Inspiration friday

Starry Inspiration

 I was asked to donate a piece of artwork for a charity event in my hometown to support their art organization. The event's theme is Starry Starry Night. As a child Starry night was one of my favorite paintings before I even knew who created it or what it was about.  

I just knew that it was a work of amazing beauty. I was completely fascinated by the lines, the texture,and the movement. I would stare at it in the Childcraft Encyclopedia for ages.

 I was always intrigued with  Van Gogh's Sky... The curves as the the wind could be seen. There is comfort in the wind.

Swirls, Curving lines, have always brought a meditative comfort while drawing.

This is the piece I sent off this week. It is my hope that whoever, if anyone, purchases it, that is bring them peace, comfort...and as with all lotuses...a reminder to rise above...push through the muddy waters...face the sun.... 

Sources of Wonder: Teeny Tiny Flowers

It is the season of flowers. Our yard is covered in these lovelies.  

Everyday, i get a "bouquet" of these teeny tiny flowers...so tiny that the "bouquet" might fit on my thumbnail...

We often have to get down on our tummies to even see them.

The purple ones are may favorites...

I am inspired by the impact such a small thing can have.

These little gifts are often overlooked or scoffed as weeds. 

But, to me, and to my youngest, they are a source of amazement, wonder, and peaceful beauty.

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 book collage

where does my work come from?

I have done a lot of work....sometimes I get the urge to make all kinds of stuff. my head gets full of creative possibilities...so much so that i feel like i could just burst! I know that in my lifetime i will never complete all of the projects in my head... but that is neither here nor there...

Where does my work come from?

After much hemming and hawing...dabbling in various styles, genres, and subjects....the work i am the most connected with all comes from a very emotional place...a place that is all about the effort it takes to simply "be present" no matter what...to push through the darkness and face the sun...

And because my work is based on simply being present, I create from what i know, experiences i have had, life I have lived. I have had to make peace with this through the years. Sometimes it can be straight from the heart and leave me very drained from thinking too much about it...Sometimes, it can make me laugh, as i think of the beauty in each moment. This is what i do. Sometimes people understand it when they look at it...usually those kindred spirits who are looking for meaning and feel the empathy necessary to relate to some of my work.  And then, sometimes people just don't....awww...such is life...

Like, I said, I have done a lot of work...the problem is...when it doesn't come from the heart....or the place in my soul that needs to be freed, it simply doesn't resonate....it is just a drawing...it is just a painting...it is just a design project...with no heart, soul or feeling...it is meaningless...i choose to create work with soul...work with emotion...work that reminds me, if no one else, the importance of simply "being present."

Falling in love with my work again

https://www.etsy.com/listing/119191665/10x10-coffee-collage-ink-blue-red-lotus

I go through spells...sometimes i feel like i have a successful piece and sometimes i don't...it is just how this goes...
In recent weeks there have been those moments when i felt good about the work...Every artist knows what i'm talking about...that moment when you realize that the work your have created  actually makes you feel giddy...just like falling in love....For people who have never experienced this, it can seem a bit egotistical...i mean, really?  Your work makes you feel giddy?  How weird is that?  But, it does, when it is good...there is that level of creativity that is almost intoxicating and euphoric...and it happens when the work is complete...and in your gut...you know that it is good....and believe me, there is a lot of crap work that was created before the good, so when you finally make something that is successful...it is like Fireworks....

How does that happen?  i think it is the theory i have heard from the infamous Ira Glass about getting through the crap to the good stuff..and that quote i like by Andy Warhol and simply making stuff and letting other people decide if it is good... both said in a little different way to mean...

just keep going...

there is another one i like...

" just start, the results will happen...."

and sometimes, the result is to fall in love with your work again...and remember exactly why you are doing what you are doing...because let's face it...being an artist is hard work....it is gut-wrenching, brow beating, emotionally taxing, and with very little reward at times(monetarily and on the low end of the spectrum of respect from the general public)....so, when it does pay off even if it is just in the form of a successful creation...that is like hitting the lottery....and sometimes. that is enough....

drawing quote of the day- keith haring

we are what we eat...

"You are what you eat." We have all heard this all of our lives. But, do we really take it to heart? And if so, what are you? Are you a box of processed crackers and stale cheese spread, or are you fresh fruits and vegetables? What would you like to be? Do you want to be chemical additives and food dyes that simply "look" good but are really bad for you...or do you want to be as natural and healthy as possible?

I think it is easy to slip into the processed food trap. We have busy lives. Sometimes we just need something to help us keep moving. So we stuff ourselves with whatever is handy or convenient. I am certainly guilty of this.

But, there comes a point when we have to realize that we are important...we are important enough to take care of ourselves...so that, we can take care of others...or simply to be healthy...

In the last year, our family has made it a priority to try to be as healthy as possible. It started with my husband's change in diet to paleo and new-found love of exercise and then my own study of yoga. We have always attempted to eat healthy. But now, we are in full gear. This is today's lunch for me and the kidlets. Nothing exciting...just a simple home made chicken and rice soup...Okra from my garden, onions from my father's garden... the kids ate two bowls each...no, there aren't any store bought crackers, or glutenous side breads...just real soup...and to be honest, if I could raise the chickens in my back yard, I would have...

RECIPE:

two chicken breasts chopped (cooked, i boiled mine)
1 TBS minced garlic 
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
 1 cup of chopped okra
8 cups of water

I just put all ingredients in my largest pot and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes and them lower the heat to let it simmer until the onions are translucent, and the carrots are soft.

Nothing fancy...you won't see it featured on any reality cooking show...or in some home and living magazine...it just is what it is...a simple basic soup, that we enjoyed today...and i hope it inspires you to do more for yourself...consider getting rid of those processed food you think are necessary or pantry staples...or, maybe think about how you can make the foods you buy...only make them healthier...

You are important enough to do this for yourself...

ENJOY!

good food doesn't have to be difficult...

Time and Lotuses

    The last few weeks have been full of weirdness and change. Kids are growing up too quickly. Jobs are changing oddly.  Old things are fading, New things are blooming. I suppose, it is just called Life, isn't it? 

For me, finding time to work on my artwork means, it has to be convenient, and inaccessible to sticky,curious, little fingers...I find that I have to break the process up into steps or phases...bits and bites that i can come and go from as time allows..

This morning I worked on these lotuses, applying the flowers with water soluble graphite and watercolors. The backgrounds were made a few weeks ago. I had no idea what I would do to finish these. I'm not sure these are quite finished yet.  Sometimes I just have to work and see what happens.

The Lotus image is something i have been working with for about 5 years now. Though I admit, it was only used on work for myself. Only in the last two years have i felt safe (?)....no that's not quite right... confident (?)....not that either...but something along those lines that allows me to put these out into the world...I think it is the fact that i enjoy making them that had me a bit confused about whether or not to put them into the world...I know...that sounds weird...but, when you understand my artistic history...you might understand my confusion...

In the past..i associated my artwork with feelings oh sadness, depression, and unhappiness...Many artists understand how much easier it is to create work from a dark place than from a place of light...the idea that one's work will seem hokey or silly when it comes from a place of light often stops people from creating such. 

But, in recent  years the idea "do that which comes easiest to you and gives you joy" has been playing in a loop in my head... and here we have the Lotus.  

I suppose some artists have "their thing" that they do that identifies them...i can honestly say i have never known what mine was...or is...Is the Lotus mine? I have no idea. But for now, I am allowing myself to enjoy them. 

quote of the day

“It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.” HH the Dalai Lama

quote of the day

Your life is right now! It's not later! It's not in that time of retirement. It's not when the lover gets here. It's not when you've moved into the new house. It's not when you get the better job. Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it's not ever going to get better than right now—until it gets better right now!

--- Abraham (Hicks:)

quote of the day

‎"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

-Steve Jobs

quote of the day

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You're playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson

What does it mean "to live?"

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." ~ Oscar Wilde

For the Love of Lotus treasury

My "Namaste Blue Lotus" Has been featured in a beautiful treasury called "for the love of lotus" and can be found at the following link.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTAxNjY1Mjd8MjcyMzAyOTQ3MA/for-the-love-of-lotus

This piece is a watercolor that started out with drops of my morning coffee...that's right...coffee...i love painting with coffee and tea. The rich browns that come from the liquid are very spiritual for me. After the coffee dies, i used  water soluble graphite to draw the lotus, and then applied water and a touch of blue watercolor.

The Lotus is a form or strength and hope. A symbol of beauty that pushes through the muddy waters to face the sun above. When the world seems harsh, i just think of the lotus...and it gives me the reminder, the inspiration, to push through the mud and face the sun.

you can find other works of inspiration in my etsy shop

Lotus Healing Hand

This morning I had a lovely surprise. My piece "Lotus Healing Hands" was included in a beautiful treasure on Etsy. It always makes my heart leap a little when my artwork is included in a treasury on Etsy. This morning, is no different. 

(the treasury can be found at this link!) http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTA2MTA5OTR8MjcyMzAxNTIwNg/just-you

https://www.etsy.com/listing/68702296/yoga-lotus-healing-hand?ref=tre-2723015206-10

This pieces was included in a lovely treasury named "Just You...."

I love the warmth and comfort of the collection. It is almost like you are looking at a melancholy indie film. (redundant description I suppose lol)

The story behind "Lotus Healing Hand":  In the last year i have been on a journey. (like so many people at midlife) In the spring of 2011, i just felt 'compelled', for lack of a better word, to start painting a collection of Lotuses. There is something very meditative about the process for me. The lotus is a simple form to create, but it's simplicity is was makes it so beautiful to me. I really had no connection with the imagery of the Lotus until that spring. It seemed that it was a symbol that i needed to investigate more. AS i read about the lotus, the idea of how it symbolizes resilience, courage, enlightenment, and the triumph of purpose  really struck a chord with me. In nature, the lotus, pushes through the muddy water to eventually rise above it and open up to the sun. I love this. I love the idea of rising above the darkness to choose to face the sun. The inclusion of the hand is also a symbol I have felt compelled to use for several years. The hand is a symbol of connection, of healing, of giving.  

When i look at this piece,my thought is that this will connect with someone who is also in transition in their lives and that this artwork will be a reminder that they too can rise above any muddy waters they  might be trudging through to reach their bright shiny place in the sun.

"lotus healing hand"
https://www.etsy.com/listing/68702296/yoga-lotus-healing-hand?ref=tre-2723015206-10 https://www.etsy.com/listing/68702296/yoga-lotus-healing-hand?ref=tre-2723015206-10  

summer art journal challenge

Back in the day, when my schedule was determined by the public school calender, the only time I had to attempt my own artwork was during Summer. I would start a new art journal every summer. This practice gave me an outlet for my own ideas, but it also kept my creativity flowing. Now, that I am FINALLY acclimated to being a 'normal' person again, I actually still keep this practice.  I think keeping an art journal is simply a good practice to help keep the creativity flowing.

So here is a list of subjects i have compiled if you would like some inspiration for your summer art journal. (you can also find  the art journal list for spring here and a post about Creative MoJo)

1. Picnics
2. cold beverages
3. corn on the cob
4. red white and blue
5. fireworks
6. family
7. smiles
8. swimming
9. water
10. ocean
11. sandy beaches
12. swimsuits
13. ponytails
14. sunglasses
15. fishing
16. boats
17. floppy hats
18. seashells
19. stars
20. starfish
21. ferris wheels
22. picnic baskets
23. lounge chairs
24. sunflowers
25. wildflowers
26. cool breezes
27. drive in movies
28. snow cones
29. ice cream
30. drives down country roads
31. memories

life is a bowl of....

It is cherry season...do yourself a favor...go get some NOW!...well, after you read my post...
( seriously..dude)

The kidlets and I stocked up on the cherry sale going on at our favorite grocer. The youngest has developed a taste for "beh-wees" and so when she saw these, naturally they fell into the same grouping...and as a result, Ii have grown quite fond of the cherry pitter device my husband purchased years ago that i rarely used UNTIL THIS WEEK...

This morning, our family is chilling out...spending time together, simply "being"....a little cartoons, some books being read while lounging on the couch,  the dog snoozing, me enjoying a cup of tea with honey and cream, the dog snoozing...and a bowl of cherries for all to enjoy...


i realized...ya know?... life really is a bowl of cherries, isn't it?...




i know, cliche'....but i don't care... in choosing to see the joy in every moment we have together, the cherries are the most beautiful i have ever seen...

i love everything about them...

I love how my lil' one giggles when she eats them.
I love how the boy  laughs when we are pitting them and the seed shoots across the room sometimes.
I love how cherries are naturally heart-shaped and red..like valentines..and obvious signs of love.
I love how my family is content to simply "be" in the same room and not have to be in a nervous state of constant need for entertainment...

As i finish typing this,( it takes me a bit sometimes) we have all scattered about the house...taking naps has begun...

I have carved up a new block print inspired by the cherries...

And i hope it inspires you, to remember...to CHOOSE to remember, that Life really IS a bowl of cherries...

Do you follow your gut?

Recently, in a discussion group i follow, the question was posed
 "do you feel like a prisoner of your own intuition?"

I didn't leap into this conversation because it was something i wanted to mull over a bit more...

" a prisoner of my intuition?".....

and, i realized..." no, no i don't...in fact, i should follow my intuition much more than i do....i feel like a prisoner of following everyone else's expectations of me...of meeting other people's requirements....of trying to not ruffle feathers..(.despite what some of those 'others' might think)... i feel like a prisoner of other people's wishes and ideals....i do not feel like a prisoner of my intuition...i feel like i push my intuition down and as far back in the closet as possible to appease everyone around me...and any mistakes i have made have been the results  of me pushing my intuition as far away as possible..."


I should change this....

I am changing this...

It is changed...


As an artist, following your gut is imperative to the creative process....and the creative process is a direct link to life...

when intuition isn't being acknowledge...creativity doesn't flow...

 let the creativity flow..follow your intuition...