Endings and Beginnings

The two go hand and hand. Some people might put the beginning before the ending but I have always found that when I thought something was over it led to something new. Doors open and we walke through and find what is in our soul. If we are dark we find sadness and grief. IF we are light we feel hopeful and joy. The key is look for the best in everything and work at it. Not to be pollyanna's but to express ourselves in a way that is helpful and I don't know what but we have to try.

Death has been a handmaiden this week. Our community grows by the day but the core of who we are can be rocked by the sudden death of someone. It can be a small bump or a large boulder. I can only do what I am drawn to do. Be there for the ones I love and care for.

I am socially awkward. I recognize and fight with this reality. I sometimes plunge myself into situations because if I don't I believe I will find myself all alone and in despair. It is better to risk some small embarressment and to be rewarded with laughter than to hide.

With all this rambling I am going to say that I believe today will be better.

wake up sleepy head

Took antihistamine in the middle of the night and having a hard time waking up. So much to do! Really need to start cleaning out closets, cupboards and studio. Need to get shelving for the new studio space so I can move what I clean from old work area to new space so I don't just stack up in the old while cleaning. Maybe if I go ahead and buy a new bed for the area Iwon't have any room and will be forced to purge. Ha Ha. Good plan but doubt it gets implemented.

Blogging is helpful the more i do it the freeer I get to write. The last sentence is really incorrect in so many ways but I'm leaving it be. Julia Cameron talks about daily pages but I don't think she intended them to be written on a computer. What do yo think? Does it manifest the same feeling of emptying the mind of clutter to allow the creative process to work? Can I let go of my insecurities and tasks at hand and put them in a place that is lets be real very public. I don't think anyone has read this blog. I've received no comments but I never leave comments on blogs. I've tried and it seems to be labor intensive. Now that I have a blog it may be easier. Needt to test the theory. It probably takes a lot more words to fill the space. Don't know how many letters typed equals three pages hand written. I cheated and used smaller books. When i started I used legal pad. That was a lot of words. I love the blue ink against the yellow paper. There is an esthetic to handwriting that you don't get with the black against white background in the font of the typewriter. Maybe i should change my font an font size or I should go back to the handwritten and let the blog falter. i could make more concise installments on the blog with useful info and not ramblings. lots ot think about but in themeantime i think i will leave a photo.

Meeting up with other artists.

Went to a meet up in Dallas to connect with other artists. The new members outnumbered the existing members. I think this represents the slowdown in art revenue and the need for artists to network. It also represents the need for artists to meet and recognize other artists to help feed their own creativity. When you know you are not alone in a need to create, it opens your ability to really dig into your creativity well and produce. I didn't take any pictures but it was a great group of people. Surprising a lot of statements about being "loners". Are you a loner because you need time by yourself to create or are you a loner because you are uncomfortable with the norms of society who do not understand artistic temperament? Maybe both.

Creating art for a particular event?

The art of creation should be joyous. When I try to create for a specific venue I often find myself second guessing what I should produce. See the difference. Produce (like in a product) not create (like in a piece of art). I am much better when I let go of where the art is going to be seen and just make the art that I am led to create. I am not saying that sometimes a prompt by an art club or a theme of an art show is not helpful to the creation process. But letting myself play with the idea of what needs to be created and the materials to create with, well that is a joy.

These little guys found me in an attic mall several years ago and have sat on my shelf wating for a fitting display of their attitude. A "fantasy" prompt led to me placing them in this small drawer with the floating balls and the big top finial. This piece may not be appreciated by the group that led to their new home but it makes me smile and will be displayed in my hope.

Guess I need to be more careful

My last post went before I was ready. Not sure what buttong I pushed to make that happen. My typing background does not always jibe with the keyboard.

It is really cold. I mean really. Windchill of zero? First white christmas in 80 years. Snow already twice before we got to January. Hoping that pipes are not bursting after the thaw.

Back to art. Wednesday has always been a haven in the week. A time to chill with friends and kickback and let my art flag fly. Now as in so many other things the dirty head of politics has arisen. I want to travel the middle and make every one happy but that is not going to happen. Hopefully we will survive but I cannot take another year of trying to make everyone happy.

Its too cold to do encaustic outside and I do not have a setup in my studio to handle the fumes. Thing I will try some painting and jewelry until it warms up. (Since I live in Texas that could be next week.)

I also cannot wait until I get my new glasses. The pic above is blurry but that is how my vision is affecting nearly all my work.

Just a little wind chill?

View from the gallery

I am way excited to have work in a local gallery. They want more pieces but that is the scary part. They accepted the works from our member show but to take other pieces to be criticized for entry is making me a nervous wreck. Of course I like all my art but not sure if it is want they want. It has been too cold to work outside with the encaustic so no newer pieces to give. Question is should I just take old work or to take longer to create new?