"Shapes around us"

  One of the lessons that I learned from "The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design" e-course is that you can find inspiration in virtually anything. I kind of already knew that, based on my experience in the jewelry industry and designing, but it was so much fun all over again to experience looking at common shapes in simple objects and getting downright GIDDY. Yep. Giddy.

   It was great fun walking around downtown Providence, RI taking pictures of architecture, bricks, old paint, anything that caught my eye.  You'll never look at manholes the same way again! I also found all kinds of nifty things inside of my house to photograph as well.  I used my iPhone 4 to take all of the pictures via "Hipstamatic" app, one of the coolest apps around for anyone that's into digital photography. Most if not all were taken using John S lens and Kodot XGrizzled film.

  Spirals. That thingie in the lower left corner is a pod of Cascade dish soap. Lol.  I love incorporating spiral shapes and details in my work.

Mosaics. The top right is from an exhibition of Dale Chihuly's fantastic glass works at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston from last summer. Navajo blankets!  A whole wonderful and colorful wall of them! He collected them as inspiration for patterns in his creations.

Oh yeah, and if you haven't guessed yet, I like bright, bold, and cheerful colors :)  I enjoy going to garden centers and annoying whomever I am with by obsessively taking pictures of flowers. I especially enjoy sketching and drawing flower shapes and themes.

These are "hens and chicks" (Sempervivum tectorum) from Blithewold Gardens, in their small but fabulous greenhouse.

  I'm not the best writer, and I figure that I can post a lot of photos and my own artwork to fill in a lot of the blanks.  Haha.  Right?  And a big ooops, I didn't even post any pics from Providence.  Next time!

  Tata for now, more photos to come...

  Oh, and if you want to Pinterest any of my artwork or photography, please attach a link to this blog and give me credit.  If you don't, I will find you and hurt you ;)

"Do What You Love".

  It all started while Googling late one night.  I needed a change, and a new challenge, SOMETHING to get my create juices flowing again. While looking for potential online courses to take, I found all of these blog links to a website called, "Do What You Love", by Beth Nicholls. Intrigued, I clicked on further, and found Rachael Taylor's e-course "The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design".  That was it!  BINGO! I signed up for Module 1: Designing your way. I was so incredibly pleased at how professional it was set up, and even more impressed with the wonderful, diverse, and talented group of people that are participating!

  Various projects, tutorials, interviews, and industry links are given out daily, and you work at your own pace. Finished pieces or inspirational photos and moodboards are shared via a Flickr group. It is such a positive and uplifting experience to share your own work and see other's, receive and give feedback. It's an international group which makes it even more fun!

  Below is my very first project, done about 6 weeks ago.

© Groovity

 We had to take some sketches, or shapes, or buttons or whatever, and play around with them on a background, like a collage. I used some colorful drinking straws as a background, and overlayed some little sketches that I did. Some people used ribbons, ric-rac, it was amazing what the end results were! Fun stuff!

  The fun continued, each and every day, every week for the length of the module course. And oh yeah, I started this blog because of it...

  I just emailed my final project to Rachael Taylor's blog, showcasing all of my coursemate's designs.

© Groovity

 I called this one "Boho Carnival".

This has been such an incredibly neato and creative journey, all crammed into 6 weeks. At times I thought my brain was going to implode from all of the ideas bouncing around. Glad it didn't.   I feel refreshed and renewed, energized and ready!  Ready for??? Stay tuned :))

  Oh, and if you want to Pinterest any of my artwork or photography, please attach a link to this blog and give me credit. If you don't, I will find you and hurt you ;)

Omigosh, look what I've done, I've actually started a blog!