Color is our friend - outdoor table project

When it is warm enough...

WE GET OUTSIDE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!...

Sometimes we just play, run around, or dig in the garden. 

Sometimes, we PAINT!

 At one point in time, being the recycling sort that we are, we found an old hardwood pallet and a metal frame. 

( We have no idea what the metal frame was originally use for or taken from, it has been a source of great mystery for the entire time we have had it.) 

When, put together, these two items have been given new purpose in life by becoming  our outdoor table. I have been dying to paint this table for a very long while now. So, since the youngest likes to paint, I like to paint, this was a no-brainer. We were just waiting for the weather to cooperate to let our outdoor creativity explode. (Thank you Spring Break for some lovely weather!)

Natural egg dye

I saw this on another blog and had to try it! And I cannot believe it really did work!

Here are the directions: 5 cups water,  1T white vinegar,  onion skins from 4-5 yellow onions, boil coveted for 30 minutes, add eggs and cook for hard boil.  ( I let mine sit until they were dark red)

Altered Books Dreams Boards and Shooting for Perfection

“An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's.” 

― J.D. Salinger

It is easy for me to get bogged down in doubt. Especially....no...not "especially"...but, BECAUSE of worrying about what others may think of it...or BECAUSE of comparing my work to 'others'.....and this is just a waste of time and energy...

Freedom comes by letting go....

Letting go...is freedom....

One thing that helps me to let go is do a few daily rituals... right now my ritual is to do a combination of mind mapping and dream boarding into altered books...

Here are my personal guidelines for altered book dream boards like above:

1. You can ONLY use ONE magazine, a bottle glue or gluestick, and scissors

2. cut out what really catches your eye, or you feel the most connection to. If your drawn to it, there is a reason. Use it. Don't question it, just cut it out and move on the next thing.

3. You HAVE to use ALL of the items you just accumulated, even if it means some things get covered up. That is just part of the process. Again, DON"T QUESTION IT. Just go with the flow.

4. You can ONLY glue everything on two facing pages...none of this "spreading everything out on several pages" business.

5. Once it is all glued down...let it dry...and walk away from it for a while..Clarity comes with distance.

6. Later, when you look at the work, simply read it...and the way it flows will be a message to you. This is your subconcious, your gut, your instincts, your higher self, speaking to you through your work.

finding peace in the work

As i mentioned before, I have been working through my "Schtuff" lately...truth is...this is simply a way of life for me... i'm not ashamed to admit this... i think my artwork my entire life has reflected this work.... this is just who  i am... I am actually quite an introvert, and a virgo...(look those two if you need to...)  which really does explain a great deal about me, how i function, and what my artwork comes from...

Here is the inside cover of my art journal/altered book...as of TODAY....I say this, because it will most likely change several times before I feel that I am finished with this project... I like to layer things...this  two page spread has mulitple layers collaged on top of each other...there are stickers added by my youngest, notes i wrote down, business cards, old prints, and much, much,more that I have lost track of by now...There is also acrylic paint, mod podge, sharpie and gel pen...and more mod podge... I work on these pages a little bit at a time...it is too much for one sitting...(I have a life outside of art)....but also the fact that things need time to dry, settle, and sink in...mind, and spirit...to move on to the next phases of each spread...

Altered book collage

laying low

So in  the last few months I have been sort of taking some time to really focus on things pertaining to mind, body, and spirit....

I have lost count of exactly how many weeks now, but, i have been working through a weekly self- improvement (?), self-help (?). self-awareness (?) program (?)... there are so many question marks because i am just not even the slightest bit sure exactly  how to describe what i have been doing...

but in a nutshell, i have been working through my "schtuff" and am still working on my "Schtuff"...with the hopes of eventually finding a sense of peace....

You know what i mean by "Schtuff"...we all have it...some more than others...and some more willing to admit it that others...some more ready than others to work through it...but, none-the-less...we all have it...

my "schtuff"...as i like to call it...affects every aspect of my life...(it is like that for everyone...)
it affects:
health
emotions
spirit
creativity...

everything....

for me, part of working through my "Schtuff" has resulted in me needing to do it viusally...and everyone has their own way of telling you to do this..vision boards...journaling...lists...i happen to do best by making an art journal...in the form of and altered book...

I did altered books when I was an art teacher. It was one of my most popular projects with my students. It recycled books that were going to be trashed. It gave the students a sense of creativity they had not expected. Google"altered books" and you will find all kinds out there...there is no limit to what you can do...

Be Healthier

So, recently, I have felt the need to share positive information I come across about things like:

• getting enough sleep
• the importance of health
• eating better for your health
• eating better on a budget

...and so on and so forth...

why?


a few reasons:

1. I am a yoga instructor: it took me a while to admit this to myself...I wasn't exactly comfortable with calling myself a "teacher" anymore...and I still battle with my own idea of what a yoga instructor "looks" like (pssssst...they don't look like me)...but, once I finally came to this admission, that "yes, I AM a yoga instructor" I felt compelled to go ahead and extend the yogic  ideals of taking care of myself a little further...

2. I have an autoimmune disease:  And, quite frankly...it sucks...er...um...it, "inhales profusely" as I like to say....but really...it is simply no fun...some days are great...like today...I wish everyday was like today...I have energy, I can dance with my youngest, I can chase her around and laugh all morning... it is after 2 and I am still smiling...on the bad days...it stops me from having fun with my family...maybe in the future I will talk more about it...I am finding that more and more people I know have what I have...Hashimoto's Thyroiditis...and it makes me want to do whatever I can to be healthier.

3.Budget: I have heard several times lately.."it is more expensive to eat processed foods than to eat fresh fruits and veggies"....and while I agree...I also know that it is possible to eat better on the same budget...and, if you are willing to do some research you can actually cut your budget significantly..  I hope to share a few tips I have found that helps our family do this. This isn't to say we NEVER eat processed food...but we certainly have cut back 90%....and that is easier than one might realize..

Morning Painting Session

I love sharing creative time with my children.  

In the morning, Mini and I like to sit at the table and do a bit of painting.

She can be very serious...

Sometimes her puppies and giraffe friends like to watch...

I've been working on a daily "vision board" in my altered book...I like seeing what messages spring forth.

Mini thought it needed some more color.....

Sometimes we use our fingers to paint.