Aries Full Moon Artist Spotlight

Full Moon in Aries

October 3, 2009
11:10 pm PDT

Full Moon fulfillment burns with Aries heat and fire this month so take some time to wake up and remember who you truly are, even if it bothers those you work with or love. Tempers, tears and passion run high as we find our independence and our voice.

This month's Full Moon Aries artist is Roberta and Renee (a Libra) from Amanda, Ohio and I'm sure you'll find their story very inspiring in many ways. I must say that I had a very tough time finding Aries artists to feature this month - not sure why, maybe they're all too busy charging full steam ahead changing the world?!


Roberta & Renee
Stratus Silver
Amanda, Ohio

Recycled Twig Bangle Bracelets

Roberta and I (Renee) are co-owners of Stratus Silver Jewelry Co. I am an Aries and Berta is the Libra. We have known each other and worked together at our day jobs for sixteen years, although Stratus Silver did not come about until we 'accidentally' became neighbors out in the middle of nowhere. (We live in the Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio.)

I am definitely not an astrology expert, but I know Aries and Libra are a great mix. Berta's air feeds me and my fire moves her. I'm the initiator, innovator and fixer; she picks up whatever comes and runs with it, all while bringing balance to the entire operation. We motivate each other and work better together than any other two people we know. When we're swamped and under pressure, we often work 10-12 hours together in our studio and never miss a beat, including getting families fed, kids to football, client calls and anything else on the agenda. A few words between us is all it takes to get the ball rolling. From there we hum. One picks up where the other leaves off and before we know it, the jobs are done. No worries about tripping over egos here either. We're both well aware of who excels at what and surprise, surprise, our talents are perfect compliments to each other.

Our nature line was born one day when I was bored and said: "Lets do something different. I feel like burning something up." (Are you surprised?) Berta agreed. (She never quashes my spontaneity.) A few hours later, we were both staring at a pound of sterling silver twig castings. Simultaneously we said: "What now?" The twig bangles were my idea. Berta immediately followed with twig earrings and "Can we do other stuff, too? Like leaves maybe?" Yeah. We could do leaves. And flowers and petals and seeds and on and on. We haven't found a limit to what we can do together yet, except perhaps in that linear, non-existent dimension we're in called 'time.'

Queen Size Twig Bangle Bracelets

Our ultimate goal is to grow Stratus Silver to the point where we can provide some jobs for the many people who are out of work in the depressed, very rural area where we live. The folks around here have relied on manufacturing companies for employment for generations. Unfortunately, the area's manufacturers have all moved out of the country or closed because of the economy.

It's also our intent and hope to inspire a sense of appreciation for nature and an attitude of conservation in others through our jewelry. The Wayne National Forest is on our doorstep and we'd like to see it there for generations to come.

To read more Full Moon Artist stories please click here.

Full Moon in Taurus

Full Moon in TaurusNovember 2, 2009 11:14 am PST

The full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Astrologically, the sun and moon are in opposition (eg. opposite each other in the sky and in opposite signs of the zodiac). She is visible all night long from moonrise to moonset.

The Taurus Moon asks us to discover what nurtures us and how we can grow deeper roots. We can almost feel the mud oozing between our toes, awakening our senses and sensuality, and growing our stubborness. It's time to cultivate our material resources, our homes and our body. (Excerpted from the We'Moon Datebook).

This months featured full moon artists are Bonnie, Sunny and Lacy - doesn't that have a nice ring to it?!

Bonnie Kanavins Hot Pink Chick Temple, PA

My name is Bonnie Kanavins and I am the owner/designer of Hot Pink Chick, where I design and create unique handmade jewelry for everyday wear.

Born April 29th, I am a Taurus through and through. While some (who will remain nameless….DAD) will tell you that my stubborn persistence can be a curse, I’ve always found it to be more of a blessing. When others would give up, I’ve been able to persevere. Slow and steady wins the race.

At work, my Taurean nature takes over. My office and workshop are neat, organized and every item is labeled and in its place. I have a schedule to manage all areas of my life and try not to stray from it so as not to upset the balance. I like to keep a calm, peaceful, laughter-filled environment in my home and scheduling helps to achieve that.

Nature Earrings

Like a true Taurus, I have carefully laid out my plans and goals for the future of my business and will continue striving to reach them, never losing focus, with the dogged determination of the Bull.

Sunny Sunny Day Vintage Chicago, Illinois

I’m very much a Taurus: stubborn and intensely loyal to those I love – and I’m all about the creature comforts. Maybe that’s why I’ve always been involved in creative fields – to feather my nest and a lot of other people’s too. The warmth and comfort and personal style of “home” is what balances the life we lead away from it.

Over the years, a gifted friend has done readings for my husband and me, and our readings aligned very closely to major milestones we experienced. I’ve also had a growing recognition of my intuitive strengths, and I work on being open to that. A few years ago, when I was at a crossroads, I had a very special reading where I learned that my archangel is one of creativity and truth – and his color is yellow. Well, of course it’s yellow! As a kid, I was called Sunny. I feed off the sun, although I’m an earth sign; go figure!

No matter what style your interiors are, adding something old and soulful or mid-century cool always fits right in.

Moon and star salt and pepper

The happy faces on these two make me laugh.

This is the sort of thing I like to hide my secrets in:

Green mini-chest

The Great Dream Book

This book found me at a sale out in the country. People like us probably kept books like this in our bedside tables, back in the day. Oh, and if you dream of gazing at the sun, it mean happiness lies ahead!

Virgo note cards

Whenever I see anything astrological, planetary or sunny, I’m drawn to it. Especially old stationary – maybe because my small but close set of peeps is so important to me. And look at the long mermaid hair on Miss Virgo!

Lacy Campbell

Bowence Meroni

Chicago, Illinois

Come on in! Kick off your shoes! Have a seat! Here - have something to eat, and more importantly, what can I get you to drink?

We Taureans love our homes, good food and good drink and we REALLY love to share them with others! It only makes sense to me that I found my niche in handmade housewares that are both practical (another Taurus buzzword) and lovely. If there's anything I love more than a good bottle of wine shared with loved ones gathering in my home, it's another bottle!

Loving dinner parties, nights in, and BYOB restaurants (Taurus, thrifty as always!) made it a natural fit for me to imagine something I loved that I hadn't yet found on the market: Cute, reusable (and earth friendly) wine bags, perfect for toting a bottle to a picnic or giving as a thoughtful, unique host gift when visiting a well-loved friend.

Pinkie Wine Bag/Cozy

I feel my Taurus traits come out in strategy and in art. If I'm in it, I'm in it for the long haul: I'm focused on building my shop slowly, steadily, and relying on the rewards of work that is both well done and patiently developed. Some of my happiest nights are sitting quietly at home, looking at a pile of plain wine bags and dreaming up ways to detail and accentuate them. Practicality keeps dreams in check: I started off with minimal investment by getting my yarn from thrift stores and keeping myself to a strict budget. I'll only let myself expand and buy more materials when I sell what I have (this makes it tough when building an initial inventory, though!). True to my earth sign, I work in mostly earth tones and struggle to make anything vaguely flashier - even when I know they'll sell! Charcoals, browns, and deep reds just resonate with me the strongest!

My work tends to be chunky and sturdy rather than gossamer and delicate - the heavy earth presence in my sign leads me to value things that will last. I also notice a definite trend towards the simple and elegant, another Taurus hallmark.

Although I love the company of others, I can be blissfully happy when lost in my own world - and a crochet needle and ball of yarn can be all it takes to occupy my hands while my mind drifts off. I always keep a project in my purse for when I'm on the train, waiting for appointments, or watching a good football game. It's a perfect match for me - my Taurus work ethic makes it hard to let my hands just sit there!

I can be absolutely bull-headed when a piece just is. not. working. I can't give it up! Unravel. Try again. Unravel. Change yarn color. Try again. Unravel. (repeat ad infinitum) Times like this I'm lucky enough to have a good consultant in my husband - also a Taurus. Since he's fresh to it, his sense of the aesthetic makes it easy for him to cut right to the problem. "It's too boring. You need something right here." Boom. Fixed. (Forgive me for mentioning my husband - I know this piece is about me and my work, but after all, I *am* ruled by Venus!)

To read more Full Moon Artist Posts please click here.

Aries Full Moon Artist Spotlight

Full Moon in Aries

October 3, 2009
11:10 pm PDT

Full Moon fulfillment burns with Aries heat and fire this month so take some time to wake up and remember who you truly are, even if it bothers those you work with or love. Tempers, tears and passion run high as we find our independence and our voice.

This month's Full Moon Aries artist is Roberta and Renee (a Libra) from Amanda, Ohio and I'm sure you'll find their story very inspiring in many ways. I must say that I had a very tough time finding Aries artists to feature this month - not sure why, maybe they're all too busy charging full steam ahead changing the world?!


Roberta & Renee
Stratus Silver
Amanda, Ohio

Recycled Twig Bangle Bracelets

Roberta and I (Renee) are co-owners of Stratus Silver Jewelry Co. I am an Aries and Berta is the Libra. We have known each other and worked together at our day jobs for sixteen years, although Stratus Silver did not come about until we 'accidentally' became neighbors out in the middle of nowhere. (We live in the Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio.)

I am definitely not an astrology expert, but I know Aries and Libra are a great mix. Berta's air feeds me and my fire moves her. I'm the initiator, innovator and fixer; she picks up whatever comes and runs with it, all while bringing balance to the entire operation. We motivate each other and work better together than any other two people we know. When we're swamped and under pressure, we often work 10-12 hours together in our studio and never miss a beat, including getting families fed, kids to football, client calls and anything else on the agenda. A few words between us is all it takes to get the ball rolling. From there we hum. One picks up where the other leaves off and before we know it, the jobs are done. No worries about tripping over egos here either. We're both well aware of who excels at what and surprise, surprise, our talents are perfect compliments to each other.

Our nature line was born one day when I was bored and said: "Lets do something different. I feel like burning something up." (Are you surprised?) Berta agreed. (She never quashes my spontaneity.) A few hours later, we were both staring at a pound of sterling silver twig castings. Simultaneously we said: "What now?" The twig bangles were my idea. Berta immediately followed with twig earrings and "Can we do other stuff, too? Like leaves maybe?" Yeah. We could do leaves. And flowers and petals and seeds and on and on. We haven't found a limit to what we can do together yet, except perhaps in that linear, non-existent dimension we're in called 'time.'

Queen Size Twig Bangle Bracelets

Our ultimate goal is to grow Stratus Silver to the point where we can provide some jobs for the many people who are out of work in the depressed, very rural area where we live. The folks around here have relied on manufacturing companies for employment for generations. Unfortunately, the area's manufacturers have all moved out of the country or closed because of the economy.

It's also our intent and hope to inspire a sense of appreciation for nature and an attitude of conservation in others through our jewelry. The Wayne National Forest is on our doorstep and we'd like to see it there for generations to come.

To read more Full Moon Artist stories please click here.

Full Moon in Pisces - A Watery Blessing

Full Moon in Pisces
September 4, 2009
9:03 am PDT

Pisces (the fish) is a mutable, water sign ruled by Neptune, the Greek God of the Sea and it's glyph (or symbol) is two fish tied together. It is the natural ruling sign of the 12th house and it's opposite sign is Virgo. The keyword for Pisces is understanding and the key phrase is I believe.

Piscean artists, Sholeh Mesbah of Troy, Michigan and Marie K. Jones of Boulder City, Nevada do a great job in getting to the heart of what makes their creative gifts shine in a uniquely Piscean way - I can feel all you mermaids out there bubbling to the surface to take a peek at their lovely creations, so spread out your fish tails and take some time to luxuriate in the mystical mind of Pisces.

Sholeh Mesbah
zeba.etsy.com
justmy002worth.blogspot.com

I approach my art with my heart not my head as a true Piscean would. I start with a feeling rather than a plan or a drawing and most often the end piece is the result of a creative and intuitive process, not a detailed, planned out drawing.

One of the Piscean tendencies is to understand things by absorption rather than logic. This reminds me of the time when I tried to be like others and draw what I had in mind. I spent two days on the drawing with no luck. I am a painter as well, so not knowing how to draw was not the problem. I just could not marry the intuitive part with the mechanical part of me, but when I picked up my tools and started working, the piece started to take shape and after a few hours I had completed what I had imagined.

The Fish likes to be able to flow in and out of clothing with ease and I love comfortable clothing. This preference can be seen in all my pieces, I will not make a piece of jewelry that is uncomfortable. My pieces tend to be practical first, trendy second.

Wire Crochet Aquamarine Glass Necklace

As a Piscean I become completely absorbed in my work, to the exclusion of everything else. It is very common for me to work on a piece non-stop until it is done. Often, if I cannot finish it in a day, I find myself thinking about it before bed and after waking up. If I run into a problem, I will not stop until I figure out a solution.

Starfish & Amethyst Necklace

Pisceans love new sensations; I think that is why you will find various distinct styles of jewelry in my shop. You can see the Piscean love of luxury in my choice of materials and designs.

In addition to making jewelry, I am a stained glass artist, watercolor painter, and I also take and sell photos as most Pisceans seek multiple venues to express their creative side.

Loren Eiseley, the esteemed anthropologist once wrote “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” I sooo agree. Of course, as a Pisces I might be a bit biased. Then again, I am also a bath and body escape artist.

Creating a space for escape and the enjoyment of sensual pleasures started out as a hobby, but is quickly evolving into a business. I started out making natural bath and body products as presents, wanting to gift the most precious thing possible to people I loved. Oh, and did I mention I was poor? What can be given that is relatively inexpensive, needed, helpful, and thoughtful? I decided on home-made, relaxing, and healing bath & body products.

In the beginning I just altered recipes I found in books to meet my needs. Now I use my Piscean imagination to dream up new items and test them on myself and my family. I LOVE doing R&D (research and development), which will sometimes spontaneously happen. How perfect is it for a Pisces to be able to say, “I have to go take a bath now. It’s for the business?”


I am heavily influenced by the Piscean proclivity for illusion. When creating bath products, my goal is to create a mood or send the mind to another place, once again working as the escape artist. The illusion of bathing in a woodland stream, or in 1890’s Spain can be very relaxing and sensual. How about a bright, citrusy, bubbly bath before school to start the day off right?

Winged Sandal Foot Soak
One of the mixed blessings of the Pisces is being born with rose-colored glasses. I love mine – they keep me optimistic. I feel my general attitude is one of “it can work, I just have to figure out how”.


At the same time, when reality sets in and rips those beloved rose-colored glasses off my face, I can be pretty hard on myself. I sometimes get these big, expansive “It can be done and I can do it” ideas. There are times when I am right. Other times, the vision is a lot easier and/or prettier then the outcome and when it doesn’t work the way I think it should I get severely frustrated and a little depressed. Piscean self-doubt trips me up sometimes too: “Is this good enough?” “Nobody would want to buy this from me...Anybody could think of /make this”. Luckily, I have fish swimming in both directions, so I never linger in stagnant water for long.

Being a visionary comes easier to fish children than follow-through. I have found that working with Neptunian materials in a creative manner helps this Pisces keep the cycle of a project going. I usually start by dreaming up the type of effect I want to create, then using the various oils, waxes, butters, salts, botanicals, and whatever else I have on hand I try to intuit a way to materialize the idea.

Due to the experimental nature of my creative process I have to keep very detailed notes as I go along. More than once I have come up with a recipe I love only to realize that I have no idea how much of which ingredient went in to it! Ideally, as I do my research & development and work on a proto-type I write down the ingredients,
methods, and observations so that when I am done there is a recipe I can reproduce.

SubLime Lip Balm Tin - lime & vanilla flavored

Pisces are not known for their organization. One of my college advisors once told me she was just glad I had brought my semester portfolio to her in a semi-coherent sticker-clad binder rather than the paper bag stuffed with papers she had envisioned a Pisces would turn in. I have to constantly struggle against entropy by keeping detailed lists and making notes on everything. Someone who meets me for the first time today may think I am fairly coordinated, but it is only because I have developed coping mechanisms. My mind is forever in a nebulous state – so many thoughts swirling around unformed. To function, I have learned not only to keep my lists but to have a place for everything and keep everything in its place. That’s not to say my space is always neat or I’m always on time, but I am working on it.

Pisces rules the feet and some of my favorite creations this summer are foot pampering products. I love steeping my feet in the fizzing milky-ness of my Winged Sandals Foot Soak and then exfoliating and moisturizing with a bar of Peppermint Pumice Foot Scrub. Throw in a good movie, juicy book, or inspiring music and AHH… instant nirvana. Just add water.

To read more Full Moon Artist stories please go here.
Click here for more info about submitting your own Zodiac Story.
If you are interested in having a Full Moon Soul Reading please go here.

Pisces Full Moon Inspiration

Full Moon in Pisces
September 4, 2009
9:03 am PDT

Tune in to this Pisces Full Moon by spending time alone, as you submerge yourself in deep emotions, explore your spirituality and mystical inclinations and give yourself permission to swim like a mermaid in a sea of color, beauty and divine inspiration.

Have "faith" - a keyword for Piscean energies - it's time now to trust and allow your intuition to guide you into all those hidden places you're just longing to explore.

In honour of this Pisces Full Moon, I would like to share with you the mythical, figurative acrylic paintings of Piscean artist, Emily Balivet who shares with us her own Piscean influences.

Emily Balivet

Sea Sisters - acrylic on panel

We Pisces have an instinctive awareness of higher levels of consciousness. The mind is a playground of daydreams and fantasy where we seek to stretch and broaden our reality maps. Some may meet this need through spiritual devotions, an interest in psychology, or perhaps the study of the paranormal. Others may find themselves using drugs or alcohol. In any case, Pisces enjoy playing with the mind and achieving altered states of consciousness.

For me, this desire manifests itself as hours and hours spent behind a canvas painting imaginary figures and landscapes, and I mean it. If my schedule allows, I will do nothing from morning to night but paint, even ignoring or putting off basic needs such as food or human contact. (It's a good thing I have children or I might just whirl right off into outer space!)

Ocean Goddess - acrylic on panel

I enjoy my time alone painting and sometimes find it difficult to re-enter the "real" world. You see, a Pisces understands that the "self" is simply a mask we put on, just one point in a vast ocean of infinite possibilities. Because life often presents us with the unexpected, we find it necessary to have a variety of masks to use as the situation calls for it. Sometimes I just have a hard time finding the right mask for the day.

It is this elusive, multi-faceted quality of Pisces that makes it difficult to pin us down. Try catching a fish with your bare hands and that's about what it takes to "know" a Pisces. We are ever-morphing shape shifters. Where my art is concerned, this means that I may have several paintings going at once with wildly varying themes. All of my paintings reflect back an aspect of myself, but none are "me". By the time I'm finished with a painting, I've already moved on. This makes it a rare occasion that I create something I'm actually attached to.

Cosma Shiva - acrylic on panel

Of all the Piscean attributes, the one that stuns me the most is the gift of intuition. The core of my art may simply be imaginative play with color and the suggestion of shape, but as the process unfolds and as forms and details are worked in, I'll step back and realize a deep relevance has appeared on the canvas. It is as though each of my paintings is a personal divination, a tarot card of sorts, and often a thrilling psychic experience. I have a distinct feeling that "I" am not painting - that something larger is working through me. Call it the "Muse" or "Totally Other" or whatever you will, I am a devotee to the end!

You can see more of Emily's artwork online at:
www.EmilyBalivet.com
www.EmilyBalivet.etsy.com

.

Share on Facebook