Artist shove down

I love being an artist.  Coming up with new ideas and seeing how they turn out.  Sometimes they are cool and other times they should be thrown away.  Either way it's just fun developing ideas.  Well a job can kinda ruin that.  Maybe not all jobs, but some can.  For example you actually can't design anything because the customer is the one designing it (or a sales person).  In the end you have to make it they way they like it and it's still art, but for me sometimes that kills creativeness.  Yes it can also bring about better ideas and development so don't get me wrong.  Lately I just feel that at my day job I can't be an artist.  I do as they say like a robot.  Yes I get to build jewelry, but not how I want to or how I think it should be.  It's always how everyone else wants it to be.  So would I be considered a designer?  Not in my opinion.  I feel I can only truly be a designer when I have the freedom to put my thoughts into a new design.  Otherwise it's like an assembly line to me.  This is why I love DanaArts.  I am able to freely create anything I want without someone telling me what I need to do or how to do it.  That is what it's all about for me.  That's why I keep on going and keep on pushing forward even when no one knows who or what DanaArts does.  I will continue on forever creating what I enjoy doing.  It's what keeps me going and pushing on in new ways.  If you are feeling the Artist Shove Down then take a break and do something creative.  It will inspire you to create beautiful things.  

The feeling when being shoved down and you have to shine to overcome it. 

Coil Pots

I miss working with clay.  I've mainly only mixed my natural clay and built coil pots and fired them in an open fire.  I really don't have access to natural clay anymore so I have tried buying some pre mixed clay that seamed to be similar to what I would mix.  I have not had time to test fire it yet, but I miss mixing and working with clay.  I think I have too many hobbies that I just can't get enough time for.  I bounce around between them and never get to fully fulfill my intentions.   I don't have time at the moment to build any coil cooking pots, but I hope to very soon (just like everything else,  lol).  This image shows a pot I've done in the past.  It has a red ocher slip on the outside.  It came out great.  I truly wish I could continue to gather my own clay and do it all from scratch.  There's nothing like finding a clay source and testing it to see how good it is.  Or to try and make not so pure clay still work.   To make it easier for now I'll have to use the premixed clay.  Well, here's to hoping for more time.  :)

Red slip coil pot.  Fired in an open fire pit. 

Father and Son's camping

I like to try and go camping with my son and daughter a few times a year.  This year I have not been able to do anything till this past weekend.  Mainly it's that I don't trust my jeep anymore now that it's getting old.  I prefer going with someone just in case.  So we (my son and I and Red our dog) went on a Father and Son's camp out.  We really enjoyed our time together.  We hiked down a creek bed that was not too easy and had lots of areas that we had to climb around to keep going.  We would even pass the dog over to each other through some of the boulder climbing or tough areas.  It was a good experience for all of us.  For me just being out there with my son is important.  It gives us time to be with each other in a different way than in regular everyday life.  We make decisions together and are more united.  After our fun hike on a nice cool day, we shot a hand made bow made from tamarisk .  It was not very powerful, but we had fun just playing around with it.  These were good times and I hope we all can create them with the ones we love.  Here are some images of our time together. 

Father and son's outing

Leatherworking

This is something I enjoy very much.  I've never fully done or made all that I've wanted to or I haven't learned everything I want to learn about it.  I've usually only made things out of soft leather, but would love to start learning how to work hard and thick leather along with tooling it. I might also try and mix leather with material.   Maybe this year I can get back into leather work because I miss it.  If you read this and don't see any postings of images with leather in them, then please reach out and tell me to get on it.  Thanks,  :)

Ideas

Ideas are always around, but sometimes it's hard to get inspired.  I shot this in my backyard of a sunflower that has not yet bloomed.  Well it has now, but not in this image.  So Sometimes when I don't have any inspiration or ideas coming for designing something or for photography I have to just do something.  By doing something and not standing still, eventually I'll get inspired to move in a certain direction.  Then it grows and I start getting a little passionate or obsessive about it.  Then I exhaust that idea and move on to the next and let my old thoughts and ideas sit on the back burner.  Ideas come, but you have to open up and let your surroundings inspire you.  Be grateful for what you have and be humble enough to see the most basic of ideas that can come to light if you just experiment a little.  Don't just sit waiting, be active and creative. 

Sunflower reaching for the sun

Sunshine

Sunshine is here.  It's already going to be in the 80's here in Arizona.  One good thing is that my garden is doing well.  Here is one of the sunflowers starting to do it's magic.  The little bee is helping too.  So yes, it looks like it's all sunshine from here on out. 

I've been busy with projects for other people.  Maybe soon I can work on some new designs.  :) 

Sketching

It's so fun to sketch, but I'm not great at it.  Sometimes things will turn out great and other times they don't.  Sometimes I have to work hard at it and other times it just works out.  I guess it all depends on the type of sketching taking place, but I'm talking in general.  Either way I like it and it's fun.  Here some old sketches I've done over the past year.  Not sure what they are.  lol.  So yeah lately it's been patterns.  They are what I like to do best.  I'll have to try and post something other than patterns at some point.  Sometimes sketches, for me, are a way to take a break from thinking too much.  They help my brain go free since at times I have very structured art when it comes to ring design.  Let your mind be free.....

Progress

Progress is important in many ways.  That is how we move forward.  If we are not progressing then we are only going the opposite way.  My progress is slow since I only can work on Dana Arts a few hours a night and not every night.  Either way I do my best to progress and move towards my goals.  This year I really hope to be active and share as much about what I do as I can.  As new designs come out I'll be adding them to my site and non produced rings will be rendered in an obvious way to know it's not a photo.  I also will do my best to keep some videos going.  It's always hard for me to find the time to get them going, but I really must try harder.  I will also post them on my YouTube channel as I make them.  If I'm slacking in any way just let me know.  

Maybe these Cacti will push me.  No sitting down.  :)

Always moving forward even if it's only baby steps. 

Lunch time hikes

I love to hike and I have a job where I sit all day.  I love winters here in Arizona because they are not that cold.  So at lunch time I go for a 45 minute walk on a small trail that leads across the top ridge of the small mountain.  It's a great view and at least gives me some movement in the day.  Exercise is important to me so this is the way to do it.  Take advantage of all the time available.  Lets all start the new year with being strong and moving along and never quit. 

ahwatukee foothills

Red is now 3 months old

So I took this picture of Red with the help of my daughter.  It wasn't easy because red is very active.  We at least got this one cute shot of him. It has been difficult or tiring for us having a new puppy, but he is doing great.  He's growing so fast.  I hope we don't teach him any bad habits as he grows.  Lol

Red 12 weeks old