Snow

Snow-- if you live in the Northeastern United States, it's a fact of life. People actually live here who hate snow and all that winter brings-- why do they stay? To me it's beautiful stuff, cleansing, pure, elemental. It creates quiet and a space for contemplation. I get my best art done in the winter, away from the hurley-burley of the warm season (as short as it is!) that demands all our time and busy effort for its brief shot at life and growth.

 Raku-effect beads-- "Oil Slick" -- part of a

new Etsy collection

 Sometimes people feel stuck in a physical or emotional place, a personal or working situation, stuck in a way of making their art. It happens to all of us at one time or another but you don't have to stay stuck, you have a choice. Unlike our inability to change the weather, we do have the power to change what's not working for us. It takes commitment and a willingness to give up what's comfortable, known, predictable. It's only when we choose to venture out on the "skinny branches" do we find fulfillment, joy and freedom.

"Cartouche"

"Gray as the Sea in Winter"

 

 "Frosted"

All I put on my wish list for Christmas this year were books and teaching videos. What could be a better gift than one of exploration, of new ideas, of inspirations, of ways to break out of a stuck situation and fly?

Here are a few examples of what ended up under my tree. They point to directions that I plan to take in 2014.

Your Personal Paleo Code: The 3- Step Plan to Lose Weight, Reverse Disease, and Stay Fit and Healthy for Life by Chris Kresser

A Field Guide to Fabric Design: Design, Print and Sell Your Own Fabric by Kim Kight

 

Simple Soldering: A Beginner's Guide to Jewelry Making - Kate Richbourg

 

So I wish you every happiness in the New Year but most of all, the courage to swing out and make changes, seize opportunities and be bold in your choices.