Gallery Walk

A good friend video taped part of my solo show gallery walk at the Herb Young Community Center in Cary, North Carolina. She caught me talking about some of the meanings behind "Malachi's Promise" and some of the techniques used in my paintings.

Thanks to Sonya Stead for filming. She and I had our first babies at the same time. She taught herself to play guitar, I learned to quilt. I have solo shows and travel the country teaching. She has a band called Sweet Potato Pie and travels the region performing in places like Branson Missouri. Go Sonya!

Faces on Friday

 At a meeting.

 At the airport.

From an ad for Lion King while on the plane.

At a quilt guild. Sorry ladies - these don't look anything like you and next year I definitely need to work on hands.

On the plane again.

Last week Sandy asked how to draw noses and how to draw expression. I told her that if I knew I'd let her know. My sister did send this link last week from Lackadaisy's website. I love, love love, this graphic artist. It's a great little tutorial on how to draw expressions.

As for noses? I've been trying is to pay close attention to the shape of the tip and rough that in first. Getting it in the right place is another story. I see progress - and much work left to do. But the important part? I'm having fun doing it!

For Your Inspiration: The Ringling Summer Home

I'm in Chicago today.

Cold place with warm hearted people!

Thought I'd share some pictures from a warmer place.

Sarasota Florida was the summer home of the Ringling family (yes, the circus people.)

A wonderful sink with beautiful design.

In Photoshop Elements - play with "color options" and the "poster" filter.

Of all the beautiful art in the home my favorite was this statue, veiled.

Photoshop Elements "fresco" filter.

I know Floridians think spanish moss is ordinary, but it's mysterious to me.

Photoshop Element's "dry brush" filter.

It was a beautiful home (ostentatious even.) I was even more fascinated with the hard working circus people that made it possible for the Ringlings to live in luxury by doing things like being shot from a cannon.

Collages for ONE Fundraiser

I am so honored to have been invited to participate in Virginia Spiegel's

fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. She is someone who has most certainly made the world a better place and has made it easier for many people to serve in some small way as well.

One Cause - The Fight Against Cancer

One Wednesday - February 16, 2011

One Hundred Collages

FLY: DAUNTLESS

FLY: FEARLESS

FLY: VENTURE

These are three of the collages that I'm donating for the auction.

The other two can be seen here.

They are collaged sheet music and layered paint and screen printing.

Headlong has a little bit of organza thrown in as well.

Each will be mounted onto a 10" x 8" sheet of 140lb watercolor paper ready to frame.

Finding Purpose: Joy

I'm still taking time, among the busy doing, doing, doing, of my life - to ruminate on the things that are important to me and the reasons behind them. 

I'd like to share with you a few excerpts from a talk that had great impact on me by Dieter F. Uchdtdorf, a man I greatly admire. He was speaking to the women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 2008 about finding happiness. His words resonated deeply with my own sense of purpose and I'd like to share some of them with you. Bear with me as this does delve into the religious part of my life - my faith is deeply central to everything I do. I share them because I think these truths are universal.

To All Who Are Weary

"Today I would like to speak to those who have ever felt inadequate, discouraged, or weary—in short, I would like to speak to all of us. We know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists, sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow.

I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. This isn’t a pep talk or an attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives there are real concerns. I know there are hearts here today that harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul. For some, loneliness is their secret trial. These things are not insignificant.

However, I would like to speak about two principles that may help you find a path to peace, hope, and joy—even during times of trial and distress."

Elder Uchdtdorf then goes on to talk about how the greatest kind of happiness is God's happiness, and that although we cannot fully understand God during this mortal existence, that we do know he is a God of "creation and compassion." I love this next part. 

The Work of Creation

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children.

You might say, “I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop." If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe.

But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy.  Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. ⁵ The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it."

He goes on to talk about how compassion can also bring us joy - but I'll stop there. He's voicing what I already deeply believe to be true. Each of us has gifts. It will bring us joy if we find them, develop them and use them well, especially with compassion and in the service of others. We each have the potential and responsibility to make this world a better place in any way we can.

You can listen to or read the full talk here.

Faces on Friday

Welcome to Week 4 of my year long determination to learn how to draw faces.

 At a daughter's concert. Fast sketches then longer ones... using pencil and eraser

I think perhaps next year I'm going to need to work on hands. ug.

 Same concert - this looks like her!!! Friends of the kid I drew on the other side happened to be sitting next to me and kept looking over my shoulder. I ripped it out and gave it to them for him. They handed it back and asked me to sign it. (big grins)

 Sketches at church, my own "Calvin" from a photo. (Calvin and Hobbes)

This little guy is full of happy mischief and loves to make faces!

 Concentrating on the mirror. Kids said I looked mad so I tried a smiling face - goofy.

I like my spiky haircut.

Watching TV. From my imagination.

I've always secretly wanted pointy ears.

How is your journey coming along? 

For Your Inspiration: Old Things

Recently I had the opportunity to spend an hour browsing an antique store.

It's been years since I had the time to do so. 

I was out of town for a child's audition and didn't feel like doing the work I brought with me. 

What wonder and discovery.

Wow. They truly don't make toys like they used to.

 Can you imagine how beautiful this once was (and still is!?)

I love utilitarian objects that are works of art. A bucket of beauty.

Butter molds and miniatures. Surely made by hand. The time that went in to the making.....

 

Am I the only one who's heart literally races when I see cabinets with tons of little drawers?

I'm serious here - if any of you attend flea markets or estate sales - could you please be my personal shopper? I couldn't afford any of the price tags here.

How could I not fall in love with this. I am, after all, still a quilter.