An Ode To The Forest Floor by Muse Jenn Pipe

My internal GPS is normally set to the ocean, but today I want to pay homage to the restorative powers of the forest floor. A few years ago, I was feeling burnt out by the fast and furious pace of my 21st century life. The nonstop responsibilities of being a business owner were wearing me down. My husband and I were having a difficult time connecting due to our opposite schedules. And my daughters were involved with multiple activities that had us playing “divide and conquer” most weekends.

I joked one particularly stressful night that I needed some Calgon to literally take me away. Alone. For at least two uninterrupted days. I put out feelers on Facebook to see if anyone had any tips for a peaceful, remote location I could explore. My criteria included no chain hotels, no bed and breakfasts, and bonus points for no TVs or wifi. I was hoping to not see a single soul or feel pressure to remain plugged in.

A friend suggested the Getaway cabins in New Hampshire (they have outposts scattered all over the country), and I was sold! I booked a midweek trip, packed a bunch of art supplies and reading material, and told my family it was my goal to be completely unplugged (i.e. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you”).

When I tell you it was absolute nirvana, I am not exaggerating! Each cabin was perfectly distanced from the others and nestled among canopies of trees. They were also outfitted with all the modern amenities you could want (including the comfiest beds and linens, cooktop, dishes, bathrooms with running water, firepits, and picnic tables)! I was in heaven! That single getaway was a commitment to both myself and my creative process. I drew, wrote, mapped out content for new classes and workshops, and took the most delicious naps after exploring the area on foot. I left feeling more recharged and relaxed than I had in years and I vowed to give myself a gift of at least two of these trips per year (which I was able to do until covid hit).

With this MUSE project, I wanted to pay homage to that forest, those cabins, and the forest floor that cradled and restored me over and over again. 

I started with both colors of Apoxie Sculpt and I sculpted a variety of mushrooms, adding little details as I went. Once the Apoxie Sculpt was dry (*note: the black clay takes longer to cure than the white clay), I coated the mushrooms with clear gesso. Once primed, they were ready for multiple coats of VerDay finish to give them that earthy, mossy vibe. 

I then gathered up some moss and tree bark and got to assembling my “forest floor.” I used a tree slice with a raw edge as my substrate. The moss was adhered with a hot glue gun, and then I arranged my fungi just so and used the hot glue gun to adhere that as well. The final touch was a few adorable little metal acorn embellishments that were also finished with VerDay. I scattered those on the forest floor as well. 

This is different than the work I usually create, but I love how it came out. Just looking at it transports me back to those sublime weekends by the forest floor. I’m going to display it in a place where it will continue to ground me on a daily basis until I can return to my cherished nirvana. 

Thanks for reading! I hope this inspires you to both create AND escape! 

The Art Of Impermanence- Jenn Pipe

Let me tell you about some of my favorite moments from 2020:

The trips my husband and I took to the salt marsh during Golden Hour where we watched a nest full of fledgling osprey learn to fly and catch fish were some of my favorite moments. Or the time the snowy egret perched on the most perfect branch and allowed us to watch it preen and pose—as if it put on that show just for us.

There was the time when my daughter and I were walking around the nature preserve and a baby deer came right out of the brush next to us, as if in greeting, and then bounded down the path behind us. The moment was so fleeting—barely a breath—that neither one of us, despite already having our phones in our hands, were able to catch a picture of it (and I can’t help but think that was by design).

There were those mornings when my internal alarm would wake me up just in time to watch the sun light up the sky and for Mother Nature to paint the most perfect canvas. Mornings where I would rush down the stairs to get a photo from the deck before the light changed and the moment was gone.

Running across the parking lot at the supermarket when a biblical storm showed up, seemingly out of nowhere, drenching us and all of our groceries to the core. Then going home and jumping in the massive puddles that had formed in the yard, not a care in the world.

There were the countless moments of tenderness and spontaneous laughter between my daughters as they quarantined together this year, largely cut off from their respective social circles. Moments that hopefully remind them that they are each other’s first and best friend.

I spent a lot of time watching the massive tree next to our new deck the past four months. I discovered that the tree has a few branches that form the shape of a heart. And if I time it just right, I can capture a photo of those heart-shaped branches cradling the sun. I marveled at the tree’s strength as I watched it weather some pretty powerful ocean storms without losing nary a branch.

These moments are just the tip of the iceberg. And although they are vastly different, they all have one thing in common: IMPERMANENCE. Impermanence is defined as the state or fact of lasting for only a limited period of time. 2020 was a powerful teacher for me and one of the things it (re)taught me was the art of impermanence. Fleeting moments. Wisps of life and love. Gossamer things.

One of my favorite things to say in 2020 was, “But we will never get THIS EXACT moment ever again.” I would say it when I was chasing sunsets, watching storms roll across the ocean, taking a walk in the neighborhood we had walked 100 times before, during beach-combing and sun-bathing excursions, while voting and volunteering, during mealtimes, and when spending time together as a family. It became my mantra: a way for me to seek out joy, be 100% present, focus on the things that truly mattered, and find the beauty in a broken, broken world.

I thought I would like to give this concept a go in my art, as well. I have been feeling kind of flat and uninspired lately. The creative and artistic ideas aren’t beating down my door like they typically do. I thought it would be a good idea to experiment and play and create a bunch of things without gluing them down. Focus on the joy of the process instead of working towards a definitive outcome and see if I could free up the bottleneck to my creativity in some way…

Here’s what I did: I started simple with a piece of square kraft paper. I sketched a very simple silhouette onto it with a white gel pen. This silhouette would be my constant. Then, I gathered a bunch of materials from my office and set out to see what I could make with them. How fun it was to arrange and rearrange things until I felt I had them “just right.” How exhilarating it was to simply sweep the canvas clean and start over when I was done. How representative of life and nature to not glue things down and to enjoy the moment while it is here and then let it pass.

I ended up spending a couple quiet nighttime hours in my home office while I made these pieces. It was really fun to play without expectations or any direction or definitive outcome.

The first of the three is called “Winged Beauty.” In this piece, I started with the crimped pieces of paper that often accompany Sandra’s craft blanks. I turned those into hair. I then cut a piece of the Halo Dresden Trim into eyelash shapes, with petals from a mum as eyebrows. A Mexican Milagro Charm was used as a nose and I found a piece of bark that was perfect as some pouty lips. I used some balloon flowers, moss, and evergreens for the bodice and then I added the word “beauty” as a necklace. A set of Raphael Wings gives this piece an ethereal, angelic quality, while the “crown” was made with a piece from the Milagros III set.

The second piece is called “Grit and Grace” and my favorite part of this compilation is the eyes made from two of the Finger Ring Rosaries! I used an assortment of seed beads for the hair, a piece of a twig for the nose, and felt for the mouth. A sword from the Excalibur set, one of the resin hearts, and the snake from the Hieroglyphs set round out the Relics & Artifacts pieces for this installation of impermanent art.

My third and final piece is called “Undercurrent” and, with the exception of some polished shell pieces I found in my favorite cove, it exclusively uses products from the Relics & Artifacts line. I started with a large wooden Helios for the head, the same Dresden eyes from figure #1, and then a wide assortment of Sandra’s ocean-themed craft blanks. You will find pieces from Siren’s Song, Neptune,Cascara, Grotto, Triton, and Mermaid all working harmoniously together. 

Where this process was entirely new for me (I don’t typically create until and unless I am ready to commit to something), I feel like it opened me up to a bunch of new artistic avenues. I ended up combining materials I wouldn’t normally combine, I played with texture and composition, and it inspired me to want to pull more found items and items from nature into my artwork, whether that art ends up being permanent or impermanent. It was a low-investment, no-commitment way to make beautiful things and free up that creative bottleneck. I have a feeling this process will become part of my regular repertoire and I hope it inspires you in new and beautiful ways! 

I can’t wait to see what you create! Please tag me in your posts! 
In honor of the beauty impermanence and art in all its glorious forms,

Jenn Pipe
MUSE Design Team 2021

OUR TRIBE By Sandra Evertson

This has been such an enjoyable month of Art and Friendship, the match up of the RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassadors and Canvas Corp Brands Design Team has been challenging and fun! 

It has given us all the opportunity to work with each others products and integrate what we do, share and exchange ideas, styles and stories.

I wanted to create a piece that was a sort of representation of OUR WONDER FILLED TRIBE, you, me, him, her, them and they... all of us.

I made tightly wound "beads" out of canvas strips that symbolize what a close and like minded group of art makers we are.

And combined several packages of RELICS faces to show the beautiful diversity among us.

I painted us all in shades of deep verdigris Nile blue, turquoise and bronze, and if you look closely you can see that each face is different but equally beautiful... United yet Different, how great is that?!!

Next came spritzes of fine gold glimmer because we are rich in talent, kindness and support of one another, yes, we all shine. Aren't we lucky?! 

I let the paint just do what it wanted, it blended, pooled, puddled and flowed freely, resting in all the right crevasses just where it was meant to be. 

Sometimes when creating it seems to take forever to get where you want to go with a piece, other times it comes fast and furious, every step just fell into place and before I knew it I was done and feeling fulfilled with what was looking back at me. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being just who you are, for sharing your thoughts, feelings and emotions through your creations. We are all unique and we are all unified by our love of ART. 

RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Visage

RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Facia Familiaris 

RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Figureheads

RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Persona 

Canvas Corp Brands Canvas Stitched Book 6 x 12 CVS3447

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Verdigris

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Sugar Maple

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Golden Orange

Acrylic paint Orange, Yellow, Brown, Turquoise, Red, Olive

Colored Embroidery threads

Tacky Glue

Egyptian Faience Beads