Living Life Artfully

Christine Webb of The Artists’ Nook has been offering Mixed Media, Book Making, Jewelry and Assemblage art workshops to Northern Colorado Since 2000

As of 2013, I have decided to take an art sabbatical spending time in my studio creating my own art and processing life.  I say processing life because I will be balancing my full time job, parenting my four wonderful boys while taking the time to create art.  I have always distracted myself with other tasks putting my art on the back burner.  Which is funny because I get energized and inspired when I create.  I will share my art re-discovery journey with you on this website and sending it out in a monthly email to my list.  So if you want to receive my “In the Studio” progress right in your “In Box” sign up for my email list on the side bar to the right side of this web page.

APRIL 5, 2013

IN THE STUDIO: Sometimes it’s the little things

Sometimes it is the little things in life that make a big impression.

This past month my work in my studio has not been much; getting supplies for school projects, riveting my dog’s new rabies tag to her collar and stuff like that.

I was going to share with you a project that I have been working out (not working on) called “Life Blessings” but with a deeper Q & A with myself asking “What else did I do in my studio this month?”

I realized I did create something!   It seemed non-significant at the time but as I reflected more on this project I saw and appreciated this small task as a beautiful moment in my studio.

A “Sympathy Card” transformed into a “Heart Felt Thoughts” Collage Opportunity:

A friend of mine had informed me that his dog had passed away.  Not wanting to talk about it, the conversation was quick and awkward.  I really wanted to share that my thoughts were with my friend during this difficult time.

At work we have cards to send out for just such occasions.  I picked one out because I loved the sentiment inside the card:

“Friends enter and leave our lives, but the impressions they make on our hearts stay with us forever. ”

As I got back to my desk to send off the card, I then read the front and final sentiment inside.  It had the word sympathy in it twice. “With Heartfelt Sympathy” & “Our sympathy is with you in your loss”   I don’t like that word.  It sounds insincere and cold.

I thought I could cross out the word and write something else.  But then it came to me, this is a perfect collage opportunity.

So after 3 days of procrastination, I sat down in my studio and transformed the card keeping the sentiment I liked.

As I tore paper layering on the cover and inside of the card, my son Jeremy came in and sat at one end of my art table doing his homework and talking to me.  He asked about what I was doing as I “aged” the paper with ink and water.

My dog came in lay down to be close to us.  My other son Braden came in to out check out what we were doing and asked questions about the art project.  He wanted to go out and find a new dog for my friend.

What a wonderful moment with my boys which easily could have been overlooked.

I can easily get overwhelmed with things I wanted to do like…. send a friend a card……. that then ends up being an art project because I was not happy with the card as is…… which takes days of procrastination and many times of me trying to talk myself out of it………I am sure some of you can relate to this scenario!

Here is the Before of the card:

And Here is the Card After:

New sentiment “Pumpkin Touched Your Heart”

“And You Touched His”

PS. My friend loved the card!

Who we have had in the past:

Lynda Abare, Nancy Anderson, Tom Ashman, Keely Barham, Traci Bautista, Bev Brazelton, Cory Celaya, Juliana Coles, Robert Dancik, Cheryl Darrow, Michael deMeng, Dayle Doroshow, Lisa Engelbrecht, Bev Glueckert, Claudine Hellmuth, Cas Holmes, Tim Holtz, Peggy Houchin, Beckah Krahula, Kelly Kilmer, Stephanie Lee, Susan Lenart-Kazmer, Leighanna Light, Keith Lo Bue, Kathy Martin, Karen Michel, Laurie Mika, Sharilyn Miller, Lynne Perrella, DJ Pettitt, Cherri Robb, Patricia “Trish” Baldwin Seggebruch, Albie Smith, Roben-Marie Smith, Jacqueline Sullivan, Beryl Taylor, Cathy Taylor, Cynthia Wolf.