Honored, Humbled

Last year I participated in a monthly gathering at a local church where we would read scripture, silently meditate on it and then break into small groups to share what was on our hearts. I loved being with this group and at the end of the year, as a way to say thank you, I made each person a gift.

Well, I ran into one of the ladies a few weeks ago and she wanted to tell me something....this summer she was forced to evacuate her home due to the wildfires. She only had 30 minutes to pack up and get out and therefore, very little time to grab what was meaningful to her that she didn't want to risk loosing. She then told me that one of the first things she grabbed was the necklace I had made for her! She said that necklace meant so much to her that she knew immediately she didn't want to leave it behind.

WOW, I was blown away (to say the least). Shocked, humbled, grateful!

THIS is why I create. I do it for myself, but I also do it for others - to show them how much they mean to me. I love working on a project/gift for someone because while I'm using my heart, mind and hands to make something special for them, it allows me the time and space to focus on that person in my life. To really think about them, who they are, what they like and what they mean to me. It truely is a blessing!

And, I'm not gonna lie, it feels good to know that it is appreciated.

My goal for 2010.....Create! Create! Create!

PS -- her house was fine -- they were evacuated for 2 days but no damage from the fires.

My new daily mantra...

“I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning . . . Every day I find something creative to do with my life.” - Miles Davis

Memories

I can't remember exactly when or where I got this little violin (and I do mean little, see the pen sitting next to it!) - but what I do remember is spending hours looking at it, playing with it, delicately admiring it. My guess is that I was around 10 years old when I got it.

It's stayed at my parents house but they recently sent it to me. The other night I spent at least half an hour enjoying it. The second I open up the case there is this smell that envelops me and takes me back to my childhood. When I see my hands caressing it, I see the hands of a young child exploring, admiring, dreaming.

I played the violin for 9 years growing up. In the beginning, I loved it - but as the years wore on I began to hate it. My interests were in other areas and practicing was the last thing I wanted to do. I therefore quickly dropped to the back of the class in skill level and remained there until I graduated high school. I haven't touched my violin since.

As I think about it, I believe the reason I stuck with it all those years was because I thought it made my parents proud. And because I hadn't stuck with anything I'd tried (piano, ballet, tap, soccer, girl scouts, etc...) I used to feel guilty about this, like I was a failure and couldn't complete what I had started. But what I realize now is that that is what kids do and I am SO thankful for all of those experiences! Everything I ever participated in, no matter how short, I learned something, I built memories and they all molded me into the person I am today --- a woman with a diverse background of experience, a hunger for knowledge, and an interest in a wide variety of things in life.

I am multifaceted, complex, and I like it that way.

Me

Part of being an artist is knowing who you are or, more accurately, exploring who you are. As I've been going about my daily life lately I've been naturally listing things in my head about who I am, what I like, what I think, etc... I thought it might be useful to write some of these things down.

It will also be interesting to see if/how these change over the years.

A Little Bit About Me...

*I will be 30 this year and I find myself looking forward to it. I've spent my 20's trying to discover who I am, I think when I turn 30 I'm going to say "screw it - this is who I am, I'm going for it, deal with it" - haha.

*I can't go to bed without saying goodnight to my sleeping daughter.

*I hate hair when it is not attached to someone's head - loose hair makes me gag.

*I learned last night that cleaning mini-blinds is actually therapeutic.

*I too often let fear stop me from going after what I really want.

*On occasion I still care what people think, but for the most part I've let that go.

*If I could rid the world of spiders, ants and bees I would.

*Working with my hands to create something is like life-giving water to me - without it, I will die of thirst.

*I'm scared to say "I'm an artist" when people ask what I do. I feel like a fraud because I don't sell much art and I haven't been in any shows. But, on a deeper level, I know that art making is about SO MUCH MORE than that!

*I believe everyone has a creative spirit.

*I'm tired of waiting for the "right moment" to do things - I want to live life IN the moment - it's now or never.

*I don't understand why so many children have to suffer through so much at such a young age.

*I can't watch the news anymore because it depresses me, scares me and creates too much anxiety -- they seriously play on people's nerves.

*I never want my daughter to question my lust for life - I want her to witness me growing and pursuing what's important.

*I don't want to push my daughter to be anything - I just want to let her "self" unfold so she can be who she naturally is.

*If I could hire someone to cook & clean my house every day but I'd never see them, I would.

*I might have to stop watching such high-drama tv shows - they seem to create too much drama/anxiety inside me. I think I get too attached to the characters & stories.

*I hate the word "should" -- I don't like feeling like I "should" do things, I want to do them because I want to do them.

*I've been avoiding my studio because I don't know what to do/where to go.

*I love wearing funky socks - it makes me happy.

*I'm forever grateful to my husband for teaching me how to be free!

*I want to make a difference in this world - on the day I die, I want to know that my life meant something and I want to be thankful for that.

Caroline On The Beach

A drawing I did in my sketchbook this weekend from a photo....well, not a real photograph but from a photo on my iphone.

This was a great moment/memory for me - Caroline, my daughter, was experiencing her first walk on the beach and loved it!

Drawing Class Exercise

About 2 hours

Saturday Night Craft Project

Happy Halloween!!!

What is an Artist??

Webster Definition of an Artist:

1 : one skilled or versed in learned arts
2 : one who professes and practices an imaginative art : a person skilled in one of the fine arts
3 : skilled performer
4 : one who is adept at something

I looked up this definition thinking that I wouldn't like what I found...turns out, I do like it.

Why?

Because I like the words used (skilled, learned, practices, adept). In my head, the definition of an artist is someone who is a master of what they do. I've always struggled with calling myself an "artist" because I have never "mastered" a certain art form. I have experience in many mediums and have been told that I am gifted in certain areas but I tend to like variety. I would love to be a master painter but I'm discovering that as much as I love to paint, it's not enough for me. I tend to hop from craft to craft and this satisfies me in a good way.

So, I want to give up my definition of an artist and accept who I am and where my interests lie. I want to embrace the diversity that ocurrs in my studio and unabashadely explore where my heart leads.

In the end, I feel like this makes me more whole. I love having experience in many areas because each project I do reaches a certain part of me and affects me in different ways. I am also grateful to have a variety of experience so that I can help others on their journey of learning to be creative in whatever way is comfortable and interesting for them.

I may not be a "master" per say, but I am "skilled, learned, adept and practicing art" - therefore, by definition, I am an artist.

New Jewelry

I finished some more necklaces last night. They are all for sale, so contact me if you are interested (erindrez@yahoo.com).
I can also custom make something to fit your style. Remember, these make great presents too!! Christmas is coming...

(They are two sided with different images on each side)

Sketch

A quick sketch I did while my daughter was sleeping -- I think I'm becoming obsessed with the backs of people. There is something compelling about catching people in the act of living life when they don't even know you are looking. I love watching people just experience this world. Who knows where this idea will go...

Amazing Video

This video is amazing (thanks Dad!) - well worth the 5 minutes it takes to watch. It reminds me how amazing we are as humans and the miracles that people are capable of. Enjoy!

http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=0k4lsi1dql

Never Too Late

"It's never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot

I love this quote! I'm 29 years old, I've been married for almost 7 years, I've been a mother for a little over 1 year and I feel like I am just now discovering my true self. My 20's have been a long journey of ups and downs trying to figure out who I am, what I believe in, what I'm passionate about, what I want to do in life, who I want to be and how I fit in this world. FINALLY, I feel like I've found me!!!

I think as children we model our parents and siblings because they are the examples of what adults are. This is natural and how we learn. But, as we become adults we must break away - take the lessons we have learned, fuse them with our own ideas of self and become the unique and wonderful human beings that we were created to be.

Sometimes it makes me sad that it has taken me this long to gain a strong sense of self, but I read the quote above and I realize it's never too late! I am thankful for the journey I have been on because it has made me strong and challenged me to be fully me! And I am thankful that I am still young and have lots of time (I hope) to continue to grow, change, discover, dream, create and pursue life unabashedly.

So, my "charge" for the day is this....GO! Go discover who you are! Go be a part of life! Go live authentically! Go out into the world and be YOU - because YOU are wonderful!

Encaustic Workshop

Friday night I went to an Encaustic workshop - it was awesome! I really enjoyed the process and I like how my pieces turned out. I'm going to add to them/embelish some more, but I thought I would show you how they look so far.

Encaustic = process using melted wax as a medium to solidify the artwork
(sorry for the glare on the photo)

These pieces are done on wood board. I'll post the finished products when they are done.

Yet another skill/adventure/obsession for me to dive into!!

Toy Boxes

I painted these toy boxes for my daughters room - they turned out really cute and fun. Now, as she grows older she will have fun things to look at, learn the names of the items and hopefully keep her room organized!

I painted the same image on 2 sides of the toy box so there is no "front" and "back"

It was a fun, simple project that really spiced up her room and gives it a one-of-a-kind look.
The cost (bins included): $30!!!

Aprons = Creativity

What is it about the way we dress that makes us feel differently?

When I walk into my studio, the first thing I like to do is put on my apron. Now, the real reason for the apron is to protect my clothes, however...there is something that happens when I put on that apron. Suddenly, I feel transformed in a way, I feel more creative, I feel like I am there to get a job done - a job that I love. I just had a funny thought - my aprons are kind of like my superhero outfit. I feel like the world is my oyster, anything can happen and I am ready to take on my projects with no fear!

Erin Drez quote of the day: "Don't let fear take the fire out you!"


I know you are all dying to see these transformative superhero aprons, well here they are...

Apron 1: My painting apron (covered in paint, as you can see)

Apron 2: My crafting apron (a lot less messy and much more stylish)

*Note my serious, straight lips in the photos -- it's hard to hold the iphone in the mirror at the correct angle to take a picture of yourself!! Try it and you'll see - not easy! Ha!

Where Does The Creativity Go?

So, I've decided to start using this blog not only as a place to put up my art, but as a place to express my thoughts and ideas. So here I go (stay tuned for more)...

I've been thinking a lot lately about where our creativity goes over our life span. Some people are "artsy" and are always making things. Most of us, however, loose our natural creative ability and imagination when we grow up. This is very sad to me.

As kids, we were all given the chance to color with crayons/markers/paint/whatever. We made pictures on paper, colored in coloring books, drew on kids menus at restaurants, maybe even put paint on our bedroom walls and then got in trouble for it, etc... It was a wonderful time of playing, exploring and expressing ourselves creatively. Every child is born with the ability to imagine and to create! And every child loves to be praised for their creations.

The question I struggle with is where does that creativity go? I believe that we all have a creative side, whether it's drawing, painting, writing, poetry, screenplays, acting, making music, singing, sewing, scrapbooking, imagining, etc.... So why don't people recognize this in themselves? Are we afraid? Are we self-conscious? Are we insecure? Were we ridiculed by a former art teacher? Did our parents throw our artwork away? Did someone say our writing was awful? What happened to make so many people in this world loose touch with this important part of themselves?

I dream of a world where everyone is tapping into their creative juices - can you imagine! It would be an amazing, beautiful world!!!

My encouragement to everyone today is to think about what creative venture intrigues you and maybe try it out!!!! Write a poem, doodle on a post-it-note at work, sing a song in the car, style your hair in a different way, rearrange your living room.......realize that in art, there is no "right" or "wrong" so mix it up, get crazy, and try something new!

My quote of the day:
"Every day is the beginning of something beautiful" -- Erin Drez

Projects

I am the kind of person who, in order to stay sane, has to have at lease one project going at a time. I love working with my hands and having something fun and creative to think about. Here are a few recent endeavors...


I decided to introduce Caroline to the world of crayons. It was a big moment in my life to see my daughter "create" her first piece of art. I can't wait for all the wonderful things to come that will hang on our refrigerator, I'm sure!

Here is Caroline hard at work. Now, you might think "WOW", she's only 1 and is already drawing .... not exactly. She mostly just smooshed the crayons around, threw them down, rolled them with her foot, tried to eat them, etc... However, she did grasp the concept of putting the crayons on the paper before smooshing, rolling, etc. By doing this, the crayons left a lot of marks.

Here is her masterpiece after Day 1. I plan on doing this over the next few days so that the paper becomes full of beautiful little marks. I think she has done well for her first try. Stay tuned for the final piece at the end of the week.

Another project that I started while my parents were here was to paint our kitchen table and chairs. I put the final finish on it this weekend and it's done! It really brightens up the room and looks good with my Dad's boot painting and my floral painting in the background. Thanks Mom & Dad for all your help!!

Now on to the "Creative Room." This is the front room of our house which is my art studio. I am feeling the "itch" to get back into painting so I rearranged the room a bit and made these fun drapes for the corner to protect the wall from my splattering paint. The picture doesn't do it justice, it really is cool and cozy!

Here is a picture of the drapery fabric close up - it's such a fun, funky pattern - I love it!

Custom Made

Here is some of the jewelry I made this weekend. If you want to order one or have one custom made, send me an e-mail: erindrez@yahoo.com. We can talk about what you like and make it to fit your style. You will notice one is a keychain - I figured men might not want a necklace...hahaha.

Each piece is two-sided & can be worn both ways.
These are great Mother's Day/Birthday/etc...gifts.

Visual Journaling

My husband and I are involved in a group called Companions at a local church. Once a month we gather to meditate/reflect on scripture. When we get there we spend time in silence quieting our minds and hearts. Then a passage of scripture is read and we silently reflect on it. We repeat this several times. Then, we move into small groups where, again, we pray silently and then people share what was revealed to them in the silence. It really is an amazing experience. It helps me to focus on myself, on my inner most being and on my God.

Every month I take my sketchbook and I often draw or write during the silent times. It really has been a wonderful way to combine art and spirituality...I think the two are inseparable!

I wanted to share my journal pages from last night. I am so grateful for the gift of being able to express myself in a visual form.

Collage for Amy

Here is my most recent collage piece. I made this one for my best friend Amy.
Click on the pictures to see them larger.

I'd love to know what you think of these - leave a comment if you can!

Jewelry

Last weekend I took a class on how to solder. It was a blast and I walked away with several pieces of jewelry. I'm really excited about this new skill and am thinking of buying the equipment so I can pursue it. I think jewelry making would be fun, but I also want to incorporate some of this into my collage work.

Mixed Media