Honoring Tom Sassano and Cancer Zodiac Card

Greetings and Happy Summer! The hills have turned golden here in California and they have made their way onto my new Summer Dreams greeting card~

Summer Dreams With Golden Eagle for Tom Sassano

This card is dedicated to my dear friend, Tom Sassano, who passed away from cancer in May. He was a gifted artist, dancer, and a vibrant caring man. A week after he passed I saw a golden eagle outside my window at work, perched in a nearby oak tree, gleaming gold in the morning sun. It felt like a visitation and inspired this card. Here's a picture of Tom and I in front of one of his paintings a few weeks before he died.

In his final days Tom dwelled in a state of grace, transcendence and deep truth, and I was grateful to spend some very moving moments with him at his studio. His community gathered around him for a living memorial before he passed, and it was one of the most powerful experiences I have been through~ To see someone facing death with such dignity, acceptance, and curiosity. If you are interested in meeting Tom  and hearing his wise words about his transition I encourage you to watch this video that was complied of his memorial and interviews they conducted with him.

Here's the link: http://vimeo.com/93323255

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I am continuing my Zodiac card series with a Cancer card, set in Dubrovnik, Croatia, land of my ancestors. I created a treasure box of sea shells~ Here they are in progress~

And here's the finished card~

Gifts From the Deep, Dubrovnik~Cancer Zodiac Card

Cards are available at Good Earth and also from me directly. I am now offering 8 1/2" x 11" prints of any of my images for $28. They are printed on professional-quality photo paper, and hand detailed and signed by me. They come with a nice white border so they are ready to pop in a frame~ and they make a great gift! Striking detail is visible in this larger format. Contact me for details. 

Wishing you a wonderful and sunny summer, blessed with gratitude for each shining moment.

~Tenaya

Spring Dreams and Aries Rhyton

Spring has come to California, and the bright green of new life is everywhere I look. This is the morning view from my studio window~

Inspired by the energy of innocence, growth, and wonder, I created my newest dreamcatcher card (I'm making one for each season) titled, "Spring Dreams"

To me, springtime reflects the process of regeneration and transformation, and also connects me to a sense of awe, beauty and gratitude for all that life is. I feel like this is the root of where the inspiration for my cards comes from~ From noticing the small beauties of the world.

I just discovered a wonderful video by time-lapse photography pioneer Louie Schwartzberg about gratitude that encapsulates these thoughts perfectly:

My full line of Easter/Spring cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods and Riley Street Art Supply in San Rafael. You can view them all here.

I am continuing the Zodiac card series with "Aries Rhyton". A Rhyton is an ancient ceremonial drinking vessel. Read about Rhytons here.

May the brilliant, life-giving energy of Spring infuse every moment with gratitude and awe!

Love,

Tenaya

Panama Magic

I just had the good fortune to travel to Panama to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday. It has been her life-long dream to see the Panama Canal, and we had an epic journey through the locks and across Gatun Lake, as well as a day in the old part of Panama City (Casco Antiguo), and a day in a traditional indigenous Embera village on the Chagres River.

 Here I am in Casco Antiguo photo by UpDog Photography

On the Panama Canal (That's my grandma next to me)

I was surprised that such a brief trip could have such a profound effect on me. Being immersed in another culture, and being able to visit an indigenous village broadened my perspective on my life, and has caused me to reflect on what I really want in life, and what will truly bring me fulfillment and happiness.

Chagres River Waterfall

To reach the Embera village I took an exhilarating ride on the Chagres River, where I swam in a waterfall (fully clothed)! The river is surrounded by lush rainforest, and I could hear the warm hum of insects pulsing from it's green depths.

Riding in a traditional Embera Dugout Canoe

The Embera people sustain their way of life by welcoming visitors into their community and sharing their culture through music, dance, and a demonstration of traditional crafts. We were served a delicious meal of fresh-caught fish, lightly battered and fried, with fried plantains and a lime wedge~ Served in a banana leaf with a hibiscus flower!

Standing on a little rise above the village, I was filled with a tremendous sense of longing, overwhelmed by the beauty of this place and these people. I dream of returning~~~

In the jungle I saw a Blue Morpho Butterfly and it inspired my newest greeting card, which features motifs inspired by traditional Embera designs. Cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax and Riley Street Art in San Rafael. You can also email me directly with your order.   

Wishing you a Happy Spring!

Blue Morpho Butterfly on the Chagres River, Panama With Embera-Inspired Motifs

Love in Latte Foam

Just in time for Valentine's Day~ Here are two new hot-off-the-press cards for your sweetie! 

Love in Latte Foam

This one was inspired by my grandpa Popi, who always loved a good play on words. Here we are dancing circa 1995~

My other grandpa Dziadzi (pronounced ja-jee) had an antique Victrola that he would play for me. I loved hearing the scratchy sound of long ago voices. This "Kitty Victrola Love Song" card is dedicated to him and my Nana Aggie. {If you're lucky, you may have come across a fellow named Bill who brings his portable Victrola to Good Earth Natural Foods. He sets up on a picnic table and serenades the folks passing by. Meeting him brought back memories of Dziadzi, so this card is also dedicated to Bill.}

Kitty Victrola Love Song

Me and Dziadzi 1986

Cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods and also on my new spinner card display at Riley Street Art Supply in San Rafael.

All Valentine's Day cards from years past are still available at both stores. You can view them here. 

This month is the 4 year anniversary of Dream Speak Design~ Thank you for all of your support! Exciting things are in store for the coming year~

All the best in 2014~

Tenaya

Holiday Llama with Luminarias

Hello and Happy December! I've just finished four brand new holiday cards and can't wait to share them with you~ 

Inspired by the peaceful hush of first snowfall is Winter Dreams, a dreamcatcher in a snowy landscape with holly, mistletoe, pine boughs, and little gold bells~

Winter Dreams

One of my favorite holiday decorations when I was growing up was a German wooden Santa Smoker. A cone of lit incense went inside Santa's torso, then fragrant smoke would gently waft out his mouth. Here's a photo of my childhood decoration...

And the card it inspired~

German Wooden Santa Smoker

And for the pure whimsy of it, a winter picnic of smitten snowmen ready to eat snowball cake~

Winter Picnic Snow Globe

Growing up in northern Virginia, my neighborhood had an enchanting tradition. On Christmas Eve, each house lined their part of the street with luminarias~ Paper bag lanterns filled with sand at the bottom and a candle inside. They lit the wintery streets with hundreds of flickering flames~ 

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ALuminarias.jpg

Here's a holiday Llama carrying a Christmas tree up a luminaria-lit hillside~

Holiday Llama with Luminarias

This year I also created a Hanukkah card based on an image of an ancient menorah that reminded me of a Tree of Life~

Cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax and also at Riley Street Art Supply in San Rafael. All holiday cards from years past are also available (Sacred Reindeer, St. Lucia's Light, etc.) View them here.

Wishing you a bright and beautiful holiday season!

~Tenaya

Snail Slime Graffiti

Happy Halloween in Snail Slime

Greetings and happy Autumn! Here's a brand-new Halloween card design, inspired by a vision I had of a sweet little snail making slime-art on a fence. :-)

This is my favorite time of year~ The colors, the change of season, and delicious seasonal produce. I just ate my first persimmon of the season (with many more to come!)

The Glory of Autumn @ Good Earth

Lily the Kitty Witch Serves Pumpkin Cake and Absinthe

And here's Lily the Kitty Witch hosting a Halloween party. To create the background I used japanese Sumi ink on a wet background to create the smokey, spooky effect. 

Both of these cards are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax or from me directly.

The zodiac cards series continues with Virgo and Libra~

Virgo Zodiac Card

Libra Zodiac Card

This Libra Zodiac card was inspired by the Egyptian myth,  "Anubis' Scale of Truth", where one's heart is weighed against a feather to see if you will be granted entry to the afterlife. I'll be working on Scorpio next.

Part 2 of Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells class started up again this week, and we're designing Christmas cards~ I've got some unusual holiday imagery I'm dreaming up! 

Wishing you all the best for this season of coziness, hot chai, and pumpkin cake!

~Tenaya

A Humbling Experience

I recently finished part one of Lilla Rogers' online course, Make Art That Sells, and it was quite a humbling experience. 

Flow Collage

With 400 students from 22 different countries, I was astounded by the level of talent in the group, and as the weeks passed, I struggled with feeling insignificant and unseen. After almost four years of designing and running Dream Speak Design, I was used to feeling like a happy little fish in my artistic life, swimming in familiar, comfortable waters. Occasionally I might swim to the far end of my pond, but never much farther. Taking the class was like being thrust into a deep wide ocean, a minuscule dot of plankton in an enormous sea. 

Dream Collage

As the weeks went by, and we worked through challenging, professional-level illustration briefs, I learned how to navigate the difficult waters of comparison, insecurity and overwhelm. The key for me was returning again and again to my own experience, my own inner light of creativity, my own visions and dreams.

Beauty Collage

I drew strength from the fact that I have continued to build my business year after year, and that my images, symbols, patterns and color palettes are born of me, and they couldn't come into being from any other person. 

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.” ― Martha Graham

Joy Collage

Creating the four collages (above) was one of the highlights of the course for me. The assignment was to create a square piece of Wall Art that incorporated collage techniques and one or more words. For inspiration I visited one of my favorite stores in Fairfax, CA, Beach House Style. With permission, I took photos of textured fabric, driftwood, windows, and lace. When I got home I printed out the photos on matte photo paper and had an absolute blast creating 10 different collages! 

To make the words, I painted each of them with Japanese Sumi ink on white paper, then transferred them to colored paper and cut them out using an x acto knife. I did this because I wanted the words to have a fluid feel. 

It was the most fun I've had creating art in a long time & it reminded me of the pure joy of creativity~ instinctive, intuitive, playful!

{I have produced a very limited edition of greeting cards based on these collage designs that are available at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax or directly from me.}

The Snail and the Rose Tree

Another week we were asked to illustrate Hans Christian Anderson's story The Snail and the Rose Tree. I placed my snail in a Moroccan garden with the Atlas mountains in the distance.

After the last week of class we were invited to enter Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search. {I was not chosen as a finalist, but I loved creating this piece.}The instructions were to create a journal cover inspired by vintage playground equipment (slides, merry-go-rounds, etc.). I had the idea to set my playground under the sea, inspired by a childhood dream where I was swept up in a tidal wave and taken to a magical land under the sea, where people rode seahorses, and neon lights glowed brightly in the rippling water. 

Under the Sea Playground

Part one of the class stretched me outside of my comfort zone, but it also strengthened my ability to support and believe in myself, to manage my time, and to produce a whole lot of new work! 

I'm currently working on new Autumn card designs, and part two of the class starts in October.

Wishing you a wonderful Autumn~

Tenaya

Immersed in Lilla Rogers' Course

I just finished week two of Lilla Rogers' online course Make Art That Sells. It's been a wild ride so far, filled with inspiration, excitement, overwhelm, doubt and little bursts of triumph!

Lilla has shared so many nuggets of wisdom to help us get in the creative groove, one of which is the importance of setting up your art-making space. I have done this to some degree naturally, but now I am doing it with more intention~ Clearing off my work table, lighting a candle, some fragrant japanese incense, and cut flowers. Music is also vitally important for getting me in the art-making mood, and I've been listening to Heather Masse and Sara Tavares all week. 

Our week one assignment was to create a fabric design based on 1950's & 1960's kitchens, vintage casserole dishes, and mushrooms. Lilla structures the class so that we have a mini assignment (given on Monday) to get us in the mood for the main assignment (given on Wednesday). Above is a photo of my mushroom studies. 

Mushroom project in progress

Here's my finished piece~ Mushroom Mothers Serving Casseroles

I struggled a bit getting into my groove for week two~ The art market we studied was Home Decor, and our mini assignment was to draw/paint sculptural flowers and seed pods. I went on a walk near Tomales Bay in Pt. Reyes Station to shoot some photos for source material. I loved the spiky and soft quality of these thistles~

But when I got home to paint them I wasn't very happy with what I was doing. I was getting frustrated and things just weren't flowing. Lilla has told us that "People buy your joy", and I was definitely not feeling the joy! It wasn't a good place to be heading into the main assignment, so I decided to shift my focus and attention to discover a subject matter and technique that felt joyful and flowing. I know I am happiest cutting paper, so I decided to go with that. The assignment was to design two plates with a floral/seed pod motif that could be sold at Anthropologie (my favorite store) or Crate & Barrel. I got a wonderful flash of inspiration and decided to create two floral zodiac plates, incorporating floral shapes, zodiac constellations, and gemstones. (BTW~ I am thinking about designing all twelve zodiac signs and perhaps producing a calendar & greeting cards~ What do you think?)

Floral Zodiac Plate~Leo~With Sunflower and Citrine

Floral Zodiac Plate~Pisces~With Blue Water Lily and Aquamarine

I had a blast creating these! The blue water lily was inspired by this Spagyric from Al-Kemi.

And last but not least, I'm happy to announce that I have a brand new website! It's the same address: www.dreamspeakdesign.com and it has galleries of all of my card collections organized by subject, information about my background, press mentions, contact info and a link to my blog. Please take a look!

Wishing you all the best! I'll be posting on the blog more regularly, including my assignments for the Lilla Rogers' course (under the "Projects" tab)

Thanks for reading!

If you are interested in Make Art That Sells, I can't recommend it highly enough! There is a second session starting in October and there are still spaces available. :-)

Logo by Suzy Ultman