Chalk as Design & Typography Tool = Great Stuff

Bright young talent just shines in Dana Tanamachi.

I completely adore what’s she doing ~ by hand, with a practically perfect mixture of head and heart ~ and luckily for her, so do some big name clients. It’s very, very cool. And in this day and age of technology, it’s wonderfully refreshing.

Enjoy the video ~ enjoy the images!

DT TIME Cover

ND-Pinot-Noir-Full

isn’t this superb? my favorite!

You can see some great time-lapsed videos of the artist at work, here: http://tanamachistudio.com/time-lapse/

0

Tuesdays with Chris: “What is Art?”

Chris Staley

Chris Staley

After a little hiatus for the holidays, our “Tuesdays with Chris” are back ~ and oh, you’re in for a treat on this one!  [And what is art to you? …]

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

0

January + Yellow + Dragons

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a hard time finding my groove this month. And I’m really not sure what the connection is, but I’ve noticed a couple of recurring themes ~ so maybe that’s a start.

saxton_happiness

First there’s yellow. Not normally a color I’m especially drawn to (I like yellow, don’t get me wrong ~ in fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever met a color I didn’t like. Well, that’s not true, but that’s for another time), it’s been popping up and infusing itself into my work as if of its own volition … perhaps forcing cheer, optimism and luminosity into my sub-conscious mind. Or maybe it’s coming from my sub-conscious. Either way, I guess it’s not a bad thing.

So, there’s that. Yellow, welcome to my world.

At the same time, dragons are shrieking. You may (or may not) know that I’ve been working on my Book of Dragons for some time now. There’s just not been enough time in the day to get it done in the timeframe I’d hoped for, and no one has offered an all-expenses-paid art retreat in Tuscany or Fiji, or even North Dakota. As a result, many of them (the dragons) are still in my head instead of freed on paper, and they are restless, let me tell you. It was hard to get this one to calm down from a very fitful slumber long enough to capture the basics.

So the beasts are on the march, and yellow is pervasive. And that is that.

Although somehow it might tie in with having felt overwhelmed with all the various irons in the proverbial fire for so many months, and the so many months before that. And storms, and a holiday, then another, then another. You know how that goes. And then all that non-stopping made my back say “you’ve had enough, but you’re not relenting, so I’ll make you!” So there was that. And then January and the yellow and the dragons started happening. I dunno, maybe it all fits, somehow. And then again, maybe not.

But if one were to portend … maybe there’s a yellow dragon in my future… a happy, luminous beast. Until then, it’s back to work and finding my groove ~ but stay tuned!

0

Book Magic

Books are a uniquely portable magic.” ~ Stephen King

saxton_goblin.in.book

While you won’t get me to admit to their coming off the page and plopping themselves on the chair beside me, I do often feel attached to the illustrations I’m creating. The ones that really speak through me can even have names. (yes, it’s true ~ please don’t judge me).

This little guy, the one in the grass on the book up there, is one of my favorites. He makes me smile. I smiled all the while “bringing him to life” ~ and that’s what happens. There’s some kind of unspoken dialogue that goes on between the artist, the ethers, the pencil and the page. The same when writing ~ characters can feel very much alive. There’s a thin line between real and imagined, and a spark that alights.

It’s that inexplicable sparkle of energy that usually results in the best work. You’re tuned in. Engaged. It flows. That’s the best. Even better … is if that energy translates for the reader. There’s the real magic.

Books open so many doors and windows ~ I can’t fathom a life without them; without stories and all their pains and glories and hilarities and knowledge and mystery. They teach, they excite, they take us to a thousand lands and lead us to wander and wonder and think and feel. They make us richer.

(And who knows if a happy goblin might not spring up from the pages sometime? Or maybe we’ve forgotten how to see them… :  ) )

0

52 Weeks of Peace [squared]: Week #81 / Dreaming Peace in 2013

saxton_peace_dreaming2

What are your dreams? What do you really yearn for? What makes your heart smile, your toes tingle, your eyes sparkle, just imagining it were real? What thoughts bring light to your spirit and peace to your mind?

It starts with a single, shiny thought. Maybe just the whisper of an idea; maybe a booming revelation ~ maybe you overhear something on a crowded bus that sparks you to action, maybe it’s a piece of music, a taste of something delicious; maybe it’s a child’s tears or the launch of a rocket; maybe it’s the grace of a winding river or the steady power of a mountain or the freedom of a bird in flight; maybe it’s a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk. Who knows where the stuff of dreams comes from, but we all have them. Sometimes I think our job is to find the key, unlock the door and venture out towards a path we’ve always known we belonged on but didn’t know was there  ~ or didn’t recognize through the bramble of life’s distractions ~ or, yes, even, with a million variations of reasoning, talked ourselves away from.

So maybe this is the year we listen more, with eyes and hearts more open; maybe this is the year we hear the rumblings in our soul with renewed anticipation, renewed interest, renewed commitment to step closer to that stuff of our dreams.

Wishing us all the brightest of dreams, the courage to honor them, and much love, laughter, health, harmony and happiness along the way. Bring it on.

0

Cheers

A few ditties to get you in the Christmas spirit.

1. Holiday tea #1: remedy for too much hustle-bustle ~ enjoy liberally whenever peace & calm are needed.

31602_10151347310918523_1141307408_n

2. Holiday tea #2: when you need a little more pep in your step, and some umph in your ho-ho-ho.

3. A Plethora of P’s / #49: Peppermint: Popular for providing a perky punch to the palette. Also a preferred prescription for various physical predicaments, and provides a sweet emotional pick-me-up when given to the young, then watching their faces light up.
36535_10151370851278523_688091760_n

4. Because we all need a little cheer. : )

227148_10151367656703523_1164622832_n

Cheers!

0

Books, Buttons & Bows

Have I mentioned that our 52 Weeks of Peace buttons make great gift-toppers? Just another fun way to share peace … :  )

0

We Want Your Mug!… Putting Faces on Peace

Progress! … Well, it’s probably the busiest time of year to have started this little (big?) project, but we’re getting more and more pictures of your beautiful selves sharing peace, so I thought I’d share some with you. Every single one a happy shot. Lovely! Many thanks to those who’ve sent their images ~ and those who haven’t, we’re hoping you’ll join in and send yours! (Details below.)

All you need is a camera, a 52 Weeks of Peace product*, and a smile!

Take “waist-up” shots of people holding (or wearing) something “52 Weeks of Peace” (the book, a favorite postcard from the book, a bag, button or mug*…). All ages, shapes and sizes welcome. The only requirement is that it’s a clean, clear shot that shows off one or more people ~ and that it is freely given for public use (no names please) ~ and the picture should be happy.

There’s no prize, no “special offer” ~ this isn’t a big business deal, just one artist/writer looking to round up some friends and friends-of-friends who like the idea. That’s it. Grass-roots, “just because”. If you’d like to be part of this project, you can post a picture to the 52 Weeks of Peace facebook page, or send them to 52weeksofpeace@gmail.com.

Peace starts right here, right now, with you, with me ~ let’s inspire, let’s do this!

…………………..

* 52 weeks of peace gear * 52 weeks of peace book

0

Tuesdays with Chris: “Magic Clay”

Chris Staley

Chris Staley

Clay is magical.

There is, of course, s a sense of magic in all artistic endeavors. The “making something from nothing”, starting with the simplest base and most fundamental tools ~ whether a pencil and paper, strings on a guitar, a slab of clay ~ creating as your hands, eyes, heart, mind and spirit move you. The magic is in the spontaneity, the exploration. The details follow ~ but first comes the spark.

Here, Chris shares some of his own magic with us, and it’s a delight to see!

(If you missed my introduction about Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate 2012-2013, you can read that here.)  Enjoy!

0