Mecox Gardens

Mecox Gardens is an emporium of delightful objects for your home. They now have 8 stores nationwide and I am so excited to have my paintings featured at the Dallas location. Here's a peek at a few of my paintings that are currently on display:

Stand Calmly
36" x 36" x 1.5"

There is so much to see here, from furniture to home accents to original artwork. The space is beautifully laid out and it is evident that there has been a lot of thought that went into the merchandising. It is easy to envision how these pieces would look in your room, due to the clever vignettes. What's so good here is the fact that there is a fresh approach to design, mixing important pieces with excellent art and accessories. It's also not the same old stuff that we have been seeing for years.

Impermanent Beauty
36" x 36" x 1.5"

My Soul is Restless til It Rests in You
36" x 36" x 1.5"

Local friends, please pop in and check them out next time you are cruising Knox. 

Mecox Gardens
4532 Cole Ave.
Dallas, TX 75205

New Painting, " I Can Hear You Singing to me in My Sleep"

I Can Hear You Singing to Me in My Sleep

11" x 14"

Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

Available here

All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that, and I intend to end up there. You are so weak. Give up to grace. The ocean takes care of each wave until it gets to shore. - Rumi

(detail)

There is something about this one that really captures my state of mind at the moment. A definite longing for the sea has come over me as Dallas descends into the lazy hazy days of summer.  My whole life has drawn me to the ocean, something at once that is at once calm and tranquil, tumultuous, vast and knowing, mysterious and deep.  Something that is a part of myself that I have yet to find...thinking of the sea reminds me that every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.

Our Anniversary

Today marks 6 years of wedded bliss for me and Mr. D.   In six years, there have been three beautiful children, two unruly dogs, two homes (one to begin and one to grow up in ), two thriving careers...we joke that we certainly have a lot of baggage to show for that fateful day we were married at the Maison Dupuy courtyard in New Orleans.

I love our life. The joy I feel every day at the sheer beauty of this journey we are on together never ceases to take my breath away.  And at the foundation of it all is us, our love.  The secret is the love.

I was shopping yesterday and saw this inscription on a dinner plate, of all random things, but I was so taken by it because it exactly describes my love for Mr. D, my gratitude for the unconditional love he shows every day and my hope for our lives together.  I took a pic and gave it to him via email as sort of a digital card this year...feel so techie. :)


These words inspired me on so many levels that I wanted to share them with you so that they may do the same...

New Painting, "Window to the Soul"

21" x 24"

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas

Some of my most loose and free forays on the canvas are happening in the studio right now. It is a very exciting time.  It feels incredible to bear witness to one's own growth...to be present in the moments when it's happening.


This painting is sold. For that I am so grateful. Fine art prints are available for online purchase on my Etsy site.


These colors are just my absolute favorite. Some detail shots are below.

"The eye is the window of the soul...

Now do you not see that the eye embraces the beauty of the whole world?

... It counsels and corrects all the arts of mankind...

It has measured the distances and sizes of the stars;

it has discovered the elements and their location..."

Leonardo Da Vinci

Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Bob Munro

As a Creative person myself, I love learning about what makes other like-minded people tick. Thanks for joining me today as I interview Bob Munro.  I became familiar with his photography after purchasing a hauntingly beautiful picture of the Virgin Mary in a New Orleans Cemetery for our son's room and have enjoyed following his work since. here's his story...

 Name: Bob Munro

Current Location: Dallas/ hometown Miami, Florida.  Moved to Dallas after college

Education: University of Florida

Business name is Sacred Pause

Sacred Pause is:

My passions include helping and empowering others through my gifts and talents.  I always strive to give back every day.  It can be as little as a smile or a positive attitude throughout the day.  My passions also include global travel to sacred places and  be able to capture peaceful images of these far off special places to share with others. 

Sacred Pause began during a time in my life that I needed to be still, reflect and take a pause. My passion for photography blossomed during this time; I was drawn to spiritual landscapes that exist all around us, and I paused to honor life's quiet rhythms.  Lessons in fierce landscapes, desert silence, pacific fog, the stillness of redwoods, mountaintop prayer, even the glow of my backyard garden angel--these spiritual landscapes of nature provided me solace.

My ideal day would be to pause and to experience the beauty around me, to realize the hidden power of sacred moments,  to savor daily rituals, and to give thanks for my many blessings.

 My creative comes from nature, sacred places, peaceful places, quiet times, a surprise moment

I enjoy practicing yoga most every day.

My  favorite working style is travel to a place I find inspirational or sacred and then just explore.  There is a drive in me to take the road less travelled and just see what appears for my art and the experience.  This usually makes for a long day, but with much enjoyment. 

I have always been a big fan of Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keefe.  I often travel to Abiquiu, New Mexico where O'Keefe found her inspiration.

websites I enjoy-

www.modernmuse.net

www.freelisa.com

http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/

Blogs

http://soulflungopen.blogspot.com/

Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Nic Noblique

As a creative person myself, I am fascinated with what makes other like-minded types tick. Thanks for joining me today as I share an interview with local artist Nic Noblique.

Nic Noblique, Texas

Education

Kicked out of art school.  Self Taught.

Current City/Hometown

Appleton Wisconsin.  Curently in Clyde, Texas.

Describe your work in one sentence. 

Abstract larger than you steel sculpture in vibrant colors based on the idea of 3/5/8 mathematical beauty.

Describe your normal day.

Each day is totally different from the next.  One day i'm in the studio, the next i'm out of town on exhibition, the next day I might be delivering work or excavating steel from the salvage yard.  My ideal day would be sailing around the south pacific listening to the germs while setting up gorilla style sculpture installations in uninhabited atolls.

What are your passions? 

Sk8, snowboarding, surfing, sailing, art, culture, food, travel, my kids and wife, my business, my art and punk rock.  

What are your goals? 

As long as I have the freedom and support to keep creating, keep building sculpture, keep painting.......I consider my most important goal met.   My lifelong goal has been and will always be to just stay out of the cubical. 

Who are your creative influences?

I don't consider myself that impressionable when it comes to my own creativity.  My life, my dreams, everyday random things influence me a lot and because I have a wickedly overactive imagination - I am most influenced by my own chaotic thoughts and ideas.  There are inspirations though, like my wife and kids, artists I admire, and a lot of music.

Are there any other relevant experiences that shaped who you are today and what you do?

Yes there are a lot of those!  When I was living in France as a kid and sat for hours at a sculpture garden full of Picasso's work in Antibes because I was too young to go to the casino with my parents.  

When I first came to my familes farm in Clyde 11 years ago, I had just closed my sk8 shop in Seattle and I picked up a crappy old wind-up stick welder and made my first steel sculpture.  

And there was that time when I was 13 and I got to show my pottery at the Milwaukee Museam of Art and was pretty stoked about that experience.

And (this is a good one) there was that time I needed a rolling machine but couldn't afford one so I built one myself out of junkyard parts which allowed me to do the work I do today.  I had called a well known texas sculptor and asked for a referral to a good fabricator to help me with my larger work and she told me that 'real artists have their own equipment' and hung up on me.  That really pissed me off so I have fabricated my own industrial equipment ever since.  Come to find out, she uses Blumenthal Steel in Houston to make her sculptures for her.  That definitely made me realize how self motivated you have to be and what a serious drive you have to have to succeed at what I do.  It's expensive and difficult work.  I also made a mental note to self - Don't ever be an ass to another artist who reaches out to you for help, the art community needs synergy and support from within!

Heres a picture of the rolling machine i built:

  

How do you set the table for your muse?

Music, flame retardants and a tetanus shot.

Is there anyone that you really look up to as an inspiration?

My grandmother who was light years ahead of her time.  She was the most progressive and inspiring person i've ever known.  There are tons of artists (dead and alive) that I look up to.  Too many to list here.  I admire freethinkers, people who acheive success on their own terms, and the underdogs that prove everyone else wrong.

What motivates you on a daily basis? 

As an independant artist working every day to support myself and my family through art, I'd have to say money is a pretty major motivator.  Selling my work is a must if I expect to keep creating and give my family a quality of life they deserve.  I'm always motivated to do whatever needs to get done and I think it's part of the equation as to whether you're going to sink or swim in this business.  I do have a guilty pleasure but my wife says this is not the appropriate forum to share it.

What's your working style? 

I don't have any particular working style.  I work when I can and usually block a whole day out for studio time.  I have to travel a lot and there are other things to deal with during the week so when I have a free day it's all about being in the studio.  I work with apprentices from McMurray University's Art Department and anytime they call and are free to lock in some hours, I make myself available.  I've never done well with schedules, so other than seeing to my commitments with travel and exhibitions, I try to just let my mind and body tell me when and for how long i'm going to work.  Sometimes I walk in to my studio and am just not feeling it.  Other times, i'm locked into what i'm doing and don't even notice my wife staring at me from the bay door.

What are your websites/social networking links?

www.nobliquestudios.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nic-Noblique

http://www.linkedin.com/in/audrasewellnoblique

www.nobliquestudios/wordpress.com

www.flickr.com/photos/nobliquestudios

www.twitter.com/nic_noblique

Images:

The portrait of Nic Noblique in his studio; photo credits: Evan Wallis Photography

Frisco Proposal for Warren Sports Complex; Digital Rendering by Audra Sewell-Noblique (Maquette by Nic Noblique)

Jim and Glenys Kaye Private Collection, Sacramento CA,  "Between Red and Yellow" by Nic Noblique, 2010

Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Scott Trent

Today's feature highlights Sculptor Scott Trent, whose passion for his own work as well as creating a platform that helps artists pursue their passions is inspiring and refreshing.

Name
Scott Trent

Education
MA – UTD, Arts & Technology, ABD, PhD. – UTD, Arts & Technology, with an emphasis in “Digital media based design that facilitates collaboration.”

Current City/Hometown
Dallas/Richardson

Tell me about your work in one sentence.
I am a metal sculptor, creating large and small scale work utilizing found metal, abstract. The project I am most excited about these days is the Henderson Art Project. I approach everything I do as a creation and the process is similar whether welding a metal sculpture or designing an event.

Describe your normal day. What would your *ideal* day be like?
I am passionate about my work and try to focus on meaningful, fulfilling, creative endeavors that stimulate my mind and pushes me physically. My day usually begins around 6 am, I’ve found a nice routine that begins the day working out, which might be running slow laps around the track or reading on the elliptical machine and days full of meetings with artists, business owners and community leaders who are making things happen in the art community. I love the conversations and the new opportunities that surface daily. In between are the details and logistics work that facilitate collaborative events. I seek activities that engage both sides of my brain.



What are your passions?
Communication, Creating, Competitive Sports (handball/squash), Design and sculpting. Teaching and nurturing others is also very important to me.

What are your goals?
To create a platform that helps artists pursue their passions. www.artistconsortium.org, www.hendersonartproject.com
As an artist my goal is to continue to create a body of work that explores the depths of my creativity. I can’t wait to see what this looks like in the years to come.

Who are your creative influences?
Muhammad Yunus, Gordon MacKenzie, Ira Glass, Dean Kamen

Are there any other relevant experiences that shaped who you are today and what you do?
I believe the most influential experience in my life was my parents allowing me to express myself and encouraging me to think differently. This has been my most valued perspective that guides everything I do. I find it’s not about intelligence, but the ability to look at life differently and be able to consider all perspectives. It seems that most limitations are self imposed which can directly inhibit creativity.

Is there anyone that you really look up to as an inspiration?
I admire people who have a vision and can make it happen. Look for ways to overcome obstacles when the consensus is “NO.” Embraces unique thinking and appreciates creative ideas. But, maybe most important are those who can articulate their visions so others understand and are inspired to collaborate. I haven’t figured it out, but strive for this daily.

What motivates you on a daily basis?
I am happiest when I have a goal or project to work towards. The busier the better. My guilty pleasure will always be some form of food with sugar and fat. I love McDonalds, but primarily because of the efficiency and quickness of the food. It’s most difficult for me to eat healthy when I’m pushing myself work wise. Metal sculpting can be heavy lifting, hot and dirty. Nothing better than a burger, fries and a coke. (Of course, that was 30 pounds ago, so this summer the turkey sandwich and sparkling water might have to be the new “fast food.”)

What's your working style?
No breaks. Usually, all out. Up early and to bed early. Best time of the day is morning.

What are your websites/social networking links?
Facebook: Scott Trent, Henderson Art Project
Twitter: strent
Flickr: Scott Trent
www.hendersonartproject.com
www.scottrent.com
www.utdbox.com