Elysian Field Originals

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted to my blog!  Things have been busy here on my end, getting ready for the holidays, sculpting new pieces, and creating some neat jewelry.  Instead of a bunch of posts I created a collage to show a few pieces I’ve recently completed.

I’ll be posting more in a day or so when I finish up a commission and my thumb recuperates!  Nothing like slamming it in a car door and having it rendered useless for a few days to really put you behind the eight ball!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your loved ones and are having fun getting ready for the holidays!

Love ya.

Yes, I know, dear reader, I am a bad blogger, and as many of my artist friends would say, “Valerie stand in the corner!”

Ok…now that my stint in the corner is over, I’ve trudged back over to my laptop in tutu and combat boots to write to you.  (I am very unorthodox fey you see in dress and deed)

For those of you who are newly come to my art…WELCOME!  For my regular readers and friends, I’m glad to see your lovely shining faces once again.

Things have been crazy busy at Elysian Fields, many new techniques to try out and I’ve been working on stretching the boundaries in my work with polymer clay.  I’m also thrilled that the medium is enjoying new kudos and has begun to be taken more seriously as “fine art”. Many amazing artists have pioneered and paved the way to make it easier for the rest of us to focus on creating, and for that I am truly grateful and inspired.

I also want to give a very special Thank You to Karen Kay, editor of FAE Magazine in the UK, for launching my first exclusive feature as an emerging fantasy artist.  She is a truly amazing lady and I’m looking forward to the day I can fly over to give her a hug in person.  Thank you also to the many emails I’ve received from all of you on my art as well, it really is great to hear from people and connect with you all…it is inspiring and always a welcome surprise when I open my mail.

So, now the seasons are changing and we’re heading into Winter, and that means all ten fingers and toes will be very busy creating new and unusual Nature Spirits, as well as a return to some

of my popular miniature sculpts.  If nothing else that will silence, Silas, my house Brownie, who loves to sit amongst them like he is High King of it all and they his court paying homage.  I don’t dare correct him for fear I’ll lose another necklace to his mini rampages.  In the past if I forget to leave him his milk and honey he wreaks havoc around here and scowls most ferociously at me.  I act duly chastened but really love the scolding he gives me, he sounds like a squirrel chattering away.

That’s it for the moment…I’m busy today finishing up on some new pieces to add to my Etsy shop.  For those unfamiliar with Etsy it is a venue for all things hand made and a neat place to show and sell my art.  Stop in, take a peek around and let me know if I can help you with anything, if I’m busy I’m sure Silas would love to help, although I’d keep a close eye on any sparklies you may be wearing…

Valerie & Silas

I first heard about Type O Negative a two years ago when my son introduced me to their music. He was right. I loved the sound, lyrics and most of all the voice of lead singer, Peter Steele. When listening to music there are those far and few between times when a song really touches something deep inside that you can really relate to. I’d never seen the band, never heard of them before but the music on some level really spoke to me. (Then again at my age it could be dementia but I prefer to think of it as inspiration.)

I saw them for the first time this past year and was mesmerized by the show they put on. As a group they were amazing and I became an instant fan (can I say that without sounding cheesy?).  Steele puts his soul out there for all of us to hear and feel. It’s both a joy to hear and painful at the same time because you can sense that this is a guy who’s gone through some tough times, albeit self inflicted, and still is.  I’m glad to hear he’s come through the fire recently and am interested to hear how it plays out in his music.

One of his songs called “Greenman“, is one I really like. This past week while it was raining I was working on some of my leaf pendants and after I heard this song decided to put a likeness of Peter’s face to an Oak leaf. I think he’d like it. Here’s the result and the lyrics to Type O Negative’s   Greenman:

GREENMAN
Spring won’t come, the need of strife
To struggle to be freed from hard ground
The evening mists that creep and crawl
Will drench in the dew and so drownI’m the green man
The green man

Sol in prime sweet summertime
Cast shadows of doubt on my face
A midday sun, it’s caustic hues
Refracting within the still lake

Autumn in her flaming dress
Of orange, brown, gold fallen leaves
My mistress of the frigid night
I worship pray to on my knees

Winter’s breath of filthy snow
Befrosted paths to the unknown
Have my lips turned true purple
Life is coming to an end
So says me, me wiccan friend
Nature coming full circle

I’m the green man
The green man

October Rust, 1996

This is a commissioned piece that I just completed for a client in Arizona. She requested a Red Maple leaf with a 14 kt gold bail. I almost want to keep her for myself, lol.

I spent a most enjoyable day with Peter today in my yard, he lounging, watching the races, and I working on some new leaf pieces. I kept hearing something hit the screen house and every time I’d look up nothing would be there so I’d go back to work again. This went on for quite some time and finally I looked up to see a huge dragonfly buzzing around my screen house. I went out to investigate and the dragonfly began to do it’s strange flight around me, diving and flitting about my head. This went on for almost an hour, I’d never seen behavior like this before and it really made me wonder why? When I went back inside the screen house, the dragonfly flew against the screen house a few more times before eventually giving up. I guess it realized I did not want to come out to play anymore.

I wonder if it will visit tomorrow?

Ever have a moment of drought in your creativity? A moment when no matter what you try to create falls flat? I admit to having plenty of those moments lately, and they usually happen when I stop listening to my muse and try to force a creative idea.

On a walk in the woods near my home last week I happened on some beautiful pieces of “live wood” from a fallen pine, and popped them into my backpack along with an assorted sundry of treasure the forest offered up. Giving thanks for the gifts, I practically skipped home with excitement from the vibes I felt from my visit.

Once home, I did a thorough baking to sanitize the pine then laid them out on my coffee table and sketched out a few ideas… dryads sometimes place gifts of their special wood alongside the pathways of individuals who love trees, Nature and Mother Earth, and who are aware enough to perceive this special gift. They clone themselves into these pieces of wood with the intention to help us while at the same time to acquire the means to see the world without being rooted to the ground.

I decided to honor the spirit of the tree by sculpting an interpretation of a dryad “emerging” from the wood. Dryads are neutral and do not respond to he or she, but I felt that this particular spirit was feminine and sculpted her as such. I do not think she will mind, lol. It’s a work in progress and will post pictures as she nears completion.


I am thinking that this will make a lovely wall hanging piece, what do you think?

Sylvan sprite’s will love to add these to their wardrobe this Spring! A recent foray into the forest produced some gorgeous imprints of Silver Maple leaves from which these luminous earrings were created.
Hand sculpted leaves of Kato clay cured, hand buffed, antiqued, and accented with mica powders. The earring wires are fancy copper and the spiral attached to the leaves are accented with rainbow hued Tourmaline gemstones.
These would make a wonderful gift for someone who loves Nature, Fantasy, or, for faeries and dryads looking to add to their Spring accessories!!
Namaste!

Earrings are 1 1/2″ in length and come in a hand crafted gift box.
Rainbow toumaline enhances creativity, transforms negativity, and promotes loving aspirations to be realized.

Can be found in my FuzzB shop! Thanks for looking and supporting my art.

I love pastel colors and the weighty feel of certain gemstones. So, while digging around in my box of goodies pulled out these amazing adventurine nuggets that I’ve been saving for a rainy day. On a recent trip to one of my favorite findings manufacturers, Wolfe E Myrow, I also grabbed some gorgeous fire polished Czech beads in a stunning Jonquil color. (some of which I will be adding to my Etsy shop)

The necklace was created using sterling silver and alternating the stones to create a 16″ choker. I also added two more inches using Czech beads as an extender and finished with a hand forged sterling clasp.

As the focal piece I’ve used a carved Amazonite leaf and created a small flower that sits nicely on top of it using iridescent pink Drusy beads and a Swarovski center.
I’d debated keeping it for myself or putting into my Etsy shop. I usually post things I’ve created on my Facebook page to show family and friends first. A wonderfully talented polymer clay artist,
Cheri Desiree purchased it shortly after it was posted.

Thank you, Silke!

A quick snap of a piece I created for my mom. She found this leaf and thought I’d like to use it in my art and I thought it would make a pretty pendant for her in turn. The bail is sterling, it’s accented with quartz faceted beads, and the adjustable ribbon is hand dyed silk.