For some time now I have been thinking that I should have my own website.
This weekend while I was at the annual Juniper Island Art Festival at Stony Lake, in Ontario, the thought again came to mind because a number of people asked me if I had a website. My answer was no and unfortunately I didn't know where to take the conversation after that. It seems that many more people use the internet for shopping and researching art than I truly believed. Especially if they live in totally different geographical areas than the artist.
In making a decision about a website I asked my son, who is totally up-to-date in this regard and he suggested that I start a blog instead because it's better suited to the type of work I do and it's also appealing because people are curious and they enjoy things that they can see progressing on a regular basis. Basically what he was saying is that nobody likes a stale website that may not be regularly updated; people would rather see and read things that are up front and current and blogs do that. Also blogs allow you to receive feedback so you know if you're making an impression or not. Feedback can be enlightening and it also means that nothing is 'dead-ended' because it means that the art or the subject matter at hand is allowing people to think...and be heard.
After mulling this idea over in my head, I decided to gather my thoughts, come up with a name, design a header and jump right in.
If you have a bit of time I'd love for you to grab your refreshment of choice, sit back and enjoy (hopefully) reading about and seeing the sort of things that I love to create.
I am an artist that grew up in Toronto and have been creating art for as long as I can remember. Today I live in Peterborough and work with a number of mediums, all of which I enjoy for a variety of reasons.
My first love is STONE CARVING and during the course of the last 25 years or so I have been carving compositions in alabaster and soapstone. I do all my carving outdoors during the warm months, generally from early May to late October if I'm lucky. Since I live in Ontario and the winters are often long and cold I am unable to work at my stone carving; therefore, a number of years ago I began OIL PAINTING and now spend many winter days in my warm studio.
This past winter I began working in another medium...SILVER CASTING. This new venture for me is most appealing because it is sculptural and I work the pieces in wax first then send them off to be cast in silver. Carving, painting and jewellery making are all extremely satisfying and since all demand a different type of patience I am never bored or tired of creating...I always have a painting or carving in progress and I am forever allowing new ideas to float inside my head.
Another creative outlet for me is WRITING. Over the course of the past fifteen years I have written at least twelve stories that are suitable for children but can be read by adults to children or by older children to younger siblings. Most of these stories were inspired by personal things that are meaningful to me and by my love of nature and animals. Each story has been illustrated by me. None of my stories have been published; however, I do print them up for friends and family members and I know that they are cherished by those that have been given copies.
Today I have taken the first step that I believe will be a fun and motivational walk for me. I also hope it will be a creative and inspirational tool that will help me to continue to work in the mediums I love. By sharing my work with you I want to gain your confidence of me as an artist but even more than that I want to inspire those who may be thinking along the same creative lines as I am but haven't taken the necessary steps to broaden their creativity.
I came up with the name KWONESHE CREATIONS simply because of my love of dragonflies. Kwoneshe means 'dragonfly' in Ojibway. I also decided on the name Kwoneshe because I have spent most of my life in the area of the Kawartha Lakes, specifically on Stony Lake, an area where the Indians have always believed that this calm and beautiful place has great healing powers, especially from the crystal veins that are found in the beautiful pink granite that is everywhere along the shorelines of the lakes and rivers. Stony Lake has always been a calming influence for me so it only seemed right that I continue to link myself to it by using a beautiful, natural thing...the dragonfly...as my chosen blog name.
Thank you for allowing me to take some of your time today and please let me know what your thoughts are as I progress on this creative journey. I will do my best to keep this blog up to date as much as possible...the very fact that I've done this bit today has given me creative incentive to do more in the next few days. Tomorrow I
hope to post some information and photographs of some of my work.
Cheers and may every hour that you are awake be creative and productive and every hour that you sleep be filled with positive dreams and images. Tomorrow will be another new canvas and the sky's the limit!
Angela
Thank you for allowing me to take some of your time today and please let me know what your thoughts are as I progress on this creative journey. I will do my best to keep this blog up to date as much as possible...the very fact that I've done this bit today has given me creative incentive to do more in the next few days. Tomorrow I
hope to post some information and photographs of some of my work.
Cheers and may every hour that you are awake be creative and productive and every hour that you sleep be filled with positive dreams and images. Tomorrow will be another new canvas and the sky's the limit!
Angela
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