by Kathleen O'Brien | Dec 3, 2014 | artists, Open Studio, talismans
It was an honor to welcome Laverne Zabielski to the studio for Open Studios. We’ve been wanting to visit each other, but a two hour drive involves planning. It is meaningful when a fellow artist wants to buy a piece. She said, “I love how you suggested that we consider pieces of your work that speak to us. I looked at everything in your studio. They were all beautiful. It was when I read the title of the piece that you made from my fabric, Talisman for Aging Gracefully that I knew it was for me.” (more…)
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Nov 19, 2014 | Open Studio, talismans
Well, “Talisman for Painters”, a favorite beaded artifact, has a new home, sold at the Open Studio. For a few years I could not part with it, I think because it was a paint brush from when we first built our house. The dried green paint on the brush was the first color of our outdoor window trim. Maybe I had to hold on to it to prove we completed the hardest task of our life. Like a diploma. (more…)
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Nov 12, 2014 | Open Studio, talismans
My biggest pleasure is connecting a person with the art they need in their life. When I create something there is an inner knowing that it is for a certain person. This is my purpose as an artist, to bring happiness. I think happiness shows on the lovely Lauren Higdon‘s face. She chose “Talisman for Centering” for some personal reasons, and some that make perfect sense. Like the fact that she is the founder of Centered, Lexington Kentucky’ s Holistic Community Center, dedicated to inspiring, educating and supporting our world through the moving, visual and healing arts.
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Oct 26, 2014 | mediums, talismans
At the famous “127 Yard Sale” one year I bought some brass horse bridle decorations, knowing someday I would figure out a way to create something, just because I liked them. Do you ever make impulse buys, then much later be glad you followed your intuition? When I started in earnest using beads again, I pulled bridle decorations out to embellish as wall hangings, showing for the first time at Open Studios. I took photos as I went through the process making this first one, “Talisman for Beachcombers.”
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Oct 22, 2014 | mediums, talismans
Every now and then it’s fun to expand into dimensions with collage. WOW, a whole 1 inch deep! These are 10 x 10″ wood panels that have different mediums and objects on them. This first one, “Talsiman for Artists” has drawing, copper leaf, watercolor, linen on the side, not too visible, copper wire and tacks mounted on wood, with hand made watercolor beads with copper, Turquoise, Dalmatian Jasper, Chinese Millefiori, Handmade Furnace Glass, Peridot, and Shell Heishi. (more…)
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Oct 19, 2014 | talismans, works in progress
These two cuffs indulged my love of hand stitching. I recommend it for anyone who needs or wants to slow down. Especially if you can accomplish this in the bright sunlight, inside or out. For “Talisman for Honey Bees” I began as I did with “Talisman for Ageing Gracefully”, by choosing the beads and starting the design. (more…)
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Oct 15, 2014 | Open Studio, talismans
As a practitioner of Transformational Healing and Shamanic Healing for 25 years, I strive to always reference my heart chakra. It is my space where all things of essence can enter from spirit and give me fundamental strength; soul force, vital energy, knowing, compassion, gratitude, joy. As I write this Kahiliapua, a lovely Kahuna comes to mind & I smile. She traveled tirelessly transmitting heart healing. There were many more wonderful indigenous teachers I had the honor of learning from, Grandfather Wallace Black Elk, Rolling Thunder, Brook Medicine Eagle, Allegra Ahlquist, Sandra Ingerman to name a few. One thing they all had in common were the teachings of the heart. (more…)
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Oct 7, 2014 | mediums, talismans
Continuing with the story line of buying beads from Jacob March it was really an honor to acquire these Nila beads from Djenne I wrote about in this post. It was an even bigger honor to handle them and restring them into this necklace, “Talisman for the Earth”. (more…)
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Oct 1, 2014 | mediums, talismans
The idea to create Talismans for Grounding, 2 separate necklaces that I designed to potentially be worn together, began when I acquired the very specail collection of beads on the strand shown below. It’s always a favorite errand when I visit Boulder to shop at Nomad Beads. Jacob March, who I will be writing about next time, is a trusted merchant and friend. He steers me toward special beads that you don’t find elsewhere. (more…)
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by Kathleen O'Brien | Sep 27, 2014 | Open Studio, talismans
Luckily we enjoy preparing for our big event of the year – Annual Open Studios ARTTOUR – here at Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary, especially when the weather is as superlative as it has been. That’s because there are just so many items on the list that we can do outside! First and foremost for me is producing the best art I can so you can see the very latest from the studio.
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