My Achy Breaky Heart

Sometimes an artist needs to take a break from what they are known for, and delve into a whole new area of interest to interrupt their right brain's usual mode of operation. Sometimes it's good just to try one's hand at something new. Sometimes exploring a medium one doesn't usually work in can lead to a renewal of enthusiasm when our usual method of self expression starts to feel ho-hum.

Those thoughts were on my mind when I decided to re-visit an old love from my past: mosaics. About 15 years ago I had become very interested in mosaics made with broken bits of china, pottery and the like. I made a large flower pot for one friend, a gazing ball for another friend's garden, and a picture frame for my own home -- all from shards of broken dinnerware, glass marbles, and other found treasures. The fun was cut short by winter's arrival; I didn't have a studio back then, and mosaic making is horribly messy. Unable to work on my projects in the house, and with no garage or outbuilding, I had to give it up.

This past month  I was bitten by the mosaic bug once again. I had spotted a piece of heart shaped mosaic garden art on Pinterest that I thought was really cool. So I dragged out my dusty box of mosaic supplies and created a heart with a distinctly different look from the heart on Pinterest. Unlike my previous creations, this one includes bits of jewelry and beads. I had so much fun making this piece, I couldn't believe I had allowed so many years to go by without doing any mosaic work at all.

My bits 'n pieces heart                  ©2018 Lynn Edwards

What's next? It's going to be embellishing the top of our coffee table with an abstract design rendered in mosaic tiles. And after that? Well, here's the kind of mosaic piece I can only hope to aspire to:

This impressive beauty was found just outside a store in Charlottesville, Virginia on a trip there back in 2014. The photo doesn't start to do it justice. It was absolutely gorgeous-- a stunning, life sized  creation in glass. My hat's off to whoever created it, as it must have been one heckuva challenge securing all those tiny tiles...not to mention moving it. I bet it weighed as much as a compact car. Oh but it was lovely!!!

Text and images ©2018 Lynn Edwards
   

Dressing Up the Studio Entrance

As I've mentioned in earlier posts, my studio used to have three wooden steps leading up to the entrance. These steps were only temporary, although I used them for over a year before we hired Richard Morris of Decks Unlimited to construct a 6x6 foot entry deck in their place. Those original steps were narrow and definitely hazardous. I came close to falling off them more than once! As the saying goes, "Grace is not my middle name."

Last month, Richard worked his magic and built a fantastic entry deck for me. The craftsmanship he put into it is obvious, and its construction is solid as a rock. It has nice wide stairs, a broad, sturdy handrail and on the deck itself there's plenty of room to open the storm door and come and go without performing a balancing act.

Richard has a strong design sensibility and a great deal of aesthetic sensitivity. He grasped immediately how important it was to design something that not only was safe but would also enhance the appearance of the building while staying within our budget.

Besides being an excellent builder, Richard is an accomplished musician with his own in-home sound studio. As a fellow artist he had no problem understanding how I envisioned the Ideal Studio Entry. Despite the fact that this project was very "small potatoes" compared to the much larger structures he usually designs, Richard treated my entry deck with every bit as much regard as he does the big stuff. He made thoughtful suggestions that proved to be the right choices. The result is that I love my new entry deck just as much as I love my studio. It gives me pleasure every time I use it.

Richard Morris, on the left, and son Tristan. Thank you, Decks Unlimited, for a job well done!

Once the deck was finished I started thinking of ways to give the area in front of the door a "decorated" look. Planters with sun loving coleus, begonias and marigolds now sit in one corner, and pots of  geraniums are positioned at the base of the stairs. In the large corner planter I've installed one of those tall garden hooks. It serves as a prop for when I photograph my suncatchers. The rest of the time it holds a suncatcher I've made just for the studio. Its colors and those of the flowers are repeated in a rather artsy-looking door mat with a floral theme that Hubs and I found at Aldi.

It's amazing what a few blooms and a small piece of garden art can do to dress up an entry area. Real estate agents have always known that enhancing its entry makes a house more appealing to buyers. While I have no intention of selling and it's not a residence, I do want visitors to my studio to feel warmly welcomed. Greeting them with colorful flowers and artistic accents does that and sets the stage for guests to enter the creative environment within. It also gives me a boost as I approach the studio to start my day. Here's the cheerful sight that greets me each morning:

Welcome !

Pots of flowers and a suncatcher provide a bit of color

This "painterly" looking outdoor mat, found at Aldi, is perfect for its setting.

Text and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards