Fall Window Decoration

I recently updated a store front window with a Fall theme. Above and below pics are details.

I used Montana Acrylic Markers, in two different tip sizes, directly on the glass and loved them !

The set of brass lanterns add a nice 

warm glow for the cooler evenings ahead.

WorkCREATIVE

Last week I led a team building art workshop at Waddey Patterson law firm. The workshop was part of a series that The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville  thought up, called WorkCREATIVE.

" WorkCREATIVE in-office projects bring music, visual and performing arts into the workplace and integrate employees in hands-on creativity to stimulate communication, build teamwork, and spark innovation for effective business growth. The Arts & Business Council’s staff consultant connects businesses with local artists and arts-based learning. "

Participants collaborated on a multi media piece featuring the firm's logo. They incorporated upcycled materials provided by Turnip Green Creative Reuse. The group's enthusiasm and thoughtful participation was refreshing! See pics below for the process and finished product.

Pet Portraits

Below are a couple recent pet portraits. These are watercolor and ink on an 8" x 10" archival watercolor paper.

Email if interested in commissioning one of your own! Sarahkshearer@gmail.com

A couple more details:

-8" x 10" fits a standard size frame

-$100

-Will work from photographs 

Nursery Mural

I recently worked on a home mural for Jessica and Bruce- a couple expecting their first baby. It's easy to get excited about a project when you work with lovely people like these two! Pics below show the before and after of this fun nursery mural.

Before: blue paint, lots of  natural light, white trim.

The inspiration: a playful bedding set chosen by the couple inspires mural elements. 

After: details around the baseboards incorporate the colors, theme and shapes featured in the bedding set.

After: this wall provides a primary focal point, designed to frame the nursery furniture.

After: my favorite corner. Here's to hoping Mom and baby spend many happy and healthy hours together here!

If you are interested in a custom mural for your home or place of business, please contact me for more information:

sarahkshearer@gmail.com

Spring Window

I recently assembled a new window display with the focus on creating a bright, fresh look for spring.

I sketched out several different sizes of a flower template and traced it onto felt. After cutting out a variety flowers sizes, I paired them up into several different color and shape combinations.

Pinching the flower petals and stitching them up the back side gave the flowers a  great shape. I stitched together two layers of felt on each flower to get a "fuller" look.

Attaching the flowers to branches and incorporating pea pebbles into the arrangement finished out the project.

I'm pleased with the final look and am so happy to say, we finally have beautiful warmer weather in Nashville to accompany the spring season!

Mural Update

Just a little update on the mural I posted about HERE last week.

It was a real treat to be joined by a crew of all ages to paint the most colorful parts of this piece.

These guys were focused and thorough little artists!

These guys covered alot of ground and had a great eye for what colors to add where.

This captures my enthusiasm for the project... 

...and this is where it left off.

I'll be going back in and adding detailed elements to the design- more pics soon to come!

On Painting

My passion in art is human connection. Reading Jason Stopa's recent article "the Line is A Circle: Painting Is A Circle" reawakened a passion for painting that has been somewhat dormant in me. For awhile now I've struggled with why I paint, what I paint, and if I can call myself a "real artist" because I don't feel myself fitting in with what I see and read about in the art world. 

I don't know why it took someone else's words to clean the glass that I've been trying to look through, but it did. So thank you for that, Jason Stopa as well as Mary Addison Hackett who shared the article on FB, spurring me to read it in the first place.

Ever since college I've known I didn't really fit in with the contemporary art scene because "painting was dead"- an art form that only the severly outdated would use. But painting was my first love. 

So I kept at it. Over time though I felt like what I was doing wasn't disaffected enough, cryptic enough, or edgy enough. Through the years I lost my way, or more truly I lost my Why. Since painting the way I did -based on intuition and emotion - did not itself seem valid, I tried to alter my work but as I did I grew less and less happy with it. Less connected with why I was making it, and thus making it lost priority in my life. 

In the most recent years I moved more towards creating craft based projects because I couldn't reconcile where I was at with painting. I enjoy creative diversity; reaching outside my painter's box and into a much broader range of materials was great. But I missed losing myself in painting. 

So today, I want to let all those hang ups go. I want to paint something that makes my heart beat and eventually I'll put it out there into the world believing that someone will understand my language, and that however briefly their heart will beat to the same sensitivity, too.

Collaborative Mural

That's right, friends. I'M NOT DEAD- as the frequency of my post since last year would imply. Not only am I alive and breathing, but I am creating. Tonight, I am inviting folks to join me in creating. I've sketched outlines for the design of a new mural that I am working on and am inviting collaborators to come paint it in with me.

The mural is on combination surface of unfinished concrete and drywall. The space possesses a beautiful, open, raw feeling- perfect for a colorful large scale art project!

Prior to starting...

Sketching begins...

Sketch is finished- time to add some color!

So tonight, twenty something colors of paint will be available and I will be there* painting away from at least 6-8pm!

Click here for full details and a short video about the project!

*LFA Boiler Room – 1200 Villa Place, Nashville, TN 37212

Beach to Battleship: We've Only Just Begun

It's 5 days post-race and the reality of racing 140.6 miles is still sinking in. I keep saying "It's crazy!" which at once does not do justice to the event, but also sums it up fairly accurately. Since the beginning of this year Beach To Battleship 140.6 mile iron distance triathlon has been a top goal.

the actual battleship

Spring training started out strong, although in retrospect, a bit early. If I ever take on this distance again I will train in a 6 month span- a realistic time frame for an athlete already used to working out 12-13 hours a week. I feel limiting the length of time spent training would combat burn out and over use injuries. Obviously, I can't say that would be best for everyone but it's what I would do for myself.
Anywho, who knows if I'll ever compete in an iron distance race again. What I want right now is to recount what THIS journey has meant. It has involved tremendous joy, pain, support, sacrifice, sweat, tears, adventure, sense of community and more.

"The more I run, the more I love my body. Not because it is perfect, far from it-but because with every mile it is proving to me that I am capable of far more than I ever thought possible."

Those words really get to the heart of why I chose to tackle the 140.6 mile triathlon challenge. The older I get the more actively I seek to shed the self doubt/hatred that claimed so much of my spirit during my teens and 20's. I believe that God gave me one life to live and that it is meant to be lived to the fullest. Anything less would be a waste. When people say "Running is bad for your knees" or "Endurance sports are bad for your heart" or "Riding a bike is dangerous" I cannot help but think "Are you not scared of early onset diabetes/ heart disease?" and "Are you aware of the obesity epidemic happening right now, in this country?" and "Are you happy living your life in fear?". I mean come on. The limits we set on this life are all too often self-imposed.

Countless early morning workouts and beautiful views like this on the Trace

I don't know that anyone, myself included, is dying to recount the year's worth of training that went into this so I'll skip ahead to recent months. End of summer marked the beginning of very rough couple months leading up to the race. One, after spending a year juggling freelance and many part-time gigs in addition to training for an ironman (a part time job in it's own right)- I was spread too thin. Two, our much anticipated "vacation" to the gulf shore resulted in me having an extreme allergic reaction- cutting the trip short and accruing plenty of bills from the Dr. Three, the glute pain I had been trying to keep at bay became unavoidably painful. This resulted in months of physical therapy, anxiety at potentially having to drop out of the race, and of course more $ spent on my health issues. Four, in succession the "things" in my life started breaking down, i.e: dishwasher, Jon's car, my car. The timing of it all was ridiculous. Sometimes I feel the motto for my life should be "When it rains, it pours".

Got in a little exploring at the Gulf Coast before allergy rashes covered my skin.

All these events led to my physical, financial & mental depletion by the beginning of October. The folks who see me regularly got to witness multiple breakdowns; for Jon, he had to deal with it almost every day. But, in keeping with my motto, even while I felt like life was continually beating me down  I was showered with kindness from all sides. From co-workers past and present, from new friends and old friends, from people who owe me nothing at all- I was offered SO many helping hands. I thank God every day for putting people like that on the face of this earth, and for letting our paths cross. It pushed me through this month and allowed me to see this journey through to the very finish line I lept across on Saturday night on a gorgeous cobblestone street in Wilmington, NC.

Training with good friends who are great people is what kept me sane!

Needless to say, it was a struggle to focus on training those final two months. I cut out running completely in the final month as a last ditch attempt to heal in time to stay in the game- SO glad I did that. It's a hard fact for any athlete to accept but sometimes rest is the best possible cure. I diligently did strength exercises for my back, hips, glutes and whatnot while going through physical therapy. Perry at Pro Motion physical therapy was excellent. I also added regular deep tissue massage into routine and it worked wonders! Dianna and Robin at Franklin Massage Center  played a pretty big role in getting me to that starting line. Several months prior to the race I was at the point where being forced to drop out of the race became very real; my "push through the pain" strategy was obviously failing miserably, but this team of talented professionals turned things around and helped make completing this race a reality.

The right card, at the right moment.

The week leading up to the race was hectic work- wise. I focused on hydrating, but unfortunately wasn't able to rest much at all. I knew it was basically the opposite of the ideal way to go into race weekend-so I had a panic attack Wednesday evening. This is where I circle back to saying: I am blessed beyond belief to be surrounded by loving people. A friend surprised me with this card and a sweet note and it couldn't have come at a more crucial time. Other friends brought me "good luck charms"; I was pretty pumped to be able to keep them with me on the bike!

A little love, along for the ride.

 Also that evening friends shared the Facebook group they had created almost a month before called "Sarah & Meg's secret support group"- pages full of well wishes, hilarious pictures and encouraging words. How can you go fall apart when you have people that good lifting you up? Needless to say I did my best to get my frazzled self together, get the house in order for the dog sitter (Hannah Mazzaferro is a rock star sis-in-law for taking care of the furry fam!),  pack 4,000 + triathlon related items, throw some "normal" clothes in a bag and roll out first thing Thursday morning.

Peace out, Nashville.

Next stop: Wilmington, North Carolina.

Artober Nashville

It was an art-full afternoon in Goodlettesville today. In collaboration with a fantastic non -profit, Turnip Green Creative Reuse, I led a workshop in the Nashville Public Library Goodlettesville branch.

In case you didn't already know: Nashville is bursting at the seams with art events such as this during Artober- a month long celebration of the arts and culture during the month of October!

This workshop was very unique in that it allowed participants to take a piece of Tennessee history home with them. Inspired by President Andrew Jackson's middle Tennessee home- the Hermitage- the project began with pieces of a poplar tree from the Hermitage grounds that fell after being struck by lightning. 

Sections of the poplar were cut and drilled with a hole; these would be the base for creating ornaments/ wall hangings. 

Next, participants were invited to cut pages and words out of a book from the 1800's - one that could have been in Andrew Jackson's library- and decoupage them onto the poplar pieces. 

Pulling inspiration from the Hermitage living room's interior, a crocheted doily offered an interesting texture option for the wooden hangings.

As cotton fields were an important element of the Hermitage's outdoor environment- we used cotton pieces dipped in paint to create color patterns on the wooden surface.

Artober Nashville is the single largest celebration of the arts and culture in the South. This project was the perfect way to engage!

Store Windows for Fleet Feet

Below are some shots of window displays and signage I have created recently for Fleet Feet, a running specialty store.

It wouldn't be fall without some pumpkins and a runner scarecrow!

A chalkboard calendar keeps customer up to date on special events and provides information about new products.

This large backdrop is perfect for highlighting store sponsored events and training programs.

Live & Don't Be Sorry

I've been off the blog wagon. But I want to get back on. But I keep getting distracted. Life lately feels like a puzzle that's been dumped from it's box onto the floor. All the pieces are there- just scattered and a total mess. Balancing all the different parts of my life has been very difficult lately: managing an non-traditional work schedule, staying creatively inspired and productive, keeping up with life/home responsibilities, making quality time for husband/family, training for an ironman...sometimes it's all too much- but one of these items is about to be taken off my plate.

I'm currently 34 days away from Beach to Battleship iron distance triathlon, which I signed up for way back at the beginning of the year. For those unfamiliar with the sport: an Ironman/ full Iron Distance triathlon is an ultra distance combination of swimming (2.4 miles)+ biking (112 miles)+  running (26.2 miles). All in one day, with a cut off time of 17 hours. 

Recently the question was asked "Why would you want to do this?", to which I had a surprisingly slow response. Slow because I realized my general attitude is "Why would you not want to do this?". As I sifted through all the thoughts and feelings that this experience has evoked I came to the more specific answer: 

I want to attempt to do the thing I think I cannot.

It's the passion that wakes me up in the morning; the choice to try to live my life free of fear; the desire to be a stronger, better, bolder person- I think it is just as natural a part of who I am as having brown eyes.

In recent months I 've struggled with this journey- I've been overwhelmed, exhausted, chafed, scared, excited, frustrated, proud, hurt, and much more. Frustration and disappointment have been at the forefront lately because of some hip and glute issues I've been having that have slowed down my running quite a bit. It's made me question if I should/can even still do this race. Also, I've carried around a significant amount of guilt- for how much time and energy training commands (at the expense of other life priorities); for how much money I am funneling into this hobby; for how this can look like a selfish endeavor in general. But I think it is time to let these things go- to remind myself this is an enormous personal goal that I chose to conquer because of the reasons I listed above. 

Today marked my third experience cycling 100 miles- but today's course was tremendously hillier and more difficult than the previous two times. The previous two times by the end of the ride I was ready to lie down in the parking lot next to my bike and take a nap ASAP. Just wiped out completely. Today, I finished and I actually managed to keep it together enough to go see a friend, hit the grocery store, and now blog. WHAT??? Yes. Stronger and better. I am going to cross that finish line and I can't freaking wait.

From Business Card to Office Wall

This week I completed a project for a local event management company, What Do You Run For?. They wanted to brighten the walls and enliven the office atmosphere. Their current business card (pictured below) was the inspiration for what I created. 

The bold logo and bright colors translated very well to a larger scale. I really enjoyed this project. My personal style is very bright, bold, and energetic- working on this just felt natural.

The finished product even goes with the existing disco ball decor- perfection!

If you are interested in having a customizing painting done for your home or business, please email:
sarahkshearer@gmail.com