Bye Bye 2013

Truth Seeker

2013 is winding up. I can hardly believe it. TIME goes so quickly. Life seems to speed up exponentially each year. Maybe it has to do with the percentage of time spent in proportion to our probably time left here on earth? I don’t know, but it sure makes you want to make each moment count.

I remember when summers felt like forever and now I blink and another Christmas is here and gone. I tend to figure my age counting up from the year I was born because otherwise my guesses would be all over the place. Funny, my mind still thinks I am barely out of my twenties. Friends tell me they feel the same so I bet it is a pretty universal feeling.

We forget we are finite. Beginning, middle, and end. I didn’t plan this post to go in this direction but year’s end tends to bring about REFLECTION. An accounting if you will. What have I done so I’ll know where to go. Who am I? Where am I going? .......................

Such deep questions could take a bit more time to PONDER than I have at the moment but maybe a few basic about-me questions and a few art related ones could be fun to share. I'll try and post a more in-depth artsy set later. So here goes for now: (I will try not to over qualify my answers, just know they change amazingly often and even the simplest could get an annoyingly long explanation if I’m not careful)

What and why do I like to create?

Quick gut answer: What- Anything with Heart! Why- It feeds and fills my Soul. I believe God gives us each unique talents and desires and we have a responsibility to nurture and develop them.

Now a few ramblings and specifics on the matter -I particularly love to DRAW to people -always have. Ever since I can remember, I have been pouring over picture books /catalogues /magazines (basically anything with pictures of people in it) I also made lots and lots of paper dolls. I would imagine all sorts of scenarios for my MAKE-BELIEVE families; great grand adventures and mythologies, multiple generations deep. 

Also my head doesn't keep images of specific people very well which may contribute some to my fascination with FACES. This can be very annoying at restaurants as I can never keep up with who is my waiter/waitress unless I very consciously mentally describe them to myself.  I will sometimes introduce myself multiple times to the same person or unintentionally ignore an acquaintance when walking or driving by.  I've learned to compensate pretty well though.

Another part of why I create I think comes from my INSATIABLE CURIOSITY and desire to seek beauty and meaning in life. Being exposed to new ideas, images and experiences gives me such overwhelming pleasure.  I am as much an admirer of art as an artist. I'll post some specific inspirations and inspiring artists in a later blog (I think it would be worth its own post -I'll try and include some links) 

When you add this propensity to observe faces and my fascination with both the natural and spiritual world with my daydreaming tendencies and ta-da ART just happens. It is just the way I like to share my inner world. It can't imagine life without art.

Now a few fun little questions

(Well I think they are fun to share anyway)

What are my favorite numbers? 

3,7,45, 81, & 265.

What are my favorite colors? 

All! Ok, if I must narrow it down, Candy Apple Red, and Changeable Shades of Pale (think snow at sunset).

What is my favorite type of music? 

This one really changes a lot but today I am feeling Carole King, Fun, Billy Joel, Imagine Dragons and 3rd Day. But I truly can’t pick a genre as I honestly love them all; oldies, new, country, classical, techno, alternative, pop, bluegrass,.... I just love MUSIC and I am in awe of those who imagine and create it as well as those who give it life through instruments or voice. A gift, I sadly lack.

What are some of your favorite activities to do besides making art?

Here are just a few -I like to travel and explore new places. I especially enjoy walking through museums, galleries, and botanical gardens.  I like to try new restaurants and recipes.  I like to rock hop streams and walk in the woods, particularly with a camera in hand.  I like to play games and spend time with family and friends.  I like to plan and design buildings and spaces.  I like to spend intimate quiet times in prayer and joyful exuberant times in praise.  I like to dance and scuba dive (although I don't get to very often). Finally I like a nice long bubble bath with scented candles, music, favorite beverage (coffee, beer, or champagne depending) possibly a good book or maybe even good company.

Last question of the day: What would be the perfect gift -not a big grand one like salvation of the world, curing cancer, winning the lottery, etc -just a selfish little desire?

Mine would be 24 hours in Micheals or other Arts and Crafts Store with free access to everything for me and a few friends. Artful Bliss!

This has gotten a little longer than I intended so I'll wrap up -but I wasn't able to post over Christmas so I'm giving myself a little leeway. I hope everyone has an absolutely wonderful New Year's Eve and a most Artful 2014!

Music for Reflection: Carole King's 1971 Tapestry

(What a Great Album!)

ACEO Addiction

I just finished posting several of my ACEOs on Etsy.  These little "snapshots" are such fun to draw.  I can explore ideas or poses relatively quickly and without my usual mess.  Thus allowing me to continue to procrastinate the final bit of paper organization in my studio.  Here is a peek of a series of girls in black and white.

And below a few that I've taken in to Photoshop and colorized bits.  I declare I get such glee playing with hues, saturation, contrast, inverts, etc.  Pushing the little sliders around is simply addictive.  It reminds me of watching a sunset -the sky goes from light to color after color then dark.  Mesmerizing.  I can entertain myself for hours.

I know I have a tendency to overdo the color's intensity sometimes. Yes, I can border on the glaring. My carefully arranged sophisticated palette I so struggle to maintain (LOL) disintegrates in to the mind of a five year old. HAPPY HOT PINKS, VIVID BLUES, and oh my even the occasional NEON GREEN. All the joys of flipping up the top on the 96 mega pack of Crayola crayons back in Kindergarten. Remember the one with the built-in sharpener. Certainly my variations are not all "correct" or even arful but I do hope they make you smile :)

Have a very happy day!
Music to Enjoy: Cyndi Lauper's - Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Earth Mother

Just a quick little post to share a sketch I did his week. 

It is funny as I get older I am much better able to appreciate the wonder of womanhood. Women in particularly I think mellow and bloom as they age. Each stage of life is amazing. Youth has its obvious attributes but I am finding that the subtler ones like perspective and confidence which tend to come a little later are also just as satisfying -at least until I catch a reflective glimpse of myself as I walk through town and then Oh my that perspective can slip a bit. 

But mostly I am good with it all, brambles, thorns, and berries.