Inside the Spin-Mosaic Studio

Just a little story to remind the creative-at-heart to be yourself at all cost. [...]

Artist are bent on monetizing: we want to SELL. Selling justifies our passion to create. We want our creativity to flow through our hands onto our canvasses (or YOUR choice of medium/materials) and into the marketplace with a high traffic green light! But, what about our art flowing into our community...in the everyday places where we live and exchange product and services: doctor's offices, schools, lobbies. Are we missing out if we don't first imagine our artwork in our community spaces, and then take the extra step to communicate possibilities? This article shares the tip of the iceberg. 100% of barters will fail if we never communicate the idea in the first place. Envision. Ask. Try. Compliment. Money is not what makes the world go around. Art can be currency. Give it a try! [...]

Artists pursue Art Shows where 100's of other Art vendors gather to share, show and tell and 1,000's of people come to see and buy art. But, there are other shows out there, industry-specific shows that provide a gathering for particular interest groups. If your art orbits a particular theme and youre buying market clientele hosts a certain "tribe", why not go where they go? This article shares observations and take-aways from an industry trade show where I set up my art exhibit and talked with people for 5 days. I viewed it as a Pop-up Shop for inspiration and an artistic oasis. I took notes of the experience and jotted down a few thoughts that may serve to be signposts for others considering an out-of-the-box market. Welcome! [...]

Wether you are a Visual Artist, a Musician or a Writer, claiming the title of "Artist" comes with raised eyebrows, questions, assumptions. It can be hard to wade through the stigmas. Many of us have our own journeys and our own stories of the journeys. Within those stories, are the moments of being marginalized or misunderstood. We, as Artists have the choice to remain silent, go with the status quo, or to speak up. We do not need to wax eloquent, convince, or coerce. But we do, owe it to ourselves and every other Creative, to be prepared to give a ready answer. Speak up. We never know when others are listening who also have creative interests. Our voice may be the first step towards theirs. [...]

Every Artist and Creative has experienced the "Fail" or the "Do Over". We call them "mistakes." What do we do with those random one or two works of art that just don't want to sell after multiple exhibits or social media highlights? Is this where we strike a garage sale mentality, offer a clearance sale or holiday give-away? Sometimes. But, maybe there is another option behind "Curtain #4". Maybe Leonardo Di Vinci and many of the early Art Masters knew something we didn't. They came from a day where materials and paints were harder to come by. Maybe our easy-access to 1,000's of art products has stolen from us the "Art of the Paint-Over" and the freeing of seasons of inspiration that go with it. Beneath the esteemed Mona Lisa, peel back the layers and there are not one, but several earlier versions. The earliest version has been speculated to be an entirely different painting with an entirely different model. What does it do to the heart of the artist to completely paint over a "perfectly fine" work of art and paint another over the top? For me, I have found freedom here, in this small act of taking of bold brush loaded with white gesso and painting over. It's a simple thing, but just might bring a smile as genuine as the Mona Lisas to your own face as an artist. It has for me! [...]

This story and illustration shares a familiar brand of disappointment. Have you eve had a dream? Have you ever pursued a goal just to be told it can never happen? Have you ever been advised to quit? Have you ever been discouraged? There is an art to sticking to your guns. There is an art to politely pushing back. This is one such story and it happened just today. Two owls stand side by side. One is real and the other is not. One wants to fly, the other believes that he can't. At some point, the dream and the goal need to become just as much about the pursuit and the desire as it is about crossing the finish line. Or in this case, publishing a book or taking flight. [...]

The Articles I have written over the past year all began within the memoires of Nia's Amish Homestead and lessons gleaned from the Amish culture during a glowing era of time 16 years ago. It was here that I dropped my daughter off each morning and each afternoon to be passed in to her loving care while I taught Art at the local rural school. There, I taught two of her daughters as the culture was a mix of Amish, English, migrant families, diverse ethnicity and socio-economic roots: a melting pot of variety, diversity, kindness and grace; lead by the children. This, was the witness I was privilege to during my years of service as the Elementary Art Teacher. This Article is different than the others, as it is not a memoire, but a road-trip I took two weeks ago to attend a wedding that lead me just a few miles from the school I once taught at and just a few more miles from Nia's house. Spontaneously, I hit my left turn signal and visited Nia. At the core of the message, we all have seasons and times in our lives we may long to return to. Our identities wane and transform as we rise to the needs around us and respond to circumstances beyond our control. This is one such story, and the life lessons gleaned in the midst. [...]

A stroll through an Art Museum can, at times, invoke more questions than answers--especially in the mind of another artist. As believers in Christ, we must heed to the words of Jesus when He said, "Ye have not because ye ask not." Life perspective through the lens of an artist's heart of faith, can sometimes...lead to Destiny. [...]

Authenticity can be a slippery enigma. As artists, we raise high the mantra to "express yourself"; to create what bubbles over from the soul. But, we also have the hurdles, downfalls and joys of marketing, creating towards economic supply and demand, interior trending, and the next hot color to keep in mind. Where does authenticity fit into the mix? The answer may come in different forms on different days. I, too, struggle to navigate and balance. But, in my own art studio, I have a 4-inch reminder of what Authenticity can look like. Because of it, I make different choices now than I used to. Slowly, the authenticity that came with this worthless but invaluable gift, seems to be rubbing off in the most contagious way. I invite you to consider this little twig-brush that traveled 4,500 miles and continues to light my path. Perhaps it can light yours as well! [...]

It is one thing to create, it is another thing to have to recreate once a creation is ruined: by yourself or someone else. What do we do then? Here is one such story that can turn into one such Superpower--if and when realized. [...]

Artist and Author, Christi Ziebarth (me!) takes a step backwards into a memory of coming in from the cold; and a step forward rolling snowballs with my own son on a blistering icey snow-day home from school. Here is where we find a brand of love that is hard to pin-point, hard to explain, hard to write about, and even harder to capture in a work of art. There is a quieting that comes over a child when they come in from the snow. The wind is not longer whipping at their pink cheeks. Tiny pea-sized snowballs are not longer itching at their neck. They are no longer bundled tight and high-stepping to track through mounds of snow. Sitting with a cup of hot chocolate is the most quieting and calming 10 minutes of winter. The gentle provision of a mother unbundling a child from winter play and a child soaking in the newfound warmth of still air and freedom of limbs, is a very quieting kind of love. [...]

Artist and Author, Christi Ziebarth gleans a lesson on faith from a tired morning art class brought to life by an ancient mystery. What does it mean to have great faith? Why are faith stories contagious? What is required of each of us as we venture further into our journey of faith and reliance? [...]

Value is more than a monetary exchange. Value is sometimes a gift given where talent is compared to another that is higher in elevation than an artist feels they can aspire to. This is a simple story from long ago when I sat selling painted ladybug rocks with my mother at an Arts & Crafts Bazaar. There she sat with her table of art. There I sat with my card table of rocks. It was a learning lesson for sure. Then, along came a little boy my age who wanted to barter something in his hand that I deemed far more valuable than what I had to offer. What this did for my belief in my own talents...will never be forgotten. How can we gift gracious value into the lives of other Creatives'? It is a question we all must consider as we encourage others around us! [...]

The Title of "Artist" feels more or less like a well or ill-fitting hat on any given day in the studio. This is the story of an art surfaced violin and a stranger who risked to run along the shoreline barefoot to call me back from my kayak. He recognized my face from across the water as the Artist from my Website! On a day when my title as "Artist" felt like an ill-fitting hat, his enthusiasm to meet me was both the balm and the drive I needed to move forward. Hopefully, I can do the same for others as I journey through life. Hopefully, I was able to do the same for him! [...]

Artist, Christi Ziebarth, shares an illustrated blog story from her early days teaching elementary Art among the Amish. The Girl in Red makes a second appearance taking you to the heart of where art and beauty can be found...nature. Children have a special way of recognizing and speaking truth. They also have a special way of recognizing love in sincerity. Some children are gifted more love than others. This is a truth to remember as we all enter a Season of Gifting---Christmas! Our children are our gifts to us. We are a gift to them. May we all cherish and appreciate each other in the true spirit of LOVE...straight from the heart of the Girl in Red. [...]

This illustrated Blog Article shares one of my Top 10 testimonial stories of why I believe what I believe. Yes, I grew up in a Christian home, but it is the accumulation of small miracles and coincidences over the course of a half-century-life that has cemented my faith that God knows MY name. I am not random. He is not random. God is real. There is simply no other way to explain the probability of coincidence... [...]

This article shares of the story how my favorite vintage guitar came into my my possession and the remarkable woman who gave it to me. Simultaneously, I have surfaced more instruments than countless guitars! 2013 found me collaborating with the American Pianist's Association to surface a concert grand piano. Their stories were very very similar and remind us all to uphold every ounce of worth and identify. [...]

This is the event, the moment, and the hopeless circumstance where my art began. This is where MOSAIC began. Not through a love of Art, but through a love of what I saw in the scraps, and through my own view of a "topic" that is often viewed as far away. The topic had come close; as close as the eyes in my own mirror. Every artist has a story. This is the one story that only I can tell. Inspired by the words of LuAnn Udelle, it is a story I have not shared before because it was "5 layers deep" and I ... just don't like to go there. It's a story I do not want to share. But, I hope it is a story that maybe a few others can connect with. I am forever changed. It divided my life between: then and now. [...]

Author and Artist, Christi Ziebarth, digs deep into the pockets or her memories and recalls the difference between dream statements of the Amish children and the English children, when teaching in a rural Indiana school. [...]

Through illustrated memoires of teaching Art among the Amish community, this article takes a closer look at self-perception, vanity, novelty, and a "mad" confidence of being who you are--who God gifted you to be! The main character in the story is a half-sheared triumphant alpaca who ran away from the clippers, and a lavatory mirror shrouded by a fragile curtain. [...]

There is much at a sunny summer Art Fair to be purchased, but not with only $3 in your pocket. On a day when I didn't have much to spare, I set out for 90 minutes with my little daughter at my side to gather inspiration where it may be found. I was not disappointed! This day I learned a lesson while my little daughter looked on. Inspiration is about shared connection, finding your inspiration, and claiming your element...but also letting others into that tightly bound circle. Shared understanding, otherwise known as human connection and love, is the driving force of all that inspires! [...]

Every Artist and Creative comes with the baggage, the arsenal, and the lens of our own criticism stories received over the years. Some of the most wounding criticism comes when we are young; too young to know best how to nurture resilience. The only context through which we are able to filter are fairy tales like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears; we feel too this or too that, but not good enough. As an Artist who speaks and writes, I have received feedback over the years of creative souls sharing their pilgrimage back to Creativity in later years; after kids are out of the house, after they retire, when life slows down a bit (like quarantine), or when one person in their life takes them aside and encourages them to step forward. These propelling life changes are...life changing. I wrote this articles after a new friend shared how negative her art influences were in her younger years. I wrote to share that I am an Artist today not because my younger years were void of these shared experiences, but because the negative propelled passion AND, there was one constant person in my life to redirect perspective. We all have obstacles to surmount. Lets ride the waves together! [...]

Every artist is entitled to their own source of inspiration. When I list my inspiration, I list names -- names of former art students. Many of my former students wore bonnets on their heads or suspenders across their shoulders and were more familiar with horses and buggies than with cars or school busses. They were Amish. Prior to full-time studio work and prior to teaching high school art, seven years were invested teaching elementary school in the heartland of America: Indiana. There is much to be learned from the Amish way of life. Even the children have refined the skill of speaking truth with pragmatic innocence. This article invites you to join my memories as I peer over the shoulders of several Amish students while they worked on drawings in my art classroom...and the conversations that were overheard. I would not be the same artist today without their quiet wisdom. [...]

As I begin to share about my own journey within the context of finding your own, please know that I am not writing from a platform of being an expert. I share as a witness to the creative journey of others and myself. My platform comes in the form of a desk, a stove, and a studio.    Desk? I am new to growing up "to be an Artist". 2 years ago I shifted forward in my own journey from high school Art teacher to full-time studio. There are still a lot of bumps in the road as I figure out where my work belongs and [...]

What's new in the studio. What happens when what's "old" becomes "what's new"? [...]

Children's portraiture is both revealing and introspective. This article reviews developmental stages of portrait drawing as well as an interview with "grown-up" Art Student, Jenna Bremer as she talks about her journey of discovery. [...]