SOME THIS AND SOME THAT

 

On this Thanksgiving weekend with all it's Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Stay Home, Wear a Mask, and political confusion, don't forget that the small businesses in your community really need your help. 

Shop art and other artist-made items at the Sawdust Art Festival, open for business from 10 to 4 on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Or check out downtown stores.

These words on gratitude are gentle reminders of all that we do have.

Sometimes we just have to go on that scavenger hunt to find the things for which we can be grateful, even in the midst of this terrible pandemic.

For me, today is a beautiful day in which to be grateful for sure, as I spend it in the garden, planting more produce (especially those leafy greens) that will satisfy for many a meal.

When done, some art is waiting to be finished on my workbench, some bills need to be paid, Barack Obama's A Promised Land awaits, a bit of exercise, and perhaps a well-deserved nap is on tap.

Meanwhile...grateful for so very many things.

ANOTHER ANGEL AND SOME FUN STUFF

Jen's angel

Some fun stuff

Jen sent her angel..and she is wearing her mask as ordered.
Cute, Jen.
Thank you😀

While this week for some reason seems really packed with things that need doing, I have not been able to completely give up the fun of art play. Today's fun stuff was made up of quick sketches with pens (I used a variety for the exploration of it) and splashes of watercolor along with bits and pieces of collage. Lots of joy for me here and all done in under an hour leaving lots of time for "the list."

What are you doing creatively these days?

100...IT'S ALL ABOUT GOALS...AND GOING FOR THEM

It has been almost a year now since setting the goal to do two blog postings each week. I was surprised to see the number "100 pop up the other day when I had posted. Sounded like a lot.

If I am calculating correctly, that would mean that after this post I will be a mere three away from the goal with a full two weeks left in the year.  Hmmm. Pretty sure I missed one in October while on road trip. So.... 

It seems like even though I blew it (failures are not bad, by the way) at least once, maybe I played overachiever a couple of times as well. In any case, I am not at all displeased with the result this far. It has been a great challenge and has pushed me (at times when I did not want to be pushed AT ALL.

I'm super pleased that I didn't add any adjectives like "good" or "interesting" or "scintillating" to that goal. That would have pulled in an unnecessary judgment call. Looks like the goal will be reached, with a small glitch or two, and I am happy with just that.

What shall the next goal be? Hmmmmmmmmm

EYE OPENING

Mark Bradford on 60 Minutes

 Sunday night I watched Anderson Cooper interview artist Mark Bradford on 60 Minutes. What a fascinating story of the man and his art. I was mesmerized.

The techniques he uses and how he came to them are so very unique and also inspirational. An amazing story. Check him out if you can.

I keep saying I am working to create a space so that I may see what fills it.  Somehow, Mark Bradford's art and his techniques, while not it, are still a hint, I think.  We shall see.

WOW

The piece here to the left was something Mark Bradford seemed to feel he HAD to do. It came out of a posted video done by a woman who was in the car when her friend was shot by police. These are her words heard on the video.

RANDOM OBSESSION?

I have been deep in creative play mode lately. Alcohol ink techniques and treatments and paper play to produce abstract pieces seem to be the primary modes chosen.

Re what I'm calling "Abstractions" for want of a better term have led me to play in my many boxes of scraps. Some of these are from junk mail or random handouts. Some are drawn or painted on tissue or other papers.  At any rate, while it is starting to feel a bit obsessive, as I do one each day, the near-random choices made are very freeing.

Creative play is soooooooo important and however it shows up, follow it.  I am.

LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY...AND NOT EVEN IRISH

An angel for today

At play today with myriad projects, I feel so very lucky. Simply to be. Simply to be able. Simply to be able to play at the joyful things that pop into my head on this beautiful, warm, sunny day. 

Maybe it's the change after days and weeks of rain. Perhaps it is that, after months of caregiving, there is light at the end of that tunnel. Likely, it is only the joy of being.

At any rate, on this glorious day, I feel lucky, Irish or not.

BORROWING BLOG

She would have appreciated the inherent joy here, I think

A busy week with birthdays, losses, and more, it seems there just has not been the time or the moment to write--though I wanted to, for sure.

And here, some more borrowed words from a master of the written word that I dedicate to an artist gone too soon, Michele Taylor:

When you look back on a lifetime and think of what has been given to the world by your presence, inevitably you think of your art, whatever it may be, as the gift you have made to the world in acknowledgment of the gift you have been given, which is the life itself....That work is not an expression of the desire for praise or recognition, but the deepest manifestation of your gratitude for the gift of life. (Stanley Kunitz)

HONORED GUESTS

I have often remembered my friend Olivia saying something about, when creating, ask Madame Mistake to sit down beside you. So, when I saw this lovely quote in a book the other day, I was reminded.

Today, we will be playing (and inviting Madame Mistake as an honored guest) in another Sunday Studio Workshop here in my studio.  It may be cold, but things will warm up fast with the energy, fun, laughter, stories, and more as nine women create and create and create.

I am going to try to remember, amidst the fun, to take some pictures of their creations to post later this week. Fingers crossed.

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...

CROWS AND CRONES

Counting Crows...#3 of the series

At start of festival season I was sorely tempted to call my display of work "Crows and Crones," but the women weren't all old enough and there seemed not enough crows. It must have been the alliteration that captured my fancy :)
Meanwhile, I think I may have done enough women for now except for the exceptional custom one I can't resist. And on to more of the corvidae family. 
I know not everyone feels the same way I do about these intriguing creatures, but I cannot let that stop me from exploring new and different ways of capturing them. And I am curious to try a scrub jay or two as well since they are family members and reside here in the canyon.
Meanwhile, the little bird couple--some sort of finch, perhaps-- who have built a nest in our booth at the Sawdust Art Festival are sitting on the nest, singing along with the Tavern music.

FINAL CHECK-IN

Tissue papers

On the final day of the four-week Mixed Media Journaling class at Art Supply Warehouse's Catalyst classroom we were all over the place with projects for present and future use. I think my fave was creating these fun tissue papers for future use in collage, although it looks like I was kinda stuck in my palette of colors. My other favorite project we played with was creating a face by painting with a brayer.  Talk about free, with no expectation of outcome! All in all, it was a great class for me to take for any number of reasons not least of which is that learning--any learning--can only be of benefit.

Brayer painting

AND THE ROGUE'S GALLERY GROWS

Silver haired lass

It is a busy time for us all, that is for sure, but I am not much inclined toward Black Friday or Cyber Monday so have been busy adding to the GALLERY.I am grateful for the time to do this and hope you like the new images...as well as the old.
All of the images in the gallery are available as reproductions on wood, 8" x 8", ready to hang, $70. They make fun gifts for friends and family members.  Celebrate the women you know and care for.
Contact me: cherril@cherrildoty.com

LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!

The very first of so many

A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN: the series

The presidential election of 2016, while divisive on many levels, seems to have catapulted women into joining together in action on many fronts. Following in the footsteps of many honored women before them--and creating some paths of their own--these women are marching...speaking up...speaking out...standing together...demanding many long-needed changes...showing unquestionable courage, strength and determination.

This series, showing at the Sawdust Art Festival from June 30 thru September 3, is in honor of all of those women and the many others who still have no voice or who have been silenced.

Change is in the wind...Watch out!

HALF AND HALF?

Half way through May. Half way through Sawdust Art Festival booth building.Half way through many of summer's decisions. I am grateful for this dose of half full and am moving on completion of all (well, maybe May could slow down just a bit :)) 
Looking forward to the summer's art festival while still in the midst of springtime happenings. I am co-building with artist Laurel Meister and anticipate a joy-filled shared space. (This, too, half and half.) We are right near the entrance behind this year's "Selfie" bus.
I will be teaching my last Sunday Studio Workshop on June 4th and then all teaching for the summer looks to be at the Sawdust every Wednesday night (halfway through each week).
Sure hoping to sell more than half of the fun art I have created for this special summer festival and that more than half of you will come see me.

A PASSION FOR THE MAGIC OF CREATIVITY

POSSIBILITY IN PAINTS

ART--such a small word and yet it comes in so very many forms and materials.  Making art--whether painting in oils, acrylics, watercolors, doing encaustics, handmade books, photography, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, jewelry, textiles, or more--is magic. And, while you can learn a lot of art techniques from the plethora of online videos available or from books, LIVE workshops are magical.  There is an energy that occurs when like-minded folks get together to create. Workshops are FUN and there is the magic that occurs in an atmosphere of inspiration, fun, support...and a passion for creativity. 
To see what is upcoming in my studio workshops, click on "Mixed Media Workshops" in the listing for Pages to the right of this article.

EXCITING NEW CLASSES FOR 2017

A new wave

2017 brings a whole new wave of classes for you to Make Art in Laguna.There will be the usual mixed media fare as well as new projects and guest instructors. To the right of this page under "Pages" you will see the heading of Mixed Media Workshops.To find out more about these great classes, just click on it.
The fun is just beginning!
Join in!!

THANKS, AL!

Peaceful morning

I love teaching.  In fact, I have to say it is one of the top five things I love doing in my life. The joy that is seen on the faces of so many students--many of whom thought they were not creative at all--is pretty hard to match. 
Learning is right up near the top of my list also and I find that the two go hand in hand for me. In order to be a better teacher I must constantly also be learning.
So bring it on!--both teaching and learning.

And a special thank you to someone no longer with us who I have also found to ooze wisdom far beyond mathematical equations:

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.  Albert Einstein

CELEBRATIONS AND ENDINGS

Endings can be a little sad sometimes. Celebration of the ending can often alleviate some of this. With that in mind tomorrow one of the Round Robin Journal groups in which I participate is getting together to celebrate. We will toast to the fun we have had with this exercise, the new friends and old, the creativity, the pure joy, the discipline, the play, the exploration, the inspiration, and so much more.  We will toast to what's next as we move past this ending and on to new beginnings.  CHEERS!

WORKSHOPS AND MAIL ART GALORE

Mail art from 10/16

Loved the attitude on this young man! Reminded me of a certain kid that I know. And so it was fun to use this on the mail art card created in the Sunday Studio Workshop this week.  
We were a small group, but had a lot of fun getting to know one another and exchange ideas and more.  Now for the exchange of mail art created in the workshop. I can hardly wait to get mine!  Hope it comes soon.

FALL STARTS AND FALSE STARTS

Several false starts in this journal entry

Autumn (or Fall) got off to a great start for me with a fun mixed media class I taught for the Sawdust After Dark program at the Sawdust Art Festival grounds.  Good folks, good fun, good art pieces, good wine, good cheese...what more could one ask? It seemed to me to bode well for the future and I have another fun start tomorrow with a Sunday Studio Workshop here at my home. It will be five hours of more mixed media exploration and jolly time (oh, yeah! and the great food brought by the participants to share.)
And, speaking of exploration, that IS half the point and the good time of mixed media and the false starts are merely the "price to play."  I for one am more than willing to pay up.