Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

art

Got Blown Glass?

By 1 Comment

Glass shopping heaven on the Oregon Coast!

Getting out of town is a time to find new places to see and visit old friends. That’s what we did on our beach trip. On the way home we decided to stop by the Alder House III glassblowing studio. It had been decades since we visited, so the time was right.

When we walked into the studio, Treasure was demonstrating his glass blowing techniques and educating the onlookers. We quietly joined the small crowd and realized everyone was listening and learning. Not a piece of tech in use!

Treasure hard at work using the 2000 degree furnace. Another reason this studio is at the beach.

He was working on a glass vase and went through the process of firing, blowing it hollow, shaping and adding embellishments to it. Fascinating. From the hot glass to the super hot furnace, his artistry was on display.

I know it’s really hot everywhere right now, but this is a true furnace.

      After the presentation we wandered the wonderful glass items on display. Three pieces of artwork magically jumped into our hands. We had to take them home.

Treasure applying the detailing on the outside of the vase. Art in action.

            My friend Kathy started with one bowl and then the matching two pieces in the set also jumped into her hands. We happily packed them up and put them in the back seat with the seat belt on. Precious cargo.

This glass heart insisted on going home with me. Who am I to fight destiny? Inspiration for my romance writing. Truly.

If you want to visit, the Alder House III, it is located a half mile north of Salishan Lodge on Highway 101, at 611 Immonen Road, between Lincoln City and Gleneden Beach at Siletz Bay. The lovely three-fourths of a mile road leads you along the river and through the woods. Literally. There is also Mossy Creek Pottery studio next door.

You can check out their website at www.alderhouse.com They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1st through the end of October. The five glass artists make creations for everyone, so don’t be surprised if one launches itself into your hands. It’s a good thing!

Art is for everybody!

Alder House awaits for those willing to venture down the less taken road.

Got Art Projects?

By 2 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                        (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Perfection is overrated and a creativity killer. It’s a challenge to ignore all our inner and outer critics and go with our heart. This past sunny Friday I had an afternoon to squander cleaning. Garden or garage? My motto is to do what is bugging me the most and the garage was top on the list.

IMG_4243.JPG
Banker box tops, bark pieces and the sun. Old school supplies. Cheap too. 

 

Between the monsoon rains in December and the usual crazy, the garage had become another sad victim of the drop and go syndrome. My goal was to excavate my work bench and tidy the joint. On top of the layers of stuff on the bench were banker box tops full of bark pieces I had picked up at Suttle Lake. Took the trays out on the patio and let them have a final sun shot before bringing them inside to my jewelry workbench.

When I first started gathering these bark pieces on one our trips to Sisters, I thought they might make nice pendants. I used a plastic bag in the car to collect my bark booty. Last September I used an orange Home Depot bucket, I was prepared. Another form of treasure hunting for me.

IMG_3748.JPG
Have bark bucket, will travel. Bark booty!

 

Do I have enough pieces of bark now? Probably. Maybe. Do I know what I am going to do with them all? Nope. But I like them. I’ve been playing with different ideas. The first thought to be jewelry pendants is morphing into maybe little bark vignettes on tiny easels. Not sure. And that’s the best part of art projects; we don’t have to know what it will become.

I’ve also been on a glitter buying terror recently too. Combo of a half-price sale and the bark pieces. Bling bark? Whether folks color books, paint, sew, cook, sculpt, weave, woodcraft, garden or put glitter on bark, the creative process is all about not being perfect.

Because imperfect is priceless. Got art projects?

Curiosity Begets Creativity?

By 2 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

A couple Sundays ago I dragged, er invited my author buddy Cindy Hiday to go see author Elizabeth Gilbert talk abut her new book “Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear” on her book tour.

My reading copy on the left, I take the dust cover off. My autographed copy on the right which lives on the special signed first editions keeper shelf in my office. Very "Big Magic" indeed.
My reading copy on the left, I take the dust cover off. My autographed copy on the right which lives on the special signed first editions keeper shelf in my office. Very “Big Magic” indeed.

I was so excited to attend even on a Sunday night in downtown Portland. On our way into the theater I saw piles of books. We were each given one. Seventh heaven. I’d already bought the book and had been reading it using pink highlighter and flag tags, but this one was autographed. Yeah!

Listened to Liz read from “Big Magic” and then she answered questions from a huge stack of audience question cards. It was a fun and brilliant evening which ended with everyone singing “Country Roads” with the help of John Denver piped into the theater. Perfect.

It’s so nice to hear an accomplished author speak about creativity as a good thing which everybody has and not some burden guaranteed to drive us all nuts. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book so far.

“(because in the end, creativity is a gift to the creator, not just a gift to the audience).”

“You do not need anybody’s permission to live a creative life.”

“Possessing a creative mind, after all, is something like having a border collie for a pet: It needs to work, or else it will cause you an outrageous amount of trouble.”  

‘If you’re alive, you’re a creative person.”

“I’m talking about living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.”

That last one really hit me in the brain. Wow. I am a very curious person and I’m never more happy than following some research topic or article down the rabbit hole in search of something new. The act of discovery through curiosity is better than chocolate.

Plus fear sucks, so let’s all bypass it with curiosity. Liz Gilbert rocks! I am reading her book in little bits each night before bed, savoring it like a pint of Rocky Road ice cream. If you’re looking for a good book about the joy of creativity, this book is for you.

“Big Magic” is divided into six parts; Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust and Divinity. There are topics ranging from road trips to fairy dust. Who can argue with fairy dust? Put it on your wish list for Santa or snap it up now for yourself.

Got curiosity? You’re creative!