Thoughts...

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my art, my life, my blog, and all the aspects of creative expression that I try to juggle. At the risk of repeating myself, (because after 5 years of blog posts, it's pretty likely), I am observing a regular ebb and flow to all that I do. Sometimes the ideas flow like water, easily and clearly. And at other times, they seem just beyond my grasp. Some days are simple and relaxed, while others seem frantic and crazy, but when I step back and take a look at the whole of it, there's a pattern that makes sense to me.
Ironically, I sometimes panic a little over the fact there is nothing to panic over. Does that make any sense? My days are not always perfect, but my life fits me lately in a way that it never has before. And I am so unaccustomed to this feeling. It is uncomfortable to feel comfortable...but what a great dilemma to have.
Wow -- I was about to follow that last paragraph with the admission that I have strayed from my "one word" intention this year, because I couldn't even remember what it was, so I just looked it up from my end of Dec. blog post, and it was the word "authentic." How crazy is that? Even without consciously thinking of this word, it has been working for me all this time.

VD is about to plague us again...

Valentine's Day that is.
I hear very mixed opinions about this holiday. Most of my single girlfriends -and for that matter, married girlfriends- grumble about the potential for disappointment. And the men I know grumble about the fact that they know they are going to disappoint someone. If there is even one guy out there who reads my blog, here is what most women I know say: a well-chosen card, with a few well chosen words inside, is enough. Now, is that true?? Personally, I would also like Chinese take-out and a back rub, but that's just me- still, it's not expensive. I think I can speak for most of us that what we want is for you to think of us, and to give us a little effort - a little time and attention. That's it. And we're more than willing to do the same...in fact, most of the women I know do that every day.

That's what Avery would call an "Ow-y"

In a recent post, I ended with a note about how "I love to feel the earth beneath my feet. Cool, scratchy blades of grass make my toes happy." This is true. I love walking barefoot in summer, but it is not without its perils. A splinter from my deck, a sharp stone under foot - each year, I risk inevitable injury for the pleasure of romping around in shoeless bliss.

This year, my undoing -- yes, I've been undone and it wasn't even May yet! -- was the stump of a dying shrub I cut down late last summer. Now hidden under the grass that filled in around it, I stomped down on it, Max in tow, and promptly fell to the ground, cursing and in considerable pain, with Max tugging at his leash. I now have two sizable wounds in the arch of my right foot, and I'm stocked up on bacitracin and bandaids!

...but this is one lesson I refuse to learn. I will be romping around barefoot on my lawn again in no time. Who knows, maybe I'll find a ground hive!!!

ramblings

Back from the Vineyard...

I had a wonderful time with family out on Martha's Vineyard at the end of last week. The trip was short but very sweet. The weather was a mix of sun and rain, but that was of no matter. We are really fortunate that we truly enjoy one another's company so much. I don't take that for granted. It is also great fun to spend time in the company of a 4-year old, particularly my niece, who is so funny and creative, with a flair for drama that can't possibly be captured in this blog. When I arrived, we discovered that Avery and I were wearing the same outfit...


One of our favorite stops on the Vineyard is always beadniks, which is a visual delight and an assault on the pocketbook. Many of their thousands of beads are handmade in exotic locales, so I understand the prices, but it's still always a surprise to leave with empty pockets and such a teeny tiny bag of treasures! But it allowed us to spend the rainy time in a lovely house making jewelry. I don't have any of our creations here as I write this post, but I'll post pictures soon. We made some fun and funky pendants, using a variety of materials.

Now I am spending this week playing catch-up at work and at home, but I wanted to take a moment to post -- and to say thank you to my faithful visitors, who never fail to brighten my day with words of friendship and support. I'll end this post with one of my hand-drawn, digitally enhanced illustrations...

I'm back, sort of...

As any of you who visit my blog know, it is as much about my life as it is about my art, and life is changing for me these days. Although I will not go into great detail, I do feel a need to share this, so that those of you who stop by will understand why my blog and my art have been a bit neglected lately. My husband and I recently decided to separate, and although we know it's the right decision, it was not one we reached lightly. I thank you all for the comments, friendships, and support that have made blogging such a wonderful experience for me, and as the dust settles and I am able once again to focus, I will be sharing stories of girls weekend and many other adventures in my art & life.

Far out and groovy...

A fun little illo. I drew the van just one time, then scanned, copied and rotated it to varying degrees, then added color and texture in Photoshop.

Peace, out.

Just a quick digital illo...

May... time for blue skies, mild weather...endless possibilities.

My April ta da list

It's time for my ta da list again. To anyone new to my blog, this list serves as a record and reminder for me of the ways in which I am following my creative path. Life goes by so quickly that I often feel as though I haven't accomplished as much artistically in any given month or year, as I would like to, and this list reminds me that I probably have done more than I give myself credit for. I recommend it to anyone who keeps a blog or any type of journal. It's also a chronicle of my artistic whims and the ways in which my art and interests evolve over time, which is a helpful tool in my quest for self-awareness.

Last month, I...
...purchased a year at a glance calendar & organized my events: personal/teaching/art projects/deadlines.
...wrapped up the biggest of my freelance jobs for awhile!! I've got a few more to finish, and more on the horizon, but that's for future lists!
...taught 4 classes at Stampassion, in Latham, NY
...had artist dates with my friend Debbie and my friend Lori, sharing ideas and experimenting with painting techniques.
...participated in a monthly ATC swap and also a collage swap, which was great fun!
...created a series digital illustrations on my blog, based on sketches I created years ago. This was a good/fun exercise to get my feet wet in photoshop elements, which I am preparing to teach
...took all of the photos for the altered chess set challenge -- yes participants -- I will be emailing you soon to take a peak as I write the article for submission!!
...met with Sheri, my creative coach...she always uncovers something beneath the surface that I was not conscious of, and yet once I see it, I knew it was there all along...

This time, it had to do with my need to make art that is just about play and experimentation, with no ultimate goal in mind. If I have artistic commitments -- class plans, articles to write, freelance deadlines (and by the way, I always have them), I don't allow myself to "play" until all the commitments are checked off my list. What happens, obviously, is that I never get to just play -- in truth, I never allow myself too. I keep hearing in that noisy head of mine..."you really need to plan that class today, then you can just paint." But the then rarely comes, because I always have obligations... we all do... but as artists, we need that creative play time.

Last year around this time, I told Sheri of my plan to use my summer Fridays off as art dates for myself... but as you might guess from this blog post, I made very little, if any, art on those days... and if I did make art, it was always art for a deadline or specific purpose. So Sheri has suggested that I try again. Only this time, I'm marking the days on my at a glance calendar, and I am calling them simply "creative play." I am free to do anything I want -- what a concept!!! --- but NOT class plans or freelance work. Just play. It should be wonderful, but I think it will be hard for me at first just to give myself permission.. for a real. day. off. just. for. me.!!!

By the way, this decision get serious about my creative play was prompted by this quote I read recently...

I think the hardest thing is that everyone wants to be good, to master everything in a weekend workshop. Painting is a lifelong process, and instead of worrying about making the perfect painting, you need to paint a lot." -- Patti Brady, Director Golden Working Artists Program

So go paint alot.
Or write, or draw or sew or collage.
a lot.

Sweet slumber...

I am not at all sure why I've done two illustrations in a row of girls sleeping. I am not any more tired than usual. Who knows from where the muse comes? I have learned through many hours of frustration not to force it. If it's not coming naturally, I try to quiet my mind -- not an easy task -- and listen for clues as to what direction I should follow. Sometimes, it means leaving the art behind for a walk or a movie, and other times it means putting down my pen in lieu of a paint brush. It's the listening that's the hard part.

Good night, sleep tight...

...don't let the bed bugs bite!

That's what my dad said to us every night at bedtime when we were growing up. I don't believe, at that time, my dad new about the millions of dust mites that live on beds, and therefore the accuracy of his statement, but maybe he did and just thought it best not to mention them. It was difficult enough to get us to go to bed at all.

My bedtime as a child was embarrassingly early -- 8 pm until I hit puberty. I dreaded the bus ride to school in the morning, because my friends would all be talking about the tv shows they watched the night before --The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, among others, and I would try to pretend I had seen them too, when in reality, I had to hit the sheets after Beat the Clock and To Tell the Truth. I was sure someone would call my bluff.

Our bedtime ritual included saying our prayers, followed by a shout out to my mother the minute we were tucked in, so that we could have glass of milk. That was followed, of course, by one more trip to the bathroom, all stall tactics to postpone the inevitable.

What I would do for an 8 pm bedtime and to sleep like a child again now!!
Sweet dreams today everyone!!

Take time to smell the roses...

...and to visit friends
...and to spend time with family
...and to notice nature
...and to live in the moment.

Time seems to be moving faster and faster these days, am I wrong? It seems like just yesterday I celebrated the new year, and now it's almost May. I am trying to spend this fleeting time more wisely and productively as I get older, and to appreciate all of the people that I am so fortunate to have in my life.

Thank you for visiting.
Nemaste

Happy Earth Day!

I have done my share of damage to this precious planet, I cannot tell a lie. My vow is just to do better, buy less, recycle more, to reuse and repurpose where possible, and to encourage others to do the same.

What not to wear...

...apparently virtually everything in my wardrobe!
The arrival of spring weather necessitated that I pack up my winter wardrobe over the weekend and swap it for my summer clothes, which I store in totes in my attic. Unfortunately, as soon as I opened the lids of the totes, I could hear Stacy and Clinton in my head, exclaiming in horror at what lay beneath the lids. I could not believe that I even deemed most of this stuff worthy of packing and lugging up to my attic! So one by one, I emptied the totes and discarded (to charity) all of the items that I reluctantly admitted to myself I would not or should not ever wear again. Much to my dismay, however, this ruthless purging of my pathetic wardrobe was not met with a $5000 Visa card and a trip to NYC. Instead, I found myself staring sadly at the remaining contents of my now spacious, little, almost empty closet and pondering how many ways one can wear one pair of ivory trousers, one pair of black trousers, two floral prints skirts and four neutral tops. Now there's a creative challenge.


Here are a few of the rules I used to decide what to keep and what to donate.
It was time to let go if:
-- Aretha's "Freeway of Love" was a top ten hit when it was purchased.
-- it had shoulder pads.
-- it had text across the rear end.
-- I had cut off the sleeves, neckline or legs.
-- it reminded me of Molly Ringwald.
-- a strategically placed piece of jewelry would hid the stain.
-- I thought I should save it for a halloween costume.

Aaaaah, spring is here!

Finally. This is another illustration I dusted off, scanned and then colorized in Photoshop. Happy Spring!

Fun discovery...

While going through some of my endless file folders of papers and things I've saved, I came across a file of black & white line drawings that I created several years ago when I was entertaining the idea of starting my own rubber stamp company. Curiously, my style was very much along the lines of Impress, Savvy, and Amuse -- some pretty successful companies -- but my drawings never made it out of that file folder...until now.

I'm using Photoshop to digitally color and otherwise enhance them, and I thought I'd share some of my favorites.