Happy New Year! I am so glad 2013 is O.V.E.R. The New Year brings a new chance to start over. To dress yourself in a new attitude, with new ideas, new hopes, new dreams, new love, new promises, a new skip in your step. 2014 here I come. I am looking forward to new things. I am looking forward to bright changes and overcoming some really bad habits. I started it off by doing a juice fast! I am still fasting and I’m on my 5th day. I am obsessed with living healthy. I’m sure my friends are sick…
Author: robinchladdesigns
I have been doodling, coloring, drawing, cutting, sculpting, painting, sewing, writing and everything in between since I could hold a crayon in my hand.
My first art projects were filling up a big, fat coloring book of bridal dresses. I boldly ventured into new territory with paint-by-number sets. I graduated to luxurious and decadent velvet (paint-by-number) sets. Eventually, I mastered the art of Spirogragh.
Originally from upstate New York I have lived in Tucson, Arizona since 1986. Back then I was a single mom and found myself in the job market. I went to Pima Community College for training. Instead of diving into my academics I kept hanging around the pottery studio. Some people lived there and if I didn’t have two little girls at home I would have ended up living there as well. Joking aside, I fell in love with clay and all its possibilities. Being in a position to care for my kids, in 1989 I created a very marketable, creative, and functional item. It was a simple concept that took me into new heights of the craft world and I became an entrepreneur. Creating and selling became my passion. I had achieved success for many years. I loved being my own boss and living the artist’s dream. Life moved real fast and before I knew it my girls were all grown up, moving out, getting married and having kids of there own. Hey, wait a minute… I am a Gramma at 40? No sweat, I handled it gracefully.
Fast forward to the present: I have been on a journey led by God.
I took a sabbatical for the last 6 years learning new people skills in real estate, retail and care giving to the elderly. But my natural instincts kept leading me back to what my soul cannot deny. New visions, new risks, and a stronger faith has lead me to this point. Have I arrived? It’s like my life is all mapped out and a red arrow points to You Are Here! But the road keeps going and I have learned to listen to that still small voice. My days are filled with a little bit of art, a little bit of caring for my grandchildren, care giving to the elderly and volunteering at Sunday school.
I am currently working on sculpting with clay in a tile mosaic setting, like my Seed Pod series or House of Fruit Trios. Some of my pieces are a mixture of individual 3-D tiles, shadow box shrines, and ornaments. The work that’s being created is inspirational, whimsical, and contemporary. Even though life can be very serious and intense I hope to achieve simply bringing joy or even a smile to someone’s face though my creations.
I am also designing and developing my%2
November is full of Art Shows and Awesomeness!
November is full of Art Shows and Awesomeness!.
November is full of Art Shows and Awesomeness!
The first week of November is a time where we begin to look back and say ‘where did this year go?’, ‘Man, this year flew by.’ or ‘Stop the bus, I want to get off!’ But really, November is a time to reflect, be thankful and count the many blessings the Lord has bestowed on all of us in America. After all Thanksgiving is an American holiday and an official time to be thankful. Personally, I have received many joys, answered prayers and blessings, ( grand kids, family and friends). He has blessed me abundantly and I have been able to…
Being Busy, Fall Fun and Show Schedule
I have been really focused. Pushing myself to get inventory built up, marketing, writing a business plan (or I keep thinking about that one, haven’t quite got to it yet), relearning how to follow a budget, while juggling small jobs here and there until the holiday buying season kicks in. But I have managed to mix business with pleasure and took a jaunt to Sedona a couple weeks ago with a friend. I just love it up there. It’s so inspiring. The rocks, the sunsets, the art! I am so grateful to be able to take it all in….
Sweet September
Sweet September.
Sweet September
Rewarding
Tuesday’s mosaic class has come and gone way too fast. I am teaching a new 6 week session of clay tile mosaics to 4 inspiring and fun loving women. The class goes by so quickly that I am almost sad to see it end. And ya know what? They inspire me. After they all left tonight, I sat thinking about how these gals come to be taught and be inspired by my creations and their ideas inspire me too. It’s a win/win situation. I am delighted at the ideas that are beginning to stir inside of them as they birth new and…
A New Direction- 4 Tucson
My new direction is that I am now leading an arts support group through an organization called 4Tucson. I mentioned 4Tucson in one of my blogs a few months back. But to refresh your memory, 4 Tucson is a grass roots, Christian organization with the focus on making Tucson a great city to live in, to do business in and to be a fabulous destination for the whole family. A few ways we are accomplishing that is to pray for Tucson corporately and individually and to bring awareness to everyone that Tucson can be a place to raise families, work, worship, retire, and create…
Tile Classes Start May 28
I will be offering handmade clay tile class this summer. Officially it’s called a Mosaic class but I am discovering a lot of people, when they think of “mosaics” they think of little tiny pieces of colored glass tile or broken dishes mortared into a design of some sort. And yes, that is what it is but there are many forms of mosaics. It is an art form and it does take concentration when you have a whole mess of brightly colored pieces to pick from. Personally, I have never liked the idea of breaking glass or china to get the effect I want. Not…
A Big Thank You!
A Big Thank You!.
Robin Chlad Designs 