Sunday, January 27, 2013

The Path of Creation

Every once in a while, I will create a piece that took an interesting path to existence.  I was looking over some inventory the other day and realized that I had the Strata Connector in copper, gunmetal and tinned copper, but nothing in a gold tone.  So off I went in search of brash lobster clasps.  This lead me to Shipwreck and these Jasper Rings that jumped out and said, "Buy me!"   When I got my hands on the rings, I realized that they were a bit smaller than I had assumed (sometimes I don't think about my purchases as much as I should).  The biggest problem with their size was finding something that would fit inside without too much room.  When I finally found something that worked, the necklace had already begun to take shape.  I had recently chopped a bone choker that had the lovely centerpiece and I found the sardonyx drop on my mat of miscellaneous beads.  Knowing that I did not want the pattern to be too basic I found some sardonyx barrels that I had purchased a while back and found my long strand of tea dyed bone rondelles.  The necklace was complete.
 
As I sat there, pondering the necklaces existence, I started picking out some random beads that went together: the sister tea dyed bone centerpiece, a piece of sliced horn, a bit of sponge coral, a button, some tigers eye along with a large chunk of carnelian and mookite.  Soon I was wiring these unconnected pieces together with copper wire and attaching a larger lobster clasp.  I loved the cohesive quality and the randomness.  My brain starts thinking that this could be a new line of bracelets.  
 
My eyes head back to the mat of miscellaneous beads and land squarely on a skull that I am sure belong to one of my kids at some point.
 
Sometimes you just have an extra skull lying around the house.  What to do?  Make a bracelet!  This is how a very random bracelet in created with a plastic skull, a found rock that I drilled, a glass pearl, a white chunky rectangle, some mother of pearl and a few other stones strung together with tinned copper and closed with a silver plated lobster clasp.  I didn't set out to make a skull bracelet, but through the path of creation this is what I have created. 
 
I like it. 
 
Do you?
 
 
Thanks for reading,
 
Sarah McTernen
 
Art Photography
 
Art Jewelry
 
 
 

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Art of Balance

ardent photography dandilion
Half Wished
Balance is something we are all striving for.  I think that is my word for the year.  All the blogs I follow are talking about their "word(s) for the year" and I wasn't even considering that I needed one until just now. 

Balance is the key to a happy life.

Balance in emotions, balance in workload, balance in eating, balance with gravity, all very important.
 

I want to work on a better work/kid balance.  What that looks like I am not sure yet.  I know that I am constantly trying to fight for time to work which means that I am not as "there" as I should be when it is time for the kids. 

of course, there are three of them, and only one of me...in this there is not balance

it's worth a shot anyway

hmmm

BALANCE

I've typed it too much, it looks funny now.

Anyway....

What is your "word" for 2013?

Thanks for reading,
Sarah McTernen

Art Photography
http://smcternen.etsy.com

Art Jewelry
http://ardentlife.etsy.com

www.anardentlife.com

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Creating with Pantone In Mind

 
 
Yeah, not really me, but last year I did manage to make a few pieces with something similar to the 2012 color of tangerine and some kind of blue that we were supposed to marry with it. 

I didn't do it on purpose.

It was just how the pieces developed. 

What I found really funny (just now), was I never managed to list those pieces on Etsy! 

Silly me. 


Now this year's color is..

hold on...

let me go look it up...

emerald...

I'm sure I can find something emerald to list for 2014.

Thanks for reading,
Sarah McTernen

Art Jewelry
http://ardentlife.etsy.com

Art Photography
http://smcternen.etsy.com

www.anardentlife.com

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Inside a Computer

 
So many intereing pieces are found inside a computer. 
I loved the pattern to this piece.
 
Best wishes,
Sarah McTernen
 
Art Photography
 
Art Jewelry
 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Monday Rant: Dissapointed with Shock

 
As I have said before I am not really one to tote the label of Artist or Photographer.  I started using Photographic Artist a while ago to try and define what I do in a more recognizable way, but using terms that no one else is using only works for those Hollywood types.  I, on the other hand, am a nobody.  This isn't a dig at myself it is just the beginning of this rant.  The art world is full of people who know people and who create shock art with actors and other media types because they can.  They do this and it is considered art. The technical proficiency is typically there because these people have attended so and so university and received this or that degree in their particular breed of art.  It may not sound like it, but I'm happy for them, if I have to give them an emotional recognition, except for this little nagging notion that they are part of the obliteration of art.  They are one of the reasons why, these days, art is nothing more than shock imagery.

With the prevalence of good camera equipment, there are apparently more photographers in the United States than there are models.  I didn't look this stat up, so it could be hogwash, but I would believe it.  To some extent I am one of these, "if it weren't for technology I wouldn't be doing this" people.  As I said at the beginning of this, I am a nobody and beyond that my images are not shocking.  There is nothing repulsive or ludicrous about what or how I shoot.  I will never get a death threat because of my photography unless it is from an anti-gun fanatic and that would be ironic. 

 
At the same time, I have faith that there is room for my art in this world packed with photographers.  That one day those eyes will find what I do and see its merit.
 
Even if they don't, I will still do what I do.  If nothing else it is art to me.  I hope that is what those other artists/photographers are saying too.
 
"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love.  It will not lead you astray."  ~Rumi
 
Thanks for reading,
Sarah McTernen
 
Art Photography
 
Art Jewelry

Friday, January 4, 2013

Homemade Butter

 
Yeah, sometimes I wonder if I've gone too far, but then I have fresh homemade butter and warm wheat biscuits and I don't think that anymore.
 
This started out as a fun homeschool experiment.  I read somewhere that you can make butter by putting heavy cream in a mason jar and shaking it for fifteen minutes.  We like making things in the kitchen in this house, so we gave it a shot.  It was fascinating feeling the change between stiff whipped cream and the sudden separation of butter and buttermilk.
 
This was fun, the first time.  I decided that if we were going to keep this up, I was going to use the stand mixer.  Shaking a mason jar for fifteen minutes is a workout that I wasn't sure I was willing to do each time I wanted butter.
 
This morning I made my third batch of butter, and this time using Darigold heavy cream instead of the Fred Meyer brand. Oh the difference.  Just poured the heavy cream into the stand mixer and let it run on the highest speed that won't make a mess until the butter and buttermilk seperate, then pour through butter muslin, saving the buttermilk for later (or the bisuits in this case).  Ta da, butter.
 
Next step, making cultured butter.
 
Thanks for reading,
Sarah McTernen
 
Art Photography
 
Art Jewelry
 
 
 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

A Day in the Life...

 
 
What a day!  I always sit down at the end of the day and think I have got nothing done.  The girls and I went to Costco and then Michael's.  I needed some more bead storage containers...I always need more bead storage containers, and the older one had $4 burning a hole in her change purse.  So I got my containers and a few strands of beads, because they were on sale and my brain started working the minute I saw them, and the girl bought new paint colors and a wood butterfly...of course after much debate to the little ones chagrin.  As we are leaving the store, I get a call.  I do not recognize the number and consider letting it go to voice mail, but I answer.  It is the hospital wanting to schedule the little ones surgery.  So we have a date now.  We are one step closer to a functional hip.

So, we came home and made play dough.

1 cup Flour
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Salt
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
2 teaspoons Oil
food coloring

Mix all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook on low (medium low) heat until it looks like play dough.  Plop it out on the counter and let it cool for a bit (seriously, this stuff is hot) and then knead.

Yay for Play Dough!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah McTernen

www.anardentlife.com

Art Photogrpahy
http://smcternen.etsy.com

Art Jewelry
http://ardentlife.etsy.com

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Kitchen Sill Herb Garden



Yesterday I was very busy taking care of my many plants.  I had neglected them for far too long.  On top of that, I planted a kitchen sill herb garden.  My lovely husband had given me a set of seeds long ago for this exact purpose, but I never got around to planting them because I didn't know what to put them in.  With all of my peering in on Pintrest I thought plain tin cans would do.  I hope they sprout!

Wanna know what I planted?
Basil
Oregano
Lavender
Garlic Chives
Marjoram
Thyme
Dill
Mint
Cilantro
Parsley

I am impatient though.  I keep wanting to check on them and see what is growing. 

In the mean time I have been updating some of the chopping block necklaces. You should check out the shop http://anardentlife.etsy.com to see the updates.

Thanks for reading,
Sarah McTernen

www.anardentlife.com

Art Photography
http://smcternen.etsy.com

Art Jewelry
http://anardentlife.etsy.com


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy 2013


Even typing that sounds a little weird.
Wishing all of my readers a fabulous start to a new year.

Best wishes,

Sarah McTernen
www.anardentlife.com
http://smcternen.etsy.com
http://anardentlife.etsy.com

PS  Take 15% off any purchase today in on of my Etsy shops with coupon code NewYear13