Friday 31 July 2009

Merry Go round

Jump on our merry go round and join a group of artists/crafts-women as they link hands around the world and tell you a little about their lives and art.

We are group of 10 women from all over the world
. We choose a question and all of us have to answer it in our blogs. It will be very interesting to read what each of us
has to say, taking in account how much our lives and crafts differ.


-This month we are taking a look at our sources of inspiration: notebooks, pinboards, scrapbooks, pictures, sites, books, etc.
I already mentioned in the previous merry go round a couple of books and websites that I like to check out quite often which are also a source of inspiration, not only knowledge.
When it comes to pinboards or journals I must admit that I have failed to keep them neat and up to date. I do yank pages out of magazines and cut out pictures. More than shapes what inspires me is ussually a certain color combination. If I cut out a magazine page with a promotion of Sardegna's beaches, it has more to do with the colorway depicted there (and an immense wish to go to the ocean, and Sardegna wouldn't be bad at all...).



I have three notebooks with sketches, little drawings, lots of notes in different languages which would make it very difficult for other people to read! Although it looks as if I was writing in code, it isn't done on purpose, it's just how my head works these days.
We buy a lot of books every month and art, photography or design books are always on the list. Even though I might not do something that directly relates to something I saw on a book, it just adds information to my head, I think.
I do take a lot of photographs, macros ussually, and I have lots of folders in my computer which I think would be my digital pinboards or scrapbooks.
Example: I cooked some red beets a while back and as I was peeling them under running water (they were hothot!), deep red water filled the sink. Immediately I started to shoot that...silly...it's just red water... I know... but I came up with this:


Without a doubt, of all these pictures I'm constantly taking - mostly of my own garden; flowers are quite often my models. There is an appeal, from the design point of view, in staring at nature with it's wide range of regular patterns, shapes and bright colors. The challenge is there: try to reproduce those designs-




So, that's it. Books, colors, nature. I can not wait until I have my own studio (which miiiiiight happen next year) and I can have a whole wall with papers, drawings and photographs pinned to it. A dream! hahaha!

Do please check the posts of the other girls who take part of this merry go round:


Lily at http://lilypangart.blogspot.com Nikki at http://beadedzen.blogspot.com/
Ruth at http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com

9 comments:

Ruth said...

Beautiful Mariana. I love all those colors and flowers. And it does so reflect your work. The vibrancy of it all. And I love how it is the simple things like the beetroot juice that really grabs you!

Easterya said...

I too loved the beetroot juice!!You have such an eye for colour, fabulous!! Gorgeous pics, wonderful post, top notch eye candy, just like your work!!
By the way, the stone's yours :)

Lily Pang said...

Gorgeous photos! Yes, it is challenge to reproduce the design. But I think your paintings on tiles are great reproduction of them. They are colorful and cute and so freely drawn.

meherio68 said...

I love your photos!

Only minutes ago, I was shooting roses and rosebuds, thinking how amazing nature's creativive powers are.

'fancypicnic' said...

Nature strikes again!
I like how I see similarities to myself here, Flo...camera at the ready; inspiration in colour; flowers - there is so much out there to get our creative juices flowing!

I wonder why I'm not feeling creative at the moment...these posts should be firing me up! xx

'fancypicnic' said...

Actually, our MGR posts are definitely inspiring - I've just hit a bit of a lull, I guess. You, madam, never seem to run out of passion and ideas!

Sara Millis said...

I love your pictures... they always keep me inspired with colour!

Oh wow, your own studio... I bet you are so excited! Mine's still on my list... now if I could just stop filling places up with supplies, I'd get there quicker!

Sxx

Wendren said...

I love that collage of flowers.

I know what you mean about dreaming of your own studio. I have just been given my own room and cannot wait to start making it feel like a studio and not a store room. I also want a whole wall full of colour..... :)

Jenny said...

Oh I too would love to have a studio! I will aim for that. The beet juice thing is such a great idea and the photos turned out so well. One should just do thinkgs like that, live in the moment and follow impulses like that. Great work Marian! Oh, I just have to say it once more - I love that seed pod bag!! :)