Joy in my studio

Shop on Vacation

2012-02-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

My shop will be on vacation from now until March 11, 2012. Lots of changes are happening in both of my careers and this time will be invaluable for re-charging and allowing new creativity to flow through the studio.

Please note, any in-stock items purchased between now and 3/11 will ship on or by 3/12/12. Any made to order items will begin production on or after 3/11/12 and will not likely be shipped until the end of March. Please plan your purchasing accordingly, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Thank you so much for your support and understanding. I look forward to sharing some new work and collections with you soon! - Joanna

Paintings on Exhibit at Imago Gallery

2012-02-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

This past friday was the opening reception for the Open Community Exhibit at Imago Gallery in Warren, RI. Artists from all over RI and southeastern MA showcased an eclectic variety of work, from brilliant still-lifes to vibrant surrealist and abstract paintings to richly layered ceramics and glass work - and everything in between.

A very full house made for a highly energetic evening, and the gallery did an excellent job of curating.

With open, non-juried shows, it can be quite a challenge trying to pull such a diverse body of work together and have it all flow smoothly, sometimes more so than with a thematic show, be it juried or not. Despite the open agenda, this particular exhibition I thought had a surprisingly cohesive feel.

I was very excited to my elephant babies hanging proudly for the world to see. It was the first time I had seen the three of them displayed together, and quite interesting for me to see my progress from piece to piece.

Family - Silk, charcoal, ink on canvas

Wisdom - Silk, oil, wax medium on canvas

Tribe - Silk, oil, wax medium on canvas

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Here are some progress photos of Wisdom:

Hand dyed batik silk, mounted on panel. I studied the matrix of the lines for nearly three weeks before I started painting the elephant. I needed to let her emerge in her own time. In the meantime, I filled my journal with sketches, and worked on little side elephant projects.

Oil underpainting: the elephant beginning to form from the matrix of the silk. Her features are a combination of about a dozen different photographs of African elephants.

Layers and layers of oil thoughtfully applied. I was very interested in preserving the integrity of the silk through a certain level of transparency.

Glazes of deep violet and raw umber were added for contrast, and I softened her eyes.

A final overcoat of wax, and she was ready to go out into the world.

Namaste.

New Beginnings

2012-01-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

The New Year has been off to a great start. I started by putting my Etsy shop on vacation from 1/1 - 1/10 with the sole purpose of taking that time to re-connect with my creative side and take a break from filling orders. It's been so much fun discovering, testing, and making art that I want to share some of the treasures that have emerged!

The Full moon rising over my studio last night was so inspiring.

My fascination with elephants has re-emerged. I recently began researching their behavior and cross-cultural symbolism, which most commonly revolves around strength, wisdom, and endurance. I thought this shamanic website did a great job of expressing the many characteristics and traits of the elephant that can be directly paralleled with humanity, which is what interests me most - we have so much to learn from them:

"Elephants can teach us that gentleness, commitment, and communication in relationships is very powerful and necessary to keep relationships alive, trusting and loving, whether it be friends, family or partner. Deeply committed to all creatures with whom they have relationships, elephants are tough when protecting others and gentle when nurturing them. The matriarch (the oldest, most experienced female leader of a herd) leads in a way that is both gentle and inclusive. Elephants are able to communicate telepathically. This can teach us how to truly listen to others.

Elephants are so similar, yet so different to our own species. We have so much to learn from them! Elephants have emotions that are comparable to human - love, joy, jealousy, rage. Just like humans, young elephants are dependent on their mums, until they reach adulthood. The general lifespan of an elephant also closely parallels that of humans. When a baby is born, the entire community gathers around the mother and newborn and rumble with joy. This is equivalent to tears rolling down their faces. Just like human babies, elephants learn about getting along in the physical environment. For instance, elephant calves have to learn the many ways in which their trunks can be used. The newborn elephant is born into a community of love. Calves have more than one mother so to speak, as all are willing, eager teachers, from the matriarch, to her offspring and their young. They want to nurture, protect and help the youngest among them develop. They also teach first time mothers how to develop their own nurturing skills. Loyal and affectionate elephants would risk their lives for the sake of others in a family group. Wild elephants have been known to grieve and even shed tears when a family member has passed away. Elephants have amazing memories and when mistreated they often seek revenge. Elephants show us that by supporting and loving one another, our own ability to thrive in the physical world is enhanced. We learn from them to pass on the gift of nurturing we received in our early years, be it from our biological family or others who helped us grow into who we are now. We must honour the elders of our community and nurture the young. Like the elephant, we need to help ease the transitions of those who are going into adulthood with gentle love, wisdom, patience and compassion. By having open hearts and minds, we can create strong relationships within the community, therefore building a strong community. "

With this knowledge, I decided to paint a family.

Elephant study in vine charcoal and ink, on gessoed panel. Charcoal and dye studies on recycled newsprint underneath. I was intending to use this as a study with a new collage technique, but fell in love with the image, so I left it as is.

Kitty rests on charcoal drawings.

Here is the underpainting with vine charcoal on hand-built canvas for a piece for our living room. I was especially interested in keeping the background elephants semi transparent, as if they could be spirit elephants traveling in stride with the rest of the family. I was decisive in each elephant's personality and age, and imagined how they might interact with one another in the picture. I especially love the little baby who is helping lead the heard, who inquisitively turns to look at her audience.

The next step was painting the atmospheric overlay using habotai silk and acid dyes. Unlike my silk scarves, this was not suspended in a frame - I just painted directly onto the silk on the table, with wax paper underneath. The pattern the wax paper picked up was just as interesting as what was produced on the silk... I added it to my stash of used wax paper that I've been hoarding.

The next step was mounting the dried silk onto the canvas. I must have done at least a dozen tests of different ways to work with the silk in layers, and you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered an acrylic medium that would permanently mount the silk to the canvas while also preserving the delicacy of the charcoal underneath - using a wax medium would have smudged everything beyond recognition. The one thing I didn't take into account was the sheer size of the silk made it impossible to mount smoothly - it wrinkled and bubbled in areas, but it actually worked out in my favor as it really helped emphasize the enduring heat of the climate and mimicked the leathery texture of the elephants' skin.

Next step was re-drawing with the vine charcoal to add more definition. Looking back, I actually really love this stage where the atmospheric quality is very much like a dream or a mirage. With just a bit more definition I think this could have been an excellent stopping point...

...however, I wanted to see how all of my tests would translate onto this large scale - so I filled in more of the elephants, and went back in with a quill pen and ink well to really emphasize the contour lines of these beautiful creatures.

I also used the pen & ink in some areas to capture the finely detailed wrinkles of their skin, and I chose to give the background elephants contours, but leave their bodies semi-transparent.

I may make a few slight adjustments but am very pleased with how this came out! It just needs a title now.

This was another experimental piece that I made yesterday, title TBD. Remember how I mentioned that I save all of the wax paper that I paint on top of? I finally found a use for it!!! For this I used a gorgeous piece of blue/purple wax paper and mounted it to a clear acrylic frame. I then used some recycled newsprint (much like what the painting is resting on top of) and did a quick sharpie drawing of an elephant and mounted that to the inside of the frame, which created a really interesting ghostly effect (you can see it most in her ear). I then went over the top of the image with more sharpie for added definition. It is fascinating to me how different this looks when backlit, and lighting and installation is definitely going to play a role in my work this year.

These next few months are going to be about finding balance - how to maintain my etsy shop as well as make time for this sort of creative play, which is so important - in addition to working my day job and balancing a social life with friends and family. I think it's going to be a great year, full of challenges and surprises. I hope you'll continue to follow along!

Thanks for reading!

Handmade and Vintage Holiday Wrap-Up

2011-12-26T07:05:00.001-08:00

What a holiday it has been. I feel very blessed to have been able to share this special time of year with family, good friends, good health, and good kitties.

I am so grateful to my customers, many or you new, many more of you returning. Thank you to each and every one of you for helping me surpass even my loftiest goals - what an unbelievable ride it has been this season! Even in a tough economic climate, the support that you have shown for handcrafted has been overwhelmingly positive, and I'm filled with hope for the new year.

I think it goes without saying that I wanted to shop handmade and local for the holidays, and I found some really amazing, unique gifts to give this year - many of them handcrafted by talented artisans, with sprinkles of vintage here and there. I've REALLY been looking forward to sharing these precious gifts with you all, and of course I didn't want to ruin any pre-Christmas surprises, so here is my handmade and vintage holiday wrap-up:

I commissioned these southwestern-inspired margarita glasses for my dad, made by my childhood artist friend Aron Leaman. Absolutely magnificent blown-glass work.

My hubs loved these homemade popcorn seasonings (so tasty), magnetic and fridge-mountable, by GneissSpice...as well as some healthy, scrumptiously-addictive roasted pumpkin seeds from Gerb's that I picked up at Craftopia.

My brother LOVED this handcrafted bottle opener made by HandySamCreations - the vintage, limited edition beer can really made this piece a winner.

I asked for these for myself - my latest obsession: eco-printed tees from Zen Threads - SUPER comfy, and I am in LOVE all of their designs!!

My stocking was stuffed with DELICIOUS local honey from Aquidneck Honey...

...as well as this amazing handmade, heated wrist compress by TheFerrisWheels... after spending 40+ hours typing at a desk and another 40+ hours painting for weeks on end, my wrists couldn't have been happier to receive this precious gift, coupled with hand-crafted arnica oil and lotion made in Vermont by The Body Lounge (these homeopathic remedies are amazing).

Vintage Christmas Cookie cutters by LaurasLastDitch - these are the same cookie cutters we used with my mom when we were kids! I can't wait to continue the tradition... now if only I could get my cookies to taste as good as Mom's... :o)

Personalized pet bowl from Twisted River Clayworks in CT - I ordered the blue one for my sister-in-law. It is even prettier, sturdier, and more precious in person!

Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a Catnip Activity Mat or two from Apiary Designs...

For my friend living abroad and Turkey, I found this amazing jeweler on etsy from Istanbul - Misket. Simple and sweet unique designs at great prices.

I am an avid fan of PoPko jewelry and was SO excited to receive these beautiful monarch butterfly earrings from my mom - made with real butterfly wings and cruelty free!

I also found some lovely and unique last-minute gifts in Downcity Providence - thank you Homestyle and Eno Fine Wines on Westminster Street.

We also found an incredibly easy way to give to a variety of local and global charities via Greater Good Network/Gifts That Give More. 100% of every donation is directly donated to the cause of your choice - even if you pay via credit card, this nonprofit website will cover the cost of credit card fees to ensure that every cent goes directly to the charity.

Through this website we also found out about a really exciting initiative right nearby called The Food Project in Boston - largely youth-focused, were volunteers are working to turn abandoned areas into urban farms, where roughly 40% of the harvest is donated to local food banks, and the remaining is sold at local farmer's markets, nourishing the community with healthy, local produce.

Our Mission: is to grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. We produce healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs and provide youth leadership opportunities. Most importantly, we strive to inspire and support others to create change in their own communities.

Thanks again to everyone who chose to support handmade for the holidays, and for the many talented artisans for producing such lovely, unique work. Wishing you all light, love, peace, and happiness in the New Year.

Three Big Goals Met!

2011-12-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

This past week, I met three big goals that I had set for myself back when I had first opened up my etsy shop on 10-10-10:

1. My scarf was featured in one of the Etsy Finds gift guide emails! If you aren't already receiving these emails and you like finding new items on Etsy, you should consider signing up. Just go to www.etsy.com, scroll down and click "Sign Up" on the bottom left panel and start discovering.

2. My treasury was featured on Etsy's homepage just a few days later, another big goal met! What I found funny about all this was the timing: I was really growing tired of just promoting my self and my Black Friday sale, so I thought it would be refreshing to put together a really lovely collection highlighting other seller's items and hope to bring them more exposure during this historically busy weekend for retail shopping. I spent a good three hours selecting and finalizing this collection, and then the very next morning my scarf appeared in the Etsy Finds email. Talk about karma, right? This was on Etsy's homepage around 6:00 PM EST on Sunday, 11/27.

3. I reached 200 sales in my shop all within the same week! Yippee!

Once the holiday rush is through, I'm definitely going to set aside some time to reflect on these goals met and celebrate. Reflecting on goals met is just as important as setting new goals, I think. I'm just so grateful for everyone's support.

I'm looking forward to this special time to celebrate, but for now, Joy in My Studio has turned into Joy in My Apartment - there is some sort of scarf station in every room of the house, minus the bathroom: painting, steaming, washing, ironing, packing, photo shoots and desk work!

If you're thinking about purchasing a made to order item, please keep in mind that December 15th is the absolute last day you can purchase a made to order item and have it guaranteed before Christmas.

Also, I'm offering Free First Class Shipping in my shop now through December 31st. Those who opt to pay for shipping will be upgraded to Priority for free, and international buyers can get a discount as well. Read more details here.

Thank you again to everyone who has made the decision to support handcrafted this holiday season!

Thanksgiving Weekend SALE!

2011-11-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

Special sales going on in my Etsy Shop all weekend long.

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving :)

Thanks for a great first year!

2011-10-10T13:57:00.001-07:00

I took a photo of this car's license plate during my trip to the Southwest this past August. It was parked alongside the winding Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM, a true artist mecca, and it very simply sums up how I have felt about the past year:

One year ago today I was feverishly listing the first items in my etsy shop. I never would have imagined that the website alone would bring in 130 sales in its first year.

I'm so grateful for all of the support from family, friends, colleagues and customers in helping my art and business thrive. Without you, none of this would have been possible...

...and I'm especially grateful to my husband, who recently saved all of my inventory, along with my sanity - by dropping everything he was doing at work and rushing to buy me a new tent right after my old tent collapsed... 45 minutes before a show opening!! :)

And what an absolutely outstanding long weekend we have seen here in New England. We've been blessed with sunny blue skies and 80+ degree weather for the past few days. I officially bid my adieus to Summer with one last trip to the beach...

..and I had my own little Etsy-versary celebration by dusting off my french easel and traveling to some scenic spots right in the neighborhood for some plein air painting. This is something I have wanted to do much more of for a very long time, and I finally gave myself the time and space to get out there - and it was terrific. Warm breezes, no bugs, and beautiful October light. Grateful.

[Pond Study I] Mixed media on hot pressed Arches - 9"x12"

I even painted on location at Lorimar Farms today! I've never painted horses in my life, let alone horses from life. Studying the shifting colors of the landscape, and how the light blanketed these beautiful creatures, constantly in motion, were very fun challenges.

[Horse Study I] - Oil on Canvas - 5"x7"

I've been reading Gruppe on Painting: Direct Techniques in Oil by Emile A. Gruppe, edited by Charles Movalli - both incredibly talented American Impressionist painters from my hometown area of Cape Ann, MA - this is an excellent resource for painting alla prima, and I feel it will help bring greater richness and accuracy to my paintings.

My heart holds a really special place for plein air painting and fine art, and I will be incorporating more of the latter into my creative work over the next year, while still maintaining my scarf business.

[Horse Study II] - Oil on Canvas - 16"x20"

And finally, congratulations to Ana Amanti - using a random number generator, your name was drawn in my contest to win this batik, hand painted maple leaf scarf! Thank you so much to everyone who entered. I really wish I could send you all a scarf! :) And thanks again to everyone who has made it possible for me to do what I love. Cheers to the start of a new year on Etsy!

Have a beautiful Fall, everyone!

1-Year Etsy-versary and Giveaway!

2011-09-22T09:35:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that October 10 will mark the one-year anniversary of my online store officially opening it's cyber doors for business.

With all of the success the shop has had, none of which would have been possible without the support of family, friends, fans, colleagues and customers, an occasion this big calls for an even bigger celebration, and I'm starting the party early!

So, without further adieu, it's time to say THANK YOU! :)

SAVINGS!

RETURNING CUSTOMERS: Take 10% off using coupon code ETSYVERSARY, plus receive a free collectible gift! Offer valid through Oct. 11, 11:59 PM EST.

NEW CUSTOMERS: Receive a free collectible gift with any purchase, plus get an exclusive coupon for 10% off a future order, valid through the end of 2011.

Shop joyinmystudio.etsy.com and celebrate!!

...oh, but wait, there's MORE!

GIVEAWAY!

I've chosen to give one lucky winner this Sugar Maple scarf, paying homage to autumn in New England.

Each leaf has been hand painted using an eco-friendly batik process.

Amber, rust, and pumpkin tones combine with caramel, brown sugar, and camel brown for a tasteful look that doesn't overpower.

Measuring 8"x54", this scarf would be a lovely addition to your Fall wardrobe!

Here's how you can win:

1. Leave one comment on this blog telling me your favorite thing about fall (+1 entry).

2. Share this contest on facebook, tweet it, etc. and send me the links to each share (+1 entry per share).

3. Become a fan on facebook or follow me on twitter @joyinmystudio. Come back and comment letting me know you are a new fan or follower! (+1 per follow).

The winning name will be chosen at random at 8:00 PM EST on October 10 and announced that evening on my blog. The more times you enter, the greater chance your chances are of winning!

Once again, thank you to all who have shown your support, and good luck with the contest! :) See you back here on 10-10-11!

Six Different Ways to Tie a Silk Scarf - Video Tutorials!

2011-09-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

I'm VERY pleased to offer you a project that I've been intending to complete for quite a long time! Nothing too fancy, but I hope you find these videos helpful.

Wearing scarves can initially be a little intimidating - they often look so fancy, but watch these videos and see how easy it really can be to get a lot of different looks out of only one or two pieces.

"Bunch Knot" Scarf - Ultra Chic!:

Notice how even though I'm wearing the same basic black dress in most of the demos, each scarf has its own look and feel and focal point - that's where the real beauty of scarves lies, I feel - in that they're incredibly economical, and one of a kind works of wearable art - truly they are investment pieces.

Belted Scarf - Oh so stylish:

Square Scarf:

Classy Double Knot:

Scarf Shrug:

Inaugural Video, "The Loop Knot"

Enjoy, and please message me if there's another look that you'd like to see demoed here! Wishing you all a very happy Fall! :)

P.S. - Stay tuned; October 10 will mark the one-year anniversary of my etsy shop launch, so of course, a special sort of celebration will be in order! :) Cheers!

A Crafty Way to Beat Summer Heat!

2011-07-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

While the recent heatwave has made studio time a little uncomfortable, the need to be in a cooler area of our apartment has actually inspired me to work on some craftier projects that I've been meaning to try out for a while.

I always keep scraps of satin silk on hand so that I can test out colors and textural effects whenever I'm working on a scarf. I prefer satin to other types of silk for my swatch work because of its vibrancy and trueness of color.

Above is my first bracelet, made out of swatch silk satin and an empty masking tape roll. You'll often find me rocking multiple tape rolls on my arm when I'm working on getting a batch of silks ready to be steamed, and I've always loved how the shape and size of a masking tape roll translates as an accessory.

The piece of swatch silk that I used to make the bracelet was originally used as a palette for fine tuning the colors and textures for this one of a kind Koi Pond satin scarf:

You can purchase it here.

And another creation, my first headband complete with two hand-sewn flowers :)

This was made using a swatch from my Winter 2010 Forest series.

What makes this swatch particularly interesting is that months ago, a cup of brush water had spilled onto the silk, bleeding into the colors and making the greens more diluted in some areas and far more concentrated in others. I especially love the beautiful coffee colored brown that resulted from the happy accident :)

I just adore the textural effect of layering with raw edges.

It's exciting finding new ways of utilizing as many aspects of my silk painting process as possible and I look forward to playing with some other ideas this summer while I'm cooling out in the AC :)

What do you think of the accessories? What's your favorite way to beat the summer heat?

Ethereal Gardens Collection Debut and Sale

2011-06-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to debut my Ethereal Gardens collection in my etsy shop tonight. These lovely, weightless scarves create effortless elegance; ranging from medium length to ultra-long, they are so incredibly versatile that you may very well find yourself coming back for more colors. Individually hand painted and starting at under $40, you might just want to pick out a few now.

In celebration of recently reaching 100 sales in my shop, I'm offering a special promotion now through Sunday June 19th - enter "100SALES" at checkout to receive free domestic shipping.

My wonderful husband even picked up something special for me as a congratulatory gift - fresh flowers!! I love celebrations :)

Please do take a moment to check out my online store if you haven't been there in a while - I've listed over twenty items in the past few days. Thank you all so much for making it possible for me to do what I love, and make others feel beautiful and empowered at the same time - you are the reason I do this!

June Shows

2011-05-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

A Sweet Giveaway

2011-05-19T17:46:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you but I LOVE giveaways! It all started I was about 9 years old when I won a coloring contest put on by Lip Smackers - in lieu of crayons, I filled in my entire coloring sheet with a bright collage of candy wrappers and glittery puffy paint - and six months later I was so surprised and thrilled when a big package of lip gloss and bath products arrived in the mail! :) Oh, the memories...

When Ash and Kimmy from Green Eyed Monster recently contacted me to see if I'd like to participate in their indie art giveaway, I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back to a lucky winner as well as gain a new audience!

Green Eyed Monster is a crisp, clean, colorful site "bringing 365 days of fashion, sustainable living, & handmade goodness for an enviable life." Every day they feature a new artist giveaway - pretty impressive, right? I've seen some of my favorite local indie artists featured there, including Black Sheep Designs and Bumble Belly Designs most recently. Go on and take a look!

Buzz on over to their blog and see how you can enter for your chance to win this 8"x54" flat crepe Beehive Honeycomb scarf (above, right), hand printed with a custom hand carved honeycomb stamp. While you're there, check out the other cool things you can enter to win! :) Oh, and good luck! :)

Prepping For a Craft Show - What You Need to Know!

2011-05-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

[Carole Ann Penny of Connect the Dots answering customers questions at Bees in the Hive sale last summer]

Tomorrow evening from 5:30 - 7:00 PM, artists from the Hive Archive will be holding an informal discussion on prepping for a craft show - sharing hints, tips and tricks to help make your first exhibiting experience be successful - all part of our as part of our What it Takes series.

[Hive member Moira Richardson of Literary Tease displays her handmade jewelry at Bees in the Hive sale last summer]

We'll be meeting at the Sarah Doyle Women's Center at 26 Benevolent Street in Providence, and as always, donations are welcome for this free event.

[Opening day at SoWa Open Market - 5/1/2011]

Come with your questions, share your knowledge, and learn from others' experiences so you can get organized, get ready and get on your way!

Celebrate May Day at SoWa!

2011-04-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the forecast for this weekend? Perfect weather for a day trip to Boston!

This Sunday, May 1st, SoWa Open Market will be kicking off its 8th season in Boston's Historic South end, and I am so excited to be a part of this juried, ever-changing group of artists from all over New England! Spend the whole day outdoors!

From 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, wander the artist market with over 150 juried artists and crafters, peruse their vintage market, and even pick up some garden fresh produce and specialty foods at the farmer's market. Oh, and did I mention they will have gourmet food trucks on site?

The best part is, this is pretty much right off the highway. Click here for directions.
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Did you know that Mother's Day is a week from Sunday?

Hand painted silk scarves make great gifts! Please place your order from my store by this Monday to ensure on-time delivery for Mother's Day.

Not quire sure of her style? Let her choose her favorite scarf with a JOY gift certificate!
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Just added!

Four Week Silk Painting Workshop through RISD's Continuing Education Program, Wednesday evenings, June 29 - July 20. I'm excited about the extended length of this workshop - we'll have ample time to explore many techniques, from sugar to stamping to soy wax and more! Click here for more information or to register online. Visit my 2011 Silk Painting Workshop Schedule to view other workshop opportunities!

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Thanks for reading - have a nice, sunny weekend!

In the Studio

2011-04-18T18:43:00.001-07:00

What a fun and productive weekend it has been! I just love this time of year where everywhere you look there are new signs of Spring. The brilliant pops of color from the flowers are really transforming the area, and the birds are everywhere - they've taken to singing well into the evening hours. I even had a baby honeybee land on my shoulder and hang out for a bit while I was running today, talk about a sign!

Here is one of the Hydrangea pieces I've been working on for quite some time. I listed both variations in my etsy shop today.

I thought it would be fun to share a few process photos of some different projects I've been working on lately...

Blue Morpho Study - Hand painted silk, ink, wax, acrylic on panel. 6"x6"x2"

I didn't intend for these paintings to become a triptych, but I really enjoy how they work together. The paintings on the left and right I may eventually add an overlay image as it was my original intention, but I also really like the completely loose, organic, intuitive feel to them as they are now.

Praying Mantis Study - Hand painted silk, wax, acrylic 3"x5"

Playful fun with my ultra long silk/wool blend (can you see the triptych in the background?) I am completely in love with this length, 36"x80" is perfect for really bundling up and the fabric is such a nice alternative to straight wool. I wear scarves at work even during the summer because with the AC on, it gets really chilly in my tiny cubicle - so these will be perfect!

Experimenting with textural effects using potato starch as a resist. I stamped the clear solution onto a piece of silk using my honeycomb stamp, then applied layers of dyes over the top. This image shows the silk before it has been steamed or rinsed. I have no idea what the final piece will look like, so I'm getting excited! Thanks to silk painter Deborah Younglao for posting a nice recap on how to use this interesting substance.

And in continuation of my honeycomb/honeybee theme... playing around with pink variations, fun! :)

That's all for now! Thanks for reading!

Craftopia Spring Fling Recap

2011-04-10T18:32:00.001-07:00

Craftopia was amaaazing!! Everywhere I looked I saw busy bees in their booths!!

I was really excited about my new booth setup and I think it worked better than my past displays for drawing people in. I've been reading that varying the heights of the display pieces on your table can create more visual interest, so that was my big focus this time around...

I also had recently created a 20-page narrated photo album documenting my different processes for painting on a silk. It was a big hit and I think people enjoyed seeing first hand how their new accessories were specially painted.

It was really exciting to have new mixed media silk paintings on exhibit - I'm so happy my latest honeybee painting has found an amazing new home!

I really had such a blast today and couldn't have asked for more awesome neighbors; Apiary Designs had the cutest catnip activity mats (you may remember reading about them before in the post my kitties put on the blog back in October....), so I picked some up for the boys :)

[Get yours here!]

After a long evening of playing with their new mats, I think it's time to call it a day :)

Thanks again to the Rhody Craft 100 team for organizing another fabulous event and for all the wonderful people who came out and supported the handmade movement! It was so nice meeting you all - consider becoming a fan of my facebook page to stay in the loop and be the first to know about special offers and contests! :)

Cheers!

A lot has happened in a year!

2011-04-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

It was right about this time last year that I participated in my first-ever art sale, the inaugural Craftopia in Hope Artiste Village.

[My very first booth!]

It makes me smile reflecting on how much I have grown as an artist and person over the past year, and I'm so blessed to have such a supportive network of friends, family, artist friends, colleagues...even fans and clients... who have all helped my inner artist continue to grow and thrive and reach new heights.

[Lots of visits from family and friends meant the world to me - giving me the confidence to keep at it!]

I clearly remember applying to my first show totally on a whim... feeling so full of hope that I might have the opportunity to show my silk paintings, but also struggling with feelings of uncertainty about my work and having self-doubt, like so many artists struggle with at one point or another in their life... and I remember doing everything I possibly could to prepare myself for being rejected.

[Setting up shop outside of Whole Foods for the Bees in the Hive Sale]

I kept saying things to myself like, "It's OK - if I don't get in to this one, I'll just keep on working, and keep getting better - and eventually, I know I'll get a chance!" And I'll never, ever forget the giddy excitement, and yes, disbelief, that I felt as I read my acceptance letter!

[Big Nazo pays a visit to my booth at Providence Art Festival!]

I never would have thought that in the next year I would go on to participate in 8 more craft shows, 6 art shows, exhibit my paintings on the west coast, win an award in a national juried exhibition, complete an online business class for artists, open a successful online store, register my business, maintain a blog, and teach silk painting workshops.

[With my award-winning bees at Attleboro Arts Museum :)]

I feel so blessed and happy to have this outlet for creativity and exploration, and I really I hope the joy that is cultivated from my process continues to translate in my work, uplifting and inspiring others. I thank you all so much for your support of my path.

[Sunshine and kitties in my studio - definitely a recipe for happiness!]

This Sunday, I'll be participating in the second-annual spring Craftopia, and I couldn't be more excited! Over 70 talented artists and crafters will be exhibiting their wares from 10am - 4pm in Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. Click here for more info - I really hope to see you there! :)

---If you're interested in reading more about my background and creative path, fellow Hive member Moira Richardson of Literary Tease recently interviewed me and posted it on her blog - read it here. ---

Teaching Fun!

2011-03-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

I recently held a 2-week silk painting basics class for my co-workers at the Children's Museum. We had SO much fun!

We started off by making our own color grids and small-scale silk paintings... I was so impressed and inspired by everyone's uniquely personal creations!

Later, we took the skills we learned in Class I, and applied them towards designing and painting our own silk scarves. I was so excited to see what everyone came up with!

I couldn't have asked for a better group of students to work with. Everyone's scarves came out beautifully, and most importantly, we all had tons of fun! A great testimonial:

"I am so energized having just completed Joanna's Silk Painting Basics class! The experience of taking time to learn and practice with tools and the techniques of dye-mixing and painting on silk made me feel empowered to dive into creating my first piece. Joanna's enthusiasm for the art is contageous; she is a supportive teacher, guiding the group while checking in one-on-one to share tips and answer students' questions about their visions for scarves. I'm already daydreaming about ideas for future projects, and I have everything I need to take it from here!"

Click here to view my upcoming teaching schedule!

Welcome, Spring!

2011-03-19T05:56:00.000-07:00

What a weekend we have before us! A Super-Full Moon tonight - the biggest since I was about 6 years old! ...and then Sunday, we finally will welcome in Spring! I've been practicing more yoga, eating more fresh produce and enjoying local honey as my way of preparing for the new season, and also, after undertaking a massive studio clean out a few weeks ago, have felt more inspired than ever to keep creating. It's as if the physical act of clearing space in my studio has cleared more space in the creative part of my brain. ---What are you doing to get ready for Spring?

[New Honeybee Collection]

I've really been enjoying the extra daylight in the afternoons this past week - I've been able to come home from work and still have natural light to work with in the studio, and I haven't had to wear my reflective gear running in the twilight (though you still can't miss my neon pink shirt!)

Even the kitties have appreciated the extra sunshine!

A shot from my studio last weekend - warm, energizing light pouring in!

On top of that, my 2011 show schedule is really coming together, and I'm psyched about the various silk painting workshops that I'll be leading this spring and summer. There's so much to be thankful for.

And, as a way of welcoming in the new season, I'm offering a special sale for customers in my shop this weekend - free domestic shipping now through Sunday, 3/20! Simply enter promo code "SPRING" at checkout and the discount will be automatically applied to anyone in the continental US.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy Spring! And as one of my yoga teachers put it this week, roughly quoted, "when it comes to sending someone prayers or feelings of comfort, it doesn't matter if the person lives half way around the world - your intentions can still be felt". Sending out peace, hope, and prayers of healing to our brothers and sisters around the world.

The Buzz on Some Hive Events

2011-02-27T06:09:00.000-08:00

Lots of exciting events are happening with my fellow "bees" from feminist arts organization The Hive, this week and beyond:

Crossing Currents: Feminism Now, a collaboration between artists from The Hive and Hera Gallery, opens tomorrow, March 1, at the URI Feinstein Providence Gallery. Join us on Thursday, March 17th for the Gallery Night reception and a special performance. I made a new honeybee piece just for the show - can you find the queen?

[Dance with the Queen - hand painted silk, wax, oil - 6"x6"x2" - 2011]

This particular piece was a continuation of my honeybee series, with a variation in technique. In my previous pieces, I had drawn all of my honeybees directly on to the panel using a quill pen and india ink, then layered over with the silk and wax honeycomb. I worked in the opposite direction with this piece, creating the bees last, painting them over the hardened wax using thin layers of liquin and oil.

It was a magical experience for me seeing my little bees come to life on the canvas as I added delicate suggestions of their wing structure, soft texture to their little heads, and shiny highlights to their rounded, shell-like bodies. I hope you have the chance to come see my bees in this incredible collaborative exhibition!

Also happening this week, The Hive's monthly Indie Business workshop, What it Takes, is covering Finances for Artists:

Finances for Creatives

with Larson Gunness
Wednesday, March 2 from 5:30-7pm
Sarah Doyle Women's Center
26 Benevolent Street, Providence
FREE! Donations welcome.

Take control of your financial life! L arson Gunness will provide you with personal finance tools and information in order for you to be a great money manager.

This event is part of What It Takes, a monthly meeting of people who want to turn their creative work into a sustainable living.

...and later, fellow Bee Moira Richardson is leading a fun happy hour workshop:

Hive O'Clock Happy Hour Workshop

Artist Trading Cards with Moira Richardson

Tuesday, March 22 from

5:30-7:00pm
URI Feinstein Providence Campus
80 Washington Street

Moira Richardson of Literary Tease will show us how to make and trade artist trading cards. Artist Trading Cards are miniature works of art, 2.5 x 3.5 inches, that are often traded between artists.

And lastly, a side note: A big thanks to Festival Fete for featuring Joy in my studio on your blog yesterday - what a nice writeup! I'm SO excited to be exhibiting with you on June 11!

Happy Almost-Spring, everyone!

Fun With Stamping!

2011-02-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I decided to have some fun with block printing - it's something I've been meaning to try for a while now! I went to Jerry's Artarama and picked up an inexpensive Block Printing Kit from Speedball - it came with easy to carve "Speedy Stamp" blocks, tracing paper, a 4" soft pop in brayer (looks like a paint roller made out of rubber), a lino handle, and different sized cutters.

The first step was drawing my design on tracing paper. I knew I wanted to try something with a paisley so I came up with a relatively simple, yet decorative design with an "Om" symbol in the center. Once I was happy with my drawing, I ironed it on to the Speedy Block - creating the perfect mirror image for carving.

The block was a soft, rubbery material - it took me a little while getting used to the feel of the different sized cutters, but I moved slowly and deliberately.

Here's a shot of the block carved out, nearing completion. The whole idea is to carve away any area where you do not want an imprint made - essentially carving out the negative space. You must make sure you carve deep enough into the block.

I also cut this block into a triangular shape with scissors, partly to be able to make smaller stamps later, and partly because I didn't feel like carving all that excess away :)

Now the fun part - the color! I mixed my dyes to the desired colors in a clean baking pan, and then sprinkled in sodium alginate (powdered seaweed) - stirring with a hard bristle paintbrush, until the desired consistency was reached. I didn't have any exact science for mixing, I just knew I needed the dyes to be thick enough so they wouldn't bead up on the stamp, but not so thick that they flooded the lines. It basically just took a few tries experimenting!

Now the really fun part, STAMPING!! I had so much fun rolling my new brayer around in my seaweed paint - once it looked evenly coated, I rolled it right on to the stamp and then gently placed it onto the silk (which I taped right on to the table with wax paper underneath) - pressing firmly.

Then I played around with repeating the design...

...and variating the color. It was SO much fun - I can't wait to make more stamps now!!

Here's one of my finished pieces - steam set for color permanence, with all of the seaweed washed out - so silky smooth! You can buy it here in my etsy store.

Here's another one that I made a few days later, with varying tones of blue that were printed over a sea salt design that I had painted and let dry. This is also for sale!

Have you ever experimented with any form of printmaking? What's your favorite and why? Cheers!

Custom Scarf Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to share with you the winning piece for my first custom scarf giveaway!

[Sweet and Starry Night - 14"x72" crepe de chine silk and dyes]

You may recall I held a contest for my birthday last month where readers were encouraged to comment with their ideas for their dream scarf. For every comment someone left (as well as every tweet, facebook post, etc.), their names were entered into a raffle to win their very own custom painted scarf!

My co-worker Merideth ended up being drawn as the winner with "stars and swirls against a deep blue/purple" as her entry. Lucky me - this was a total BLAST to paint!! :) I hope you enjoy these progress photos:

[Here a nice tonal ground has been painted. I ended up falling in love with this color combination - it reminded me of sunrises that I've seen overlooking the beaches in Rockport and Gloucester, MA - so I made a few variations, including a super-large silk/wool blend scarf for myself!! Yay! :)]

[Application of soy wax begins - whimsical looking swirls and stars - chunky and skinny lines.]

[Kitteh inspects my work.]

[Darker tones of deep violet and royal blue are applied...]

[I sprinkled one of the edges with sea salt while the dyes were still wet for some added textural interest (see top of photo)]

Finished Product:

I was so inspired by how creative people were with their entries... from romantic, tropical flowers to abstract ocean greens to... yes, robot nation! Thank you all so much for entering and stay tuned for more special offers - this was so much fun I know I'll need to do something like it again!

Tips For Working With Black Dye

2011-02-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

How many of you silk painters have ever had a difficult time trying to get black dye to behave? I must have painted a dozen scarves using black, only to have it run or bleed through resist lines during the steaming process. At times, this running has worked to my advantage, leaving interesting marks and texture, but for the past few months I've been doing some experiments to try and find out how to control black the way other colors can be controlled. Here are some tips I've picked up along the way:

[Here, I'm applying black dye over a surface that I have built up using dyes thickened with sodium alginate]

1. Black tends to stay in place better when it is applied over other colors - when using it straight out of the bottle or even when mixing my own black, it hasn't set as evenly. This was a tip offered to me by the very talented Angel Ray of Muse Silk Paintings.

2. Diluting the black by 50% with alcohol is a must - you still get a richness of pigment but there is less of a chance of the dyes running when steamed.

3. The thinner the silk, the easier it is to keep the black confined to your resist lines. When working with a thicker silk such as satin, it really helps to apply nice, heavy resist lines - soy wax also works well.

[Courageous Koi scarf and necktie - this is a good example of how black works when using resist lines. I double-outlined all of the fish with black gutta, and as you can see not a drop of black leaked in to the fish. For the vertical divider of the black and red, I applied the resist only once once, and the dye slowly seeped through, creating this gorgeous smokey sort of effect that I feel works well with the image]

4. If you choose to work with soy wax, note that any excess dye that beads up or drops on the wax will become a permanent part of your image almost immediately. More opaque colors can be blotted off the wax completely if you're working quickly, but that's not the case with black! This can actually create some really interesting texture as well... but I digress...

[The texture achieved from wiping black dye from the soy wax gives this scarf a stone-washed look]

5. Steaming! Black bleeds more heavily through newsprint than any other color - even deep reds or blues. While it's more energy efficient to steam your scarves in larger batches, sandwiching the scarves in layers of newsprint, never EVER try to sandwich anything if you're working with black or you are 100% certain to have some staining! Look at how much bleeding occurred with this scarf after 4 hours of steaming - but note how the white and pink lines have stayed crisp and clean:

6. The two big tricks with steaming black scarves are to roll them in two layers of newsprint instead of one - if you don't do this, the scarf can actually bleed into itself through the layers of newsprint. The other thing to keep in mind is, you'll want to use about twice as much paper for the final "wraparound" than you would normally use. Whenever I finish rolling a bunch of scarves, I'll tape on enough extra paper so it can wrap around the roll twice - double this.

[Here's one of my newest black scarves - I made one for myself and am loving wearing it! Get yours here on etsy!]

I hope some of you have found this helpful! I'd love for you to comment with any additional tips and tricks that you've found work well for you when using black. There are so many variables with silk painting, so many factors that can totally alter the image after it's been painted but before the colors have been set, and yes, this can be really frustrating at times - but that's what also makes it so fun - there's always something new to investigate and test!

Happy Painting!!

More SNOW!

2011-01-27T08:29:00.001-08:00

ANOTHER snow day!!! So glad it's my day off today, can't afford to keep losing out on pay days!!

So. Much. Pow-Pow.

Didn't Bubba do a great job cleaning off my car?? :-p

We had lots of fun playing this morning!!

Speaking of SNOW... I'll be taking a snowboarding vacation for a week or so starting this Sunday! I'll be back in time to ship out Valentine's orders, but if you're thinking of placing a custom, now might be a good time to do so ;) Just visit my etsy shop, http://joyinmystudio.etsy.com, or email me, joanna _at_ joyinmystudio _dot_ com.

Cheers!