Projects

I have been working on a project for a while now, although most have it has been in the planning or thinking out stage. Tonight, I started sketching out my project. I will have to do a few more sketches, because it has been a long time since I have really tried to draw anything. My subject? The Eiffel Tower, which may seem simple enough, but there are a lot of details in the Eiffel Tower.

I was drawing from a picture that I had taken while I was in Paris. I am glad that I apparently tried to take a picture of every inch of The Eiffel tower from of every angle. While we were in France, we were in such a rush to see everything that I didn't get to REALLY appreciate the details and the art of the architecture. But, when I started trying to draw it I began to have a new appreciation for the architecture. So, it was fun to reminisce and to have a little art and history lesson. It was made even better to hear the song my three year old made in honor of the Eiffel Tower.

In case you're wondering, the drawing is in silver crayon.

I've shared my project, what's yours?

Feeling Creative

Yesterday morning, my almost two year old woke me up, and announced that she wanted to color. While I wish that her creative alarm would have gone off a little bit later, I'm very pleased that she felt inspired to create. I on the other hand, have not been so inspired. Well, that's not entirely true. For the last couple of weeks, I have been looking online at all of these beautiful creations that people have made, and I want to make something too, anything actually. But, my to do list is so long, and the pile of laundry has been mistaken as a mountain for small children to climb on. And so, I keep putting the creative stuff aside.

But, yesterday, when my Daughter wanted to play, while my Toddler slept, I decided that we would be creative, and that we would paint! She was so excited! I think she is going to be a colorist, she really likes different colors, especially mixing the paint, to see what colors she will get. By the way, if you ever meet her, ask her what are red, yellow, and blue. She already knows they are primary colors, she is only three. (It's my blog, I'll brag if I want to.)

I was excited because I put base coats on some canvas. I don't know what I'll do next, but at least they are not blank. I am most definitely ready for some sunshine, but perhaps the rain has an advantage as well.

Making Goals

Today, has been a great end to a great weekend! Though the weather has been a little on the drizzly side, it's been cool and fall like. I've accomplished a lot this weekend, most importantly, I've reached my first goal of getting 15 vendors for the Boutique! That means, I'm a quarter of the way there!

I've been working hard to find a variety of artists for the boutique, we've got things for babies, and children, and jewelry, and photographers, and bags, and really unique things that you would have to travel to a big city, to find something similar. You won't find them in a big city though, because they are all uniquely handmade!

While the celebration will be sweet, it will be short, because I'm already working on finding the next 15. If you know of anyone who is a creator of things, please let them know about the boutique! http://www.wix.com/ackentner/handmade

Inspiration

This weekend, my family and I went up the road to Rogers, AR and visited War Eagle mill a Grist Mill (a mill where wheat is ground into flour). Walking into the gift shop, we found bags of flour and corn meal, and a variety of other grains, nicely packaged and sewn up in cotton bags. Just the way you would have bought flour, as much as 100 years ago. The mill is set in a very picturesque setting; with an old bridge, a small waterfall, unique trees with their roots exposed. Looking around, and hiking through a nearby trail, I felt inspired, just by my surroundings.

Sometimes it is not my environment that inspires me, but people that I know. I love to be around artists, musicians, and creative people. I like just hearing their ideas, and picking up on their creative "vibe". I really like to watch a group of artists collaborate on something, to see how they feed on the energy of one another. That really makes me feel inspired.

Sometimes, it is not an actual person or a place, but a song or a story that gets me inspired.

Yesterday, we rented the movie Kit Kittridge An American Girl, it was a sweet movie about a girl's life during the depression. I watched the mother try to come up with ways to make ends meet: taking on borders, growing a garden, and making dresses out of the feed sacks that would have been thrown away. Much like the sacks I had seen at the mill, just two days earlier.

And as I watched, I again became inspired. For this family, it was a necessity to find creative ways to use what they had, to be productive and not be wasteful. In our family, we recycle more than just what goes into the recycling bin. We also reuse a lot of things, but especially containers for storage. But I'm looking into what else we can do to be productive and not wasteful. Tonight I've been researching planting a fall garden. I want to share the experience, of growing and creating with my children.

So help me to inspire others, tell me what or who inspires you? What is your best creation, that came from reusing, upcycling, or recycling?

Getting Started

It seems like the Lamar Handmade Boutique has been a part of my life for a lot longer than just this past week. Actually, it has been in the back of mind for a long time. For over a year, I have been researching about hosting craft fairs, and I've been attending them for even longer. Making mental notes the whole time I'm there, about what I would do, if I was hosting a craft fair. It may have been fear, or worry, or doubt, that kept me from jumping into this a long time ago, but at last the first steps have been taken, and now, almost immediately I have found myself at a dead run. Most people probably wouldn't share the fact that this is their first time hosting an event like this; but, I am hoping that it will grant me a little understanding.

Getting to work with artisans has already been a very fulfilling experience. There's just something different about people who create. Despite the fact that you may have never met, communicating to another artist is like talking to a family member or an old friend. They're eager to help, and offer words of encouragement. I am especially grateful to those, who have helped me to spread the word about the Boutique: My mom Paula, my sisters Heather and Megan, and my Friend Ann, who is really going above and beyond to help me promote this event, in places where I can't. Thank you, so much.

I actually started contacting potential vendor's six days ago to start filling the 60 booths that I have available. I'm one week a way from my first goal deadline of getting 15 committed vendors. I happily stood, as the 15th customer in line at the Post Office today, knowing that I was over half way to reaching my first goal.

I am collecting for you, websites of some truly talented artists. Some of them will be at the Fall Boutique, and I hope that the rest will choose to participate in future Boutiques, but they are all worthy of your time.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. I hope that I will have the opportunity to meet you at the Boutique. November 14th, 2009 9 am-7 pm, Lamar Memorial Hall.