Ring in the New....

It is 3:33 on December 27th, a quiet evening at work, and this blogger is contemplating the end of the holiday season/end of the year.  2010 is currently in its dying stages, and a New Year awaits impatiently on the near horizon- you can see its shadow looming ahead, tapping an impatient foot and watching for signs of welcome.  Some hopes and happy moments were realized in 2010, while others faded away or were put on hold indefinitely  One of the latter includes our mask work, which was relegated to the sidelines by necessity in these final months, due to what I like to term "Holiday Madness".   We are slowly picking up the loose threads of work and weaving them into the finished products that will debut in a very near future.  My self-imposed deadline has been extended by a few months- too many crises and projects and holiday rush were in the works simultaneously.  So, we are looking at February-March art markets to participate in with the mask work.  Trying our best to coordinate it with Mardi Gras, which would be the ideal time to showcase them- all those lovely tourists, and locals with masquerades and costumes in mind.  Rest assured, even if it happens after M.G., our mask line is appropriate and magical for any time of the year, so please keep the masks in mind as we approach the new year and future holidays. 

More updates to come...so stay tuned! And in the meantime, wishing everyone a New Year filled with happy moments, quiet joy, and serenity. 

xoxo,
Jamie P.

Out of the Gate....

Hello Friends, Old & New,

October presented us with an opportunity to take a break from our art work, due to all the happenings of the month and the subsequent lack of time to devote to our craft.  Fast forward to early November...currently we are gathering forces and breaking out of the gate, ready to enter full-speed ahead the artistic world once more.  The timing will present yet another challenge, due to the arrival (onslaught?) of the holidays.  Yet it can and will be done.  I am going to take the optimistic road and acknowledge that the mask work will provide a great creative outlet and a place to channel all the stressed/nervous energy of trying to pull together everything for the upcoming holiday season.  We all know that the holidays can be a beautiful and magical time, when our toes aren't being stepped upon by real world issues such as balancing time and energy, dealing with pesky family members/friends, trying to play Santa to those same loved ones and feel the drain on our pocketbooks, and dealing with conflicts of personalities as we all gather to celebrate the season.  The thing to keep in mind is that the holidays always seem to fly past on wings blurred with Christmas lights, carols and laughter, not to mention all the family times and parties, and all too soon will be a memory.  This too will pass, whether that is good or bad.  Let us strive to embrace the good and overlook the bad.

Holidays aside, for Lucas and I Mardi Gras is the Grail, and the Quest for the mask work will lead us to Palmer Park in January, where we will participate in our very first art market in 2011.  Please feel free to stop by, visit and check out our latest & greatest artwork.  Feedback is welcome.  In the meantime, there will be art markets in Palmer Park on the last Saturday of November and December, a bevy of festivals and fairs throughout the New Orleans and surrounding region, along with the much-lauded 3 Rivers Festival in Covington, Louisiana on the weekend of the 13th and 14th.  Don't forget to come out and show your support for local artisans, and pass a good time while out & about.

Realistically, we have about 2 months with which to put the finishing touches on the completed masks, and to add a few new characters to the family.  The next one is destined to be a wedding mask- to balance out all the macabre Halloween ones we finished from October.  Still designing and sketching out new additions, which you can catch glimpses of between now and January.  Expect to see many different styles, from the whimsical to the terrifying, the naughty and the nice, along with everything in-between.  p.s. We do commission work as well, email any questions our way and we'll let you know if it can be done, along with price quotes and time alloted for completion.   

Wish us luck, friends, and here's a wish to every one of you for happy holiday moments as the year reaches its inevitable conclusion.  May you all enjoy a spirit of optimism and serenity during these fleeting seasonal weeks, and the glow of happy memories.   

"Seasons of Mist and Mellow Fruitfulness..."

Ah, October....you are my favorite time of year! For so many reasons, let me count the ways...

(1) My hubby and I just celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary on the 25th.  Since it fell on a Monday this year we designated the entire weekend before as "anniversary weekend", and picnicked in our backyard, strolled through "our" park, and my hubby grilled an incredible steak dinner to finish the weekend off perfectly. Ahh...married life is bliss!

(2) Halloween is this weekend!! It crept upon us somehow, but now it is here, and we are ready with costumes and spirits of adventure.  Beginning tonight...

(3) Anne Rice Costume Ball 2010- Memnoch the Devil @ the Republic- I've been wanting to attend this function for several years now but was never given the opportunity.  We will be going with friends and seeing other friends/acquaintances there.  Our costumes will dazzle everyone! And hopefully three hours will be enough time to transform this legal secretary into a wicked sorceress with eyes of fire! lol

(4) The weather is finally taking a cold turn, as it is prone to do this time of year.  The weather changes in late October, finally descending into cool, shedding its cloak of humidity and affording us room to breathe here in the Deep South.

For this, and so many other reasons, I am loving the month of October.  Hope that this finds all my gentle readers enjoying crisp autumn temps, candy, costumery, pumpkins and spiders, and, as always..."all treats and no tricks!"

Listening to the Muse...

Update time...I'm trying to get back to the "less is more" mentality- interestingly, right after that blog about "cutting back", my writings became even more lengthy and descriptive than before.  Its perverse how the human mind works- make up your mind to do things one way, and bam! another way takes precedence.  Ah well.  What good is a blog if you can't be long-winded? So, for now the "less is more" will be incorporated in a strictly everyday life setting (organizing stuff, etc.).  The blog can evolve as it will, whether prolific or short & sweet. 

Right now I am up to my eyeballs in mask work that is in various stages of completion.  Designs are sketched to completion and ready to go, and 5 of the masks are "blank canvases" ready for painting.  The necklace line is coming along very well also- 3 away from an even 30.  We are cranking out the art and it is finally starting to feel like something is getting accomplished! Still, there are deadlines looming, and I won't rest until there are more masks in the final stages.  Work-work-work! And then....drumroll.....more work.

Another update has to do with my writing.  I am in the process of beginning research into the realm of self-publishing.  I have a poetry manuscript that has been gathering dust for several years now, out of fear and being "too busy" (read: not making the time).  Two lame excuses to not do something with it! So, after having brushed the dust off, the publishing process is now officially in the works and hopefully something will happen in the near future.  While waiting on the self-publishing realm, I am currently working on submitting some of my newer material to an online magazine (Blue Unicorn) and hoping for some positive feedback in the meantime.  *keeping fingers crossed* 



A moment in retrospect- I am so grateful and blessed to have the life I am living now.  Not that its easy or worry-free, but the good far outweighs the bad.  The difference between then and now (the past) is like a war zone compared to a paradise. My husband, my short-tempered puppy, my little house with the out of control ongoing organizing and lack of closet space- I wouldn't trade them for all the money and power in the world.  A great quote popped in my head, in retrospect: "God bless the broken road that led me to you."- hands down the best country song ever, and I'm no fan of country.  But it fits, and its good.  Life is good.  And I plan on life getting better and better as we go farther down that road.   Now, enough of the mush fest, its time to get back to work...

Escape Artist

An artist friend and I were having a discussion yesterday about the self-proclaimed "artists" out there who use the internet as a vehicle for selling their art and marketing themselves as a brand.  We were both able to point out several different examples of this phenomena- from painters to jewelry makers to photographers, it seemed to cover a spectrum of different types.  There's nothing wrong with using the blog to market your art/connect with folks, or journal- everyone does- but there's a fine line between marketing and bragging, and the arrogance some of these types have is disgusting to say the least.  The one thing all had in common was the art of the b.s.- making their lives appear so rosy and Disney-esque, as though the only thing they had to do was sit on their glorified perches and let the muse reveal itself in technicolor glory, with very little labor involved, while everyone else waited and watched breathlessly.  For the rest of us, it's a little different in the real world.  

While it might come easier to some than others ("it" meaning the process of creation), for the real artists out there its less about plastering their sugar-coated reminisces and catch phrases online, and more about closing the door on the real and virtual worlds and making something tangible happen.  To shoot for contrast, I can outline a "typical day" in this corner that defies the explanations of the avid artist-bloggers out there.  It goes something like this: Wake up before daylight to face a 10-12 hour workday (yes, it counts even if you work at home).  Take care of puppy- and he's no slouch in the energy department or the needs dept.  Run errands, finish housework (indoor and outdoor), job hunt.  Gear up for the full-time job of making art. This artist is not posed by a picture window sipping cafe au lait and singing along to Yanni, while rainbow prisms beam out of my eyes as I stare out of some lofty Garden District mansion at the adoring masses huddled at my stairs.  Real world- I'm sitting on a hard chair for hours, covered in art materials and puppy slobber, every spare inch of the table crammed with supplies and half-finished works, frantic to get it all done in a day.   There's simply not enough time or space to go around.  I'm not like the blog diva artisan posing for my picture, as I gaze into the camera with rapturous joy (real or manufactured!).  Instead, I'm rolling sleeves up, gritting my teeth and hurtling into my work (that's about as poetic as it gets over here).  Instead of adorning myself in gauzy dresses, living in imaginary online worlds, ensconced in the loving praise of my online followers, warbling witticisms and leisurely tidbits about the ideal life I live and how wonderful I really am (or getting others to do it for me), I'm throwing on my oldest threads, grabbing a quick caffeine break and sifting through Yahoo and Facebook emails before hitting the ground running.  Work before play.  Because sometimes creating the art you love is a battle, and by the end of the day its not a popularity contest and fans singing accolades, its sweat and worry and the sensation of lost time.  My art is a gritty process, hard to finish, time consuming, slow to reward and never simple.  The #1 enemy is time, because it escapes out the window and is burned away on the computer and in many other myriad ways.  At times I'm buried in worries and stress, and it seems that progress is slow moving and even non-existent because you don't always see the results until the very end of the road, where it all tends to happen at once.  Being a real artist is full time work, and it is not for the faint of heart, or for those with one track minds- I've learned the importance of multi-tasking and dividing time between job hunting, taking care of the errands and household minutiae, and chasing a hyper and back-talking pup dog around and around the table- his game, my lack of punishment.  Its grueling at times, all the hats you wear in a day, and the self-discipline needed to make it all flow, but I wouldn't trade it for a typical office job working for a cynical boss and sarcastic co-workers (although there will come a time soon enough when that's exactly what I'll be doing- then I'll make myself be happy to trade freedom for a steady paycheck).  Obviously art isn't all work and sweat- its creating beauty out of raw materials and a vision, and it can be a celebration and a joy.  But you have to put in the time to make it happen, not just fancy up the process with empty words.  I love focusing on the sights of the world around me, the sounds of a string quartet or the way the light comes in through the window as much as anyone else- but that's not what inspires me to do my art.  What inspires me is the stack of growing utility bills, the hollow sound of the last pop tart in the box; the knowledge that our house needs updates and renovations, and the selfish wishes for new flooring in the kitchen, a fancy dress-up date with my hubby and Season One of Trueblood on dvd (not in that order).

What real artists' lives are like varies across the charts, and what works for me might not work for someone else.  But having experience with real-life people who earn their bread by their work, I can tell you that the "real" artists are spending less time collecting their fans in a butterfly net, and more time praying for the Muse to visit in-between a million other things, while they care for their families, and make their nests cozy and cook meals for their little ones in between making the time to paint and work- without the benefit of that glowing spotlight that others pull around them to gild the edges of their talents, or lack thereof.  The real artists spend more time doing, and less time talking about it.  They help their friends in their artistic attempts, and they listen and share ideas and dreams.  Its not one-sided like these fantasy art bloggers who are logging more hours online than in person.  They don't use catch phrases and local bywords to pull in a following.  Instead they are making some incredible art, art that sells like hotcakes on its own merit without descriptive write-ups casting an unearthly glow around them.    They share moments online, but don't make the internet their #1 calling.  To the folks out there who are too busy staring in mirrors and encouraging their online friends to do the same, I say, man up and put your money where your mouth is.  Let's see some real action and not a bunch of empty words on a one-sided computer screen.  Find your inspiration in nature and in positive landscapes, teach others what you discover, but be realistic and don't try to paint your lives as a too-pretty reflection of reality.  Look for the positive side of things by all means, but realize that life rarely happens in this idealistic little setting, and to attempt to portray it that way is both wrong and ridiculous, because you are setting standards that nobody, yourself least of all, can live up to.  Enjoy the beauty in this world- its not always easy to find.  But realize that there has to be more than poetry and flowers.  Find balance.  Relate to your readers as they are relating to you.

Now, back to work.

"Less is More"

I'm adopting a new policy in life- "Less is More".  This applies to the principle of paring down "stuff" at home, books checked out from the library (one at a time, as opposed to a dozen at once, requiring bags and doors held open by  folks who relate to the excess), online friends, real-life buddies, words on a blog, social networking sites, coffeehouse menu choices, ideas for the future, clothes we haven't worn in ages bursting out of the closet (under the pretense of "I might wear it one day") and actions in real time.  Hundreds of choices scrolling before our dazed eyes.  The world would have us believe it is a good thing to have too much going on to add to one's credentials, an overload of activities at all times to show how accomplished and busy we are, from multi-tasking, friending hundreds of people on our Facebook page (and maintaining communications with approximately 4 of them), cramming contact names & numbers in our cells and email boxes, having 10 of everything from cell phone skins to magazine subscriptions to black tee shirts with the identical logo.  Its become a human zoo determined to cram information down our throats, riding on appearances.  Seems that society is bent on pulling everyone in 5 different directions at once.  But we can slow it down and make the choice to concentrate on doing or being one thing at a time, instead of feeling scattered and, as a result, overwhelmed.  Valuing the people, ideas, dreams and collective info in one's life is all-important, and we should only surround ourselves with the meaningful, not a pile of collective information overload.  By paring our world down to bare bones and deciding who or what is important...or at least acknowledging one thing at a time... we realize what we have, and make room for what is really significant and of serious value instead of being overwhelmed and crowded by too much going on at once to make ourselves feel a false sense of security.  Less IS more.  Sometimes the power lies in what is hidden and what we leave out, instead of showing the world every facet of who and what we are.

The studio has puked all over us....

The studio is getting out of control.  There is limited space, and overwhelming amounts of stuff....art supplies...tools....finished and unfinished masks...books... necklaces and crafts...papers and notes....you name it, its in there.  Things are getting insane, and its time to put an end to it and make order out of chaos.  Next week will be designated cleanup week- I'm going to do a complete overhaul so that we can max out the space and begin using it for its intended purpose- a studio instead of a storehouse.  Hopefully it will go from throwing up all over us, to inviting us in for artistic pursuits and functional creativity.  To be realistic, this is a small workspace with limited dimensions, and its the only room in the house that can be spared- but after life in a one bedroom apartment, its a big step up and everything is workable.  After organizing every corner of the room and every object within (a monumental job in itself), I'm going to decorate- bring in candles and natural objects like feathers and rocks, and wallpaper the walls with photos, fabric and memorabilia.  Maybe make a "memo board" out of one entire wall, to inspire and add to later.  Make it serene and mellow (burn candles and incense, dried lavender and green tea) and play some great music- jazz and rock, the Twilight soundtrack, anything to increase the good energy.  Feng shui the place from floor to ceiling.  I want function but also want it to be a cozy haven out of the storms of the outside world, a place to roam barefoot and carefree.  Later on we'll add curtains, maybe upgrade the old furniture and add another bookcase and shelving, but for now will focus on finding a home for everything to max out the space.  Ideally this room will transform into a studio/library for the long haul.  I want to take it from your typical "functional workspace" and turn it into a place that encourages dreams and productivity and inspiration.  Now, its time to hit those yard sales and find furniture to put all our collective junk into!    

An Improv Moment

The paper mache mask line is going strong, and we have about 8 half-masks in the works as of today.  All of them are completely unique, individual and hand-made from start to finish, but one of them will be even more different from the others (see above pic).  This blogger is guilty of being "too busy" and made the monumental error of leaving the room to go grab some tools from the studio.  One of the masks was left on the coffee table in the living room, unattended for mere minutes.  The mask was within reach of Beau (our gorgeous and badly behaved 6 month old puppy), who at the time was busy playing with his toy.   Unfortunately, he has a yen for any new and exciting objects that don't belong to his Beau collection.  So he landed on the mask the minute my back was turned, and carried it off to his kennel.  Minutes later when I came back from the studio, I could see him busily chewing on an "mystery object" in his house, with his back to me.  The turned back was the tip off- Lucas always noticed that Beau was busily getting into trouble or doing something wrong anytime he presented his back to the room.  So I retrieved the stolen object- and discovered the mask.  After a minor meltdown (and a speedy departure by Beau) I took a good look at the damage- the corner of the mask, about 1/4 of it, was chewed thoroughly.  I had put days and hours of work into this one, as all the rest, and could not stand the idea of tossing it in the garbage when so much of it was intact.  Then I was seized by a *Lightbulb moment*- instead of throwing it away, let's work with it- and that's when the idea of making it into a jigsaw puzzle popped in my head.  I came up with the design and Lucas did the work/carved the mask.  Now not only is it salvage-able, but it has "broken the mold" and set itself apart from the rest of our line as being the first carved mask, leading the way for other carved designs.  I'll post the finished product in a later blog- for now it is still officially (and mercifully) in the works. 

Eye Candy

"Heart of Glass" necklace

Introducing Eye Candy....this is my official necklace/jewelry line that specializes in guitar pick necklaces, bracelets and others in an assortment of styles and lengths. The best way to describe the line would be "whimsical"- oftentimes these creations evoke fantasy themes and otherworldly symbolism, along with a touch of rock n roll attitude. It is a highly imaginative series and borrows some elements of the 60's (think lovebeads and emphasis on nature), but with a modern twist. Currently I am branching off into wire work- the necklace pictured is the latest creation. Wire is difficult to work with and shape, and the thick wire being using is durable and not very malleable, but I'm slowly learning the material and will be making more accessories with it in the near future. Eventually I would like to progress into making rings and serpentine-style bracelets completely out of wire. My husband is very adept at this type of craftsmanship,  and I'll have to get his guidance. In the meantime, I'm too determined (read: too stubborn) and want to learn independently first before asking for help *sigh*. Stay tuned for more samples of  necklaces and other accessories. And email me if you would like something custom-made or want info/quotes/jewelry for sale.


For further info about Eye Candy, along with samples of my work and a list of prices, feel free to stop by and visit the official website:

http://nolaphotos.weebly.com/ 

The Beginnings of Kitchen Magic

This is my first "real" online blog, so keep that in mind, "gentle readers," as we take the journey together. Blogs have always been a source of interest- it takes great courage to put the private moments of your life out there for an invisible audience's scrutiny, feedback and comments. Fear of the unknown is a legitimate concern. But its also richly rewarding- meeting folks with similar dreams and mindsets, and finding the good souls out there that can encourage and provide moral (virtual) support, in the crazy world of the internet. It seems these days that the world has been reduced to a tunnel of virtual communication and we have lost the gift of the 'face to face" and phone/real life/written correspondence of the past. In light of that, I've decided to take the plunge and attempt to chronicle the inspiring minutiae of a new small business owner and aspiring artisan, to see who else out there can relate, and find out if the experience is rewarding or one best left to others better equipped to enjoy the virtual world.
To introduce myself, my name is Jamie and I am an artisan from New Orleans, specializing in making jewelry, arts & crafts and masks; I am also a full-time photographer and writer. Photography is my passion and my profession, although I don't have a resume listing credentials and schooling to that effect- my picture taking skills are completely self-taught, supplemented by the guidance of my husband and other photographer mentors. I am a shutterbugg, running around with a small camera and big dreams, determined to capture all the large and small moments in life while doing the small business thing full time. In another life (read: about a year ago) I was a full time legal secretary, nose to the grindstone, working 8 hour hectic days at the office, on a rigid schedule, and coming home each and every day with zero energy, stress headaches and fading dreams that were lost in the daily grind. Forward to present day, unemployed but ambitious, I have lots of time on my hands to create and visualize and learn, and am doing everything I can to make my at-home business dream a successful reality. Running through the soundtrack of my days is a fascination with cooking- and that's where the blog title "Kitchen Magic" kicks in. Kitchen Magic is a twist on an old expression- the small everyday "magic" that women were purported to possess as they ran their households and make everything go smoothly like magic, behind the scenes. A garden-variety craft of sorts, Kitchen Magic is also a phrase referring to the everyday use of herbs and seasonings in the kitchen, an art that has been with us for centuries and that has filtered down to the modern world- a lost art for the most part, as few people take the time to grow and create anymore. Finally the name is relative to my love of cooking, and this blog will be filled with many culinary detours, recipes and helpful hints for the beginner cook- because that's what I am. You won't find specialty foods and hard-to-locate ingredients in my writings, because the average beginner has a shoestring budget and limited expertise. You'll be learning alongside of me, because I am starting from the ground up as well.
To sum it up- our journey will cover a lagniappe- (the N'awlins term for "extra something") of poetry, cooking, photography, good quotes, everyday moments, and the arts, from the corner of my world to yours. If this blog was a meal, it would be gumbo, filled with a variety of many ingredients that lead up to one highly-seasoned, satisfying experience. Enjoy!