Getting back to it...

So, I know I keep saying I'll get back to working on glass shortly, and I will. However, this weekend was dedicated to something much more important - my daughters sweet 16 birthday party.

So, I put glass on hold for a little while longer. I am starting to notice that summer is getting away from me though, and I have fall and winter shows already on the calendar. So, I am anxious to get to work.

I have done a few pieces recently. Above are some of my recent pendants. I wanted to experiment some more with the circles, just play with different colors and sizes. I love some of the color combos! I also did a few of the flowers, but I need lots more of those. That is my next goal.

The amazing Paper by 53 app is where I am channeling most of my creativity recently. Primarily because it's at my fingertips when I'm sitting in the dentist office, waiting in the car for someone, or just home too late to drag out and work on glass, below are some recent Paper drawings. I attempt to post one drawing each morning on leisaworks.tumblr.com.

 

 

Fun with Paper

I'm having the best time playing with the Paper by 53 app.

One of my college art professors encouraged us to carry a sketchbook with us everywhere and continually be drawing. This app makes it convenient and fun to do that!

I try to post a sketch each morning to my Facebook and tumbler pages. I haven't posted any recent sketches here on the blog, so I thought I'd post some tonight. The little nest above is the sketch for tomorrow morning. The ones below we're posted in the past week or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Circle

Yesterday, I enjoyed a nice day off from my regular job. I got to spend part of this gloriously rainy day in my mostly garage/kind of studio playing with some new ideas for pendants. I was working with my ring saw and started by cutting out circles in varying sizes and colors. I was really pleased with the way they came out - I loved how they looked.

I went ahead and fully fused the first four, but I think I may try tack fusing a couple soon - it would be cool to see them stacked up too.

Ready to fire

Fully fused

Finished

 

Thank you Viva! Everyday Design

I love it when things I use everyday are beautifully designed.

I know this feeling explains my 23 year passion for Apple products. It began at my first real job, when I first put fingers to the keyboard of a 512K and has progressed through the years with each new Apple creation I have had the pleasure to use.

Not only are their products beautiful and fun to use, they are solid and reliable and well designed from start to finish. I have always loved the moment when a new Mac arrived at my office or home. It is a treat to see how even the packaging is carefully designed to enhance the overall Mac experience.

For me, this love of beauty carries over to even the most mundane things. The other day, I picked up a package of paper towels that were on sale at Target. I do try to shop frugally, so often the ones on sale aren't all that great, but hey..it's just paper towels, right?

I really didn't even notice what brand or what they looked like until later when I was putting them away. I was so surprised to see something different than the plain white, or gaudy prints I'm used too. The colors coordinated, the designs were well done and fun, the quality of the actual towel was a superior. I'm not sure I can afford them when they aren't on sale, but I would totally be tempted. I know this may sound silly to some but just looking at them made me feel happy!

Thank you Viva!

 

Too long gone...

I know it's been too long since I've posted anything here.

Since I don't have any shows this month, I don't feel quite the pressure to produce as I sometimes do. But I have slowly started to work on glass a little bit in the last few days. In fact, I've created 2 batches of pendants this week. Below is a shot of a hot kiln from this afternoon.

I'm still really having fun with the Paper app. I try to do at least one sketch per day to post. Once a drawing is done, I can automatically tweet it, save it to my camera roll, post to Facebook and post it to my tumblr blog at http://leisaworks.tumblr.com.

This week I was surprised to find that my sketch of Fall's Park in Greenville had been noticed and chosen as a featured sketch by the creators of the Paper app. Cool!

If you'd like to see all of the sketches I've posted, click over to my tumblr blog here.

 

A Little Rusty

It seems forever since I was able to work on anything new. May is always so hectic because of my job with the school district. I try to keep my schedule clear of festivals and other events that require me to work on glass. So, when I pulled out my glass this past weekend, I didn't really know where to start. I felt out of sorts and rusty, so, I just willed myself to begin simply.

Almost all of my cut floral pendants are gone, so I decided to work on a simple group of those. I enjoy wearing and get lots of compliments on my daisy with the lime green center, so I created three of those. I did a few other color variations and used some scraps to created a red and black piece. It was good to get back up and running!

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day 2012

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Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

It is good to have a day to stop and remember. We are so busy and life is often hectic. We take so much for granted. In this country, we have so much. We have virtually unlimited freedom to believe, to think, to speak our mind. Facebook and blogs like this are a living testament to our ability to say anything at anytime. It doesn't mean we have the right to be heard, or that what we say will be met with universal acceptance - but we can say it!

Today, I am especially thankful for the men and women who stood up for our freedom. They sacrificed everything for people they knew and would never know. They fought and died far from home, compelled by the belief that what they were engaged in was right and true, and for the benefit of the greater good.

 

Time and Space

Still no time for glass work, I did order some new glass yesterday though - looking forward to it getting here.

I am still enjoying playing around with the "Paper" app. Yesterday, I created the piece above. It's called "Time and Space."

I've also downloaded an app called "Sketchbook Pro" - it has a lot more functionality than "Paper." So, it also has a bigger learning curve - I'm anxious to experiment with it when time allows.

 

Paper

I like to try new iPad apps, so the other day, I read about an app called "Paper" - I couldn't resist.

It's basically a sketchbook with a minimal set of tools for sketching. The app is free, but only comes with a couple of the tools activated, if you want more tools, color, etc., you pay 1.99 for each new option you want to add.

It really is a fun little app. I like trying to figure out what it will do, how to stretch the way it functions. Learning something like this forces me to think in new and different ways. It allows me to get outside what I usually do and create something new to me. Once you finish a sketch the app allows you to share on various social media sites and save into the photo stream. I've put several of my recent sketches in so you can get a feel for how much fun it can be!

I think it's perfect for quick on-the-go sketches, studies for larger pieces, playing with color. I love the way the colors mix and layer, and the neat watercolor effect you get when using the paintbrush.

 

Days of Creation

View from the 10th floor

I haven't done much glass work in the last week or two. I had a work trip to Atlanta at the end of last week. I enjoyed getting to do something out of the routine. I also enjoyed getting to spend the time with my friend and coworker.

We stayed in a hotel that practically sits on the runway at Hartsfield International. It was pretty inside, kind of a late 70's early 80's style - big open atrium, stair stepped floors...reminded me of the Hyatt in DT Greenville. Fortunately, they soundproofed the inside, so we really didn't hear any of the airplanes taking off and landing.

It has worked out well, aside from the decrease in sales, that I don't have any shows scheduled for a while. I've been helping to paint murals in the newly renovated nursery wing at our church.

We have so many super talented people that attend, and one of them is a wonderful interior designer. She has done a great job planning the decor - including creation murals in each room.

I love what she has done with this...very clean designs with the corresponding verse of scripture included. So far, we have worked on only two of the four rooms, but they are coming along really nicely!

The wall in progress.

The verse that will go in the sky on the wall above.

Variations on a Theme...

...or a color scheme. My friend and I are going to Atlanta to present at a conference. She requested a pendant to match the outfit she would like to wear that day. So, I worked a little on Saturday trying to create something that compliments the colors and style of her blouse.

I did a few with glass in various shades of brown and orange. Then I decided to pull out my Glassline paints and do some painted ones.

This is one of the pendants created using various shades of coordinating glass. She chose this pendant - the ones below seemed a little too much when paired with her floral shirt.

Glassline pieces drying in the sun. Once dry, I capped them with clear glass and fired them to full fuse.

Finished Glassline piece.

 

Show Us What You Make or Sell

Today, I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner Show Us What You Make or Sell day. I love it when she does this kind of blog. You get to see so many really interesting things that people all over the place are creating.

I create pendants and artwork using glass that I melt or fuse in a kiln. I'm posting a few of my newer pieces here. You can also look through some of my other posts and even click over to my LeisaWorks Facebook page or Etsy page.