More Starry Night

My first ever watercolor. I like Van Gogh. I think 'cuz he's messy. I can do messy. Note to self...pencil lines cannot be erased after you paint over them. The micron pen came in handy though. Fun. I like playing with art.

Creative Wednesday...Starry Night

Yesterday was my birthday! Now I have to change the "about me" section to make it 41 instead of 40.

Spent yesterday playing with paint and playing with photoshop. Mom got me a tutorial for my birthday. Thanks Mom! Going to play with watercolors today, I think. That's what the sketch is for. Not sure how to make it look "Van Gogh-y" with watercolors. Thinking about maybe using crayons or oil pastels first. Don't know, we'll see what happens. Also thinking of trying to do "Starry Night" with paper as a collage. I think that's my assignment for awhile..."Starry Night" in as many mediums as I can think of. Just to learn and play and experiment and learn and have fun without any pressure. How many mediums can I think of? Acrylic (I used oil pastels and a sharpie on that one but don't tell), watercolor, paper, crayons, oils, fabric, ummmm, painting on glass, jewelry (??? how? I don't know), clay, print block- either carved or clay-sculpted, yarn (I'm not saying I know how to do starry night with yarn, I'm just brain storming), diorama-oooh, that'd be fun, markers, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, oil-pencils, oil pastels, scratch art whatever the arsty-fartsy technical name for that is...scrafito?, whatever., beads...really? how time consuming would that be?-flowers, food-frosting on a cake... food coloring on bread..., ooh, Starry Night using only things found in my kitchen, Macaroni art! I'm amusing the hell out of myself. Photoshop...that would kill two birds with one stone. Just thinking on the page. Time to go play now...

Progress Check

More than 7 weeks into The Altered Life Project... Progress check.

House is cleaner more often. I am excercising at least 4 days a week. Doing my morning pages every morning. More in touch with myself, I'm a little annoyed that after almost 41 years, I'm still "finding myself". Discovering what I like, what I don't like and getting more vocal about it. Becoming a little more willing to experiment artistically. Willing to make 'bad" art in order to get to "good" art. Example...

Conversation I had with Kelly last week...

Kelly: "What ya doin'?"

Me: " Makin tentacles"

Kelly: "Tentacles? For what?"

Me: " A shit monster"

Kelly: " Oh. A poop goblin."

End of conversation. I don't know if it's good or bad that she gets me so well. Who's ever heard of a shit monster/poop goblin? I hadn't until I started making one. Didn't use the tentacles. At least not yet anyway.

Safer art...

Creative Wednesday

I spend a great deal of time avoiding doing what I enjoy. Why? What sense does that make? I was actually going to spend yesterday cleaning house. There's no reason at all why I can't clean thursday mornings. I don't go into work until 1:00 on thursdays. I did almost have to force myself to go into the studio. I chose something easy. PUMPKINS! Jack o lanterns. Pumpkins!

There's a couple more simple ones, but they are a part of something more that I will have to finish at work. The bases are candlesticks that the glass part broke off of. They were originally a taupe color. I thought they would make good skeleton cages. I was right. I've decided to scratch the big candleabra pumkin idea. It would be very cool, but in order to do what I've got in my head, it would take an enormous amount of time and end up being way too expensive. Maybe, I'll just put it on hold and work on it after christmas for next year.


Genius me! I just offered Maggie & Kelly $30.00 worth of pre-paid minutes if they clean the house today. So worth it. Kelly's asleep, but Maggie said okay. If Maggie ends up doing it all, she can have the minutes. She'll give Kelly the opportunity though. She's good that way. That means, I can go play. Or at the very least, clean up after myself from yesterday. Hooray!

Baby Steps

Self-awareness sucks. Tonight, I gave myself permission to create instead of clean in the "crap room"/craft room/studio. The desk is a mess. I'm embarrassed to post pictures, but maybe it will inspire me to stop doing this to myself...

There is a clean spot on the counter. I could work there. But at the thought of being able to do whatever I want... There's so much I've been wanting to try lately. I have so many supplies and so many ideas, but I panicked. I started cleaning off the desk and putting crap on the clean spot on the counter. I think somewhere in my head, I've convinced myself that as long as I have an excuse not to work, I can believe that "if only" then I could be an amazing artist. If I don't have an excuse not to do it, then there is the possibility that I will fail. Failing isn't so bad. "It is impossible to get better and look good at the same time." Baby steps. Stop making chaos. If I clean up my space, then when I have an idea or an inspiration or just the ability to let myself make "bad" art, I can play. Practice first, then discipline. Baby steps. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Nature Walk

So yesterday I talked to one of my very best friends, Barbara. I had been thinking about The Artist's Way for a couple of weeks and she mentioned that someone had suggested it to her. I don't believe in coincidence. So this morning I wrote my morning pages and took off for my "artists date". I went on a 2 hour walk in the park behind my house. Who knew that New Jersey could be like this? I did. But I forgot.

Left or right? Yes, that is a pile of debris behind my garden gate. My neighbor replaced her fence and it magically appeared. There's bricks in there and big chunks of concrete. They might be useful someday. That sentence right there is why I live in clutter and chaos. I can't throw anything away. Baby steps. I'm making progress. No beating myself up. Back to my walk. Right.

Walnuts and black cherry's. Yum!

If you stay on the asphalt path, you don't risk getting poison ivy. But you don't find black raspberry's either!

Or beautiful spiderwebs...or views like this...

There's a great big field of soy beans. Made me think of Kirby.

Found treasure! And somebody's idea of art in the park.

Baby Steps

Okay, So maybe I haven't been writing every day. But I don't want you to think that I haven't been working on the altered life project every day, because I most definately have. I think I am most proud of myself for letting go of the perfectionism thing that has frustrated me in the past and made me just want to give up. I've finally learned (after 40 years ) that baby steps will get me where I want to go faster then frantically trying to do as much as I can in as little time as I can and exhausting myself. So then I need to "take a break" and then I lose the momentum and then I can't get back on track and then I quit. So, what progress to date? I have developed some new good habits. I run the dishwasher every night and empty the trash. I empty the dishwasher every morning and make my bed. I do my "hoedown" excercise before I get in the shower. I wipe down the bathroom everymorning after getting dressed and doing hair and make-up. I pick up the living room everynight before going to bed. I know these are things that most everybody else does without having to think about it and I don't want a reward for doing what I'm supposed to do, but for me, these are the baby steps that will get me closer to the life that I want. I have made huge progress in the craft room. I still have a long way to go. But I'm not neglecting the rest of the house and I still find time to work on it frequently.

I did make a little art piece that I can't quite figure out how to capture on film. It's covered in wax and buffed so the reflections make it almost impossible to photograph. While cleaning my house, I discovered some older pieces that I've made and thought I like to share. The mermaid doll is an old Barbie. She was jointed so I could pose her. I duct taped the joints and wrapped her leggs together, then covered her with creative paper clay. She was fun. The Tree book was my very 1st venture into any kind of book art. Chelsea was in the 4th grade and came home with a beautiful poem she had written about trees. I wanted to showcase it and so I just made the book. For some reason I don't recall, I never put the date or her or my name anywhere on it. I will address that today.

I'm off to vacuum my floors, then get ready for work.

Day 2

Change makes me grumpy. I excersised, visited flylady.com, shined my sink and I'm posting. I did bring my camera to work, but much to my amazement I discovered that I am too embarassed to walk around the marketplace with my camera. What the hell is that about? I will not beat myself up about it, but I will keep bringing my camera to work and I will get over it and take some pictures on my lunch break. Tomorrow is creative wednesday. I will excersise again, visit flylady, declutter for 15 minutes (at least), work on my resume and for something creative, maybe I will decorate a binder for my "home journal". Two birds, one stone. Will post again tomorrow. With pictures!

Altered LIfe Project

What is the "altered life project"? I suppose it needs to be defined for my sake as much as for anyone elses. I like altering things. All kinds of things. Books, shoes, walls, tables, chairs, my hair, my relationships, my attitude, my life. Define "alter".

Alter (v.) 1. to change or make different; modify 2. to adjust for a better fit 3. to change or become different 4. to cause a transformation 5. to make or become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's former characteristics or essence.

It takes 21 days to form a new habit. Which habits would I like to have? Easy answers first. Same ones everyone else would say first I imagine. I'd like to be healthier, so excercise. I'd like to be more organized. I'd like my house to be clean. I'd like to make art everyday. Or at least do something creative everyday. I'd like to take more risks...no risk, no reward. I'd like to deepen my relationships with my family. I'd like to live a big and full life instead of getting through the day. Don't get me wrong. My life has loads of potential, the only thing really missing from my fabulous life is me. I forget to enjoy, live my life and become focused on the mundane, trivial crap. So...where to begin? First how to silence that nasty voice in my head thats asking me how I'm going to find time in a day to excercise, clean, make art, have deep and meaningful relations with my family, work, and find joy in all the "mundane" things that are part of life?

Just start. With what? What to do first? I feel like I should start one thing at a time, but I want to start in all parts of my life. I can go back to doing the "hoedown" excercise in the morning. Only takes 10 minutes. I can commit to writing here every day. That counts as a good habit. I could revisit "flylady" for some support in getting and keeping my house clean. And I can start carrying my camera around with me so I can feel like I'm getting some art in.

Okay, don't forget to breathe. Tomorrow is officially day 1 of The Altered Life Project. Excercise in the morning. Bring camera to work with me and take pictures on my lunch break. Visit Flylady.com after work and shine my kitchen sink and post here before I go to bed.

Jack-o-lanterns!!!

Okay! Breathe now. Breathing is good. Sister and the boys have come and gone. The visit was too short, but it was good to see them and it is good to have my stress level returned to somewhere below boiling point. Finished a couple more pumpkins before they arrived, but couldn't post pictures because in the flurry of housecleaning, I misplaced the charger for my camera. I tried to call canons 800 # to get another one, but they have it on back order and for some reason weren't able to order it for me at all. The customer service rep tried to help me as best he could and gave me the numbers of a couple of dealers. I had a feeling that as soon as I gave up trying to find it and tried to order a new one, I would find it. I should have done it weeks ago. Found it immediately after hanging up with canon.

So, back to the pumkins...I'm really happy with the way the concrete pumkins turned out. I don't know what got into me with the "punk"in but it cracks me up every time I look at it. The owl was supposed to go on a stand, but it didn't look right, so I have a new plan for the stand. You'll just have to wait and find out if it works or not. Have to get ready for work now.

The Pumpkins Are In!!!!

I know it's just barely summer but the pumpkins came in last week! I've been collecting broken candlesticks, lamp bases and anything else broken that might possibly make a good pumpkin stand for months. I'm not allowed to keep them at work so I'm excited to get them out of the studio. The first two are done. I have visions of pumpkins dancing in my head. The pumpkin on the cement base started out orange. I painted him to match the base. I think he turned out pretty cool. I can't wait to do the large one, but there's an owl I really can't wait to do too.

The orange one was a little too orange to go with the base so I used spray stain on him. It gave him a mottled look that I didn't intend but I like the effect. The hat is just a paper cone (also spray stained) with black puff balls glued on.

It might be a little early to bring them to work yet. I'm hoping to have a whole bunch done by the time we start selling them. The ones we have now are just to get a head start on arrangements and jack o lanterns. Joe's in charge of arrangements, but the jack o lanterns are my domain. I did get some help from Jodi last year. I'm hoping she'll help this year too.

Stay tuned for more...hopefully soon, but my sister and her four boys are supposed to visit next week. Have to find time to tidy the house for company. She's not speaking to me at the moment though so who knows what'll happen. Personally, I'd rather spend my vacation days with my sister and nephews than carving pumpkins but...we'll see.