I believe pretty much anything can be an inspiration for creative endeavors. So, it comes as no surprise that a peacock I encountered on a walk through a park in Prague inspired one of my latest textiles called "Show Off Like a Peacock".  

My family lives in Prague and I am fortunate to visit with them every summer. My mom and I love history and stroll through the city searching for interesting places and stories. One of my favorite places is the Wallenstein Garden right under the Prague Castle. Filled with statues and greenery, it is also home to free roaming peacocks. I snapped a photo of one of them and when I got home, I painted it in watercolors. A few days later I came back to it, thinking about these unique birds and their outlandishly beautiful feathers. And now, here we are with a fabric that celebrates this beauty. 

All of my designs have names and comes with short stories of inspiration. So, here is the story of this fabric turned into a scarf ... "Peacocks are stunning birds with their impressively colorful feathers and proud strut. They inspired this textile pattern: I painted a watercolor peacock in the loveliest of greens and blues. And shouldn’t we all be a little like peacocks? How about we show off our colorful souls and intricate uniqueness? May this scarf make you and your inner joy glow."

I am looking forward to another trip to Prague, to the exploration of my hometown, and to finds that will reflect themselves in my future textile designs. Inspiration can indeed come from anything.

Isn't it lovely to just have a quiet moment and to create something that hasn't existed before? That's what I enjoy about painting. I find a comfy spot, forget about what I need to do or where I need to be, grab a brush and relax into the white paper in front of me. So, may this week bring you a moment or two of creative relaxation. 

I teach mandala coloring classes and like to work alongside my students. One of the mandalas ended up being just so wonderfully vibrant that I decided to use sections as a basis for textile patterns. Scroll below and see for yourself how the different areas lead to a completely different color scheme and repeat print. Which one appeals to you the most? 

My mom and I travel together once a year. We pick a random place on the map and head there for a week of relaxing. We see each other every August only as I live in the United States and she resides in the Czech Republic. This year we strolled through the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, and one of  these strolls led to an addition to my colorful textile designs. 

Copenhagen is quite lovely and I bet you already know about most of its tourist draws ... And yes, we stopped by the statue of Little Mermaid. But what I enjoyed the most was strolling through our neighborhood - a quiet residential area - late in the day when the sun was setting on a lovely sunny day. One evening I head out by myself as my mom announced that she wouldn't take one more step that day ... As I bathed in the setting sun, I looked up and saw this lovely simple home. I mean, look at this amazing color! An orange house. How refreshing. And then see the clear sky! So lovely. There was something about those two colors that kept coming back to me and I ended up painting a watercolor exploring the relationship of this visually striking combo. 

The painting took place the morning after my walk. I had a cup of coffee and munches on lunch. My mom was studying a map and looked excited about our day's adventures. When we got back home, I came back to a lovely texture - the paint cracked and the orange revealed streaks of intense blue. And since I turn pretty much anything I see or create into a textile pattern, I had to do just that with this painting. So here we go ... this print is called "Nature's Glory" and is the perfect marriage of the sky and the sun reflecting on the facade of this home. 

As soon as we come back from our trips, my mom asks about where we would be going the following year. No decision has been made yet for 2018 but I am already excited about what the new place may inspire in my design work. 

There is something mystical about windows, isn't there? They protect the inside from the elements, yet they let us peek in. I took this photo at a cabin built in 1871 in the Catoctin Mountains a week or two ago. I bet this window could tell stories. So, this week, may you come across a moment that like a window to a house - a moment that's safe yet open to what's around ... 

The word RADOST is the Czech word for JOY. Every Monday I share with you a photo and a thought or two to bring joy into your week. Check back as those Mondays just keep coming up and up ... ​

I love painting within a circle. There is something calming and meditative about the shape; as if everything makes sense within it. Here is a watercolor painting I did a few weeks ago. It's an abstract piece reflecting my mood that day. I almost see a landscape in it with land, fields of grass, and sky. The painting sat on my desk for some time until I used sections of it to create two textile patterns. They express clearly the original mood, yet they are unique in their own right. What do you think?  

Any questions? Contact me! 

#holiday #shopping #november2017 #december2017 #events #washingtondc #dmv #crafts #artisans #textiledesign #radostbyms #radostscarves #handmade #gifts 

Ooh, a new week ahead of us! Sometimes I think of the way we rush our days to accomplish much and then everything becomes a blur ... So, in this week's Dose of Radost, I wish for all of us a few moments of pause, of relaxation, of taking a minute to still and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. 

The word RADOST is the Czech word for JOY. Every Monday I bring you a photo to bring joy into your week. Check back as those Mondays just keep coming up and up ... 

It's so incredibly fun to experiment with a variety of techniques to produce textile patterns. This week I am sharing with you a print created with burnt paper. Yes, burnt paper. I took small bits of paper and burned the edges. I then layered them to create a collage: a study in white, grey, and black. And then, of course, I had to add color! Check out the two textile patterns in vivid red and lovely purple. Which one do you like better? 

As you make your way through the show, you will be invited to see how each artist fitted their textile project into the box and how they executed the idea large scale. There are stories of innovation and inspiration that will catch your attention and you will walk out of the show thinking about whatever creative activity you may be involved in and how to fit that particular activity into a box. The exhibition is that engaging! 

As colder days are upon us, I invite you to make a trip to the Textile Museum and stroll through this show slowly. You will be surrounded by color and texture and will be amazed at the incredibly variety of thought that has gone into each box project. Enjoy!

"The Box Project: Uncommon Threads" is on display through January 29, 2018. Stop by the George Washington University Textile Museum at 701 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052. Enjoy!

#boxproject #textiles #fabrics #textileart #fiberart #museum #exhibition #washingtondc