In The Studio - Part One

Wow, what a productive week so far!

Weather-wise, it's been a bit crazy. Rain and gloomy skies. I live in an area that gets a lot of tornado watches. June is the big month for that and it's already started. What we mostly get are lots of rain which produces flooding, wind and thunderstorms. This in turn causes my poor body to stay in a constant amount of pain. However, not being able to sleep due to pain and a brain that won't shut off really does produce a plethora of art!

I have used a lot of shapes more than once, like the camel and elephant for the Zentangle doodles. Can't wait for the sun and the Camera Goddess to work together to get some great photos for cards and prints to be made of some of them.

The elephant above is called "Gentle Giant". I shared it on Society6. These are my favorites using that design.

I was gifted last week with 3 sketch pads by an online buddy who told me she'd never use them and thought I might. 2 watercolor pads (different sizes) and one for pens and markers have already been used. I'm happy to have such generous friends. They take good care of me.

I did one watercolor so far this week using acrylics. I didn't get the ratio right with the water on the darker colors in my opinion and the black watercolor crayon was too heavy in areas but considering I'm teaching myself, I'd say this is a good first attempt.

I have managed to continue to add more to the grout pile too! I'm still going strong with creating mosaics and really hope to start grouting as soon as the muse and my body agree on when to do it. I now have 3 items I want to grout so I can make them available for sale.

I found some small 1 inch tiles given to me years ago by a long time friend recently (and promptly lost them again after doing what you see below!) and did some doodles on them. I made them into pendants. Those will get listed too.

Three are painted in watercolors. I love them!!

Enjoy your week! I know I am. I've already started on the next mosaic and doodle.

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Promo Blast!

Mosaics Set of 3 Bohemian Incense Holder / Bud Vase Bottles - FREE SHIPPING Within US - $87.65

A small bottle once held soy sauce. A cracked ceramic vase from the 1950's was in a bag to toss out. A beer bottle, sitting on the counter. All these spoke to me begging me to give them some mosaic love.

Each is unique within itself but look so cool as a set.

The soy sauce bottle is 5 inches high. Turquoise stained glass, calico and blue willow designs in china were added in a wave pattern. Grouted in white.

The ceramic vase is 6 inches high. Stained glass pieces in blue, some iridescent, cover this really cool shape. Grouted in charcoal.

The beer bottle is 9 inches high. 4 different patterns in broken china were used. Navy blue, white, blue willow and a soft violet flower. Grouted in my own hand mixed plum.

For those hard to buy for people in your life, these would make a wonderful gift. Use all 3 on a shelf with a flower in it or a sweet smelling stick of incense. Let them sit near a light source so the shine can make you smile. Gift yourself! You deserve it!

I am proud to take items destined for the trash and create a beautiful, useful piece of art like the ones shared here. It is a delight to share with you all the joy I have when I find broken objects and give them new purpose. The art pieces I make using discarded and/or broken items holds a special place in my heart.

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part One

I've been busy this week, mostly drawing new and fun designs using what now can be considered my favorite ink pen, Pigma Micron pen made by sakuraofamerica. I'm definitely going to invest in more of these in a range of colors as soon as possible. The one I'm using is in sepia and I believe now I'll never be able to go without at the very least this one pen at all times! They make me a better artist making them very valuable indeed.

Here's just the last few days' artwork trying out the new pens and getting a feel for what I'd like to do on tee shirts, tote bags and so on at some point.

I colored in a butterfly using pencils. If I weren't using computer paper right now to draw on, I'd have added water to them to get the vibrant color I enjoy. However this kind of paper can't handle water. So until I get the kind that does, this will do!

And look! It's a new mosaic!!

6 inch sun

And yes, the grouting pile is tumbling over!! I have been trying not to do too much more until I am able to physically handle grouting. There are now 2 mosaics that I'd like to list this month which means I'll have to do what I can to grout those soon. It'll all work out the way it's supposed to, I know.

Meanwhile, it's time to pick up the pen and get some doodling fun accomplished!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Promo Blast!

Mosaic Celestial Crescent Moon with Glow-In-The-Dark Stars - FREE Shipping within the US - $40.00

Stained glass mosaic with Glow-In-The-Dark stars is perfect for the new baby's nursery or child's room.

Hand cut stained glass in many different pieces of blue and silver mirror cover the crescent moon. The stars are painted with glow-in-the-dark paint and then covered in tempered or crash glass. All are grouted in the most beautiful grout color I've ever had the pleasure to use: starry night.

As is usually the case, my moon and stars designs has a Bohemian decor/Hippie art vibe to it. That means this moon can go anywhere on your wall in any room near a light source. The glow doesn't last long but while it does, the stars shine brightly!

Approximately 6.5 inches

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part Two

Wrapping up the week in a positive way, as I always like to do, by sharing the love.

GOOD NEWS! For those who were interested in having one of my doodles as a coloring page: While I learn how to do them and get them a little more polished, I will be giving away a free pattern every now and then. This first one, "Flower Power A", is all set up in a PDF file without the watermarks and can be sent to you through email for FREE!! Send me a PM anytime with your email address and I'll send it on to you using my artbyearthmothermosaics@gmail.com email address.

Flower Power A - Free PDF download coloring page

I have a lot to learn yet but while I do, sharing freebies is a wonderful thing!! I hope you enjoy it and will share the results with me if you'd like.

I finished up the mosaic and it's now in the extremely large "to be grouted" pile. I love it!

And the wait is finally over ... the pens have finally arrived!

Pigma Micron Pen - 05 SEPIA .45MM & Penstix Pen - black perm 3/Set

I'm hoping to get a lot of use out of them before they need to be replaced! They were worth waiting for, however. I love them all.

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part One

Life as I know it has changed drastically since I've had to deal with this muscle spasm, possible ruptured disk and sciatica. This is my own diagnosis and at some point in the future, I will get myself looked at by a doctor but today, right now, that's not possible. My entire life has changed literally overnight. I'm limited in what I can do, where I can go and how I get there. There was no warning, no time to make adjustments or preparations. So far, I'm able to get up out of bed for a bit and walk around with the help from a cane and I'm grateful for that.

This is what the pain I am experiencing constantly looks like.

Photo credit taken from spineuniverse.com and the article "6 Leading Causes of Sciatica" Written by Jean-Jacques Abitbol, MD; Reviewed by Brian R. Subach, MD

This is why I'm sleeping on average about 4 hours a night (not all at the same time) and taking pain relievers.

I'm also in the most creative cycle I've ever been in; slower, most definitely, but creative just the same. The best part about being awake so long and having very little energy or strength to move much is my art. The worst part is not being able to go down the steps and outside to be part of the changing seasons.

Spring from my window

Meanwhile, here are some doodles and other fun things I've been finishing up and working on. I'm STILL waiting for the pens I ordered over a month ago. This will be the 3rd attempt at getting them to me --- I really hope they arrive soon.

I picked up a mosaic to do this week too. I'm a little sad that I'm not yet strong enough to grout, it takes a lot of physical energy and strength to clean a mosaic free from grout. Repetition and movement are essential. It's more than a little likely that I will get the kids around me to help me do grouting. I think they will get bored quickly and not want to do it after the first few times but I will be able to share my mosaic magic with them once more and get the much needed help too. Win/win.

This mosaic is on a piece of teak wood, I believe, which is about as old as I am. It's been sitting in my substrate box for years. I've drawn and painted over a number of designs on it but when I saw the stars in my stash of found objects, I knew it would work for this. Along came the piece of glass precut into a crescent moon shape and the polymer clay word charm I made a few years ago "sun". The rest is easy! All of these things have been sitting here with me for quite some time but not until I saw them altogether like this did I realize it was time to do a new sun and moon mosaic! Yay!

The back is impressive as well - beautifully treated wood slice that was quite popular in the 1950's. I'm fairly sure at one point there was something attached to the part I am putting a mosaic on. When I got it (gifted by my Dad) it was just this great piece of wood. I'll be sure to share it too when the mosaic is completed.

Look for this in the shop within the next month.

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy