Polymer clay mosaic art is one of the crafts I never get tired of making. Polymer clay is incredibly versatile as it can be used in jewelry and sculpture, but I mostly stick with the mosaic tiles.
I have made these kinds of boxes and frames for years and they evolve as I come up with new ideas. At one point I incorporated recycled Christmas heart ornaments into the art. Lots of mixed media in this old piece and the altered heart ornament is in the middle.
I also used to embellish paintings with mosaic tiles in the past.
Wild Bride
The veil is actual lace that I stiffened with Mod Podge. The face is made with a polymer clay mold and the dress is covered with tiles.
I have made many boxes and continue to do so. My etsy shop Earth and Faery is full of them. 🙂
Older version of a box
This older box has a dragonfly charm attached to it.
The items below are later creations. I have started making mermaids in frames. When I compare my contemporary work with old pieces, I notice a more cohesive design. Perfection was never my goal though, and cutting straight lines in the clay is still difficult. 🙂
box lid
polymer clay mermaid
My most popular how-to video on YouTube is about painting mosaic tiles. You can check it out here.
It’s not hard to make tiles. It takes time and you have to be willing to follow through with the process to get the tiles you like. Then the fun begins–designing your boxes or frames.
If you’d like to find out how to make a box from beginning to end, you can purchase my self study how-to e-course. It’s a bargain at $23. Try a new thing today! 🙂
Have a wonderful, creative week.
xo
Maria
P.S. To get my monthly newsletter, you can sign up HERE.
Masks we wear are many and varied. One person can wear many masks or personas. We swear the masks are who we are.
I could call myself an artist, a writer, a reader, a nature lover, a spiritual being, a woman. Some roles are more prominent than others. I could go on with more, but I’m already tired of thinking about all the roles I uphold. 🙂
I did some art journaling around masks and it got me thinking about what is behind everything.
We believe our mind is the sole creator of who we are. We have compartmentalized all that we know, all our experiences and beliefs of who we are and who everyone else is.
So much crap is stored “up there,” but to be honest it all hangs out in our energy. The brain doesn’t store all the images and beliefs. The brain is a glutinous mass that sends out and receives signals. (Simplified version.)
Just to digress a little… a bird is a bird, not wearing any masks, a cat is basically a cat, though I have seen mine wearing masks. However, on a more basic level all animals are what they are; they live by instinct.
The wind blows in the trees, the leaves bend naturally to the wind. They don’t say or think that it’s uncool to bend. They don’t have to wear any designer masks to BE.
After my morning ritual I was lifting my arm to scratch my neck and thought, who is lifting my arm? Is it my brain sending out signals? Yes, but there is more too it.
The impulse that got my brain sending out signals to lift my arm to scratch the itch was automatic as is much action involving my body. We don’t think about it, just do it.
We take everything for granted until it doesn’t work any more.
To cut to the chase, the life force moves the impulses and also creates my art. It makes the whole world go around, sometimes with terrible force like hurricanes.
We are NOT the roles we play.
Roles can only hinder the latent creativity that lies underneath it all.
It can be scary to remove masks. Vulnerability is something we protect at all cost.
However, creativity is vulnerability. If you don’t dare to show up as yourself and you express an artist persona or only copy art that is the latest “trend,” you miss out.
Sometimes I get stuck in limbo between stepping up and “taking action” (as in forcing something to happen,) versus allowing things to unfold at its own pace. It takes courage to stand vulnerable in front of your art. There can be a lot of creative angst yet the reward is great if you follow through and don’t give in to all the imagined monsters in the mind.
We have a great fear of being judged unfavorably. Seeking approval is one part of the mask we have built up. Truth to tell, who gives a sh*t what others think about your art??
We are the hardest judge. We compare the art to the accepted norm and find it falling short of expectation.
What a buzz killer that is.
You have a choice. Do you keep going or do you give up? Do you forgive yourself and allow the art to be just as it is?
We go through many stages as an artist. There are no shortcuts so we might as well enjoy the journey and revel in the moments that feel perfect as everything falls together without barely an effort.
Those moments become more numerous with time, but there is no guarantee.
Be the explorer of a new continent that does not have boundaries like land. Live in the moment and let the wind sing in your “leaves.” That is true art. 🙂
xo
Maria
P.S. If you want to explore art journaling but doesn’t know where to start, sign up for my artist email newsletter and get a free art journal primer. SIGN UP.
A bunch of Mondays was something I used to say when I had a bad week. Nowadays I love Mondays. I love every day in fact, but Monday is a day full of possibilities for the week. “The world is your oyster” as they say…. or “where there is a will there’s a way.
Squirrels don’t care if it’s Monday or Saturday. They want to eat bird seed and they don’t give up easily when the opportunity is there. They are opportunists, as are most animals when it comes to food. They see the possibilities in life.
People are like caged animals, something we created for ourselves.
Why did we divide the days into weeks in the first place? Cavemen went by the rising and setting of the sun (I surmise.)
People hate Mondays because it heralds the beginning of ANOTHER week, also called the grind.
I used to think Saturday was my favorite day of the week. I could go out shopping and meet up with friends and loved ones. There was always some party or event at night. Those were a bunch of Saturdays…
It got boring fast. I bore easily, but the one thing that never bores me is my art. Art is new every day. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but I would never exchange it for the grind.
When we do more of what we love, the days get filled with possibilities. You get a more positive outlook on life in general.
Living life from the perspective of possibilities and joy gives existence a whole new meaning.
We can break out of the cage. First, you have to discover what you really love to do. What comes easily to you? What did you want to do as a kid or teenager?
Do more of it. Sometimes it takes courage to choose a new path, but you get more brave with every step. As you keep on walking you discover that it is the only way to live.
Even if you are part of “the grind” do things that fire you up in your free time. Build dreams, see possibilities.
The inventors of the past were admired because they saw possibilities and took dedicated steps towards realizing their vision.
You don’t have to be an Edison or a Tesla to have an extraordinary life (dream.)
All you have to do is to acknowledge that you have a dream and GO FOR IT!
Monday will become the best day of the week if you do. 🙂
xo
Maria
P.S. I have some new and exiting things in my etsy shop. CHECK ‘EM OUT.
We get inventive when it comes to excuses to avoid that which we REALLY want to do if we weren’t so scared.
A lack of motivation usually stems from fear. Sometimes we realize that what we have been doing isn’t working so we lose motivation.
I have been sensing a shift lately. I don’t lack discipline (but strong discipline can sometimes work against me.) A feeling that things weren’t working out has bogged me down in the last week or so.
I felt cornered. I made this art journal spread to express my feelings.
Then I realized that I have to go back to the moment, to let my intuition guide me. So often I “push through” which is not guided by my intuition, but by my force of will.
I’m stubborn and I want things to happen NOW, not later or on a universal timeline. As frustration sets in I have to surrender, and then I find myself back on track, motivated to step forward again.
Our body is a great indicator whether we’re “pushing” or allowing. How does if feel? Like rolling a rock up a mountain?
Water flows easily around obstacles. Be like water.
Listen to that inner urge, the subtle force that propels us forward. The turtle wins the race…
If you don’t feel motivated what can you do? If you want to make art, set aside a no-excuse time to do it and stick with it! Everyone can find 15 minutes a day.
Put your art supplies out on a table or counter somewhere. They are a reminder of what you want to do.
Find creative ways around chores and children or involve the tots in art making with you. You might inspire a future artist.
Watch art how-to videos on YouTube. I have a channel with lots of INSPIRING VIDEOS.
To get on track we have to engage with the things that inspire fear. Art is easy as you can’t go wrong! Look at is as exploration. I’m only addressing art here, but if you have a different dream, what is holding you back?
Cultivate discipline but don’t let it consume you and your inner sense of what is right. There is a balance to everything.
Trust the sensations in your body. They are never wrong.
When you feel inspired, act! Don’t put it off.
When you don’t feel inspired, listen within and trust that everything is okay.
Make a habit of creating some art every day. It bears repeating. Make friends with your art materials. Sometimes unknown materials can be scary. Remember, your art is never wrong. Accept the ugly with the beautiful and keep going.
Stop making excuses, period. Stand “naked” with the pain of frustration and indecision. Allow the stuckness until you feel that inner “go” again.
Make some bold moves.
Don’t blame the dog! 🙂
xo
Maria
P.S. I have some inspiring and affordable e-courses if you’re looking for tutorials. CLICK HERE.
Smoke and mirrors belong to Halloween (and politics), but all of us live in an illusion that we claim to be “normal.”
A few years back I went to a huge Halloween event. It had a horror house that was so creepy I wowed never to enter one again (unless it’s a kids’ version.)
The horror house was filled with goblins and creepy crawlies, and one room was stacked with floor to ceiling mirrors and a white fog. I kept bumping into mirrors and could not find my way out.
I found myself almost panicking as I turned around and came face to face with a 7 foot monster, probably some highschool kid making a few extra bucks.
It did a number to my head though, and I could not see my way out until a friend grabbed my hand and pulled me through the fog to another room.
I think it’s a good example of how our mind can play tricks on us.
The whole world is made of “tricks” that we judge as normal.
Do you really know anyone? Truly. Do you know their fears and deep-seated beliefs or do you only know their persona(s)? We don’t, and then we get baffled when someone acts out of character.
Somehow we have all bought into the illusion that we are meant to work 9-5 at some crappy job or whatever your illusion.
We feel sorry for the homeless, but what if some decided not to buy into the illusion of 9-5 and stepped into the persona of a hobo.
Who are we really?
That can be a lifelong exploration.
You can only live as much authenticity as you are authentic to yourself.
We inflict the smoke and mirrors on ourselves as we stubbornly hold onto our beliefs and misconceptions.
“I’m right and the other person is wrong.” What a narrow way to live.
The point of this post is that authenticity is something that happens incrementally as we get more clear on our connection to the Greater energy of our being.
I feel a great love in my heart. It’s not for people or animals or trees. It is the essence of me, the power that keeps me alive.
When I feel that the strongest all my games and ideas and ploys fall away and I am only energy, a GREAT energy.
When I’m aligned to that, I can sense what my next step is as far as moving forward in my 3D life.
That can change daily. In other words, there is no way to “lock down” that power, only a way to follow its lead.
At some point you stop identifying with the personas, the smoke lifts, the mirrors break, and you can see clearly through the illusion of everything. Until you fall into it again and start acting out of fear.
That’s why I say that authenticity is incremental in 3D life. There is a constant, pure, authenticity within, but until that is the only thing that leads us, we fall into the fog and stumble against mirrors.
Though, there is one consolation. The authenticity of the heart is always there. I plug into it every morning and aim to see what my next step is, and how to deepen my connection with my heart.
I express it in my art practice, which is always in flux. It’s too great to control, and that should be a consolation and a big sigh of relief, but I always try to impose my will on it.
That can be the most frustrating and confrontational thing ever.
Your heart and soul will always stretch you through what calls you, and if you’re up for it, it can be a wild ride. Not for the faint-hearted, but wouldn’t you rather live a life based on as much authenticity you can surrender to NOW, or live a meaningless life based on other people’s expectations?
Your choice. Your energy (or lack of it.)
Go within, find your true North Star and trust it.
Multi passionate women are rising all over the planet. The feminine qualities are becoming more and more prominent as the old patriarchal system crumbles to dust. It’s exciting though somewhat scary.
I dabble in many things that I like, but I haven’t dived very deeply into them except three things (so far,) writing, intuitive development, and art. It’s never too late to learn something new.
I have long admired this Medicine woman, Rosemari Roast who seems to have the energy of ten people. 🙂 She is currently the July guest artist in my free 2017 art journaling journey (link at the end.)
I grabbed some info off her website and you can find all her links there, Walk In The Woods, LLC.
multi passionate woman
Greetings! My name is Rosemari Roast. I am owner of and caretaker to Walk in the Woods, LLC, a holistic wellness practice and creative studio at Whiting Mills in sunny Winsted, Connecticut. I am called herbalist, Medicine womyn, artist and backyard farmer (among other things). I’m passionate about many things. Some say, too many. I say, they’re all connected! For me, the realm of Herbs, Nature, Art and Spirit are one realm. My realm.
As a herbalist and Medicine womyn, I am dedicated to *returning home* the Medicine of the People. I do this by offering you opportunities to reconnect with your own power through exploring the wellness choices that you have – and have always had. I strive to help you to see, acknowledge, honor and act on the choices and behaviors that nourish and sustain you, and that may best serve you in your life. Everything I do, I teach. I feel that my name, originally spelled Rosemary, like the herb, is a key to my life purpose, for it is often described as the herb of remembrance. That my maternal grandmother clung to and adapted the ways of the “old country” to a “new” country is a holistic taproot for me, for it both saddens and motivates me to remember and revive the empowering practices that she employed. Practices that were discounted and forgotten in a single generation. She wild harvested, made Medicines and engaged some mystical healing practices as well. I feel a a duty to keep these practices alive, for they are surely overflowing with Medicine of meaning and value!When I was a little girl just starting school, the teachers and administrators were worried about me because I wouldn’t talk to the teachers. I was responsive with my peers, but not the authorities. I can say that, in many ways, this behavior is still with me. But I digress… I was sent to the school psychologist. I wouldn’t talk to him either. So he gave me paper and crayons. I drew. And from those drawings he made the judgement that I was fine, and the recommendation to return me to my class, and allow me to evolve in my own way. In this experience is another taproot to an important Medicine in my life: Creative expression, also known as art.These taproots are, from my perspective, rooted in Mystery. So it is that herbs, art and spirit guide my Life with the Medicine that they all offer.
I do my best to share my Medicine-experiences through workshops, lectures, private consultations and classes.Private consultations take on many flavors, from conventional holistic approaches to instructional sessions, which may include customized herbals, eclectic healing sessions, plant spirit healing, meditation, creative expression or some other intuitively guided wellness option that is fitting for you. If herbalism is of interest to you, My School of Herbal Wellness offers one way for you to explore your botanical choices and your holistic power. It’s a pay-as-you-go course of facilitated self-study currently offered to folks in my region, so you learn and grow at your own pace. You can learn more about these offerings here.
Other self-care workshops offered regionally include Reiki training, guided and free-form meditation, herbal, holistic and creative workshops, lectures, weedwalks and more! An herbal apothecary is also available to you for all those supplies for the home and village herbalist. Spiritual counseling and rites of passage are offered as well.
I’m a champion for personal healing and growth through the arts and creative expression – journaling, drumming, chant, movement, art, craft, tarot and Crone Stone readings. Creative expression is a vital tool that supports holistic healing, growth and awareness on all levels as we explore our personal relationships with symbols, metaphors, archetypes and stories. I can support you in this journey, and – more importantly – offer you ways to support yourself.
With every service that I offer, I strive to help you re-discover the natural healer within, so that you may nurture peace with yourSelf, love yourSelf, and offer these qualities to those you love … and to help bring the Medicine of the People back home – to all of us.
I invite you to join me in working together to return wisdom, wellness, healing back to the hands of their rightful and most grateful owners – To us. To all of us. Together let’s reclaim our power and return the Medicine of the people back to the people.
Let’s bring it home together!
Are you a multi passionate woman? That is a GOOD thing! 🙂
Check out Rose’s website and all the things she offers.
Lots of mixed media in this old piece and the altered heart ornament is in the middle.
