to paint something as involved as this you tend to think some parts will be a killer and others a piece of cake. But so far the things I thought would be hard have just flowed out of me like I've done them a million times. It's the easy parts that are killing me lol The face is less than an inch long and it's very difficult to block in the features...my reference is a snapshot taken of me coming out of a tunnel near Jemez, New Mexico and it's maybe 1/2 the size of the figure and bike I'm painting. I keep telling myself that I can make a lot of refinements when I put the final touches on the painting at the end. So far I have about 13 hours into the painting portion and only have about a sixth of the canvas covered...hope you like a long story!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

A good day to be inside creating (excerpt from 1000 Markets blog)

2009-01-02T15:10:00.005-07:00

I did work on my painting today, but there's no way I can get a decent photo of the progress. Instead I'm showing the view outside. Just an hour ago almost all the area except for the strip by the hedge was down to bare lawn and it was raining steady. Temps were in the 40's. Just 3 days ago everything was solid white and as deep as 5 foot in places. The rain knocked down about 3 feet of snow. Now the snow is flying and the temperature has dropped 10 degrees. The road is a slushy mess. A cold front is following this snow in, going to be close to zero tonight and not out of the teens at all over the weekend. I'm afraid the roads will be like a skating rink as soon as it gets dark. So far my cold hasn't gotten worse and luckily I don't have to venture outside until Sunday, but my husband has to make it home, and we have a pretty steep hill to get up here from town. Four wheel drive helps, but not on sheer ice. Am hoping the city gets some gravel down soon. But despite the poor light I've been able to get some progress done on my painting. I can use supplemental light to work with, but not to photograph with. There's something very satisfying about being able to cozy up and create on a day like this, maybe it's just in the appreciation of being warm and dry :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Beginning of the painting stage...figure on bike

2009-01-01T15:41:00.004-07:00

Most artists understand that the first stages of a painting are not 'pretty'. At this point all I am trying to do is get a mid-tone range of values. I will go back in after things dry and punch up the darks and highlights, but there will probably be another stage of corrections before that. Right now it is at a very abstract stage and I have a better reference for details once the bike and myself are all blocked in.

When I paint I keep in mind that the optimal distance for viewing is 3 times the width of the canvas, which is right about at 5 foot. So what may appear abstract in a close up view will gel quite differently at that distance. The view you are seeing in this photo is from about two feet away. The background is also not quite the stark white as it is in real life, it's a little easier on the eyes grayed out a bit.

I'd hoped to get the whole bike blocked in today but it seems the new year has brought a cold to me (I'm still functional, Chopper is laid out with his) and I didn't want to push it. I'm hoping I feel up to another session tomorrow. Just keep in mind that there will be a lot of changes between this and the final painting :)
Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Line Drawing done for newest Oil Painting

2008-12-30T16:07:00.004-07:00

Line Drawing for newest Oil Painting:

Well, 12 hours later, 4 inches of pencil shorter, and with crossed eyes, I can finally say I've finished the drawing for my painting. I don't know if I mentioned that the size of this is 16 inches x 20 inches. Not very big on a gallery wall but pretty big for a line drawing. The combination of my gesso coat and the cotton weave of the canvas just wore my pencil to a stub.

This is the most ambitious perspective drawing I have ever attempted. The castle is a wee wonky to begin with, mostly in the roof lines, am thinking that the braces for the spires may have warped a bit over the centuries :D And I never saw so many different vanishing points in my life...I thought my brain would vanish before I was done! I did my best, checking and rechecking angles and I'm pretty satisfied with it, overall.

It's times like this that I wish I wasn't such a purist in wanting to do my own drawings...I could have cut the time to an hour if I used a photo enlarger. I try to tell myself that it's just a tool and it's not that I can't draw but I just can't get past the thought that it would be 'cheating'. Sigh.

I've decided to cover the drawing with a very translucent wash of gesso. Because of the rough texture I had to go back over and strengthen the lines and I don't want the graphite to migrate into the oils, and the retouch varnish I had planned to use may not quite do the trick. I took the photo now, because that will really lighten the lines.

I'm afraid that's all I'll get done tomorrow as I have company coming in the afternoon. But it's good to take a little breather so I can step back and think about my color palette and work out my plan of attack :D A line drawing doesn't catch any of the nuances of light and depth, so that's all got to be worked out in my head ahead of time.

I also think I'm going to approach the painting aspect a bit differently than normal. Usually on portraits I do the background first but I think I'll start with the focal point of the bike, then do the castle and bring in the background last. I have three reasons for this...first, I won't lose the edges I need for my perspective; secondly, when I put the background behind it I will be able to lose some of those hard edges and give it a sense of soft distance and last but not least, landscape is not my forte' and a little procrastination will warm up my courage and technique.

Thanks for following along, am not sure when I'll be updating this...depends on how ugly the beginning stages are :D

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

First drawing for newest painting

2008-12-29T19:31:00.003-07:00

This is just part of the drawing for my next painting. I realize that it's hard to see, it's drawn very lightly in pencil on a textured gessoed canvas. Line drawings are not very pretty anyways but I need to do them on anything that has to be kept in perfect perspective. It is just a guideline for the painting, you can't really just fill in the lines with paint :)

I had hoped to get the whole drawing done, but I'd forgotten that I wanted to put a light coat of new gesso on the canvas. I've found that when you buy gessoed canvas it is rather slick, the new layer gives the paint a better bite. I've learned you have to let it dry very well so I lost a couple hours waiting for it to dry.

For those of you who have never done a grid drawing, here's how it works. I put together a ref in photoshop (actually Gimp), sizing the whole piece to be 8x10 print size. I then combine different references as layers, moving them around until I'm happy with the composition and print it. I then grid the print into one inch squares. Then I draw out a grid of two inch squares on the canvas. I use the squares as guidelines for positioning as I draw. I can and have free hand drawn other paintings, but it is way too easy to get off on angles when doing mechanical work.

Once I get done with the drawing I will erase any unnecessary lines with an elastic type eraser. I then coat the drawing with a layer of retouch varnish. This seals the graphite in place so that it can never migrate into the paint. I could also use an almost clear coat of gesso, but I draw fairly light and that can obscure some key points.

If you follow along on this WIP you will be amazed at the changes it goes through before the final touches. All that the line drawing really does is save me some work positioning things later, I can paint a bit more freely once I have a map in place.

So, are you wondering what this is? If you can see it good enough (I tried to up the contrast a bit) you'll see that it is a girl (me!) riding a Harley (1200 Sporty to be exact). You can probably see a bit of an odd shaped building behind me and a curved wall to the left of the bike. That is the beginning stages of a walled road that leads to a castle. The small building is probably a coach house that sits across the lane from the main building.

I don't usually do paintings specifically for gallery shows but the concept for this particular show intrigued me and I immediately saw my interpretation in my head. The show will be at the University of Idaho during March, National Women's History Month. The Woman's Studies Program at the University puts on a yearly show. I had a piece in it two years ago but was not painting last March.

The theme for the show is: "From Cinderella to Fiona: Reconstructing Fairy Tales from a Feminist Point of View:. It is supposed to be an original and innovative way to teach girls and young women about what it really means to be a woman.

I grew up in an era when women were expected to fill a certain role. Nothing wrong with that role if a woman chooses it, but there really weren't places for women to step out into other fields. It didn't take much for me to figure out that this was not fair...I knew for a fact that I could out think, out run and out dare any boy I knew, so no one was telling me that they were better than I and therefore should have more opportunities.

I've always had a bit of rebel in me and yet like any girl I loved to lose myself in fairy tales. The funny thing is that as a tomboy, I did not see myself as the fairy princess, no, I rather liked the idea of riding my own white horse off into the sunset (maybe I'm mixing up fairy tales and westerns here lol). I also had noted that women throughout history had not always played the expected role either. Amelia flew off into history, Susan B. Anthony had her home in the town I grew up in and Cleopatra may have been a queen but she didn't really fit the stereotype either.

I wondered for a split second how they broke the mold others made for them and it came to me...they just decided they were going to do something and never let anything or anyone stop them. Stubbornness is one of my character traits, so I decided that that was just how I would do whatever I wanted in life, even if others said I couldn't. I worked construction when it was pretty much a man's domain and I got my own Harley despite the common belief that I belonged on the back and not in the front. Oh, I took a little crap, but I gave back as good as I got and I earned my respect along the way. They have a saying that a woman has to work twice as hard as a man to prove themselves but I found that all you have to do is get your scoot to the next traffic light twice as fast :D

Anyways, this is what I'm drawing on for this painting. It is going to be titled with my own favorite private saying...'I am, therefore I can" It will show me riding out of that really-not-so-fairy-tale castle on my own damn steed, grinning bigger than the Cheshire Cat. :D

For me that's always been it...I've always known that I can ride off into the sunset any time I want. It doesn't mean I have to leave responsibility behind but it's me that gets to decide where I should be, because it's nobody's life but my own.

Now I just have to get my fairly realist painting to convey all that without words lol

(Just for cuteness sake I've thrown in a photo of Boots playing in the snow below)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Introducing my New Art Gallery of Paintings to 1000 Markets

2008-12-28T21:31:00.003-07:00

I've painted seriously for almost 15 years, but I have recently been on hiatus due to health issues. Luckily, and unexpectedly, the muse has returned and now that I'm working on a new painting I've decided to add a collection of my paintings to my existing Nine Dragons Sculpture Art store on 1000 Markets.

The painting above is titled The Sultress. It was featured along with another of my paintings on a full back cover ad for Shiva paintstiks in the Pastel Journal. It's a favorite of my husbands and he's been reluctant to part with it but the time has come for her to find a forever home :)

The painting I'm working on now is for entry into a gallery show at the University of Idaho. The theme is deconstructing fairy tales to show a feminist point of view....right up my alley teehee! Tomorrow I'll start a base drawing and hopefully put oil to canvas the day after.

I'm really looking forward to painting again. I know I'll have to make a lot of adjustments in how I work so that I can handle the long hours but I think it'll be worth it. Because I paint with oils there is a lot of down time while I wait for the oil to dry between layers., so I plan on keeping up with my sculptures and jewelry during those times.

It's really exciting to put up a new art gallery of my paintings and it's an awesome way to artistically greet the upcoming New Year! Woohoo!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Art & Vision

2008-12-26T15:49:00.006-07:00

As the New Year approaches I'm taking a good hard look at my own artistic vision and where it stands. Lately I have been concerned with the marketing aspect of my work, something that is much needed for a successful art career. Unfortunately, sometimes in the act of marketing we forget the art.

There's an endless amount of discussion over what constitutes the definition of art. Is it talent? Is it marketability? Is it fine art or craft? Does it need to be traditional or expressionistic? I don't think any of that is art, rather just labels for art.

Art is the vision of the artist, no more, no less. If something is made for the sole purpose of selling it is a product. Art can be a product but a product cannot be art. If that sounds a little confusing, well it is, especially when the artist is the one that gets it mixed up.

This photo is of one of my first sculptures after changing over to sculpture from painting. I had a vision that was all my own. I even had to create a new 'life form' to be able to express it. I called them Jammins'© and this sculpture I created was called 'Leapfrog'.

Now, my forte' in painting was realism. I can sculpt realist too, but that was not my vision. Perhaps a large nude or animal bust would be considered more serious sculpture, but again, that was not my vision. My vision was all about expressing an emotion...joy. I think I did that and did it well and certainly in no one's voice but my own. I'm very satisfied with this piece and I know the owner loves it.

But, not every one gets it. Just like everyone didn't get Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, not really a fit for the times, so to speak. So I stretched my scope a bit. I started turning mini-sculptures of animals into jewelry...people like animals and they like jewelry, so it sounded good. I like those too...it was a creative solution and I was still enjoying it.

Well, they didn't move quickly either. I know that lots of people like them, just haven't been breaking sales records with them. So I expanded into more conventional jewelry. I've done a few custom pieces that I'm quite happy with and have opened a new avenue of expression, and that's all good.

But suddenly I find that I'm thinking more about product than expressing my vision. Or maybe thinking about vision as a product...either way it's not good for the vision, or in other words, the art. I'm not following my vision like I need to be. I'm not expressing joy and I'm not feeling joy in my work right now and that is so not good for the art. Somehow it's become more about proving myself than making art, more about selling the product rather than the art. I haven't made a Jammins© sculpture in ages. And why? Because it wasn't selling well. Shame on me, how can I call myself an artist?

The New Year is just around the corner and so its time for new resolutions. I'm going to take my cue from Vinnie...he knew his vision clearly and even though he was never successful in his lifetime he knew that people would one day see it for the art that it truly was. As an artist, you sort of have to believe that to keep creating or else it has no value... monetarily or otherwise.

I see no problem with continuing to create in the newer directions I've found, but I need also to get back to basics. When you have a vision then you have to fight to make it become reality. You have to stay true to that vision or it becomes valueless. I'm all for marketing my vision, I'm not at all for just marketing a product. If I don't protect and nurture my vision then product is all I will have and the world is flooded with product and doesn't necessarily need more of it.

But I do believe that the world needs vision...it's not always a joyous place and perhaps a humorous little sculpture isn't going to bring joy into the world per se. But if it brings a little smile, if it reminds you that there is such a thing as joyful abandonment, then that is all I really want.

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Happy Holidays from Art Ravings

2008-12-24T12:24:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Wearable Art Market feature - Constance Rose Textile Designs

2008-12-23T07:55:00.003-07:00

Don't you just love this hand-painted silk chiffon scarf by Constance Rose? Every time I see it I think of the story of Joseph and The Many Colored Coat.

Connie is a member of the Wearable Art Market at 1000 Markets. Each week I am featuring the work of one of our members to give people an idea of the wonderful selection we have in our market. You can click on the photo above to see details about this item, and be sure to check out the rest of her shop...she also offers beautiful art cloth and handwoven wearables.

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Can I have it now, puleeeze?????

2008-12-20T14:58:00.003-07:00

This is Boots. Boots is doing what we call his 'bear trick'. He does this when he wants something (like a yummy treat). Boot's is a very polite dog, he's never messed with the Christmas tree or with the presents under it. But he loves Christmas, and knows exactly when it starts...the day I pull out the decorations.

He will not leave my side until everything is in it's place. He noses each present as it goes under the tree, but he knows, just like any little kid, that he has to wait until Santa comes and makes it official.

There is no cue when that will be though, and the anticipation builds and builds. Last night a new present went under the tree...he 'helped' to wrap it even. I walked out of the room and when I came back I noticed him with his head to the floor and thought I heard a paper crinkling.

I rushed over and sure enough he had a present there...nice and soppy wet from him licking it. Now here's the thing...when he's given a package he rips the wrapping right off, just like any eager kid. This wasn't torn at all...but that's not what is amazing. He had pulled HIS present out from under the tree.

There was no give away that it was his...no scents, no sounds, no obvious shape. And he had to go through a few other presents to grab this one. How did he know? Even if he figured out it was the only package that he hadn't helped put there...how did he know that? Sometimes I think these doggy friends of ours hide their 'light' behind affable grins just to keep us guessing.

Anyways, I put the package right back where it was and told him 'not yet' and it hasn't been touched since. But I think Santa better hurry :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Latest Wearable Art design - Shimmer

2008-12-18T11:35:00.002-07:00

This is my latest Wearable Art necklace, Shimmer.

I designed this one to be flexible so that it would have movement and catch light in different ways. It wasn't really an easy design for a perfectionist...I like every i dotted and t crossed.

I had to let go of that, though, wire is springy and although it is a thick enough gauge to be sturdy it is still bendable, so the many components are able to be shaped to an individual person's form.

The bell cones are based on the practice of Native Americans use of cone shaped shells as decoration. The cones are made of a pale blue polymer clay and then hand embossed with a fine silver metallic powder, then sealed. So they look blue, silver or a combination of the two, depending on the light.

If you notice, the glass beads around the neck are glittering in some places (click on the photo to see this piece on my shop, then zoom to see detail). That is because part of the beads have been treated with a photo emulsion and as the beads spin on the wire base they sparkle like little jewels :)

Every component on this piece moves in one way or another, bouncing or turning. But the main frame does hold it's shape unless manually adjusted.

It really shines on bare skin, so would be lovely with an open necked top or dress.

I think maybe I've strayed a little from my usual minimalist approach but sometimes whimsey is just as appealing :)

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Fantasy and Reality

2008-12-16T16:56:00.005-07:00

A few of my fellow members at The Wearable Art Market live in the southern climes and have been saying how much they are missing the change of the seasons, and mostly, snow.

So I thought I'd give them a nice snowy little view of the hills behind our house. I took this photo early this morning and about five more inches have fallen since then.

One thing about pretty little fantasies is that there's usually a not so lovely reality lurking around behind the scenes.

The photo below (and my aching back from shoveling the driveway and front stairs) is a good example :D

Enjoy those balmy days, ladies!!!

Sue
http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons

Wearable Art Market feature - Art for Your Head

2008-12-15T18:17:00.002-07:00

I've talked about being a member of The Wearable Art Market at 1000 Markets on this blog and while you may be familiar with my wearable art jewelry maybe you haven't had a chance to see some of the other member's work there.

So I thought that each week I'd feature one creation from each member of our group, starting with DreamWoven, our Market manager, just to whet your appetite.

The name of the hat featured here is 'Ambrato'. This is part of the description of this fantastical creation:

This hat is a freeform creation done with a combination of techniques.... felting (fulling)and needle felting. She is made from bits and pieces of fulled (felted) merino, alpaca, llama.... needle felted to achieve the 3 dimensional quality (the ridges as well as the ruffles in the back)... I used an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous amber ("Ambrato"), honey, butterscotch, hand dyed merino as the accenting colour to the different shades of greys and browns. The embellishment of the domed vintage wood button (very reminiscent of the contours of the hat itself) along with the handsewn Adventurine beads, makes for a wonderful focal point.

Trust me, this is just a wee taste of some absolutely beautiful and innovative pieces of her art that are also wearable. I've an eye on her fey series hats...they have adorable side tassels that look like the cutest little pigtails, I think my granddaughter would love one :)

Sue

http://www.1000markets.com/shops/ninedragons