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Monday, November 24, 2014

Around the World Blog Hop

I was tagged by Deb to join in on the Around the World Blog Hop.  Deb is in the interior of BC, not much more than a ferry ride and then a few hours by car from here.Wouldn’t it be fun to actually meet some of your online friends. Be sure to click on her banner to zoom over to her blog and see what she’s working on.

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I went back and back and back through a few blogs to see where the blog hop began but soon realized it’s been going on for a while, and I would probably spend all day reading about all these amazing artists from around the world, and get nothing else done.. ;o) so here I go with my post.

1. What am I working on?

At this time of year, it’s full on Christmas. I just finished this Santa this morning… This is a design by Patterns by Elaine and is her All Dressed Up Santa.

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Last night I finished these fairies. They are from a design called “Damsel” by Karen Shifton. In the pattern, Karen encourages you to add your own twist to the basic pattern. Last year I created my Shabby Rose Fairies and they were so well received. This year they have shaggy hair instead of roses on their heads. I made them to hang from high places, and they aren’t in Christmas fabric, so they could stay out all year.

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I had requests for more this year, but just made a few, I may come to regret that decision. I will have to set aside time again for next years fairies, everyone seems to love them, so if you want something that sells well, this little pattern lends itself to all kinds of creative avenues. In this picture they don’t have their blushed cheeks, but they do now and are packed away for tomorrow when my friend and I will be dressing up her store for Christmas.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I think if there is a difference in my work, it’s in my own voice and how I visualize the end result. I think you could give a room full of artists the same theme for a project and you would get a different look from each and every person in the room.

3. Why do I create what I do?

I have certain themes that I really love, jesters being high on the list. I can’t work on projects just for the sake of making something, I have to really love whatever it is. If I don’t work on something, even for a few minutes on a busy day, something feels like it’s missing. It’s a passion.

People have been asking me lately why I make dolls. Without answering them, I ask them, “what is it you feel passionate about?”. One lady told me she loves photography, so I asked her, “what is it you like about that?”. She said it’s a passion of hers. So there you are. It’s a passion to create what we do, we can’t explain it more than that. You either have passion for something or you don’t.

4. How does my creating process work?

I probably have the same kind of crazy creating process that others have. I see inspiration all around me. It might be in a colour, a pattern in fabric, a scene in nature. I just see in my minds eye, a finished art piece that came from that one inspired moment. I get the strangest looks when I see something nobody else noticed and I’ve come up with an idea for a finished art piece just standing there… ;o)

When I work on an idea of my own making, rather than a design that I’ve purchased, I have thoughts of where I want to take that. It never goes where I want it to. That’s the beauty of being free and creative. You don’t have to stick to any rules. I made this doll in a class and it was supposed to be a Steampunk character, but he had others ideas, so this is Grampa Charlie.

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When I was about 10 or so, I was in an art class. We were given some stencils to use and just told to make some kind of picture with oil pastels. I decided on birds and I made them teal and rust coloured. The teacher was kind of taken aback, where the heck did I get the idea of teal and rust coloured birds. I didn’t know either, but I loved those colours so much.

It’s a very free feeling, as an adult, when you unload all the things you’ve been taught “to do this way” and just set about finding your own voice. I haven’t found my “personal style” yet, but this next year I want to spend more time working with clay and maybe find that style. I work as a solitary artist and find that very relaxing and I can lose myself in what I’m doing.

In closing, I am still waiting to hear from some artists I’ve written to, so I can pass along their blog sites to all of you. As soon as I hear back, I will post an update. Have a creative week, and for my US readers, Happy Turkey Day…. ;o)

For anyone living in the Greater Victoria area, I will be at Janet’s Special Teas in Sidney tomorrow morning, decorating her shop and putting up the ornaments and dolls for Christmas. Stop by if you’re in the area. Bye for now….

1 comment:

  1. Wonderful post Romona, thank you so much for sharing more about you and your creative process with us. It is so true about creating being a passion, impossible to describe if you don't feel it and impossible to resist if you do! Thanks for joining in the blog hop, love the fairies you made this year!

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