5/30/09

Times
are changing.
***
Time
for a change.
***
Our beloved Glad Dreams Workshop is closed.  This is a good thing, because
We are putting forth all of our creative energy to make this a true artist workshop.
 When we reopen it will be like nothing anyone has ever encountered.  Unique
 wonderful, and one of a kind.



7/4/09


.
It is hard to say goodby to friends.
Michele was the head of our accounting
department. Oh ya michele was our accounting
department. She moved back home to Houston.
I made this for her.
We miss you!

We had a little going away party. The only day
it rained in weeks! (Michele is on far left.)

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Summer time
and the livin is easy.
When I walk out the door
I think...perfect
the weather is unbelievable
I am enjoying every moment

I have filled my window boxes with
driftwood and beach, things that do not
need to be watered. Since I am only here
part of the week... window boxes need to
be watered every day.

I discovered cherries on my tree!
I tasted....they are tart
for baking.

Everything I had in this container died
over the freezing cold winter. These
little gems sprouted all by themselves.


I am working on a new vanity for
my bathroom. So I put the mirror
from the bath room to my outside entry.


I hung this the other day. Metal letters

Love red white and blue...
especially when it is aged and faded.


Picked these daisys from flower bed
at bunnies. Love the old bottle.


My 4th decor


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6/5/09


to get home, get out my sketch pad...sharp
pencil, eraser and play.

Last sunday I sat outside and painted.

I can't seem to get away from this chick.

I like her.

Off center because of big
coffee stain that was on the right.


It looks kinda messy.

cheep

I am just playing around.

more playing

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6/4/09


My design studio- home 
It is quaint, rustic, imperfect, some issues 
and I love it.
I have wanted this my whole life.
  Here is where I can cook, read, write, draw,
 sew, solder, glue, or just sit and do nothing at all.

The tide coming in from Similk bay. The weather right now is so
perfect.  This is when Washington is the best place on earth to be.



like solitude and freedom
 that I get during the week. 

Down a flight of stairs and you are on a 
driftwood carpet...maintenance free

I like the cat...the huntress

like mood lighting.

like birds.

like clocks.

like the serenity of these. 

like thai red candles.

Ugly necessity...in an attempt to be organized.

like aqua handmade ceramics.
The sink was free.
The faucet drips.

like old cream thread.

like oranges...
Reading on the Bloomsbury group, inspiration
for Laconner workshop.

like my working area

Heaven with the doors open.

like red.

like birds...especially crows.

6/1/09



Here is the journal I kept while in New York.
I have posted it so that the first page is at the 
bottom.  Mistake...oh well.


I originally drew in pencil.
I have gone back and redrawn in ink.
My first attempt at a journal.


Looking at blogs and sketching 
things I liked.  A start.  Doodles.



I like menus....I like red


5/30/09


Times
are changing.
***
Time
for a change.
***
Our beloved Glad Dreams Workshop is closed.  This is a good thing, because
We are putting forth all of our creative energy to make this a true artist workshop.
 When we reopen it will be like nothing anyone has ever encountered.  Unique
 wonderful, and one of a kind.

We have been in  Laconner Wa. for over 16 years.  It has been through many transitions and we thank-you for your patience if you have followed us on our creative journey.  We are simply, still trying to figure it out.  In 23 years of business...it is still a day by day, sometimes minute by minute, change of events.  We are, " Bunnies by the Day".  Which is very good when you are trying to stay in business.    We have taken on the collectable world, the baby gift industry and published our own art and books.  This has been accomplished by undeterred determination, hard work, a belief in our message and dogged tenacity.  No rich uncle, bank or windfall has ever believed in or attempted to save us.   In fact bunnies was created in an attempt to save ourselves.  In that attempt...more people have walked through our door... at the right time.  We have been saved by them...we saved each other.  We were drawn together by a force greater than ourselves.  I guess the point I am trying to make here is that sometimes help comes from the least likely of sources, never where you expect it to come from.  For us...that help came from thousands of miles away, China.   We owe a great deal of debt, (figuratively and literally), to our brothers in China.  They believe in us and support us.  We are connected by a bond stronger than a balance sheet.  Thank-you brothers Linn. 
We have an enormously talented Art dept.  When we are all sailing in the same direction, we can create some great designs.  And believe me...it is a group effort.  No one person designs a product.  I often times think designing something is easy...We can make a design in a day.  The marketing dialogs and the product development takes months.  I have a room with hundreds of designs that didn't get off the ground because problems with cost, sourcing or how do we sell it?  Oh, I have digressed.....
Back to the Art dept.  Well, now that our baby line is well established...we have a beautiful well made, well price line and wonderful fixtures.  All of this is put together in our newly designed shop next door.  It really looks fabulous with new fixtures and art..... It is a show piece for all of our customers, wholesale and retail.  We are now ready for phase 2.  We would like to show you...there is no end to creativity.  So the idea behind the Laconner workshop is to make it a shop that can be shopped globally.   We are in a very small town that is a tourist destination.  We get people who drive up from Seattle or down from Vancouver.  That is not enough traffic.  I often say it's like opening a lemonade stand and just waiting for people to discover you.  I believe the world is our customer.  I want to take the Laconner workshop experience to the public.




I believe that people are interested in the creative process.  I ran into a friend at the grocery store a couple of days ago...and she made the comment, "I want to make something but I just don't know where to start." Well you can follow us.  Follow the creative process of the workshop.   We will do that thru this blog.  Facebook, twitter, utube all of it.  I don't have that figured out yet...but we will learn.  You can follow that too.  Three years ago I didn't know what I know now....so there is hope for us technically challenged people.( Chris thinks all this technology is just a phase.)



I don't know what we will present but it will be Art...conceived through our imagination and created with our hands.  It won't be a lot, it will be enough. We don't know when we will open... it will be
 when we are ready, to share.


So, what is the creative process?

What drives a person to get up at 4:00a.m. and 
start sketching or drawing...painting and sculpting?

The journey of self expression as an art form  brings emotions like, anxiety
...frustration, disappointment, exhaustion,and also joy, satisfaction and excitement .  The artist will create, even if no one appreciates the expression.  BUT...when another human being sees the value in your art, it is a validation to the artist...it is honor, acceptance, love.  It connects the artist to the recipient.  It is the, "sally fields effect".


As artists, we will continue to create and share.   It is our way of connecting to the rest of the world. ( I may not be able to verbalize my feelings...here let me show you...) On behalf of my fellow artists we invite you to take this voyage into unchartered waters with us.  For it is not in the docking at the port, (the art), that brings us the joy, wisdom, presence and appreciation...it is the sailing itself. It is the expedition that we wish to share.  For in the sharing we will become shipmates.  From all the artists, and the staff that supports us and makes it possible for us to be creative, we would like to welcome you aboard.

We have an enormously talented Art dept.  When we are all sailing in the same direction, we can create some great designs.  And believe me...it is a group effort.  No one person designs a product.  I often times think designing something is easy...We can make a design in a day.  The marketing dialogs and the product development takes months.  I have a room with hundreds of designs that didn't get off the ground because problems with cost, sourcing or how do we sell it?  Oh, I have digressed.....
Back to the Art dept.  Well, now that our baby line is well established...we have a beautiful well made, well price line and wonderful fixtures.  All of this is put together in our newly designed shop next door.  It really looks fabulous with new fixtures and art..... It is a show piece for all of our customers, wholesale and retail.  We are now ready for phase 2.  We would like to show you...there is no end to creativity.  So the idea behind the Laconner workshop is to make it a shop that can be shopped globally.   We are in a very small town that is a tourist destination.  We get people who drive up from Seattle or down from Vancouver.  That is not enough traffic.  I often say it's like opening a lemonade stand and just waiting for people to discover you.  I believe the world is our customer.  I want to take the Laconner workshop experience to the public.





I believe that people are interested in the creative process.  I ran into a friend at the grocery store a couple of days ago...and she made the comment, "I want to make something but I just don't know where to start." Well you can follow us.  Follow the creative process of the workshop.   We will do that thru this blog.  Facebook, twitter, utube all of it.  I don't have that figured out yet...but we will learn.  You can follow that too.  Three years ago I didn't know what I know now....so there is hope for us technically challenged people.( Chris thinks all this technology is just a phase.)



I don't know what we will present but it will be Art...conceived through our imagination and created with our hands.  It won't be a lot, it will be enough. We don't know when we will open... it will be
 when we are ready, to share.


So, what is the creative process?

What drives a person to get up at 4:00a.m. and 
start sketching or drawing...painting and sculpting?

The journey of self expression as an art form  brings emotions like, anxiety
...frustration, disappointment, exhaustion,and also joy, satisfaction and excitement .  The artist will create, even if no one appreciates the expression.  BUT...when another human being sees the value in your art, it is a validation to the artist...it is honor, acceptance, love.  It connects the artist to the recipient.  It is the, "sally fields effect".


As artists, we will continue to create and share.   It is our way of connecting to the rest of the world. ( I may not be able to verbalize my feelings...here let me show you...) On behalf of my fellow artists we invite you to take this voyage into unchartered waters with us.  For it is not in the docking at the port, (the art), that brings us the joy, wisdom, presence and appreciation...it is the sailing itself. It is the expedition that we wish to share.  For in the sharing we will become shipmates.  From all the artists, and the staff that supports us and makes it possible for us to be creative, we would like to welcome you aboard.


3 comments:

koralee said...

Ok...i am on board!!! Sounds amazingly exciting...i want to come take a few classes or be involved in whatever the adventure will have in store for us all.. Glad you made it back safe and sound!!!

Sue said...

Howdy-Hey Krys!
I just got all caught up on the end of your New York trip. I have been offline for most of the week. I LOVED all your red sign photos. I can totally relate to your new path. I am making some serious life changes this year too. At this point, I am just on the brink (about 5 weeks out) from jumping into the abyss with my arms open wide, knowing God has big plans for me and I just need to jump and wait to see where I land. I so wish I could come up to see your spot. I LOVE all the yard art and painted (?) walls. It looks like I will be going east instead of north....The Arkansas Ozarks are calling me home. Thank you for sharing with us, you inspire!!
Blessings~LillySue

Debi Ward Kennedy said...

Khrys, this is so exciting.... I wish you all the very best in this new endeavour, joy on the journey, and will be happily cheering you on as it all unfolds. You girls have created a wonderful world with Bunnies, and I have no doubt that this 'new thing' will contain all of the same charming, captivating qualities of your spirits.

Know that my support is totally behind you. If there is anything at all that I can do to help, give me a shout - we're close by on Camano!