by Elaine | Jun 28, 2017 | Uncategorized
Back in the summer of 2015 I had an artist residency at the <strong>Uphill Art Farm</strong> in West Virginia, but it can be difficult to get away. That’s got me thinking about ways to bring the best aspects of a residency home. Most of us can get...
by Elaine | Jun 21, 2017 | About Creativity
Back in May of 2015, I posted about my “local photo safari” to a cemetery, where I took this photo of an oddly creepy, though slightly endearing headstone: Whatever your art form, taking photos as a creative practice is an excellent partner to it. Any...
by Elaine | Jun 14, 2017 | About Creativity
Have you ever been listening to a podcast or a speech and someone says something exactly as you have thought it, only clearer than you ever thought to say it? Quilter Sherri Lynn Wood did that for me in an interview on the While She Naps podcast. She said, “I...
by Elaine | Jun 14, 2017 | About Creativity
A recurring theme in “how to be successful” books, including, The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, is to pause to celebrate your successes, and this idea of a success notebook, where you write down your successes. The reasons for this are so that you...
by Elaine | Jun 12, 2017 | My Art & Studio
This piece, with its miniature teapot and creamer, is currently in the Reunion I show at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Illinois. This is the first time it’s been in a show and not in a glass case! This series didn’t originate, but did advance a lot while...
by Elaine | Jun 7, 2017 | About Creativity
Ideas can drag us down. Objects can drag us down. I’m talking about UFO, Unfinished Objects, the bane of all craftspeople and artists. They can make us feel like “I can’t start that new project until I finish my UFOs.” or “I can’t...
by Elaine | May 31, 2017 | About Creativity
Have you discovered podcasts? I was thinking recently that podcasts are the new blogs, the new thing that people are excited about, where lots of interesting ideas are being discussed. I listen to podcasts in the car and when I’m working out — and now that...
by Elaine | May 29, 2017 | About Creativity, Teaching
I was noticing recently that lot of my art classes are subtly or overtly positive: Random Acts of Kindness Art Daruma Dolls (part of Japanese Dolls) Blessing Banners/Kirigami Prayer Flags Making Mandalas and even my “negative” classes, such as Rock the...
by Elaine | May 28, 2017 | Teaching
A variation of the Rock the Protest Poster class, in the Activist T-shirt class, students learn (quickly, as this is a two hour workshop!) to identify their idea and think symbolically. Here are some Activist T-shirts by tweens at day camp: Inking a...
by Elaine | May 28, 2017 | Teaching
In this class, I work with students to give them a process for figuring out what topics they care about, and then how to express their position on that topic using images and words. We also talk about photographing their posters in order to share them online. Here are...
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