A Little Light

when I asked for sunshine on my palms
the day gave light
touched the lines and grooves
and filled in the spaces that spoke my name

{for more}

Tangerine Dream

i am a tangerine dream

light energy

fire dance and spark

{for more}

Channeling Ocean

when I am ocean

I am free

spirit of the water

the sky reflects me

{for more}

Happy New Year and Newness All Around!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I'm super psyched about 2014, and here's why:

All about the pics!
I have been trying really hard to keep a catalogue of my work, and have finally gotten a rhythm going. I realized I had quite a library of pictures, so I decided to start a tumblr. It's still a work in progress, but I will be posting new work there at least once a week. Check it out: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sunraycreations

Batik Batik Batik
I learned how to batik on a trip to Bali, and have been hooked since. It's not the most portable art form, though, so when I moved I had to give it up. Now that I'm all set up in my new place, batiking is back on the table. It's been so great to get my hands on fabric again, and there will be much more to come.

ocean rose

Taking this show on the road!

I recently left my artist community in the Marshall Islands to move to Mexico. The move has been great for me, but I've really missed the community work that I was doing with the local arts ngo, Jambo Arts (check there out here). Jambo is hosting its 8th biannual art exhibition in April, and I can think of nothing I would like more than to help/participate. So, I've got a gofundme campaign set up to help with the ticket, as it is pretty pricey to get out there. Please check it out, share, and donate if you can: http://www.gofundme.com/5ksjqw

Earring Challenge Grand Finale

After much holiday eating and a little fun in the sun, I'm back to share the last earrings I made as a part of my earring-a-day challenge. I will say, that this was indeed a challenge. Trying to make art happen while juggling my work schedule and dealing with life stuff was not easy. Making art isn't just about having time, it's also about having inspiration/energy. I did my best to keep up the momentum for this challenge, but there were just days where the energy was not there. That said, I'm glad I did it, and would certainly do it again.

conch nautilus spirals

leonardo nautilus spirals

pop of orange dangles

These and many of the other pieces featured on this blog will be featured at the next Isla Mujeres Artist Fair, this Thursday! I'm really excited about the new spiral work and the new paintings that have come through this process. I'm hoping for big sales and lots of new connections.

Artist Fair!

And as for what's next in projects for me, I'm working on a photography book. I hope to be sharing pages soon, and am looking to publish some time in January.

Stay tuned!

And the spirals continue!

For yesterday's challenge day, I went a little nuts making spiral bases. I love the new design and want to make more more more. I managed to finish one pair, but will be busy-ing away on some more today.

touch of reggae nautilus spirals

And yesterday offered a bonus canvas.

red sky in the morning

Sometimes I feel like painting is a lot like writing poetry. Was it Robert Frost who said that a good poem is not finished, it is abandoned. I definitely don't feel like this canvas is finished yet. I know for sure I want more orange, but not sure where else it will go. We shall see!


10 days down, 5 more to go!

Earring Challenge Weekend

Apologies for the delayed post, but the weekend didn't allow for much blog time. I have new earrings to share, though. And I have a new design! *happy dance*

Here's the roll call:

Day 7

I decided to try my hand at some simple dream catchers. I'm not totally convinced by these, but it was a pair of earrings done.

pajaro catchers

Day 8!

For day 8, I decided to try dream catchers again. But, I cut my wrap thread a little too long, so I ended up with something that looked more like a constellation. Interesting, but I'm not totally convinced by these earrings either.

fire constellation catchers

Day 9!

For day 9, I had a little more time to play with beads, so I decided to experiment with a spiral design I'd been playing around with in my head. I love how simple yet pretty these little spirals are. They remind me of nautilus shells.

aqua nautilus spirals

Day 10! (That's today!)

I've got a full plate today, and am not sure if an earring is going to happen. So, I decided to start work on today's earrings last night and finish them early this morning. Maybe fudges a little bit on the timeline, but I'm happy to have some earrings done, just in case. For today we have a cute pair of half mandala earrings and more nautilus spirals.

complicated creamsicle dangles

neon nautilus spirals

Thanks for continue to follow the earrings challenge. Comments are always welcome and appreciated!

9 days down, 6 days to go!

Challenge Day 6!

Yesterday was another rough day for the earring challenge. I looked at the clock, it was nearly 9 pm, and I had nothing but some cut pieces of wire. I was really tired and unmotivated, but I pushed through. And, these earrings were the result.

touch of purple dangles

I was truly channeling "fake it, 'til you make it" last night. And knowing that I needed a pair of earrings to post on this blog really helped me push through. Thanks to all of you who check in on this blog and leave comments about the challenge pieces. You truly are my motivation right now.

6 days down, 9 to go...

Earring a Day Challenge, Day 5!

Yesterday was a super-busy day, so I wasn't sure if I would get my earring in. I managed to find a couple hours before having dinner with friends to play with my seed beads. I decided to pull 5 colors at random again to see what I got. I pulled black, gray, brown, royal blue, and turquoise. Considering that I've been working with really bright colors lately, this was not looking good. I tried to think of things that I knew that had that color combination. What I eventually settled on channeling was the peahen.

Source

While missing the grand plumage of the much photographed peacock, the peahen is just as majestic in her own right. After all, she is the one all that grandstanding is meant to impress.

peahen dangles

These are colors I seldom use, but I love how these earrings turned out.

5 days down, 11 days to go...

Earring a Day Challenge Part 4

For challenge day four, I stuck with my seed beads. These little neon wonders came into the world during a pretty quiet shift at work.

ocean sunset dangles

These ocean sunset dangles came about from pulling random bead colors from a bag. I really like the way they turned out. I will definitely be doing the random colors game again.

skittles dangles

These skittles dangles, believe it or not, came during a serious sweet tooth moment. I didn't get any skittles, but ice cream was on deck.

Let's see what today will bring!

4 days down, 11 days to go....

Earring a Day Challenge, Day 3

Yesterday I got the chance to have an art play date with my good friend Pamela. She's a fabulous painter, mixed media artist, and photographer. Check her out here.

We listened to disco funk and let the creative move. Pamela worked on a sequined Guadalupe collage, and I created these fun little half mandala earrings.

disco dangles

twist of lime dangles

Last night was a blast, and I hope to have another art play date soon.

3 days down, and 12 more to go....

Earring a Day Challenge, Day 2

Happy Monday, everyone!

I'm happy to check-in today with my earrings from yesterday. I'm definitely in thread-wrap mode.

purple with white triangle dangles

I really like the simplicity of the form in these earrings. The line design is a bit complex, but the earrings themselves are fairly neutral.

yay, line play!

I also really like the white triangle accent.

And, wouldn't you know, I got another bonus yesterday! Two, actually.

sun

wave

I started these canvases yesterday morning while listening to the lovely Esperanza Spalding. Maybe it was the music, or maybe it was the fakin' it, but I really felt some great creative energy while painting these. They're not quite finished yet, but I'm excited to see how they develop.

So far so good!

2 days down, 13 days to go...

Earring a Day Challenge

Ahoi hoi beaders and art enthusiasts!

I have a bit of a confession to make. While I have sketched many new ideas on paper, I have not made a new pair of earrings in a month. It's a little disheartening, as I love making jewelry and find a great deal of comfort in it. Sometimes the muse just isn't there. But, I'm a firm believer in "fake it, 'til you make it". So, I'll be challenging myself to make a pair of earrings everyday until the end of this month. I'll be posting the results here on the blog to hold myself accountable. I've done "earring a day" challenges before, and have found them to be deeply rewarding. The push to make something, anything, even if it's bad, is just the thing to get the creative mojo going.

Here's the pair I whipped up for day one of the challenge:

Tropical Tango Hoops

I made these late last night, and had so much fun. It was the first time in a while that I didn't feel pressure to make something that would "sell". Instead, I enjoyed experimenting with the thread and let go of the result.

Tropical Tango Hoops

I love big bright earrings, so these neon hoops are right up my alley. I think I'll be wearing them quite a bit :)

And if making a pair of earrings wasn't enough, last night also gifted me with a bonus canvas.

Random Rainbows 1

I'm so glad that I've started this personal challenge. I can't wait to see what else comes forth.
1 day down, 14 days to go.

A Poem for a Rainy Thursday

Lately my days have been spent working and not doing very much art. The muse is on vacation. But, I do try to write a bit everyday, just to keep the energy of art in my being. Here's a poem I've been working on called "Rorschach". I'd love to know what you think.


Audio and voice recording >>

A Father Discovers the World of his Son

Source

Source

As a budding photographer, I am always looking for inspiration. These beautifully haunting photos by Tim Archibald came up in my Facebook feed this morning, and I just had to share. Click here to see more of Archibald's images, including a full article on the series.

Giant Dream Catchers

I love dream catchers! They are beautiful delicate pieces that can created in so many different colors, sizes, and flavors. This week I was feeling a bit down and all my hands wanted to do was make dream catchers, BIG dream catchers. I have to admit to feeling better for it.

dream big

Happy Monday, everyone!

All who wander

wandering feet (a collage of my many journeys)

Follow the Light Within

Dancing in the Digital Realm

Hi all,

Sorry for being away so long! But now I'm back with something new: Digital and Photo Art!

hammocks

I have loved taking pictures for years, but what I love even more is playing with photos. I have spent the past week working with effects, filters, color exposures, and digital paint. I am in love! There is so much potential for this medium. And, although computers get a lot of flack, there is a lot of meditative potential here as well. Working with my stylus on the screen was just like working with a brush on a canvas. I even did some designing from scratch.

lovelovelove collage

This was designed completely on the computer, inspired by these hand-made cards I painted last month.

So with this fun new technology in hand, I decided to jump into the digital realm full on and post my new design on cafepress.com!

 
   
 

  love patter Note Cards
 
    by
    sunRaycreations
 
 
  Find more cards
  &
  unique gifts at CafePress


This design will be up for a trial period. I just want to see how it goes. Please check this out and share with your friends. And if you have any experience dancing the digital realm, please leave a comment. It's always nice to hear from you.

Here's to exploring new realms!
Cheers!

Stone Love

I love working with gemstones. I love the feel of the stones. Some are opalescent. Others cool to the touch. Some are heavy, and some are fragile as bird bones Each stone has a vibration, an aura, if you will. And if you're willing to listen, to receive, the stones will share.

This week has been all about rocks and wire. I got my start making jewelry this way, and it was such a joy to explore this space again.

Purple Light ring (Amethyst and Sterling Silver)

Lollipop Tree dangles (Jasper, Copper, Sterling Silver)

Now that my jewelry pliers are all warmed up, I have so many ideas for stones and wire. For more wire wrap jewelry from this week, check out my Facebook page.

Cheers!