Jessica Lynch

february fotos: day 12, 13, & 14

2011-02-14T13:44:00.001-05:00

i'm a little behind on my daily photo posting for this month, so today i thought i would give you an overload of love. happy happy valentine's day to all you out there, i hope you are sharing lots of love today.

@ home with my alphabet blocks...

interlaken, switzerland

valentine, texas

february foto: day eleven

2011-02-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

roman tourist

february foto: number ten

2011-02-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

self portrait in the pelhate's french home.

february foto: number nine

2011-02-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

french.flower

i'm really falling for this photo. the more and more i gaze at it, it just makes me want to smile. simple yet complex, like so many things in our lives. i took this photo while photographing a dear friend's wedding in france. it brings back lovely memories of a lovely couple.

february foto: eight

2011-02-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

egyptian ceiling.

why have i been posting a photo everyday for the last eight days? simply to challenge myself to post "something" on my blog everyday for the month of february. also, to share several of my photos that i have never shared before, with you. remember to always give photo credit...

february foto seven

2011-02-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

laugh.

february foto: day six

2011-02-06T09:00:00.006-05:00

my old address.

february foto: day four and five

2011-02-05T15:10:00.000-05:00

nap.time

relax.

honoring color in your home

2011-02-03T14:05:00.000-05:00

i love color and lots of it, especially on the home front! for today's post i wanted to share some of my favorite links regarding home decor. for me, it's all about honoring color in your home. color is what inspires and makes me happy. i often run across home decor blogs and websites that i thought you might also enjoy...so here ya go! enjoy!

~starting with my absolute favorite...kelly swallow's fabulous patchwork chairs.

~loving this interior design blog and this blog post about colors popping.

~loving this chandelier from the alice lane home collection.

~let's make this clear...there are few things i don't love in lillian august, but here is one of my absolute favorites from the zanzibar collection.

~even though i do not own one yet, i am obsessed with these little crocheted bursts of brightness, they would brighten anyone's home. pouffes by lacasadecoto

~more poufs here and here and here and here for a DYI project.

~while traveling to helsinki, finland last year it was hard to miss the famous patterns of bright blue poppies peering at you from just about every store front. some of you might already be familiar with this leading finnish textile and clothing design company, marimekko. they have their new spring line of fabrics and clothes out now.

~if you have a "little" artist at home this is perfect for turning any design, drawing or picture into your very own custom carpet.

these rugs are custom handtufted new zealand wool carpet.

~loving these decorative pillows.

~and last but certainly not least, today as i was writing this blog entry, my sweet mother-in-law, sue, called to tell me she was bringing over a chair that she just bought for us! and can you believe...this is the chair!!! i'm so in love with it! you can find it and other fun stuff here.

~ oh! and one more, hoe could i forgot, happy chic...jonathan adler.

"Aspire to be!"

~jessica jane

february foto: day three

2011-02-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

aspen

february foto: day two

2011-02-02T11:07:00.000-05:00

swiss chalet

28 photos for 28 days

2011-02-01T23:51:00.000-05:00

2 blog post in 1 day, that's a first! anyhow, i've decided today that for the month of february, i will post a photo every day. this is followed by the idea that it will get me used to posting daily on my blog, which is a goal i would love to reach by the end of this year. so here goes, my first photo for february:

stars in the studio

blooming where i am planted

2011-02-01T17:46:00.000-05:00

me. last weekend at waveny park. photo compliments: ryan lynch. hat compliments: my aunt debby.

this is my first winter in new england. did i imagine there would be snow days? yes! of course! but, did i imagine as of feb. 1 we would still be counting after the 10 snow storms we have had...i can't say i saw that one coming, but as my mother always says, "jessica, bloom where you are planted my dear!" so i'm trying to do just that. and how exactly have i been blooming while the ground beneath me is frozen solid?

hanging paper prayer flags compliments: of the talented and beautiful Ashley Brown.

in my art studio of course! my husband might call it creatively crazy and cooped up, but i have actually been enjoying my locked up wintery days in my art studio lately.

she is an artist and the world is her canvas.

a few weeks ago i taught a children's art workshop @ WAC. we collaged our own creative vision boards for developing characters and settings for future children's books. the results were beautifully collaged portable art pieces the children took home to use as inspiration to begin writing their own stories. i totally wish i had stopped for one second while teaching, to document the process with my camera but as any teacher knows, there never seems to be the time, and as a result, unfortunately, i have no photos to share. but, these children and their creativity became my muse for my own vision board.

favorite vogue cover.

which became a very large vision board, or should i say vision wall. the inspiration for me was simply two words: she is.

flow: inspiring dutch magazine.

i have collected images of women who inspire me from fashion magazines, books, stickers, post cards, posters, blogs, etc over the last few years and was tired of keeping them hidden away. it was time for them to shine.

so, they are shining all over an entire wall in my art studio. all the faces of brave, unique, beautifully creative women from all walks of life, they stare back at me as i create and it is empowering.

"I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty." ~Georgia O'Keeffe

and so...to all of you creative beauties out there, on this cold wintry day, i encourage you to coop yourself up inside your own creative space and craft your own vision board, whether it be a whole wall or just a collage on a small sheet of paper. empower your vision.

"Aspire to be!"

~Jessica Jane

wan.der.lust: destination iceland.

2011-01-27T15:42:00.000-05:00

wan·der·lust (wŏnˈdər-lŭstˌ)
noun

A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

almost 4 months ago i ventured to iceland. although, i am a bit disappointed in myself for not blogging about it sooner, i must say that this trip, is one that is forever a part of me.

there is something truly great about experiencing a foreign land alone. if you have not done so, i encourage you to embark on that journey that fulfills YOUR own soul. it heals all. my trusty companions on the trip were my olympus EP-1, my muji journal, and all the lovely icelandic people that seemed to surround me at all the right times, the times that i needed companionship the most. funny how serendipity works.

me.refreshed.

i never actually aspired to go to iceland. in other words it wasn't on my "bucket list" of places to go before i die, but WOW, how glad am i that something nudged me along. even if that something was a long and lusty layover from europe, along side a super cheap flight to/from NYC...it was clearly meant to be.

i will most likely blog several times about this trip, but today i wanted to start with a few of my favorite photos that i took while visiting one of the world's most famous medical spas, the blue lagoon.

a true geothermal wonder.

me. soaking up the scenic beauty and enjoying breathing in the clean, fresh air.

me again. barefooted and in awe.

this is the most exotic and relaxing warm water (100 degrees F) my body has ever had the pleasure of wading in.

icelandic lunch. delicious skyr smoothie.

earth, air, fire, water.

all four vital elements of the earth, in one place.

i will end today by sharing a favorite quote of mine. it is about finding your own path, what a challenging and import step of our daily lives...but i believe that each trip i have taken and each adventure i have embarked on has brought me that much closer to my own path.

pay attention to your path.

"when you travel towards your objective, be sure to pay attention to the path. the path teaches us the best way to arrive and enriches us while we are traveling along it."

~paulo coelho

"Aspire to be!"

~Jessica Jane

blog under construction this week.

2011-01-25T23:22:00.000-05:00

home sweet home

2011-01-19T16:37:00.000-05:00

This is home according to me: The colors that influence, the photos from the most precious moments and travels, the space that one spends most of their time if they are lucky, the place their heart is content...

Unfortunately, so many of you live far away from me, so I wanted to share a little of our ‘home sweet home’ with you… I always enjoy getting to see other peoples homes and studio spaces. I think that a person's private space reflects so very much about who they really are.

It has taken us all of about 8 months to fully recover from an international move and as this past 2010 holiday season rolled around, I finally felt that things were starting to come together on the home front. So, this week while rearranging a bit, I thought I would capture our living space on what we call a “good day.”

So, without further ado here are a few snapshots from our SONO loft…

The decor in our bedroom is inspired by several things...One being a killer thrift store find. We found an awesome print of Henri Matisse's Zorah on the Terrace which was painted in 1912 and featured in a collection at the Pushkin Museum located in Moscow. It also came along with this intensely huge hand crafted wood frame. Most of the colors in our bedroom are blues and greens inspired from one of our most memorable vacations. I must say that after visiting several of the Greek Islands, I will forever be tainted by the pure bliss of that place. Which is also where the photo on the left bedside table was taken and also where the silk pillow was bought. So, needless to say the master bedroom has a very Moroccan/ Bohemian/ Mediterranean flair to it.

I figured that if I painted the wall in our kitchen turquoise(my favorite color,) that it would bring creativity to my cooking...that has yet to be proven :)

We spend most of our time in the downstairs space, which feels very open, since it is a loft style apartment.

This winter it has been a bit of a challenge figuring out just the right way to get our wood burning stove to produce heat and not smoke, but we seem to be getting the hang of it by now. I love the way all the wood looks stacked up on the brick, makes me feel like we have our own little Chalet.

view from above master bedroom

and when you come to visit us...this is where you will stay :)

Thanks for taking the time to let me show you around our place, now it's your turn, if you have photos on flickr or a link to your living space or studio space please post them below. I want to see where you are!!!

"Aspire to be!"

p.s.- Art Studio photos to come :)

6x6 project

2010-11-29T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hello Lovelies!!!

It's been a long long while since I last posted ANYTHING! Please forgive me, but you know how life gets in "Zway..." The last few months have been filled with love and art and I have been blessed in so many ways, more on that later... but for now I wanted to share with you an art project that I participated in this November, some of you that are local (NYC area) might have heard of it...

My friend Lora and I @ Charmingwall. (Me on the left, Lora pictured on the right)

There is a gallery in the West Village of NYC called Charmingwall, and the idea behind it when it first opened was simply to curate a set of open-edition fine art prints and sell them at a price point that anyone can afford...$20 buck-a-roos! So, after they had that grand idea, they started another one, that was called the 6x6 project, where they would exhibit local artist each month with a collection of 6x6 canvases of any subject matter the artist choose, usually displaying over a hundred 6x6's each month. Sadly, a whole year passed and as all good things do, the 6x6 project has to come to an end as this gallery space will be moving on...So, I was fortunate enough to get to participate in the last 6x6 show EVER on November 5, 2010. You could barely even move there were so many peps there... they were even spilling out onto the NYC sidewalks, it was an unforgettable experience indeed! Here are a few pics from that night that I wanted to share with you.

True Texan Girls! My friend Ciara from my Arts Magnet days!

Coolest gallery space!

Lora being silly :)

Here is a link to my 6x6 canvas that will be posted on there online gallery for the next 3 months...you can also browse all the other cool 6x6's. Enjoy!

xx,

Jessica

inside/outside pop up art show

2010-09-20T16:09:00.000-04:00

Pop-Up Arts &

Crafts Gallery

61 Wall Street, Norwalk, CT

September 25th 2010

Noon to 5p.m.

hey you! i would like to invite you out this saturday the 25th to norwalk for the "inside/outside pop up art show," i will be one of the 20 local artist participating in the event, and i'm super excited to finally display some of my new paintings that i have been hard at work on for sometime now. there is also a guided bus tour that they are offering if you are interested in seeing more then just the show, more info is located on their website: http://www.norwalkarts.org

hope to see you this saturday at my booth!

SONO arts celebration

2010-08-12T11:42:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I simply stepped out my front door and was instantly submerged into a world of art!!! The sound of children playing bongos, prizes being given away, and artist bartering a deal with buyers was everywhere. This time of year is when all local artist along with a few International artist come together for an unforgettable event called the “SONO Arts Celebration.”

I just happen to live in one of the coolest areas of Connecticut (at least I think so) it’s an area called South Norwalk, most say SONO for short. It is a historic district which dates way back and has one of the larger numbers of bars and eateries in the area, which I tend to gravitate towards... it is also right on the water and has a great Maritime Aquarium near by. Here are a few of the pics I snapped while browsing the 150 plus artist that had booths all over the SONO streets.

kids community art project

it's all happening at the zoo...

2010-08-05T17:32:00.000-04:00

I do believe it,

I do believe it's true.

10x10 acrylic on canvas

Someone told me

It's all happening at the zoo.

It's like a total ZOO in my studio today!!!! I finally took the time to count how many pieces I am actually working on and I came to the grand total of 17 paintings at once, not to mention all the small illustrations on paper!!! Can you believe that??? Totally not a normal thing for me, and every time I seem to near the finish of one, I take a looonnnggg pause to critic and judge and I say "you are not worthy of my signature yet..." And so...instead of actually sitting down and finishing it, I start a new project, go figure! Maybe I shouldn't have purchased all those lovely canvases from Jerry's Artarama during that 80% off sale they had not to long ago. It's almost a curse to have to many blank canvases lying around...

11x14 Mixed Media Acrylic
(in the middle stages of completion, you might see that it will soon be an elephant :)

Regardless, the theme of today and ironically one of the series of paintings that I have started, plays along very nicely with the Simon and Garfunkel Lyrics to the song "At the Zoo." So, naturally I can't get that dang song out of my head.

24x32 Canvas
(Just the background modge-podged on there so far, this one is going to be a biggin')

I always have so much fun creating the backgrounds to my paintings. It's a time where I feel totally free to mess up or to play around with different colors or textures that I might not feel so comfortable doing while painting the subject. I usually start with 2 or 3 colors that I want to work with and choose papers for the collage background based on my color scheme. I have had a blast adding in some of my Mother's old McCall sewing patterns that she sent me recently. They work like tissue paper and give great texture on blank canvas or over the paper already adhered to the canvas.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday afternoon...What type of Zoo are you in today?

"Aspire to be!"

Jessica Jane

new hampshire

2010-08-03T19:00:00.000-04:00

mixed media art camp for girls!

2010-07-27T12:16:00.000-04:00

As we approach the last month of summer, I feel as though my summer excitement is just starting... I am getting back into teaching this summer by instructing a mixed media art workshop for girls ages 10-12! I have already started to plan a few of the projects that we are going to do and I can't wait to see what the girls come up with!

from the studio

2010-07-21T22:28:00.000-04:00

just a quick little peek-a-boo at some new work of mine!

xoxo-
Jessica Jane

amarillo by mornin'

2010-07-19T14:02:00.000-04:00

(Stanley Marsh III leans on one of 10 Cadillacs buried on his ranch west of Amarillo, Texas, along old Route 66, this photo was taken ironically the month and year that I was born, June 1984.)

I wanted to feature a most peculiar artist today, a man that has literally fascinated me since the young age of 5. He is probably one of the most quirky Texans you might ever meet, although there are quite a few of those types…If you have ever ventured to Amarillo, Texas then it is most certain that you would have encountered one of the many works of “art” by the eccentric Texan Millionaire, Stanley Marsh III. "Art," Marsh says, "is a legalized form of insanity, and I do it very well."

Legal forms of insanity...that he does, Marsh is the man behind the famous Cadillac Ranch located off of old Route 66, which is probably the most recognized of his artistic endeavors, but he most certainly didn’t stop there… around the small city of Amarillo you can see things like a giant pool table which can only be seen by air because it is located on top of a building, or his huge sculpture of legs located south of the city. He also has painted a mesa outside of town to look as if it’s floating, where hundreds of sheets of plywood are painted sky blue on the side of a tall hill. But I have to say my favorite works of Stanley Marsh’s are the plethora of strange signs that he has his “workers” plant around town. There are over 200 of them on display in homes and some businesses. They look very much like road signs, but yet they don’t dispense any thing remotely equivalent to traffic or parking rules, instead they insert random and sometimes offense slogans to live by…that is if you live by Stanley Marsh slogans…not recommending that you do, although some I have to say are little spurts of greatness here and there!

(check out more of the Stanely Marsh III Amarillo signs here)

So, this past week we headed down South to my two “home” towns both of which are in the very LARGE state of Texas. Everyone boasts and brags about how big Texas is, but until you move away and realize first hand that in the same time you can drive across just one state, you can easily drive through 3-5 up here (in New England) you don't really understand HOW BIG Texas really is!

I ran across this hilarious t-shirt a few weeks ago while visiting the charming city of Newport, Rhode Island and I just had to have it! It’s one of those shirts that you when you wear it people automatically stop and chat with you. It’s so strange to imagine that a whole state is the size of the city where I grew up (Dallas, Texas)…or even stranger to think of it the other way around, there is actually a city that big!!! Crazy talk!

(check out more of the Stanely Marsh III Amarillo signs here)

After 4 jam-packed days in Dallas, we hopped on Southwest Airlines and within an hour we were in the not-so-colorful plains of West Texas. Amarillo, Texas happens to be my birthplace, I lived there until I was 5 years old, but the town itself has never really been a place of fondness for me until my adult years, when I have finally come to appreciate, the stillness, the space, the kind people, the slower pace, and it helps when you have the sweetest family in world to visit there! It was just one of those incredibly blessed trips. My cousins were there, one of which has had 2 adorable loving little ones since the last time I saw him. Our family has always been so spread out over the 50 states, but it always makes those times when we come together just booming with love. Something about being around the ones I love the absolute most in life, the ones that have seen me through everything makes me realize and appreciate all the small steps I have taken to get to the place that I am today emotionally, spiritually, and physically within my heart and soul. They are a part of me everyday, the part of myself that I love the most.

So, it was only natural to visit the famous Cadillac Ranch while in Amarillo.Below are a few that I snapped while at the Cadillac Ranch with my family.

(my uncle robert)

(my talented cousin jill, who chopped my locks!)

(jill and my auntie debby)

(showing Ryan my true colors!)

photo how-to

2010-06-28T12:12:00.000-04:00

Howdy and happy Monday to ya!

Feelin' my Texan roots shining through this afternoon!

Everyone up here (on the East Coast) keeps asking me... "Why don't you sound like your from Texas?"

Anyways, that's a whole other blog in itself but today I thought I would finally get around to giving away a few of my photo tips. Not that I am an expert by ANY means, but I do absolutely love taking photos and it is a total passion of mine. If you are a beginner when it comes to editing photos, this will really help get the ball rolling. Recently, I have discovered a great way to spruce up those sometimes boring and dull photos. After a few of my lovely friends on facebook kept asking me "how do you do that with your photos?" I thought the time was right to share how...

The super easy way:

When I first started editing my photos from all my travels, I just wanted them to be brighter and for the colors to really pop! So, I simply opened them on "preview" on my mac and clicked on the "tools" section and then went to "adjust color." From there you can start to play around with the scales, and thats just what I did, play! I moved the exposure, contrast, brightness, up and down and just played with the effect it gave the photo. You can make it black and white or sepia, change the saturation of the color so that it seems a little vintage and washed out or you can make it as bright and booming as you wish. You can also get some totally "crazy" effects, that you would never imagine getting from just opening your photo in Preview. Here are some examples of the first time I played around with editing my photos in preview.

(photos taken during my visit to Budapest, Hungary, winter 2008)

Unfortunately, for some reason I didn't save the originals to show you the before and after but you can try to imagine they were not as colorful or animated. I had so much fun when I first started to play around with these settings, it was almost as if my photos came to life. It was just the beginning to such a fun way to personalize my photos. Everyone can take a photo of a sculpture or famous landmark while traveling. It's just how you decide to make it yours!

The super fun way:

So, up until a few weeks ago I was using this form of photo editing on just about all of my photos that I post online. THEN! I discovered Picnik. Which is a very cool photo editing website that is super user friendly!!!!! I will let you see that for yourself, but just so you get an idea of what it can do for you, I will demonstrate the before and after on some of the photos that I took this weekend in Newport, Rhode Island. Click on the images below to enlarge if you want to see more detail. Also, I will just add in what functions I used to create these looks below the photo, but the only way to really see how to do it is to go to Picnik and upload a photo of yours and start playing around with the functions. You can pay a monthly fee if you want the premium options, but I just stick with the free upload and think that it offers a ton features that work great for what I use it for.

Tools I used for this photo:

Edit-Sharpen

Create- Boost Color, Vignette (black), color process (my favorite option), framed in before/after mode

Tools I used for this photo:

Edit- Sharpen, rotate left

Create- 1960's, rounded corners, color process, add text option, and frames before/after

Tools I used for this photo:

Create: polaroid frame, add text option, before/after mode

Tools I used for this photo:

Edit-Sharpen

Create- Tint blue, vignette (black), lomo-ish effect, before/after frame

If I was unclear on anything or you have any questions for me please leave it in the comment section below. Have so much fun editing your photos!!!! When you finish and upload to facebook,blog, website, link me so I can check them out!!!!

~Aspire to be!
Jessica Jane Sublett

Cigarette Girl Prints Available NOW!!!

2010-06-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

(photos taken at my lovely loft in SONO!)

Exciting news for me to announce!!!! Although, I have had an "active" etsy account for a few years now, yes a few years...I have finally posted my first ever sale on it as of yesterday. After a few failed attempts at posting my originals and some angelisms greeting cards that I previously made for art sales, I just gave up all together on trying to sell on etsy. It might be one of the most overwhelming online creative spots on this Earth. With that said, there is always room for one more creative soul out there right? I'm going for it this time!!! I have been busy busy putting together all the components for professional prints of my original work "Cigarette Girl," and hooray that day is here to present to you! Please spread the word and link, link, link if you wish!

Head on over to MY ETSY STORE!

(Here is a link to my etsy store front, nothing that special just yet, but its a start!)

Prices for prints are anywhere from $17 for a matted 5"x7" up to $165 for a gallery wrapped giclee canvas. If it looks like there are only a few prints posted that is because I am gradually adding them a few per day, but no worries there are PLENTY to go around. Just in case you haven't heard about the history behind "Cigarette Girl" and the event in which I created her for, below will catch you up to speed on all that! This is by far one of my favorite creative projects I have ever been a part of, so forgive me if I keep gabbin' about it!

(Photo taken by Polly Gauthier Simon)

About Cigarette Girl:
This past March I was asked to be a part of the coolest event, this event gave birth to "Cigarette Girl," the whole process from beginning to end was such a blissful experience for me and so many other artist involved. The original "Cigarette Girl" prints are made after the original mixed media painting that is now featured in the CD booklet of Jill Allison Bryan's "Dancing in Limbo" album. I used several antique valentines, newspaper clippings, and original photos from the 1920-40’s. If you would like to see more of the process I used check out my artist interview on video below…

(Photo taken by Polly Gauthier Simon)

About the event: Infinite Possibility:
In planning the release of her first ever solo CD; Jill Allison Bryan chose to create a celebration that would combine her passions for music and art while bringing awareness and support to one of her favorite charities, Women for Women International. Blessed with a wealth of friends who also happen to be talented artists, Jill asked thirteen of these women if they would each donate a piece of original artwork inspired by one of the songs on her CD "Dancing in Limbo." $10,775 was raised to benefit Women for Women International at this unique celebration for the release of Jill's solo CD debut, "Dancing in Limbo" with special silent art auction and raffle which took place on Saturday, March 27, 2010.

(Photo taken by Polly Gauthier Simon)

My Artist interview about the process I used in creating "Cigarette Girl:"

(My #1 creative coach out there! The talented Jill Allison Byran and I)

Shout out to Jill Allison Byran and Polly Gauthier Simon for being two incredibly amazing chics! I thank you both for being such an inspiration to my life daily!)

Color Workshop

2010-06-23T18:12:00.000-04:00

I have had this obsession with color wheels lately…I think this is directly related to the fact that on a color wheel are all the COLORS, which happens to be one of my absolute favorite things in this world!!!! For anyone that knows me well, they would be able to tell you how much I love color! Not only is it how I express myself in my own artwork, but it shapes so much of my everyday life... color seems to always be the driving force behind most things that I love and create. This being the reason, why I recently signed up for a “Color Workshop for Painters and Illustrators” taught by RISD’s own color legend, William Miller (Bill). It was essentially a whole semester worth of teaching condensed into a one 3-hour evening…gotta love that!

One of my favorite parts of this workshop was getting one very knowledgeable “insiders” opinion on which books to buy and which ones to skip when it comes to color and color theory. Below is a list of the ones NOT to skip…you may have heard of some or more then some depending on your background. A lot of them were newbies to me, not having come from a formal art education setting. Some appear to be very technical and not of interest to me at this stage of my artistic vision, but might be of interest for you, so I went ahead and included them anyways, none-the-less, Bill Miller knows what he is talking about as one of the head figures of the painting department at Rhode Island School of Design!!! So, I will trust him and without further ado, here are 10 books all about COLOR!

1. The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated

By: Ralph Mayer

2. Interaction of Color: Revised and Expanded Edition

By: Josef Albers

3. The Art Spirit

By: Robert Henri

4. Art in its Own Terms: Selected Criticism 1935-1975

By: Fairfield Porter

5. Hawthorne on Painting

By: Mrs. Charles W. Hawthorne

6. Color and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction

By: John Gage

7. Color by Betty Edwards: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors

By: Betty Edward

8. Colour: A Workshop for Artists and Designers

By: David Hornung

9. Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You

By: Michele Bernhardt- Just a fun one to check out!

10. Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing

By: Margaret Livingstone

So, there you have it, 10 books all about color; the theory of color, the history of color, the biology of color, the poetry of color, the stories of color, and the how to’s of color. I actually have not gotten around to reading any of them yet, but if I had one choice to read this summer it would be, Robert Henri’s: “The Art of Spirit.” I have heard it will change you as an artist, it will pull at your heartstrings, it will make your soul sing.

During one of the breaks of the class, I had a second to chat with Bill one-on-one and we were discussing formal art education vs. self-taught artist. A subject that I ponder quite often. Should I have gotten a degree in fine arts??? Did I make the right choices when I was in school? Is it okay “being an artist” without that formal education backing your paintbrush? This is what he shared with me and boy did it STICK!

“Paint from your heart and spirit, there is no how-to manual, it is YOUR EXPIERENCE! And when the viewer sees your work they live through that experience.”

Simply put, yet bold enough to captivate me for a lifetime!

(All of these photos were taken from posters hanging on the walls of the classroom)

Farm and Facial

2010-06-21T08:39:00.000-04:00

(This makes me smile on a Monday morning, I hope it makes you smile too!)

This past Wednesday I had a very blissful break from my studies, art making and creative biz hustle... and as a birthday treat I was given a facial and massage complements of the lovely Ryan Charles Lynch (others might to refer to him as my other half, soulmate, man of my dreams, this list goes on :) Although, my classes are in Providence, RI, I was staying in a hotel in Seekonk, MA for a few nights which is about 10 min. outside Providence. If you go just one step further you are suddenly in the quaint little farming community of Rehoboth, MA. In Rehoboth, (population: 1 church, lots of great farmland, a few cows, and a lot of really nice people) I had the pleasure of experiencing the Elite Skin Rejuvenation Day Spa which just happens to be set on 100 acres of pristine farmland where the natural beauty of New England offers an escape unlike any other. (okay- I might have just copied and pasted that from their website, but still, its very true!!!) It was truly an unforgettable relaxing experience, it nurtured my spirit, relaxed my soul and most importantly rejuvenated my back and hands that have literally been cramped like crazy from all the painting, writing, and computer stuff I have been obsessed with for the last few months. If you are ever in Seekonk or Rehoboth, MA when a tense back or an appetite for relaxation then I would give Elite a phone call and you won't regret it! It was 3 hours of loveliness! Thank you Ryan! Thank you Elite estheticians! Thank you cows!

Also, just down the pasture from the spa there are several little farms with fresh produce and a gillion great little finds...I stopped in at the Oakdale Farms and bought some yummy apple butter and strawberry rhubarb preserves...I thought apple butter was a Southern thing??? I added a few pics from inside the shop. I'm totally into American Flags this summer and of course always a fan of little birdies too. These two where cute little felt table decor that a local artist made. Not sure what her name was but maybe a cute project to look into???

All in all, my first week of classes at RISD sailed by smoothly...I just feel so incredibly lucky to be getting to pursue this creative adventure. More to come this week, I want to share with you a few things that I picked up from a color workshop that I took last week, taught by the great Bill Miller of the RISD painting department. It really rocked my world! I hope ya'll had a great weekend! Love hearing what you are up to in you're neck of the woods too! Don't ever hesitate to comment!

A Glimpse of Providence

2010-06-16T00:36:00.000-04:00

what a day, what a day!

Honoring My Starting Point...

2010-06-15T06:27:00.000-04:00

Hello Sweet People!

Thank you for stopping by and giving this new project of mine a few minutes of your day… "This" I must admit is a very scary thing! By “this” I mean starting a blog. I have a collection of journals that I have kept from the age of 9 up until this point, but to think that after I write all these crazy thoughts of mine, I actually hit a post button and those thoughts and ramblings are then permanent, not only for you to see and possibly judge, but for a stranger to do the same. As scary as all that might seem, it is exactly the challenge I have been seeking in my life. Putting myself out there, into this great big universe and seeing just what comes rushing back in! Finding that REAAAALLLY uncomfortable spot and nesting there, until day by day it becomes just a tiny bit easier and a tad-bit more comfortable. I imagine this is how it will be to try and find my creative voice. My creative voice for writing this blog.

From this starting point, I am making a promise to myself. I am committing to the dream, to what my creative vision will look like and to simply living my absolute best creative life. I am choosing to listen to all those whispers that have been circling my soul for the past few years now. I am creating MY OWN road map to follow.

Those are some of the promises that I am making to myself and now the promises I can make to you…

- Lots of things that inspire me and hopefully will you too!

- Art, art, and more art!

- Lots of fun photographs (One of absolute favorite hobbies!)

- Spelling and grammatical errors (forgive me now!)

- Everyday simplicity and beauty…

- Helpful resources along the way (if you are like me and seeking your creative path, we all are right?)

- Some art tutorials if you get bored…

- Links to other artist décor, fashion, and travel…

- Quotes that keep me a float and whatever other randomness I feel like sharing!

- 100% Me! And all that I have to give…

And so my friends…I thought there was no better day to honor my starting point of pursuing my creative vision, then on the day that my life began. The day of my birth, June 15. A whole new year awaits…this day marks the starting point for my blog, my first day at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), and the day that I begin to truly commit to my dream.

I look forward to the comments that you will share, the connections that will be made, and the inspiration that will set us all soaring!!!

“Aspire to be!”

-Jessica Jane

I am in love with this video trailer, so inspirational! Check it out!

Who Does She Think She is?