MorningDove

Give Away Project Week 5

2012-03-04T18:08:00.003-08:00

At time passes its becoming easier to relinquish belongings, tossing them into the circle and sending them on to somebody who will enjoy them. The urge to set order to chaos, controlling the situation by offering advice or setting various guidelines still happens, but the urges are fleeting rather than nagging.

This project is helping cultivate the practice of self observation. I've attempted to practice this for years, but the real trick is remembering to engage as the event occurs and habitual modes of reaction are being triggered. By self observation I don't mean neurotic, narcissistic fascination, but rather a gentle, almost humorous attention. Challenging situations occur often as ever, but the practice of recognizing affect and effect is often effective in itself toward simplifying life and distilling each moment to its essence. This seems obvious, but again, the real trick seems to be remembering to do this at the moment events are occurring. For some reason this project is helping me to remember to stay awake and not lapse into the same old habitual behaviors.

Today's Give Away is a set of 8 red glass - beaded tassels. Originally napkin rings, I liked these hanging from the chandelier during the holidays, where they added a Bohemian accent. Better yet, they'd be great used in some sort of tribal dance costume belt, right at the hips to accent movement .

Imagine them right here, at the hip, 2 or 3 on each side...add a colorful gaudy sash or flashy tribal Kuchi beaded belt studded with mirrors

2 tassels have some damage, above right. You could try gluing or resewing. Even if left as is they'd be fine on a Christmas tree, funky statue or wall hanging, where they won't be moved much. Use a marker to color the white string red so it blends in. Or,
reattach the cord with a bit of duct tape and wrap bright sari ribbons around the tape to disguise the mend.

Meanwhile, the other 6 tassels are fine and just about
this size in real life. Ready to adorn baskets, vases, dolls, Christmas trees, rear view mirrors, or whatever else you can imagine.

Other uses include hanging off of over sized
Bohemian or ethnic design tote bags/purses, backpacks and pouches.

This photo is overexposed but I wanted to show them in bright light, sparkling.

If you are interested in these tassels just comment something simple/brief in the blog comment space below. First comment gets them, I ask only that you pay the shipping. Ill email you and you can provide a shipping address, payment can be sent in an envelope or via Paypal. It will be $5.50 in the continental USA, maybe more if you live someplace else. Shipping fee is whatever the post office charges, nothing more.

Dietary Change of Indigenous Peoples Posing Threats

2012-02-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

Today's blog was inspired, in part, by a comment left under my Sunday, Feb 12 blog. (Click HERE to read it)

Neechi commented after viewing the photo of the Give away doll, below, who displays a mouth filled with beautiful teeth!

Photo courtesy Helena Nelson -Reed

Here's what Neechi wrote: "i just did a story for a tv station on the social determinants of health and aboriginal peoples called "civilized to death". i use excerpts from dr. weston price's book (a dentist born in 1870) who was amazed at the health of the indigenous people he met. he started to notice that the more contact the "primitives" had with "civilized" people the worse their health was. as a dentist he was first struck by the fact that the primitives had no cavities or crooked teeth. after eating "civilized" foods they began getting crooked teeth and cavities. this is what the doll reminds me of. if you're interested...dr. price's words are narrated in part 2

Neechi also noted:

"indigenous peoples deserve/need to be self-determining but nations cannot be self-determining if they cannot feed themselves"

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid illustrates that people cannot begin to worry about higher needs if basic food and shelter requirements aren't met. When struggling to get through each day, suffering poor health of body & spirit,we haven't time or energy for organizing, creating, or anything else. Click HERE to read more about Maslow's Heirarchy.

The results of poor nutrition, especially in pregnant women and children, affect all cultures. Although this article discusses Inuit, Eskimo, & other indigenous peoples, the facts about fast food, processed foods and poor diet apply to everyone. When diet consists of little else, a sugar/fat/flour/chemical diet is toxic.

Image courtesy Eric Loring/ITK " Unraveling the Mercury Mystery"
Click HERE to read more about the rising GLOBAL threat of heavy metal and chemical poisons in fish

This great photo of traditional indigenous foods of Alaska was taken by Lane, of THE LIVING GREEN SOLUTION GREAT ARTICLE AND PHOTOS, CHECK IT OUT HERE

Changes in lifestyle and diet of isolated/indigenous peoples threatens traditional food systems and the working knowledge required to maintain them. Studies prove that prior to the introduction of refined flour/sugar/vegetable shortening first introduced as government commodities dental problems were almost unknown to First Nations and tribal peoples. Extensive, long term studies prove that the unique dietary needs of isolated populations such as First Nations and other Indigenous peoples are formed by the specialized diets resulting from geographic location, ecosystem and local foodstuffs, as well as genetics.

art image courtesy salisburypost

This brief article by Emily Ford, of the Salisbury Post is packed with information about traditional diet and research.Click HERE to read it!

First Nations and Indigenous peoples are an unintentional control group, living proof that a host of physical ailments are directly connected to a poor diet. The dietary change of indigenous peoples worldwide is posing threats to use of this food and the traditional knowledge required for traditional food system maintainance." When able to eat the traditional foods of their people, the body begins to balance and heal

Whats special about indigenous foods? Click HERE to find out!

Remote Yupik region near the Bering Sea

Research on this topic isn't new. Dr Weston Price, DDS studied the effects of poor nutrition years ago. Today his research and findings are often cited and confirmed. Click HERE to read more about traditional and indigenous diets around the world.

When traditional life ways are abandoned, people are forced to eat whatever IS available locally. In remote areas (see photo, right of Inuit lands) that means junk food and low priced non - perishables store owners know will sell fast to their captive market. Obtaining healthy food is difficult even when one has money, time and means to travel in order to get it. $$ and isolation, storage and preparation are very real problems.
click here: Native American children in the United States and Canada have three times the rate of untreated caveties compared to other kids.
click here: The nutritional research of Dr Weston Price DDS is a valuable research source studying effects of transition from traditional diet to processed foods heavy in sugar, flour and fats

VIDEO SOURCES
http://www.dlncoalition.org/related_issues/2003jan12a.htm

Special Episode, the Arctic http://www.linktv.org/video/2731/explore-special-episode-7-the-arctic
http://aptn.ca/pagest/news/2012/01/23/civilized-to-death-part-1/
http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2012/01/23/civilized-to-death-part-2/

WRITTEN WORKS: All of these are great books, packed with solid information.
Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenious Peoples, Nutrition, Botony and Use
Plants That We Eat: Nauriat - From the Traditional Wisdom of Inupiat Elders of NW Alaska:Voices of Alaska Natives
Hunting Tradition In a Changing World
The Neglected Nutritional Research of Dr. Westen Price DDS

BLOGS
http://huntgatherlove.com/category/tags/inuit Traditional Inuit foods
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/12/30/ice-shift-alters-inuit-diets/ Ice Shift Alters Hunter's Diets
http://tundramedicinedreams.blogspot.com/2006/08/yupik-eskimo-home-remedies.html
http://www.dirtycarnivore.com/
http://thelivinggreensolution.com/what-does-it-all-mean-and-why-is-it-so-important/

ONLINE SOURCES
CINE: Center For Indigenous People's Nutrition and Environment, Canada
The Neglected Nutritional Research of Dr Weston Price, DDS
Medicinal Plants of the Inuits includes herbal treatments for mouth and tooth
The Plants of My People A year of traditional Inupiat foods , Norton Sound (Chinik) region, Alaska
Interviewing Inuit Elders: Perspectives on Health Great source with in depth interviews
Arctic Indiginous Peoples Experience Nutritional Transition With Changing Dietary Patterns and Obesity

THE REFERENCES ABOVE are good places to begin research if interested in learning more.

Art by Germain Arnaktayok, copyright Click Here to see her website

GIVEAWAY WEEK 4 Inviting Change

2012-02-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

Opening the Inner Eye
Daring To Invite Change Into Our Lives

Living life as a work in progress means skimming off the excess, removing what no longer works, experimentation, challenging one's own cherished ideologies, while retaining and refining what is most important to the overall composition and underlying purpose. Life is in constant flux so practices, relationships, and habits that worked a few years ago may no longer be effective or require adjustment.

Along with the Giveaway Project I'm attempting to refine my painting technique, and striving to translate vision and dream into imagery and symbol. My jewelry sells well enough to allow a long term project like this, although there is far less time for painting. Experimenting with content and application without having to concern myself about who will buy them is liberating. So far I don't share these processes or the art online because this isn't about marketing or promotion. It also guarantees me that my visionary art is not in anyway influenced by a suppressed desire for approval/validation in the marketplace or public sector.

Living authentically is challenging. It requires self discipline, playing the role of silent observer of one's own affect and effect, but also has its rewards.

One such unexpected reward is that a couple of amateur watercolorists I'd considered good acquaintance / friends disappeared virtually overnight. How is this a gift? Well, at first it seemed coincidental, but soon it appeared their 'friendship' manifested from professional self interest, having little to to with me as a person and everything to do with what I could (theoretically) do for them. Sensing there was no longer an ego nor material benefit, they moved on to greener pastures. Oddly, their departure resulted in a lighter feeling, almost one of relief.

When we open, not only intellectually but at the deepest levels to change, the universe may step in and remove some of the clutter, as in the story above.

In homage to Opening the Inner Eye and Living Open to Life,
This week's giveaway is the Heart Nicho, below.

Add caption

I like these Mexican tin nichos, or miniature wall shrines, and a few years ago had all kinds of great ideas for what to create inside those small windows. Some of the nichos turned out beautifully, but I was spreading myself too thin and not giving myself the time and space to create something exquisite. To truly excel at a discipline, most of us can't take on to many projects at one time. My focus felt scattered: paintings, a day job, necklaces, beading, nichos, sculpture, writing.

So I decided on my priorities and am giving the rest of my nichos away. This one symbolizes the way we keep our hearts protected.You can leave the art image (a print of my original watercolor 'In the Light Garden") or remove and fill this shrine with your own imagery. Decorate and adorn it!

FIRST PERSON TO COMMENT UNDER THIS GIVE AWAY BLOG ENTRY RECEIVES THE NICHO, I ask only that you pay the shipping fee. Ill email you afterward for shipping information

.

2012-02-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

...continued

This is the finished necklace, using the pieces drilled in the last blog
entry.

Creating when ill results in my making mistakes: this time was no exception. The flu had ( and has) me spaced out and bone tired but I was determined to finish this project by the deadline I'd set for myself. After all, the actual design and drilling was finished. How difficult could the final assembly be?

Well, it took the better part of the day to do, partly because organic shapes don't always string and hang the way we think they will, due to irregular shapes and minute differences in dimension that add up, resulting in a necklace appearing slightly off balance.

When the necklace was completed and tied off, I realized that a crucial pendant, right up front, had been overlooked. As a result of leaving it out, the entire design was skewed.

How could I have missed this?
Clearly, working when really sick results in my going on mental automatic - pilot, making mistakes because of weariness and physical discomfort.

Today, I dismantled the necklace and reconstructed it correctly.

WORKING WITH NEW AND UNFAMILIAR MATERIALS: FOSSIL IVORY

2012-02-20T20:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm forced to explore methods of achieving the look I envision when working with unfamiliar material. If unusual and of high quality (which often means expensive) an element of risk and excitement is added to the mix. Damaging or breaking material means not only destroying something beautiful, but also requires time& effort replacing it before the project can proceed. Often, the broken items are irreplaceable or too expensive for the artist to repurchase. Bearing this and the unique, sacred aspect materials like fossil ivory holds for me, I approach my work with respect, reverence, and humility.

Yup'ik, where this fossil ivory was harvested from beaches during the brief summer.

The material in question is fossil ivory, one of my favorites, along with milky Baltic amber, Mayan jade, and North American turquoise. I like it more than diamonds, rubies, or gold, and many months passed before I achieved the inner confidence and perfectly poised, balanced frame of mind required before approaching the ivory and embarking on a new creation.

Fossil ivory is harvested from beaches during the summer by First Nations peoples along the Alaskan and Siberian coasts. The batch I purchased came from the Yup'ik penninsula. (In my next blog Ill write a little more about the Yupik and other First Nations of the north.) Time and exposure to the elements makes each one unique. Some are remnants of tools used by the ancestors: grooves, unusual angles, cross thatching, pecking and notching are evident on some, while others are chunks of walrus tusk and even whole teeth, ranging from creamy white to black, satin smooth to textured and pitted.

The samples in my hand illustrate some of the colors found in fossil ivory. When found on the beach they look like plain old rocks or chunks of gray driftwood, and must be tumbled before looking like this.

To get the best wholesale price, I purchased a substantial amount of undrilled material, and had a difficult time finding anyone to drill them. Either they'd never worked with fossil ivory and were afraid of breakage, or were reluctant to risk ruining such expensive (and sometimes unpredictable) material even if fairly sure how to go about it. My dentist was going to let me use his equipment, but decided at the last moment the hard material might damage his drill. So what to do?

There are instructional articles on the Internet for drilling fossil ivory, but information varies. Authors assume readers own expensive lapidary equipment, a workbench full of power tools, and a professional workshop in which to work and make a big mess.

Finally, I found the old receipt with my supplier's phone number. Many of the First Nations people harvesting fossil ivory (or dealers who buy direct from them) live in the bush part of the year, off the grid. They usually don't have business websites so if contact information is lost, its tough finding them again. I was lucky! My supplier is also a scrimshaw artist, and over the phone told me exactly what to do in about 3 minutes. It was far simpler and low tech than any instructions posted online by gem/lapidary artists and scrimshaw artists.

My husband let me raid his toolbox. We assembled the tools and drill bits on my worktable ( the dining room table)

From several hundred pieces of fossil ivory I selected those best suited to this design, and from these chose pieces slightly concave, convex or perfectly flat. Some were curved on one side, flat on the opposite which was perfect.

The piece below is concave and fits snugly around the longest piece that will hang center. After marking where the wire must pass in order to suspend the pieces in position, I held the drill in place, allowing it to gently set the pace, rather than forcing.

Using a length of scrap wire, I played with and adjusted placement of the pieces, bearing in mind not only overall size but the color and texture of how each would fit into the entire composition.

Working with organic forms is also a methodof tactile meditation. One doesn't 'just string' beads. Size, proportion, texture, color, nuance, overall composition and balance play equally important roles. By touch and sight the artist knows what to do. Sometimes sound plays a role: jingling, rattling, clicking - all are good medicine and contribute to the artist's involvement with her work, and contentment as she/he creates.

Above, upper left in the photo is a remnant from an ancient tool, worn smooth from centuries in the sand and sea. Who fashioned this tool, what was her/his story? Or is this part of a small spear or arrowhead?

They fit together as if fashioned to do so. When strung on the necklace these two pendant pieces won't point in opposite different directions like tree roots. Rather, they'll hang in this nested position, as a single element. Note the black dot where the bead channel will be drilled.

The two center pieces are successfully drilled and tonight Ill be finishing the drilling. By tomorrow evening this design should be ready for assembling with the beads that will continue up the sides and behind the neck.

MORE ABOUT THE YUP' IK AND OTHER NORTHERN NATIONS IN MY NEXT BLOG

Give Away Project

2012-02-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

GIVEAWAY PROJECT WEEK 3

This week's gifting is an I Ching deck, made by Agmuller for US Gamed Systems, based on James Legge's translation of the I Ching.

The cover has some wear & tear

The cards inside are practically new and still slippery.

Cards include explanations of symbols and instruction about how to combine and read them
Using a deck is one way of learning more about and using the I-Ching, which can be utilized in different ways: a affirmation cards but also as a more complicated oracle deck. Using these in the traditional fashion is more involved and requires practice. The deck comes with detailed instructions for various types of readings and levels of interpretation.

Originally this deck came with 3 I- Ching coins, which I used in necklaces, so there are no coins included with this deck.

To read the cards using coins you'll need a set of 3 identical coins or markers that have a heads and tails side. Chinese coins and antique coin reproductions are easy to find, above you see 3 different photos! Just run a search. Prices begin under $1.00 each, and rise from there. Or, make something of your own, using a symbol that is important to you.

ABOVE are both sides of the same card, each with different information. The way you choose to interpret this is part of the learning experience.

There are 64 hexagram cards describing the patterns of change and transformation. As you can see, there are good explanations. The original instructions are also included.

BELOW is an example of why its important to price check. I found them when looking for photos of i ching coins. Both the decks below are for the same Ii ching deck I'm giving away.

this seller has listed a battered old deck,without coins for $45.00, and offers to sell them to the buyer for an additional $15.00. There is no value in the older battered card deck, its just a well used pack of cards.

The first comment under this blog gets the deck! The shipping will be $5.00, which can be paid in cash, sent in an envelope, or by Paypal. I'll email the new owner and we can exchange addresses then. If live outside the continental USA the shipping cost may be more, and I'll need to get the estimate for you.

This seller, more honestly offers to sell a new version for the same deck for $ 18.00

A VISIT TO MY SCANNING SERVICE

2012-02-14T20:40:00.000-08:00

When a collector of my art recently contacted me regarding new works, I asked to borrow some that she'd purchased years ago, for scanning purposes, because my only records were 35mm slides. Not the best quality for today's high definition printing options.

She consented, and I took the three paintings over to my scanning service, Osio Brown. (There's a special February OsioBrown offer at the end of this blog)

http://www.osiobrown.com/OBE_Index.html

Here's some background on the company:
“Osio-Brown Editions is a privately owned giclee printing company founded in 2003 that services the fine art and photography markets. They have gained international recognition with featured articles about their services in Digital Ouput Magazine, Digital Photo Pro Magazine and on the Oprah show. Osio-Brown Editions is one of the original giclee printing studios in the Chicago area and is a preeminent force in the fine art giclee printing industry. Their client list extends throughout the United States, Central & South America and Europe.”
Ever wonder what happens to your art after it arrives at your scanning service, or how it's scanned? Here's a look behind the scenes.

Above, The conference and working room where paper, finished orders and original art is stored. The space is open, spotless, dust free. The front room, a gallery displaying the works of Penelope Osio Brown (owner/fine artist), prevents breezes from blowing in dust whenever somebody opens the door. That means delicate works on paper and finished giclee won't be damaged from wind - born dust. Cleanliness prevents accidental damage.

Below left, in the back room, Adam Brown secures the art on an easel before shooting. The art is obscured because I don't know who the artist was and so, couldn't request permission to reproduce or feature their work. It was easier to diffuse it, rather than spend an hour or so researching

The photo at right shows the art reproduced on a monitor, with settings visible just right of the image, (a blue flower) on the monitor's screen.

BLOG! Osio Brown has a great blog worth checking out, well written and sharing a variety of ways artists can promote and market their art, and artist resources.

Above: After the scan is made, tech/artist Joey Szymanski checks it out on his own monitor. He's noting some titles of works we will be discussing today. I need a disk with fresh images and this will be burned while we proof the giclee.

Below, Joey and I are comparing color values in various scans, experimenting with saturation and values. Joey Szymanski is also an artist, understanding exactly what I need. He offers solid advice and explains why (or why not )something will or will not work.

Using a local business allows an artist to forge a good working relationship with her scanning service, plus support local independent small business like ourselves. Proofing is so much easier when you can do it in person with another artist/tech person, rather than mailing them back and forth with questions, suggestions and corrections penciled in across the proof, phone conversations with somebody not familiar with you or your account, and email exchanges that may be unanswered from Friday noon til' Tuesday a.m.!

...and here I am checking the giclee before taking them home. Everything turned out perfectly and the quality is so good they look like original art.

OSIO - BROWN HAS A SWEET DEAL GOING ON RIGHT NOW

Through the end of February, when you pay for four prints of the same image, they will give you a fifth print for free. This is a great opportunity to stock up on popular prints for your Spring shows. There are a few restrictions so please call them or visit the OsioBrown website to find out more
!ARTISTS SUPPORTING ARTISTS!

Giveaways and Illusions

2012-02-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

An amusing aspect of my Giveaway Project is observing the ways ego justifies attempts to regain control of the situation. Like trickster, ego dons various disguises in order to accomplish its goals, all of which allow it to exert control, thereby expanding itself by feeling a little more important and powerful. This project isn't important and means nothing to anyone other than myself, so its amusing that even here, Ego steps in and asserts itself, attempting to regain power over lifeless things and other people whom I probably won't ever meet.

Once I realize where these thoughts are coming from and recognize them as groundless, they disperse. Later on, a different thought, rationalizing why I must step in and assume control, peppered with just enough angst to make me stop and reconsider, will make itself known. At first it will sound logical, even evolved...but upon closer inspection the end result is always the same, just more ego - generated BS!

Below are some of the illusions that crept into my mind, veiled in quite reasonable sounding arguments.

1. Righteousness: How about asking that anybody who plans to resell the item back off, and give somebody else a chance?

2. Common sense: Why not ask a nominal price, after all I did buy it and should at least get back the original investment.

3. Fairness: State that the same person cannot win more than one item.

The above are attempts at retaining these things for just a little longer, and controlling the outcome and dispersal, all of which cultivate the illusion of power. An illusion because the joke is: Power over what, whom, why? The ego's arguments for asserting control are fairly obvious, even funny to read in print. However Ego, Trickster Extraordinaire, is like a master magician when it comes tricking us into believing/ reacting to fantasy and illusion as if it were Truth and Things As They Really Are..

Tonight's Gifting:

MYSTERIOUS INUIT DOLL

Why is she mysterious?

- I don't know how old she is, probably
1950's or earlier.

- The name of her creator is lost in
history.

- Her clothing style and carved features indicate Alaskan native, probably native crafted for the tourist and gallery industry.

- She is mysterious for the above reasons, and also because of the unusual facial expression, which Ill talk about later.

At left you see her just a bit larger than in reality, posing outside in 14 above zero weather! It was windy and the sun low in the sky.

She:

Stands 12 inches tall

Has a hand carved and painted face

Wears seal skin parka with rabbit fur trim

Is delicate and prefers to relax in a protected place

The rabbit skin trim is a bit dry and could fall off if played with

At right you can see the leather boots clearly, hand stitched and well worn. A touch of leather conditioner wouldn't hurt!

Isn't she sweet?

BELOW is reverse view, the hood does not remove or drop down,

And below you can see what her fur trimmed hood has been hiding, a mouth full of teeth! I've researched everywhere and haven't been able to locate a photo of this type of doll anywhere. maybe she is the handiwork of one person, creating art/craft for sale to tourists. Is her smile a toothy grin, or a wolf's snarl? I haven't made up my mind, sometimes she's happy, other times a bit unsettling...she's ambiguous. You decide...

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS DOLL, PLEASE POST A COMMENT, SOMETHING SIMPLE! THE 1ST COMMENT WILL BE THE NEW HOME FOR OUR ALASKAN NATIVE GIRL. I'LL EMAIL THE NEW OWNER AND GET YOUR ADDRESS. POSTAGE WILL BE $5.50 IN THE CONTINENTAL USA. If you live elsewhere Ill compute shipping after getting your delivery address.

THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY SCANS

2012-02-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

The importance of high quality scans isvital to success. Hundreds of online servicesadvertise scanning, often for very low pricing and with lots of warm fuzzy talkabout catering to artists….if they use the term 'starving artist' , proceed withcaution: you get what you pay for. On the other hand, some services charge a hefty sum but one receives substandard service, attitude and crummy scans anyway!

Here I am using my dinosaur - era, digital camera.
While out of date it takes good photos, when I take the time
to adjust settings properly.

AREN'T all scans identical, especially when the various services are using identical equipment, papers and inks? The truth is, some scans are so bad one might as well shoot the art oneself with a good digital camera, thus saving $, time and aggravation. If the reproduction is for a small spot illustration, this is often perfectly acceptable.

Artists in the publishing field or selling reproductions for some time time already know the following points, we learn from experience and sharing information with one another. If you are new to scanning, the following notes are worth considering when selecting a service.

The art is finished & ready for scanning....now what?

1. Cheap scans are made assembly - line fashion, ( think ‘drug store photo developing services) by technically skilled but underpaid, overworked employees who check the monitor, click appropriate instructions, and scan. Imagery is reproduced using astandardized set of perimeters. Usually the rates quoted by cheapest services are referring to this raw scan. The rates don't include individualized customization for unusual mediums, values, or theimpact of troublesome color combinations (like cad yellow, cad red light,yellow ochre, thalo green and French ultramarine all used in the same image, in varyingdegrees of intensity). The sales person will tell you this is included but just wait until you actually try to get it done, the fees really add up fast. The raw scan quality could even sink to the level of the bad example below, and they'll ask what you mean by 'glaring inaccuracies' when comparing it to the original image. As in the scan shown below, some areas may beslightly out of focus. Dirt and lint (the former visible as overall grainytexture, the latter as minute fibers) light smudges, residue from erasers, etc areleft on the original art, scanned in whatever condition it is when unpacked from the crate or you've dropped it off at the shop.

An experiment I conducted several years ago. I sent the same art to several scanning companies and compared the results. This version took 1st place as worst scan ever. When enlarged or reproduced over 5" x7 " dust and dirt are clearly visible, resting on the paper's surface. Color is so poor, no adjustmen can compensate.
This scan was done by an online service catering to artists. Im glad there was no deadline because the results suck!
Note overly bright cad and vermillion reds contrasting with pale cad yellows, yellow ocher & pencil that's washed out in some areas, over - saturated in others. The original art, still unfinished, is far more subtle.

2. A sensitive eye is required for adjusting the scan, and the ability to intuit and respect the artist's requirement. This ability evolvesm from experience, dedication, and instinct. What ‘looks fantastic’ to an average tech person & printing service is not always true to the art, or what the artist wants. Some scanning service employees patronize &assure "oh, nobody will even notice that!" when one wants to correct flaws and inaccuracies, as if the customer is dillusional. Yes, they are happy to correct and clean up a scan, charging a hefty fee (and often STILL do a poor job, because they don't understand what the artist wants, nor see the tonal and value variations, dirt, inaccurate color etc) If the scan is done correctly in the first place, little or no correction is required unless the artist wants additional modifications, such as 'erasing' a signature.

Detail from Goddess of Small Things, colored pencil on paper.

Above...This is a perfect scan. Colored pencil scans differently than the same colors rendered in watercolor. This scan originally had very hot reds, too much yellow and overly bright greens. My tech person, Joey (at Osio Brown Studios) worked with me to color - correct, while Adam, proprietor, recommended a different paper from what I use when ordering giclee of my watercolors, that would subdue the brightness. Colored pencil is more opaque than water pigments, and reflects the light differently resulting in a scan featuring more saturated color that can be super bright. Sometimes this is desirable,for example in some kinds of commercial illustration or fantasy art. Other times it detracts from the art. Working with a good scanning service allows the artist to make the call and participate in color adjustment.

3. Advice regarding paper and ink. A good service knows how papers and inks reproduce various mediums, and can advise you. The best are managed by people in the arts or experienced in quality reproduction in the printing and publishing field. Ink & papers/canvas/silks/cottom/blends textile surfaces dramatically impact appearance, even improve or detract from the original image. I've seen layers of transparent glazes with refractoryproperties print as opaque, dull color on one paper, and reproduce like the authentic watercolor glazes on another paper, using the same scan with no digital alteration or modification. The wrong paper can ruin watercolor and oil/acrylic art employing glazingtechniques utilizing pigments in the thalo, ultramarine andcobalt families, while another paper will show it off to perfection. Some types of watercolor glazing, using jewel tones, look fantastic as gallery wrapped canvas, with a glaze aplied to the final giclee. The colors become luminous, like stained glass.

Giclees ready for sale, perfect reproductions made using high quality scans.

4. Advice regarding reproduction for use online and inmagazine/book cover art. Offset printing for commercial and book reproduction can alter the way colors appear, sometimes over saturating, other times making the overall art look dull and muddy. Often this is due to publishing being done in Asia, much cheaper than in the USA. The 'package deal' includes automatic color correction, using either an anonymous pressman's judgement (like pressmen in the USA, asian pressmen seldom give a damn what the art reproduces like, uinless the client is right there, proofing and watching quality every minute of the run). Many publishers of calendars, greeting cards, inexpensive posters and decorative packaging don't fly abroad to oversee the printing. They trust the printing company to do a good job and are stuck with the results. My last calendar company wasn't concerned about color correctness or print quality, bascially telling me that the cost of printing in Korea is so low compared to elsewhere they didn't really care. I should add that artists with this same company painting in a conventional way, with little to no glazing and a narrow color range had great reproductions of their art. The issue wasn't scans, but my watercolor technique employing a mix of cold and warm colors with multiple transparent glazes. The computerized pre - determined 'all purpose' register which applies the same settings to all images printed, like the setting on your home monitor screen, doesn't work well for my technique, and some adjustment was required. Since the client (my publisher) wasn't on site, proofing, the printing company probably didnt even notice , or care.

Afterawhile you'll acquire the knack knowing how to adjust your scans, if you know who is doing the printing or on what kind of offset press. Best of all is having askilled tech/artist or pressman explaining how and why, offeringsuggestions and willing to spend a few moments adjusting the settings and running a proof or two for you to check. On an offset press they'll just print a few dozen samples for you to pull off the cutting stack and proof. A scanning service will usually provide one proof and sometimes one adjustment. After that there will be a small charge for every full image proof, or you can have a small section of the image printed and proof that - a good solution when only one area of the image is an issue, for example a line being digitally erased. and the color

Finally, service! Everyone is agreeable when they want your business, the true test is after you've given them the job. If you dont like the quality or way your service does business, start looking for onlinea new one, ask other artists who they use, and research.

NEXT BLOG: A VISIT TO MY SCANNING SERVICE, OSIO BROWN STUDIO, AND ORDERING A SCAN OF THE PAINTING SHOWN BELOW.

This painting was created years ago, and sold without my having it photographed or scanned at a high resolution. The client recently contacted me, and graciously offered to allow me the opportunity to scan it. Ill be writing about the scanning experience next.

Life like is a House Built of Tarot Cards

2012-02-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

Spring is a traditional time for cleaning one’s home and the inner home (of the psyche) as well. The time has come to give away many of the worldy goods that have accumulated in our home. They've been treasured and admired for years. Some, like this tarot deck, have been stored in decorative boxes and silken bags. Others have been displayed o shelves or altars throughout the home. Its time they be released, sent to others who will benefit from them in some way.

Yes, I know these words sound foolish. The very concept of giving away what could bring a profit runs counter to current cultural mores. Why give away what can be sold unless its worthless ?

Early spring, on the heels of Imbolc , is the time I instinctively reevaluate, set inner and outer life to order. Maybe its our chill, dreary Midwestern winters, the enforced confinement, and post - holiday peace that lead to such thoughts.

Lately I've been contemplating a kone many of you must also ask yourselves occasionally. Exactly how many material goods, how much stuff is required before I'm sated? Our American society is an endless loop of desire & acquisition, no longer set up for disposing of goods. The American way is that it must be new, cheap, fast and easy, with a lifetime warranty and money back guarantee.

SOME MIGHT ACCUSE ME OF BEING UNPATRIOTIC AND A RADICAL DANGER TO SOCIETY BUT...

I'm going to be gifting some of my things to those who will appreciate them. This is not about profit. Special works will stay with me, the art and fine craft created made by other artists, gifts from family and friends. But aside from items that hold deep personal meaning and connection with the givers, Im offering some of my special things to those who will appreciate and use them.

Trusting Life & surrendering control. I won't know the people receiving these treasures. Many items possess beauty or symbolic, sentimental or spiritual relevance for me and yet sit, year after year, in storage. Why hold on to so much stuff? I'm trusting that each of these things will go to the person who needs it most, right now, and am resisting the strong urge to make suggestions, set a directive, or in any way control who the recipients are.

The nature of what is offered will vary. Once a week Illbe offering one item from my personal collection in my Sunday blog, for free. Each time the format will be slightly different (maybe the item will be sent to the 5th response, for example) , just to add an element of chance and keep things interesting.

There are 2 conditions:

1. RECIPIENT PAYS FOR *SHIPPING, noted after the item description. Send payment via Paypal, or even cash folded in a piece of note paper, sent to me regular mail ( I’ll providethe mailing address). When shipping is paid for the item is mailed Priority along with a trackingnumber.

2. The new owner, should send me the cost of shipping within 7 days. If shipping isn't paid within 7 days I assume the person has changed her/his mind, and the item is meant for somebody else, so I'll offer it.

* If the new owner lives outside the continental USA we’ll need to estimate the total. I have a postal scale so it will be easy to do.

THIS WEEK'S OFFERING

VERY GOOD CONDITION
BOX SLIGHTLY WORN

MEDIEVAL SCAPINI TAROT by LUIGI SCAPINI (ISBN 780880 790314)

U.S. Games Systems Inc. Purchased 1990

I've collected tarot decks for awhile and have never used this for readings.

Cards are slippery, like brand new with no creases or bent edges.

Card dimension: 2.75" x 5.25"

78 CARDS

22 MAJOR ARCANA

56 MINOR ARCANA

BEAUTIFUL ART, QUALITY PAPER

I like the attention to detail and many symbols in this lovely card.

The Death Card can also mean a change of employment,
end of a bad relationship, or even putting aside
what no longer serves us. Note the hands of submerged and
drowning people reaching out of the river of life, signing...do you understand the message?

ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED

The cost of shipping this deck within the continental USA,
Priority Mail is $5.50 (which includes a delivery confirmation, tracking number and estimated date of delivery)

IF YOU WANT TO GIVE THIS TAROT DECK A NEW HOME, POST YOUR REPLY AS A
COMMENT UNDER THIS BLOG,
just write something simple
along the lines of 'Yes, I'd like to
have this deck'...nothing elaborate.

I'll email the 'winner' and get your mailing address, discuss shipping, etc. Sorry, can't put my
email here or spammers will know my email address!!

IMBOLC: BRIGHID WALKS THE LAND

2012-02-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

BRIGHID WALKS THE LAND

IMBOLC EVE, BRIGID WALKS THE LAND

This painting depicts the beloved Brighid, Celtic goddessand saint, walking on the eve of Imbolc. It’s still bitterly cold outside, but thelight has returned and the people know spring is on its way. Ewes are droppingtheir lambs and soon the boring diet of old root vegetables will be enhancedwith the addition of dairy products. Soon farmers will begin to prepare theirfields, and people are anticipating longer days of sunlight.

In the Celtic climate, early spring was still quite cold, and often sleet
or snow was falling. Shepherds would stay in the fields, watching over
the ewes and new lambs

On Imbolc Eve, Christian and Pagan alike believed Brighid walked the countryside, passing across field and meadow, and through their communities in the frigid, dark night. Outside their doors people left offeringsof milk, cloth, and food for her to bless and partake of. Brigit’s crosses (originally symbolized thefour elements and four directions, later took on Christian religioussignificance) and corn dollies were made, and local rituals were followed. Every community had its own manner ofcelebrating. The goddess Brighid wasassociated with blacksmiths, poetry, fertility, fire, milk, sheep, whitecattle, boars and swans, but most of all she had the mother goddess’scompassion.

Brigid, her hair aflame in the ice winds, crosses the bleak meadows in search of ewes dropping their lambs.

I’ve portrayed her hair of flame and her gown flowing in thebitter winter winds. She walks a remote field, blessing it for the comingseason. The tree of life grows in this field, symbolizing spring and the newlife that will soon be abundant.

The Tree of Life, or Axis Mundi

Brighid,a Celtic goddess associated with healing, inspiration, and blacksmiths, is apowerful protector often connected with the hearth fire, and beloved by theCeltic peoples. As Christianity spread she was transformed into Saint Brigit andpeople continued to love her without reprisal.

I also wrote this poem about the goddess and saint, known by many names including Bridie, Brigit, Bride, Flaming Arrow, and many more.

Brighid’sSong:

“Thegreat wheel is turning turning, turning, turning.

The great wheel is spinning, spinning,spinning.

Asthe wheel of the seasons spins, so too life spins out its thread, and it’s upto you what manner of tapestry to weave with it.

Fireand hearth, fire and hearth, the heart of the home and the smith’s iron forge,this is where you’ll find me.

Fireand hearth, the heart of the home, tend the glowing embers and candle’s lowflame, and think of me.

Tendthem well and Keep them burning, think of me when you gaze into the flames andembers. Respect the fire, honor the hearth, and my light and warmth willpreserve you.”

Click here and listen to some SOME VERY SPECIAL MUSIC FOR IMBOLC :
performed by Emily Van Evera/Sister and Germain Fritz/Rishard Souther

" O VIRGA AC DIADEMA" BY CHRISTIAN MYSTIC

HILDEGARD VON BINGEN

TEXT AND ART COPYRIGHT HELENA NELSON REED. This art and text is not public domain, do not use.

BELOVED GODDESS SAINT BRIGID

2012-01-31T06:53:00.000-08:00

Goddess Saint Brigid, in " FLAMING ARROW " by Helena Nelson - Reed

Flaming Arrow is one of many names for the beloved goddess-saint Brighid, to whom fire of hearth andsmithy was sacred. I rendered this in amore illustrative style than usual and was striving for an iconic effect ratherthan portrait. Many of her associations are represented here, while a fewsymbols, like sheep, are not depicted because this image focuses on her flamingaspect. These aspects include clear sight, telepathy, intuition, inspiration,the fire that melts base metals and allows the smith to forge iron tools,stainless steel weaponry, bronze shields, or silver and gold jewelry. The otheraspect of the goddess Brighid that inspires me is her creative energy. If youare familiar with some of the old Celtic tales of this goddess-saint you'llrecognize the symbols.

About halfway through completing this painting I lost energyand focus, as if the image was obscured by a thick smokescreen. I didn't evenwant to finish her! My practice atthese moments is moving right into another image or two and not obsessing overthe matter. The painting leaned againsta wall behind a drafting table and was eventually covered with matt boards,scrap, and other paintings. A few months later, while looking for stuff to tossout, I found her. I'd forgotten about this painting and looked at ita few moments before remembering it, thinking how odd this memory lapse was,and wondering what my problem had been with the image because I could see itwas coming along alright. The energycame back full tilt. The completed imagewas not in my head nor the solution to the design problems, but an innateconfidence filled me. I knew thatsitting down before the painting with “thinking mind” set aside and intuitiveconduits wide open, the painting would complete itself. Enthusiasm was back, myhands knew what to do, and in a few days she was finished. I still don’t knowwhy this sometimes occurs, but I thinkit’s a good lesson about walking away and moving on from some paintings (andsituations) instead of banging one’s head against a brick wall. Better to just get on with the nextproject(s). In time the fog lifts,meaning and understanding make themselves known, and the work can continue.

Delicate grass snakes were associated with Brighid, maybe
because they were observed to emerge from hibernation on
the first warm days of spring?

The important aspect seems not to be so much about aduration of time, but a redirecting of conscious focus in other directions fora short while and becoming engaged in the new challenge. Meanwhile thesubconscious keeps right on sorting the matter through without emotions anddoubts plaguing the process. Eventually a solution pops in, sometimes waking me right out of sleep, telling me exactlywhat needs to be done. This trusting, deeper knowing and discerning of thedifference between ego generated or capricious needs and soul-speak varies fromperson to person. Some are born with it, others, like me, learn by chance,experience and lots of whopping mistakes.

The arctic goose is often associated with Brigid, recognize them by the white body with black wing tips

This saint and goddess has so many associations its difficult to include them all in one blog entry!

It was the Flame of Brighid regarding this

painting of herself that illuminated

the dark corridors of my creativity.

Many thanks to my friend DoAn, who edited this and all my other descriptions in preparation for my upcoming book (which could take years at the rate I'm going, so all in good time)

PART II, 'IMBOLC', NEXT! IMBOLC BLESSINGS OF LIGHT AND WARMTH TO ALL OF YOU.

All text and images copyright Helena Nelson Reed

My art and writing are not public domain,do not reproduce...thank you for honoring creative and intellectual copyrights!

A Day of Texture

2012-01-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

Zinc spacers for Linotype machine in their oak tray. Unintentional, contemporary art.

FLEXIBILITY

Weekends I help 2 different dealers, setting up/working at antique shows and antique flea markets. One sells antique and vintage ethnographic beads and art, the other sells industrial salvage and vintage/antique tools. Instead of cash I take a small area next to the aisle for selling my calendars, greeting cards, beads ( I adjust my items to suit the theme of the booth) Sometimes we barter if there's anything I want: the final $ amount is assessed at their wholesale value, not tag price. For rare beads and special antique ethnographic/tribal silver Ill sometimes work an entire season. Other times I refuse payment (if they've had a lean month) because we've become friends. There's so much give and take that it all works out in the end. The key to success in this arrangement is flexibility: Like artists, dealers need a profit because this is his/her income source. Today many barely make their both fees/ travel expenses, but appreciate a flexible booth partner who enjoys the work and over time has proven scrupulously reliable and trustworthy.

THE BEST ANTIQUE SHOWS AND ANTIQUE FLEAS are gritty, grimy, noisy labyrinths. Aesthetically pleasing shows are a pleasure to work at and visit, but have higher prices due to the substantial booth fees paid by vendors and targeted traffic traffic of weekend shoppers who eschew getting their hands dirty.

FROM THE AISLE do a quick, wide angle pan of the booth: scope for outlines of what you are looking for: industrial, Edwardian, tribal, retro, etc. If anything pops, dart the eyes back and refocus. Still interesting? Ask questions about what it was used for, where it came from....shop the rest of the show before deciding to purchase. Attend shows regularly and develop working relationships with favorite dealers: after awhile they'll keep a eye out at auctions for things they know you like, and in your price range. Most are fonts of information and great stories. Example: look at the display above. Ignore the ugly background...check out the vintage poker chips, edges still shiny but the flat surface now worn to a suede - like finish, with subtle tonal variations caused by uneven fading. There are 2 hand stitched thick leather w/fab patina dice cups, 2 tins of vintage drawing pencils from Germany with documentation and in primo condition. Also, a vintage muslin Bull Durham tobacco pouch with tobacco and original tag, cool cotton lead shot bag, solid brass tags and rings with nice patina, and 3 glass oil burners from a laboratory. Nothing here costs more than a few dollars. Don't insult the dealer/vendor by trying to nickle and dime to a rock bottom price. Sellers must recover their investment and make a profit or there's no point in having a business, no matter how fun it is.

At first the average flea market looks shabby, and so do some of the vendors & customers. Like the faerie folk and gypsies of myth, a modest or tattered appearance is often deceptive. Most dealers are intelligent, shrewd, and see/know far more than they let on. Once the eyes grows accustomed to the lay of the land, there is order in chaos. Great opportunities for photos, or images to use in one's art . Request permission before photographing!

These plump teapots arranged against a grass green cloth (note the subtle diagonal weave) and dramatic perspective will be a challenge to render in watercolor or pencil, distorting the angles and working in some subtle, surrealistic imagery or almost invisible, strange creatures into the reflections and shadows.

ORDER IN CHAOS

Pattern, beauty, and texture are everywhere.

The great graphic image above is an enlargement of the Linotype tray photo posted at the top of this article. The zinc spacers possess an abstract quality, similar to the cloud and mountain motif painted on Anasazi pots. Note the tiny flecks
of sawdust, softening and breaking up the severe outlines of the hard - edged metal.

DETAILS DETAILS

Yes I'm a little weird about these trays. Must be the myriad tiny details of various shapes and contrasts packed into ORDERLY
compartments. This one would be great packed with colorful beads, but I couldn't bear to remove the original contents.

Why? Because as is this is a work of art. Look at the cross thatching and multi - dimensional effects and intruiging chiaroscuro, What I really want to do now is draw this tray, but with a soft, downy feather crossing diagonally across several compartments, or maybe a gently twisted length of sheer, lacy veil in an ecru shade.

Lack of Health Insurance in USA forcing some to make the ultimate sacrifice.

2012-01-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Story Behind SacredHeart

November 20th, 2010

The scene is a cramped,dingy room in an inner city hospital. Three of us, Marie's friends, have cometo visit. Behind the white drape her unseen roommate moans in pain.

Marie’s face is bonewhite. Her hospital gown, sheets and walls are white. Outside her window thewinter landscape and sky are white. Maria’s womb containsa rapidly growing, malignant tumor.

Marie gestures at multiple vases of white roses, smiles weakly, saying she’d been praying the rosary to St. Anne. The arrival of whiteroses means this saint hears and will answer her prayers. We three friendsadmire her composure, bravery, and faith. Yes, there’s a morphine drip, butshe’s always been a believer whose faith kept her going.

Eventually its time toleave, each of us approach for what all know is a final farewell. When I leanover, she raises stick thin, wasted arms for the embrace. The image of a corpsereaching up out of the grave and dragging me down, into the dark flashesunwillingly, vividly through my mind. With frightening strength the bony armsclamp round my shoulders, drawing me in until our bodies touch and long hairmingles together on the white pillow.

Her lips are against myear, and Im trying to maintain balance without pulling away from her. In one desperate, hoarse, running sentence she whispers fiercely “OhHelena I’m so afraid I’m so scared so scared so scared I’m so afraid Oh my GodI’m so afraid”. All I can do is bear witness to her fear, hug her wasted shell tightly,and silently will waves of peace from my heart to hers.

Her expanded belly is rockhard. When she releases and I'm standing again, our eyes meet. We clasp hands, squeeze for a long moment, in silence.

After goodbyes our brave friend smiles and calmly thanks us for visiting, as if nothing hadhappened. Please read her story, below, for it is about a difficult, frightening choice several otherpeople I’ve known have been forced to make in recent years.

MARIAWAS: middle aged, divorced, a single mom, working class, no formal education,petite, homely, wore cheap, shabby clothing. She had: long, lanky hair dyedblack with organic coloring. Wore: aperpetual scowl as if expecting to be broadsided any second. Was: devout old –school Polish Catholic. Marie believed in health, simplicity, green lifestyle,herbs, and vitamins. She’d a modest home, 2 children. Worked 2 much, 2 hard, 2long, and lectured 2 much about her religion. One month her belly began toswell. She tried a number of treatments: cleansing, detox, diets, herbs,exercise, and joked about getting a 'big gut' as she aged. Eventually she hadher annual check up and at that time was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Maria :

- Said Conventionaltreatment will bankrupt me and is out of the question.

- Said: I’ve worked myass off to get this house and ain’t no bank gonna take it away, my kids need aroof over their head and I wont, can’t send 'em back to their father.

- Said: I’ll beat thiswith prayer, supplements, diet and garlic. They work, and I'll prove it.

- Followed regimensdescribed in health store books with titles like 'Sharks Don't GetCancer " , about beating cancer with garlic and vitamins.

- Prayed prayed prayedprayed prayed. Offered novenas, said rosaries.

- Watched her belly grow bigger, rounder, firmer.

- Said: If I die, insurance and moneyfrom the house will get my kids through college

- Said: If thosebastards take out the tumor, treat me with chemo and radiation it will takeeverything we’ve got and I still might die. How will my kids live then?

- Chose: A painful deathrather than treatment in order to care for her children.

-Was persuaded to check into the hospital for her final 2 weeks. Her best friendfrantically rushed legal paperwork and handled arrangements regarding her modest estate with the attorney. Every day we visited her. Every day we begged herto hold on for the kids. Just hang in there until the legal paperwork was finished.She did, and died the day afterward.

FOR MY FRIEND, SAINT ANNE

MY BEADING STUDIO

2012-01-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Full Circle. This is the pendant before it was added to the beaded necklace. The ring is a white brass bracelet measuring about 3 inches across. The length was 8 inches from top to bottom.

Historically, artists, artisans & craftsmen worked & lived above or behind the shop. There are benefits and drawbacks to this, as anybody working from the home already knows. Our living and dining room is now my bead/necklace workshop.

Primary stock and bulk purchases are stored at my other space, but anything required for the current line, and favorite findings are always close at hand. Right now I'm working on a line of 12 necklaces that need to be completed and shipped by Monday, next week. Below are some shots of what my work area looks like.

Above: trays at left have automatic locking compartments with a sloping front side, allowing fingers to curl around small beads and retrieve without messing about. The plastic is translucent and trays can stand being dropped on a hardwood floor multiple times without cracking or opening (guess how I know this?). I store them on Ikea 'Billy' bookshelves in stacks 8 trays high, 6 trays across. One glance from across the room reveals the contents of each tray: metal findings, spacers, bone & wood spacers, etc.

Above: vintage typesetting trays of wood, each compartment storing various medium sized ethnographic & tribal inspired beads. Find these at flea markets, but avoid the 'shabby chic' and twee decorating booths - look for the guys selling old industrial equipment & factory warehouse closeouts. These cost me $15.00 apiece. There are several in my painting room as well, stacked one atop the other, storing favs & unusual beads. Above, there are a few necklaces laid out for perfecting, not on their permanent wire yet. Zip lock bags are recycled until they no longer seal, and usually hold assortments of beads that will eventually be combined into necklaces.

Above you see where we used to eat our meals. Now we gently move a few stacks of those storage trays aside and make space in the clutter for our dishes. The light fixture is an excellent chain and bead storage unit. Finished designs already selected and purchased by my partner await clasps, and are stored atop the carved trunk covered in green cloth. Inside that trunk are some ethnographic textiles and large textiles used as backdrops for photographing necklaces.

The sideboard is usually a display area , the art displayed is rotated depending on my mood and the season. Right now its a mess, this month multiple projects are underway

If talking on the phone or somebody is visiting, I'm usually laying out necklaces for modification later, sorting beads, or cleaning up parts of my work area. Above you see the beads for a new design laid out on the worktable , the wool blanket beneath keeps them from rolling away.

What was it like to be a Lady's Maid?

2012-01-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Antique American postcard, 2 maids.

image Maid at the Door , from critical movie review 6/11/11

My grandmother was a domestic, and at different times in her life worked as a personal maid, house maid and cook. Until health prevented it, she continued to work right into her last years, serving a rest home and hospice facility. Her life was spent mainly in Missouri & Kansas. She died years ago, before I'd the desire to ask detailed questions, but from what I've heard her experiences were typical of most women moving to the cities in an effort to support fatherless families and escape rural poverty.

As today, work was in the citiy so Nani lived there, sharing a room. Or, in the home of whomever she worked for. Her children stayed with her mom, my great grandmother Helen Coffey. My great grandparents had a simple cabin, or maybe it was a modest farm house, and enough land to plant what they needed to survive, a few mules, and chickens. No plumbing or electricity. My dad said that back then 'there was always somebody dying' and domestic violence, usually related to alcohol consumption, was frequent. My memory of Nani is a heavy set lady who rarely sat down, kept an immaculate house, made soap from scratch, and bustled around serving while the rest of us enjoyed what she'd prepared. I do remember some of her remarks about different families she'd worked for, and favorite customers from the restaurants where she'd been employed. Nani's lack of education, family support, and poor grammar limited her options, and she made some unwise decisions when it came to men, but she always had a good heart.

Im always curious about what life was like in past times. not only American and British Here are some great places to read more about the lives of domestic servants in previous centuries

Siobhan Finneran as O'Brien, the countess's ladies maid, Rose Leslie as Gwen, housemaid, and Joanne
Froggatt as Anna, head maid. Taken from the series
Downton Abbey, part II starting soon on PBS. Review
last season's episodes. Also, some good costume and
interior design references.

Yes, I know there is an empty space Below this paragraph but I can't seem to make it go away - no matter what I do this space cant be eliminated so please bear with me, I don't have time to puzzle this out, today!

“Experiences of a ’Hired Girl’: An Early Twentieth-Century Domestic Worker Speaks Out. This anonymous worker articulated common grievances of domestic workers in her 1912 article in Outlook magazine. A veteran of thirty-three years of household labor, she protested the unsystematic work and arbitrary supervision of domestic service, the most common category of female employment until World War II. She advised,“If the mistress of the house . . . would treat housework like a business, and treat their maids like the employees of a business, many of the problems of domestic service would be solved.” Explicitly comparing domestic service and industrial work, this writer articulated the reasons that young women increasingly left household labor for the regular wages, fixed hours, and less intrusive supervision of factory jobs. (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5323)

“We Are Literally Slaves”: An Early Twentieth-Century Black Nanny Sets the Record Straight In folklore the black nursemaid was seen as a dutiful, self-sacrificing black woman who loved her white family and its children every bit as much as her own. Yet the popular images of the loyal, contented black nursemaid, or “mammy,” were unfortunately far from the reality for the African-American women who worked in these homes. " I am a negro woman, and I was born and reared in the South. I am now past forty years of age and am the mother of three children. My husband died nearly fifteen years ago, after we had been married about five years. For more than thirty years—or since I was ten years old—I have been a servant in one capacity or another in white families in a thriving Southern city, which has at present a population of more than 50,000". ( http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/80 )

Hattie McDaniel, right "Gone with the Wind" Photo courtesy yaams

For some interesting commentary regarding the portrayal of African American women as domestics check out BAD REPUTATION : "14-n-is-for-nanny"

BLOGS ABOUT DOMESTIC SERVANT LIFE DURING JANE AUSTIN'S TIME:

only known portrait of Jane Austin by Ozias Humphry

:

JANE AUSTIN

JANE AUSTIN MUSEUM BLOG

LIFE TAKES LEMONS BLOG:

ARTISTS SUPPORTING ARTISTS: My website designers!

2012-01-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

Meet My Website Designers: Stephanie Lostimolo and Emilio Miller - Lopez. Like so many of us in creative fields, both work demanding 'day jobs' they enjoy and find challenging. Their lives in the mundane work world generate income that supports a deeper, long term commitment to their individual Inner Vision and Life Path.

EVEN a basic website, if its to appear professional, requires expertise & creativity, and a budget. This can get expensive, but sometimes an exchange of art/services will offset the cost. If a full barter isn’t feasible, a cash and exchange arrangement might work. This is the option we agreed upon when overhauling my own site.

Emilio at his screen

Stephanie Lostilomo, Emilio Miller - Lopez and I are acquainted via Robert Gould ( a mutual friend ) and FaerieCon. We discussed the project briefly at FaerieCon 2010, but nothing was decided. Spring 2011 we talked in earnest, evaluating budget, my needs and a deadline. Stephanie and Emilio felt Smugmug would allow them to build a basic, custom site in record time, that I could maintain without having to know html. Stephanie estimated her design and time, Emilio estimated his backstage work involving code and software expertise. Then we discussed payment and in what form (financial, art, jewelry, or a combination), agreeing in email format. Robert Gould served as a casual mediator, contributing a few suggestions. When negotiating an multi - phase project and/or involving several people, ongoing time/work commitment, and a final adjustment period, the neutral 3rd party is invaluable. We have demanding day jobs, personal lives get hectic. An effective but neutral mediator, like Robert, cuts to the chase, keeps group communication open/ effective, and makes sure everyone is in the loop.

I wanted an intuitive,colorful site linking to my selling platforms like Etsy, Fineartamericaand Redbubble, my blog, and facebook. No personalized shopping cart because I don't like changing a shoppingcart every time I list or sell a new original painting or custom necklace. Linking to high traffic selling platforms works best for me.

Here’s the beautiful result: http://www.helenanelsonreed.com/ I want to thank the pros : Emilio, Stephanie and Robert for their time, effort, advice and invaluable suggestions, every detail is appreciated. All three may be be contacted via

Stephanie, on the job

Stephanie's blog, Aves Arcana is another place to read about her latest projects.

Stephanie’s website is: http://www.nethersphere.com/

Stephanie has a shop on Etsy, also called Nethersphere, where you can find some of her designs for sale.She creates with & explores a variety of mediums, reminding me of a multi - armed eastern goddess

EMILIO MILLER LOPEZ and his wife, Kelly Miller -Lopez are co -founders of the band WOODLAND..(link takes you to their new website "Treguenda, Music of the Ages") their work incorporates of Celtic mythos, tribal rock and global fusion. Woodland is is great for creating to, driving long distance on lonely roads, dance... read some of Emilio's poetry right here on the Faerieworlds website

EMILIO and WOODLAND ONSTAGE

Check out Itunes for SOME SAMPLES OF WOODLAND'S MUSIC

EMILIO MILLER - LOPEZ AT THE SCREEN

GROUP PHOTO, WOODLAND

At left is Emilio in his daytime role, looking pretty laid back and au courant in the latest computer engineer/geek look. He's also co partner with Robert at Faerieworlds Festivals

The photo below conveys his other side, just a bit more edgy and intense. Emilio & Stephanie demonstrate that being an artist means a lifetime devotion and learning curve, but also the importance of versatility and flexibility. Many of us work in diverse fields in order to support our art.

ROBERT GOULD is familiar to many of you through Faerieworlds Events and Imaginosis . IMAGINOSISis a transmedia media arts company that works with visual artists and writersto strategically create, develop and produce intellectual properties thatmaintain the integrity, quality, imagination and philosophy of the artist’soriginal vision.

The Green Man, by Robert Gould (Ltd)

The DreamThief's Daughter, by Robert Gould (Ltd)

Silver Linings,Timing is Everything, & S**t Happens

2012-01-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Recently our home became a minor disaster site when a sewermain broke, and after initial shock and spontaneous nausea subsided we shiftedinto damage control, as noted in a recent fb entry. A friend emailed after reading about it on my facebook page, adding that maybe there’dbe a silver lining, and she was right!

In 2011 I’d begun a book project (gratis, all proceeds goingto a charity) with this same person, but soon work and familial responsibilities made donating creation time to charitable causes impossible. The investment of time/energyrequired to illustrate a quality book filled with detailed art was no longer anoption. The situation was awkward and I was hoping something would change. S**t happens, figuratively as well as literally, as demonstrated by our burst sewer main. On reprieve from the sewer - induced chaos, I had taken a break at the computer, and found her email, saying she hoped I'd find a silver lining…

... this wish was followed by notification that she’dfound an illustrator to replace me, somebody who sketches daily, with both desire and time to join her in completing the project. Her timing was flawless! Like an angel she'd removed in one stroke the weight from my shoulders. I'm grateful for both the pro - active approach and relieved that an artist bettersuited to the project is now engaged. She concluded saying he has his own ideas, so any of my art completed to date was not necessary. Again, thoughtfulness and gentle consideration extended to negating involvement on my part, such as forwarding reference materials and notes. With so much going on in my life at the moment, her generosity of spirit is noted and truly appreciated. I feel so good about this turn of events!

Even with the best intentions, life often has other plansfor us. If working on a project, especially one requiring longterm time and effort, and the other party is delaying, don’t take itpersonally. Something may have transpired in their life, but forprofessional & personal reasons they don’t confide the details. A long term donation of energy or commitment to a nonpaying project may prevent this other person from pursuing his or her livelihood and the paying jobs required for survival and/or health care. This also applies to barter arrangements where desire and intent is sincere, yet life situations have resulted in a shifting of priorities. Please follow my friend’s approach and look around for somebody who isable to fully participate. Her actions were professional, and a win - winsituation for everyone, its safe to write that we are all 3 very happy and relieved to be starting the new year fresh and with new creative energy!

Her message was indeed The Silver Lining and made my week. Thank you so much my friend, this decision cannot have been easy but you did it, and it was an honor working with you. Best wishestoward a successful and beautiful book!

Exchanging Art and Barter

2012-01-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

More about bartering! Bartering and art exchanges may be difficult when artists must accumulate a body of work for exhibits and shows. When both parties agree to work together, the results can be worked out. Here's an example of mutual cooperation in an exchange between myself and textile artist/ watercolorist Creatrix goddess Shawna Lampi Legaree of Yellowknife, NT, Canada. Way up there by the arctic circle, throughout the frigid arctic winter, this talented Sister In Spirit creates. Like a mythic goddess she dwells near the top of the world, creating beautiful and meaningful works throughout the stillness and dark of long arctic nights. We met years ago when she invited me to teach a workshop to her watercolor group. This barter was made with the caveat Nuliajuk would be shipped to exhibits of Shawna's art. This way Shawna is still able to share this fantastic piece and round out her exhibitions with an example of what she can do with needle, thread and dye.

THE TRADE:

At left is Nuliajuk, Mother of the Sea Beasts (Sedna) , by Shawna Lampi -Legaree

At right, Goddess of the Past, Present and Future, by Helena Nelson Reed

ABOUT SHAWNA:

Shawna Lampi-Legaree holds a ribbon she received as a finalist in the annual International Quilt Association judged show in Houston for her work titled Nuliajuk (Sedna). - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Read more about Shawna here on facebook: Through Her Eyes and Dancing Raven Studio . She's got a great little blog right here .

Shawna's studio is Dancing Raven, mine is Dancing Dove. The symbolism and archetypal qualities of these totemic birds embody both of us in equal parts.

During the brief arctic summer Shawna, embodying the goddess Creatrix archetype sets her caldrons to boiling in the back yard, and dyes the textiles herself. anticipating what she'll need for upcoming projects. The lengths of textiles are then hung to dry, transforming the bleak tundra landscape into a riot of undulating, flowing rainbow color.

While I'm a watercolorist who also designs necklaces and embroiders tapestries using seed beads on deerskin, Shawna is an accomplished textile artist who enjoys creating in watercolor on paper. We both find that working in different mediums enhances and enriches our art overall.

For example, check out the image at right, the way the blues flow into one another, at left. The painter's eye is an asset in her textile arts, and the attention to detail and perfection developed through planing and executing art quilts has enhanced her paintings. If you check out her blog you can read about the ways Shawna combines the genre of textile art and watercolor.

At right is a close up of Nuliajuk (Sedna) . Many hours of Shawna's life are stitched into her work, note the varying sizes of stitches, used to enhance and accent the complexion. Tattoos, the shading of the lips, all dyed into the textile by Shawna. This work requires a methodical approach, organization, discipline and self motivation. I'm in awe of Shawna's skill with needle, thread, ad dyes - inanimate cloth becomes a work of art beneath her fingers.

The face isn't the only place where Shawna uses texture and color to create texture and create the effect of dimension. Note that Nuliajuk's (Sedna's) fingers are missing....This is part of the myth_ and you'll have to read about Nuliajuk to find out what happened to her fingers! Shawna's work is researched and created with intention, respect and love.

THANK YOU SHAWNA!

2012-01-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

New year is the traditional time for settingone’s house in order.

Sometimes a good concept just doesn’t work inpractice, begging the rhetorical question: ‘Is it just me, or what?’ In thespirit of New Year’s Resolutions I’m discarding practices yielding minimal tono results. Social/professional networking online is always recommendedfor self promotion, with success determined by what one is attempting to achieve. For many, this advice is successful, so 2011 was my year for giving it a try. My results weren't worth the time and effort. Below issome commonly administered advice regarding online networking (in italics) followedby my experience and a new year resolution (NYR)

1. Post noticessharing your art, services or on personal fb pages and blogs of others, networkand get the word out!!!

My experience: Ask permission beforeindulging in the cyber equivalent of one dog peeing on another dog’s firehydrant. Try offering an exchange when asking to post your promotional material on somebody else's page or blog: a reciprocal spotor ‘thank you’ on your own page is perfect. 100% of artist/artisans postingself promotional material on my fb wall neither asked nor offered to promote mywork on their own pages.

Positive Results: None because unlessspecifically invited, I don't follow this practice.

NYR: Discreetly blocking those utilizingmy page or blog as free advertising space. Prefacing the wall or blog commentwith “I love your art and want to share my art with you’ along with your link is consideredadvertising. A thinly veiled preface like this may insult the intelligence of your reader, so just provide the basic courtesy of asking before posting. If ignored or denied: chin up, shoulders back, move on.

2. Network and share theart of other people in your profession, its one way of getting organized andsupporting one another.

My experience: This practice evolved from my personalethos incorporating the Lakota philosophy of Mitakuye Oyasin - "weare all connected" and is a basic professional, but optional courtesy. If one opts to not share the work of other artists, nobody will care or notice. Do this only if believing that contributing in a positive way to society and supporting others on the same path is one of your core beliefs...don't expect acknowledgement, reciprocity or recognition.

NYR: Sharing the work/services of othersconsumes time that can be used otherwise. There's a burn out factor,disillusionment may follow. This is a great spiritual practice for testing one's level of commitment to Being Positive Change rather than simply paying it lip service. After 2011 experiences I've honed and edited the content of my blog and fbpage, narrowed focus, and practice more discernment regarding who and what Iwrite about. Artists or small businesses I mention are individuals I know, respect,and have interacted with in some capacity.

3. Utilize free socialnetwork sites like Linkedin, Meetup, fb group pages, Stumbleupon &Googlegroups for sharing accomplishments, exhibits, etc.

My experience: I don't require much sleep and havewhiled away some late hours utilizing networks. Unless you enjoy getting emails detailing the artistic accomplishments of total stranger's children and invitations to attend the opening night of someone's collection of 'pretty flower photos' at a local library in the middle of nowhere, be wary. There's aclutter of offerings and one's post is lost in the crowd after 5 minutes. Your work might be surrounded by offensive, often misogynist imagery, cute kitty photos, stupid platitudes and paintings of disembodied Barbiedoll heads covered in glitter and rhinestones. We can't all create art appealing to such a discerning audience. I don't want my workassociated with this genre (if selling t -shirts and decals I'd feel differently) because the price point is usually in the 2 digit range, and customers who buy dismembered Barbi heads covered in glitter probably won't like my work...

Positive results: For me, a total waste of time and effort. Depending on the genre this could prove detrimental toone's professional reputation, simply because most contributors appear to be quite young, but it could work for kids trying to get startedby selling art as greeting cards/ t-shirt motifs. Also, anime/pop/comics artists targeting this age group for selling inexpensive items and licensed products.

NYR: Will not participate, cancelling any subscriptions. This just dosn't work for me.

4. Participate in onlinecommunities, forums, and discussions.

My experience A tipping point occurs after an online community or forum becomes popular. A group mentality develops, sometimes bringing out the worst in a certain type of individual. This results in a stampede exit by the emotionally healthy and stable (sane). Also, a mere 2 or 3 comments per week attracts the attention of predatorytypes trolling for likely victims. Recognize them by lengthy,manipulative tales of personal woe followed by blatant hints or requests formoney or instructions for your painting techniques, free prints, free high res scans, free instruction, your mailing list, free products etc.

Positive Results: Small, private groups are rewarding for networking and sharing experiences with like - mindedindividuals. I've made some good, solid online connections with others in the arts andhealing communities. However, some people lift my commentswithout credit, often from emails exchanges, and share thetext on other discussions, forums, blogs and newsletters verbatim or barely altered, posted as if it was their original writing. This is a bit creepy but a small matter, just mildly irritating.

NYR: The Internet is like the wild west,and once we put something out here there's no controlling what happens toit. So this year I'm focusing on creating new art and necklaces, mybusiness, reading, family and friends, endeavoring to honor somecommitments, walking the dog, and being in the NOW.

How about you?

2011-12-20T18:40:00.001-08:00

I am inviting you to join me in a meditation/prayer duringthe Winter Solstice. We begin at midnight, Dec.23th and meditate, pray, or focus positiveintention of light, balance and peace for about 30 minutes, until 12:30 a.m. Doso in the manner or tradition most meaningful to you, because this ceremony isabout connection, not division.

The session commences at the stroke of midnight, based onthe time where each of us resides at that moment. As earth rotates, spinning inher celestial dance with sun and moon, our invocations and prayers of intentionand Light will be a luminous wave of radiance, peace, and balance, like a waveacross the water’s surface.

As the solstice,Christmas, and year end (Gregorian calendar) approach friends are sharing withme the dramatic changes occurring in their lives. These changes are often rooted in financialand familial sources, resulting in the collapse of cherished ideologies andthings we once took for granted. The changes involve issues such as untreated medicalconditions that will ultimately prove fatal, (due to a lack of insurance andmoney to buy treatment). Betrayal/abandonment of oneself by family or beloved,trusted friends, the specter of homelessness, even death from untreatedpotentially deadly health conditions. We all have our tales and possibly haveplayed all or one of the above roles.

Change begins within oneself, with a desire to honor theIndwelling Light. Once the intent is established, and revisited often, we areon the Path.

PLEASE SHARE

My art included in "Rev Elles Agenda Lunair 2012

2011-12-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

Taste in art, generally speaking, tends to be regional, so living in a region where one's genre is not popular with what artist organizations and juries prefer can limit one's ability to reach the local arts appreciative audience. I've found that this applies to nations as well. For example, while the US art and publishing market remains sluggish (for me at least) my images/giclee are selling in the EU, France, and the Netherlands in particular. One way to reach a new audience abroad is by submitting work to companies publishing books/calendars/greeting cards featuring collections of art under various headings (spirituality, wildlife, fantasy etc). Below is one example of what I've been doing to reach a new audience. Basically when the local art scene doesn't accept your style work, go regional. When regional isn't working for you, go national. When national isn't working as you'd like, go international. With the Internet we have more resources than ever before...and yes, it takes awhile because the generally, the publishing world is 1 to 2 years ahead of the current year: be persistent and thoughtful about opportunities that will show your work to best advantage.

Rev Elles Agenda Lunair 2012 ( subtitled " La fleur de sang" The flower of blood) is a fantastic little daily calendar filled with all kinds of interesting holistic, herbal, and spiritual information for women. Almost every page is adorned with art, featuring work by an international array of women artists including myself - even if you don't recognize our names, you may know the art itself. What I like about this collection is the fact Rev Elles incorporates a wide array of work created in many different styles and techniques. Beautiful to look through! The text is in French, but the website offers a choice of French/English translation. This calendar is on the shelves in the EU and French speaking Canada, but RevElles is planning on publishing and English version for marketing in the UK and USA, soon. Below is the cover, and a few shots of the inside text and photos. For more information visit Revdefemmes.net or search: " Rev Elles Agenda Lunair 2012 " to read whats been said on other websites and blogs.

Above is a page using the image of my original watercolor titled "Dryad's Farewell"

Below are shots of random pages, so you can see the variety and beautiful layout.

And this is the lovely cover....

...and here's the back cover

I'm hoping this line will be offered here in the UK and USA soon, the vast art collection alone makes it worth the small investment. I think its available as a down loadable book as well, so check out that option

BARTERING, BLOGS, BELLYDANCE : DONYA DANCES!

2011-12-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

Bartering can work out well if both parties are open to being flexible and realistic in their expectations. Setting a deadline and discussing exactly whats involved in a phone conference as well as email format helps clarify what is expected and when. So far my experiences have been positive. The next few entries Ill be sharing some examples of my own barter ( with the permission of those discussed) experiences and how we addressed issues, if any, as the situations arose.

Just below is a copy of the image Donya was interested in using, watercolor on paper, depicting the goddess Artemis and her twin brother Apollo (The sun, shown rising in the background)

"Artemis" copyright Helena
Donia, also known as Donia Dances contacted me regarding the use of one of my images, "Artemis". After a brief discussion we decided barter would work out great. Donia is a talented, professional belly dancer, dancing solo and with the Sahlala Dancers . At her day job, she is known as Denise, a multi - faceted creative individual, who designs web sites and blogs when she's not practicing , teaching or belly dancing. I needed a simple blog format to compliment my new website and Denise offered to do this in return for image use. Al Hamdulillah! We scheduled a phone conference and discussed details, then I emailed Denise/Donia an example of what I was imagining and a selection of crops from my paintings for her to use as backgrounds, and she offered suggestions. We also set a flexible deadline because we both work, and knew that something else might need to take precedence.Denise turned the job around within a few days, and my only change was to add the Oscar Wilde quote and a slender channel of color around the header.

If you are thinking about a new website or blog, think about contacting Donya/Denise for the project - she is prompt, keeps her appointments and does exactly what she says she will, on time and beautifully. Working with her was a pleasure.

Visit Donya's website or facebook page if interested in booking a performance or taking classes: Donia lives in the LA. area and will be adding an instructional website soon, so keep an eye on her fb page or website for updates. This design of my blog is an example of Denise/Donya's design skill, and below is an example of her performance, on Youtube

Thank you so much Donia , I love my new blog!

Artists Supporting Artists: Networking with Artists in Other Disciplines

2011-12-11T17:01:00.001-08:00

NATARAJ DANCING above my fireplace, arms and legs spinning to maintain balance. Nataraj holds important meaning for me, his symbolism is highly relevant in my life and spiritual path. However, in this blog entry I'm keeping the mood light, remarking only that his dance of the creation/destruction/creation cycle appears to be what we are all attempting to do these days - maintain balance as previously cherished belief systems and life styles implode or collapse - and a few extra hands would be most welcome: Imagine, painting, beading and typing all at the same time!

I'd like to address the topic of networking and bartering services, art or products with skilled, professional individuals creating in other disciplines in my next few entries. Before beginning the series, please read below, about why making time to form solid business relationships with peers is important when jump starting your career or small business. Some people refuse to barter under any circumstances, but over the years I've found this arrangement can work quite well when both parties understand before hand what is required of them, the deadlines, and the nature of compensation before hand. CONTINUED BELOW THE PHOTOGRAPH

" MY HEART LIFE " ACRYLIC PAINTING BY HELENA NELSON - REED

A GiftManifesting At Just the Right Time

The daunting array of tasks required of self representing artists is well known, because aside from creating and working with clients there are the invisible aspects of business (book keeping, sourcing vendors, supply outlets, materials, email follow up, billing) coupled with nurturing and honoring our ever present relationship/family responsibilities. There are websites to be designed and maintained, blogs to write, selling platforms to be monitored, but not enoughhours in the day if one also happens to enjoy eating and sleeping. Some artistsaccomplish this quite well, often with the help of skilled partners or familymembers. However, I require help in a few areas where my practical experience, skill set andworking knowledge can’t get the job done, or done as well as they should be.

Designinga professional looking website and blog is time consuming, far moreintricate than How - To sites make itsound. While using these services (GoDaddy, Foliolink) one will indeed have a website, it often looks amateurish, something I don’t want to project when people areviewing my work and possibly paying hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars for it.

One solution to getting your online business under control ( when on a tight work schedule using time wisely is especially important because things fall apart FAST!!) is joining, then tracking the online arenas garnering themost positive response, like MySpace, Fineartamerica.com, a blog, or Facebook, and selling platforms (like Artfire, Etsy,Ebay), in an effort to discover where the time and cost of photographing/listing items to be sold is worth the investment. Periodic updates aid in focusing on the arenas where time and effort are rewarded, while sites or platforms where I’mjust spinning my wheels are obvious. After a few months I delete whatever is a time orenergy suck. For example, participating in online art discussion groups is often fun,but I’ve never had anything more lucrative than endless requests for free art, artlessons, critiques, and advice so I no longer participate. There is only so much time in the week, so these choices must be made.

Sometimes it’s possible to barter services or materialgoods with another artist and in this way procure a much more professionalwebsite or blog than one we’d create ourselves. With my next blog entry Ill share a couple of examples demonstrating the positive benefits of bartering.

RENAE TAYLOR: CONNECTING WITH ARTISTS SHARING A SIMILAR VISION

2011-12-09T11:15:00.001-08:00

My most powerful creativity and balance is kindled when lifesituations provide the option of spending substantial blocks of time outdoorsin the forest preserves, with wind in my face and earth beneath my feet, orwhen in my studio, painting. Everything else is icing on the cake. This tendency toward self sufficiency and preferencefor solitude requires periodic infusions of conversation with kindred spirits,and interactions with a wide range of individuals and experiences. Thiscombination keeps me grounded and well balanced. One of the people I’m honoredto know and whose company I enjoy is artist Renae Taylor. While we see one another only once a year atFaerieCon, Baltimore, I’m always glad to have had the opportunity. We share similarinterests and lives, yet our work takes slightly different directions. This issomething that fascinates me about art – that we can each express personal lifeexperiences in unique ways.

These lovely wings are an example of Renae’s work. Renae is a gifted artist and like myself has branched into 2^nd, more tactile area of art that compliments her works on paper. Just look at the artistry that went into creating the delicate balance of color, texture and shading. Renae’s interest in entomology plays an important role in her attention to details. I love the delicate, sensuous line work and other worldly beauty in her art. Please take a look below, then visit Renae's Etsy shop or Blog and find out more abour the artist, her work, and inspiration.

More details - look at the tiny openings adorning the wing's edge

I like the way each piece of art compliments the others.

Wings by Renae Taylor, Mermaid bowl lower right by Beth Feywood, paintings Helena Nelson Reed, Leaping Hare pendant by Jenny Davies - Reazor

Here's a different angle. I like the way both wings join together, and at the point where they meet there's a flurry of spiraling, curved antique feathers

Above you see the 'Wings' sculpture compared with a giclee of one of my original watercolor paintings. The compliment one another nicely, making use of the same subtle palette, gracefully curved lines, and large blocks of negative space.

SO MANY BEADS IT TAKES A WAREHOUSE TO STORE THEM!!!

2011-12-01T06:35:00.001-08:00

Creating with a limited selection of materials can be fun and challenging, but creating with a 'full palette', meaning that when there's an array of beads and colors from which to choose, is more fun, one idea sparking the next. As my necklace business outgrows the limited space at home I've been forced to consider options for storage of materials. Purchasing large amounts of beads several times a year allows one to forge solid relationships with vendors, and receive deeper discounts. NEVER PAY RETAIL is a cardinal rule or one will never generate serious income. One option for storage is partnering with someone else and splitting the rent. Our space is in a small 6 floor office at the end of a small local airport runway. It looks like the Borg spaceship (Startrack Next Generation) has landed, sitting alone in a glass strewn parking lot. Palwaukee Airport is in the background. Inside, the building is well kept and simply decorated. The rent is insanely low because business is bad right now - only 300.00 per month ($150.00 each), utilities and Internet access included. Our neighbors in the building include real estate brokers, lawyers, and a Korean Evangelical Church. My beads are stored in stacked tubs or laid out on folding 'flea market' tables for easy access. My partner, Jola, does the same and uses small divided trays for odds and ends. Below you see some photos of our work space, beads ready to create with. These chunky crystals will soon be a massive necklace!

Above and at left are photos of ways we are storing our beads, laid out neatly or hanging, making selection quick and easy. This saves time and energy wasted when riffling through tubs of crumpled plastic bags (each holding different kinds of beads) stored in tubs. My partner is on the road constantly, this arrangement allows her to load and unload stock for the next show quickly and efficiently. It also keeps our family lives simpler, because husbands and sons were constantly grumbling about 'living in a warehouse'.

I still do the bulk of my creating at home and store what I need for the next line of necklaces in my home, leaving the rest here at our space.

ANTIQUE & FLEA MARKET TREASURES

2011-11-28T16:30:00.001-08:00

Finding interesting things to use in one's art, and at wholesale prices that allow me to incorporate the item into a creation while keeping my creations priced at competitive rates is an ongoing adventure, as is sourcing out places where I might be able to sell my work in the future. While cruising antique, flea markets, estate sales and salvage shops is one option, I prefer becoming a part of the community because doing so helps me to meet other vendors and over time, cultivate acquaintances and casual friendships where shop talk is the usual theme. By chance I was invited to help a dealer of antique, vintage ethnographic beads and tribal silver, and in this role learned how important it is to know one's suppliers. I also help out another seller who deals in anything that's old, odd, and catches his eye. Even better, there's often an information exchange about everything in the business including the top Indie markets for independent designers, why the square is easier, more efficient and less expensive than swiping or using the knuckle buster machine when processing credit cards, buying trends in various regions and cities, what shows do the best promotion, recognizing newly made 'antiques' and so on. Just look at a few of the interesting things from the show I worked at this past weekend, at the Dupage Expo Center -

Above are 2 vintage shuttles, a pair of post WWII shoe buckles in great condition, ready to be used in a future necklace design, a fantastic 1930's retro pin of cut glass stones backed in heavy dull bronze, with silver bezels. The larger brooch has great cut glass stones and a bright, shiny brass backing, indicating manufacture during the late 50-s into the 60's. Im looking forward to making 2 Diva Glam designs, each using one of these beauties as the focal bead.

Some dealers have great booths filled with all kinds of interesting things. Love this padded mannequin, the seller adorns her with whatever small, funky items she happens to be selling at a given venue. Notice the composition of this display - items as diverse as cutlery, nails, round brass tags,over sized grocery store display jar scale and an artist's paint palette and MAIL sign pull together, while the mannequin attracts the attention of passers by.

At right is a late Victorian, maybe early 1900's mannequin,
Whom I refer to as the Birdcage Woman. If my studio space was
This mannequin would have come home with me - the possibilities for transforming her into a piece of statement art are endless!

Aren't these great?

2012 "Art, Vision, Spirit" Calendars by Helena Nelson Reed | RedBubble

2011-11-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yay! My new 2012 ART, VISION, SPIRIT calendar

Check it out! I love working with RedBubble because these calendars are the best quality yet! Their format allows me to use images reproduced the way I want them, rather than relying on the taste of a stranger over in Korea (my previous calendars were printed there and I'd no control over the quality)

This 2012 edition "Art, Vision, Spirit" calendar displays a selection of different images. The paper is nice and thick, reproduction clear and sharp. These look great matted and framed, the small size means you won't be spending a bundle of framing. I suggest one of those clear acrylic stand - alone frames meant for desk tops, because changing out the art/photos takes about 2 seconds, with no tools other than your own hands.

Networking Local : No, This Isn't About A New Union

2011-11-18T19:11:00.001-08:00

Check out these beautiful paintings by Lidia, below!
The Internet is a blessing, yet there's still no comparison to conducting business with other independent business owners and individuals like myself who own/operate one person micro - businesses, people with integrity, who care about quality and know what they are doing. This afternoon on my way home I stopped by Osio Brown in Elmhurst, (Illinois) a gallery owned by Adam Brown and his wife Penelope Osio - Brown featuring the art of offering high quality scans of art/photography and giclee printing services for artists. Both Penelope, Adam, and the gallery deserve a blog entry all their own so more about them, soon! While there waiting to pick up my painting and proof the image, I noticed two large beautiful paintings lined up alongside one wall. I got to talking with the person who was picking them up, Krzysztof Wylangowski, who told me these works were painted by his wife Lidia. We talked about the work for awhile and he described the way they work together, as a team.

Lidia paints on large board panels. Her work has an old world flavor and yet is entirely contemporary, graceful, sensuous. Take a look at her website and check out the murals and paintings in particular. "My Secret Garden" is one of my favorites...and "White Tango": check out the anatomy on that hand. Drawing and rendering a hand in this position is very difficult, thin skin draped across bones combined with muscle tension, perspective and lighting all make rendering hands held at odd angles a challenge. One doesn't have this kind of interaction when ordering services or products online or from a big box store.

Lidia kindly sent me two images for sharing in this blog. Please visit her website and contact Lidia with any questions regarding her art. Thank you Lidia and Krzysztof !

Angel of Passion Copyright Lidia Wylangowska, please contact the artist with queries

White Tango Copyright Lidia Wylangowska please contact the artist with queries

2011-11-17T13:58:00.001-08:00

This week we are finalizing changes on my new web site. A few tiny details need tweaking before everything is the way it should be. The website is a simple one I'll be able to access and adjust as needed. This is important because computers and the Internet are a hazy mystery to me, but understanding the basics of using these wonderful tools is important for those of us with macro and micro businesses. Having to rely on others for help with web issues feels like an imposition on their time, even when they are being paid. I used to avoid calling my web designer to make changes like adding new art because even though she was helpful, friendly and never said anything the least negative, I felt it must be a bother for her, even though it was her profession. Autonomy always feels most comfortable, being less dependent upon the goodwill and schedules of my friends and family keeps my heart at peace.

Working at the Ayla's Holiday Bazaar Bead Show: Venetian Beads

2011-11-14T15:58:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was working at a bead show and found some fantastic, beautiful beads made in Venice, sold by Bella Beads Bella Beads . Take a moment to visit her shop and check out these diminutive works of art, then read about their creation and quality. These are contemporary designs using traditional techniques. Who can resist the thrill of working with such exciting beads? I've already used some in my newest design, seen here.

Attending trade and wholesale shows is one way for artisans and artists to learn more about materials, meet local vendors and other artisans, and pick up on how business is going in other places. For example, one of the owners, Patricia, was working the Bella Beads alongside our own booth. Spending a few moments with her provided working information regarding quality and the difference between Chinese/Indian imitations. Looking at these beads alongside the Asian knockoffs, there is absolutely no comparison - its like comparing polyester mix - n - match pants suits from Sears with custom dyed and painted shibori silk.

One of my goals is to share the work of artists and artisans I admire, as well as reputable small business suppliers providing excellent products, service, and at a fair price, but happily impart information that helps us to create art and artfully created products that are not only beautiful, but original, functional, unique and durable.

2011-11-10T16:14:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my new blog. My name is Helena Nelson -Reed and I'm usually ( if at all) associated with watercolor paintings and highly detailed pencil work focusing on mythic, visionary and Jungian archetypal imagery. The reason I've used the name ' MorningDove' rather than 'Helena Nelson - Reed" is because I want to address a wider range of creative topics including sharing the work of working artists and artisans, writers and musicians who are doing some interesting things. Some you may know, others will be, like myself, obscure!

I hope you'll enjoy my blogs and jump in to comment, including recommending other blogs and websites.