Celebrate SPRING with the Goddess of the Harvest

In the Ancient Greek Myth, Demeter (Ceres) was the Goddess of the Harvest, Goddess of Agriculture. She controlled the seasons, and was capable of destroying life on earth. Her daughter, Persephone (Proserpina) was abducted from earth while picking flowers and taken into the underworld. You may be familiar with Bernini's sculpture Pluto and Proserpina that resides in the Villa Borghese Museum in Rome.

After Persephone's' abduction, Demeter wandered the earth day and night searching in grief for her lost daughter. She neglected her earthly duties, causing it to die—turning the earth into a Winter wasteland. It snowed. It snowed a lot. Demeter wandered to Eleusis where the Goddess Baubo offered her hospitality, she offered Demeter wine. But, that didn't work so Baubo playfully lifted her skirts, revealing herself and making lewd gestures. This caused Demeter to laugh. The laughter transformed Demeter's balance and in turn, transformed the balance of the earth.

Eventually Zeus convinced the gods to let Persephone return to Demeter for several months every year.

Persephone's yearly visit to her ecstatic mother, Demeter joyfully resumes her fertility of the earth—the flowers bloom and the birds sing. We have Spring.

After this year's dreadful Winter, the Spring will be specially sweet. Celebrate Persephone's return. Celebrate the rebirth of the earth!

More Journal Pages

WhineStoppers ...Chapter 2

My sculpting has gotten out of hand (in a good way) and I’ve managed to create 60 of these little buggers. Even though I’ve been a visual artist all my life, I am new to the selling-my-art game. Doing the festival circuit has always been one of my goals, but it hasn’t come together until now. When developing my plan, it wasn’t long before I figured out that maybe people who purchased these whimsical creations may also want to display them—as opposed to throwing them in a kitchen drawer into a life of seclusion. I went through many versions trying to create the perfect display—holders for one, two, and three at the most. They could be something that my soul mate (my left-brained partner, otherwise known as husband, Ted) could create from wood. They had to be relatively small, easy to transport and priced low. Classic stained wood was the first solution then the second was painted wood. However, this idea never quite got off the ground. Then, a couple of weeks ago I bolted upright in bed in both an A-Ha! and Duh! moment. It was one of those “why didn’t I think of this before” slap on the side of the head. The holder to display these heads would be the body! Of course! So, here they are—Whiney Hineys! Also sculpted from polymer, they are interchangeable bodies that can fit any WhineStopper head.

I have applied to my first serious outdoor festival in Cary, N.C. If I’m accepted, I’ll buy a festival tent and take this show on the road. Wish me luck and stay tuned on that, but for now if you need me, I’ll be in the studio …

ARTIST RESOURCES!

Here is a partial list of more of my favorite haunts! I didn't list the most obvious like Dick Blick and Amazon, but some others to add to your favorites! Happy surfing and shopping.  

ART/CRAFT FESTIVALS

Sunshine Artist Magazine http://www.sunshineartist.com/
Crafts Report Magazine http://www.craftsreport.com/
AmericanStyle Magazine http://www.americanstyle.com/

PACKAGING PRODUCTS
Staples Industrial http://www.staplesindustrial.com/
Impact Images – http://www.clearbags.com/ (envelopes and blank cards for printing, clear bags for packaging prints, other merchandising bags)

ART SUPPLIES
Hollos Papercraft http://hollospapercraft.net/
Dharma Trading http://www.dharmatrading.com/
European Papers http://www.europeanpapers.com/
Munrocrafts - Wholesale crafts http://www.munrocrafts.com/
Save On Crafts http://www.save-on-crafts.com/
Science Surplus http://www.sciplus.com/
Cernit Polymer http://www.clayfactoryinc.com/

REFERENCE
The Mother of All Art and Art History Links http://umich.edu/~motherha/
Reading recommendations http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/index.html

WHINEStoppers! Chapter One

In a previous post, I mentioned that I love to sculpt people. Obviously, I love to write. What you may not know is that I also love to taste wine. Just announce Friday night happy hour and I’m there! This was my thought process (thoughts that usually happen in the shower, sorry for any visual you may be getting right now). So, what if? Wine stoppers that were people’s heads? All different. And they each had a “whiney” story. I’ll call them WHINEstoppers! Some are people that I invented, and some are characters like Albert Einstein, Jerry Garcia, and Andy Warhol. They are all individual sculpts and limited editions. I guarantee they will make you smile and that is one of my main goals.

Well, long story short, this project has snowballed and I had my first show this past November with 60 WHINEstoppers. Here’s a sample.

Albert Einstein

Jerry Garcia

Phineas – He dreams of becoming a fishmonger

Otto - He is known for the potato chip tattooed on his shoulder














Skinner – He likes sipping a beer on the porch of his double-wide













Stay tuned for WHINEstoppers Chapter Two!

Dear Studio

You have always been with me in one form or another—for many years and in many homes. You have been my port in a storm. You have been my salvation. You hold everything that I cherish—my art supplies that let me create. You hold my finished and unfinished projects keeping them safely tucked inside your belly until I am ready to start again—or not. However, you don't mind, you understand. Throughout the years you've been hospitable to my muse—that elusive one. She shows up unannounced and leaves without warning. You support both of us and never complain when we leave you messy. Oh so messy—for days. Sometimes weeks. You know that I will return. We decorate you unmercifully and you just smile and take it, in fact, you seem to thrive on the attention. In this date and time, you have red walls, green and yellow walls. You have writing on your ceiling, you have electronics and you have music. Thank you studio, for being there when I need you the most.


In artful love, Sydney

HAPPY PURIM!

In the Hebrew Bible, Esther appears as a woman of deep faith, courage and patriotism, ultimately willing to risk her life for her adoptive father, Mordecai, and the Jewish people.


In Judaism, the book of Esther is read on Purim. It tells a story of palace intrigue and plotting to kill the Jews thwarted by the Jewish queen of Persia.

The story opens with an account of King Ahasuerus' royal seven-day feast to display the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor of his majesty.

Drunk with wine, the King ordered his queen Vashti to appear nude in front of his drunken guests. Vashti refused (apparently she didn't like gang rape) and this pissed off the king. He then demanded that a new queen reign in Vashti's place and then had her killed to make her an example for other disobedient wives. (I hate when that happens).

A Jew named Mordecai presented his beautiful niece, Esther, not revealing that she is also a Jew. Enchanted with her charm and beauty, King Ahasuerus chose Esther to be his wife and queen.

Soon after this, the King gave Haman, his prime minister, power and authority—the people would bow to him. (Yeah, right). Everyone bowed except Mordecai who refused to bow to anyone but his God. This pissed off Haman, and he plotted to massacre all Jews, including Esther. That night, over the banquet, Esther told the king about Haman's plan and acknowledged her own Jewish ethnicity. The king then ordered Haman to be hanged! (Na-na-na-na-na!)

Jews established the annual feast of Purim in memory of their deliverance. I created this collage to illustrate the story.

A Few Journal Pages

First Steps into Polymer Clay

The year was 2001. I bought my first packs of polymer clay. It was Sculpey and could hardly believe how happy it made me--put me right into THE ZONE. I sat and played for six hours non-stop. At that time I had no idea of the unbelievable possibilities ahead of me.

Enter the giraffe. This was a gift that my friend Phyllis gave to me—a whimsical giraffe sculpture. Inspired by the cuteness, the words, “I could make that!” just flew out of my mouth.

Over the next several days, I was still inspired and while pondering my options, I concluded that people were more interesting than animals. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE animals, but the character possibilities of making people were endless. I bought Maureen Carlson’s book “Sculpting Friends and Family” and started experimenting. Here was my very funny first attempt - Suzanna Liberty.

Not long after some experimenting was I hopping on a plane to take the class from Maureen at her most excellent Center for Creative Arts  in Jordan Minneapolis. Thanks, Mo! The instruction was excellent but I was a slow learner. This was the sculpt of Mary in her garden holding a primitive weeder thingy.

So, that was then. This is now. Two of my 18" art dolls. On the left is Queen Mama. "She" is not exactly gender specific and lounges on a fainting couch. On the right is Lady Marmalade. Their heads, hands, and feet are sculpted from polymer clay. The bodies are soft sculpted. The costumes are my original pattern designs (and I really hate sewing).

And to think it all started with a Giraffe!

Art Journaling

Years ago when I started sculpting art dolls I wanted to document the process in a journal. But, of course being somewhat of a perfectionist (somewhat?) I just could not use any old journal it had to be unique—and that quickly added another project to my plate. I constructed a simple journal, ala Teesha Moore. I was happy with the outcome,  so the process and continued to make another art journal for general daily art journaling.

After traveling with a journal for the first time, I quickly realized that the size was too cumbersome to pack so I scaled them down to a packable size to be tucked inside my backpack and my travel purse. They fit beautifully with a little room left over for a few pens and markers.

I continue to make journals for special trips and occasions. This journal traveled to Italy. She (all my things are gender-specific) had an excellent time with me journaling at the Coliseum in Rome, and in St. Marks piazza in Venice. Oh the blissfulness!

These are the journals that I use to make art, experiment, write, or just doodle. I can get lost in the process--the zone. Stay tuned for the inside journal pages...where most of the fun lies.