Over the span of my blog’s life, I’ve received so many emails from readers asking for advice or creative help – & I feel like those emailing me might not suspect how much I’ve benefitted from our exchanges.  Speaking from experience, I know that it takes a lot of courage to reach out to someone with the risk that they might not reply (that feels so crummy!) especially when you are exposing a part of yourself that desires help of the artistic kind.

I’ve enjoyed this behind the scenes aspect of blogging so much because I define things that I wouldn’t normally have a reason to, and I feel it reaches into another personal level.  I love the one on one mentorship that all of my favorite artists had, I would love to recreate that on both ends of my life too – the giving and receiving.  Maybe not everyone is comfortable cold emailing when they are a perfect stranger, but that so many of you brave readers do so lets me know that you trust that I will give good advice and I feel that I am approachable.  I have someone to give.

All artists wish for validation.

I think that is why I am so enthusiastic about the questions.  They give me a forum to define things that I might not think of, and I get to know myself as an artist.  If there is one aspect of my blog that I love the most, it’s when I feel like I’ve touched another person’s life in even the smallest way.

I received an email this weekend and it occurred to me that since the simple question of style/technique is one often asked, I’m delighted to share it with you… (Published with Lora’s permission.)

(more…)

I was just invited by a friend in France (thank you, Lilie!) to participate in an art exchange and I thought I would see if any of you would like to be included. You send one artwork… it could be a little drawing, a print, a photograph, jewelry, a mini painting, comic… or whatever you think is a good idea, and that you can do within a week. You should receive unique 36 works of art in return! Would you like to play? Leave a comment being sure to use your email address and I will send you the details. Meanwhile, I’m sending out a pretty package to Germany.  Happy weekend!

+++update: space is now full, thanks everyone!

I’ve been meaning to share this amazing modern ring that my best pal from Buenos Aires made for me and recently sent in the mail.  As a jeweller, I’m completely amazed that this is her first ring she’s ever made and that I get to wear it! It has excellent form, and excellent function – the backing that fits around my finger is so comfortable in a snazzy black elastic.  Not only does it have that pop art grand scale statement that I love.. but it’s incredibly lightweight! Thank you Marcela, it’s so lovely, just like you.

After almost a year of taking in other projects, devoting time to my personal journal, living and keeping on, and never once giving blogging a second thought… truthfully, I felt completely comfortable with the idea of not knowing if I would ever consider myself a blogger again.  So yesterday, the most unexpected occurrence: I woke up and suddenly knew that my time away from blogging was up. It’s almost spring here in Seattle, I am full of renewal, a turning, readiness.

It was nice to turn things off for a while, truly.  Working without an audience that I was so familiar with was a great decompression.  To only have myself to answer to (record keeping and painting and working) with only the effort to prove things to that girl in the mirror, well, that’s probably the stubborn nature that an artist naturally has, a desire to turn in the other direction and run at full speed when it feels like everyone is going the same way.  When you find your way, and you are content in it, you share it.

Halo by Kate Havnevik

tweet, tweet.

Dear Jenny,
You don’t know me, I’m an artist in Orange County, CA. I stumbled across your blog in April sometime, and discovered Blingo through you, and signed up through you. Anyway, I had all my friends sign up, and posted about it on my blog too. Since signing up, I have won $4,100 cash! (One of the wins was my husband, who signed up through me, so its more like I won $2000 that time.)

I just won another $1000 today, through another friend. (I haven’t technically even won anything myself! Just my sign ups have.)

This money was, of course, a miracle, since I quit my day job on April 1st to pursue art full-time. I have also been selling paintings, which is another miracle, but $4100 in blingo money sure helps.

I just wanted to thank you personally for introducing me to Blingo, because it’s been such a wonderful and fortunate part of my life the last few months!

Your blog is very inspiring, as my husband and I are desperate to start traveling the world. We’re moving to Hawaii in the next 2 years, and spending time in Japan as well.

Anyway, thanks again. :o) – Shayla

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i recently received this email from shayla, so i thought i would pay it forward and invite you to blingo too! if you aren’t familiar with blingo, it’s a google-powered search engine that awards you prizes every time you are browsing the web. (see? browsing the net isn’t such a waste of time!) i’ve personally won over $100 in prizes for amazon and itunes gift cards, movie tickets and other goodies. so i can tell you there’s not a thing to lose but a few items of your wish list and into your hands!

sign up (and win) here.

(a little hint to get you winning faster: after you sign-up, install the search bar and use it instead of google. you’ll get the same results as google, but with benefits…)

truth: i could eat my way through buenos aires and journal about it everyday.  thanks to pip in the city and an organic lunch at bio restaurant together, today was delicious!  the picture above is a wonderful bead/jewelry shop she introduced me to.  and our postre…  coconut flan with dulce de leche for her, apple crumble with sesame helado for me.  yup, it was a sweet day.  hmm, i think in another life i would have been a food blogger.

happily, i’ve been overwhelmed with goodness coming in my uruguay mailbox lately. here is a beautiful sampling of something sent from a really kindred spirit. a stenography card No. 414:

Here are two of the famous elk of the Olympian Mountains, probably the largest and most handsome animals of the Wapiti family in existence.

For some reason or other the elk in these mountains grow to greater size. Their antlers obtain a more beautiful perfection and their nature undergoes somewhat of a change…

(washington state is my home, so i can think of so many reasons why they would grow more beautiful…!)

of course, my fascination for these creatures has nothing to do with hunting and mounting them…but their magnificence. another place that is like a home to me is jackson hole, wyoming. my dad went there with his family practically every summer to camp and fish when he was a boy, a tradition he kept as i grew up, and one that is still going strong. jackson has changed a lot since he was little, but one of the things that stays the same is that great arch in the town center. if you’ve never seen it before, it’s a massive gathering of antlers that have been naturally shed by elk and gathered up by the boy scouts. just magnificent.

+ + + + +

and, speaking of antlers, the coronation necklace is now available!

meanwhile, back here in montevideo…i’ve been curling up in front of a roaring fire every single night. reading, listening to music, contemplating and planning more adventures.

i wanted to thank you for indulging me as i’ve shared photos from my travels. i have many more pictures (say yes to extra memory cards) which i’m sure will probably show up around here later. but next week i’ll resume with regular posting.

um wait, what is that exactly?

hmm. i guess the focus of my blog has been on my mind lately. just what is it that gets me fired up to share things online, on a regular basis, with friends and strangers alike?

i think i’ve got it. i like writing about why i believe life is beautiful. and how it can be beautiful. the subject may not be as popular as the hottest design craze, or how to craft that perfect japanese toy or cute apron, or the latest tech news, etc…but it’s what gets me wanting to blog. i hope you find something from this place too. without you, it simply wouldn’t exist!

so i’ll see you next week with that in mind…

besitos, j.

yesterday i shared a beautiful afternoon with fer, who is on holiday from london visiting her home here in montevideo! we started out talking underneath the shade of a beautiful tree at plaza de armada: film, documentaries, art, people, places were all topics we discussed. we gushed, we laughed, we were so happy to meet in person!

then out came the cameras. all five of them! i had the thrill of shooting my first polaroid with a flat folding sx-70, fer insisted that i try hers. then we ventured into the sun, climbing on rocks and posing in sometimes ridiculous, sometimes beautiful stances. she is so photogenic i tell you. and would you believe that even though we weren’t in the sun for too long, i managed to get a sunburn? a mean one. the hole in the ozone is right over our heads in uruguay. i feel it in full force! i have been here for over two months and have worn sunblock religiously! but this day…i was so excited and forgot. grins.

some people you connect with immediately, some you just know will be life long friends. i am so happy that you are one of them fernanda!

see more from our day as i add photos here. enjoy!

happy valentines day everyone! a few days ago, i found this lovely surprise in the mail for me, a print from one of my very favorite artists (and many of you would agree) camilla! i’ve been looking for just the right frame, i feel so lucky! and quite fitting for heart day, is it not? (wink wink)

i’m also enjoying some cute little treats from joining up in round three of gifty. thank you hope!

there is a hint of something special from m, but since he’s not awake yet i’ll just have to wait. last night, max couldn’t wait and showed his handmade card to his daddy. too cute for words i must say.

p.s. red roses.