denisescicluna | blog

little treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:07:00 +0000

I've gathered collection of recent little treasures that make me smiley and fuzzy :)

the little things in life which make you (me!) happy

And the jellyfishmonster necklaces are back, with more styles and creations. Here is a golden one with black patterns. I am officially taking more orders - get in touch if you are interested! Also, don't forget to *like* my facebook page for updates :)

And now I'm off to make a coffee, and continue creating while I find pleasure in Angus and Julia Stone's music.

Nathaniel Mather

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:07:00 +0000

The paintings of Nathaniel Mather, in their shallow spaces, childlike renderings of animals, flowers, and rough-edged patches of color evoke early 19th century primitive art, and yet a rich symbolic allusiveness and playfulness of spirit give his work a sophistication and poise that are emphatically contemporary. In 1996 Nathaniel began to incorporate text and found objects into his paintings to illustrate the current cultural slide. Often his images are parallel to his daily life and struggles, which he shares with the viewer. The artist was born and raised in California.

Website

collage, gouache and towers

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:38:00 +0000

With a big need for some quiet and creative time this week, I took out my gouache paint, recycled papers fabric and my sketch book and spent a whole evening collaging and painting. I do not often use gouache I must admit, and I miss using this type of paint. Acrylics have become automatic medium for me. Anyway, the night turned out to be relaxing as planned and this is one the final results from that evening.

Catherine Nolin

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:30:00 +0000

Highly influenced Italian Renaissance, UK based artist Catherine Nolin often incorporates objects and themes from this period into her work. Visualizing combinations of color, pattern, and design is what inspires her to paint. She chooses interiors, room portraits, as her subject matter. Much of her inspiration comes from the exquisite designs found in the natural world and from spirituality. I think the amount of detail in her work is mind blowing. Have a look for yourself!

Etsy // Website

I drew a man

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:45:00 +0000

A man with grey beard and a yellow nose

cracks and rust

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:46:00 +0000

I've always been fond of textures, cracks, rust. They are my primary inspiration whilst shooting pictures and I'm constantly looking out for interesting ones around.

You know that feeling of when you look at something and feels totally you and feel a particular connection which shouts "WANT!". This ring by SUZ looked perfect for me, as not only does include cracks and rust, but has a colour which I love. It is also made from recycled material.

Proud owner!

I was interested to know more about SUZ works and this what she has to say about her works and processes.

My name is sUz and I love making little things to make you smile. I'm a 38 year old crazy crafty (really I am, I have bipolar disorder) redhead that lives in a 37' camper full time with my husband, little boy and english bulldog in Coastal North Carolina. My latest fun thing is to find rusty bottle caps in our campground parking lot with my four year old. We clean them off, but not too much, glue in a funky paper that goes with the shape and all the bumpy edges, seal it, and use a super strong glue to attach a blank adjustable ring. I top the sealed paper with crackle medium for a cracked glass finish and gloss medium for a smoother look.

You can visit my shop or my blog to see more and learn more.

Thanks so much for the feature Denise and to you dear reader!!! xOx, sUz

All content © sUzanne davis 2012 . This should go without saying…thank you for not stealing my ideas. Find your own muse.

And some of my favourite work by her:

Lastly, you can find out more about crack medium here

Miso

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Stanislava Pinchuk, more widely known as Miso, is an artist with a multicultural definition. She has worked the street art with a very clear influence from Secessionsstil; and an unmistakable aesthetic inspiration from one of the most emblematic artists of this style: Gustav Klimt. Her work, just as Klimt’s, is a juxtaposition of defined faces and bodies and interesting patterns, and in the case of Miso…in paper; with her shapes she evokes memories of her native Ukraine, her folklore, culture, and friends.

She currently lives in Melbourne, where she has made the streets more beautiful with her unique urban art, which is so admired that it has become part of Australia’s National Gallery archives.

Web - Interview - Documentary

seasons greetings!

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:41:00 +0000

...A bit too late, but the season hasn't ended yet!

I am off to London for New Years, so excuse my absence.

May you have a wonderful and creative 2012!

♥

favourite custom order

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:13:00 +0000

There is always somehow that particular order which you enjoy creating more than others. And here is an example in my case. It's a different style, it has SEVEN jellyfishmonsters and I think it looks very very pretty! I'd like to share some details from this necklace as well as the primary sketch. All jellyfishmonsters are made from clay.. and I'll reveal a secret - the red part holding the jellyfishmonsters is a (NEW!) lollipop stick ..shhh :) I hope you like it!

The final necklace - delivered today!

Details of the 7 jellyfishmonsters

The initial sketch

Sonia Delaunay

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Sonia Delaunay (1885 – 1979) was a Jewish-French artist who, with her husband Robert Delaunay and others, cofounded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes. Her work extends to painting, textile design and stage set design. She was the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in 1964.

For years she was only known for being Robert Delaunay's wife and her work was virtually ignored by early art historians. Thank goodness times have changed! Her talent needs to be shown off.
Bold and colorful, some of her paintings have a slightly cubist feel. Her work in modern design included the concepts of geometric abstraction, the integration of furniture, fabrics, wall coverings, and clothing.

jellyfishmonster rings - and more orders!

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:48:00 +0000

Yes that's right.. jellyfishmonster projects haven't stopped in the past weeks. New Christmas order for a jellyfishmonster monster ring, led to more ring production. Here are the first rings ever created, and expect more to come :)

More necklaces have been produced. Some of them are more special than others as they have more thought behind them as a gift. For example this necklace was created for someone who loves travelling - hence the little plane on the jellyfishmonster. I included a little crown amongst the beads in the chain as a symbol of the "Queen of travelling".

This one was created for a young teenager who is passionate about dancing. It will be given as Christmas gift from a client. I included two short legs, with red ballerina shoes.

I had a little break for jellyfishmonsters one night, and created a giant raindrop which was given as Christmas present already. The gift receiver also happened to be fond of dancing, hence the black hanging shoes of the raindrop. I added a cosy red scarf since it is a Christmas-y present.

I am finishing off the last order for Christmas, which is very exciting. It was a challenging design of a necklace involving 7 jellyfishmonsters. Curious? I will share some images after the Christmas weekend (and after a well deserved break!) :)

In the meantime I wish you all a cosy and happy Christmas!

Ellen Giggenbach

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Ellen Giggenbach was born in Bavaria in Germany and now live and create in the idyllic seaside village of Eastbourne in Wellington, New Zealand.

All her art works are made by lovingly cutting and assembling graphic shapes from art papers painted in an astoundingly gorgeous variety of colors using artists acrylics. She is constantly inspired by all things joyful such as characterful birds and vibrant flowers which she observes from her sunny studio filled with my collection of mid century treasures.

Ellen Giggenbach's German heritage adds a element of folk to her designs and her passion for the 1950's, 60's and believe it or not even the 70's! inspires her graphic shapes and crazy color combinations.Her works are a combination of art, design and handmade craft, a fusion between her adult experience and happy childhood memories. All this can be clearly seen on her website and blog - (complete eye candy!). And here are some of my favourite pieces by this talented lady!

giveaway WINNER: Lara Boffa

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:11:00 +0000

The winner of my Christmas giveaway is... Lara Boffa!! Congratulations!:)

You will be receiving an e-mail from me soon.

This is what Lara will be receiving in her letter box:

1. a framed illustration; 2. two badges;
3. a fridge magnet; 4. a jellyfishmonster necklace

I would like to thank all the people who participated in this giveaway. Your participation is greatly appreciated. I will have more giveaways in the future so please so come back! :)

Happy Holidays!

brass numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:34:00 +0000

"8"

While having a break from cute jellyfishmonsters I started to experiment with (lately purchased) brass numbers. I like their gritty dirty texture - makes a good contrast with the daintiness of the rest of the chain. I finished off the number 8, and got four other numbers in the waiting line.

In the meantime, here are some of the latest necklaces I produced. The list of custom orders is getting bigger and bigger, and I'm enjoying every second of these special creations :)

more necklaces

And speaking about orders.. I had a special order which I can reveal yet.. but here's a hint.. I shaped tiny jellyfishmonsters..smaller than pendants..who knows why? You will find out soon!

small sized jellyfishmonsters...revealed soon!

DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR MY CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY WHERE YOU CAN WIN 4 ORIGINAL CREATIONS INCLUDING A JELLYFISHMONSTER NECKLACE! MORE INFO HERE!

Christmas Give-away

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:28:00 +0000

It is time for a give-away! And this time it's even bigger as you can win a fridge magnet (of a weird Christmas creature), a chained jellyfishmonster necklace (brand new!), two badges, and an original framed illustration.

The give-away winner will win all 4 together!

It is very easy to participate - leave a comment below or *like* my facebook page and leave a comment on the give-away picture! Easy? For sure!! I will then gather all participants and randomly pick one lucky winner via random.org. Please make sure you have a contact detail in your comment so that I can contact you - otherwise just leave your e-mail address in your comment :)

Some mini rules and reminders:
- People from every country can participate
- Only one comment per participant is allowed
- The winners will be announced on SUNDAY 18th DECEMBER @ 19hrs G.M.T

Good luck!

Wishing you happy happy holidays!♥

jellyfishmonster necklace factory

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:23:00 +0000

My desk is busy and so I am - Today is dedicated solely to the new jellyfishmonster (chain) necklaces. Trying to finish as much orders as I can before Christmas approaches. More to come!

Hope you like them, as much I as I'm enjoying doing creating them :) Don't forget to get in touch if you would like one of these!

nightime photos

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:07:00 +0000

yoko furusho

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:29:00 +0000

These beauties are by Yoko Furusho, a Japanese illustrator based in New York. It feels nice to forget yourself while sinking into Yoko's detailed fantasy world with all of these wonderful textures and patterns.

YOKO FURUSHO was born in Tokyo and moved to New York to study illustration at the School of Visual Arts. After her graduation, she started her career as a professional illustrator/artist. She likes to draw details, textures and patterns with ink and acrylics, and often uses fashion as her inspiration. She is addicted to collecting fashion magazines and likes to look at a lot of dresses and cute textiles.

More work on her website

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:44:00 +0000

nature, sun, wine, fluffy shapes in the sky, air, lines and forms, inspiration...

and new flowery boots at a Sunday thrifting session ♥

jellyfishmonster necklaces

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:23:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I had a request for a custom jellyfishmonster necklace. It was a different request as the client wanted to a chain, instead of black leather string, decorated with some bows and other chain details. I simply loved the end result, so much that I've decided to produce more in this style. It's always so refreshing to work on custom orders, they give you the push to experiment and explore new styles. I am currently taking orders for these necklaces (which come free with a free badge, [yes i'm feeling generous!]), so if you're interested leave a comment below or get in touch via email or facebook.

On another positive note - I am working on Xmas giveaway, so stayed tuned!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

post PATCHES-ness

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:04:00 +0000

It was yet another successful edition. Here are some photos from last Sunday's edition of Patches Market. Loads of beautiful colourful creations and delicious food, at the indoor market in Valletta.

Xmas decorations and festive nibbles

The entrance

Beautiful creations by Anna Gallo and Juniper Francalanza

Babettopolis' busy stall

The bus bosses adapt themselves for the festive season

Kevin Morris and his ceramics

Rita Cholita and her folky colourful creations

PATCHES' freshly introduced section called Patches Love Vintage -
featuring items from Hey Birdie Pie's collection

GARBAGE PETS (UK)

People moving on from one stall to another

Some Xmas decorations in the indoor market

A now a short break from PATCHES, but we will be back very very soon.

The Garbage Pets are in town!

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:55:00 +0000

These little monster pets have been showcased around in the UK, namely at London's famous market, Camden. They are flying over Malta, and will be on sale at Patches Christmas Market this SUNDAY. I decided to dedicate a post about these handmade pets and the mind behind GARBAGE PETS, Mervyn Tay.

GARBAGE PETS @ Camden Market

When I saw my Toyota Jet Black sewing machine, I immediately fell in love with it. I've not seen a modern sewing machine in black and I actually thought "wow" I'm going to have something so cool and different from the others! A week later, my sewing machine arrived but there was one problem - I didn't know how to use it! LOL...! For about 4 years it sat tucked away unused.

I've always been a very creative person since I was born. I've been painting full time as an artist since I was 19. However, the thought of making my own unique toys has always been on my mind. I've talked about it for over a year but never got round to actually doing it! Together with the amount of unwanted clothing I've accumulated over the years and this sewing machine I bought but never used. In December 2011, I decided to give it a go.

The idea was to come up with crazy, outrageously silly looking toys that are one-of-a-kind and original - like a piece of art! My first toy took me about 8 hours! Remarkably, I was patient enough to actually finish it. Of course, these days, with a lot of love and nimble hands, it only takes a fraction of that to come up with a new toy!

Brainy Benji

I make these toys in my spare time in between painting when my mind is in the creative mode. I've kept to the original idea of using as much recycled and unwanted fabrics as possible and occasionally, I will pop by the haberdashery and find something fancy! The next was coming up with a branding for my toys, and I thought, since these little companions were made out of the "unwanted", what better than to name them "Garbage Pets"! And to top it all, I name all my toys individually to give them uniqueness and personality.

Since then, I am absolutely chuffed at the amount of attention it's gained in only a few months. I can only hope that it will become more popular but I've promised myself to keep this passion of mine unique and not drift into the mainstream market. Isn't that what handmade is all about? :)

Based in Manchester, England. Mervyn Tay is a full time painter and the founder/creator of Garbage Pets.

www.facebook.com/garbagepets

CHECKERED CHRIS

Patches Christmas Market is taking place this Sunday, at the indoor market (Is-Suq tal-Belt) in Merchant's Str, Valletta - from 1030am onwards.

www.patchesmarket.com

Patches Christmas Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:48:00 +0000

The Christmas Edition of Patches Market is the perfect opportunity to purchase perfect gifts this Christmas. The 9th edition of this arts and crafts fair is being held on Sunday 27th November at the indoor market (Is-Suq tal-Belt) in Merchants Street, Valletta. It will be open at 1030am till late evening, with live music, food, arts and handmade unique items.

What we are really looking forward to:

Live acoustic music by Nick Morales, Sarah Falzon and Robert Carbonaro
Handmade creations by a foreign inmate at the prison of Malta
GARBAGE PETS are flying over to Malta to showcase their unique 'pets' made from recycled items, which have been showcased in Camden, London. GARBAGE PETS will be featured on this blog shortly!
Over 55 stalls including food, mulled wine, and handmade items made with passion & love featuring ceramics, clothing, plushies, cards, accessories, christmas decorations and more!
Patches is introducing a vintage section called "PATCHES LOVES VINTAGE" where vintage lover - Lara Schembri of 'Hey Birdie Pie', will be showcasing over 60 vintage items!

I also wanted to share some items which will be available at Patches:

Tote bags by alexandraaquiliana.com

Crabs, lobsters and other fish creatures featured on Carla Said's accessories

Bubble Wrap Advent Calendar by Mark Scicluna's project "Createhope"

GARBAGE PETS from the UK

Hey Birdie-Pie's beautiful vintage collection

Jewellery by UNEARTHED jewellery&co

ARRIVA ticket holders by KIKYO (quite handy no?)

Babettopolis is back!

Embroidered creations and more by The Secret Rose

And last but not least - Christmas goodies (and gluwein)!

More information can be found on www.patchesmarket.com where you can also view all the participants' work.

triangle birds

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:32:00 +0000

Never painted on triangle canvases before - so I decided to give it a go. When thinking about what to paint my mind screamed BIRDS! And here they are - 5 triangle headed birds on canvas:

Canvases will be on sale at Patches Market on 27.11

Seraphine Louis

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Scicluna) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:05:00 +0000

This week I've been reading about Seraphine Louis and viewing her paintings, which I found to be enchanting. Séraphine Louis (Séraphine de Senlis) (1864–1942) was a French painter in the naïve style. Self-taught, she was inspired by her religious faith and by stained-glass church windows and other religious art. The intensity of her images, both in color and in replicative design, is sometimes interpreted as a reflection of her own psyche, walking a tightrope between ecstasy and mental illness. She created simply because she depended on it. If you watch the movie about her, you realise what a simple and humble lady she was, driven to paint in solitude, without concern for showing, much less selling, her work.