17 May

The Light of Inspiration



We've had unseasonably sunny weather in Anchorage. The comment you hear lately is, "we've had more sunny days in the last couple of weeks than we had all last summer." Last summer's weather was dismal with so much rain, clouds and record low temps that my garden was stunted. The sunny and warm weather we've had so far has meant not only early plantings (for Alaska!) but BBQ and dining alfresco every night on the deck. Shopping at City Market and the dinner menu has revolved around "what can we grill tonight?" So it was a bit of a surprise to wake up on Friday to heavy rains because all of this sunshine had made me punch drunk on summer-like weather. I love the rain but this sunshine has made everything around me glow (including winter's dustbunnies!). I've been inspired by how the light shines through the tender, new Birch leaves. The rain did it's job and gave everything a good rinse and Mayday tree sapling shells were littering the ground. The volcanic ash was able to be rinsed away somewhat and the sunshine returned in time for the weekend. 

With Friday's rain, it was a good time to hole up in the Studio and finish up a couple of Shrine-a-rella's. When it rains, it's usually not a good metal day and my plasma cutter doesn't cooperate with the humidity. I end up using more consumables (the 
cutting tips) which are expensive, and it makes me fussy when I have to cut slowly. I was excited to use my Thrift store finds and deconstruction of a doll could take place because Gus was at school. Once I had the arms cut, I gave them a coating of flat black spray paint because with the tooth of the flat paint, the plastic arms take the finish paint better. For the ephemera I use colored pencils, and both gloss and matte Mod Podge. The adhesive I use most often is E-6000, though now, I have some adhered to the on/off switch of my digital camera... One of the pieces is titled "Live Creatively" and the other is titled "In the Winter My Heart is 
With the Sea."

8 comments:

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Love these! Interesting to see how you used those golf tees. Sounds like a perfectly lovely day, no matter the weather!

Linda Starr said...

I love how you have used the arms in Live Creatively.

cindy shake said...

Hi Patricia- Yes, I do love rainy days and suppose love any weather excuse to get to work on something different! When I saw those tee's at the Thrift, I knew immediately how I was going to use them -funny huh?

cindy shake said...

Hi Linda, thanks for the post. I really liked these arms that were on the plastic dolls! They looked more like adult arms and hands and not baby hands -I know it sounds silly but nice long arms and slim hands (while not being too Barbie-like) are kind of hard to find.

Cynthia said...

I'm with you being punch drunk on sunshine - it's one of the reasons I agreed to move back to Denver from Maine back in 04. I did love when the fog would roll in off the Atlantic in Portland, ME and wash over the city - it felt very romantic to me. Nowadays, when we have an extended period of rainy days I get the blues. I guess it's what you get used to.

I LOVE your shrines - girl!

cindy shake said...

Hi Cynthia- I LOVE your new boxes with the Ravens, mmmm! Seems I'm destined to live in the Pacific Northwest because where ever we travel we're like a family of Polar Bears, sweating in the slightest bit of heat!

I would love to visit the East Coast I even subscribe to the Providence Banner so each week I can dream of being an artist in a dune shack on the shores of Cape Cod...

ang design said...

no excuses i have my glasses on, i thought the shrine said 'love creatively'.. like your book shelf shelfari too im not a big reader now, used to be then clay took over and i now draw in my journal instead and prob make up my own motifs as a result..

cindy shake said...

Hi Ang! you may have given me an idea for a new Shrine "Love Creatively" I like it! Saw the Shelfari Widget on Vicki's Blog and had to have it. I LOVE to read and have stacks of books but will only read one at a time. I don't watch too much TV (we killed Cable TV and only have it for the high speed internet) but will read-I buy most of my books at the Thrift, otherwise I spend way too much every time we go to the book store!

Journaling is good too, and I agree, being able to express our ideas and thoughts through journaling helps process ideas. I keep a Moleskin book with me always for my ideas because I never know when a good idea will hit!