Feature of the Day #50: Scenic Surroundings

Oklahoma Sky Lightning

Greetings!
Today's feature goes to Scenic Surroundings, aka Mike Krzywonski and his unbelievable photography.
Krzywonski has been capturing nature's grandest moments since the early 90s when he first acquired a film camera. His first subjects were waves and sunset, but his portfolio has expanded greatly since then. His lens captures stormy skies and gorgeous sunsets, monsterous waves and urban landscapes, and so much in between it would be nearly impossible to cover it all here. This feature will focus mainly on his nature photography, with examples of a variety of his work at the end. Krzywonski does not like to change or enhance his images of the sky, but lets it speak for itself in all its wonder and dazzling colors.

Tornado Touchdown in Campo, CO

A Hawaiian based photographer, Krzywonski's annual highlights include taking a trip to Tornado Alley to capture nature's raw fury unleashed across the plains. Through these trips, Krzywonski is able to take breathtaking images of stormy skies, tornadoes and lightning that are so intense they're almost unreal. Atmospheric effects are crisp and powerful, bringing to light the beauty within the terror of a storm. Krzywonski has a real gift for capturing clouds and the light that reflects off them, whether it's man-made or natural. For example, in his image Oklahoma Sky Lightning (above), an intense release of lightning is crawling through and out of the cloud. The strange, almost haunting purple tint produced by the pure bolt of energy highlights the contours of the cloud. From sky to ground, the image holds itself together with twisting, snapping, intensity that triggers deep elemental fears within our minds. Yet the physical distance of the storm created by the open spaces of the Great Plains, allows the viewer to experience without becoming a part of it. Just like the comfort of watching a fiercesome beast through the safety of a cage, so too does Krzywonski provide the viewer with something dangerous yet tamed.
This is what Krzywonski has to say about what nature means to him:

Waimea Bay Sea Cave

Not only do I enjoy the beauty and power of the natural world, but it reinforces my belief in the Creator. The Bible says, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made..." (Rom. 1:20). This means that one of the ways God has revealed Himself to mankind is through His creation.
Krzywonski captures the wonder of all of creation through the use of stunning clarity, dynamic movement, immense landscapes, and by being in the path of nature itself in its most raw form. I normally only have 3-4 examples of the featured artist's work, but felt that 3-4 wouldn't do his endlessly impressive work justice. Please take a moment to look through the small selection I picked out below, and make sure to stop by his Etsy store to see over 200 more examples of his work.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ScenicSurroundings
You can also view his entire collection on these two sites:
www.myHawaiiscapes.com 
www.Spectacular-Skies.com

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/SquirrelsCreek

Oahu Wave

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle

Napali Coast, Hawaii

H-1 Freeway, Hawaii

Street Kids Playing Banjo while Panhandling

Feature of the Day #49: Flower Art Painting

Heart Seasons

Greetings!
Continuing with this week's Mother's Day gift ideas theme, today's features goes to Flower Art Painting, aka, Helen, and her original paintings.
Helen is a full time artist who was born in Europe and is currently working in Canada. Her paintings can be found in an impressive array of private and corporate collections in the United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia. Her art has also been used by home staging professionals, designers, art consultants, galleries and boutique shops. Though she has dabbled in many mediums, she is always drawn back to painting.
Helen's paintings are created with the best quality oil and acrylic paints. A thickly loaded canvas gives some of her paintings an almost 3 dimensional quality. For example, in Heart Sesasons and Heart Seasons Close-Up (above and right), the leaves and flowers from the tree have been placed on with a heavily loaded paintbrush. This allows the paint to stand out metaphorically and literally. It's a very bold and time-tested way to paint. The colors of the piece itself are as stunning as if a rainbow had caught on fire. The brilliant yellow and hint of white in the middle draw the eye in, while the gentle blue on the right ripples the viewer's focus back into the painting, and the red on the left forces it back in.

Heart Seasons Close-Up

There are blues in the red to avoid the warm colors from becoming overpowering. On the other side, the blue is spattered with hints of red and pink to contrast and enhance the cool colors. All the while, the thick and strong black lines of the tree cuts through the colors like a knife. The only colors that are placed on top are the brilliant lime green of the leaves, the warm colors of the berries, and the pure white of the flowers. All together, it creates a strong image that's a treat for the eye in many ways. The painting itself is 24"x48"x1" and made of four panels of 24"x12", and unlike most artists, Helen is selling her originals, not prints.

Abstract Flowers

Another one of Helen's paintings that's gripping not only visually but emotionally is her painting, Abstract Flowers (right). The title implies that the painting is of flowers, perhaps purple irises, yet when I first viewed this piece I was given the overwhelming impression of birds in flight. The movement of a purple flock and dozens of fluttering wings, all contrasted against a yellow and brown background reminiscent of sunset over a field of wheat. The curve of the flower/birds pulls the eye from the top left corner down under the golden light, then back up to the right corner. It's a fluid movement as quick as the dazzlingly coordinated efforts of a flock of small birds. Helen utilizes thick paint once more, but it doesn't make the image feel weighed down. Instead, it gives a more lifelike sensation that changes it from just a painting to something special.
If you want a beautiful and eye-catching one-of-a-kind original painting, look no further than Flower Art Painting. A wonderful gift for Mother's Day, or any day!
Make sure to check out the Etsy store here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FlowerArtPainting

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/SquirrelsCreek

Dreaming

Feature of the Day #48: Ash Woodshops

Trinket Jewelry Box

Greetings!
Continuing with the current theme of "Mother's Day Gifts", today's feature goes to Ash Woodshops, aka, Alan Huey and his beautiful and one-of-a-kind woodworking
Huey as been an avid woodworker his whole life. As he describes, "as an artist, woodgrain is my palette." With this palette he creates great beauty out of the gifts of nature. His many creations include furniture, writing instruments, custom boxes, jewelry boxes, puzzles, turned bowls, cutting boards, and jewelry. This is how he describes his creative process and what art carving means to him:
I love to take a simple block of wood and discover what beautiful thing can be made out of it. As layers get peeled back, the grain becomes more exposed giving view of the beautiful natural grain taht becomes the center of attention. I just love to use God's creation as the focal point of my art. I love to share this with you through the useful things that I make with this beautiful wood. I do not use stains, I let the wood "speak" for itself.

Claro Walnut Handmade Stemware

One of the most beautiful things about Huey's work is that by its very nature, no two pieces can ever be exactly alike. Just as no two people are the same, neither are any two trees. Their grain is as unique to them as the intricacies of our bodies. Each curve and line tells as story as the patterns cut this way and that. Even if they're cut from the same tree and made to be a set, they can never be identical. For example, in Huey's Claro Walnut Handmade Stemware (above), four goblets stand proudly together. They're four-of-a-kind made stronger by the similarities of their comrades. Yet if you were to pull one aside, its beauty would not be diminished by the absence of its brothers. Each one holds its own and tells its own stories through texture and grain as distinguishing as a fingerprint.
Huey puts a lot of heart not only into the carving process, but into his descriptions of his work as well. Here's how he describes his Tineo Wood Bowl (right):

Tineo Wood Bowl

Beautiful Tineo (weinmannia trichosperma) is native to South America. This beautiful tropical hardwoods is sometimes used for hardwood flooring. I can just picture a floor with the spectacular grain that is in this bowl and say WOW! This piece has a nice beading along the rim and measures 6"D X 2.75"H. It is a really beautiful piece. It is fairly heavy and very hard. 
I chose his store as one of the Mother's Day features because Huey offers such a wide variety of unique items you simply cannot find anywhere else. To see many more examples of Huey's craftsmanship, visit his store on Etsy here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ASHWoodshops

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek

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Handmade Wooden Fountain Pen

Feature of the Day #47: Lighthearted Dreamer

Greetings!

I Love You Twice as Much 2

First a special announcement: in honor of Mother's Day on the 13th of May, the articles from now until Friday the 11th will feature unique gift ideas for moms.
Today's feature goes to Debbie Prestom and her delightful paintings.
Prestom is a self-taught artist who has always had a, "great appreciation for color and nature." She discovered her passion for painting about 15 years ago and has been hooked ever since. In her paintings, she aims to reflect her deep appreciation and expression of the beauty we live with. All of her work is created with love and quality. Each image carries beautiful colors, uplifting moments, and the feeling of daydreams brought to life. Some of her paintings are based off her photography which is stunning in its own right. However, this feature will focus on her lovely paintings and the gentle emotions they hold.

Chipper, Sweet Fluff

One of the first things that drew me to Prestom's work, is the minimalistic way she utilizes watercolors. For example, in I love you Twice as Much 2 (above right), instead of flooding her canvas corner to corner with color, Prestom lets her subjects be the focal point that carry the image. The adorable animals she paints are made up of shapes and blending colors. Her paint is so soft that it looks like it's still wet on the paper. There's the feeling of movement capture in the arrival of the bird bearing its gift, while the bird on the right grounds the image. The colors are almost non existent except for the hint of a red/orange in the birds that's mimicked in the heart presents they carry. It's a simple image, but cute, soft, and a treat for the eyes.

With the Wind

Almost all of Prestom's images have the same soft and quiet feel. There is almost the feeling of a lullabye being sung, or a warm embrace; encouraging words from a dear friends, or a moment of serenity. Kindness and sweetness cover her images from squirrels to birds, flowers to fruit. Even the way Prestom calls her birds "Puffs", and creatures with fur "Fluffs" lends to an overwhelming sense of tranquility and peace.
To see over 150 delightful paintings, visit Prestom's store on Etsy here: www.etsy.com/shop/lighthearteddreamer
To see her beautiful photography, visit her other store here: www.esty.com/shop/seelifeshine.etsy.com

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek

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Puff of Song

Feature of the Day #46: Boitifole

Greetings!

Beautiful Helena Pears

Today's feature goes to Boitifole and her jewelry, secret books, and recipes.
Hailing from Normandy France, Boitifole is a lover of nature, the wind in the trees, birds, insects and flowers. Because of this love of life, she donates portions of all of her sales to various charities that help animals such as "The Injured Cats" and "The League of Birds Protection". The Injured Cats is, "a shelter that is specialized in the rescue of cats with injuries and wounds such as amputations, burns, stonings, etc.) The League of Birds Protection has been working since 1912 to help, rescue and preserve birds and their areas of life. (Links to their respective sites will be placed at the bottom of this article.)
The first medium I'll cover are Boitifole's recipes. This is the first time I've covered food in our weekday features and it was chosen because we at Squirrel Creek Creations believe in art in all its forms. A well crafted recipe with blends of seasons, layers of flavor, and carefully perfected is as much of an artistic expression as a painting. Each artist has their own canvas upon which they create; from painters to architects, engineers to dancers and everything in between. In Boitifole's recipe, Gluten Free French Eclairs (left), Boitifole shares a new take on a classic recipe by making it accessible to those with gluten allergies. A chocolate eclair is a traditional pastry composed with cream inside, pastry shell outside, and a fondant on the top. As Boitfole describes:

Gluten Free French Eclair

This is not a recipe from a Great Chief with lots of implement, expensive ingredients and difficult explanation...no...this recipie is from my family heritage and cooked at home with simple, every day materials. You can cook it for celebrations, friends, or like in France...just for pleasure!
The photography involved with the capturing of Boitifole's recipes was what first drew me in. The textures are captured beautifully, and point of focus is utilized to create an interesting image. If I didn't know Boitifole was selling recipes, I would have assumed she was selling photographs.

Renaissance Earrings

Boitifole is also a creator of fine jewelry. For her piece, Renaissance Earrings (right), she used, "two pendants, with two fish hooks, all in oxidized copper plated brass, lovely detailed setting two jewelry faceted stones which have iris blue color, a very rich and deep color jet with flashes of blue, purple and ruby." Her inspiration came from the French Baroque era, in the time with King Louis XIV offered some jewels of the same style to the most beautiful women of the Court in the gardens of Versailles. The earrings are simple but glamorous, with just enough color to really make them shine. The deep blue blends perfectly into the pendants making them appears as they were always meant to be together. The facets on the jewels face catch just enough light to make them 'pop' without becoming gaudy. Perhaps not for everyday wear, but certainly perfect for anytime you want to add a little class and glamour to your outfit. Boitifole wants her jewels to be a reflection of what nature means to her: morning sunshine, the first flower of spring, sea breath, or a bird upon a tree. It's her desire to try to capture this essence and share it with you.

Dragon Leather Hollow Book

The third medium I'll be covering is also covers the explanation of the artist's name. According to Boitifole, "Boitifole is the result of a word game, combining "Boites = boxes" and "Batifoler = to frolic". To her, boxes are not only practical, but a carrier of love and memories. For example, the more a box is used time and time again as a gift carrier, the more special it becomes every time its pulled out. Boitifole combines this charming nature of boxes with the classic form of a hard cover book to create her secret books.
Her creations are made from recycled paperboard, acid free adhesive, and rescued paper goods. Here's what she say about what the books mean to her:
In the past, knife sharpening and poison making were done in private, and my secret books are mementoes of these acts. I love creating my secret books from these inspirations, and also for a customer's special request, to house great and small secrets and priceless treasures. 

Her book, Dragon Leather Hollow Book (above left) was crafted with real dragon's leather paper. Its interior and sides laid with cream parchment made with similiar techniques as those used in the 18th century. The latch is held from top to bottom with a honey satin ribbon. The brass pieces around the edges of the book are reminiscent of a time when a hard covered book was a rare item so was embelleshed and treated with great regard. Not whipped off a printing press one after another, but hand crafted with care and detail. 
To see many more examples of Boitifole's work, visit her store on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Boitifole
Like her Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bo%C3%AEtifole/151326954931707

The Injured Cats Website: http://auxchatseclopes.canalblog.com
The League of Birds Protection: http://www.lpo.fr/

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/SquirrelsCreek

Feature of the Day #45: Brittany Rose Photography

Greetings!

Sit and Watch the Stars Pass Us By

Today's feature goes to Brittany Wehrle, and her dynamic photography.
Wehrle is an artist of many mediums including photography, painting, drawing, and other arts. This feature will focus on her photography. Wehrle has traveled to Alabama, Arizona, Florida, New York, Chicago, Louisiana, and California to capture the images in her store. The goal of Brittany Rose Photography, is to "provide clean-cut, professional, travel photography...We capture the beauty of the world and transform them into high quality photos for personal and office use." Her favorite moments to capture occur at night with a slow shutter, such as in Sit and Watch the Stars Pass Us By (above).

Chicago Burning with Lights

In this image, Wehrle used a two hour exposure to capture the night sky. The result is the evidence of the Earth rotating on its axis with the North Star grounded firmly in the middle of the swirl of stars. At the bottom of the image, you can see the blur of car headlights, like a comet blazing through the trees. The intensity of their light carry the power of a flame, cutting through the forest. Each driver unaware of their role in the collective effort to create torch of light under the spinning stars. The colors vary from intense to soft and the void of night. The beam of headlights would be overpowering in their sharp path if not for the hint of circles created by the stars. The strong line is tamed into submission, and works with the rest of the image to form a beautiful composition.

Petrified Forest

Another of Wehrle's images that carries the feel of night fire is Chicago Burning with Lights (above left). Though the city isn't actually on fire, the lights carry the same quality as flame as they cut through the black. It carries the feel of humanity's tenuous connection with fire; a necessity with a devastating bite. There are few other major cities that have been so devastated by fire in the past than Chicago. Yet after the great Chicago fire they were able to rebuild the city with steel; a foe only the most potent of flames can tackle. The small lights in comparison to the looming skyscrapers seem tamed yet still important to the city's existence. It's as though the lights are flames licking at the feet of the buildings, unable to overcome the steel monsters, but a constant presence.
Whether it's dynamic contrasts, jaw-dropping colors, or dramatic angles, each photo demands to be seen. As Wehrle describes, "every photo is enhanced to draw the viewer in." Take some time to look through Wehrle's Etsy store to see many more examples of eye-catching photography that dazzles the mind.
www.etsy.com/brittanyrosephoto

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek

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Upside Down Forest

Feature of the Day #44: Janet Moore

Rounding Spot Red #1

Greetings!
Today's feature goes to Janet Moore and her captivating paintings.
Moore has been working as a professional visual artist for the past 25 years. She received her training at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in British Columbia, and the Simon Fraser University Summer Institute Intensive Program in British Columbia. She has received a number of awards from Canada Council and the Yukon Government. Her work is included in the Canada Council Art Bank, the Yukon Government Permenant Art Collection, the Yukon Arts Centre Collection, and the City of Whitehorse Collection. Her artistic spirit has been expressed in various mediums such as sculptural installation, oil and acrylic painting, and combining various techniques in mixed media collage paintings and monoprint/painting.
This is what Moore has to say about monoprints and what makes them unique:
Known as the most painterly method among the printmaking techniques, a monoprint is a non editionable kind of print and is essentially a printed painting. The characteristic of this method is that no two prints are alike. However, images can be similar but editioning is not possible. The true appeal of the monotype lies in the unique translucency that creates a quality of light very different from a painting on paper or a print, and the beauty of this media is also in its spontaneity and its combination of printmaking and painting. 

Portal 1

One example of Moore's monoprints is Portal 1 (left). Created with acrylic paints on a canvas, then brought to life with a palette knife and brush. The colors, even through a screen, are almost tangible. They're bold and strong, refusing to be ignored. Each color scrambles to stand out above the rest, yet none succeed. Even the brilliant patch of blue in dead center is overpowered by the swarming yellows; the greens creeping over it like a parasite. Yet even with all this disjointedness, there is unity in the chaos. Each color has its place and its time. To take one away would disrupt the tumultuous balance. If it weren't for the patch of red in the blue, the image would become too cool as the blues and greens gain control. And without the cool colors, the image would almost be too brilliant to look at. Overall, it's a beautiful mixture hot and cool, chaos  and control, depth and shallowness and altogether, a remarkable piece.
The first image that drew me to Moore's art, was her painting Reach (below right). The eye cannot simply ignore the proud and skeletal tree as it towers into the distance. The snarls of branches and twigs grasp in vain with some unknown intent, while shying away from the edge of the canvas. The colors have the same beautiful balance of hot and cool as seen in Portal 1. Reds and yellows coexisting with greens and blues while battling for control. As a mixed media painting, Reach was created using marble dust and medium, layered gesso, acrylic paint, charcoal, and varnish all on handmade paper collaged onto a wooden panel. This is what Moore has to say about Reach:

Reach

I spent two months as an artist in residence at the Banff Centre for the arts in Canada. I had a most beautiful studio to work in while there. There was a long skylight above the area where I painted and I could see these trees above me when I looked upwards. I could here the sounds they made as the wind blew and their branches rubbed up against the side of the studio. During my time there the leaves on these trees changed colours and eventually fell so that just the skeletal trees were left for me to look at. I was reminded of the life cycle within which we live, breath and have our being. I was touched by the beauty of these trees and reminded of my "feet of clay."
To see many more of Moore's paintings, visit her Etsy store here: www.etsy.com/shop/janetmoore
Make sure to check out her website for information on upcoming shows, paintings, and more: http://janetmoore.ca/home.html

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek

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Spring Pond #6