Elizabeth Gilbert on TED

Have you ever wondered about creativity and sanity? Check out this wonderful talk by Elizabeth Gilbert. I love how she describes her process. She is such a lovable speaker, you feel like your her BFF. Writing a poem, capturing something, grabbing a hold of it, it's all feel familiar to the creative process. Get it down at all costs.
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Making a Barn Yard.

My "Barn Yard" quilt for Land of Nod came out last week! I love doing projects with Land of Nod, they do such creative products. I'm also glad that my designs are included among such fantastic designers who's work I really respect. Anyway, I thought it would be neat to show a bit of the process behind the of making a quilt. You can see the original sketches (I did three options), plus the digital color version. In the end the colors came out much brighter and the composition changed a bit, which is always to be expected so you have to be open to how things get interpreted. On this project I learned that I tend to make my palettes kind of pale/neutral. I'm working on getting bolder and brighter. My "take" on the barn yard idea was to incorporate the sounds of the barnyard. Originally, LON asked me to do something with the number of animals but as I got into it I realized it would be more fun to "hear" the sounds of the animals. What baby doesn't love to hear a moo moo here and moo moo there?
Here's the link: http://www.landofnod.com/with-a-moo-moo-here-crib-bedding/f11933

I want candy.

Last saturday, bright and early, my daughter Maja asked me if we could watch a movie together. I decided to avoid the excruciating pain of having to flip through Disney XD channel for the gazillionth time and opted instead to search the movies I recorded on my DVR. I had scheduled a bunch of Christmas movies, knowing that the day would come when I would need to call in the heavy hitters of  “Rudolph” and “Santa Clause is coming to Town". As I scanned the list I noticed one movie that was still unwatched, one I had completely forgotten I had recorded- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (yes, the 1971 movie!). Score! Something I would actually enjoy watching with her. When I was a kid I thought Willy Wonka was the ultimate sugar rush of movies (even thought it has it’s moments of freakiness). I personally think it blows “Wreck it Ralph” away, but then again I’m not 8years old. Anyway, as I sat there on the couch watching August Gloop get sucked up the clear pipe in the chocolate river I began to wonder why is candy adored by people of all ages, everywhere.

Maybe it’s the countless possibilities. There is such a range of flavors, colors, and textures in pretty much every confectionary delight I see. Candy is a real treat for the eyes not just the taste buds. It’s a creative and expressive art form in my opinion. But there’s more to it than that, I think it’s the nostalgia that really gets me. Every Saturday afternoon I would walk to our neighborhood candy store and pick out the perfect piece of candy, the piece that would fit the mood I was in at the time. If I needed comfort I went for a Hershey bar, if I wanted a straight forward energy it was something like a watermelon jolly rancher stick. Then I’d walk home and slowly savor my purchase or if I was feeling a bit spiteful I’d save it until I got home and wave it in front of my two younger brother faces. That was probably the bonus, to see the look on their faces when I had candy and they didn’t. Psyche. But I digress, as I usually do. It does seem that candy makes the world go round, at least for kids, and for me, it's one of the things that I love to examine and collage. Whether it’s Willy Wonka’s factory or just a trip to the candy store, I guess I’ll always want candy.
(Opps...forgot to add my sweet shop cards here. If you like these pieces of candy check out the stationary for Teneues)

Introduction

Over the years I found so many things that inspire me, met so many people that give me hope to continue on the path of making my art. In doing this blog, I wanted to create a place where I could share many of the things that inspire me and introduce others to wonderful artist and creative thinkers. I love the saying “make it and people will come”. It’s kind of what I live by I guess. I try my best to do work that has meaning and purpose not just for myself but for others too. Just this morning I got a touching email from a woman with a sick child. She told me the painting I did really helped her feel positive when she was in the hospital with her daughter. Man, I never expected that kind of connection but it really reminded me that making art is about reaching out to others. It’s about putting yourself out there even if it feels extremely vulnerable. Having the courage to do so takes work and many times we need the help of others. In doing this blog I hope to explore the many aspects of creativity and I welcome any comments, thoughts, and contributions. Please feel free to send me anything you’d like to share, either email me at mariacarluccio@verizon.net, comment on Facebook (link) or just post a comment below. 

*On the right side of the blog I’ll be posting places the I go when I need a little creative juice. If you like some of these “creative wandering spots” or think you have something you’d like to share, feel free to contact me as well.