LeisaWorks

Recent Paper by 53 Drawings

2013-02-26T20:51:00.001-05:00

I continue my quest to post a drawing each day. It began shortly after I discovered the Paper app in May of 2012. It is such an amazing app. I love the immediacy of working with it. I don't have to drag out boxes of paints, stacks of paper - just pop open my iPad, day or night, and begin to draw. It has been such a journey...experimenting with the tools, watching as Paper updated and expanded the app, having fun with color and composition! Oh, the joy of working! The spontaneous nature of the medium! The brilliant color vibrant with backlighting from the amazing ipad display...

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Long Time, No See

2012-11-19T18:01:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I haven't written much for the blog lately. I confess, I've been focusing more on my Facebook page and Etsy lately. But remembered this long neglected space today and wanted to check in. I've been doing lots of shows this fall and creating lots of new pendants. I've tried some new things like adding embellishments and charms to the glass. This seems to work really well on simple dichroic pieces like the one below. This one is in my Etsy store as of yesterday.

I've also been doing some painted pendants using Glassline paint.

I love working on these little bits of winter. They seem so calm and peaceful. I also enjoy the way the snowflakes added on a topper of clear glass give them a 3-dimensional feel.

In the last couple of shows, I've also been working to make improvements to my booth set up. I was really happy with the booth at the show this weekend, but more in that in my next post.

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Ribbon

2012-10-05T15:44:00.001-04:00

I've been trying out various options for online selling. I've had a few Etsy sales, but I don't have time to keep my online shop stocked with inventory. It also makes it more difficult for me when you can't use the iPad to upload photos. I take most of my photos with the terrific camera on my iPad.so, I really want to use it. With Etsy, I have to go bring those photos over to my desktop iMac to post them. I tried Yessy, but I couldn't use my iPad there either. When I contacted customer service, they told me I needed to use a "real computer".

Today, I found two new sites, one is called Gumroad and the other is Ribbon. It seems that Gumroad is primarily used for selling things that are downloadable like music, pdf's and jpegs. Ribbon is for actual physical things like my pendants. It allows you to create a link to an e-commerce page. You can post that link to Facebook, Twitter and also embed in places like this blog.

I do a good bit of posting on my Facebook page, and up until this point really didn't have a way for anyone to purchase what I posted. Hopefully, this will help with that.

I've created a purchase link to the pendant above. Take a minute to check it out.

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Art in the Park 2012

2012-09-25T21:45:00.001-04:00

After a four year break, Art in the Park returned to Greenville this past weekend. I was privileged to be a part of its successful return. The weather was nearly perfect both Saturday and Sunday...a little warm in the sun, but under the shade of our tent it was nice.

It was nice to do a show so close to home. Tim and I didn't have to be downtown until 8 on Saturday morning to set up. It was also nice to visit with the many friends who stopped by.

Because we were so very close to the bridge, I took a few of my Liberty bridge prints and notecards along with my glass pendants and artwork.

As usual, we met lots of very interesting people over the course of the weekend. I had a chance to visit with lots of my friends in the local art community and meet some new artists.

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A Southern Girl in the City

2012-09-12T21:45:00.000-04:00

Arriving in New York - Nice and Fresh

This past week we took off for a whirlwind 25th Anniversary trip with our best friends of almost 25 years.

We both celebrated our 25th anniversaries this summer and have been planning a trip to New York to celebrate since January. I say we have been planning when in reality my friend Richelle was really the brains behind the itinerary. Thanks to her we managed to do more in just a few days than most people accomplish in a few weeks.

Over the course of my life, I have visited some big cities...Washington, DC, Chicago, Atlanta, London, Berlin, Paris, Rome... but I have to say that New York is like nothing I have ever experienced.

The first impressions of a southern girl in New York (in no particular order):

It is just so huge - the biggest city I've ever seen.

Seeing the Statue of Liberty was an incredibly moving experience for me. Realizing that the people in line for the ferry early on September 11, 2001, witnessed the horror of the attack up close was also sobering.

Grand Central Station is indeed Grand and Central.

Ellis Island is steeped in history. Hearing the stories of immigrants who made it all the way to our shores only to be chalk marked and sent back to their ports of origin was heartbreaking.

The 911 Memorial is painful to visit - I was surprised by the depth of feelings it awakened - it was like reopening a wound.

The restaurants are the tiniest I have seen - small serving areas, small tables, big portions.

The people on the street and in the subway were nice and helpful. I think they have gotten a bad rap.

The people working in food service can be abrupt. Make sure you know what you want BEFORE they ask you. If you hesitate, don't be surprised by impatient rudeness.

Iced tea is hard to find - unless you consider Snapple iced tea. At one place, I asked if tea was available and got an affirmative. I ordered two teas and watched as the server set out to prepare me a couple of cups of hot tea. I just wanted a good old unsweetened iced tea. I ended up with a mostly cold Snapple.

Also, plain old ice seems to be scarce. Almost every drink I had while I was there was only kind of cold. I could never figure out exactly why since I often got them from the street food carts, and they would fish them out of the ice. I expected icy cold and got mostly cold.

Central Park from Top of the Rock

Central Park is an amazing oasis in the midst of a concrete jungle.

Tornados strike New York too - while we were there a tornado came inland off the water at Coney Island.

It is remarkable just how tall the Empire State Building is - it made me wonder what was going through the minds of those people who made the decision to jump from the burning towers on September 11.

Time Square

Time Square is not as big as I imagined. My only reference is Dick Clark's New Year's Rock'n' Eve - it looks huge on television, and it is big - just not like I thought it would be.

Time Square is electric. Lots of light, lots of people, lots of activity, all the time.

New York is hot and humid. I think that two of the four days were as hot or hotter than it is in South Carolina. One day it was rainy and muggy, and that same day it was raining and freezing on top of the Empire State Building at 11:00 p.m.

The plaza at Rockefeller Center isn't as big as I thought, and in the summer the ice skating rink becomes a cafe area.

Little Italy

Little Italy and China town remind me of dingy Epcot attractions. But, the food we had at the sidewalk Cafe Napoli in Little Italy was wonderful.

The subway is grimy and dirty - nothing like the subway in D.C. The subway walls looked like had never been cleaned, and we could see the mice/rats scurrying around on the tracks. It is also a little bit complicated. We were just starting to figure out how to navigate it when it was time to come home.

We saw them testing out the 911 light memorial. It is hauntingly lovely.

911 Memorial Lights

I have never seen a play quite up to the level of Wicked at the Gershwin theatre on Broadway.

Tim's Very Own Muppet - Teresa

FAO Schwarz is the biggest toy store I've ever been to - and you can create your very own, unique Muppet there and get a pack of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups the size of my head.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a national treasure, Tiffany glass is stunning, and Van Gogh's brushwork is breathtaking.

Tiffany Window

The most important thing you can take to New York is a comfortable pair of Nike Sneakers.

The second most important thing you can take to New York City is an iPad or iPhone with GPS maps.

The third most important thing you can take to New York is a good, light crossbody bag (Thanks Billy).

The fourth most important thing you can take to New York is a fold up rain poncho.

Cabs aren't that expensive.

Hotels are very expensive, and the rooms aren't as big as we're used to them being.

Murals in the Lobby of 30 Rock

The architecture is unique and beautiful. I loved the Art Deco design of the GE Building and Empire State Building. The murals in 30 Rock are overwhelming.

Everyone is to be tipped.

NYC is much safer than I expected, and there are policemen everywhere.

I'm sure there are other things that I will remember on publishing this, but I think the most important thing I learned is that New York is best shared with good friends!

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A LUNATIKlife

2012-09-12T19:55:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, the people behind the Paper by 53 app tweeted news of a contest by Lunatik. They were taking submissions of drawings done in the Paper app for a short period of time. When it was all said and done, I was notified that one of my drawings had placed in the top ten, and I was the winner of one of their new iPad stylus pens. This past weekend, it arrived. I have been experimenting with it these last few days and have to say I love it. It is a stylus until you click the pen button - then it becomes a traditional writing pen. Perfect!

Trip to Cary

2012-08-31T08:40:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I was able to go to Cary, NC for their annual Lazy Daze Festival. This was the one that was cancelled last year when Hurricane Irene blew into North Carolina.

It was a great festival! There were over 380 artist from all across the county! The weather was perfect. It turned out overcast, breezy and cool. From what I heard, that was a big change from the usual 95+ weather that they usually have for the day.

My mom working my booth.

I was blessed to have my mom and mom-in-law along with me. They were a huge help, and I could not have handled the crowd without them. I think of all the festivals I have done, this was the most well attended. I think the cool weather was an incentive to be there even in the afternoon hours.

Below are a few recent fused glass pendants that I took to Cary...thankfully some of them didn't make the trip back home.

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Paper by 53 Drawing - August 30, 2012

2012-08-30T22:45:00.001-04:00

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LUNATIKlife Contest

2012-08-20T18:07:00.001-04:00

I got word today that one of my Paper by 53 drawings placed in the top 10 of the LUNATIKlife digital drawing contest. Below is the drawing and here is a link to see the winning drawings. I was so excited to get the news! I have really enjoyed exploring the possibilities of digital drawing with the Paper by 53 iPad app. I try to draw and post one drawing each day. It was fun to submit some of those to the LUNATIKlife contest earlier this summer. After reviewing the other winning entries, I feel honored to have been included!

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Glass Houses...

2012-08-08T05:59:00.001-04:00

Friday, I started playing with a pile of glass scraps, small pieces leftover from other projects. I had been thinking of trying to create some little glass houses, and all the tiny leftover triangles captured my imagination and seemed perfect for doing just that. Below are a few more of the finished pendants. I brought these to full fuse. I think I may do a few soon and try tack fusing them so that the small pieces retain their shape a little more, but I was pleased with these.

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Hand picked pendants

2012-07-16T10:06:00.001-04:00

I worked on a few new hand painted pendants over the past few days. I had forgotten how much I love using the Glassline paint to create these little floral pendants. As you can see, I had a little help while I was photographing them to post here.

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Video Portfolio

2012-07-15T22:40:00.001-04:00

I put together this three minute video using iMovie for the iPad. It is a collection of some of the digital sketches I've done in the Paper by 53 app.

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Classic Case of Burnout

2012-07-09T16:12:00.001-04:00

I've never really understood the term "burnout" until recently. I was working really hard during the fall and early winter to keep up with the various shows and festivals I had scheduled. When May came, I kind of just stopped working for a while, and a while became longer than I originally thought it would be. I was distracted by all the end of the year activities at my real job, and so I thought as soon as May was over I would get back to it. May ended, and I just wasn't feeling it. That's when I realized I had a classic case of burnout. I looked at the glass stacked around my garage and my heart just wasn't in it. I kept waiting to get inspired, and it didn't happen.

In the mean time, I picked up sketching on the iPad. A fun diversion, but the glass still waited. I didn't schedule any shows in June or July - lots of time to recover the glass groove. My next show isn't until late August, I have a pretty large inventory and I'm still coasting along.

I've decided that I will just muddle through the burnout. I will take baby steps and see if inspiration returns. I willed myself to get started this past week when I was off for the holiday. I moved my ring saw out of my very hot garage and into the dining room. I gradually started and began to enjoy working. Still, I crave something fresh, a new way of working, something new to try...but at least I'm working again.

My mind is working on new ideas. I have a few things percolating that I want to try, a few experiments to get to. I wish I could say I'm truly motivated, but at least I see a little spark. In the meantime, I will keep working. I want some new, fresh pieces for my upcoming festivals.

Below are a few of the pendants I created last week. Overall, I'm pleased with most of them. When working with the ring saw, you have to carefully clean each cut piece before firing. For some reason, even though I washed the pieces a few of them still had the debris on them - this was only apparent after firing...so I lost a few in the process.

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A Week of New Sketches

2012-07-01T14:22:00.001-04:00

More sketches created this week using my iPad and the Paper by 53 app. I try to do one sketch each day. The app automatically posts them to my tumblr page and tweets them. I usually put the sketch of the day on my LeisaWorks Facebook page too.

I've had several people ask me about getting prints made from these. I've investigated and found 2 sites to create prints from Instagram images. I brought them into Instagram and set up galleries on each site. The image above shows a page in one of these galleries.

The first is called Instaprints - if you click you will go to my gallery. This site prints on canvas, acrylic, and different types of paper. You can even get a customized frame and mat. The other site is called instacanvas - they print on gallery wrapped canvas.

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Getting back to it...

2012-06-24T19:52:00.001-04:00

So, I know I keep saying I'll get back to working on glass shortly, and I will. However, this weekend was dedicated to something much more important - my daughters sweet 16 birthday party.

So, I put glass on hold for a little while longer. I am starting to notice that summer is getting away from me though, and I have fall and winter shows already on the calendar. So, I am anxious to get to work.

I have done a few pieces recently. Above are some of my recent pendants. I wanted to experiment some more with the circles, just play with different colors and sizes. I love some of the color combos! I also did a few of the flowers, but I need lots more of those. That is my next goal.

The amazing Paper by 53 app is where I am channeling most of my creativity recently. Primarily because it's at my fingertips when I'm sitting in the dentist office, waiting in the car for someone, or just home too late to drag out and work on glass, below are some recent Paper drawings. I attempt to post one drawing each morning on leisaworks.tumblr.com.

Fun with Paper

2012-06-15T23:51:00.001-04:00

I'm having the best time playing with the Paper by 53 app.

One of my college art professors encouraged us to carry a sketchbook with us everywhere and continually be drawing. This app makes it convenient and fun to do that!

I try to post a sketch each morning to my Facebook and tumbler pages. I haven't posted any recent sketches here on the blog, so I thought I'd post some tonight. The little nest above is the sketch for tomorrow morning. The ones below we're posted in the past week or so.

Full Circle

2012-06-12T15:09:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I enjoyed a nice day off from my regular job. I got to spend part of this gloriously rainy day in my mostly garage/kind of studio playing with some new ideas for pendants. I was working with my ring saw and started by cutting out circles in varying sizes and colors. I was really pleased with the way they came out - I loved how they looked.

I went ahead and fully fused the first four, but I think I may try tack fusing a couple soon - it would be cool to see them stacked up too.

Ready to fire

Fully fused

Finished

Thank you Viva! Everyday Design

2012-06-11T10:38:00.001-04:00

I love it when things I use everyday are beautifully designed.

I know this feeling explains my 23 year passion for Apple products. It began at my first real job, when I first put fingers to the keyboard of a 512K and has progressed through the years with each new Apple creation I have had the pleasure to use.

Not only are their products beautiful and fun to use, they are solid and reliable and well designed from start to finish. I have always loved the moment when a new Mac arrived at my office or home. It is a treat to see how even the packaging is carefully designed to enhance the overall Mac experience.

For me, this love of beauty carries over to even the most mundane things. The other day, I picked up a package of paper towels that were on sale at Target. I do try to shop frugally, so often the ones on sale aren't all that great, but hey..it's just paper towels, right?

I really didn't even notice what brand or what they looked like until later when I was putting them away. I was so surprised to see something different than the plain white, or gaudy prints I'm used too. The colors coordinated, the designs were well done and fun, the quality of the actual towel was a superior. I'm not sure I can afford them when they aren't on sale, but I would totally be tempted. I know this may sound silly to some but just looking at them made me feel happy!

Thank you Viva!

Too long gone...

2012-06-09T21:11:00.001-04:00

I know it's been too long since I've posted anything here.

Since I don't have any shows this month, I don't feel quite the pressure to produce as I sometimes do. But I have slowly started to work on glass a little bit in the last few days. In fact, I've created 2 batches of pendants this week. Below is a shot of a hot kiln from this afternoon.

I'm still really having fun with the Paper app. I try to do at least one sketch per day to post. Once a drawing is done, I can automatically tweet it, save it to my camera roll, post to Facebook and post it to my tumblr blog at http://leisaworks.tumblr.com.

This week I was surprised to find that my sketch of Fall's Park in Greenville had been noticed and chosen as a featured sketch by the creators of the Paper app. Cool!

If you'd like to see all of the sketches I've posted, click over to my tumblr blog here.

A Little Rusty

2012-05-31T16:00:00.001-04:00

It seems forever since I was able to work on anything new. May is always so hectic because of my job with the school district. I try to keep my schedule clear of festivals and other events that require me to work on glass. So, when I pulled out my glass this past weekend, I didn't really know where to start. I felt out of sorts and rusty, so, I just willed myself to begin simply.

Almost all of my cut floral pendants are gone, so I decided to work on a simple group of those. I enjoy wearing and get lots of compliments on my daisy with the lime green center, so I created three of those. I did a few other color variations and used some scraps to created a red and black piece. It was good to get back up and running!

Memorial Day 2012

2012-05-28T16:17:00.001-04:00

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

It is good to have a day to stop and remember. We are so busy and life is often hectic. We take so much for granted. In this country, we have so much. We have virtually unlimited freedom to believe, to think, to speak our mind. Facebook and blogs like this are a living testament to our ability to say anything at anytime. It doesn't mean we have the right to be heard, or that what we say will be met with universal acceptance - but we can say it!

Today, I am especially thankful for the men and women who stood up for our freedom. They sacrificed everything for people they knew and would never know. They fought and died far from home, compelled by the belief that what they were engaged in was right and true, and for the benefit of the greater good.

Time and Space

2012-05-17T14:31:00.000-04:00

Still no time for glass work, I did order some new glass yesterday though - looking forward to it getting here.

I am still enjoying playing around with the "Paper" app. Yesterday, I created the piece above. It's called "Time and Space."

I've also downloaded an app called "Sketchbook Pro" - it has a lot more functionality than "Paper." So, it also has a bigger learning curve - I'm anxious to experiment with it when time allows.

Paper

2012-05-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

I like to try new iPad apps, so the other day, I read about an app called "Paper" - I couldn't resist.

It's basically a sketchbook with a minimal set of tools for sketching. The app is free, but only comes with a couple of the tools activated, if you want more tools, color, etc., you pay 1.99 for each new option you want to add.

It really is a fun little app. I like trying to figure out what it will do, how to stretch the way it functions. Learning something like this forces me to think in new and different ways. It allows me to get outside what I usually do and create something new to me. Once you finish a sketch the app allows you to share on various social media sites and save into the photo stream. I've put several of my recent sketches in so you can get a feel for how much fun it can be!

I think it's perfect for quick on-the-go sketches, studies for larger pieces, playing with color. I love the way the colors mix and layer, and the neat watercolor effect you get when using the paintbrush.

Days of Creation

2012-05-09T13:25:00.001-04:00

View from the 10th floor

I haven't done much glass work in the last week or two. I had a work trip to Atlanta at the end of last week. I enjoyed getting to do something out of the routine. I also enjoyed getting to spend the time with my friend and coworker.

We stayed in a hotel that practically sits on the runway at Hartsfield International. It was pretty inside, kind of a late 70's early 80's style - big open atrium, stair stepped floors...reminded me of the Hyatt in DT Greenville. Fortunately, they soundproofed the inside, so we really didn't hear any of the airplanes taking off and landing.

It has worked out well, aside from the decrease in sales, that I don't have any shows scheduled for a while. I've been helping to paint murals in the newly renovated nursery wing at our church.

We have so many super talented people that attend, and one of them is a wonderful interior designer. She has done a great job planning the decor - including creation murals in each room.

I love what she has done with this...very clean designs with the corresponding verse of scripture included. So far, we have worked on only two of the four rooms, but they are coming along really nicely!

The wall in progress.

The verse that will go in the sky on the wall above.

Variations on a Theme...

2012-05-01T21:56:00.001-04:00

...or a color scheme. My friend and I are going to Atlanta to present at a conference. She requested a pendant to match the outfit she would like to wear that day. So, I worked a little on Saturday trying to create something that compliments the colors and style of her blouse.

I did a few with glass in various shades of brown and orange. Then I decided to pull out my Glassline paints and do some painted ones.

This is one of the pendants created using various shades of coordinating glass. She chose this pendant - the ones below seemed a little too much when paired with her floral shirt.

Glassline pieces drying in the sun. Once dry, I capped them with clear glass and fired them to full fuse.

Finished Glassline piece.