Inspiration, new curry concoction and a beautiful day!

Hello All! Another good and inspired day! I really am enjoying reading this new book of mine, this woman has a really great way of looking at things. Very blunt LOL but really encouraging. It feels sort of familiar the stress and self doubt that the young artist who is corresponding with her is feeling. I have started to find my own way, to know what to do to become inspired on just any day and this guy is asking many interesting questions of her. He is concerned about Originality, boredom, being stuck with the same subject all the time. She really gives insight to how to just be yourself and just work through times you are not feeling inspired. She talk about creating "bad" art just to keep creating, even if you are unsure if you feel it is "good" work. The idea is to push through and eventually by playing with "non-serious" work one will rekindle the fire and find something inspiring and things will roll once again. I think I can see that in my own work. I often get so concerned with the perfect subject I will block up and stop working. The other thing she talks about is working when you are not in the mood to create. She feels that often if we should just keep working even if we are not in the mood, like any other job, one can still create art even if we are not in the mood. Food for thought! I really like the idea of playing and not always expecting to create good art... more of that in my future and more exploration of what I want to show to the world.. my views. She seems to feel one should just be themselves and that is original enough. I like that. I often worry i am creating too much work centered around my own life and my family, but that's what I am interesting in now. Why should I change that? I am not planning to do that all my days, just part of myself I want to explore. Anyways I am fine tuning my abilities while working in this way. I am learning to be bold with my work. Just Do it! ha ha ha Well it is good advice really! I guess it is a good thing that I have so many different subjects and styles I want to try in the future, as she writes it's just to keep the many ideas in order and not let the over stimulation block you up LOL I feel that way for sure! Well I am off to eat some new curried concoction I have created! Couscous, Chick peas, raisins, cranberries, onion, curry and honey!! mmmmmm :-D Supper with my mom who has retired as of today!!! :-D YAY go mom go mom go!! Now she can kick back, read as much as she wants, stay up drinking, garden right into the fall and socialize like crazy! :-D xoxox *good energies today!*

Furry soul mate, new book and lots of inspiration.. what better things can life hold?!

Wow what a nice day so far! Lazing in bed with Danzig my furry soul mate... ok he's just a cat really but what a furry little soul he is! He certainly knows the good things in life! We just lay about snuggling for about an hour in bed. Such a luxury!

I went out to check my garden after the crazy storm last night, it seems very refreshed in it's best green! It's so amazing to watch all this grow, and to know I am cultivating something that will nourish me and my family. I then came back and did my porch gardening with Danzig by my side rolling around enjoying the cool breeze *finally*.

Then I decided to read a bit of my new book "Letters To A Young Artist" by Julia Cameron, the same person who did the "Artist's Way" book with the exercises to get ones creative juices flowing again. Unfortunately that book didn't do much for me, the exercises were good but a little too much structure for my liking. I must say though reading this new book with a more personal side of her work is much more inspiring to me. I really enjoy her views on art and artistic lifestyle. She talks about work ethic, trying rather than giving in when things get blocked or you lack inspiration, about keeping art in everything one does and just overcoming self doubt. It's really quite excellent! I think more people who are feeling an artistic block should read this! I have only tried the first few letters and already I got off my ass earlier in the day and finished my graphite landscape. Who knew! It even turned out fairly well considering my penchant for figurative work(ha ha yes the boobies i miss the boobies) and lack of experience in landscape.

I always get myself hooked up in my subject... is it artistic enough... what does it say to me... what will it say to the viewer... is it mature enough..... is it complex enough... should I try something different, a different style or approach... LOL yes I guess art really is all about doing it and not thinking so much as Julia Cameron says. I guess that is one lesson that takes a while to sink in, I often worry so much about what I am doing that I don't do anything at all. This is one thing I really have to keep working on and just work through times of inspirational block or self doubt.

So :-S I didn't get chosen for one of the thirty finalists in the portrait competition in Kingston. Am I upset?? LOL funny enough not at all!! I think it's a sign I am toughening up. I will just try again next year with a different subject maybe more contemporary and less traditional. That's ok! I will take a good look and see if a painting more like my Little Bird one would work better for that type of competition. I will also look and see if there are other contests going on that might fit my work better. Ok ok ok and some galleries to hang in... so tough to put yourself out there with the fear of lack of interest. Well I guess like Julia says I should just get on with it then worry later :-P it's a slow process, the main thing is I am enjoying what I am doing and learning a lot about myself and others for that matter while discovering the right path.

Off to finish the pastel of my friend in the Cafe. MMM I have amazing Jazz on Django Reinhardt is inspiring and there is a refreshing breeze drifting through my apartment :-D I am on the right track today and no negativity can pull me down.... hopefully tomorrow will be the same!

Tuesday and still Surviving! :-)

So!!! The wedding went very well... Was a perfect day, the couple couldn't have asked for better weather. A light breeze but amazing sun and warmth! The ceremony went well and the reception was awesome, good music, food and company! I was rather surprised with the quality of the vegetarian food we had, most places either serve spaghetti with plain tomato sauce OR 5 sprigs of asparagus, a lemon wedge and a potato... LOL Not so exciting! This time we had a fabulous eggplant entre with soft goat cheese and zucchini then a puff pastry with lentils, onions, cashews and prunes!! Not to mention the carrots, mushrooms and parsnips! Wow I am getting hungry just thinking of it! Anyways lots of good dancing and socializing despite all the stress beforehand it was well worth it!

Now I am just ironing out details for my mothers retirement party and getting ready for my well deserved trip to Gaspe! I'm looking at a stop near Rimouski to see the Metis Gardens! I am so excited to go there! Will bring my camera and steal some inspiration from them for my own garden in progress here at home :-) It will be amazing to get away and just visit with Ian for a while. I also plan to get a sketch book entirely for landscape while I travel around there.... mmmm something entirely new for me, give me people or objects and I'm fine trees and water... I guess we will see! It's not so much in my nature even though I adore nature and wildlife to paint it.. I guess I feel my domain is a little more experimental but then again one really can't know until they try! So!! I guess this will be an experiment! Maybe it will be a compromise and I will sketch people in the landscapes LOL!!! I also know for a fact that there are amazing old photos of Ian's family at the house we will stay at in Gaspe. The house was inherited by his mother a few years back, it's around 100 years old so very full of character!! It also is right on the border of Forillon Park so there will be many hiking trails and we will deffiantly make use of the beaches and of course Whale watching :-D :-O

Well I am off for now! I am going to sketch for a bit then kick back with a glass of wine and enjoy this beautiful summer weather! Hopefully tonight's walk will be as magical as last night's with so many fireflies not to mention the little deer who popped out to check us out! Summer out here in the country is just so amazing it does feel like a fairy land sometimes with the land so full of life and little spirits all around us. Not meaning to sound strange but it really does make one see that there is so much amazing energy in our lives and we just have to slow down to observe it. xoxoxo

Tom Waits ruined my self resignation to a day of rest!

So yes that bloody Tom Waits... I had just finished convincing myself that I really do deserve a day to just relax and do nothing else when low and behold I started to play some nice relaxing music.. and now after one song I am all inspired and realize didn't really want the dumb day off anyways :-S Oh well I suppose one could feel worse than to want to work! The only thing that is holding me back is my very sore body :-P I guess traipsing all over Montreal yesterday in high heels wasn't the best plan but damn it they are sexy LOL Ah well the price a girl must pay...

So I am all set for my the wedding tomorrow! Nice eggplant dress and amazing luscious, drool causeing , inspiring, desire filling, mmm yes I can go on forever shoes that are too hot for words :-P So yes, I am feeling pretty good about going out on the town like that! Well it will be very nice to stop running around after this is all done, though I am starting to think that is what summer is all about running around and packing the days. Oh well, I will still have my nice get-away to Gaspe later this summer which will be great.

So I am off to paint now.. even though I said it was OK to take a day off after running around getting suits, shoes, earings (not even for me!) yesterday. Ah well now i know never to put inspiring music on when I want to lay low LOL Bloody Tom Waits!! :-O ;-)

Will my eyes fall out?? Anyone taking bets?

LOL I think that painting wicker should be banned from the art world! Well not really it does make for a beautiful and detailed painting(though is that what I want? :-S). After staring at weaving for over an hour ones eyes go all funny LOL So it's break time. My new painting is looking really good though, coming along at a fast pace. I do find it funny that recently I seem to be picking photos to work from that are way more detailed than I should be bothering to work in... just can't seem to break this habit. Maybe my work would be more powerful if I didn't use as much detail?? Not sure really. I do like the way they feel very complete but I wonder if I overwork them. Guess I will only answer my own question by playing around and trying some new styles. I think it would also be very wise of me to do a few paintings in Acrylic, it's just too hard to frame pastels and they are just not as hardy being on paper rather than panels. Hmm things to think of when looking to hang my work in galleries. I do think I have some interesting themes in my work though, and I hope to discover even more as I go along.

So I am off to do some shoe shopping tomorrow for a wedding I must attend this coming weekend. Now I am all outfitted with a new dress and hopefully fabulous shoes too. It will be a long weekend but hey I think some of it should be fun... I hope ;-)

Well I am off to check my plants on the porch with my faithful cat by my side. I am starting to think it might be Danzig's(one of 4 cats!) garden not my own. He just loves to get outside and observe the goings on, always so much more happening (as far as he's concerned) on the other side of the great door. Poor guy, the life of an apartment cat. Hey I think it's them who have us trained to care for them and bring home the big (bag) gazelle(maybe not... LOL chicken perhaps is more accurate)!!!!

In search..

Wow what a thrilling day of looking at galleries... (much sarcasm here!)!! :-P I have been looking at galleries online trying to find some that my work might fit into. Of coarse my art went well today, working on a pastel of a friend sitting in a huge chair at a really funky cafe in downtown montreal. So that was all fun but trying to find where to show it.. :-S not so fun! I think people who do figures and portraits have it more difficult as there are limited galleries interested in hanging that style of work. An artist must have the balance just right, right pigments, right colors, right technical ability, layout, and just plain style to hit it off in the art world. It's just finding the fit like a puzzle.

Anyways today went very well, painting, gardening, visits and walks! Tired out now from everything :-) Good tired though. Will kick back with some wine and call it a day! Hopefully hubby will read more Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to me tonight :-P ;-) Much fun, much needed these days!! I think this will be a long week and I just can't wait to kick back after it and enjoy the rest of my summer! A lot to look forward to, trip to gaspe, visits with friends, retirement party for mom, painting up a storm and of coarse the Jazz Fest! :-)

Wow so many people!

Geeze I have been sitting here looking through old school classmates and just random people surfing on (wow wonder which site is so popular right now..) a social website. I just can't believe how many people there are.. and how many have such different lives than my own. Not a bad thing really, I enjoy my life and style for the most part, it's just crazy how many different ways there are to live. One of the funniest things is how close in proximity I have been to some really amazing and inspiring people without realizing they were there. On the other hand it is also quite astonishing how shallow many around me are... or were. I guess tonight I am just thinking about how important it is to draw the interesting and inspiring people in closer to me. Also to let go of the negativity that I feel towards people who in my eyes have wronged me or even just who see things in a very different way than myself. I have a habit of taking grudges against people or beliefs that rub me the wrong way.. it really isn't worth the negative emotional energy. I was listening to a show as I was painting today, an interview with Selma Hayack. She actually said something that stuck in my head, something like "Embrace adversity with all your heart as it is the greatest teacher you will ever know." I think that should become my new mantra.

A new attempt at an online journal :-S

Hello there! Back at this again LOL I am sitting here with a coffee with an internal dialog discussing why I want to reveal my thoughts to the world.... hmmm maybe nobody will read this after all ;-) So this will be a place for me to play with ideas and talk about what's going on in my life. Oh yes... be prepared!

So I am an artist.. or trying to be an artist.. By that I mean I paint and draw and try to sell my works. Of coarse this doesn't happen nearly enough! I paint people, my big fascination in life, I love to study people and try to get into their heads. I guess like all artists I am pretty sensitive, I am a sponge for emotions and love to hear about peoples lives (where they've been and who they have known, what is or was important in their lives, what their struggles have been) Pretty much anything dealing with people. I paint portraits, nudes and figures in everyday life. At this point I am just finding my path, trying to see how things work in the art world. Maybe hiding out a little more than I should but things are soon to change.

So this summer is going to be very inspiring for me. I will be heading out to Gaspe with my husband to visit some of his family and luckily this year I have my schnazy new camera to take fabulous photos! Also will go to the Jazz Fest in Montreal which is always a HUGE inspiration to me! I just love the atmosphere there.. drums beating to my gait and melodic voices from all over the world... not to mention the packed cafes with interesting faces.. perfect faces for me to paint!

Anyways enough wasting time... procrastination.... a bad habit to be kicked this summer! TOP of my list of to dos **GET MY BUTT IN GEAR!!!!!**