Butterfly Lace

"Butterfly Lace"
Watercolor

I thought I'd fly back here and post something new I just created. Yes, butterflies are always endearing to me and I couldn't resist painting one the other day. I guess I've got Spring Fever. My grand niece wandered into my little studio after I had finished painting this and said "Did you use stencils on this?" I said "no, I just danced with paper and paint. I love comments on my art process, it really helps me grow and makes me look at my art with new eyes.

Actually, Marge Boyd, a fine artist/friend of mine, has a wonderful way of leaving the small whites of the paper showing through and I have admired her talent for this. It's no small feat, in my eyes. Now, it seems I have been able to do the technique myself and I am grateful. Just had to shut off the monkey mind and let the paint dance of its own accord. It seems to give a magical, airy feel to the piece shown here.

Have a wonderful day! Fly high!

I growled while painting Snow Leopard

"Snow Leopard"
Watercolor

This was a test of perseverance. In spite of, or maybe because of the external noise of
people (especially little) all around my environment, I was able to complete this piece in one sitting. Many times as I was creating, the little ones would peek into my room and
comment on what I was doing. I'd lose my focus and then pick up the paintbrush
and get my artistic center back on course.

I feel my affinity for Native American cultures was coming through as I painted "war paint"
under the creature's eyes. Yes, it was a battle of sorts and my warrior woman self won out in the end.

I was growling throughout much of this creation, but by the end that changed to
purring. Yes, I do believe in the art process.

Swan Celebration

"Swan Celebration"
Watercolor

I was originally going to paint the swan in delicate pastel shades of color and leave lots of
white on the swan. But something else seemed to control my hands and brush and hey, why fight it. Accidental drips were incorporated into the image as were specks of paint flicked on. It was a big image so I had to scan it in in pieces. Then with some photoshop paint tools I filled in the blanks in the background.

An image celebrating the energy and passion of creativity. No peaceful swan floating for me.

Elephant in Pen and Ink

"Elephant"
Pen and Ink, Pencil, Charcoal

I wanted to try something different without using color. That's how "Elephant" came into being. I could have put every single wrinkle on the beast but ran out of steam. The legs, too, are just vague shapes. I've read that leaving out details allows the viewer to fill in what they want to. I was going to add sepia and other tones with colored pencils but decided to leave well enough alone. Perhaps another sketch will allow for that. Still, there's something about drawing that allows for expression different from painting.

I've been stretching my creative boundaries by choosing new subjects to paint and/or draw! And they have to mean something to me. Oh and throw in some fun too....

"Cat Heart"

"Cat Heart"
Digital Photo

I was wondering around the outskirts of Peoria a few weeks ago and happened upon a Christmas Tree farm where there are reindeer lounging in a barn area and a neat shop with unique gifts. I noticed this little kitty wandering around outside. Luckily, I had my camera and started taking photo after photo. Soon she began chasing her tail and this "heart" shape emerged. I remember Elena taking photos of "heart" images and immediately thought of her.

Open up all your senses and the world sends you love. Thank you kitty! An early Valentine gift!

I'm painting a SunHawk!

"Hawk"
Watercolor

I really like hawks, falcons and eagles. I feel it's important to paint what I can emotionally connect to. That's where I'm at lately when I'm picking subjects to interpret on my art papers.
I also know that these birds love to fly really high into the sky, to the sun almost. To me there's a spiritual connotation symbolized with the higher levels of life too.

Of course, it may have something to do with the fact that my alter eg0 name is SunHawk!!

Peace!

Racoon

"Raccoon"
Watercolor

Just painted this critter yesterday. I've never created a raccoon before and a lady whose bought some of my work in the past mentioned she might like one for her walls. So, with that motivation, Raccoon came to life. Being the colorist that I am, it was a challenge to hold back on using every paint color that I have. I couldn't resist adding a bit of pink and yellow though, just for funsies. Hard to break the habit, gotta go slow.

Maybe its eyes are too dark? Right now I'll live with it!

"Another Owl Expresses My Feelings"

"Owl In Flight"
Watercolor

Just found out that a friend of mine (from writing class at the Center) passed away the day before Thanksgiving. I hadn't even known she was sick. But I am grateful to have gotten to know her as a writer and a kindred spirit. Though she wasn't in the class all that long, her writings were personal and I felt I got to know her on a deep level as a result.

It's interesting how one's creative work can reflect our feelings. I was feeling rather angry at first about her passing and painted a crocodile. The colors were rather dark but the teeth were glowing and formed a smile. Strange, it seemed my friend's spirit was coming through in the teeth. Make sense? She had fought a long cancer battle but was now at rest and in peace. So several emotions seemed to be fighting with each other.
Then soon after, I painted the owl pictured above. Yes, this is my friend who has soared to the Heavens. I have accepted this now. The lines all around her are the energy lines connecting us to each other. Yes, she has left this Earth, but her spirit lives on in my heart.

Once again, when words fail me, creativity becomes my voice!

"Who Am I"

"Owl"
Watercolor

Who am I? Seem to be asking myself that alot lately. I know I find myself "loving" to create more and more every day. Allowing myself that joy to fill me from head to toe. And I felt a child-like spirit arise from within as I created "Owl". He/she kind of reminds me of one of those roly-poly toys that you can roll across the floor. No feet required on this little bird. I thought about adding them but Owl said "no, I'm fine as I am". Wise bird, indeed!

Precious Moments I Can Sketch!

"Reflecting"
Pen and Ink

My sister-in-law has lots of Christmas knick knacks lying around her house, perfect for someone who may need a little inspiration to create. As warm-ups, I sketched (in pen and ink) a toy penguin that glowed in different colors and a white reindeer sitting on a table. I could have been content with these two items, but then my eyes noticed 4 Precious Moments Christmas figurines ready to be put into a nativity scene. As they weren't in their final resting place yet, I felt the urge to sketch them. Once I get into that creative mode, I can't stop, thank goodness. The expression on this particular one resonated with me personally. Taking quiet time, during such a busy holiday, is necessary. The distractions away from one's heart can be detrimental. Energy can deplete quickly, leaving me crabby and off my center. Creative time, though, is a wonderful balancing tool.

I'm thankful for the small sketch pad and pen and ink that I had handy. Sometimes the more elaborate mediums just take away from the moment. Every Moment is Precious! Thank you for the reminder, Precious Moments Girl.....

Peace!

"Holiday Energy"

"Holiday Energy"
Watercolor
December 2010

Interesting how the holidays are inspiring my creativity. I painted the Christmas tree first and then added the window and present as an afterthought. Some spatters of paint with a toothbrush added to the festive scene. I feel this is an indoor/outdoor scene merging together. Everyone and everything is welcome to celebrate.

The Power Of Touch

"The Power of Touch"
Digital Photo

Though I'm not a great fan of reptiles, I found this particular image rather captivating. I probably took about 50 photos of this rather large snake before capturing the one depicted above. The long line of children waiting to touch this "tame" creature made it the most popular exhibit at a recent nature event. Its little forked tongue went in and out during each petting, sometimes touching softly the hand caressing it, which didn't seem to phase the kiddies in the least.

Touch is a very powerful element and very sensual too. Even the texture of the cold-bloodeds can bring tingling excitement to those who venture into its realm. I need to push myself beyond my safe limits of the known and embrace the adventurous in life. Like this small child did. Unafraid, uninhibited, developing a kinship with those who share the world with us. Making a difference and leaving an impact, even if it seems relatively insignificant. There is, after all, the ripple affect, which can gain momentum in anything we do.

Let the Wild Snake Woman out!

Autumn In A Vase

"Autumn In A Vase"
Digital Photo

Sometimes I really like black and white images, especially when there are shadows involved. It gives a sense of mystery. I had placed a few Fall leaves into a small vase and set it on a table. It just seemed the leaves and vase wanted to be buddies. The early morning sun streaming in through the windows created some intriguing effects, giving the image an abstract feel. There appears to be a hint of red emanating from one of the leaves and extending downward into the vase, which is a nice focal point to lead the eye into the image. A bit of contrast can be a good thing. So I'm grateful for leaves and sunshine and for a potter's creation. All merging to make something new.

It's amazing what Autumn can do for the creative soul. I am thankful this Season is jump-starting me. Keep on falling, leaves......

Drawing My Hands, Personal Revealing

"My Hand - Various Poses"

charcoal pencil on sketch paper

I've been cleaning out my studio, tossing out old creations that don't have much meaning to me anymore. Whatever meaning means, so many levels to that word. Then I found the above drawing in a sketch book and felt an emotional connection oozing out. Aha, meaning! My hands, posed in different ways, all on one piece of paper. Each pose seeming to convey a different message. Artist hands here without the paint remnants under the nails. Nails on this particular day so smooth and well-tended. If I painted or drew my hands now, I know there would be changes. Hands more natural, not so perfectly groomed, perhaps with a few more wrinkle lines drawn in. But no matter how they looked now, I would be content. It's like our aging process, where we say we're proud of every grey hair. We've earned it. So too with other parts of our body. But isn't that what it's all about? To accept changes in all aspects of our life and not resist them. And let the spiritual self, the soul come forward and say "it really doesn't matter. I'll always be with you no matter what happens to the physical self, that outer shell. And then I know that that particular inner voice, which is soft yet authentic, will help me to embrace the cycles of life and see it as an adventure, a learning experience. It made me appreciate my hands even more yesterday as I processed the feelings stirred up. Though it's always fun and intriguing to paint and draw others who pose for us, there is something very personal about recreating images of the whole form or pieces of who we are. And there's something about charcoal pencil, in its stark black and white and shades of grey in between that somehow feels more expressive, at least in this particular image. For that, I am grateful for all the mediums we have at our disposal. They can make a difference in what message we want to convey.

I feel strength coming from this drawing and I take the feeling within myself and breathe it in. Somehow, the extra energy gained will help me as I continue to clean and simplify my domain. I am grateful for the art process for it does sustain me. Even old creations from long ago still have that power to trigger something within me. Does creativity evoke power in you and allow transformation to take place? I invite you to share if you so desire.

Oh and to my art teacher, Dorothy, who I hope is smiling down from the heavens above, I pay you homage here today with one of the drawings I created in your class.... Thank you......

freezing buns off, but heart was warm

Art fairs are challenging. On the positive side, they are each so unique that one can never get bored. Even being in the same fair year after year is never predictable. The people who exhibit, the people who come to look at one's art, and the weather Gods all change, even if it's just slightly.

Yesterday's art fair had its own logistics to deal with. Six of the exhibitors were on one side of the road (next to Aldi's). The rest of us (the other 5) were on the Jewel side (across the street). There was very little foot traffic as the day wore on. Would it have made any difference if all the exhibitors were on the same side of the street? Hard to say. As it was, the weather was blustery, cold and there were sprinkles off and on (Hey, at least it wasn't snow).

I did sell two small prints to a mother and daughter who enjoyed listening to me describe my art technique. They asked if I'd always been so talented. I said I'd drawn in high school but had drifted off the art path into the business road. In the last three years or so, I've been reborn into the art side of me again. The daughter is an aspiring artist who I encouraged to keep creating. She smiled at me gratefully and seemed more upbeat about her own artistic path. The next onlooker who came by was a young woman, very pregnant, who was expecting her new baby boy in about a month or so. The wind blew some of my prints off the table and she awkwardly yet still skillfully, reached down to pick some of them up. I was amazed at her agility. She liked one of my prints, but didn't have the cash or check on her at the moment. She asked "could I take a photo with my camera phone and show it to my husband? Maybe then I'll come back later with money and buy the print?" I gave her the okay on that but she never came back.

Well, maybe she did come back but we shut down shop around 3:30 or so. All of us on the Jewel side pretty much gave up. Our hands were frozen, our cheeks were frostbit (or so it seemed) and we were tired of our tents being like sails on the sea.Really, outdoor art fairs in October is pushing it. Shoppers coming out of Jewel just seemed to be focused on getting to their cars and not being blown away. Makes sense to me. After dismantling our tent, Frank and I then went across the street to the Aldi side and helped a friend of ours take her tent down. She expressed gratitude. Helping others, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually, always makes my heart happy.

I had no expectations about the fair at all. I just wanted to push myself, exhibit in a new location and keep on getting myself out there. I made a few new friends, got to see the new art center with some wonderful art on display and breathed in some fresh air as well. Another adventure under my belt.

One day at a time.......

my artwork is hard to toss out

I often wonder at those situations say when a house is burning down and a person has time to get out one or two things. Lots of people say they'd take photos.
Well, my place is not burning down but I am getting rid of lots of things, simplifying for the next abode we go to. Books are precious to me but I have so many. So I'm donating them to my library, which I dearly love to go to. They'll be happy there. Now mind you, I haven't let go of all of my art books. Books on Monet, Matisse, Georgia O'Keefe and several others of my favorites still line my bookshelves, for now anyway.
Clothes, well, clothes fill up my closet and they're outdated, I've outgrown them so time to discard everything but what feels "real" to who I am now. That can be a challenge as I wear many different hats. Don't know about the business side of me, that voice is quite small inside of me. So I'm donating most of them.
Now we come to art. This a tough area to focus on. I have original paintings unmatted, unframed in portfolio cases, I have a number of totes filled with framed pieces and I have lots of prints which I usually sell at art fairs.
Today I was in an art fair and sold two prints. Frank says to the people who wander by "everything must go, make an offer" and people laugh and smile. But he is serious. I have just started selling my originals and put price tags of $600.00 on them. Hm, guess I didn't want to sell them. But now in the last week or so, the price on them is $100.00 and less. Am I dismissing my artistic abilities? I don't think so. I'm just trying to make some money so I can pay bills, continue to make art and just generally stay positive.

Just curious, would you all have the same dilemma as myself if you were in this situation? How would you cope?

"Angels Amongst Us"

"Angels Among Us"

Watercolor

I was at a resume writing workshop last night at our local library. During a break, a woman who had attended the same college as myself and knew many of the same professors, struck up a conversation. When I told her I liked to paint, she said "that she knew I was an artist, don't take this the wrong way, but you look like an artist." I took her words in, thanked her and later mulled on what she had said.

Yes, I was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and some beady necklaces last night, so physically I might have looked the artist part. But this woman also said she "felt" I was an artist, she could feel it coming from me. And I realize as I accept myself more, it becomes evident to others as well.

This is a good thing because as I learn to write resumes, apply for jobs and go to job fairs, I wonder if the art side of me disappears for awhile so I can be this "job seeker", this adult.But why do we have to shift to this adult role? Why can't we be childlike in everything we do, looking at all of life with wonder-filled eyes? Something I'm trying to incorporate into my daily life. No, the child sense of me can still be there; it does not have to take a time-out and disappear for awhile so the adult me can take over. My adult/parent self takes my child self's hand and we walk together moment by moment no matter what we are doing. Not abandoning one another, not thinking less of the others but realizing these are all vital parts of my whole self. Loving myself, that's Number 1, of course.

I do believe in angels and feel their presence in the human forms around me, like the lady last night. And then I remember another woman, recently, at an employment office, who said to Frank, don't be so hard on her, when I was filling out some documents and got frazzled. I looked at her gratefully and gave her a hug. Another angel. And of course all of you who continue to support and sustain me and check in with me, well you're all angels too.

These "spiritual" presences help me as I continue on my path. To not waver, to stay true to myself and put one foot in front of another. And of course, my heart is a beacon of light showing me the way as well. I am never alone and this is reassuring.

The Spiritual, Knocking on My Blog Door

"Dragonfly"

Watercolor

I've been in a state of crisis lately. That seems harsh, let's call it inevitable change. During these times, I want to fly far away into the sky, like the dragonfly. It's as if the spirit is knocking me on the head and saying "Wake Up and Listen To Me". I peer at the dragonfly and note it's little hands almost in prayer position. Hm, perhaps the spirit "is" making its presence known in my artwork as well. If nothing else, this is reassuring and I don't feel so alone during these dark nights of of the soul.

As I become more aware, less in that "asleep" state, I notice stronger signs of the spirit in Frank's blog "7 Miracles" and in Elena's "My Quest" blog. The blogs of Doris and Laura have shown how the spirit can be found in nature. And there are other blogs, many more, that I read and which sustain me on my journey. Each of these fellow bloggers seem to be in a state of evolution, searching for a deeper connectedness, and I feel I am joining them. Their words give me hope and comfort and I feel peace after I leave their sites. I feel my blog will be taking a new turn and, as a result, reflect on my daily moods and process, wherever that will lead. I am grateful for the internet, which gives me a sense of interconnectedness when I'm feeling so disconnected within myself. If I give it time, the disconnect leaves and I am then one with myself. Patience.....

When I feel loss of energy as I face the external forces outside of me, I know this is a sign to go within myself, to refresh and replenish my soul. I find myself meditating and praying and reading inspirational/spiritual books as a daily/sometimes hourly practice. These offer me peace and respite, soothing me into calmer waters. Well, my artmaking soothes me too, of course. But the healing vibes are not always there. Sure, I go into that zone which to me is a place of nothingness, but now I really want to "feel" the passion when I create. Maybe working on bigger canvases like Elena is doing will help me. To let the brush dance on bigger dimensions. To play. Ultimately, to soar high, to dance with the angels.

I danced with an angel (young artist) yesterday at the Autumn Fest. She made a card depicting a pumpkin patch. I guided her along, but she did the actual creating on the paper. It felt good, different, hopeful My heart felt blissful, seeing her glowing eyes, sharing the connection of art. She was intrigued by my artwork, and then stated that she wanted to be an artist too someday. This made my heart sing, to touch others in this way. Then I thought of a friend's comment "I would just burst out crying with happiness if someone said they loved my art". Her words jolted me for a minute and made me wonder if I had lost some of that deep joy that happens when I hear positive words. Am I taking this aspect of art and sharing for granted? Hm....

I am realizing that natural settings help me in my process. Not an office, not a classroom do I need at this moment anyway. To heal, to create, to guide others seems to work best for me when things are unstructured, when daily occurrences just happen without preconceived expectations. I feel less stress, less pressure. When life is just flowing. And perhaps just continuing to do other spiritual practices will jumpstart me as I dive deeper into my heart. Then I won't have to be squeezing my art to death, looking for clues in my creations that my spirit/heart is emerging. It's an evolution and in due time, with patience, I hope that love will overcome the fear and my heart will open wide to art, and my spirit, without inhibitions.

I feel this continues to be an ongoing process, but now recognize the need to share more deeply of it here on this blog. I can ask questions of others and observe how they walk their path in life (through blogs, for example) and that helps, taking bits and pieces of what resonates with me and filtering them through my own personal perceptions. But ultimately, in the end, it's up to me.

Landscape from my Childhood

"Landscape From My Childhood"

Digital Art

I found an "old" watercolor abstract painting I had done many years ago. Then I decided to incorporate the balloon photo. This is a partial photo taken from a young clown boy's waist where he had all these balloons attached. Soon he was blowing up the most magical animal critters and fantasy things you had ever seen. I was blown away and totally delighted. The faces of those watching was priceless. Well, anyway back to the image. I added some squiggles and drips via photoshop paint tools to tie the two images together.

Once a child, always a child. I never want to lose that in myself!

Peacock Pose

"Peacock Pose"

Watercolor

A recent painting I did. I rather overworked the colors at times to get the darker tones. Watercolor can be so light and transparent it is often necessary to heap layers of color on top of each other. I could have added the tail and all the "eyes", but sometimes less is more and I just wanted to stay focused on the face and upper body.

The background was created by flicking big and small drops of color onto the paper. The peacock has a strength about her. I was feeling low energy right before I painted this and then somehow got some strength flowing through me during and after I was done painting.

Ah, the wonders of painting. My lifeblood!