Advice for young artists

I have been interested in art since I was a young child. My mother was and is very artistic. She encouraged crafts and anything creative and imaginative. Although I didn't know I would take my love of art into a more serious path, there are a few things I wish I could have been told about art and the art world when growing up.

So here is some of my best advice for young artists.

1. Date all of your work.

One of the best things is looking back at old work to see what I use to like to make and to see how much I have evolved as an artist.. Making sure you put a year on your art and it will ensure you know how old you were when you made something. Just TRUST me on this one!

2. Not every work has to best your best.

When I was younger, I would start a drawing or painting and it sometimes didn't end up how I wanted it, which art can sometimes do. This is something that even experienced artists deal with but I wish someone could have taught me this early on. Just because a piece of artwork doesn't come out the way you were hoping,  doesn't mean that you are not talented. Sometimes what we want it turn to out to be isn't even close to how it actually ends up being. Let it happen naturally.

3. Do not compare your art negatively with other's.

This is something that I use to do a lot but mostly to myself in my head. I rarely verbalized my feelings about how I thought my art wasn't very good because another person's was so much better. Please do not discourage yourself from creating art because of envy of another person's work.  Let it be inspiration that fuels you instead and one day you will be the fuel for someone else. 

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4. You don't have to be a realistic artist to produce great art.

So many people tell me they wish they could draw "they can't even draw a stick figure." This makes me so mad that many people think that they can't create art if it's not realistic.  Think of all the world's amazing abstract painters for example.  If you love art and practice hard enough,  just like anything in life, you can be successful at it.

5. Enjoy what you do.

At the end of the day you want to make sure that you are enjoying your art and the process. Making art is a freeing and meditative experience if you view it as such. The minute you start to stress or loose interest, think about trying another medium or even take it back to a simpler art like coloring. It will calm you and might just be exactly what you need to get you back on track with a happy inspired path to brilliant artwork.

If you think this helped you or could help another artist you know,  be sure to share and let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for coming by and if you would like to get notifications for my art blog hit the blue subscribe button at the top right of the page.

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy featured art of the day:

Little Boys Nursery dream wall art 

Song of the day:

Color of the day:
new age - 1444

How a simple candle changed my productivity....

Mmmmmm, do you smell that? It's fresh baked cookies rising. The whole room is warm and safe.

Today is all about smells! I have always been very aware and effected by my senses and surely smell is not left out! This Gemini sun with a Taurus moon is all about aroma!

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I have always been aware how a favorite smell might put me in a good mood. I had just brought home two WONDERFUL smelling candles that I snagged from my local craft store. One of which was Peppermint and the other was Christmas Tree.

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I lit the Christmas Tree candle as I sat down to work on some recent commissions yesterday. As the room started to fill with the amazing aroma I melted into my work. It created such a perfect atmosphere to work in. I worked practically non-stop for HOURS on end. 

           This candle made me less restless and enhanced my focus and concentration by relaxing me. I realized that not only did the candle enhance my mood it enhanced my creativity and resources to express it in the way that I wanted. I never thought something so simple as a candle could help me be so productive!

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Here are some of my personal FAVORITE SMELLS!

1. Lavender - My mother always had lavender around when I was growing up. I love it.

2. Books - The smell of a new book or a dusty old one, I turn the pages and smile in the scents.

3. Rain - Fresh rain is my absolute favorite smell. 

4. Fresh Paint - As an artist whenever I smell any type of paint I am immediately happy.

5. My boyfriend natural smell - sounds a little creepy but it's true I am attracted to his scent.

If lovely smells can change me so greatly, how about bad odors? As easily as I am effected by my favorite aromas the same is true for ugly ones. I can easily become nauseous by just one smell of something foul. You can't always avoid bad smells though so how do you think it changes your day when you are forced to come in contact with one?

My nose is crinkling just thinking about my LEAST FAVORITE SMELLS!

1. Skunk - It doesn't make me gag but I quickly receive headaches after smelling a skunk.

2. Cigarettes - As an ex smoker I am shocked to see how harshly I am effected by this aroma. PEW!

3.Moldy Food - One sniffy of moldy food and you'll find me gagging.

4. Vomit - As I get older my sensitivity to this smell is getting better but it still isn't pleasant

5. Port-o-potties - I mean it's obvious why I wouldn't like this.

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Most of these are everyone's least favorite smells but it's interesting how I can tell I am effected so easily. Simply glancing at the list of my favorite smells and then at the least favorite smells my body language shifts. Even in my seat in front of my laptop. 

(One of my favorite author's Gretchen Rubin explaining aromas in her life)

Well what do I do now that I am more aware of how aromas effect me and my moods? I have started with permanently having a wonderful candle in my art studio at all times. I have also placed a few more in other rooms of the house. I was careful to make sure that the ones I placed in other rooms were liked by my loved ones. I wouldn't want one of my favorite smells to be one of their worst! 

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Lastly I have decided to carry a tiny bag of Lavender in my purse with me all the time. If I am ever in a situation where I am driving and pass a dead skunk, or walk down a street and get a face full of cigarette smoke, I will be able to wash it away with something I love!

(Here is a fun video from YouTube stars trying foods and smelling others at the same time!)

What are some of your favorite smells? Do you have any in common? Are you as effected by smells as myself? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe with the blue button on the top right of the blogs! I hope the rest of your day is a perfect as the smell of roses!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Vintage 80s Scratch and Sniff Smelly Stickers Sticker by - ModerneMe

Song of the Day:

The Gallows Trailer Song - Smells Like Teen Spirit Cover

Color of the Day:

Sailor's Delight

I am in the mood for some reading!

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Hello again everyone! Today is the first day of October and boy does it feel like fall has finally arrived! My favorite time of year and I couldn't be happier! Mercury is still retrograde until the 9th. (Click here is you want to know what this means) This Mercury Retrograde has been more difficult then I anticipated. I haven't been able to go inward or even wanted to like I normally feel pushed to do as soon as mercury retrograde appears. Today I felt it.

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All I have wanted to do all day was read. I want to dive into a book and get lost in the world it brings like I have so many times. I have a long commute to work and it has been a year this month since I discovered audio-books. It really has changed my drive and allowed me to always stay with books even when life gets busy.

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I remember as a child when I fell in love with a book for the first time. I had read many books before and enjoyed them greatly but nothing captured my attention and made me lose reality along with sleep than Harry Potter. I truly believe that Harry Potter and the entire series will always be the most amazing thing of my childhood. I think every time I start a new book or search for my next one I am hoping that it will even come close to grabbing my heart like those books did. 

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     Sometimes I feel guilty reading books. I have this undeniable need for constant production. Even to the moment before I go to sleep I have the need to check emails or update a listing on my Etsy Shop. During movies you can normally find me sketching or writing this very blog. Reading doesn't allow me to be "productive" and I have convinced myself that taking time for me to read is selfish and I feel I will fall behind. I have been thinking about how to change this. How to read more and change my feelings of guilt and anxiety about reading. It is something I love and I should take time to do it without a negative aftertaste.

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Reading before bed instead of working on my phone is a good start. Does anyone else feel the way I do? It's sad, books inspire me so much. Books help awaken parts of my imagination that are so crucial for making art. I would love to use reading as a tool for creativity.

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Right now I am reading a wonderful book that has me gripped by its world and characters. It's called "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly. I am not going to tell you anything about the book. Just trust me and go get it!

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What are some of your favorite books? Do you have any reading rituals? I love a good cup of tea and a blanket when I am reading. How do you think I could get rid of my negative feelings of guilt when trying to set time aside for reading? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away
Samantha Menzo
Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Book Necklace by - OxfordBright

Song of the Day:

The Best Indian Chill Out

Color of the Day:
Benjamin Moore Evening Sky 833

How to turn your dream into a color scheme - Week 2

YIPPEE it's Friday again! This is the second weekly Friday Dream Scheme post. Friday's blog posts are about one of my dreams that I have had either recently or from past years that I recorded in a journal. Then I make a color scheme to go along with the dream! Here we go!

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I haven't had any dreams in the recent past, so I decided to go back in my dream records again and revisit one from my past. This was written in my dream journal dated for 

January 15, 2010

       I had a little monkey friend on my right shoulder the whole dream. He looked like a Capuchin monkey. I was managing to float on top of what seemed like an inner-tube and I was in the middle of the ocean. There was a strange unknown man who was following me but couldn't seem to go fast enough to catch me. He kept shouting warnings to me until we entered an area of the ocean with a few tiny islands only big enough to fit one tree. I paddled my way to the center of the area with my hands and feet and I looked back and saw that the man had stopped. He was looking at something.

        Two huge Orca whales and a dolphin  were coming right for me. I was terrified but out of instinct I grabbed one of their dorsal fins and rode it a ways away and then let go. This feeling of being pulled away by the mammal was euphoric. The whole time the monkey remained on my shoulder. I remember feeling like I would fall off my inner-tube but I managed to stay attached to it. That is all I remember.

Here is my dream color scheme! Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. The first color is the blue that represents the ocean. The second color is a brown-grey I see when I think of the monkey on top my shoulder. The third color tan is the general color I get from the small islands and the following fourth color green is the tops of the single trees. The fifth color of light grey was from the feeling of panic I felt when being chased my the man and feeling like I was fall off my tube. Lastly the sixth and final color represents the intense black of the Orca whales.

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This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

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It's great when I can look back at a dream journal almost 6 years ago and read a dream and perfectly picture the dream as if you had it last night. My dreams are very precious to me and even more so are my dream journals. I can do so much by just looking at one dream I have had. Color schemes are so much fun and easy to make I really recommend trying it yourself.

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It was interesting for me to see how my color scheme from last week and this week compare. They ended up being pretty similar because both dreams has very similar feelings of anxiety and euphoric moments. Very little color but when it was present it was vivid. Which is why the green of the trees ended up being so important. If I was to create a painting from this color scheme I would make sure to use the green as the highlights because it is such a contrast from the others.

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Well we did it again! Another week, another color scheme. How are you guys enjoying it? Has anyone had any dreams that they have written down lately? Have you tried this yourself? Let me know in the comments below and maybe I can make a color scheme of one of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe and everyone have a wonderfully inspiring day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios




Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Burlap pillow, dream pillow by - 112FarmhouseLayne

Song of the Day:
Cranberries - Dreams

Color of the Day:
BENJAMIN MOORE ORIENTAL IRIS 1418

How to turn your dreams into a color scheme - Week 1

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HELLO EVERYONE!

I am super excited for today's blog! Today starts the first weekly Friday Dream Scheme post. Friday's blog post will be about one of my dreams that I have had either recently or from past years that I recorded in a journal. Then I will make a color scheme to go along with the dream! Let's do this.

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I haven't had any dreams this past week that I remember, so I decided to go back in my dream records and revisit one from my past. This was written in my dream journal dated for 

Tuesday Feb 28, 2013 - 3:19pm

It started were I felt like I was on a type of school field trip and I had entered a magical little gift shop. I knew I had to buy one item as if it were some assignment but I couldn't afford anything except an ugly trucker baby blue baseball cap. I kept looking around the shop though and something caught my eye! It was an incense burner in the shape of a detailed castle and the stick poked out the tower. I wanted it so badly. I also saw a miniature chess set that had really beautifully carved pieces and the board could fold up into a little cube that could fit into your pocket. 

Then somebody entered into the store and told me to run and hurry up, it was time to go! The next thing I know, I am in the sky held up by a giant orb shaped cage. There were a few other people inside it along with me. I didn't have my proper balance and the orb shifted or tilted and I fell onto my stomach. It scared me and I grabbed the bars of the orbed cage to make sure I couldn't fall through. My baby blue hat fell off of my head and glided to the ground far below me. I felt depressed about watching it float in the wind for awhile and I knew I wouldn't be able to get it back. Then the dream ended.  

Here is my dream color scheme! Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. The first color is the baby blue of the baseball cap. The second color is the sky blue I see when I think of the cap floating away in the wind. The third color grey is the general color I get from the castle incense burner and the following fourth color brown is the actual incense sticking out. The fifth color of light grey was from the feeling of panic I felt when being rushed out of the shop and loosing my balance. Lastly the sixth and final color represents the bars that confined me and the others in the orb-shaped cage in the sky.

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This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

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Not every dream you have may be a nice dream. What if you have a reoccurring nightmare or you have a dream so vivid it frightens you throughout your whole day. I say embrace it! Write it down and create a color scheme. Using those colors on a piece of paper with colored pencils and then setting it on fire or tearing it up and throwing it away, might help release the negative attachment to the dream. 

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What do you think! Every Friday I will be doing this in the blogs and I hope it will inspire you to create color schemes from your dreams! You might even find that you connect with my color scheme that I came up with and feel compelled to do a piece of artwork with it. Let me know your thoughts below in the comments about your dreams.

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Blue and Gold Sweet Dreams Little One, Hand Painted Log Slice Nursery Decor by - FieldandForestDesign

Song of the Day:

Taylor Swift - Wildest Dreams

Color of the Day:

Benjamin Moore Milkyway: a very soft, pale blush of yellow cream

The power of consistency.

Hello again! Yep, you guessed it another blog. Today I want to talk about a topic that comes up a lot for me. This is probably my biggest struggle as an artist and business owner. It's something that is VERY important. To most people it either comes super easy to them or is a big problem like me!

Want me to just tell you already? Fine, it's CONSISTENCY! 

Booooooooo.

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Ughhhh my nemisis. Consistency is so important blah blah blah. As an artist is it really important to have consistency with your art. I feel this is especially true for artists who promote themselves online or social media. (aka me) Why is consistency important, you may ask....well here it is! 

(I loved video. He seems so genuine and his words are perfect for today's blog)

Consistency is important because people want to easily be able to recognize "who you are as an artist" and your products. If you are inconsistent, people might getting distracted or confused and leave your site. I know because I do this when I look at other Etsy shops. Unfortunately, I know that my shop is currently inconsistent. I am working on this as my top priority. My images first and foremost NEED to be consistent. Especially for a shop that has multiple types of products. I think if you only sell soap you can have some variety to things because your product is consistent. Since I work with so many mediums I need to have consistent photography. 

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Why do I struggle with consistency so much? Well...I haven't mentioned this in the blogs yet but I love astrology! My gramcrackers is an astrologer and she has taught me the ins and outs of being an Astrologer. Phew! I am glad I brought that up....look forward to much more astrology talk from now on! Anyway, I believe that a big part of my struggle with inconsistency is my GEMINI nature. Gemini's have many strengths like being a jack-of-all trades. With this they tend to be good at everything they try but get bored with things very easily. I KNOW this is how I work. I might do a watercolor one day and the next be into my wood burning. It keeps me interested and as long as I actually finish my projects I can continue to jump around!

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             How can I become more consistent with my art? I think routines are key. Setting routines might be hard at first but once you stick with them, after a certain amount of time they will become habit. Today I went to the Rustbelt where my space will be for the DIY Art Fair and walked about looking at other artist's shops and seeing their styles and set-ups helped remind me how finding my "style" for everything I do with my art and shop helps make consistency more natural. Coming up with a simple logo and using it for everything even price tags was one of the best ideas a saw. 

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           Well today's blog was a little difficult for me to try and write. It's hard to address something you might consider a weakness. I know it's an important topic and addressing it makes it easier to work on it. Consistently Consistent from here on out! What kinds of things to do struggle with in your art? Do you have any suggestions on easy ways to find consistency within my Etsy Shop? Let me know your thoughts!  

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Buddha . The Mind is Everything, What you Think you Become . Ring Dish . Yellow Moon . Star . Jewelry Dish . Celestial by - neCeramics

Song of the Day:

Wax Tailor - Que Sera 

Color of the Day:

Benjamin Moore Scuba Green 2046-50