Happy Holidays

I hope your Holidays were are wonderful as mine. I feel very fortunate for my sweet family and our good friends.
As lucky as I feel, we have had our share of heartache. I was very concerned about this Christmas. My husbands 29 year old son David died October 16Th. He was a gifted musician like his dad. He has a wonderful mother who misses him so deeply, my heart aches for her. It has been so difficult for us all.

But through all of the sadness, we are so thankful for our health, our wonderful little girl Katie...who had a fantastic time today!!

I wish the best for all of my readers and I pray for your families.
Peace & Joy to all of you!

Cube Sculptures

Within a day or two after my first post on box sculptures, I was on the phone with my friends Chris and Laura, both visual designers and educators.

Chris used the word cube instead of box and immediately my mind went back to my sophomore year where she taught analytical drawing that started with the cube. But more powerful, the word freed me of function — a box being a container, but the cube being form. A cube can be manipulated, its dimensional geometry explored and reformed. It's sculptural. A cube could still evolve to be a container if I chose — where and how it opens to enter and hold (containers are a theme I've wanted to investigate in some of my work). I began by sketching cubes, geometric shapes and openings, then moved on to arranging 3"x3" chipboard squares to create cube-like forms.

Then I spoke with my other friend Laura and she suggested, "why don't you apply your drawings instead of the paper?" I nearly died it was so simple and clear. I chose my recent India tile sketches because they are expressive and have their own underlying structure, and found that the cube with a one-paneled opening worked best to compliment these particular drawings.

I thank Chris and Laura for their thoughtful engagement and insight into my process. It's been wonderfully freeing, and I really like the results! See more here. 

Ugly Sweaters!

Put together a poster for a Birthday event for Melvin P. happening next week. 

Etsy Christmas

Last night I was involved in a conversation about how great Etsy is. And how buying gifts on Etsy is so amazing because you know it's unique, you know they probably haven't seen it before, it could come from anywhere in the world, and there's so much to choose from that you can cater to whatever crazy interests you know your friend has.

I adore everything in this shop. Runaway Dreams is created by a couple in Mexico City. I think I'm going to get this night and day pillow for my Niece :)

I always appreciate something a little nerdy, Gameboy Magnets, Cross stitch Kirby, and Ghosties made from Perler Beads from Argentina Collaborative.

I don't really wear earrings, but... are those Ritz crackers earrings?

You can get a Nautical Themed Backyard Chicken Coop. ....Of all things. Amazing!!

Enjoying this poster by AndILoveYouSheSaid in Sweden.

 Some beautiful and imaginative prints and images over at PromoPocket in Lithuania. 

2 New Logos with Business Cards to match

studio2concrete

The Canary Hanger

Vector art for a new, just getting started online seller, The Canary Hanger. @canaryhanger

A project combining many talented individuals

I was thankful to be a part of a project a couple of weeks ago helping out with photo and lighting. I brought my Canon 5D Mark II to take some still shots, & also took some video. I thought we could make a short video from the footage taken that day.

Here is a behind the scenes short video.


Jamie Ainsworth Photoshoot from Jason Daniel on Vimeo.


Thanks to:
Jason Daniel for editing this together
Tom Beck of Beck Photographic
William Patrick Butler for producing the whole thing
Leah Vincent for hair, make-up & the cheese plate
Jamie Ainsworth is our fab model, who is signed with HOP
Eudora Welty Commons for letting us use their beautiful space
The music is from "King of You" by Psapp

Laurie J. Blakeslee

Ingenious... that is all...   http://lblakeslee.com/

Some images I love.

http://www.esnips.com/web/My-Flute

foto_decadent

flickr commons

forkwire.com

clipart

deviantart boribaby

lulu

Posting a photo, because photos make us happy

Electric Lion has moved!

Just a static reminder that my photo blog moved to carynorton.com/blog

Box Sculptures

Handcrafted cards, boxes, folders, frames, bags – these are the things that I’ve had in my mind to do. They are all vessels, containers for holding thoughts, keepsakes, images, and gifts. I had just finished a collection of collage cards and was ready to take on boxes.

I didn’t want to limit my approach with an eye towards just craft, something I think of as more functional and beautiful, but to widen my approach to seeing them as objects of art, something to investigate for its own sake regardless of aesthetics and practicalities. My friend Kathryn, who I meet once a month for an art exchange, called them box sculptures when I started to describe my idea. I think that word, “box sculpture” allowed me the freedom to converge my notions of craft and art, or in fact let go.

This is the first one and like most first sketches it isn’t at all close to what I had in mind. I started with a template of a standard small box and covered it with squares and strips of found and decorative papers. I’m not at ease working in 3D. The glue I used is not strong enough, the box is fragile and it doesn't close. I thought of lining the whole inside with the same paper but it was too intense, so I changed mid-course and now the result looks odd. It’s not very “sculptural.” I doubt there’s any sort of convergence of art and craft in this, but I did try to let go of preconceptions. 

It is kind of eclectic-looking. I didn’t hold back on how I arranged the paper collage. I enjoyed the process. It took me forever to make (starting with cutting the squares and strips of paper). But in the end I like it. It’s the beginning of a new direction. Now I can start on another one and am excited to see what happens.

Brian & Kayla's Wedding

September 18, 2010
Bethlehem United Methodist Church
New Albany, Mississippi