Treasure Box - Pretty in Pink

I had a request this week for a custom order - a pink treasure box for a woman who was finishing up her treatment for breast cancer. What a wonderful thought and perfect fit for a treasure box!

So here it is the Pretty in Pink Treasure Box
....as always custom orders are welcome!
(Repurposed cigar box from Nicaragua transformed with paint, bangles, recycled rolled glass, and petals from flowers very much cherished)

Visit the Svasara Treasure Chest site to see more styles.

as always the insides are really beautiful as a representation of each individual and their inherent beauty.

Created with the belief that everyone should have a beautiful, unique and special place to keep the things they treasure...something visible and alive, becoming part of your story. Each is always unique & handmade with an element reminding us that we are all connected and part of something bigger. For example, the treasure boxes are all the same on the inside - just as we are all very different on the outside but consist of the same elements within.

****Each is priced $99 or less****
contact rita@svasara.com

trunkt.org

Very excited!!!

I am a member of Trunkt now! I'll be showcasing and selling my treasure chests through here. Will be updating to a premium account soon ----

The Wholesale Directory of Exceptional Art and Design

Trunkt is the easy, elegant and affordable way for artisans to present their products to wholesale buyers.

Thousands of boutique buyers, gallery owners and merchandising professionals browse through the amazing portfolios of our member artisans looking for fresh products for their retail establishments.

Treasure Chests

Come over to my new website and check out the Treasure Chests & Boxes I create.

I recently launched my company Svasara, Inc. Svasara means your essence...
The Treasure Chests & Boxes are

created with the belief that everyone should have a beautiful, unique and special place to keep the things they treasure...something visible and alive, becoming part of your story. Each is always unique & handmade with an element reminding us that we are all connected and part of something bigger.

Svasara Offerings

1. Embellish: existing & traditional chests, trunks & boxes
2. Couture Design: from the ground up Svasara one of kind designed treasure chests in wood or metal in abstract forms and shapes. (more detailed info & images from Elephant Collection coming soon)
3. Completely Custom: you bring me your chest and/or materials and we can work to create a personalized treasure chest


Check out & join the Svasara facebook group & the Svasara facebook page!

Kiva Fund update

A year ago, I decided to take a portion of my sales (10%) and place them in a fund to help other entrepreneurs in developing parts of the world fulfill their goals and dreams. To date I have made 18 mini-loans from the fund. As I received money back into my fund from groups over the worldthat I had loaned to I was able to re-loan. 18 different people/groups!!!! Click here to see the details of all the loans. It truly feels great to make and sell and then take some of that money and recycle it through kiva continually helping different people.

I am thinking of starting a kiva lending team to coincide with the launch of Svasara Treasure Chests - conatact me if youa re interested. In the meantime, I continue to add to the fund as sales happen!

Svasara Treasure Boxes - Bells Collection

I just launched the first collection of Svasara mini-treasure boxes ---The Bells Collection---

Check it out!

Svasara Treasure Chests & Boxes are created with the belief everyone should have a really beautiful, unique and special place to keep the things that they treasure about themselves. Not hidden in a shoebox in a closet but something visible and alive-becoming part of your story...staying connected to oneself.

Complete Svasara Offerings:

1. Embellish: existing & traditional chests, trunks & boxes
2. Couture Design: from the ground up Svasara one of kind designed treasure chests in wood or metal in abstract forms and shapes. (images from Elephant Collection coming soon)
3. Completely Custom: you bring me your chest and/or materials and we can work to create a personalized treasure chest each is always unique & handmade

New Work: Acrylic on Bamboo

Below is my first paintings on bamboo. [I will be showing these with other art at the annual Spring Gallery Stroll in Rochester, MI Friday May 2] I painted in my feathery style that people have found popular in the past and because of the slats the iridescent bits of paint through add even more dimension and variation in different lights. These pieces are versatile in that they can be hung on a wall as art or used as floor mats. Each one comes with a protective backing and the front is treated with polyurethane to protect the bamboo and art...more to come! Below are 4 pieces...

[1] dimension:3.94' x 5.90'

[2] dimension:3.94' x 5.90'

[3] dimension: 1.96' x 2.95' each

Commissioned Art: Celestial

Here are two new pieces that I was commissioned to do --- something that reminded me of her. My first image when she spoke to me about doing the work was something blue and celestial with birds. The works change more than some of other work because of the amount and type of iridescent paint I have used - I wanted to get the effect of how the sky really look so different depending on the light, so very magical and lovely...so above and below are two images keeping in mind that there are many more:

Untitled 69
Series of 2 (12" x 36" each)
acrylic on canvas


It has been sometime where I have painted images not my work the are somewhat representative of anything. I used to do a lot of birds and it was nice to feel that in my hand as I painted these. I love birds. I was thinking of this feeling while I was driving and noticed how many more birds were out...maybe because it is warm and springlike here. Here in Michigan there are so many different kinds that it makes me so happy as my imagination just goes...

here are the two of the birds closeup:

Gift Bag inserts: Notecards

5.25"x5.25" ivory notecards hand block-printed front and back with flower pattern

(in packaging with business card and postage info)

I've found a new way to contribute and get the word out about my style. I have been offering up my notecards as items for gift bags at different events. So far, this year I have sent cards for the bags for six events. I am enjoying getting my cards out this way. At the very least it is usable and someone will hopefully appreciate getting a personal message in my card sent by a friend. If you have an event coming up and are interested including my cards in your gift bags - give me a shout.
(the above cards were for the Vegas event listed below).

The six events were:

• Sanctuary for Families Valentine's Dinner in NYC (they do amazing work to help women who have been the victims of abuse and domestic violence, relocate and get back on their feet).

• Ichiche, and Stil Distinctive Clothing Trunk Show & Cocktail at the Desiron Showroom in Soho (NYC) sponsored by Pearl Vodka (I actually own an amazing piece of jewelry from Ichiche - really beautiful and original - I get compliments everytime I wear it!)

• American Resort Development Association Conference in Las Vegas(the governing body for the Vacation Ownership/Fractional Ownership industry). This is an executive networking reception for the women in the resort industry (Marriot, Hilton, Hyatt, Disney, etc.)
  

• "Glorious Health and Glamorous" living event brought Laughing Sage Wellness Group and Modern Venus Ltd. Lifestyle Coaching benefiting Circle of Health International, a dynamic grassroots nonprofit that supports women's health in disaster and war-torn areas.

• Desiron ICFF party on March 17, 2008

• Event at SFactor to benefit Feel Your Boobies on May 18. 2008
  

Happy Spring: magical, joyful painting

Untitled 64 (closeup)

I was planning on posting this painting that I absolutely love and makes me so happy when I think about it. (I was smiling when I painted it!) There is something different about it although still very much my style. I feel that when I painted it there was feeling growing in my heart and a blossoming. I have felt that grow stronger and stronger and the year passes. I made it at the end of 2007 at a time that I can only describe as magical...a bit like spring.

Today is the first day of spring and although it is cold out - the snow is melting and the grass underneath is green and the birds are chirping - there is that feeling again. I came across this poem posted on the Habitually Chic blog and it seemed to capture it all for (especially the last two lines) - the feeling of this new art piece:

Daffodils
by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud,

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;

A poet could not be but gay,

In such a jocund company!

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.


...and the art, two versions
Untitled 64 (acrylic, beads, flower petals on canvas):

Group Show at Cary Gallery

I met with the owner of Cary in Rochester, MI last week. He selected the below piece to be in a group show beginning April/May 2008. He really liked my white pieces - which have always been the most popular. I really enjoy making those partly because the movement of painting them is very freeing and then I enjoy viewing it because my eyes dance around the painting seeing so much. I hope that others will enjoy it at the show.

(click here to purchase)

Untitled 60; 24"x 48"
$800

Untitled 60 (closeup)

Journals & Onesie Sets at Elements

Last week I visited shop called Elements in downtown Lake Orion (also another location in downtown Rochester) to show them some of my products that I sell at my online shop. I was really happy that Bonnie (one of the two owners) liked my style and decided to try and see how my hand designed journals (faux suede and faux silk) and the onesie sets (hand printed short sleeve tan & chocolate piping onesie with a matching hat) will do in the shop. The shop has a very French feel and reminds me also of Anthropologie.

Here are a few of the images of the faux suede journals that are on consignment at Elements (the rest [including the pink ones] are online at my esty shop):

Last week I visited shop called Elements in downtown Lake Orion (also another location in downtown Rochester) to show them some of my products that I sell at my online shop. I was really happy that Bonnie (one of the two owners) liked my style and decided to try and see how my hand designed journals (faux suede and faux silk) and the onesie sets (hand printed short sleeve tan & chocolate piping onesie with a matching hat) will do in the shop. The shop has a very French feel and reminds me also of Anthropologie.

Here are a few of the images of the faux suede journals that are on consignment at Elements (the rest are online at my esty shop):

Featured on change the mold

Doing Good, While Doing Business: Support Socially Responsible Companies

There is a blog called changethemold.com that features companies that give back or do good in some way while doing business. My company was featured recently on the site because I place 10% of all sales into a fund to loan entrepreneurs in developing countries through kiva.org. To date I have been able to make ten loans and all are being paid back at this time (my kiva loans). Once fully paid I can make some new loans (as well as when there are more sales :)).

thanks to everyone from the bottom of my heart for your support...it goes a long way.

Plexiglass Art: Mootzies Gallery

I am excited to be showing my plexiglass pieces as art at Mootzies Gallery in Owosso, MI. Up until now the pieces have mostly been seen as tableware and soon (Summer 2008) on Sweetriot tins. I have also sold them as beautiful clipboards - something to really bring a smile in the office.

From my statement on my plexi-art:

...central to the overall theme of my art is the constant flow of unanticipated images that fade in and out---the inherent beauty of change…

Challenging the viewers ideas of perspective and change is more obviously addressed in my works on plexiglass. A piece of art created with plexiglass changes so much that at times it does not even resemble itself from one perspective to another; passing from transparent to translucent to opaque. With light entering at every angle and backgrounds easily altered by where the work is placed, each piece is mesmerizing and the images seen are ethereal. These characteristics make them difficult to completely capture and duplicate with film. Like much of our experiences an aspect and perhaps a resemblance is captured while the complete essence is only inside of us. With these works I hope to highlight the idea of being present in the moments and the surprises that happen then which emphasizes the special-ness of first hand experiences.

Below are the four pieces I will be showing over the next three months at Mootzies. there are two images for each piece - one where more light is passing through than the other - really changes the work:

Untitled P1 view 1

Untitled P1 view 2

Untitled P2 view 1

Untitled P2 view 2

Untitled P3 view 1

Untitled P3 view 2

Untitled P4 view 1

Untitled P4 view 2

Art Donation: COTS

COTS - Coalition on Temporary Shelter is having their annual fundraiser (ImaginAide) on April 19, 2008 at the MGM Grand in Detroit. I have donated the two paintings below for the live silent art auction at this event. Through case management and a wide array of supportive services and housing programs, COTS helps homeless individuals and families break the cycle of homelessness by addressing the causes of their homelessness.

Untitled 42

Untitled 43