Thursday, January 31, 2013

Changes...

Have All This is making some big changes!  Check out the "My Why" page for a sneak peak!


Monday, January 28, 2013

A Creative Week

I'm taking the Creative Every Day challenge. 

Here are some highlights from the past week:

Monday:  Cake Decorating with my daughter.



Tuesday:  Working on a painting

In Progress
Wednesday:  Inspiration Cards

Mandalas and watercolors

Friday and Saturday:  Jewelry, jewelry, jewelry (if I keep typing it, I might be able to spell it correctly.)




Sunday:  Puppet making



I'm just soaking it all in!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Jewelry Party

My Earrings
Libby Dow's Earrings

Libby and I did more experimenting-this is her design


Bev's design
On Friday night, I hosted a little jewelry making party at my house.  The amazing Shannon Crandall came and opened our eyes to the beauty of creating with beads and metal.  I actually met Shannon through Flora Bowley's course,  braveintuitiveyou.  I've never invited a virtual stranger into my home before, but I am so glad I did!  It was so affirming to have another fellow artist to talk with and share ideas. I could have talked to her all night!  I am so inspired by her work and am excited to take more of her classes. Particularly painting as she uses collage elements in her work and I am completely in love with it.

Libby Dow and I are now addicted to making jewelry.  Right now I have a puppet to make for Ignite, a cake to bake for my daughter's cake decorating class, the ever present laundry to do, and all I want to do is SMASH METAL. 

Libby and I are even thinking of putting together a little collection of jewelry for a local craft show. We may even post some for sale online.  Thank you Shannon, for lighting the way to our new little venture. 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Supporting Joy




"I make it a priority to do the things that I am passionate about even when I don’t see them directly leading to any beneficial thing in my life other than supporting my own joy." 
-Christina Seitz howtobeagoddess.net

I so love that my daughter is creative.  I love that she doesn't judge herself harshly.  That comparison hasn't snaked it's damaging head in just yet.  That she's still free to explore and create without censure. Without purpose even, other than to enjoy herself. She reminds me of what creating art should be-Fun! Free! And alive with color and energy.  

She's teaching me that not knowing how is ok- just make it up and it will turn out fine-that's what being creative is about. Not knowing gives you the opportunity to put your own spin on it.  She's a little bit of a rebel in that way.

My job, as I see it, is to keep this freedom alive in her.  I do it by finding it in myself and practicing.  Practicing setting aside judgement, expectation, critique of any kind.  Just giving myself permission to explore freely. To never be critical, of my own art or hers.  To look for what we most like in each other's art and to improve on those things.

I'm grateful to have such an excellent teacher. 
 
Rose pens made of duct tape
Rose Detail

Mandalas    
Weaving


Using yarn, lace and ribbon




Sunday, January 6, 2013

Bird of Possibility

My painted blackbird

This blackbird is a diversion from what I've come to consider my painting style.  Typically I have many layers of paint that eventually come together.  This blackbird just appeared quickly and I like the simplicity of it.  I can't bring myself to change it.

One of the things I discovered in my painting this week is my tendency to not want to mess things up.  To not take risks because I might make it worse.  To stay in a place that seems comfortable instead of pushing forward.  Then I noticed how many ways I stay stuck because things are "ok" and I don't want to make them worse.  

But in staying comfortable, I close the door on what's possible.  On what might be spectacular.  Staying with "ok" because I don't want to make it worse, is FEAR whispering in my ear.  Painting is a safe space to practice taking risks.  Being bold.  Messing it up.  It doesn't matter. What matters is what you're discovering.  Like you've been living in fear and haven't even noticed. 

Where are you settling for ok in your own life?  Where are you nervous to take risks for fear of making things worse?  Where are you willing to open a little to let the possibilities pour in?

Pick up a paintbrush with a child like heart and no attachment to the outcome, and see what you discover.


My daughter's IPAD version in Drawcast
Some quick research on black bird symbolism from What's your sign:

Birds robed in black do not give up their secrets easily. They love to watch us marvel over their messages. Black birds demand our commitment to learning their wisdom, and do not reveal their meanings unless they are convinced we've devoted ourselves completely to the path of understanding (both dark and light sides of) energy. 


This is a fundamental concept of alchemy which is: Transition and Transformation. The bird is symbolic of life in the heavens (higher ideals, higher path of knowing) and the color black is symbolic of pure potential. Between the two, there is no limit to human transformation - all we have to do is close the shutters of the rational mind, and start sojourning with our darkly feathered friends.
Black birds (in general) are archetypes of living life in higher realms, and are symbolic of:
  • Higher Intelligence
  • Higher Thought
  • Higher Ideals

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Trust


Feminine Wisdom



TRUST is my word right now.  
Not necessarily for the New Year, but for now.  
It's not the kind of trust that first comes to mind, like trusting a friend with a secret or trusting someone with your life savings.  
No.  It's a different kind of trust.  
The kind that is a deep knowing and believing that everything that happens is what is supposed to happen.

Even if right now it seems sucky.
And you hate it.
And it feels like the worst thing that could possibly happen.  
Thing is, you can't possibly know that.  
You can't know that it would be better the way YOU wanted it to go.  
You only have what IS.  What actually happened. 
You can rail against it, but it still is, and you only suffer in fighting it.

So, you have a choice.  
You can suffer and replay in your mind how things SHOULD be different.  
Or, you can choose to trust.  

Trust that the reason will some day become apparent.  
You just can't see it right yet, with the mighty shoulds blinding you.  
But inside this thing that you are suffering, might be a gift that takes some time to come into the light.  
It may even turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you.

The thing is, I know this about trust.  
I know it in my head.  
But painting is teaching me to experience it.  
To push up against the edge of something that I want to be different and to not give up because I don't like it. It gets to a point where you just surrender what it looks like and paint what you feel.  
And that's when it starts to get good...

Pick up a paintbrush.  Put down a line.  A shape.  A mash of colors.  You might come to a place of having serious issues with what you've done.  
You might lose faith in your "so called abilities".  
You may think you have no business even picking up a paintbrush.  
BUT....if you can stay with it-if you can sit in that place of discomfort and angst, if you can just keep going even though you would rather put down your brush and weep-if you KEEP GOING with trust in your heart-eventually you will find what you came to the canvas to paint.

It might take a LOT of layers.  
It might even take many transformations.  
It is not your business to know how it SHOULD unfold.  
It is your job to stay and continue on.  
Do the work and watch what shows up.
On your canvas and in your life.