I Am Overwhelmed to be Featured Like this on Handmade Artist blog

I was so overwhelmed by this feature ArtByNancyPace written by an amazing mosaic artist and dear friend Monika@  MyEuropeanTouch I really have no words, I will let you read the feature yourself. ArtbyNancyPace
Monika I feel so blessed and  so grateful:)  Monika, you may not paint with a brush, but your heart is truly that of an artist.
I would like to  share a peek at my latest work in progress before you go. This is in a very raw stage, when finished the painting will be titled "Journey"

Thank you so much for following my art. God bless you all!
Nancy

Small Affordable Original Art and Decorating ideas

One of my art collectors ask me how to use smaller art pieces, for instance one of the mini canvases with an easel like this one

Red flower w/ easel

white aster w/ easel

I was surprised , I thought the size was perfect. I really feel art should be enjoyed, it would be nice if it was affordable and everyone could own original art works and not break the bank.
That is why I painted the smaller pieces in the first place, and they are fun to do!

I decided if she had those kinds of questions other folks might not know how to use the smaller pieces either. So here is an example of some of the mini canvases I have displayed in my home. I took a few pieces of art pottery, a few of our carved bird collection and my mini paintings and mixed them together with an 8x10 mixed media work my hubby favors to make this display.

The shelf is old, handmade, and we met the daughter of the man who made this with so much love. It is the perfect place to display an interesting collection and help remind us to enjoy life.  
BTW the piece my hubby likes so well is available here:

Movin 8x10 wrapped canvas Paint & fabric

So if your budget is tight and you really want to collect original art work I hope you will consider decorating with  smaller more affordable piece like the Mini canvases? They are only $15 each including the easel too!
Way's to decorate with art are just unlimited, the boudoir, the bath, a shelf in a child's room? 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope I gave you something to think about:) 
If you are interested in learning more about me, getting a first glimpse of new art work, and be a part of my growing process as an artist, I would love for you to subscribe to my newsletter. It will come about 1 time a week or when I add paintings to my website, it will come right in your email inbox. I promise not to sell your e-mail and I will not spam you:) Here is the link Nancy's Art Newsletter
Thanks for stopping by, God Bless you!!

Would you like a peek at my first oil painting in more than 30 years?

I am giving away my age but, I haven't used oils or painted a lot in more than 30 years. I thought maybe you would like to see what I am working on:) There is more work to do but so far I am happy with my results, not enough to call it done and sign it, but getting there.

 I took a shot focusing on my vines, I am having so much fun with those!

This is a mixed media piece in oils and acrylics on an 18x24 canvas board. This was a real challenge because I am used to acrylics and they dry super fast, the oils can take weeks to cure. I hate to admit I stuck my hand in part of the wet paint and had to do repairs:(Now I see a spot I need to fix:) So I am going back to work!
Don't you enjoy learning new skills or reviving an old one? Thanks for visiting! 
God Bless you!
Nancy
My website
My Handmade Art shop
About Me.Artist Nancy Pace

Our First Experience @ the Potter's Wheel

When my friend MJ ask if I might like to go to a 1 day pottery class I thought why not:) We took our artsy granddaughters , grabbed a fast bite at McDonald's and headed to the Cedar Hurst Art Museum. 
We were so excited we were really early so we took an opportunity to check out the quilt display and a neat abstract exhibit I really enjoyed. Then it was time for the class.
Here is Beka, my Granddaughter throwing her first pot, she did a great job! 

 Beka  learning to use a sponge to shape her pot

 This is Beka's finished pot before the instructor cut it off the wheel, I can't wait for her to paint it when it dries.

They used an air dry clay so we took them home wet and this morning mine is not shiny in a couple of days they will be ready to paint. I followed Beka at the wheel but I have no pictures since I was the photographer. Here is MJ listening to her instructor before she finishes her pot.

 This is Aisha, MJ's granddaughter on the wheel, she had the best pot out of the four of us, she had taken a class with this same instructor and the experience showed in her work.

The class was way to short, we really enjoyed it!
Both girls are very creative and artistic, I think they take after their grandmother's:) Only time will tell. Now Beka wants a potters wheel:) 
Have you ever thrown a pot on the wheel? Tell me about it, I am interested to hear about your experience.
After we get our pots painted I will be back to show you how our first pots turned out. If you get an opportunity to try your hand on the potter's wheel go for it! I should warn you it is not as easy as it looks but it's a lot of fun:)
Thanks for stopping by, God bless you!
Nancy

Latest Work In Progress in my Studio

Do you have several projects going on at the same time? I usually do. Here are a few things I am currently trying to finish,

                             " Posey" is destine to be a character in my upcoming children's book WIP

 These little works are ACEO cards, they will be when I finish them. They are 21/2" x 3 1/2" on canvas paper, when they are finished I will mount them on card stock

 This work in progress will be very fun to complete,I have a vision, let's see if my brush follows it!

    All I had on my mind with this is sunshine and light I believe that is all ten for now. What are you working on, how many?
I would love to hear from you:) God Bless you!
Nancy

Funday Monday!! My Finished Painting:)

I had so much fun this past week working on this painting. In my  last blog I showed you a little about the new process I re-found thanks to artist Robin Pedrero.
Here is my finished painting, I am happy to share this joyful work with you, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed watching it come to life! "Releasing the Shiny's"

Releasing the Shiny's

This is an acrylic & ink painting on a 16x20 canvas art board.
Happy Monday, and God bless you!
Nancy

Playing in my Studio, Please won't you join me?

Ready to paint

Fingers are tired so an old t-shirt is handy to use as a buffer

Just so fun!

I have a sweet friend who is an amazing artist and all around good egg. Her name is Robin Marie Pedrero, she is living and working in sunny Florida. I love her work and even own an original oil by her.
She posted a youtube video on face book something about resist? I thought what is resist? I had a minute so I watched it, wow, it brought to my mind a former business and the furniture I refinished  I used vaseline to "resist" the paint, this is the same process, just with rubber cement  and paint on canvas not wood!  I had to try this, I have done it a couple of times with fun results, this time I kept a photo record.
Please remember Robin is an award winning artist with so many accomplishments it would fill up my blog:) So my painting will not hold a candle to Robin's work, and we have very different styles. But I am enjoying my journey back to my art.

You think you can see the raised areas, that is the resist

The olive green is my base coat it must be completely dry, then add the resist, it must be completely dry, then I added the overcoat(blues) and it must dry. This was 4 days to the removal or revile, I will finish the painting   and I promise you will be the first to see it:) 

You can see how stretchy this is, and can be a pain to remove,but worth it!

BTW you can find Robin on face book Robin Pedrero

I hope you enjoy my blog, Stop by again,God Bless you!
Nancy 

Part 2 Etching Copper

I am going to share the second part of the etching process with you, I use make-do tools, nothing fancy in my studio.Please wear good chemical resistant gloves and goggles when you work with this, and make sure you have good ventilation, I do it outdoors.

This it is in the etching solution and ready to go to the neutralizer,  the baking soda. 

After I neutralize the copper it is gross looking! See the brackish green color? The copper is starting to show after a little scrubbing with a scrubby sponge. This is hard to get clean, and messy, I do all my etching outside because of the mess and the fumes.

After I scrub the piece as well as I can, I bring it to my work bench and finish removing the ink and buff it to a nice shine. I use #0000 steel wool, you can also use very fine sand paper.

You may find the finished cross here at my handmade Artist shop

Acid Etched Cross

I hope you decide to give this a try, this is a simplified version, just the basics, but many people have Tutorials out there, or do what I like to do and research how to's.
Thanks so much for reading my blog!God Bless ya!
Nancy

Etching Copper Part1

I thought you might find it interesting to see the etching process I use. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so.......

 Art Work done now in to the etching solution, face down. The white powder is baking soda, my neutralizer.

Now we wait ) If it is around 60degrees or more it can be as fast as 45 minutes, if it is cool it can take as long as 3 hours to get a nice deep etch. I will blog the part 2 tomorrow,stay tuned!

Thanks for following my blog, God bless you!

Nancy Art by Nancy Pace

A glimpse Inside My Studio

my workbench

My Journey
I am Nancy Pace, an artist. I call myself a multi-media artist. I love expressing myself with a paint brush or metal and stone. I am a happy, free spirited person with an insatiable love of beautiful things. I love all nature, the outdoors and anything shiny. I have been creating since I can remember. I have dabbled in lots of mediums, painting, sewing, sand art, clay and floral arrangement. I enjoy everything artsy!
I was always obsessed with vintage jewelry and I have always picked up stones. I never have enough of either one.
My Aha! Jewelry moment came while in a hardware store and I saw some shiny copper wire. Something kept drawing me back to the isle where that copper wire was. I had no idea what I would do with it, but my hubby bought me a few feet of that pretty copper wire and I was hooked. I couldn't wait to play with it.
It guess it was natural that I combine my passions for stones and vintage jewelry with wire. And use it as an art form.
My husband(my most valuable gem) gave me a few old tools, a hammer, some pliers, just odds and ends, little did he know what he was in for! I started to hunt for material and gather things to use as tools. I am still using most of these same “make-do” tools 3 years later.
Just when I thought I was content with my wire and stones ,my husband brought a beautiful copper fireplace screen in to use for a table top. As luck would have it he set that copper right in front of my makeshift work table. I asked for and got a torch, and he never did get to make the table! I have been using that copper screen for jewelry for almost two years now. It is perfect for etching another new venture for me to explore.
I believe my journey as an artist has no end. I am always learning, changing, growing. I love being different .I strive to follow my own path I will never be a carbon copy of anyone, I am me, and my art is me, a part of my heart.

When I design a piece of jewelry or do a painting I see a story in my head, the story influences the gemstones I pick or any other material I use.  I am fond of saying I use my stones and wire like paint on a canvas.
I recently shared my design story when I shared the piece of art jewelry I created. I realized it made the piece come to life for my audience, they could better "see" my art because they could see the story. I have a current story example on y other blog about  The Buffalo Stone. I probably won't go back and write out all the story's but from now on I will try. It makes my vision come to life.
I have found my own special niche. My place as an artist, a jewelry artist. And I have a voice.

I hope if you are a new artist you will find the courage to jump off the beaten path and follow your own heart. It is an incredible journey. My studio is about a 10'x10' and it has lots going on in a small space,but it works.

 If you know my work you will recognize the focal's here, they have all gone in designs

 The blue canvas is now "Flow" the blue fish. The other became "When the Willow Weeps" I paint in this corner of my studio, I am thankful for the two windows:)

 I had to show you the surprise my hubby got me, a beautiful colored pendulum light over my drafting table!

The desk I am using to research and blog is next to my drafting table

I laugh when I think of my first work table and how I started working on my jewelry. There was not enough light, it was uncomfortable and I never had the right tool. That was 3 years ago. I finally have a real studio, it needs a few finishing touches but it is workable and I enjoy it very much.
I have two shops on Handmade now, one for art jewelry  Nancy’s WildWire and Art By Nancy Pace for my paintings and other art.Stop by and check out my story vision and see what happens when an artist finds a voice. 

Interview with Handmade Artist Sifistickate

I recently had the pleasure of meeting this amazing and interesting artist on the Handmade Artists Forum board. I was intrigued by her profile picture and her flowing tresses .I have had long hair most of my life until recently, I never managed to get to this length, but two of my daughters did before age five, so I have some experience dealing with long locks:)

I had so many questions for Ms Julie about her hair and her business making unique one of a kind hair sticks I just had to interview her! Julie's answers were so interesting and she is so open and honest I can't wait to share with you:) You can see my personal favorite in the photo above, isn't that awesome! I am almost sad I cut my hair.
My first question: What inspired you to grow your hair so long?
Sifistickacate's answer:       I've always had long hair.  At first,  I didn't specifically have any goal in mind.  I let it grow to my mid-back, then just kinda neglected it for a while
because I didn't know what I wanted to do.  Then I decided an ankle-length braid would be awesome - the image in my mind of a long rope of hair hanging down, slapping me in the back of the leg as I walked was very appealing.  But, I was indoctrinated in conventional hair care methods, and 
didn't realize what kind of changes I would have to make to realize my dream.  
   I became "stuck" at waist-length for nearly a decade.  It never grew any longer,  and my hair dresser told me that some women can't grow hair that long, so I gave up trying.  I was very disappointed about it for a long time, but one day I resolved to just be happy with what I had.  I was looking around for new ideas for ways to style and decorate it, with a rather vague idea I would make myself some custom barrettes or something.  Then a friend directed me 
to the Long Hair Community, and that's where I learned how to restart my growth.  Since I've been there I've changed everything about the way I care for it,
and have grown from waist to knee.  Ankle looms again as a genuine possibility, and I'm excited about it.

Question 2: Have you ever cut your hair?
Sifistickacate's answer:     I kept my hair shoulder length or shorter for almost 20 years.  I remember in high school I had Prince's hair cut -about 2" long, razored, and spiked 
with gel. Over the years I did all kinds of crazy things -dyed it purple once- and was always having it cut some new way or perming it out of years of it's life. 

Question 3:What kind of situations have you gotten in to because your hair is so long?
Sifistickate's answer:     Oh, my.... To be honest, hair this long isn't for the faint of heart.  I've gotten it snagged on all kinds of things, closed it in doors, caught in fans, 
and had to remove all kinds of tangles.  When it's this long, it can be difficult to keep it out of trouble, and the only real solution is to put it up every day.  
Thankfully, even at this length I can grab it and put it up in less than 15 seconds, so I won't have to worry about it much.
   But even when it's out of the way, it can still be a serious liability.  Last year I had it 'safely' bunned while I was burning weeds and a gust of wind blew a spark and caught my hair on fire and burned huge chunks of it, I believe it it had been free I would have lost all of it, I had nightmares for weeks!
Poor Julie!

Question 4: What kind of reaction do you get from people on the street?
 Sifistickate's answer:   Mostly very, very positive.  A lot of people ask me how I grew it so long, and how I keep it nice at this length.  Others just want to know how much 
time and effort it takes to maintain.  Many will ask for my advice for their own hair, and a few have told me they plan to grow theirs this long, too.
   A very few make rude comments about how I'm destroying the environment 'using so much shampoo' or demanding that I cut it for donation to Locks of Love.  Sometimes random strangers see it as public property.  They grab it and pull and make jokes about my "reins" or my "bell pull" or call it a "mop". I try to just take it in stride, but sometimes it's really annoying!

Question 5: How long does it take to wash & dry those lovely locks?
Sifistickate's answer:     It takes less time to care for now than it did when it was shorter! 
   For daily care, I just use a bit of conditioner in the shower, and then I use a single drop or two of coconut oil on the ends to help protect them. 
About once a week I have an eccentric three-hour-long routine of shampoo, conditioners, coffee rinses and a few very unusual preparations that work for me.  
Once I'm done, it air dries in about two hours.

Question 6:  Did you come from a creative family?
 Sifistickate's answer:    Yes.  My family members are all eccentric, creative, free-thinking, opinionated,  limitless kooks.  And I love them all to the moon and back. :):)


Question 7:How long have you been making hairsticks & hair adornments?

 Sifistickate's answer:  Maybe two years now.  It started when I had to refinish and paint a really unusual wooden barrette that I bought. It arrived with big splinters and rough 
spots, and took me hours to repair.  Then I started buying up used items that had been mistreated and refurbishing them.  Sometimes I worked for hours on 
something only to have to finally admit that it would never, ever work with hair as long as mine.  So I started buying various pieces and parts to assemble into 
items that would work better.  

Question 8:  When did you decide to take your passion to a new level and make it a business?

 Sifistickate's answer: I started just making hair toys for myself.  I'm really picky and only want things that won't snag or tangle, and that go with the clothes I wear. I don't like 
things that are too sparkly or fancy, because I have to wear them everyday.  There are a lot of people who sell really beautiful hair sticks with crystals and bling,  
but I wanted more subtle and casual sticks to wear all the time.  
   I also have a strong attraction to truly one of a kind, artistic works that just can't be purchased in large quantities.  So, I started buying really unusual pieces when I saw them, until I realized I had a genuine collection.  It just made sense to start selling some of my creations  to others with really long hair. 

Question 9:  Please tell me about your life outside of your art, what are your other interests, do you have pets? Etc....
  Sifistickate's answer:   When I'm not pushing my hair to longer and longer lengths, I draw, paint, sew, garden and keep art journals.  I'm the owner of Your Button Shop, and 
the owner/admin of Stitchery Guild sewing forums.  
   I am interested in everything there is, and everything that ever will be.  I want to study every subject, read every book, gaze at every painting, and meet
every person worth knowing.  I have no boundaries; and there are no doors I will not peek inside.  

I want to thank Sifistickate for her willingness to open up about her life and give us such an interesting and fascinating  interview ! If you would like to see more of Julie's work you can find her here at Sifistickate Hairsticks:)

I hope you have enjoyed your visit, I look forward to your comments and questions . Until next time.. God bless you !
Nancy:)