SWALLOWED WHOLE

WOW! Where the heck did January go? It feels like it was swallowed whole. The 31 days have just disappeared.

I try to think back over the month to figure out what the days have held...if anything, since it seems all so fleeting.Hmmmmm

Well, meetings of the Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund. We had the task of choosing a program facilitator (and we got a good one!) to help with the scheduling, especially of the many classes offered free to the military and spouses.

Mid-month husband Mike had back surgery. Thinking back on the time in the hospital (2 weeks, including rehab) I can see where that took a good deal of the time. It also contributed to make it seem sort of surreal time.

Last weekend's monthly Sunday Studio Workshop was full and fun as we played with the human face and a variety of views to ways to create it. Most were loose, free, quick, and with no judgment (or so we hoped) just to get a feel for where features would be and how they relate to each other. Some of the students got some really fun faces (and I forgot to take photos as happens all too often.) Everyone worked in a journal, which they took home for more chances to practice.

Quick and loose

February's workshop has not yet found a focus so we will likely work on the usual techniques. February 24th from 11 to 4. $65 covers all materials. Fun! Won't you join us?

PLAYTIME DONE...FOR NOW!

As I said last time, a big oops for forgetting to outline and show the step by step on this one. But here is the verbal step by step: I first chose a magazine image of a dark skinned woman, tore it out roughly. Next, after lightly sanding the image, I applied a light coat of white gesso.

Then, though she had beautiful eyes and lips and perfect eyebrows, I took the liberty of choosing some new ones for her. The black collar pieces and green succulents backed by text pieces for hair...a few flowers and leaves and some rosy cheeks almost complete things.

The very last touch...a few words from the great Mary Oliver. TA-DA! Just a whole lot of fun in preparation for Sunday's workshop.

STEP BY STEP BY...OOPS!!

The Sunday Studio Workshop for this coming weekend has a 'faces' focus so I had thought I might do this blog as a step by step of one of the warmup techniques. 

Alas!, as so often happens with creative juices, they just started flowing and didn't stop until, aghast, I realized I was two-thirds of the way through. So I offer this step only.

I will next adhere these pieces (I kinda like them going off the page), add other embellishment and post a completed version in the next blog.

There are always oops moments in creativity it seems.

HOMAGE TO ONE OF THE GREAT ONES--MARY OLIVER

For years, go-to reading when the world seems too much or I just need a little lift has been Mary Oliver. Poems, essays...doesn't matter. Each word is exquisite in clarity and joy.

"Tell me what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" How can these words not stop you in your tracks in awe at their impact on you?

"Here in my head, language keeps making its tiny noises...."

And how many times has a woman reading, "For how long will you continue to listen to those dark shouters, caution and prudence? Fall in! Fall in!"  known that the words were meant for her? Mary Oliver was a gift to us all, but, over the years, I have encountered so very many women who, when asked who was their favorite poet, answered, "Mary Oliver" without the least hesitation.

"Clouds rolled from the west-then they thickened, the thunder bucked and boiled...."

Yes, Mary Oliver, rest in peace. For you, the storms are over.The world will miss you, but your words, so descriptive and so immeasurable in their impact, will linger on.

FLASH!

I like the thought

The weather folks keep talking about the possibility of flash floods, but, luckily, not any yet.
One of the things we do in Sunday Studio Workshops is create at least one piece that can be sent as mail art to a name drawn of another participant in the workshop. I get one too. It always brings me a smile of pure joy to get these in the mail. And my mail lady likes them too. This one came recently from enthusiastic student, Camillia. What a great reminder to us all!

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING PRECEDE WEEK 2/BLOG 4

Morning after

There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. 

These words from Robert Louis Stevenson resonate for me on this stormy morning. So very many magnificent things can emanate from this feeling of happiness.

After a night of fantastic thunder and lightning it was still possible to get in a morning walk before more rain appeared. Glorious!!

And what a way to start each day! It is a discipline, yes, but such a rewarding one. I am hoping that this resolution of mine to do two blogs each week, while yet another discipline, can be at least close to as fulfilling. Fingers crossed and working/playing at it!

ON TO WEEK TWO...AND GORGEOUS WINTER DAYS

what a mess!

Part of blogging (at least this one) has to be about what IS, I suppose. And, in this case, I find myself having to admit that my studio is a horrible mess right now.
Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust Art Festival just comes too close to the holidays for me, making it difficult to get into the swing of things while cleaning and clearing from the five weeks of working. And, thus, I find myself with this mess!
Finally, holiday trimmings have been put away in their place. Art work that went unsold has been tucked away til the next show (or some oil baron comes along to buy it all).
Now comes the work of sorting through all the "just plain stuff" that ended up on my work table and readying for the first studio workshop of the year. What to keep? What to toss? Guess I'd better get to it.
Til next time...

I THINK I CAN...I THINK I CAN...

Why not?

Week one, Blog number two. So far so good. 
The mail art card to the left seems to express yet another thought on resolutions. Why not resolve to be creative in the year to come? 
There are so very many ways to do "creative," at least I think so. But, going back to the "Success" post, one of the best things is to just do it (Oh, no, not that Nike quote again!)
Seriously, though, creativity, like flying, starts with doing.
Begin, fail, succeed, do it again, begin again, fail, do it,.........
So why not take a class or workshop?
Watch a YouTube video to learn something new and try it? Pick up pen, pencil, paint brush, even crayon and paper and just begin drawing? 
There are myriad ways to "just do it" so why not begin?

RESOLUTION AND BLOGGING

I resolve over and over to do more with this blog. Sometimes, I have a bit of success, but more often not.

Resolutions bring success and failure

This year let's see if perhaps by doing more and perhaps even failing more at creating what I want to within the blog I can actually achieve some form of success.

Some bloggers are able to write a blog daily. Dare I even reach for that with my past level of non-achievement? It would certainly more than double my rate of failure, that's for sure. Too big a push? Definitely, a leap of faith. Am I ready? Willing?

Each year I choose to embrace some factor and let go of another. This year what I have chosen is too daunting to even breathe aloud quite yet. Does a blogging challenge fit into it somehow? It absolutely could. And, yet, I hesitate....
(Pause while thinking this through...) (But is that any way to leap?) (Nah, but...)

OK. (The pause entailed transferring laundry from washer to dryer and folding what was in the dryer. Am I any more clear? LOL!!)

Still...what the heck...here goes: I resolve to more than double the output of this blog by writing two blogs each week for the coming year (oh, the naysaying voices at work in my head...hahaha.)

Here I go...one down and only mid-week! Hope you will join me in the journey.