Confucius said, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Why then do some people see beauty in every person and in every situation and others don’t. “Seeing” beauty is not just a matter of using our eyes. It’s also a practice of living with our heart wide open. It is my belief what we […]
Category: Articles
Liberated From Fashion – Somerset Studios, July/August 2010
The challenge to create a fashion inspired mixed-media art piece celebrating the love of style motivated me to take action. I had recently taken a series of photographs of two stunningly beautiful friends in the art park I manage. The backdrop of industrial buildings, rusted and patinaed over time, was the perfect canvas for this […]
Simplicity is a State of Mind – Somerset Studios, March/April 2011
Simple pleasures are the millions of tiny miracles that take our breath away. Gazing at the fiery brilliance of the sun melting into the horizon, the smell of fresh cut hay, the sound of a light rain hitting a tin roof or the invigorating feeling of jumping into a cool mountain spring of a hot […]
The Promise of Spring – March/April 2015
The prompt to create art with spring as the inspiration spoke to me. After the stillness of winter, spring stirs with magic and promise. We say goodbye to winter’s early setting sun and inner solitude. We welcome the returning light, long shadows, children’s laughter and unfurling lime green ferns. The landscape turns from shades of […]
Finding Our Creative Voice – Somerset Studios January/February 2015
Many of us begin our creative journey with trepidation and uncertainty. We think other people are creative but harshly judge our abilities. Slowly we begin to get our sea legs although we know we haven’t quite found our unique artistic voice. Our creative exploration is a continually unfolding journey. We walk an enticing labyrinth of […]
The Art of the Revamp – Somerset Studios, January/February, 2014
Do you remember the first time you sold something made with your hands? Or maybe you’re dreaming of the day it will happen. It happened to me three decades ago, and I can still remember the feeling like it was yesterday. It was intoxicating and affirmed I could make money in the arts and quite […]
Honoring Our Ancestors – September/October 2013
Halloween, also referred to as “All-Hollows” Eve, is the evening before All Saint’s Day and is an ancient Celtic holiday traced back to 4,000 BC. October 31, which marks the end of the Celtic Old Year and the beginning of the New Year, is a day to honor the dead. Halloween is believed to be […]
Photo Magic – Somerset Studios, July/August 2012
Many decades ago I was surrounded by tubes of Liquitex paint, watercolor paper, Rapidograph pens and consumed by the desire to express myself artistically. Fear and perfectionism gripped me, and I was unable to put so much as a mark on the paper. The first shutter click of my Nikon F2 completely freed my creative […]
The Power of Discernment – Somerset Apprentice, Spring, 2011
The definition of discerning is to exhibit keen insight and good judgment. When I’m feeling over emotional or confused about an event in my life, instead of immediately reacting I try to remember to stand back and give the situation time to unfold. I use the downtime as an information gathering exercise to gain more […]
From Intuition to Fruition – Somerset Studios, January/February 2011
When I first read Somerset Studio’s submission call for mixed media projects about anything poppy, it didn’t spark my creative juices. But then something funny happened. A color I had all but dismissed in my in wardrobe choices, in my interior design and in my art projects began calling to me. My first “poppy” sighting […]
