Work in Progress......

Lately I've been living in what can only be described as the valley of the carbs..... can't seem to get enough but today it stops.  Sometimes when I feel like I've got a lot going on that's the first thing that calls my name.  Today back to yoga and good healthy eating.

Many times friends will send me trailers of movies they think may interest me since I am an absolute movie freak.  I probably missed my calling and should have been a film critic.  Not that I have any expertise in that field but come on, how hard can it be?  Check out  LBS it looks great.......

The Chosen Few

Mixed Media on Stretched Canvas

Life Stuff

This year I simply can't bring myself to complain about winter at all.  No a whole lot of snow to talk about and plenty of sun.  This morning I practiced yoga in front of my bedroom window and enjoyed feeling the warmth of it on my face.  Reminds me that spring isn't that far away.

 On the art front I'm currently working on three different pieces.  Two landscapes and one in which I'm experimenting on painting on primed canvas and overlaying my wools and silks.  I'm naturally excited about this but it remains to be seen whether the end result is what I was envisioning.  I really like the fact that I haven't as of yet gotten complacent in my work.  I enjoy trying to figure out different ways in which I can continue to work in my medium realizing that the medium still holds much to be discovered.  I wouldn't say that it means I'm all that creative but just that I get bored easily.

My oven has been on the "fritz" for the past few days and today is the first in which it has been operational so I'm taking advantage of that and baking a lemon loaf.  Can't say I'm all that thrilled with cooking but I've always loved to bake as there just seems to be something so meditative in baking.  Did I mention I also love sugar and chocolate...that could be another reason.

So before I say au revoir (I'm reading "My Life In France" by Julia Child at the moment and it is fabulous. As one reviewer pointed out "It's not just a book about food but a book about a life...a glorious life" and I agree) here's one of my new favourite blogs......Tiny Buddha.

Keep the sun on your face because spring isn't that far away...........

The Slow Pace of January

Sunday Morning

Mixed Media in Acrylic Paint & Thread

18"14" Matted & Framed

detail.........

Thought I'd check in so you know I'm still here although still nothing all that new to speak of.  I tentatively have a meeting booked with a gallery in the city for next Saturday so I'm hoping for the best.  They were also a part of the Cityline segment my work was featured in regarding mixed media art so that's how we met up.

January has been a relatively quiet month as I find most Janurays are..... lots of catching up with paperwork that got lost in the shuffle in December.  I'm also finding the pace just about perfect as I have a lot of new work already drawn up that I've been slowly making headway with.  I heard from my friend Carol Currie yesterday regarding the Thunder Beach Show which is taking place in July..I'll report more details as I receive them.


So that's my life to date....nothing too exciting to write home about but I'm still plodding along and am going with the flow so to  speak.  I've renewed my yoga practice as it kind of slipped into oblivion back in December.  I've always touted the benefits of yoga and feel it's become even more imperative as I've gotten older.  If you don't already practice yoga give it a shot as it not only stretches out the body but it stretches out the mind as well.

Namaste......that's yoga talk don't you know.........

The Start of A New Year

photo courtesy of Ward Conway.....

Montreal River Harbour, Ontario

So here we are at the start of 2010.........

Another opportunity to be kinder to others, read books that fascinate us, do yoga, stretch not only our bodies but our imaginations, eat chocolate, listen to music really loud, dance in our studios and not care if anyone is watching, give to charity, create, love unconditionally, practice gratitude, read something inspirational that resonates with you,  soak in a hot tub, try something that scares you,  hug someone, be a good listener, breathe more deeply, learn to meditate,  dream and then make it happen.............

another free trip around the sun.....

Work for Images and the Joy of A Maple Latte

Reflection

6"x6"

Acrylic on Canvas, Copper Thread

Yesterday's yoga class has me wishing I was taking another one today. After class I felt so refreshed and ready to get back home and start painting which I did........but not until I stopped at the Blue Bottle for a Maple Latte which was probably one of the most amazing things I have ever tasted. Thankfully I don't live in Barrie or I know I'd be shelling out $4.00 a day drinking one. I asked the woman who prepared it for me how it was made and she kindly told me it was two shots of expresso, steamed milk and a shot of maple syrup. Can't get much more Canadian than that.

The above piece is the first I've finished for the upcoming Images Studio Tour. I think I'll do at least ten or so as they are a great price point at $100.00, come framed and most people who've seen them have picked one up. I've taken copper thread and inlaid or collaged it into the ground cover. The jpeg came out much darker than the actual piece is and doesn't quite pick up the shimmer like seeing it in real life would. Work is good and I'm happy with the way it's progressing. I'm almost finished my first 16"x20" which scared the hell out of me at first but I'm slowly getting used to working bigger. The small works are still fun but I do feel the need to branch out and experience what it is to work on a larger format.

Wherever you are in the world today ........... have a good one!

Flexibility

Tomorrow I'm off first thing in the a.m. to take a yoga class at the Y with my friend Diane. She is a member and has a free pass, one of which I used last week to take a Pilates class with her. The next morning when I got out of bed I felt as if I'd had a C-section in the night. My abs are still sore. When they say "work the core" they're not kidding. Speaking of yoga......

little known fact about me is that I'm a certified yoga instructor. Yes, I keep up a practice every day at home but it sure is a treat to take a class. Flexibility becomes even more important as you get older in both body and mind and believe me, I'm older so I know.

I've got three paintings to varnish before Friday. The Silverbridge Gallery wants to take some bigger pieces so I'm headed up to cottage country then. Truth be told I really hate varnishing. I just feel as if I'm going to totally screw it up and ruin my work. I generally use the brush on kind but am seriously thinking of the spray. Anyone out there with any advice?

Much Rambling About Nothing......

Not a whole lot new to report. The girls have had exams all week so I've had to put on my chauffeur's cap. When you have teenagers that thing is glued to your head. It seems every moment one of them "just has to go" somewhere. Since we are "country mice" as opposed to "city mice" driving is just a part of our life experience. Since most of girl's friends live nearby we are always looking for other parents to carpool with and I must say most of the time it does work out that way. With the price of gas and the impact on the environment it has to.

My sewing machine has been sent out for servicing which they tell me will take two weeks so I've been playing around with the oil paints I was given awhile ago. Now I truly don't know much at all about oil painting but because I work mostly in acrylic I do love the buttery strokes that are achievable in oils and the soft edges I'm able to produce. I've been using M. Graham paints which I highly recommend with the walnut oil medium which I like because it's non toxic. I do know the fat over lean rule but other than that I've just been experimenting. So I was fooling around with this little 6"x6" last week and quite liked the way it turned out. Unfortunately when oils dry they kind of dull out and there are some spots that are oilier than others. So I had to find a way in which to bring those colours back and at the same time protect the piece. I went online and read about varnishing but was surprised to find out you have to wait six months or so. What? How do oil painters sell their work if they have to wait six months for the piece to dry. So I went to an expert........I emailed Tracy Helgeson who gave me some good advice regarding varnishing. Thanks Tracy for your time.
Now I'm interested though in how other oil painters deal with this issue. If you have a moment please let me know.

Well, I'm off.........my yoga mat beckons and there are dishes waiting to be washed. Have yourself a great weekend.

A Little Lip Gloss And I'm Ready to Go

The other day I read an article regarding the difficulties of working at home. I imagine there are many people who think it would be fabulous to be at home all day and it is to some degree. The difficulty lies in treating your day as a day at work rather than a day at home. Staying disciplined is probably the hardest part. Lately I know I have completely fallen off the "discipline wagon". I've been surfing the net way too much......I see this as a form of procrastination...I really don't need nor am I interested in what Tom or Brittany are doing. I also have been spending a great deal of my time doing everything from laundry to dishes.... more procrastination and neglecting my own studio time.

So after reading this article I decided to shake things up a bit. Today I've begun scheduling my entire work day. This morning I was up, showered and dressed as well as a little lip gloss ........why not........by 7:00am. I made out my list of errands for the day, scheduled in studio time, yoga and meditation (a must or I'd go insane) errands I need to run, gallery stuff etc. etc. I even penciled in my blog. No where did I write down dishes or laundry........that can wait until my work day ends at 4:30. So I'm hoping to do this daily. Perhaps I shouldn't say "hope" as that seems to wishy washy.......I'm going to do this daily.

I have so much studio work to catch up on and so many avenues I am interested in pursuing with my artwork that if I hope to get work done I do need to be more scheduled and I must say, that little bit of lip gloss did make me feel much more put together.

On a side note, I heard Oprah picked Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth" as this month's book pick. I read it when it first came out as I loved "The Power of Now". It is a life changing read if your ready for it. It is one of the top five books I have ever read.

A Walk In The Park

I taught yoga this morning which I haven't done since May of this year. It felt really good to get back at it. I love yoga and practice daily on my own to keep myself from getting to creaky and stiff. As we get older we all start to stiffen up and lose some of the flexibility we had when we were younger so yoga does help combat that. Yesterday I started my weight training again which they say is the new "fountain of youth".......you wouldn't know it seeing how I hobbled out of bed this morning........sore all over but a good sore. I know it is great for the body and yoga is the perfect complement to it.

I mentioned in my last post how I had started an abstract piece that I was quite excited about. Well, I'm not too excited about it right now as I ripped it out of my machine and stomped on it a couple times before I threw it away. It was just not coming together how I had envisioned it and I was feeling totally frustrated so I thought I would take it out on the piece.....which of course I did. Just another immature moment in the life of a textile artist.

Today I'm going to take off to the Copeland Forest to take some photos. The trees here are still unbelievably beautiful and I want to capture as much of it as I can before the snow flies. This photo was taken in the park behind my home......you just got to love the crunching of the leaves underfoot and the smell in the air this time of year.

New Favourite Things

With all my threads and yarns but back into their appropriate places (this is the before photo) and Sunday stretched out before me, I really wanted to take the day and read, listen to music and dream about art. I did allow myself the luxury of an hour to do that since there was still laundry to hang, a piece in my studio that needed finishing and my yoga class to work on (I teach yoga every Monday morning).

While I sat outside in the sunshine I began forming a list in my head of all the new things I've discovered lately that are now favourites. Over the course of the last few months I finished reading Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief" and "I Am The Messenger". Both are thought provoking and so beautifully written they will make you weep. Some authors have a natural ability through the words they put on paper to touch our souls and to have us look at the world in a different way than we had before. He is that kind of author

Since I've just recently started blogging and had no idea whether I was doing it right .......is there a wrong way??? I started checking out other artist's blogs just to get some sort of idea of what direction I should take. The ceramic artist Cynthia Guajardo was so very helpful in providing me with some tips and for adding me to her online list of blogs. Thanks Cynthia

Through surfing the web I came across my new favourite painter Tracy Helgeson. The first time I saw her work I was blown away. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be to see in person. Her use of colour, layering and composition is exquisite. I also enjoy Tracy's blog very much. She has an approachable and down to earth way of writing about her art and her life that makes you feel as if you are sitting at her kitchen table having a cup of tea. Perhaps I'll start a fund to save some money and buy one of her pieces. Gorgeous

Last but not least, I'm listening to a lot of Buddha Bar II. I'm not sure what genre it falls into....maybe new age/techno....regardless it's fabulous. From what I understand, the music originated from The Buddha Bar which is situated next to the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It is known to be an exceptional and even mythical spot.

So, just few of my new favourite things that make my corner of the world a great place to live. If you have anything you would like to share, I'd love to hear it