What are you doing?

[melissa17s]

Just curious. Post links of your recent work or a website with some of your portfolio. Here is my website. I have not updated like I meant to, but some time soon I will find the time and focus to do it. I would love to see what others are doing. I am currently finishing a pair of rings for a couple that I carved out of wax and cast in 14kwg. Well, I am off to the studio.

[MamaMonica]

Hey Melissa, the work on your site is gorgeous. I think I went past your studio (no one was there) when I was in town.

[melissa17s]

MamaMonica- Let me know the next time you are passing through Ames.

[MamaMonica]

I will - I only get there every couple of years. I was on the tour and remembered someone from MDC worked there and wasn't sure who until I saw this thread.

Back to what I we're working on--- I'm obsessed with round bales out in fields. I've been working with them in sketches, pastels and watercolor experimenting with various color schemes. I have't gotten it the way I want yet.

[**guest**]

I'm not working on anything. Haven't painted in so long. Am afraid that my talent/gift will be gone. heh heh.

[melissa17s]

MamaMonica, feel free to post links to pictures of your work. I love looking at what others are doing. I did not realize that there is an artist smilie until I saw the one in your signature... :Paint

Lizc, hopefully, over time you will find opportunities to work. Perhaps you can find outlets for your creativity that exercise your skills, but also work with being a busy parent. Can you do stuff either after your ds has gone to bed or wakes in the morning? Or perhaps working for short periods while he is engrossed in play?

I went and threw clay last night. I did not end up saving any of the pieces because it has been so long since I have done it that they were kind of sloppy. It did not help that my I have had the same bag of clay since last Nov. It is getting kind of hard, so that contributed to my sloppiness. It was a nice distraction from the rings, and I want to try to go make more clay stuff in the future.

[**guest**]

Ds tends to go to bed pretty late and I'm too exhausted at night anyway. He wakes up very early so that doesn't work either. (yes, i try to get him to go to sleep early but it doesn't work).
He'd never allow me to paint peacefully when he's awake. Let's just say that it would be a disaster. heh heh.
So, I shall just wait.

[MamaMonica]

melissa, I'll post some when I get to upload some images- I'll have to use an album since I don't have a web page. Though I want to do one eventually.

I hope to get back to clay someday.

lizc, can you keep a sketchbook of ideas or just random scenes? I am a sketchbook junkie. It's not something I want to show to people, but I like to do it. It's just for practice and ideas.

Doing something, anything creative sometimes helps keep the faith that you won't lose your talent. You won't lose your talent- it is yours and even if you have to wait it will be there for you. Hang in there!

[melissa17s]

I love sketchbooks! I rarely show my sketches to anyone, but I carry a small one with me as a second brain. I make my art apprec. students keep a sketch book journal because I think sketching helps pay more attention to the visual world around us.

[**guest**]

Ya know what I like to do? I tear out artwork from catalogs/magazines that give me some ideas. That way, when I get around to painting, I'll have some ideas ready.

[carmel23]

Originally Posted by melissa17s

I love sketchbooks! I rarely show my sketches to anyone, but I carry a small one with me as a second brain. I make my art apprec. students keep a sketch book journal because I think sketching helps pay more attention to the visual world around us.

I love sketch books, too. I'm going to take a class to make hand made sketch books because I love them so much. It is the only way I can make art these days. I try to always have one (at least) with me. Sometimes I write, sometimes I draw with pencil/ink sometimes I can watercolor at the playground/in the car (as long as I'm not driving). I think it is its own medium because it is so many different things at once.

[~Coyotebones~]

http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/c/o/coyotebones/

Hello fellow artists! This is the only site with my work on it that I have up at the moment. It is all fantasy stuff because that is what elfwood requires. I have other work, but at the moment I don't have a site for it except for our family photo site, and also just don't have the time to set one up. Hope you like it!

[stormchaser_al]

If you consider photography an art...Here is mine. I mainly do it as a hobby.

http://www.photographica.org/user/stormy

[Starflower]

I definitely consider photography an art, though I wouldn't consider all photographs to be art.

I looked at the photos you linked. Artistically, my favorite is "Flock of Seagulls" - I really love the action and composition of the picture. And I also really liked the storm approaching photos, the red sunset after the storm (WOW! that color!). And "Good Bye Dear Shilo" is very moving - expecially in context of the storm photos.

I think it's harder to make color photos as art than black and white because we're so bombarded by color photo images every day. I also really enjoyed the b&w of the tree and its reflection.

[Starflower]

So I suppose I should post with what I am up to lately. No art. Just parenting mostly. I did buy a new sketch book and did one quick sketch of DD while she was painting on her easel. I feel like I'm stuck in permanant art limbo sometimes, though I am taking steps to get out of it.

One thing that helps is talking to other artists so I'm glad we got this sub-forum.

I'm also trying to find time/energy to reconfigure my studio so I have a place to do some work. DH has had a crazy schedule lately though. I am arranging a babysitting trade with a neighbor though which I want to make my "art time." I'll probably start with some drawings. Maybe some paint or sculpture. Not sure though since we're also TTC and I'm a bit concerned about chemical exposures.

[barbara]

Hi mamas, Thanks for sharing all your beautiful art. It is so inspiring to see your work and talk to other artist, especially mama artists who understand the struggles of creating art under the pressures and demands of motherhood. it ain't easy!

I don't have a web page but I'll link to some of my mama paintings. The photos are from my phone so they aren't the best quality, nor do I have any pics of my most recent work, since the camera broke. Working on remeding that shortly.

http://www.xanga.com/mosaicthreads

[wagaboodles]

Melissa, I love your work! I live just 90 minutes away. I have been wondering about jewelry making (recalling that as a favorite section from middle school art). My story in a nut shell is that I should have gone the art route but was discouraged from it because you can't make a living, blah, blah, blah. I am realizing now (again?) that it's really where my gifts and passions lie. How does a mama in the boonies get started?

[Autumnschild]

I wish I had pictures of my work to post! I need to borrow my boss' digital camara and take it to the studio. Most everything I have right now is still works in progress. I'm doing an oil painting right now of a falling angel. I'm working on a bigger canvas than I'm used to, so it seems to be taking so long. But that's okay. I love working on it.

[melissa17s]

Wow, I am glad to see so many active mamas! Autumschild, I look forward to seeing what you are doing; I read about your studio in another thread and I can totally relate to the thrill of having dedicated space to myself for working.

Wagaboodles- Thanks. Where are you at? I would recommend taking a class through a local art center or community college. You will learn some basic techinque stuff and have the benefit of using many of their tools and space. If that is not available, start searching out people in your community that are artists to see if you could mentor with them. Good luck!

[beansricerevolt]

well, right now im not really working on anything. My 12mo. old ds is really demanding and with homeschooling dd and a new sewing machine (newbie at sewing ) im lost for time I do get a few hours here and there thru out the week to sketch and I have many great ideas! Now all I need is $ to buy some much needed supplies I love looking at everyones work. It is very inspiring.: