Hail Spring! Today is the vernal equinox, signaling the first day of spring.
As an avid gardener, I’m excited for warmer weather, planting season, colorful flowers, and butterflies! As an extreme allergy sufferer, I’m less than excited about the next few weeks of alternating between zombie mode (unmedicated) and total spazz (whacked out on allergy meds) < ~ Please bear with me there.
What are you looking forward to this season?
The colors in this garden fairy mask + crown are even more vibrant than pictured! I don’t make these often (this is only the 3rd variation since 2009!).
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| © 2014 Andrea Adams |
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| Summer 2012 issue of FAE Magazine |
OMG! The fact that I have not posted about this yet is testament to how insanely busy and exhausted I have been lately. Please allow me to correct this absurd oversight …
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| Photo © Janna Prosvirina |
The model is the lovely Janna Prosvirina, who is as talented as she is beautiful (follow the link above to see some of Janna’s gorgeous fantasy art!). I am so grateful to her for supplying these photos. She submitted them for my virtual costume contest this past fall, and they ended up being perfect for this opportunity with FAE magazine!
If you’re interested in one or both of these masks, you can find them on my website which is the very best way to buy directly from me. They are also currently listed in my Etsy shop. The “Lady of the Leaves” mask (which is the bottom layer) is available here and the “Autumn Greenman” can be found here.
I am eagerly awaiting my copy of the magazine, and I am deeply grateful for this wonderful opportunity!
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| © Carapace – http://www.etsy.com/shop/carapace |
Flower fairies get all the attention when humans start looking for nature’s decorators. But somebody has to paint the deserts, and detail the scorpion. Somebody has to bead the lizards.
Lizards at least are fairly patient if unappreciative customers. And she actually enjoys imposing beauty over their sullen disinterest. But it does irritate her when people overlook the intricate patterns of her reptiles to coo over yet another watercolor sunset. Yes, yes, very nice purple. Look at the lizard!
Okay, I’ve decided — this one is mine; but if you’d like one of her other fantasy prints please check out her shop.
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| via simondale.net |
In an effort to make blogging more of a habit, I’m going to try something new in the coming year. On Wednesdays, I’ll share images and ideas that inspire me. Ideally, I will do this every Wednesday — but we’ll see how that goes 😉 Hopefully, this will remind me to update more often, and also allow me to promote other artists and dreamers.
So without further ado, my first “inspiration” post features an earth friendly home in Wales. It was built by Simon Dale and his father in law. Not only is this home beautiful, unique and magical looking (very Hobbit-like, no?), it was built in a very low impact fashion, with the utmost respect for the environment.
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| via simondale.net |
The interior is just amazing, with its skylights and twisted wood rails. It looks like something out of a fantasy tale, but the construction methods reflect very real and contemporary values such as permaculture and sustainability.
This home was build on a particularly modest budget, using materials and techniques that are readily accessible to most people. The house harnesses solar power and rainwater, and does not rely on fossil fuels. It is a creative and wondrous example of what can be done to provide low cost, eco friendly housing.
Here’s a preview of the new winter-themed exhibit from the FAE Team. My little screen shot is just the tip of the iceberg … please go visit the exhibition page to see more beautiful winter selections from the Fantasy Artists of Etsy!
The Fae Team has just posted their newest exhibition! It’s a gorgeous collection of mermaids, seashells and other watery beauties that celebrates the current theme, “Siren Song”.
The exhibit includes original art prints, costume items, jewelry and accessories. Some of the pieces are silly and whimsical, while others are absolutely elegant … go check it out!
Wow, I’ve got a lot going on this month! Some of the highlights include the Beading for a Cure Charity auctions, a gorgeous new Fae Team Exhibit, vending at the Spring Fairy Festival in Auburn and of course, more school. Reading it back to myself, that list doesn’t look anywhere near as big as it feels… but regardless of how it looks, it’s enough to keep me hopping. Hopefully, some of this will be interesting and exciting to you as well 🙂
This year’s Beading for a Cure auctions have been live for a couple of weeks now. There are several lovely item listings ending tonight, including a gorgeous bracelet made by my friend Nikia Angel, a beautiful beaded mask, an incredible beaded dragonfly wand and so much more!
The mask that I donated (pictured above) has been listed today, and the auction will end on 4/18. In case you’re not familiar with this charity, Beading for a Cure is an annual art challenge and fundraiser. Participating bead artists each purchase an identical kit and create something with the materials. They can create anything they choose, as long as they follow the same ground rules. Starting in March, the items are auctioned off and the proceeds are donated to the National Colorectal Cancer Research Association in memory of bead artist Layne Shilling, who lost her battle with colorectal cancer in November of 2002. It is an amazing gift of love and talent. This year’s participating artists went all out, so please visit BFAC’s eBay page and show them some love.
Annnddd, the new Fantasy Artists of Etsy (or Fae Team) exhibition is live! These exhibitions showcase the artwork of the team’s talented members, and they’re a real feast for the eyes. The theme for the current exhibition is “Faeries, Elves and Pixies, Oh My!”, and it is truly fabulous. Please take a moment to visit the site, and tell them that I sent you!
Last, but certainly not least, we will be vending at the Spring Fairy Festival in Auburn WA this coming Saturday, April 16th. The event takes place at the Green River Community College in Auburn WA — please visit the website for details and directions (cause I assure you that you never want to get your driving directions from me 😉 Besides an impressive array of talented vendors to shop from, there will be fun workshops, exciting performers, a kid’s corner and a costume contest! It promises to be a fun show — hope to see you there!
Yesterday I learned that one of my masks was included in this “May Weather” treasury. I love the balance of soft grays and blues in this one, and the selections are wonderful. A few of the items that really grabbed my eye are the Irish proverb calligraphy book by Cindyyount, these beautiful letterpress printed coasters from FullCirclePress, and this photocard set featuring blossoming trees by JulieWebb.
This treasury was curated by Ranzangel, who creates “fine art and funky craft”. Her work is joyful, colorful and generally awesome. She’s got everything from whimsical jewelry to trippy polymer clay sculptures to paintings. Please take a moment to check it out!
Annnd, last night I got inspired to curate a treasury too! I’ve never tried this before, so it was pretty fun (and a wee bit frustrating) to learn how it’s done. My selections were quite varied, so it was difficult to think of a name that would “fit” with everything, but I settled on “Whispers in the Woods” because each of these images looks as though it belongs in a quiet forest. The only exception to that woodsy theme is this “Calm Cup” by AdrienArt – which is evocative of the way that I feel after a good walk in the woods.
I featured a few faeries – like this gorgeous print by RenaeLeaTaylor – and several birds, including this stellar print of ravens and a tree spirit by TommyDaceos. There are also a couple of beautiful butterfly themed pieces, and a liberal dose of trees, leaves and branches.
I enjoyed putting this together, and I may try it again in the future since I dig the whole treasury thing so much. They’re such beautiful and interesting collections, and it’s also a fun and simple way for artists to support and encourage one another.
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