Wishes For You Giveaway

My breakfast room has become my home studio for this winter and the table has been left in the constant state of creative chaos. I have been busy crafting a series of mini mixed media wish books. Sewing the foundation of the background papers from recycled journals, books, and mail that I have collected.

Adding embellishments of colorful paper scraps, paint, and meaningful words.

Using the original finished piece to print copies and package with a surprise wish in each one.

If you are in need of a wish right now, go ahead and make one. Post your wish as a comment by this Saturday and I will randomly select five wishes to receive one of my five new mini wish books. Wishes for all your dreams to come true!( PS please make sure to leave your email so that I will be able to contact the winners)

Sneak Peek

In March at Lucy's Art Emporium some of my newest pieces. Bloom Big 24"x36"

Discover Joy Every Day 20"x20"

You are not alone 16"x20"

Peep 16"x20" And a few more works in progress to add to the collection. Just a sneak peek of a few pieces that will be in my Show A Breathe of Spring.

Feel the Love PEEPS

Feelin the love here in my heart and my home. I think love should be celebrated everyday. Today I'm creating a little alter on my table. My sweetheart is half way around the world, still finding a journey of adventure in New Zealand. I'm sending him love across the miles. I want to make it a special day for my sweetie, Katie. She is the biggest love of my life! Right now she is a little anti Valentine's day because she thinks it is all about boys, it's pretty hard to covince a 14 year old there is more to it than having a crush. So I am hoping these little surprises will cheer her when she gets home from school..

These marshmallow hearts by Peeps make a cup of hot cocoa full of loving goodness.

This past weekend I found this little forest greeter made by Janae Easton at Three Graces in Portsmouth. She uses a Gocco printer to make them.

For a healthy snack try cutting water melon int heart shapes. I was searching my house for a heart cookie cutter and when I had no luck finding one I just cut them with a knife, pretty easy. I'm not much for buying hallmark cards and heart shaped boxes of chocolates, for me the most special touches are one you create to make you own unique valentines.

Wishes of love to all you peeps,

Caryn XOXO

Love Your Work

For me inspiration can come from all places. The other day I was at Chilpote, one of the few fast food chains that I'll eat at because they cater to vegetarians and they are conscious about the quality of what they make. I was totally diggin the design of their bag. I don't really know if the people who work there really feel that it's a dream job, but I know that's how I feel about being an artist. This morning I was out for a quick ski before work and out of the corner of my eye I thought I spotted a robin. I was amazed and excited, as I turned the corner their she was sitting on my roof getting some sips of water from the ice that was melting. I don't think that I have ever seen a robin so early in the year in New England. Maybe we will have an early spring, but right now it sure feels like we are still in the dead of winter. My first task of the day was to capture my memory of this, so I quickly got to work on a pencil sketch that I then went over with my fluid acrylics. Notice the bird book, I would love to say that I have a photographic memory. The truth is I use photo refrences to help me when I draw. I'll use this bird in one of my mixed media paintings that I am creating for a new series of petite color palettes.

Abby had to come hang out with me as I was stamping out some words and phrases. It doesn't get much better than this. I love was I do, all in all it's a dream job!

sometimes you just have to stop to start

My focus this year is to engage in the process of discovery. Wanting to live life full on, spreading my wings and trusting that my journey will bring me to places that help me expand and grow. My mind and spirit are there and my wings are feeling a bit closed and tucked in for safety. Needless to say I'm having a little difficulty getting off the ground. I am working on this opening, here are some sketches that I did yesterday just on a piece of paper I pulled out of my recycling bin. I like to add words and phrases that come to me while I work. New ideas and stories spinning in my head waiting to be born on my canvas. And then there is this girl, my darling Katie, who my life revolves around. Being a mama to her is my first priority and I cherish my time with her. Now that she is in high school, that time mostly consist of driving her around to school, activities, friends, social dates, hosting sleep overs, shopping, watching silly videos, and cooking her favorite meals. She is my only child, we have a great mother daughter relationship, we really trust one another to be there with an open heart and mind.

Today I was supposed to be driving her to her ski team practice. We got another storm last night that started with snow, then turned to rain believe it or not it was thundering and lightening here in the middle of winter, really freaky weather for New Hampshire. So now everything is frozen in a hard icy crust on top of the couple feet of snow we have. That is not ideal skiing conditions, so I'm letting her skip this practice and she is happy to not have to brave the gusty wind and ice. So what to do today, I have a list of things so long, but I'm feeling overwhelmed with where to start, to the point where it is kind of paralyzing. So I went with that feeling and decided to stop, be still, and just sit in my favorite meditation spot looking out my windows to the sky.

Seeing the clouds move swiftly from the gusting winds began to release me. I went and got my camera and had to step out on our deck. Look of what I saw beautiful blue skies, white puffy clouds and this bird in flight.

Here is the view from inside our living room, the corner has two big windows that when you sit on the floor and look out it is just a fantastic place to meditate, this photo doesn't capture the beauty of the view because the glass is reflected and makes the sky look white. I still wanted to share my sacred spot, it is the place in my home I go to when I need to collect my self this is where I find peace.

Now that I am feeling free I'll be heading into the studio. Here is my easel of works in progress. I still have my "wish" word from December still up. There is an overflowing stack of paintings. They are calling to me to let my voice from within speak my truth.

Discover wings!

Another Snowy Morning

With all the snow we have been getting I have been using our breakfast room for a makeshift studio on those mornings that I can't make it into town to my studio. This is our driveway, it's pretty long and ends at the road just past our little yellow barn. There is no making it out of here until it gets plowed. One of the benefits of being an artist is the flexibility of my schedule. My classes are not until the late afternoons so when school is delayed there is no rush for me to get out of here. It really is quite cozy and beautiful.

Still I have work to do, ideas that need processing, and lots of other non art making tasks that go along with the business of being an artist. Today I am going to recycle some of Katie's old school projects (nope I'm not attached and feeling that I have to save her things for her, she hates clutter and tends to throw everything that she is not in love with into the trash.) I'm going turn these watercolor illustrations of a poem she wrote into some of my own original collage art papers.

First gesso, then I'll work in some old acrylics that have just been sitting on the shelf. This year I am trying to do a little clearing of my supplies. I have so many things just sitting around that I am making a conscious effort to give up my weekly trips to the art store just to use my 40% coupons at Michaels.

Here are the first layer of background colors, they are drying around the floor grate that vents our wood stove heat from the basement. Little Tessa just sits there watching me bring more and more papers to dry.

Now to add some simple patterns and details.

Ta da... a few hours later and I have a whole color coordinating set of my own papers ready to be cut up and used in my artwork.

The sun is out now, time to get dressed, shovel and head into my real studio. Have a great day!

Waking up to inspiration

For the last few months I have had that tug at my heartstrings, a knowing that I need time for introspection. I can feel in my belly that change is waiting for me to be brave, step outside my comfort zone and embrace growth. Honestly this brings about two very conflicting emotions, excitement and fear, and as I write this I understand they are not so conflicting they often go hand in hand. I tend on the side of safety and that can be very inhibiting. So as this new year begins so too does a new journey of living a life of discovery. The snow storm from last week left a beautiful blanket of snow covering our fields and woods and I have been taking full advantage to explore our land on my cross country skis. Skiing is my favorite sport and being 3 hours away from my favorite ski area, Mad River Glen, I take advantage of the lovely trails that Brian has created on our property. My cat Abby only braves the cold occasionally, and the first few times she saw me on my skis she was a super scaredy cat, today she found the courage to venture through the snow to check out what I was doing.

After a few minutes she is ready to head to her warm sunny spot on our porch and I, with my camera, am ready to seek some nature inspiration.

The first treasure I same across was this precious nest. I do miss my songbirds that have flown south and I look forward to their return in the spring.

The bright red berries quickly catch my against the silvery blue snow.

When seeking inspriation it is always to look for a variety of perspectives.

Sometimes behind you might just find one of your most loving and loyal companions.

From the shadows emerge the beauty of sparkle and light.

Returning to the warmth of my woodstove I pull out the treasures I have collected

And while the inpiration moves me I capture the moment in my sketch book. Simple line drawings that will eventually find their way into my paintings.

Sharing my process in hopes that others will find their path to a life of creative inspiration is so much about who I am and what I wish to accomplish with my artwork. I am working with discovery in hopes that it will enable me to bring to life the beauty I wish to see in the world. Thank you for joining me on this journey of living with your eyes open, heart trusting, soulful feeling, and joy growing.