Thursday, September 1, 2011

Artist of the Month - Anne Weil

Beach Photo from Anne's blog Flax & Twine
When I sat down at my desk to write this post about my fellow Creative Coconut artist, Anne Weil,  I was unsure how to begin. You see Anne wears many hats. Not only is she a Mother of three children, works two jobs, she has time to be very creative.

Anne lives with her family in Boulder, Colorado. Her children are 6, 7,  and 8. The youngest a girl and the other two boys. She works in commercial real estate and writes curriculum for elementary children. So, you think that's enough to keep anyone busy? Well, just hop over to her blog Flax and Twine and you will be amazed!

Sidewalk Quilt
Anne's blog is full of creative projects for young and old. Above is a great and inexpensive project for kids. They created a sidewalk quilt with chalk. Anne not only has beautiful photos on her blog about her projects, but she also has step by step tutorials.

Rainbow Jars
Anne enjoys a plethora of crafts. When I asked her what types of projects that she enjoys working on she said;

"I pretty much adore making anything with my hands: knitting, sewing, embroidery, crochet, paper-craft and on and on.  I have an impossible time narrowing it down to any one hand craft.  I think each skill has something unique to offer.  One of my favorite parts of it all is the design aspect.  I love to make something that really pleases me aesthetically.  I love making something that really “hums.”  When I say that, I mean that place in all of us that gets warm and giddy because something is viscerally a pleasure to look at and experience.  I also love making things that carry meaning and spark the imagination–material with which to weave a story.  Photography has become more and more important to me through along my path as well.  I  love it as a medium to capture that feeling that I describe above."

 Here are a few of her projects:
Bunny and Poppies Fabric Papercut with Frame - Available on Etsy

Hand Embroidered Note Cards

Paperboard Mystery Message

Baby Vest

Market Bag

Knit Pom-pom Beret - Available on Etsy

 While I was researching my post about Anne, I happened upon a wonderful post that she wrote called "I want to blog".  My favorite part is about her wanting to give herself space to explore her creativity.

"Now, I want to give myself the gift of more space, real space, space that is protected, to explore these creative desires.  But, I find myself faced with other problems.  Do I trust my creative instinct?  That is to say, even found, how do I own my creative being?  How do I explore it without any preconceived expectations. How do I value that love of making things?  How do I pursue my ideas with confidence?"

I asked Anne where she would like to see her art go in the future. Here is what she shared with me;

"I think the most critical thing about my creative work is that it continues to be an expression of me and the things I love.  I want it to always inspire me and others as well.  I most importantly want to continue following my creative instincts and see where that leads me.  It has been vital to me to find my own design aesthetic and strengthen my creative voice.  The blogging experience and others’ appreciation of my work has been thrilling to me."


I hope you enjoyed getting to know Anne and her many creative talents. If you'd like to visit more with her stop by her blog Flax and Twine or visit her Etsy shop.

Thank you for stopping by for this month's Artist of the Month post. Yesterday was Craft Day with the girls. We had a wonderful productive and relaxing day. I made a planner for the new school year and it really turned out great! I'll be sure to post some photos of the results when I get a chance.

"Being creative is an adventure of joy." by Madi

5 comments:

Sarah S.- redlinedesign said...

So great to hear more about fellow coconuts....and live Annes creative adventures....thanks Stacie

Monica said...

love this...you're both amazing! xo

stacie said...

Sarah & Monica, great to hear from you guys! I miss the coconuts, think I need a visit to the island.

Cheryl Arkison said...

Oh, I love Anne's site. So inspiring!

Renee said...

Her things are gorgeous! See another comment!