Staying Creative Against All Odds

You might have noticed I have been absent a lot lately. My husband's health issues are very time consuming. We are still adjusting to our "new normal." I am trying to stay creative and optimistic. A lunch with artist friends tomorrow is something I am looking forward to. Both of those friends can do anything. Among other talents, one makes guitars, paints and drums; the other spins, felts and does woodworking. A visit to either of their houses is a treat!

My son-in-law gave me a Gelli plate for Christmas. I am having a ball experimenting with it. So far I am making backgrounds for collages and also tearing some of the papers to use in the collages. This is taking me off on a new track.

At the same time, I keep my hand in on photography. I will be displaying a digital art work on canvas at the Snow Ball Dance in Willimantic, CT, and donating a framed piece to the silent auction to be held the same night.

This collage, "Into the Red" uses torn photographs, stone beads, and rolled paper beads. 

Tweet

Hint of a Peony

I love doing digital paintings like this which look like watercolors. It is the layering of transparent colors which give it the effect of watercolor paints. It looks soft and dreamy. This would be lovely printed on chiffon. You would never know this started with a photo of a peony.

Hint of a Peony

Tweet

Astilbe Variation

My startup disk is full and I am in the position of having to delete photos. Weeding out is not a bad thing. In some cases I have multiple copies of each art work like in this case "Astilbe Variation." I save it in layers, merged and then with different borders. It is time to delete some of these extra copies.

Too often when I work I get a message saying, "Can't save, Startup disk full." Hopefully a big PURGE will help the situation. Of course, then I do more art pieces and it fills the disk again.

You are probably thinking, "Why doesn't she use an external hard drive?" Well, I do use one for backups, but I do not want to delete photos from my computer and have them exist only on the external hard drive. When I sit with my laptop, I want access to ALL my photos. I tend to keep too many photos thinking, "I can do something with that one." But when I take ten photos of the same thing, each from a slightly different angle, I should not keep each shot!

Here the Astilbe makes the background as well as the main subject. The angled lines frame the flower within the border.

Tweet

Just Laugh

It has been a rough week with my husband in the hospital. He is home and doing better. Now having a chance to sit with my computer and art work is a real treat.

I love to make backgrounds for quotes like this. 

Tweet

Lily Pads and Circles

The graduates of the 2014 "Make Art Work" marketing workshops in Hartford, CT have decided to continue to meet on our own to share our goals, challenges and accomplishments. It is so nice to have a support group of fellow artists. We met today and each showed our work to the group and received feedback. Next meeting will be January.

We have all been busy. One member reported a number of sales, two members will be part of an Artist Open Studios event this November in Hartford. Our challenges continue to be marketing and finding time in our studios.

Carrie showed us some of her finished pieces and also some work in progress. One of her paintings reminded me of a digital painting of mine. Hers was more abstract using circles to suggest lily pads. Mine started with a photograph of lily pads and then I painted over the photo and changed and added colors.

 LILY PADS AND PURPLE by Nancy Olivia Hoffmann

Tweet

Red Scarf

I designed this to be 20x20. Wouldn't it make a nice silk scarf?

Tweet

The Last Rose of Summer

A flower does not have to be perfect to be interesting. This rose with the early morning sun's rays on its wet, icy petals has its own beauty.

Tweet

Creating Abstracts

I enjoy creating abstracts with the combination of a photograph and digital painting. 

This is named "Solar System on the Edge."

Tweet

Please vote for my photo on CG Pro Prints

Please vote for my photo and enable me to win a gift certificate to have my art printed on canvas. Click on the link CGPro Prints Holiday Contest then click on "vote" and find my photograph of pumpkins titled "Halloween Glow."

Thanks for making the effort to vote and please ask your friends to do the same. This gift certificate would help me to print some of my art on canvas for my upcoming show in Windham, CT.

Tweet

"Swirled Tiles" accepted into Light Space Time October Show

See my abstract, "Tiles Swirled" which was accepted in the Photography & Digital Category of the Light Space Time Abstract Art Competition for October. Out of 896 entries from all over the world, 225 were accepted. I am honored to be a part of the October show. 

Tweet

Memory Wire Bracelet

I am a self taught artist and jewelry maker. When I find something I want to try, I read a book about it or, these days, study it on the internet. I enjoy making jewelry and wanted to learn new techniques. My latest skill is using memory wire, both for necklaces and bracelets. It is always fun to experiment with something new. It doesn't hurt to have lots of beads to work with.

This bracelet on memory wire uses square flat pieces of jasper with ceramic beads. All in 

shades of purple.

Tweet

Making Jewelry - New Beads

New beads equals new jewelry! Getting new materials to work with gets me all fired up. It's such fun to see what will go together. I have recently bought memory wire for making bracelets and am busy experimenting.  I am also making stretchy bracelets because they are so easy to put on.

A friend bought one I had custom made for her because her wrist is so small. It fit perfectly and she loved it. In In addition she bought two more bracelets for gifts. 

Tweet

Nancy Olivia Designs' post on Willimantic Arts and Eats

I am now a member of the Willimantic Arts and Eats on Facebook and this is a recent post by me. 

"I have been involved in crafts and art since I was in college in Boston studying interior design. I took a course in weaving, fell in love with it, bought a loom and started selling pillows and bags. For the last few years I have concentrated on jewelry making, photography and digital painting. One of my bracelets was pictured in "The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making" Edition 2 by Tammy Powley.
It has been a pleasure to be a part of the Lebanon Art Gallery this summer and to display in all three of their shows. I am a member of the Windham Garden Club and was pleased to present a program at their September meeting on "Photography in the Garden." November will bring a shared show with Joanne and Alex Sibicky at the Windham Hospital Gallery."

Here I am at an Art Festival in downtown Willimantic. My photo of the lily is named "Serenity."

Tweet

Photo Cards at Willimantic Food Co-op

I am grateful for another order for my photo cards (Nancy Olivia Designs)  from the Willimantic Food Co-op. Once a week I volunteer as a working member at the Co-op on Valley Street in Willimantic, CT. Rita, who is in charge of ordering the cards, has really boosted sales by emphasizing cards created by local artists, a strategy much appreciated by the artists. Locally created art sold in the community - nothing better. Check it out! All cards are reasonably priced between $3 and $4.

Printing photos for Nancy Olivia Designs cards.

Tweet