Creative Meditation

I had a wonderful, media free day today. I went to the lake armed with a picnic, a book and yarn. It was the most tranquil day I've had in a while. The water was mesmerizing while the wind blew hard and cool.

Completely media free I had no camera and decide to leave the phone in the car. I listen to the wind and my own thoughts for hours and I was very creative. I try to do this for a little while everyday. Today it was 6 hours. I feel like I wiped the cob webs from my brain. I usually enjoy all or part of my exercise time media free. It is like watering a seed and giving it time to germinate. I keep a pad close by because I often have inspirations at those times.

I prepared myself for success today. I brought my copy of Ready Made, several balls of t-shirt yarn in various colors and a crochet needle. I had a location for my family to hang out and have freedom. I could see them from my cliff perch while I played with my yarn. I let my imagination wonder.


I also spent a good deal of time just enjoying the view. I listened to the wind the other people and watched the animals. Because I gave my mind a chance to do nothing it was free to make something. I will do this sooner than later and maybe expand my daily quiet, media free breaks. Creativity is as important to me has good food or a healthy diet. I need to spend more quality time nurturing it.


Steps to Creative Care?

Ask and You Shall Receive!

I have had plans to make a certain item and was collecting material and out of no where came an offer. I love the universe. Well, I have a large bag of blue jeans from a BabesinBiz member. Thank You! I am making test pieces as soon as I get the jeans out of a hot wash. So far everything looks great can't wiat to share. I'll do pitures asap.

Patterns, Pillows

I saw patterns int he t-shirts. As I was cutting down the shirt remnants to yarn I found I had some cool elements I could mix with other fabrics. All the fabrics are reclaimed from stained items or unusable things. I have problems cutting up items that can be used for their original purpose. I move those on to Goodwill, freecycle, friends and family. But worn out, stained, out of date items will be recycled. I'm working on these pillows. I will add a few more elements before the are available on my etsy craft site Badart.

La Pena

On my regular art trip through Downtown Austin and found that La Pena now serves coffee, Mexican Soda and Breakfast Tacos. They said it was a way to pull a broader audience to view the art. I never needed an incentive to visit this little gallery. I am always eager to see what ever artist they have. This month they have a show from students at Sanchez Elementary. The children's art is great. Each painting is full of rich detail with visual storytelling and they have traditional PAPEL PICADO or cut paper. The designs are simple but elegant. I wish I had been there for the formal opening with the students, music and festivities. If you live in Austin this should be a regular stop, the tacos were tasty and the art is always sweet.

Rags To Riches

As a sustainable artist I work backwards. Once I have supplies I decide what to make. I wrote about a bag of t-shirt remnants recently. Well, that bag is full of great colors and I am about half way through the laborious task of cutting the shirts down so thay are suitable to crochet. I am very excited by the color and have many ideas for this batch of yarn. I am happy to turn this bag of wastful scraps into beautiful rugs. I am trying to hold back until I see exactly what I have. Here is a sample of the colors I have so far. LOVE IT!!

Earth Day Exchange

I made a wonderful Earth Day Environmental Exchange. A few months ago through Linked in I logged in as a sustainable artist Chris Wenz, of Over the Top Quilting Studio in Austin Texas contacted me. Her Quilting company makes quilts from t-shirts and collected lots of remnants. I told her I would love to take the extra remnants off her hands. This week I picked up an over sized bag of t-shirt pieces. I will be crocheting some beautiful rugs. The generosity of moving unused shirts gave me more product at no cost for supplies and one less bag in the land field. There is a symbiotic relationship out there for many businesses. In honor of Earth Day find one and divert something from a land field. Do something to create a smaller foot print.
Five Steps To Save
* Be sure you are recycling at home and at work.
* Ask places you frequent to recycle.
* Send an Email or letter to companies you use ask them to reduce packaging.
* Make list of useful items you throw out; someone needs them.
* Post a needs list on you web site; some one is throwing out what you need.

Now if ten percent of businesses cultivated such a relationship what would happen? Those business would see more options to save and cut cost and create more relationships. Get this ball rolling.

Loving E-bay

I really like Etsy because of the creative outlet and the interesting things you can find. However all things are not meant to be there. I Love my e-bay too.
http://us.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.gx=1&.rand=eov5dn6cjpfhv
Click here and you can see some of the stuff that does not fit on Etsy. It is still cool stuff.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Badart
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Badarttoo?ref=pr_shop_more

Ebay Store

I've been busy the last few weeks working on an ebay shop. There I have useful things that have been trapped in the loop of excess. I am attempting to place these item back into the stream of commerce. I like to move things along not into the land field so I am a collector, (or hoarder if you as mys son). I have kept things with the very best intentions. But lets face it I have brought in more than I will ever use. I believe the world is a continual flow and by putting my excess on e-bay I am participating in this tremendous flow.
I work hard to be a sustainable artist so this venture is a continuation of creating a more sustainable life. I feel better knowing that the things I had such hi hopes for have a chance to be useful again. This week I will be putting Magazines, Antique and Vintage books on ebay and in my etsy shop
http://stores.ebay.com/No-Ordinary-Items?_rdc=1
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Badarttoo

Natalie Wood Print

My Natalie Wood Blossom Encaustic Collage was placed on a site dedicated to the star. She was such a wonderful actress; I'm honored to be included.

http://nataliewoodlove.tumblr.com/post/4569148327/natalie-wood-blossom-print-by-della-badart

Della Badart
Austin, Texas

http://www.badartworld.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Badart
http://www.redbubble.com/people/dbad/art

Color Party

I just discovered this really cool shopping experience on Etsy. It is fun and colorful. In fact if you like color click on and please click on the black botton and throw a cyber color party.

What does it mean to be a sustainable artist?

What does it mean to be a sustainable artist. Well, for me it means utilizing items that would other wise be waste. It is very simple; if on a daily weekly or quarterly bases I am throwing out a particular item I begin to think about that item. I put all my energy there until I think of a way to reinvent that item. Sometimes I simple collect the item. In bulk I may see a clear use that was not there with a single item. Often, I pass items on egg cartons, coffee post and of course compostables.

I craft items from those items in a pleasing way to be used or appreciated. My rag rugs and 3-d tin collages are a few of the ways I utilize this process. I work at a restaurant and I mange to get my hands on a few things there. I know any business throws away so many use-able items the potential flow is endless. We could reduce the land fields tremendously if we looked at waste in more creative ways.

Well, that's what being a sustainable artist means to me. How could you be more sustainable?

Earth Day

I love recycle art!

I have dozens of mint boxes and have been in a trance placing mini collage stories in and on the boxes. I am searching for the right phrase the perfect picture to complete each individual story. I have let my mind wonder and it has done me good to take breaks from these mini pics. Sometimes I am frustrated by drying times and the need to find an appropriate text or photo. However, it makes it that much sweeter when all the objects meld and the image takes root. Look for me at the Earth Day Festival Down town on the 18 of April in Austin Texas I’ll be at the Imagine Art Booth.

African Symbol Quilt

I'm working on a small adinkra symbol quilt; it will be a banner. I love the symbols.

Quilt's in Austin

I have been working on a study of surface design work from last fall. I call this piece "The Natural" and it is a combination of dying techniques with stencils and silk screen designs. This Quilt will be on display at Real Gallery in Austin Texas the October 18-19; it is part of a larger collection of quilts by my Fiber Arts Groups.

I'm Back.

Yea, I have not blogged for some time. I've been finding myself. Cliche but true. I've been on journey and it's has been interesting. I've wanted to be more creative and make that more a part of my life for years. Well, I've stopped saying it and sarted doing it. SLOWLY... Started out on Ebay, moved to Etsy and now I have my things in shops Austin Texas.

You can find my Silk screened Shirts at
East End Craft Gallery, 1101 Navasota St., #4 Austin, Texas 78702 512-479-0100
Myka, 5800 W Slaughter Ln., #330 Austin, Texas 78749 512-706-9557
Austin Gift Company, 4211 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas 78704 326-9460
Austin Baby, 505 west Mary St., Austin, Texas 78704 512-448-018

And You can find me at
First Thursdays at Prima Dora, 1912 S Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78704
Fourth Fridays 11th Street and Lydia ( on the south side of the street)

I'll have my Etsy shop restocked soon. Come out and see me at First Thursday June 5.