Mai Autumn

frances palmer pottery

i've been attempting to avoid my computer all day, and it's not working :) but! i have come across something beautiful, so maybe my procrastination of getting down to any actual work has been worth something. frances palmer pottery has stopped me dead in my tracks this afternoon. there are just sooo many gorgeous pieces on this website and it's making me miss my time spent with clay while i was in college. check out these beautiful works of functional art...

aren't they stunning? all of the handmade pieces take my breath away! you can see more of this amazing designer's offerings over on her website.

now, i better try and pry myself away from this screen or i'm never going to get any work done today! toodooloo! :)

(all images via frances palmer pottery)

new retailer - paper hat

if you're in the minneapolis area, you are in luck! mai autumn products are on their way to the super fun and pretty, paper hat! i'm always so excited for new retailers, and this eclectic little shop is no exception! they have lovelies from so many amazing artists. i'm very honored to be in the mix :)

check out some photos of the shop below..

 

 

it looks like such a magical place! (photos are courtesy of the paper hat facebook fan page.)

the shop is located at 2309 W. 50th Street in Minneapolis, MN. please stop by and say hello to my prints and jewelry if you are in the area! :)

dreaming the week away...

i have been in my own little world this week. painting and dreaming and planning. here are some things that have been inspiring my wandering mind..

felicia antanasui

halima washington-dixon

bernadette pascua via a blonde's guide to world domination

tina heiska

jenny belin

i wish i could stay in this very fashionable and feminine dream world forever :)

 

 

never forget

i'm feeling a little somber today after remembering what happened ten years ago. being in new jersey, it seems like i'm surrounded by lives that were touched by this terrible tragedy. i don't think i would be able to find the right words for such a serious subject, so i will leave you with this beautiful image of what once was.

image via john harmon gallery

happy friday + the new 2012 calendar!

i can't believe how fast this week flew by! i *finally* got the chance to get the new 2012 calendar up for pre-order! it's here! calendars will start shipping on oct. 1st - so you can get yours before the rush. last year, i could hardly even keep my little birdie calendar in stock, so this time around, i have a larger quantity available through the holidays, but there is still a chance it could sell out if the season is anything like last year. check out the illustrations that are featured on each page...

it took me forever to decide which ones to include - i probably painted about 30 different flowers before i decided on these 12! each one is inspired by an antique floral motif taken from fabrics and wallpapers from all over the world, across several centuries - so, a little bit of history for you!

i am excited to report, that all of the other flowers are not going to be going to waste - just you wait and see what i have up my sleeve for some new lovelies coming in the future!

i hope you all have a fabulous weekend out there! asbury park is having their annual oyster festival, so i'm sure i'm going to be enjoying my share of seafood when i step out my door over the next few days :)

 

 

searching for the muse

i am procrastinating getting back to my work right now (but i'm excited about the work that started up yesterday! more on that later - or you could check out the progress shot on my facebook fan page) and i was meandering through one of my favorite blogs, the jealous curator. i came across this post, which started a whole conversation about something i struggle with on a pretty much daily basis - is anybody going to like this thing i'm making right now?

if you are also an artist or creative person of any kind, and worry about anything similar to this (which i am now almost certain that all artists deal with this feeling at some point), you need to go check out the comments on that post. it'll make you feel like you're not such a freak... at least for a few minutes until the normal worrying starts up again. :)

another gem i came across while reading through these comments, is this presentation from elizabeth gilbert on creativity. it is awesome. if you create any kind of thing, this will completely help you feel less burdened by the pressure to make something absolutely amazing, and maybe just focus on making anything at all - which is what we just need to do sometimes, right?

 

well, i hope your own creative efforts are fruitful out there! i'm so glad i came across all this motivation today! now, it's off to work! :)

(image via ffffound)

night dancing

i've been meandering around the internet for the past hour - at first i thought i was just distracted, and then when i came across these photos, i realized there was a higher purpose to this wandering mood i'm in..

aren't they stunning?! i stumbled upon these photos of night dancing on the talk 2 the trees blog and it made me remember what was inspiring me a few weeks ago - darkness. there's something so magical about the dark. i really want to try to capture something about night, and the mysterious feeling that comes along with it, in my work soon. things have been pretty busy around here, but i hope i can get to painting this weekend or sooner.

also, lately i've also been holding out on you, dear readers. i've been deciding to only share my new work after i've let it settle in me for a while. i feel like i've become a little too reactive to the work i make, and i'd like to get more connected to it before i put it out there. i hope that makes sense. we'll see how this goes.  so, you can expect to see a big post of all the new work i've been squirelling away sometime soon.

for now, here are some more images that evoke that sweet night feeling..

via just like honey

88editions

leana photo

movin' and shakin'

i feel like i'm buzzing around doing eighty-billiondy things today! thank you to all who took advantage of the etsy sale (which is still happening over on etsy in case you were busy barbequeing and enjoying the last days of summer this weekend!) and the labor day discount! orders are shipping out faster than i can count em!

i always get this feeling when there's a long weekend - it's great to take a break and relax, but the world seems to move in fast forward motion after it's over :) with the chilly weather starting up outside my window, i am feeling the need for some tea or hot apple cider - this mug would be perfect today :) i'm so glad i got outside all weekend to enjoy the last bits of warm weather before this somewhat dreary week we're supposed to have. here come the cooler days!

(mug via kin ship press)

happy friday + hello september

i'm so glad it's finally september! i just love fall (probably why i named my company partly after it!)(the other half of the name means spring - my other favorite season!)

i don't have many plans for labor day weekend except to try to relax. i've gotten into a pretty good groove with work these days, and any good work groove deserves to be rewarded with a little me time. after all that's been going on here in nj - what with the earthquake, and then the hurricane! - i could use a good recharge. i'm glad to report that my studio and my apartment suffered only minor damages from some leaks here and there, but otherwise everything and everyone is safe and sound.

i hope you all have a fabulous weekend! make sure to send summer off right :)

(image via vintageaimee and my new treasury - ginger)

oh and p.s. - i'm having a little sale in my etsy shop! 15% off all small prints for a limited time. feel free to go check it out :)