Calico Christmas

November 22, 2024

Over the past couple of months, I have been in a major art producing mode. I have been prepping for my first year of Calico Christmas, a Christmas themed arts and crafts sale that has been happening here in Carlsbad, NM for over 40 years! I’ve been having fun planning out my booth and how I will display everything. In this post, I’ll show you photos of what I’ve made, I’ll talk about my inspiration behind the work, and I’ll explain what this work has to do with having an organized home.

Over 10 years ago, I was introduced to the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto. He did experiments with water. He observed the water crystals that were formed after freezing water when he exposed it to different words, sounds, or environments. He learned that when water was exposed to positive words like “joy” and “love”, the crystals that were formed were symmetrical, intricate, and balanced. When he exposed the water to negative words like “you fool”, the crystals that were formed were broken and deformed. These experiments have been very influential on my ways of communicating, my artwork, and my home organization style.

I have always loved snowflake patterns. Back in 2019, I started drawing my own water crystal patterns by hand. They started off as simple sketches with ball-point pen. I then re-drew them on the computer using Adobe Illustrator, a computer program I was lucky enough to learn in the late 1990s. I gave each of the designs I drew a name that was associated with a positive emotion, and I turned them into illustrations for my adult coloring book, Color to Declutter. In the book, I list the variety of ways the act of coloring can help someone get decluttered and organized. The main inspiration was Dr. Emoto’s work. Considering that the human body is composed of approximately 60% water, it’s compelling to think about how our environment could impact the water within us. If the water inside your body was disorganized, broken, or deformed, would your home mirror that chaos? Or, if your internal water crystals were harmonious, balanced, and beautifully structured, would your home reflect that same order? I believe it’s important to fill your home with items that will affect your personal water positively, for good health and organization.

After I completed my coloring book, I re-drew each of the 49 designs on the computer so that I could make paper cut-outs. I had to convert the line drawings into shapes so that once cut, the paper would have structure to it. I made as series of wall pieces using cut paper over watercolor. These pieces come in 8” x 8” for the single water crystal, or 12” x 12” for a repeated radial design. These pieces are currently available through my website www.jeanprominski.com or at the Artist Gallery, 120 S. Canyon St., Carlsbad, NM. I will also bring some with me to Calico Christmas.

For Calico Christmas, I’ve re-drew the designs again so that they were suitable for ornaments, and for earrings. The ornaments and earrings are made of cut paper over watercolor on wood. The earrings have stainless steel findings. I’ve also translated the designs into individual greeting card designs. I’m really looking forward to the show! I’ve talked to several other vendors who have done the show year after year, and it sounds like so much fun! If you’re in the area, please come by and say hi!