Treasured

I was featured in a treasury on Etsy by the lovely and very supportive Amanda Clark Reed of whitelightproject!

You can view the whole treasury here: First Feature

Yin & Yang

The Chinese myth of moon & hare, also a wonderful blog by bookbindery mistress and artist Barbara Simler, is one of my favorite myths. Living here in the US we grow up knowing the face of the man in the moon. In Asia it is more common to find the hare in the moon, toiling away, churning the elixir of immortality for the moon goddess Chang'e. I love the idea of the moon having both these sides, one side of the man's face and also the moon rabbit, maybe they're friends and occasionally hang out.

While researching symbols and imagery I came across the counter part to the moon hare which I had never heard of; the three-legged red crow. Together they make the balance of yin yang, commonly represented by the Taijitu symbol which we call the 'yin yang' in the West. The moon hare represents yin or darkness while the three-legged red crow is yang, light. Western culture has assigned 'good' and 'evil' to the black and white of the yin yang but really it represents balance. We can't have light without dark, up without down, hot and cold, etc. opposites that ebb and flow and settle into balance.

The image that I created was a gift for someone dear to me, struggling through a challenging time in my life I was trying to express the idea that opposites attract and can live in harmony though there is a constant give and take.

The folklore isn't accurately represented visually because really the hare is darkness and crow should be red and representing light. For aesthetic purposes and clarity I went with the classic white rabbit in the light and a black crow. In future I think I might try and stay more true to the folklore because presenting an accurate depiction is very important to me.

Hare & Crow (detail)

Hare & Crow

SOPA & PIPA

The internet is all abuzz with the debate and protesting of SOPA and PIPA bills that the Senate will be voting on this coming Monday. Please watch this video and write and call your Congress, representatives and Senators urging them to vote 'no' on these two harmful pieces of legislation that will ultimately limit our experience of the internet.



Do you really want judges to have the power to determine whether or not your website, social networking or media sharing site is infringing on the entertainment industry? These people should NOT be in charge of policing the internet when they aren't experts. The internet is the only place where we can globally share ideas freely and instantly, let's keep it free.

You can also read a very comprehensive article on both bills at Techdirt here.

*sorry for the video overlap with the side bar, I am not tech-savvy enough to fix the ratio! 

Photos & Figuring It Out

Spent today re-shooting my works and trying to get the best images to show size and texture. I'm enjoying the multi-faceted process and slowing down to do things right. Photography is something I struggle with and I really admire people who express themselves in that media, it doesn't end when the shutter clicks. Selling things online you have to have the best representation of your wares and the only way to do that is with really great, interesting and accurate photos. I'm learning...slowly...baby steps.

Here are a few of my redesigned altarpieces and I think they look pretty rad. The newly added patterns are reflecting the shapes, forms and motions of the images graphically. I really love very simple color schemes there's something to be said for things that are visually quiet.

Tarjani $40

Generosity $40

Varada Mudra $40

After these facelifted pieces are up on the old Etsy I will be turning my attention to a hanging mandala series.

I still really want to do a lovers series too and I got so many responses for suggestions I think I at least need to do one or two couples, there are just so many great stories! I think it would be hilarious to play with the idea of good vs evil too, opposites attract! If you can think of any lovers (or haters) leave suggestions in the comments.

2012 Divine Inspiration

The past few days have been a creative blur (see previous blog post ritual & sacrifice), I've been having a ton of ideas related to the biznaz side of my creating, side projects, fashion and pushing myself to just DO whatever comes to me with no fear or having to explain why (I do what I want!).

WHAM! this morning I wake up and like a possessed robot I pulled out all my inventory for Etsy and said, "NOPE." and proceeded to 2012-ify all of my collection. Whatever genius has decided to reside upon my head, thank you dear friend for this most productive visit, you can stay as long as you like.

My listings via Etsy are in process of being totally kick-ass, knock your shoes, socks AND pants off! I feel like a total madwoman but it's the best feeling to just be inspired and workandworkandwork until you have achieved your vision. As an artist you have to take the risk, your work is NOT precious it can be created again and again better each time.

Here's to 2012, getting weird, letting go and being completely in the nectar that is creation and inspiration. Get into it people, it might be our last one!

Here are some sneaky peeks at the newly designed stuffs, seriously excited to share this divinely inspired work!

the bunch

so fresh

so clean

Are you psyched? I am!

Ritual & Sacrifice

I am welcoming the New Year and with it so many many exciting possibilities and projects! I had a wonderful few days off with my lovely family.

This holiday I received an unexpected gift from the Universe, a pristine pheasant carcass! This pheasant was killed by an owl in nature, no animals were harmed in the making of this post.

Inspired by a bit of silliness and the urge to dress up in ridiculous garb and make-up I photo-documented the plucking of my beautiful bird as an homage to death metal and satanic sacrifice. So, as a disclaimer: I am NOT a Satanist, nor do I condone ritualistic slaughter of animals unless it is a part of YOUR culture and rituals in which case you probably do not have the Internet.

I listened to Mastodon Blood Mountain while taking these photos, I suggest you do while looking at them. Listen to it on Spotify!

the 'sacrifice'

the get up

 the make-up

the fruits of my labor

Pets & Portraits

Pet portraiture is one of things that I would really love to do more often. People LOVE their pets, I know because I have two cats and they're way cooler than you (except when they barf on my stuff). 

So, below is my first pet portrait commission: Lulu.

I worked within the same parameters as my other altarpiece book forms. The portrait is an original ink drawing and I hand-patterned the paper with a dog silhouette stencil I made and colored in with Derwent colored pencil in gray-blue.

Want an altarpiece of your pet? Get at me through my Etsy: Samskrits

"Lulu"

image size is 3.5"x5"

original photo