Saturday, February 27, 2010
Getting Up to Speed
I've taken a lot of time off to adjust myself to a changing landscape. My friend points out to me that I live inside my head; she is right of course. I suppose that is an essential part of my nature and something I noticed about my youngest daughter too from an early age. I would hear her in the bath tub singing into a hairbrush microphone and telling stories to herself, living entirely in her little dreamworld.
When life's vagaries intrude on this idyll we have to take time to reposition the mental furniture so to speak. Admit we are not in control of everything. Admit we are subject to to time, luck, deterioration and fate.
I am coming up on an important Birthday in the coming week; one I share with Beatrice Wood, a woman who I count as a friend (though I never met her) and a member of my tribe. Beatrice is mentoring me through this important passage, holding my hand and encouraging me that old age will be grand. She lived to see 105 and told her friends that she didn't believe in time. She presented herself as 32 years old and encouraged her friends to do the same. She loved to flirt. To touch people. I sure do like her.
One thing I'm getting better at is sorting out what is genuine, nurturing and uplifting from what is not. I'm getting better at focusing on what helps and letting go of what ruffles my feathers. Some friends are coming to visit in a few days who always hold up a mirror to me that makes me feel like I've done well in life. We need friends like that. Who encourage us, really listen to us, find us to be excellent. (not perfect. But still excellent.)
If I sound preachy on my blog it is because I am preaching to myself. You are just reading my mind. These are words I need to hear. You are welcome to diverge, to agree or not, to suss out your own path. That's the fun of it. We are each the boss of us. I am not the boss of you.
This is the deplorable state of my studio this morning. The Daphne, Forsythia, Daffodils, Plum Blossoms and Azaleas are blooming gorgeously in my yard and yet this is what I will tackle today. Clean house for company. Renewed optimism. Grateful restoration of my vision. Feeling blessed in so many ways. Eager, excited, thrilled to return to my studio now and bring new revelations to life in my journal and on paper. My canoe is back in the sunshine and the water is calm except for the flicker of an occasional mayfly.
PS If you have time to watch a beautiful video and reflect on body image and our culture's disturbing anti-female messages, go here and scroll down to Jenette Williams's video entitled "The Bathers". I think so much of what makes a woman beautiful is her acceptance of her body, her entire fabulous manifestation. But just watch it and have your own thoughts. Women, we are beautiful.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
I Work on Art, Art Works on Me



I am off restriction as of today but I won't be reading as many blogs as I used to. It's tax time and time to prepare for the upcoming paraganglioma surgery. I'm determined not to turn this into a medical blog but as artists all experiences are grist for our mills.
My my, isn't it all interesting. Grind away, my friends. xo
PS Just a reminder that I'll be teaching a three day Sculpey intensive at Artful Journey Retreat in July. We will have lots of time to go deeply into sculptural issues as well as having the fun of playing together in clay. I'll bring my menagerie of sculptural dolls and share all my paint techniques there.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
One Day At A Time


And I am seeing again through my right eye; watching the new family of floaters and debris that is getting better day by day. I am profoundly grateful that I get to return to my new normal now. I am even more emotional than usual (big crybaby that I am) and I am so grateful; for life, vision, family, friends and especially for this amazing community of artist friends who are simply the finest humans possible. Thank you. Thank you all for your lovely messages which meant everything to me in a very dark hour.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Update
She wants you all to know that she had surgery yesterday for a torn retina, and is banned from reading, or being on the computer for 2 weeks. She woke up yesterday and had smeary blurry vision in the right eye. She then drove herself (that's just like her) to the urgent care where they told her she had a torn retina. They did cryosurgery and scheduled a follow up for Monday. She is going crazy because she loves the computer....in fact the only thing she loves more than the computer is her eyeball! We should have more information after her Monday appointment. Mom says to stop a minute and thank your eyeballs for all they do!
P.S. the pictures in the journal are from the oral surgery she had last Wednesday. She is not allowed to journal either. No REM allowed for 2 weeks. When it rains it pours!
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Finished Anima Sola

Monday, February 01, 2010
Idyllwild and Squam


Anyway, my version was painted in my journal on a page covered with a thick layer of white acrylic which made the watercolor sit on the surface of the paint and want to bead up. I perversely love to use materials in a way they were not meant to be used.


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