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Showing posts with label the moon as muse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the moon as muse. Show all posts

Monday, 28 May 2012

Personalised Moon Photo Blocks

For a long time, i resisted using moondreamin' as a commercial name.... but the more i added photographs to my etsy shop, the more i saw that it would make sense to put all the 'moon stuff' under one roof, so to speak. I created the shop, and still held off adding items for a good while, but eventually i could resist no more... i wonder why i resisted....maybe it was just case of the time being right, for it really does make sense for everything moon related to be in one place, with a name that reflects what is there.

 custom christening gift

These little box-frames have proved to be popular... they are super cute! Only 3 1/4 inches square & 1 1/4 inches deep, but i'm always really pleased with them. It might sound silly, but i find myself holding my breath at times, as i wait to see how each stage of production turns out.

 birthdate gift, with a photograph of the moon taken on the actual day!

 Sometimes i have a photograph for the exact date, and my collection of dates covered is growing.  It feels like i should have most days by now, but it's only when someone asks that i realize how big the gaps are sometimes!

 personalized anniversary gift with moon on the exact date too

I'm a bit precious about them as i sand & varnish... and have found that i enjoy wrapping them up as much as making them or taking the photographs!

 every box goes out gift wrapped in black tissue & a strip of 
sanwaa tissue that has real gold & silver leaf flakes in it.

It was reassuring when my first customer came back and ordered another two... it shows that at least one person wasn't disappointed when they opened their parcel! Everyone so far has given great feedback.. again, very reassuring. However much i may like what i create, it doesn't mean a thing unless the people who buy them appreciate them... they have all been for pretty special gifts, so i feel a responsibility to deliver!

 hand-fasting present, personalised with names & date
 
I was thrilled to receive an order for 4 for the same person last week.... i don't know if they were for gifts or for themselves... and i have had an enquiry about making larger boxes with lids for tarot cards, so that is my next project on this front.

i like to stand them on a shelf... a little sacred space...
but they are easy to hang on the wall too
 
I feel quite honoured to be able to stand with moon whenever she is visible... to spend some time... to take the photographs... and to be able to turn them into something that creates pleasure for other people too. Some people are aware of the energy already, but some aren't... I like the idea of sending a little bit of moon-magic into people's homes, hopefully to awaken some feeling that leads them to explore & discover more.... i wouldn't be at all surprised, if it was the moon herself who whispered in my ear while i was sleeping, giving me the idea in the first place!

You can find these mini moondreams at 

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Moon Textile Art Quilt

I was browsing through Mudhound Studio Shop, looking for some bundles of loveliness to decorate a book with... dreamy twists of sari silk & seductive silken threads drew me in, and while i was there i stumbled across this gorgeous concoction...


 *gasp* how much do i want to touch? 
a froth of fibres & teasing snippets of text...


 layers of fabric, stitches, & various embellishments...
 is it possible to overdose on textures?
If so, i probably will cos i just want to see more...

 photos (c) Lisa Jurist

This is most definitely one of a kind, and is available in Lisa's shop <here>

Mudhound Studio is where Lisa blogs, and there are more photos & description 
of this mini quilt in this post... enjoy!









Friday, 2 September 2011

Painter of Moonlight...

.... Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893). If you are anywhere near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, you have until Sunday to catch this exhibition of his paintings at the Mercer Gallery. John Atkinson Grimshaw was a Victorian era painter from Leeds, best known for his moonlight & night-time scenes. I only heard of him from a friend this week, but after a quick scout about online and seeing that there would also be photography by moonlight from Liza Dracup, how could I resist!


Whitby Harbour

People often have the fixed idea of silver moonlight and never observe the varying hues cast through mist, rain and cloud... and some challenged Grimshaw's depictions of moonlight... but his detail & portrayal of light in his paintings are amazing, much more so in 'real life' than on computer.

Moonlight After Rain

Some of the paintings in this exhibition have a definite photo-realism to them, and he has been known to paint over photographs, and also to have projected images onto larger canvasses to ensure correct composition. Little is actually known about Atkinson Grimshaw... did he practice photography himself, or have someone else do that bit for him? I haven't dug very deep to find out if the answers are available.

Colour photography was in it's infancy during this period. According to a wiki-article here 
"Prior to the late 1890s, color photography was strictly the domain of a very few intrepid experimenters willing to build their own equipment, do their own color-sensitizing of photographic emulsions, make and test their own color filters and otherwise devote a large amount of time and effort to their pursuits."
Regardless of how big a part photographs played in his work, he was extremely skilful & they are stunning.... you could easily feel like stepping into the scene. Looking around, I found a blog "that's how the light gets in" that covers some interesting points in this post- mystery in the moonlight
Moonlight Over Wharfedale
~love this!

Running alongside the Atkinson Grimshaw exhibition, is "Chasing the Gloaming"  (one of Grimshaws paintings is 'In The Gloaming')... a body of work by photographer Liza Dracup, inspired by Grimshaw's paintings.

 River Wharfe, detail
~love this!!

Long exposures allow the camera to pick up images we can't actually see ourselves, giving them a mysterious quality... an ideal compliment to the paintings. 
“I take one extended exposure, which is in fact also many views in one – a linear, layered effect of fragments in time. I kept thinking of the differences and similarities between a photograph and a painting..." 

 Whitby, moon light

  ‘Moonlight is one of my working lights. As my eyes adjust I find more and more. I find colours that exist through photography, I am able to see the clouds moving, something we don’t pick up so easily unless we are looking purposefully… the exciting thing is not to know what the colour will look like until the print is made. In both painting and photography the end result is composed of a range of dyes, so in that way, photographs can be described as painterly.’
Comments from Liza and more about this project are in this article -here


Green Circle, Tree & Moon
photographs (c) Liza Dracup


Mmm... the mysterious moonlight! Well worth the visit.

Mercer Gallery exhibition details are here
John Atkinson Grimshaw- The Complete Works- here
Liza Dracup- here

and a video about Grimshaw, the exhibition & Liza talking about her photography...


Friday, 10 June 2011

Shrine To The Moon

I love to see moon-inspired art.... when lady luna takes on the role of muse, she shines her light of inspiration deep into our hearts. Barry has been working with some moon-muse-magic, creating this gorgeous 'Shrine to the Moon' ...

~ Barry Smith (c) ~


 His idea was to add a metal leaf & offering bowl to this personal shrine... his thoughts reminded me of this...
            "a falling leaf touches the moon's reflection.... and my own" ~horiuchi

... and i can envision sitting i silent prayer with this shrine, connecting with moon energy... especially at new moon when she is not visible in our skies... i think of the "meet me at the waters edge" practice that ....began with the gulf oil spill of offering healing energy to the waters of earth at new moon.... perhaps filling the offering bowl with a little water... no doubt everyone can visualize their own way of connecting....

If you clicked that link you will have seen that there was some discussion about the type of bowl to compete the piece. Barry created three palm-sized bowls to choose from, and it looks like this is going to be the finished shrine... you can read all about it here...

 ~ Barry Smith (c) ~

I just adore this....

You might also like to look at Barry's earlier assembly filled with lunar inspiration.... 'Moon Gate'.
Yes, the moon as muse is a very powerful force indeed!