creativity Archives

2020: A (Surprisingly) Creative Year

December 31, 2020 by Jennifer Hofmann 1 Comment

Creatively speaking, this has been a very different year. Many of my creative friends have shared that the sense of concern and isolation has slowed their creative energy.

As much as I wanted to get to my own bench and work with wire, most of my creative energy kept going to my new love: quilting. I decided not to fight it. This year, even with everything going on, I started four quilts and finished two.

I’d love to celebrate with you in photos the various colorful projects I did do, rather than dwell on the untouched wire projects. Enjoy!

The Colorwash Quilt

This quilt style, Colorwash by Wanda Hanson, was a fun color challenge for me on so many levels — and I loved it. The technique is wild! First you lay out the squares to create a gradient like you see on the design board above. It requires using muddy colors I don’t usually like, but I love the overall effect of the colors washing together.

Once I liked the arrangement (you spend a lot of time tweaking, moving the squares until it is just right), the next step was to stack the colors in order and clip them together. The strategy is to sew the color squares together by rows with links of thread to connect them; the ultimate in chained piecing. This is as far as I’ve taken the project. Since the designer’s advice was to do it in one sitting, I am patiently waiting for a free afternoon.

The Christmas Quilt

I made this lap quilt for myself to feel more festive around my favorite time of year. Bonus? It has holiday puns like “fleece Navidad” and “jingle owl the way” because laughter is the best medicine. With the border added, this is nearly done — it just needs binding!

Quilt with dark green christmas trees, red presents with bows, and cute animals wearing santa hats

Susan’s Quilt

Now that this quilt is in her hands, I can finally share photos without spoiling the surprise! This quilt uses printed fabric featuring birds’ nests, eggs, and butterflies. In the middle are panels of complimentary-color, freeform “Melanie style” blocks.

A scrappy quilt

This one is still in the works; it’s made from pieces and scraps from another project that had colors I love. My creative question was: How tiny can you go before a piece of fabric becomes unusable? These triangle squares and piano key blocks are making me stretch my imagination!

Watercolor Stichin’ Therapy Quilt

This is my most recent project and might really be my favorite. Like the Colorwash quilt, the blocks feature color gradients. The Watercolor designs can be found in the artist’s generous tutorials on her inspiring blog, stitchintherapy.blogspot.com. The difference is that for this design I can choose colors I love (no need for the muddy ones), and these botanical prints are gorgeous.

There’s a system to making the blocks more efficiently too which involves sewing long, narrow strips together and then cutting them into sections.

Watercolor Quilt with floral botanical prints

There’s a bit of an art to deciding where to place the fabric in order to get that blended-together look. It’s especially challenging because a single print can contain light and dark elements. To test it, I used the black-and-white filter on my camera to see the gradient.

The creative bonus of 2020

With no live shows for artists or the bead community this year, I found myself connecting more with people online in a new way. It has been delightful to get to know some of the bead makers I’ve collected and highlight their online efforts and shows as well. Steph and Kerri’s online show inspired me. I got to chatting with Tammy Mercier — whose animal beads I love — and made a fun connection.

At shows, the focus is usually about seeing it all. This year, I’ve noticed that I’ve felt more in touch than I would be at a show — messaging back and forth with people, watching their work develop over the course of the year. Our common interests around art brings us together in this year of connecting electronically.

A surprisingly creative year

Between quilting and encouraging my creative friends, that’s where my energy has been, so that is where I went. It has been the kind of year where it’s better not to force things and instead follow the creative energy where it leads.

It’s not where I expected to go, but I’m really grateful this year has been so rich with connections, blessings, and color. I’m wishing you a serene holiday season and a bright new year!

Creative inspiration: Pinterest eye candy

May 6, 2020 by Melanie Schow Leave a Comment

Short on time and energy to create?

In order to manage my urge for shiny, new projects, I turn to Pinterest, a social media platform where users “pin” pictures on virtual bulletin boards and collect eye-catching images based on themes. I get creative inspiration there without adding to my stash!

So far, my creative focus this year has been fabric-oriented, so I thought I’d share with you some of my Pinterest inspiration boards, and the creativity it’s sparking in my art jewelry.

Quilting!

You might remember that last year I took an advanced quilting class that had me crazy with 40-piece blocks and matching points. I kept up, but it was so detailed!

This year, I thought, “Enough with the blocks already, let’s MAKE something!”

One of the simple things I started was a rug. Using a jelly roll of 40”x2.5” fabric strips, I’ve been sewing lots of lengths of them end to end with a diagonal seam. You end up with long strips that are sewn together to make a big rug. It’s the exact opposite of those fiddly quilt blocks with angles and measurements because you can just sew and sew and–like nothing–you have a finished project. I was excited to do it!

Of course, my sewing machine blew up in the middle of it, and I decided, “Nuh-uh. I’m not dealing with that.”

But I found the Goldilocks of fabric projects—a little bit fussy, but intriguing enough to keep going and see how it will turn out. All the little 90 degree triangles—the scraps cut from each of the long strips in lots of colors? Using a square up ruler to make 2 inch squares, I started sewing them together. All these little squares from this silly abandoned project!

Along with the squares, I have been sewing “mile a minute” scraps, partial blocks and pieces into fabric. If you look up the mile a minute technique, you just chain piece scraps, cut them to make straight edges and chain piece again. Random, lovely and so fun—now what to do with the fabric?

I just have to laugh because I didn’t make the rug that was supposed to be so easy, but I’m sewing the abandoned scrap ends together. Finishing is no fun, but new is LOTS of fun. It’s the reason why I try not to leave stuff for my future self because I’m not a good finisher. What I want to do is something new.

Pinning quilts

So, I pin quilts on Pinterest guilt-free because I may never start or finish them, but it keeps me from having more stuff in my studio. My category is called “quilts various” and has art quilts and freeforms that I think are gorgeous.

Steampunk and lace!

Another board I call “fantasy fashion” which has all kinds of whimsical costumes, designer garments, and steampunk clothing. Every time I see something gorgeous, I have the same two thoughts:

a. I’d really like to wear this outfit…

b. Where in the heck am I gonna wear it?

So my solution is to I add it to my fantasy fashion board, and it makes me happy!

Denim!

My pin board for this category is Demin—Damn! where I collect images of creative projects and fashion using and upcycling everyone’s favorite faded blue fabric. In reality, denim is either too hot or too cold, or too heavy so I may never actually make things like this. However, I love the hippy vibe of the patchwork skirts and elaborately embroidered jackets. They’re definitely fun for my bohemian heart.

Fine jewelry!

I have to face facts that I live on a working farm and am often called to play cowgirl when our bovine ladies need medicine. I’m never going to wear big, sparkly rocks on muddy hands.

I created the pinboard “Mixd gems” to pin all kinds of fine jewelry, diamonds and emeralds. It’s such eye candy! And I love that I can dip my toe into the glamour.

Wire art!

Although I believe it’s unethical to copy someone else’s design, I love to pin other artists’ small-gauge wire for inspiration. There is a spark that comes from seeing what others make. Sometimes I’ll marvel at a particular curve or the way wires come together or the angle of an offset shape. Some element of a piece will make me say wow that I might incorporate it in my own work, riffing (like scat in jazz) on these unique elements.

All this inspiration

When I finally get back to my bench to do some wire work, I have so many ideas I want to bring to life! In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Pinterest to see more of these fun, curated boards!

Show and tell: Some of my favorite (studio) things

October 7, 2019 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Nothing inspires me more than being surrounded by color. Not surprisingly, this fact shows up in my studio and helps to support my creativity. Throughout my space, there are items that are meaningful, bright, and invite me into the space to create.

Here are some of my favorite things that inspire me in my studio.

Exhibit A: Watercolors by Kathleen Mattox

Both the framed piece and the tiny book marks are both painted by my artist friend, Kathleen Mattox of Mixed Messages in Sanger, CA. They are colorful and happy, and I love having them in my studio. The smaller collection of bookmarks were cut from works that didn’t go as planned, making them into something new. Seeing these makes me happy!

Exhibit B: Colorful ribbons

One thing to know about me is that I don’t just like giving gifts, I love making them beautiful. Wrapping presents is such a joy for me, and of course, one needs a collection of beautiful, unique ribbons for finishing touches.

Exhibit C: People who inspire me

Talk about inspiration! Mother Nature has outstanding taste in geodes and amethyst. This shelf also holds a book open to a page featuring the work of wire artist Lynne Merchant, one of my early teachers. Above it (not pictured) is a set of whispery chimes that reminds me of the intro to the song Age of Aquarius. Every time I walk by, they’re set into motion, reminding me of my first grown up theater, this musical in 1967.

Exhibit D: My lampwork bead collection

I store my lampwork beads in architects’ flat files to make everything more visible. Nothing delights me more than pulling open a shallow drawer and feasting on the color, variety, and possibility each collection holds. I like to arrange things by color—orange and pink, for example—and collect the beginnings of future projects. Any time I’m short on inspiration, this is my favorite place to go!

When I’m doing the more tedious work of running an art business (inventory or balancing the checkbook), having beauty and color around me lifts me up and keeps me going.

Five tips to fit creativity into your busy life

May 30, 2019 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Too much to do, too little time to create

It was the end of a long day and my artist friend and I took turns apologizing for yawning through dinner, cross-eyed from too many days of busy-ness. Like usual, our conversation turned to the art projects we’ve been working on. Kathleen mentioned a new watercolor series she was thinking about starting.

“I wonder how I could carry color from one painting to the next?”

Suddenly, we both perked up. My favorite conversations start with, “I wonder how…” This question invites curiosity, creativity, and new possibilities to explore. Ideas were flying about color and technique. Suddenly, we were both energized as the creative possibilities bubbled up. We could hardly talk fast enough!

A colorful, complicated quilt block I completed thanks to Tip #4.

How to perk up your creativity

It gave me an idea to share with you some of the ways I bring creativity into my life when there isn’t enough time to make art. If your projects are languishing untouched, and your to-do list is long, I hope these ideas inspire you.

Tip 1: Ask artistic friends what they’ve been creating lately.

This is an enlivening topic of conversation for creative people. It opens up a world of discovery when you ask about what’s on someone’s easel or needles or workbench.

Tip 2: Talk about what you would make if you had more time.

This is the creative person’s variation on the “what would you do if you won the lottery.” Even when life intrudes, you can take your creativity to the hypothetical world where you have lots of free time and no other commitments. What would you create? What techniques or mediums would you like to experiment with?

Tip 3: Ask “I wonder what would happen if…”

In the case of Kathleen’s project, she was considering a larger question about color-blending techniques. Although her medium is watercolor, I shared about creating gradients with yarn (alternating rows of the previous color and the next color) and seed beads (increasing and decreasing percentages of colors). It gave us both a new appreciation for how widely-different media create similar visual impact. Wondering out loud is juicy!

Tip 4: Sign up for an in-person class. If there is a physical location to visit and people waiting for me, it really does make me prioritize creating. I’m nearly finished with a complicated quilt because I enrolled in a class with a friend.

Tip 5: Offer a class.

This is one way to really force yourself to create even when the stack of mail beckons. Teaching a class means creating samples and showing up in person to assist others. If you have access to space and a local following, this is a great way to get out of a rut and have fun creating. It’s an extra bonus that I often learn as much from the students as they do from me.

How do you fit creativity into your busy life?

Do you have ways to bring more creativity into your life when it’s busy? I’d love to know about it in the comment section!

Bubbles, failures, and creative squirrels

April 6, 2019 by Melanie Schow 2 Comments

Following the creative process

If you’re like me, you know that being creative is a mixed blessing. The creative process sometimes takes you to unexpected places both as inspiration and distraction.

You have to follow your enthusiasm and let the creative process work its way with you. In fact, sometimes the most amazing ideas come when you’re not expecting them. However, there always seems to be something new and shiny and interesting—SQUIRREL! It grabs your attention away and prevents you from finishing the original project.

The creative muse is a mythical siren, calling you away from completing the last slow steps of that important project. Or at least, that’s how things are in my studio!

I thought it would be fun (or a good distraction) to show you what I’m in the process of creating these days.

The quilt class

I knew almost immediately that I was in over my head with the three-month quilt class I’m taking with a friend. We create a new, gorgeous squares every class, but each one is made with zillions smaller pieces – think 2 7/8″ triangles.

The finished quilt will eventually have twelve 12.5″ square pieces plus lots of “low volume” background. I’m just not that diligent! But I signed up and, fortunately, the instructor is really kind and doesn’t mind (too much) if I show up without the fabric pre-cut for class.

The other day, I was at sewing at home and got on a really wonderful roll with one square. It started to look like I’d have it finished in time to bring to class. I was so excited, that is, right before my sewing machine jammed on the final seam. Then, when I couldn’t fix it, I had to go to class without my good machine. (Note to self: Pay attention to what you sign up for.)

In the process of taking this class, I did make a wonderful discovery: foundation paper piecing. Instead of the normal measuring and cutting fabric with a ruler and cutting mat, this process uses a printed sheet of paper in which you sew simple fabric rectangles on the dotted lines, repeat, and—voilà!—you end up with a gorgeous star! How on earth did someone come up with this? Gorgeous points and perfect stars just by connecting the dots.

Although it may be a SQUIRREL!, I will not let myself feel guilty for deciding that, instead of going on with 40-piece detailed quilt squares, I just want to make squares of New York Beauty (the name of the star pattern) with paper piecing. I am choosing to celebrate the discovery!

Creating new lampwork settings

When you play with wire techniques like I do, you’re like the guy who trips and drops his peanut butter in the chocolate. In following the creative process, you make happy discoveries about what works well together, quite unexpectedly.

A while ago, I created new wire fabrication links for a soap-inspired show at Mixed Messages in Sanger, CA. “What would bubbles look like made with wire?” This question led to me creating a tiaras and necklace (sold!) that featured springs with big, wrapped loops and bubbly beads spaced in between. Soapy, bubbly, and fun!

Creating bubbly-movement was an idea, but I wasn’t sure it could be used for my other art. It seemed more like a one-time fluffy idea.

However, I was creating a setting for a new class with a pink dragon lampwork bead (more on that later) as the focal . And just then, inspiration struck! I thought it would be interesting to try using the bubbles a completely different way in this new setting. That’s so fun for me—to stumble upon a creative connection and see where it leads.

Disconnected sections of looping wire in white and silver that will be joined into a necklace

One of the steps in the creative process

The new class idea is employing all sorts of techniques I have used elsewhere. Last year when I made the wire dog house, I surrounded it with “weeds” to soften and fill in the base. Those same weeds turned into “reeds” on my lampwork heron focal. Once more, an idea used one way was translated to work in another “setting” (jewelry humor—get it?).

Fiber fury

When it comes to art-making, the truth is that most people only show off what works. But I’m happy to show you the realities too. I’m currently knitting something, and I’m hating it. This is also normal in the creative process.

The pattern called for contrasting solid colors which would then be blended to fade from one yarn to another. However, the hand-dyed yarn I chose to work with has a spattery-splotchy treatment that is just not contrasting enough. Not. At. All.

And this is the dilemma: in knitting you usually don’t have a feel for how the piece will come out until you’re hours and hours in. Unless you’ve knit it before and know the pattern well (but what’s the fun in that?). Every time you cast on, it’s a gamble.

The failed knitting project in the bag.

Now I’m so far down into the project, it’s almost painful to ask myself (but I do), “Am I going to keep going? Or am I gonna rip it?” It’s projects like these that make a new SQUIRREL! project so appealing. When I go into my stash, I find half-finished knitting projects like the one in this canvas tote three years later. Perplexed, I wonder, “What is this? What was I doing?” It failed, but I couldn’t quite let it go.

The truth of creativity is that not everything you try will work. In fact, it means being willing to try a lot of things that don’t work. You have make peace with the process (and possibility of failures) to discover what will work.

There be dragons

Recently, one of my favorite lampwork artists posted a pink dragon for sale or bid online. SQUIRREL! I love Kerri Fhur. I love pink. I love dragons. The creative muse was squealing: I want to play with the pink dragon! “Bid or buy it now? That’s gonna go. Buy it now!”

Now that project is on my bench, getting the royal “bubble” treatment before it heads off to be just one of the samples for my next new class.

So that’s a glimpse of my creative process lately. Whether your medium is fiber, fabric, paint, or clay, it’s good to remember that creating is worthwhile. Even the distractions and mistakes inherent in the creative process teach you something new!

Cows or no cows, creativity finds a way

October 23, 2018 by Melanie Schow 4 Comments

At the risk of repeating myself, running a farm takes a lot of time. I’ve been pulled in so many directions this year that I’m not creating wire art as consistently as in 2017.

Here’s the amazing thing. When you’re creative, you almost can’t help but make things no matter what is going on. Whether a giant tree comes down on the power lines or a cow ends up in the neighbor’s pasture, creativity finds a way to keep flowing.

This post is a show-and-tell to share ways art is still finding a way into my life.

Creative outlet 1: Moodboard

I’ve been creating my own Project Runway. Design your Fall Collection, a class on Seamwork.com, helped me identify my personal style and inspired me to create a turtleneck dress. This is the 38-piece printable pattern I’m working from (invisible tape not included).

Although it’s been years since I sewed, the creative muscle memory from Home Ec in 7th grade is still there. Sitting in front of the machine, I know what I need to look at, where things go, and it’s like riding a bicycle. I love it!

Creative outlet 2: Beads

Just because my studio time is limited doesn’t mean I stop looking for new inspiration. My love for lampwork glass beads is unending. This recent arrival from Russia (by artist, Olga Vilnova) inspires me. Just look at the detail and colors!

Creative outlet 3: Shows

Ask any artist. Having a deadline to show your work is motivating. I was thrilled that my In the Doghouse piece was juried into the Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts event last month. While I was finishing that for the deadline, another piece was brewing. For now, it’s resting (that’s an important part of the creative process), but I love it.

My vision is of bees flying their curlicue path among the flowers and barbed wire around the farms where we live. It might become a display with a wearable art pendant, but since the “Ag Show” is here and gone, I’m thinking about next year’s Blossom Trail art events. Sneak peek! Here’s what it looks like so far.

Creative outlet 4: Quilting class

Invited by my dear creative friend and artist, Kathleen Mattox, I’m taking a quilting class and have already started on two pieces. The first is a baby animals quilt. Of course there’s a calf in it.

The other is a fun and colorful birdhouse quilt. Here it is, laid out in pieces on the kitchen counter (because where else would you put it?), ready to be sewn together.

Creative outlet 5: Knitting

At night while we relax in front of the television, I’m knitting with fibers I love for their texture, color, and variety. My hands are on the go! This lovely gradient shawl is one of my works in progress.

When you love color and texture, all the sparkly, colorful, and shiny things just work their way into your life. It’s fun to show you what I HAVE been up to creatively and see it all in one place. It’s a reminder that even as farm life happens around me, being creative is just who I am.

Reflections on Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year

September 13, 2018 by Melanie Schow Leave a Comment

I’ve been dabbling in fashion for fun lately, making vision boards for my own personal style. In the process, I recalled that Pantone–one of the key drivers of trends in home decor and fashion–chooses a color of the year.

2018 color of the year: Ultra-Violet

Although this shade of purple doesn’t show up a lot in my work, I was surprised to see so much of it in my art and my space when I looked a little more closely.

In this snapshot of my studio work desk, you can see traces of this shade in the artwork I look at every day.

A collection of fun earrings–three of them in dark purple.

Who wouldn’t want a tiara in shades of violet? Butterflies and tulle in purple make this Goddess of the Garden crown all the more royal.

I love these floral lampwork beads with accents of purple.

Fresh berries, anyone? Although this shade is a little pinker than the official Pantone color, the darker beads are on the same blue-y side.

By far, the most dramatic piece is this necklace of sparkles and coils in ultra-ultra violet!

Although I’m generally not a trend-follower, almost every color in the rainbow sparks new ideas and inspires me to create. Rumor has it, Pantone’s colors in 2019 will be bold and juicy (think raspberry and mango). Who knows what art it will inspire!

Flowers for friends

August 21, 2018 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Special occasions bring out the best in me. I love decorating my home for fall and Christmas because of the special-occasion-ness of it and the joy I get from bringing fresh colors into our space. Especially when I’m not creating as much art as I’d like, just working with fresh cut flowers is a great outlet for my creative energy.

This summer, the mom of a dear friend celebrated her 100th birthday. I volunteered to provide the flowers. Contributing to the festivities was so much fun!

You’re probably familiar with the gifts and colors associated with wedding anniversaries, but I was surprised to learn that birthdays have them too. Although my friend originally considered blue and yellow, 100th birthdays are connected with white, gold, and black. For this reason, we went with all-white flowers and accents of gold, black, and green.

The mugs and black-and-white checked ribbon provided the basic background. Using hydrangea as a base I added lisianthus, alstromeria, mums of various sizes with a few roses and carnations for a festive feel. There were even herbs—oregano and basil from my garden.

I did a lot of hunting to find all the stems—from Von’s, Trader Joes, and even a few from Whole Foods. The week before the event, I did a little reconnaissance just to see what was in season and what kind of volume I could find.

The day before, I assembled all the table arrangements and centerpieces.

It’s been hot here in California, so I put everything in our big walk-in to keep things fresh for the event.

Here’s the big reveal for the birthday celebration:

Playing with flowers is one of my favorite creative outlets. I really enjoyed contributing to this friend’s special day.

My artful and art-filled studio

February 19, 2018 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Nothing inspires me like other people’s art. Especially when my life is busy, and I don’t have time to sit down to create my own. Seeing the unique ways that people express themselves inspires me. Having splashes of color around me is uplifting.

Nowhere is this more true and visible than in my studio.

Present-wrapping in progress…

In our old home, I had a shared office with some art snuck in. Now I have my own studio to decorate as I like. As I’ve moved into this space over the last few years, I’ve collected watercolors from Kathleen Mattox, big wire pieces from Paul Parichan, and ceramics from Laura Fraedrich.

With gorgeous books as backdrops, quirky little things I’ve picked up find a home on the narrow shelf that runs the length of the room.

The little vignettes around my studio reflect my creative process. Pulling treasures from everywhere create something even more fun and fanciful. Plus, this guarantees that I’m surrounded by my favorite color (pink), even if the rest of the house is more neutral and rustic.

Sometimes I escape to my studio for a phone call or business planning—something unrelated to art. Sitting in my cozy orange chair surrounded by color and fun brings joy to the most mundane tasks.

It’s so important to bring beauty and inspiration to our creative spaces, to have something that reflects who we are and what we strive for. If the practice of creating and enjoying art is sacred, then my studio is a sanctuary.