i sometimes feel like i've lost my bliss or my groove
when i go days or weeks without feeling creative.
But lo & behold - it always shows up, eventually.
Maybe that's what it's all about.
Not expecting it to be there all the time.
Not pressuring it to be there all the time.
i doodled this while watching tv... can't remember what i was watching. That's how important it was. ;-)
i was obviously listening more than watching. ;-)
i did this a few nights ago... acrylic on paper.
in the beginning, i never know too much where it's going...
and then things start taking shape, and i begin to see this or that... here (above), i see a woman & a man touching one another. They are separate yet woven together...
then i flipped the page upside down, and i now see a mask...
then i flip it on its side, and i clearly see a fisherman with a hat, on the shore, fixing his net with fish jumping around... (you may see something totally different - that's what's so great about art!)
then a quick little marker drawing in my journal...
mom's cookies... these always make me sad. i don't know why i kept her last box of cookies, but i did. it sits on my bookshelf in my blue room. and then this handsome little guy... :-) my son, when he was maybe 5 or 6 with his dad's hardhat & vest, reading a magazine & eating dill pickle chips!
a simple black & white acrylic painting in my journal...
a few more details here & there, using grey tones for the face.
added a bit of blue in the background only...
and a few chosen words... :-( It makes me sad that he's grown up so fast, but so proud of the wonderful young man he has become. As parents, we raise our children in hopes that someday, they will go out into the world with confidence, and when they do - we want them back with us. :-) Such is life i guess. Here's a song i stumbled upon and loved immediately. i had no idea what he was singing. You can find the english translation here. Beautiful voice. Beautiful song. Oh, and not so hard on the eyes, is he? ;-)
Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence. - Ovid
hello everyone!
First things first: i hope to be making art (and blogging!)
a little more often than i have been in the past weeks.
And i can't wait to use these Sharpies... ;-)
Lots of adjusting after the holidays, don't you find?
I'm always happy to get back to routine
but it takes me a little while to get there.
I've started work again (outside the home)
for another 3 months.
Breathe in... breathe out... :-)
I always feel a bit like a fish out of water
in such a stiff and systemized environment
but it's temporary, and it allows me the freedom
to be creative for the rest of the time,
and at night, and on weekends. ;-)
How can that NOT be good?
I've come to the conclusion that if doing other work for a few months in the year allows me room to breathe and frees my heart from financial worry - then dammit - i'm in. And nope, i don't feel like i'm selling out. I work my ass off to make a living as an artist but maybe i don't need to when there are so many other options out there. For the longest time, i was holding on to the notion that i needed to be an artist 100% of the time. Otherwise, i was not a real artist. I needed to be in a job where i made art 100% of the time. I needed to sell my art. All the time. Successfully. I needed to make a good living as an artist. And this job also had to fulfill me in every way. And that i had to be passionate about it. Fucking recipe for disaster or what... Note to self: fear and worry about finances kills creativity. Another note to self: comparing myself to others kills ME. So even if i wanted all these things, they weren't happening. This wasn't my reality. Actually, my expectations were hurting my art. Hindering my creativity. So now, my expectations have changed. Doesn't mean i've lowered my bar, just means i've found a way to make it work for me without sacrificing so much of myself. And then i read this and it made me smile:
Sometimes, we just need to adjust things
to make our lives feel more like a reflection of who we are.
Here we are, already on the heels of a new year. I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season. Here's a little update on what i've been busy with these past few weeks.
Visited my brother in the USA for Christmas, and brought my dad & his dog along. We did what most people do during the holidays here... eat too much, drink too much, sleep in too late. ;-) (Some would say that's what the holidays are all about!)
but for now, the short version is basically potatoes (cooked & raw)
mixed together with meat in the middle and formed in a ball.
Mmmmmm...
it's a huge Christmas tradition around here.
That, and meat pies (also shown here!)
Breakfast of Champions. ;-)
Had a wonderful time with my brother & his family,
but a not so wonderful time getting there, nor coming home.
A 10 hour drive in the middle of winter is not my idea of a good time.
Saw a few accidents along the way,
there was snow, freezing rain, cars off the highway...
Certainly not ideal travelling conditions.
aaaah.... home.
Welcome to New Brunswick...
and brace yourself for a shitload of snow.
(still, it's home)
My dad's dog, Fluffy, in the back seat of the car, not a worry in the world.
This was taken a few days ago, the day after we got home. Our shed, seemingly buried deep in the snow.
In 10 days, we've had 5 snowstorms. My husband, clearing out the driveway.
One of our extra nice neighbors, helping out.
backyard view...
back of the house view.
This was taken this morning, on our way to town for coffee. Isn't it beautiful - the blue sky & snow in the trees?
And yes, a few nights ago, there was even a little bit of art. I can't tell you how good it was to come back to the little studio and pick up the paints again even if i wasn't inspired to paint anything fabulous.
I could not wait to be surrounded again with books and paints and paper and good music.
While i was gone, i missed blogging, and painting and my books & journals. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and i believe this goes for life in general (not just for lovers!)
When i sat myself down the blue room,
i felt home again.
Not just "home" in the sense of a house,
but home in the sense of being where i belong.
The other day, my son saw something on TV
where they were fighting in Syria,
and he asked "why don't they just leave and go somewhere else?"
First of all, some may not be able to leave, i replied,
and more importantly: because it's their HOME.
Some may want to leave, but most (i'm willing to bet)
would rather stay and work towards a resolution to peace.
Home is home, no matter where you are on the planet.
So yeah, this is most likely the ugliest painting i've ever done
but it doesn't matter much to me.
It's supposed to be curly lightbulb (like the one below)
but it kinda looks like a dying snake,
or a noodle. ;-)
Thank you all for being here with me
during this past year (and the years before!)
There is magic in connecting with others,
whether it be in person or on-line,
and don't fool yourself into thinking
that an on-line connection is any less important than a personal one.
In this past year, I've been inspired by many people through my monitor,
and through words on a page.
I have formed many friendships on-line that will last a long, long time.
The more we realize we are a global community,
the more we realize how alike we all are, deep down inside -
even if our cultures or races or traditions are very different -
the more compassion we have for one another.
You are all very important to me
and i am so grateful to have been touched by so many of you
and look forward to continued connections in the coming year!
