Getting Ready for Christmas

It’s time to get ready for my favorite season.  Yesterday the tree went up and our grandson helped me decorate.  He didn’t want to put the angels on, “angels are for girls,” so I did those.  Our decorations have changed the last few years.  In the past we’ve had two trees, one tall skinny one in the living room, a fake tree that held all white lights and my angel collection and one live tree in the family room that held colored lights, all of Marshall’s Santa ornaments and an assortment of other special homemade and gift ornaments.

Now it’s one tree, the tall skinny tree in the den, all white lights and an assortment of angels, a few Santa ornaments (most of Marshall’s have gone to his house) and other special homemade and gift ornaments.  Each ornament brings back a memory of Christmases past and special friends.  Next I’ll bring out the other decorations for the table, the mantle and the living room.

Oh and we have one small tree that once lived in our kitchen and held kitchen tools as ornaments.  During the Christmas season it now lives on our stairway landing serving as a nightlight. It becomes a single angle, the top is a needlepoint piece I did years ago when I still did that type of thing.

One Christmas custom that hasn’t changed, I do a painting or drawing that becomes our Christmas card.  The last several years it has been a winter scene.  Here are two of them.

This year I’ve been stitching and thought I might not get a card done but this sketch I discovered in one of my sketchbooks and I think it may get done in time, if not for Christmas at least a New Years card.  The sketch is from a photo shared by a wetcanvas friend for one of the weekend drawing events.  I started it in November but didn’t get back to it until this weekend and then I found a challenge on the wetcanvas site and it fit what I was writing about this week.  Here’s a link to the challenge

I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas Season, it’s a beautiful time of the year and a good time to say thank  you for all of the blessings in my life, including all of you who read my blog.

sketching and stitching

I never know where my muse may take me.  I certainly never expected to be making stuffed birds but

The owl came first inspired by one of my Chi O sisters posting one on her Facebook page, thank you Ronda.  This isn’t what she posted but hers got me thinking and the next thing I knew I had four birds done.  The other two are small and sit in a nest which is yet to be made.  I learned a bunch making these and will do another owl with ears the right size and in the right place.  In the meantime I’ve got some new doll ideas swimming around in my head so who knows where my muse is going to take me next.  In the meantime….

I’m still sketching in my sketchbook.  These two are from one of the wetcanvas weekend drawing events last month.  This past weekend I did one that didn’t come out at all like I planned.  I was doing some experimenting and learned what didn’t work so it was worth doing anyway.  This is it…

This is the weekend and I’ve got another wetcanvas image in mind to do before I get back to stitching.

Hopefully before he goes off to college

This quilt top was ready to quilt last spring.  That shadow is me taking the photo.  The quilt is for our niece Margot’s baby boy.  But he’s a little boy now, no longer a baby.  Frankly, I was afraid to quilt it.  I’ve done a lot of stitching and done some quilting but the biggest quilting task I’d ever taken on was a table runner.  I started quilting this the same way I’d done the table runner, just stitching with a regular everyday foot on my machine.  WRONG…. oh so wrong.  

So I broke down and bought a walking foot.  Did some practice on other projects but still avoided the baby quilt.  Fear of messing up had me.  This past week I was reading one of Julia Cameron’s books on Creativity and she talked about just that type of fear.  She suggested it wasn’t fear of the project not being perfect, it might be fear of the person doing the project not being perfect.  Well, I have to admit, that hit home.  Often, if I think I can’t do it perfect I don’t do it.  At least not if anyone else is going to see it. 

Well, our niece already knows I’m not perfect so let’s just dive in and get this thing done before Zepher is off to college.  So yesterday I spent the afternoon in my sewing room happily stitching away.  No, it isn’t perfect but not bad.  Now to do the binding, hmmmm.  I’ll wait a bit, practice another couple small projects and then dive in.  At least I can get it done before pre-school I hope.

A Red Challenge

I picked this image from this week’s Weekend Drawing Event challenge over at wetcanvas.  If there’s a water related image that will usually be my choice.

I mentioned in an earlier post that we lost Deano, a friend that always participated in the WDEs.  He always included a bit of red somehow into his paintings so the challenge this week was to include red into our own.  Since there was red in the lighthouse that didn’t seem to me to be in the spirit of the challenge.  Deano painted in oils and acrylics which means working dark to light.  With watercolor one works light to dark.  Red isn’t considered a light but I figured I would give it a try anyway.  This is how that dark started.

I had to do several washes of green over it to cover the red but I like the end result.  A bit of the red shows through which warms the background.  I think Deano would have liked the result too.

What Do Wine And January Have In Common?

Art Prize and Art Walk are done for 2014. The next big art event here in Grand Haven happens in January. It’s Wine About Winter and plans are underway for another good time.

More on that another day.  Today I want to share some favorites from Art Walk and Art Prize.

ArtWalk, I had two favorites, one was in C2C’s window

The other one was in Gallery Uptown’s window.  I don’t have a photo of that one but it was a large piece, a battleground of the Civil War done with his fingernail and palm prints.

There was a tribute to the DIA at the Fire Barn Gallery.  I haven’t seen it in person yet.  The day I was there it was advertised as open but it wasn’t.  I’m hopeful that it will stay up for awhile and I will get to see it.  Local artists did their interpretation of one of the works that the DIA owns.   Here’s a link to the Firebarn Gallery.

Another fun part of Art Walk was the Sunday on the Grand project.  Mine is far from done, as it is evolving it’s a totally different image than what I was seeing in my head and I think I want to back up a bit and try and go more in the direction I originally planned.  Here it is today….

And here’s a link to a bunch of the finished pieces….

And here is my entry in Art Walk this year.,,

It’s at the Tri Cities Historical Museum and work at that venue will be up through October 24 so if you haven’t seen them, there is still time;

 

Art Walk is Grand Haven’s response to Art Prize which happens in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is one of the biggest art shows in the world as far as prize money is concerned.  My favorites this  year… there was a Zoo on Fulton Street, we happened on it on the way to see Catherine McClung’s Birds of the Bible. 

The Zoo was full of animals made from recycled items.  I love when people do that.  This lion was one of my favorites.  I wish I had taken more photos there. 

Here are links to my other favorites, http://www.artprize.org/gretchyn-lauer/2014/outcry,   http://www.artprize.org/anila-quayyum-agha/2014/intersections

and finally, this mosaic…http://www.artprize.org/sandra-bryant/2014/into-the-autumn-wood

Did you visit Art Walk or Art Prize?  If so, what was your favorite.

He will be missed.

In my last post I mentioned the Weekend Drawing Event over at wetcanvas.com.  This week we learned that one of the artists that always participated has died.  None of us knew he was ill.  Not only was Deano a wonderful artist, he was a great cheerleader for all of us who participated.  His art and his presence will be missed by many.  I’ve long admired his work and had been thinking it was about time I bought one of his pieces.  I hope I can still get one.  The image above is the one I did while watching the Michigan football game.  I think not concentrating too hard on the painting is a good thing sometimes.

Meanwhile, I’ve done a few more images from the week before.  I haven’t been doing them daily but I’ve been fairly regular.  The one about is from this past weekend.  The week before there were several I liked so I saved them and will do them later.  These two are from the same photo, different crop….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is from the same area of England, it was fun remembering some of the places we saw while we were there.  Not these specific places but similar.

And then remembering that I had saved several from weeks past but hadn’t done them, I started another one.  This is one that came from Robert who is in France.  This is a French B&B that I intend to add color to one of these days.

And today is Tuesday, the day I paint with my Tuesday Morning Group.  I haven’t scanned that one yet but it’s a beautiful fall day, rainy but colorful.  I’ll get it scanned soon.

Arches Always Get Me…

 

I love wetcanvas.com.  It’s a website with all kinds of information for artists but my favorite thing is the WDE, Weekend Drawing Event.  Artists from around the world participate and share images so I can travel to places I may never see in person.  Every weekend one of the participating artists posts 15 or 16 images and the rest of us pick one and hope to get it done in two hours. 

I haven’t had an opportunity to participate as much as I like to but this weekend I did.  While watching a very good football game (in spite of the outcome) I did a drawing of Tintern Abbey ruins (13th cent.) in South Wales.  I may never get back to the UK but this image reminded me of our trip there more than 20 years ago.  At that time we visited Holy Island and the ruins there are similar. I have done several paintings and drawings with a similar theme, part of an ongoing Sacred Spaces series.  This is graphite in a 9x12 sketchbook that I think I’m going to dedicate to WDEs.  This is the first sketch in the book.

Another Medium

You already know I love to try new things.  This time it was lampwork beads.  No, I am not going to become a bead maker; however, it was fun and because it was such fun playing with my good friend GG Havens Reid who is both an inspiration and an extraordinary glass artist.

GG suffered a stroke late in 2013 and has been fighting her way back.  She gave me a lesson in bead making and because she’s fun and it’s easier for me to go to her studio than it is for her to come to mine, I’m going to go back and make a few more.  These three are for my sister.

This past month, doing a daily post inspired me to post more regularly.  I may not post daily but I do think I can commit to more than once a week.

In addition to whatever I’m working on, I’d like to introduce you to some artists whose work I admire. Some are personal friends here in my neck of the woods and some are internet friends and finds. All of them do work I admire so it will tell you a bit about my eclectic taste; however, it’s not about my taste it’s about introducing you to some really good and interesting artists.

I’ve already told you a bit about GG and earlier a bit about Catherine McClung being in the top 25 at Art Prize, as of this writing she’s still there.  You all may have seen Catherine’s work and not known it. I first saw her work many years ago, long before I knew her personally.

I was looking at Christmas dishes and fell in love with “Winter Greeting,” a set of dishes with a cardinal on it. I don’t have any of it but I got this image from Google to show you.

This is just one of Catherine’s many works that appear on Lennox China.  Her bird paintings are outstanding, you can see her work and learn a little more about her at Gallery Uptown, downtown Grand Haven, and on the gallery website

Last Day Of The Challenge, Art Prize And A Roster

I had a full day of art today so didn’t do a daily; instead I did a lot of starts and a sketch.  The sketch was done with my Tuesday morning painting buddies at Park-King Farm, owned by Pam Park and Jean King.  Jean is one of our Tuesday morning group.  This is two views of Captain Midnight and one of the hens.  He wasn’t cooperative; none of them were.  They just didn’t want to stay still.  Oh well, it was fun anyway and I did get some photos.

Checking my e-mail after lunch I learned that another artist friend is one of the top 25 in Art Prize, here’s a link to Catherine McClung’s “Birds of the Bible” Mural.  It’s outstanding….

Then this afternoon I spent with another fantastic artist, Annie Morgan.  I played with my Geli plate and have several starts.  Here are a couple of those

 

And tonight, my class at church and more Geli plate printing.  A good day making art.

Because A House Is Being Lifted

I did a pear today.  The house a few houses down from us is being raised up so the basement can be used.  Warner was curious so we all wandered down to watch as they work on the area around the foundation getting ready to move.  Warner also found a pear tree and brought a pear home with him.  When he was off to school I said I was going to draw the pear.  “Don’t draw on the pear.”  I assured him I wouldn’t but asked if it was okay if I drew it on paper.  “Yes, that will be fine; but not on the pear.”

Back home from school he saw the little painting, he said he liked it then added “but you didn’t draw on the pear did you?”  No, the pear doesn’t have a mark on it and my challenge is done for today.

A Painting That Isn’t A Painting

Today I spent some time in my sewing studio so the challenge painting is actually fabric, a small placemat.  It’s small enough for a cup of coffee and a roll…. or a glass of wine and some crackers with cheese on them.  It was good to be stitching because I remembered that I haven’t mastered a nice mitered corner binding on a quilt and I have one that really needs to be done right.  So more practice is needed. 

But the same is true for my sketching, daily practice in that is good and this challenge has got me back into the habit so I may get one of those done too.  There’s still time since we have nothing on the calendar tonight.

Art Walk and I Got A Sunflower

Neutrals have a place –

but not as the dominant colors of your life!

 

Grand Rapids has Art Prize, Grand Haven has Art Walk.  Both started this week and one of the fun events here in Grand Haven was a concert outside the bookman, one of our favorite haunts.  In addition to some fun music, I got a sunflower so that’s my painting for today.

More Challenge Than I Need At Times

“Don’t ask the Lord to guide your footsteps

if you are not willing to move your feet.”

And yesterday and today I haven’t been willing to move my feet.  A cold has taken hold and I’m hoping it will let go soon.  I didn’t get another one done yesterday as I said I would; however, I did manage to get this one done this morning.

And now, in spite of feeling lousy, I see outside it is sunny and bright so I’m going to take a walk.  Perhaps that will be the cure, get those feet moving!

The Challenge & A Different Kind of Challenge

First the 30 day challenge, day 23 finally got downloaded today.  Tuesday my Tuesday Morning Painting Group went out to Rosey Mound, a dune that is part of the Ottawa County Park System. 

We were hoping for color but there wasn’t any; that;s the nice part about being a painter rather than a photographer, one can add or change colors.

This is one of several experiments I did yesterday.  The orange and turquois was the start done with a Gelli Plate.  The photo was added using hand sanitizer and a transparency. This is one of those “I have no idea where this piece is going but I’m liking it so far.”

Yesterday was one of those fun art days when artist friends get together and do some experimenting.  Annie Morgan and I did just that yesterday morning. Brenda Mattson joined us in the afternoon.

I’ve used this image in an earlier work. This is a small watercolor monotype.

It’s available at the Gallery Uptown.

Annie and I both love old buildings and doors and we don’t know if this is one of my photos we shared or one of her photos we shared.

Okay so yesterday I didn’t actually finish a painting, Art Walk is underway and after leaving my art buddies I went to a reception.  No more art finished; however, I will get something done today. 

The Challenge, A Drawing

 

This time it’s more a drawing than a painting.  it’s good to practice getting around the object without masking so that is what I did today.

I have no idea why I like to draw feathers but I do; these two came home from the beach today. 

Short post, it’s been a long day.

The Challenge & A Collection

Today’s piece is from a collection that started when my aunt gave me the brushes my uncle had used in his work.  He was a commercial artist though he called himself a sign painter.  I’ve given some of those brushes away to special folks who would appreciate them.  Some I use regularly and some I just enjoy looking at and remembering.

Some in my collection are much used and beyond help but I still love them because they were my dad’s.  He too was an artist, his passion was model boats but I only have art he did as a child.  I do have some of his brushes though.

And then there are two shaving brushes, one from dad and one from my husband.  And my favorite, the one I painted, was a gift from my husband for my birthday last year.  The brush is for wiping away the eraser leavings… the white end is an eraser.  Here are those three along with the bottle I painted yesterday.  And as I look at this I think it would make a nice still life… maybe one a day when I have more time.

I had extra time after church today, it’s a rainy one so afternoon plans changed.  I had planned to go to Nature’s Creative Edge in Fruitport but it’s not much fun in the rain.  It’s 5 plus acres of groomed trails with displays by floral designers and artists from around the nation. Worth seeing but I’ll have to miss this year.  It’s always this time of year and this is the first time since I learned about it that it has rained.  It opened Friday and that was a beautiful day but I was out of town, bummer.

The Challenge & Remembering Family

This is one of the squirt bottles I have in my studio.  It doesn’t work anymore but I like the looks of it so it stays.  I did it today, missed yesterday.

I briefly considered doing two today but decided that really wasn’t fair; besides I had a clutter clearing project going on and that took up most of the day. 

So the missed day… I traveled back and forth across the state for a burial.  It hurts to be losing friends and family.  As I thought about it on the drive home I realize that as much as I love where I live and the many friends I have here, I miss the family feeling that is still very much alive in the block where I grew up.  Jerry Taylor was part of that family.

Actually, his wife is my sister’s husband’s sister so we are family. We’ve known Caroline and her family since early childhood, I think I was 9 when they moved into the neighborhood. There are 4 houses between their house and ours and everyone in between and on either side are also family, and all of their kids.  That was truth when I was 9 and is still truth today.  I don’t get over there often but when I do it’s like I never left.  Even if someone new moves into the neighborhood, they immediately become part of the family.  It’s a good feeling and I’m glad to see that the feeling continues.

The Challenge Continues

Lemons from the bowl on our Hoosier Cabinet.  This time I combined watercolor and watercolor crayons.  I think it may be time to start a bit more experimenting on these small pieces. 

A short post

It’s late but I want to get this posted before the day ends,

the flowers are fake but I love all the color on the pot and the flowers were in it when I got it at our church bazar.  Day 17 is done and I am off to bed.

Day 16 and an Art Day

This one was fun, done in Central Park with my Tuesday morning group.  I usually do two on Tuesdays but not today. Today I left early to join a couple other friends for what I consider artist dates.  Yes, I read Julia’s book and I think it’s a great practice – the artist date.

Anyway, we spent the rest of the day in Holland, first in a delightful shop called Seedlings.  All sorts of things from beads and fabric scraps to metal things and glass jars and bottles.  I will be going back there often.

From there, lunch and then to the Holland Arts Council for the All Michigan All Media exhibit.  I’d be interested to know what others thought of that exhibit.

Once back in Grand Haven I had my Creativity Class at church.  Now day is done and I’m ready to sleep.  I’ll be back tomorrow.

The Challenge

Half way there.  Today was a busy one but I did manage to get day 15 done, a simple apple but as I look at it, I’m really quite pleased with the colors.

In addition playing with my grandson I also did a bit more on the Art Walk project  though I didn’t take another photo.  I have no idea how it’s going to end up because it is going in a totally different direction than I had planned. I’m not judging yet.

I read a great post today on Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s blog.  A reminder for all artists and number 2 is where I am with my Artwalk project.

“Fifteen things to give up to be happy with your art…..

1. Give up your need to always be right.

You guys, art making should be fun!  Needing to do it "right" can be very inhibiting to the creative process.  I believe that coloring outside of the lines and using materials in ways that feel good to you -- even if they're "wrong" -- is awesome.  

2. Give up your need for control.

Watching every brush stroke and needing the finished piece to look like the image in your head can be very discouraging.  I work very hard at embracing "mistakes" as creative opportunities.  I try to let the art take me where it wants to go.  I believe that spontaneity is vital to art making.

3. Give up on blame.

We all wish we had more time, more talent, and more supplies.  I think that when you get rid of that blaming talk and embrace what you do have, you're a happier artist!  Do the best that you can with whatever you've got and be proud of yourself for it!

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk.

Tell the voice in your head to shut up.  Mine is very loud, so I crank up the  music in my studio so that I can't hear it.  Someone once said to me, "People are always going to tear you down.  Why would you give them a head start by tearing yourself down first?"  You are an awesome artist!  Say it every day and one day you'll start to believe it!

5. Give up your limiting beliefs.

I have heard so many people say, "I can't draw," or "I'm not an artist."  I've said those things myself.  They're not true.  I always felt that because I couldn't draw a photographic representation of something that I wasn't an artist.  I've learned two things: that's not the only definition of an artist and I am a better draw-er than I thought, especially with disciplined practice.  Whatever belief is holding you back from being the artist you want to be -- let it go!  You can fly!

6. Give up complaining.

Complaining takes away energy and focus and makes the arting process less fun.  Focus on what you love about your studio, your supplies, the art you're creating...all of it!  I once read a happiness study that blew my mind.  They tested people's happiness and then divided them into two groups.  Group one was left alone as a control group.  Group two was told to write down five things they were grateful for every single day.  Guess what?  At the end of the study group two was markedly more happy than group one!  Focus on the positive rather than the negative and you will be happy with your art making!

7. Give up the luxury of criticism.

Criticism and critique are two different things.  Looking at a piece -- yours or someone else's -- and analyzing what you like and don't like about it and why, is a good thing.  It's a learning experience.  Simply criticizing art -- yours or someone else's -- is a negative experience.  I believe the trick is analyze why something works for you or doesn't.  If you can't answer why, it's not useful feedback because the issue can't be fixed or learned from. 

8. Give up your need to impress others.

Man, oh, man, this one is tough for me.  I want people to love what I do.  On some level I need people to love what I do.  I have to remind myself daily that my worth as an artist is not tied into blog comments and instagram likes and Facebook comments.  It's difficult.  That said, some of the best art I've ever created was when I let go of doing what I thought was "cool" or would sell, and did what I wanted to do.  

9. Give up your resistance to change.

It's so easy to get stuck in an art rut.  Something works so you keep doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it.  Remember, you learn more from failure than from sucess.  I believe that to grow as an artist I must keep taking risks and doing things that make me uncomfortable.  That's why I love my art journal so much!  It's a super low risk forum for exploring new ideas and materials.

10. Give up labels.

People ask me all the time what kind of artist I am.  I'm the kind who makes art.  I'm also a crafter.  I'm also a scrapbooker.  I'm also a beader.  I'm also a quilter.  I'm lots of things and having to shove myself in one box is silly.  It makes me feel limited.  Labels are limiting.  Why do we need to define creativity? 

11. Give up on your fears.

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."  Or how about, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it."  Fear is a self-imposed limit.  Don't limit your art.  What's the worst thing that can happen?  And even if that terrible thing did happen, we're not talking a life and death situation, right?  I say, kick fear in the pants and keep pushing onward!

12. Give up your excuses.

Sometimes it's easier to find a reason why you can't make art than to go into your art space and get going.  I'm a great believer that you'll find time to do what is important to you.  If art making isn't important to you, that's 100% okay.  Excuses are guilt-inducing.  Art is guilt-free zone.  Seriously, it has no calories!  ;)  And, anyway, we all go through phases. There are plenty of times that I don't feel like making art.  Rather than make an excuse, I embrace my mood and go do something else I enjoy, guilt free!

13. Give up the past.

So you were told that you couldn't draw or you weren't creative. So what?!  This is now.  

So you tried art journaling or scrapbooking or crochet and you weren't good at it.  So what?!  This is now.

Don't let the past dictate your future.  Art making is a practice like any other.  Practicing daily is the key to getting to where you want to be.  Looking back isn't helpful.

14. Give up attachment.

If you take away one thing from this list, please take this one.  The single biggest leap in my art has been from letting go of the preciousness of things I liked in my art.  By being brave and covering it up, cutting it in half, or "ruining" it, I have created works of art that I love love love!  I have grown and flourished as an artist because I don't let myself get attached.  When I teach, I call it "killing your babies."  Sometimes in art, you have to kill your baby.  It will be okay.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations.

There are plenty of people who smile sympathetically when I tell them I'm an artist.  In fact, at a recent event for "professionals" -- doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, finance people – they frowned on me calling myself a professional. After I left I had to it shrug it off,  I love what I do!  Let's not lose track of that fact!  Oh, I gave up one being a good housekeeper years ago.  I'd rather spend that half hour in my studio. “

The Challenge & Sunday on the Grand

Today I worked on the Art Walk project, Sunday on the Grand.  It’s a long way from done but it is taking shape.

Here is the start

And when I last posted….

So, I didn’t get to a daily today; can I count this even though it’s a long way from done?

I did day 13 last night when I returned to Grand Haven after celebrating a friend’s 75th birthday celebration on the other side of the state.

I also got a bit of sorting and clearing of clutter in my studio so it was a productive day.

Day 12 A Day Late

 

It was a busy one and I didn’t get to this until last night while we were watching a movie.  The geraniums sit on our coffee table. 

Today I’m heading across the state for a birthday party and may not get back until late so I’ll be playing catch up again. But I will catch up!

30 in 30 Days, Day 11

Today I was remembering 9/11 as were many here in the U.S.

However, I was also remembering Commerce School, the two room schoolhouse where Miss Dewey came once a week to give us art lessons.  It was my favorite time in school.  My little painting today is why I was remembering.

This little mosaic votive candle holder is one I made.  I don’t know why I don’t do more mosaics because I do love them.  So why do they remind me of Miss Dewey?  Because she taught us about mosaics, showed us pictures of some beautiful mosaics done with glass and ceramics.  I was in love and so excited that we were going to learn how to do it.  That is until I learned that we were going to cut up construction paper (horrid colors) and make a fake one.  That was the only time Miss Dewey disappointed me. 

Today I also did a bit more on the ArtWalk project I talked about earlier.  It is a long ways from done but you can see a few changes and a bit of color.  Much of what you see may not be visible when it’s finally done; I really don’t know where it’s going to go from here.  I still need to add more grass and a sky and then I’ll begin adding collage materials.  Who knows.  Here is where I am now and what I started with.  This one is definitely an experiment.