What's Happenin' In The Studio!

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."

~Henry Ward Beecher

Starting Tuesday, April 6: Oil Painting Class,

Choice of 3-5 pm or 7-9 pm.

Learn Great Techniques for Landscapes, Flowers

Come and Paint Your Soul Today!

Don't Forget To Stop & Notice The Sea Glass!

"And since you know you cannot see yourself,

so well as by reflection, I, your glass,

will modestly discover to yourself,

that of yourself which you yet know not of."

~William Shakespeare

Welcome to JOYful D*Sign! 

A Place to Wander Among the Sea Glass & Dragonflies &

Beautiful Jewelry Creations, Kaleidoscopes & Magnets too!

These are just a few of my favorite things, there are so many more, you will want to check it out for yourself.

Teal Green Seaglass Pendant- Sea Serpent

Teal Seaglass and Crystal Boomerang Pendant

Victorian Sky Dragonfly Earrings

Feeling Like Fall Leaf Earrings (My absolute FAV)

My wonderful new friend, Denise, lives in Lake Worth, FLA,

which with its incredible access to the ocean must give her ongoing inspiration. 

In fact, that was my old stomping grounds years ago. I got my Interior Design Degree from PBJC (Peanut Butter & Jelly College), now named Palm Beach Community College, for obvious reasons.

My husband and I spent a lot of time at the Lake Worth Public Beach, where on my first visit, saw an enormous pair of stingrays swimming under the pier. That was the beginning of my love affair with Florida. We moved to Michigan when we wanted to be closer to family. Because, folks, weather isn't everything, it takes a second to having the support of family.

Anyway, please take a walk on Denise's "Beach"@

http://www.facebook.com/DJoyfuldsign

http://twitter.com/joyfuldsign

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoyfulDsign

What Makes The Universe Flow?

"Male and female represent the two sides of the great radical dualism. But in fact they are perpetually passing into one another.

Fluid hardens to solid, solid rushes to fluid. There is no wholly masculine man, no purely feminine woman."~Margaret Fuller

Say Hello to The Couple Priscilla Push & Peter Pull!

This incredible duo was Assembled by my new Internet Friend,

Terrie Hall and her "Peter Pull", Alan. They own the Awesome Etsy shop "Temporary Insanity" where you can find many other quirky, lovely figures and jewelry, everything made from

vintage hardware, found objects and a bit of this & that.

Do your aesthetic funny bones a favor and visit @http://www.etsy.com/shop/TemporaryInsanity

Coloring Outside the Lines!

Maria Cristina Belluci started as a theatre costume and accessories maker, creating also a wide range of jewelry for stage use, and then decided to add more color into her work. You just gotta love colored pencils. Makes you feel like a kid again. Check out more of her work @http://www.klimt02.net/jewellers/index.php?item_id=11203

Thanks to Iheartwood for finding this incredible artist!  @http://www.iheartwood.com/2010/03/27/pencil-jewelry-by-maria-cristina-belluci/

Big Shoulders!

"I am an artist kind of by default; I see and act on things instinctually. My mind is always running with ideas...

If I didn't create, I think my shoulders would implode

from the stress of inactivity."

~Jesse Reno

I am so blessed to have some very strong shoulders to sometimes lean on and sometimes hold me up. Just showing the back of the shoulders of one of my #1 Supporters (did I not say I have many?).

   Here he is installing my first paper mosaic (made entirely of recycled magazine pages), and hanging in this amazing restaurant! Please check out their website and definitely visit and have the best food and service in Central Michigan! Latitude's in Howard City. @http://www.latitudes-steelheads.com/.  This place is where everyone knows your name.

    And, if you are ever bored on a Thursday night and find yourself near Lakeview, come on in to A Work of Art and try your hand at paper mosaic; you will become addicted; and your spouse may regret that you met me, but we try not to worry about all that! Have a great weekend snuggling with your favorite pair of shoulders.

Peace, Molly

Gratitude and Angel's Wings

"Gratitude is our most direct line to God and the angels.

If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel,

we can find something to be thankful for."

~Terry Lynn Taylor

Here is the base for my next project! My amazing "metal man" Dave, is truly a "superhero" in my book! Now to decide what to attach to them. Hmmmm.... I have a couple ideas. Anyone interested in the process? Leave a comment letting me know. I love sharing! Peace.

"Bag of Tools"

"Isn't it strange

that princes and kings

and clowns that caper in sawdust rings

and common people

like you and me

are builders for eternity

Each is given a bag of tools

a shapeless mass

a book of rules

And each must make

ere life is flown

a stumbling block

or a stepping stone."

~R.L. Sharpe

I Won This Awesome "Newsboy" Cap!

Check out this adorable Newsboy Cap I won from 

"Stitches In Cotton"

It is beautifully stitched (crocheted) and fits wonderfully. The flower is a superior touch!

Check out all her wonderful offerings 

@http://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchesInCotton

Of course, my daughter rocks it better than I, but duh.

Incredible "Pea Shoot" Giveaway!

Look at this gorgeous Necklace! And you could own it. Bella Bijou Jewelry is having a Giveaway!

Go to her Blog to check it out!

Bellabijoujewellery.blogspot.com

http://bellabijoujewellery.blogspot.com/2010/03/something-special-for-you-giveaway-time.html?

Moment of Completion

Mosaic in Progress...

Her neck is finished and trying on some jewelry!

Purple Garden Pillows

Purple Garden Pillows, originally uploaded by tooaquarius.

Look at these Incredible Clay Beads, yes, I said "BEADS"! I thought at first they were actual pillows. Just amazing. I may have to carry some of these beautiful artist's beads in my shop. Hmmmmm.... Check her creations out @http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=49565&mssg=1

http://www.artfire.com/users/aworkofartstudio

New ArtFire Kiosk Now Open!

Listing items takes way longer than I ever imagined, so.... A few at a time, peeps! 

And, thanks for your patience.

 Coming soon, Wonderful wooden signage/ mixed media, 

handmade jewelry, hand painted silk scarves, and dichroic glass pendants!

Hanging Out With Creative People

...New "Wrist Phat", "Skull Caps" & "Flap Hats" in the Shop!

Working on my ArtFire Shop to include these items and many more. Will alert fans when they are ready!

"The old ways are dead. And you need people around you who concur. That means hanging out more with the creative people, the freaks, the real visionaries, than you're already doing. Thinking more about what their needs are, and responding accordingly. Avoid the dullards; avoid the folk who play it safe. They can't help you any more. Their stability model no longer offers that much stability. They are extinct, they are extinction."

~Hugh Macleod

Character Formation?

"Forming characters! Whose? Our own or others? Both. 

And in that momentous fact lies the peril

and responsibility of our existence."

~Elihu Burritt

Meet the newest "characters" at A Work of Art Studio:

Wired Garden Girls! Galvanized Fenced Wire figures to place in a prominent place in one's garden.

My talented friend, Dave Jensen, has made me some heavier duty girls to cover in mosaic; I asked if he could make some "lighter" ones to 'gardenize', and these are his first born. (Kind of fun to hang jewelry on too).

"Spring is a true reconstructionist"~Henry Timrod

My Uncle's Magnolia (Tulip Tree as they are known in Michigan), obviously thinks Winter won't last much longer. I learned long ago that Mother Nature always gives hints of things to come. 

Such amazing trees that give so much beauty for such a short time. 

"Earth and Spring, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes mud..."

May you all enjoy the first signs and fruits of Spring! Peace, Molly