Creativity – Lucky Starz Studio

A Year Ago This Month

On a warm Spring day last May, I drove over seven hours to reunite with the kiln I used to create fused glass art nearly 16 years ago. The significance of this occasion is that I didn’t realize how short the path was to get back to what I loved, creating glass art. The journeyContinue reading “A Year Ago This Month”

Artist Proofs, A Tiny Art Series

Anytime I have a design idea that mixes new colors or pushes the limits of what glass can do when being fused, I like to create tiny test pieces. I call them my “Artist Proofs” or test tiles. Sometimes they don’t work out the way I think they will; some are even better than IContinue reading “Artist Proofs, A Tiny Art Series”

Backyard Birds: Nuthatch’s Song

Two red-breasted nuthatch birds sit on a pine tree branch with a pinecone and pine needles growing from the branch.

When I sat down to work on a hummingbird drawing I started several months ago (meant to be the 12th in my Backyard Birds series) I realized I hadn’t honored my love of the nuthatches yet. So, I set aside that sketch and let my admiration for these funny little feathered artists come through myContinue reading “Backyard Birds: Nuthatch’s Song”

Backyard Birds: Chickadee Dee Dee

One of the most commonly seen birds in my backyard is the clever, curious, and very musical chickadee, recognizable by their sweet “dee dee dee” song. These little cuties love the bird feeder and don’t travel far like those that migrate to other regions each year. One afternoon this Fall, I was relaxing on myContinue reading “Backyard Birds: Chickadee Dee Dee”

Backyard Birds: Bluebird Beauty

Colored pencil sketch of a bluebird with bright blue feathers

For a few months last summer, a young pair of bluebirds lived in an old birdhouse attached to the side of the large Locust tree in my backyard. It has been said that the bluebird has lived in writers’ and poets’ imaginations as age-old bearers of joy and reverie. It’s no wonder they got theContinue reading “Backyard Birds: Bluebird Beauty”

Behind the Scenes at Lucky Starz Studio

Over the past year, many people have asked me how I create my fused glass art. In this post, I’ll share some of the most important parts of my process, a few fun images and a time-lapse video to help you see how it all comes together. The first and most important step is findingContinue reading “Behind the Scenes at Lucky Starz Studio”

Backyard Birds: Hummingbird’s Grace

drawing in colored pencils of a hummingbird drinking from small white and red flowers

Hummingbirds love fragrant flowers, and there are few flowering shrubs with as much allure as the Hot Lips Salvia. Hundreds of perfect blooms call to nearby hummingbirds to feast. This is why I planted these shrubs around my yard, especially near the glider loveseat where I sit while enjoying a sunny day in my garden.Continue reading “Backyard Birds: Hummingbird’s Grace”

Backyard Birds: Leap of Faith

Detail image of a black and white sketch of a Junco bird about to take off in flight with wings fluttering and tail feathers spread out crouching forward on a branch

Witnessing the anticipation and quick movements of the Junco birds in my yard as they leap into the air inspired me to draw this backyard bird in action. While creating this sketch, I focused on expressing the animal’s movement and intensity just before liftoff. There’s an incredible sensation of excitement and hope that builds upContinue reading “Backyard Birds: Leap of Faith”

Five Ingredients to Achieving Your Dreams

Scene in the movie A Million Miles Away showing actors Michael Pena and Rosa Salazar sitting face to face in a family home.

How committed are you to having a creative and fulfilling life? Would you move across the country, leave a relationship, or do something others would consider “crazy?” Many creative people attempt it and give up after a setback knocks them down. Over the last two years, I collected a pile of artists’ business cards whileContinue reading “Five Ingredients to Achieving Your Dreams”