Week 9: Inspiration

I am starting my 9th week, that's my 2nd month.  Where does the time go?  My inspiration photos this week are the photos from Russia, again.  Since I was occupied with the consignment sale last week and didn't get go do everything I wanted, I decided to carry over my inspiration from last week.

To recap, if you don't already know, my cousin and her husband went to Russia in Dec/January to adopt 2 wonderful boys.  While there they had to stay in Moscow a couple of days and did a little sight seeing.  Here are some of their photos:

the source of my inspiration,
St. Basil's Cathedral

Ice Sculptures

More Ice Scupltures 

Holiday Nights 

Red Square by day

Kremlin in the Red Square

Then I did a few sketches and tracings:

St. Basil's Cathedral Main Steeple

Onion top 

Tracing of the Silhouette

Collage of the Different Architecture

After that I had plans, grand plans, but I got immersed in the Consignment Sale for the weekend. So this week I am finishing up my plans.  Can't wait to see where this goes! 

Week 8: It's a Wrap

This week has been a different kind of journey for me.  I started the week with the inspiration photos of my cousin's trip to Russia.  I focused on St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square.  It is a beautiful and architecturally unique building.  As the week progressed, I got caught up in the MUMC Consignment Sale.  Getting ready for it, and volunteering -- it's all consuming.  The good news is that we made $92,000.  Of that amount, 70% goes back to the consignors, and 30% — $27,600 — goes to Children's Missions around the world.  Not bad for a couple of days hard work!

So this coming week I will continue with St. Basil's as my inspiration for the blog. I've very excited about being able to see this one through to completion.

Week 8 in Review

Week 8: Inspiration, Photos from Russia

Week 8, Day 2: Sketches and Tracings

Week 8, Day 3 & 4: What Happened?

Week 8, Day 5 & 6: Consignment, Consignment, Consignment









Week 8 Lagniappe
You'll love this!  At the  consignment sale I was shopping for those 2 adorable boys that my cousin adopted and I saw these pj's.

They are so cute and my son had a pair when he was little -- Blue's Clues was his favorite!!!  When he outgrew them, they passes onto my daughter.  I just had to buy them for the boys.  I was showing what I got to my sister when she just started laughing and turning red.  Evidently I had given them to her for my nephew to wear and she put them in the sale. Those are the pj's my kids wore, and my nephew, and now my cousins boys...and I bought them twice!  Just gotta laugh!!

Week 8, Day 5 & 6: Consignment, Consignment, Consignment

When our consignment sale come round, every Spring and Fall, it seems to be an all consuming sort of event.  Getting clothes out, washing and ironing if needed, tagging, hanging...that's all before the sale.  Then there is the set-up (of which I'm not a part), then the drop off, then the pre-sale for consignors and volunteers, then the actual sale.  What always amazes me is the organization of everything.  As a rack is cleared, it's taken off the floor and put away.  By the end of today, you will see no signs of the sale having taken place.  But the affects (effects? I always get them confused) are far reaching.  30% of the monies raised (all  by volunteers) is donated to support local, national and international charities.  Usually that 30% is about $30,000.  Not bad for a few days of hard work!  Inspiring what can get done in a short amount of time.

Half of the gym, from a fall sale...
we take over almost the whole 1st floor of the church

Week 8, Day 3 & 4: What Happened?

Ok, so I'm a day behind, and I'm going the wrong direction!  And I know tomorrow and Saturday are going to be just as crazy!  It's consignment time at our church, and I think D just promoted me from volunteer to consignment committee -- or at least a stand in committee member.  I'm still tagging the clothes, ironing and getting everything ready.  Will I never learn to do a little at a time and not leave it until the last minute?  It's going to be a long night.....

So where does that leave me with my creative journey this week?  Well today I started kneading clay so make a clay model of St. Basil's.  I'm using my son's very old polymer clay and it's like a rock. Since it's going to take a while, and I really know what I want to do, and don't want to do it badly, I am going to extend week 8 into week 9.

I almost forgot to mention that anyone in the Charlotte, NC area,

Saturday March 19th 

Sale Time: 8 am - 12 noon. 

Half Price Sale on Selected Items: 1 - 3 pm

All Sales are Final. No strollers allowed on sales floor. CASH ONLY!

Matthews United Methodist Church

801 South Trade Street, Matthews

 

Week 8, Day 2: Sketches and Tracings

My inspiration this week is St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia.  I was inspired by photos my cousin R and her hubby J took while they were in Moscow to adopt their two adorable boys!  The photos are posted on Week 8: Inspiration, Photos from Russia.  I have always loved the stunning and unique design of the onion tops.  The architects use of color, shape and pattern is beautiful.

To understand the Cathedral a little better, I did research to learn about it's history.  It's quite interesting.  Located in Moscow's Red Square, it was commissioned by Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1552 to commemorate his capture Astrakhan and Kazan (northern provinces, I think). There is speculation as to the identity of the architects and what their design influence was. And apparently Tsar Ivan loved the design so much he had the architects blinded so that they couldn't create any more buildings that would be outshine his beautiful cathedral.

My Sketches and Tracings

This week I did sketches and tracings.  The tracings help withe the complicated subject matter because I can see how everything relates and how the patterns are formed.  I've realized that sketching can take as much time as the other stages of designing. I guess I would call that more drawing than sketching, and patience is not a virtue I have.  I can manipulate things on the computer forever, but drawing...I get tired and don't want to finish.  Yay! another item for my Blog Focus 2012, a complete drawing.

A collage of the different styles of onion tops

Silhouette of St. Basil's

Main cathedral spire

One of the onion tops

JL, I know you like to know my time frame.  Today, it's taken me a long time today to do all this.  Been working on and off on it, so I can't tell you exactly how long it's taken, but between the tracings, research and sketches it was at least 2 hours, probably more. 

Week 8: Inspiration, Photos from Russia

This week's inspiration photos come from my cousin's recent trip to Russia to adopt her two son's. God bless R & J for adopting a 2 and 3 year old at the same time!!!  I love hearing her stories of adjustment, and seeing photo's of the boys.  J & R traveled to Moscow to start paperwork, next they had to go to Siberia to get the boys, then went back to Moscow to finalize all the paper work so they could go home as a family. 


As you can see, they were there in the middle of winter.  R has some shot's of them all bundled up and freezing cold. Some of the sightseeing photos from Moscow:


Ice Sculptures in Kemerovo
I've always admired sculptures that are carved away from something. As an artist, my brain works in the additive state, meaning that I have worked on pieces where I add color, form, etc, to something.  Cut carving sculptors, take away and make something beautiful.  How do they envision it?  How do they know how much to take away, and how do they know how to make it dimensional or realistic? How do they make it work? 

City Center Christmas display:

R's Comment
Grandfather Frost and his....car?

J's Sojourn to Red Square

Detail of St. Basile

Kazan Cathedral

I believe that is the Kremlin on the right,
and St. Basile's straight ahead

Kremlin

from Wikipedia, St. Basile

From Wikipedia, Kazan Cathedral

And the journey into Siberia:

R's Comment:
Is this how you imagined Siberia would look?

Thanks R & J for letting me use your photos!

Week 7: It's a Wrap

I can't believe it's been 7 weeks already.  This blog and the creative process has become such a regular part of my life, that it is a joy to do it every day.  But, somehow this week I have lost a day, not just an hour!  And since I find it easier time-wise to keep the schedule this way, I'm officially changing my days around.  My weekly schedule will now follow this format:  Monday - Inspiration; Tuesday - Sketching; Wednesday - Creative Representation; Thursday - Color or Application Exploration; Friday - Graphic Image; Saturday - Freebie Card; Sunday Weekly Wrap.  I hope you don't mind the change.  I know I will enjoy it!

Recap of Week 7

Week 7, Day 1:  Inspiration, My Son

Week 7, Day 2: Sketching Monday

Week 7, Day 3: A Wonka Kind of Day

Week 7, Day 4: A Sweet and Creative-ish Wednesday

Week 7, Day 5: A Really Willy Wonka Day
I added a link to the video of my 'lil Ms. Gloop.  The link is on my sidebar under "My Favorites".

Week 7: Lagniappe for this Week

Week 7: Freebie Card










More of S's Art:
I thought you may enjoy seeing a bit more of S's work.  His style is always evolving, and changing.  I love to see it develop!  Since I snagged these from FB, I don't have all the descriptions to share with you.