Hi there,
I've FINALLY put together a website for my painting and bookbinding. Art has always been a passion, and this way, I have a way to show other folks.
I'll be offering basic bookbinding classes/workshops locally, now that we've moved. They are a lot of work for me to prepare, but always great fun.
Art and creativity are such a worthwhile pursuit, so enriching and stimulating. And if nothing else, a terrific way to spend some time just to yourself.
I read a good book, that pointed out CLEARLY to me why my painting isn't as good as I'd like.
I don't paint often enough.
Duh.
Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers" highlights several successful people in various fields and one thing the all had in common. They spent at least 10,000 hours working on their craft. Crud, I'm nowhere NEAR that.
Another thing I read today on Kevin Meizner's blog (here) was that we (artists) have a tendency to study our little fannies off. But it all comes down to finding our OWN voice. And that takes time, really dedicated time.
The weird thing for me is that I don't lack the desire to paint/draw/create, seems I have a crisis of confidence. As if I'm waiting for something...
Of all the newsletters I get, one of my favorites is the twice-weekly letter from Robert Genn. Now, those who recognize his name are probably artists. Even if you don't paint, Robert has a wonderfully refreshing outlook on life and the human condition in general.
The newsletter I received on April 28 was titled "Painting as tribute". An interesting read, as usual, but the one thing that touched me was the video he and Peter Segnitz made, which is below.
Robert writes "No matter how seemingly banal your painting motivation might be, something else can be implicit in virtually every project. You just need to think of art-making as a form of tribute.
A tribute, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is "a thing said, done or given as a mark of respect." When you think of it, all of nature and a great deal of what mankind has done are worthy of tribute. Further, when you consider appreciation of beauty or history or even the possibility of life enhancement, our art takes on greater meaning and more power.
There's a simple way to put this idea into action. When you approach a subject or a motif, pause and contemplate. Ask yourself what a possible back-story might be."
Delightful and refreshing. For more on Robert Genn, check out his site at: Painter's Keys
Hi all,
I'm pretty excited. We made an offer on a house, and it was accepted. Now, comes the hard part...waiting for all the paperwork to clear, the appraisals, agreements, and agreements to the agreements. So, if we're lucky (and When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars) we might just close on March 18th. Here are some images.
So, what that now means, is we have a ton of stuff to sort through, and get rid of. OMG. I've always known I have a tendency to accumulate stuff (hey, ya never know when you might need all that stuff!!) but between Sean, DH and myself, Oy VEY!! It's exhausting!! Physically, emotionally, and every other way. For me, the hardest tasks will be memorabilia (ooh, ooh, I picked up that rock in '77 on the Oregon Coast!!) the art supplies (Now, why would I want to get rid of that dried up old watercolor paint??) and of course, the books.
I love to read, and up until this past Christmas, bought a ton of books. DH bought me a Kindle for Christmas, and bless his heart, I still buy a ton of books, but they all fit on one little device!! Talk about your green solutions!! Some of the books are cheap (free) and some aren't. But it also meets another of my needs, instant gratification. If I want a book, I instantly download it, it's charged to my account, and off I go to snuggle down on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. Ah well, it IS just that easy. Almost too easy......
Here's another video on YouTube that's cute and fast. If you're interested in making a pop-up card.....
hmmm... I have a newly-downloaded book calling my name........
Folks who know me know I worked @ Intel for 17 years. And, my DH works there now. Well, big news, President Obama visited Intel Oregon, and here's his presentation...... Enjoy!
