How often does the Earth get a “shortest day of the year?” While the northern hemisphere experiences (and celebrates) the shortest day of the year, (Winter Solstice), the southern half of the planet enjoys their longest day, (Summer Solstice). The reverse likewise holds true. Except at the equator where the days and nights are always […]

The controversy rages: gift bags or gift boxes? My preference is gift bags. * They are elegant keepsakes in themselves, representing luxury and the portent of a rare treasure. * They also fold and fit into randomly shaped spaces without breaking or becoming crushed. * Their material usually lasts longer than even the sturdiest of […]

“Chomp!” is one of my favorite pieces. It has color, a variety of stitches, wonderful beads, and it tells a visual joke. There once was a primordial pond where primordial algae, bacteria, and other microscopic lifeforms lived and thrived. Of course these are perfect food sources for small fish and after a while these also […]

I love clouds. I can stare at them for hours imagining that I can fly through the expanse of sky and touch the soft ethereal wisps or the thick billowing towers that are really only droplets of cold wet water. I draw them, paint them, dream about them. One of my first Pinterest pinboards is […]

Copyright in art is limited to works that have no functional use. So, a drawing of a dress design is copyrightable but the dress design itself is not. The same is true for cars, shoes, coffee cups and jewelry. And chairs. And carports. Etc. This means that if you purchase a scarf knitting pattern, you […]

A line of ships passes by. Where are they going? Why are they braving the red morning’s rough seas that could dash them against the looming rocks? The story is incomplete, ready to be developed by every viewer’s imagination. Is this an ocean going caravan or the remnants of a war party? It’s up to […]

Lately I’ve found myself revising a bead weaving project several times over. New ideas spring into my mind, I get excited and want to start incorporating them all and all at once. I have recently decided to create a themed installation style series of works, each to include at least one painting, one large bead […]

The season of gift giving for many people is coming up. In fact it’s pretty much already here. You might already be thinking about what to buy or make for your friends and loved ones. One idea is to transform a family heirloom jewelry piece that sits in a box dodging dust into one or […]

It’s art but is it abstract or an abstraction? The art world seems to use these two terms interchangeably but should they really mean the same thing? A work of art that is “Abstract” depicts something that has no basis in visual reality. It is not (recognizably) derived from anything found in the natural (i.e., […]

A lot of artists won’t take commissions. Some see commissions as being too restrictive of the artist’s freedom of expression. There is a fear that the client might impose too great restrictions or make unreasonable requests (seen as demands). So far I’ve been lucky because I’ve not only had happy collectors but I’ve been able […]