My creative Journey

Let’s just start with why the hell am I blogging?!

Today, most platforms prefer to push out short term content, you know, the less than six second videos, constantly scrolling dread. My creative process is much more than I am able to fit in an IG story or TikTok video. There are many in-depth perspectives that can get lost behind a trendy song. And more importantly, my artworks have stories behind them, and I think having this platform to tell these stories can only help you learn more about them. 

Some things you may see while reading:

• history

• my creative journey

• inspiration

• artworks

• behind the scenes in the art studio

Mural Season wrapping up for the year!

This summer was a beautiful one with lots of travel and inspiration. 

In June, I had the pleasure of restoring a landmark in the Black Hills. This sign restoration was originally made 30 years ago by an amazing artist, Wilbur Lease. He has made iconic signs in Wyoming and South Dakota and is unfortunately not able to restore his artwork anymore . It was an honor to be asked to revive his hard work.  Wilburs original sketch for the sign below!

When I arrived at the sign, it towered above me with its gorgeous stone foundation. It had definitely seen its fair share of wind and snow. Up close I realized the detail this man had brought to his belt. The sign made of wood had been meticulously sculpted. The red cliffs, the deer, the letters all chiseled to perfection. It still makes me want to tear up, I truly wanted to make Wilbur proud and restore it back to its original state. This sign, made in 1997, is older than me, and will probably outlast me as well. 

The sun beat down hard on me on that day. After a lot of sweat, I got all the chipped paint sanded off and reprimed. I had pictures of it once it was finished 30 years ago. So I carefully blended the colors to the exactness of Wilbur’s palette. I am very proud of how it turned out and I hope Mr. Lease will be just as proud to see his artwork back to where it should be. 

Two of my other murals were for some local school districts. One is a patriotic addition and the other is a school pride painting. I also painted a commissioned project for the Upton baseball program. I love working on artwork for kiddos, I remembered being inspired by my elementary walls 20 years ago. I can still remember the colors and shapes to this day. You never know who your artwork will reach.

Now that the Wyoming cold and rain has finally arrived and my murals for the year have been completed, I’m able to work on some studio projects and commissions for the holiday season. I am finalizing a really exciting project that I hope I can share with you soon!

I have also “dabbled” into the fiber arts recently. I had started to crochet when I was about ten years old, my sister had found my first blanket I had ever made and it had definitely lived its life. 

What once was an entry on my bucket list,  has expanded into a whole new world for me. It started as “knit a sweater” on my goals, oh how naive I was. 😂 I have been soaking up all of the information I can from the fiber arts community. From yarn, to felting, to weaving, to spinning, and to even getting myself a spinning wheel. 

Meet Matilda, a CPW (Canadian production wheel) 

I got her off FB Marketplace a couple weeks ago, after being on the hunt for a while. After meeting with the sweetest ladies who know A LOT more than I do in this world, I asked all the questions. One woman who happened to be an expert on these wheels (how lucky is that) was able to tell me the history and what she needed to get back to her roots.

From what I’ve learned, Matilda is close to 150 years old. Crafted by the artist Michel Cadorette around 1875. Michel made over 1500 spinning wheels till his son took over later on. Unfortunately the maker's stamps have been worn off but the bevels on this wheel are a signature for Michels pieces. The craftsmanship and beauty is brilliant and speaks for itself. If only this wheel could speak, the stories it would tell. I have yet to find the flow state yet when spinning, it’s definitely a challenge. Hopefully in a couple months I will have it down.

My current projects at this moment are some skates of mine (stay tuned) for those. I also have this historic blade I have been dabbling on and off for the last couple months. So I will be enjoying this knit season weather and my studio time till I can further update you all! I truly hoped you enjoyed reading and or maybe find some inspirations to take with you.

Enjoy the lovely autumn season,

Bailey ‪‪❤︎‬