So, another week has gone by and I cannot seem to commit to any one form of artistic endeavour or creative expression. I have played with watercolours, acrylic inks, acrylic paints and watercolour pencils. And yet, I just do not seem to be able to capture the ideas rambling through my mind. Actually, the ideas seem to rocket through my mind at an amazing speed and it is difficult to document them all in a notebook that I keep handy for times like these. It seems as if my brain is moving faster than it should in terms of ideas that I want to play with and explore. This seems to be happening not only when I am awake, but also when I am sleeping, causing me some very vivid dreams.
The dreams have been so vivid and frightening as to cause me to wake up and flee the bedroom. I have been so restless in bed trying to fall asleep some nights that Molly Cat has taken to sleeping behind my head on another pillow and she swats me with a heavy handed paw and lets me know that I need to settle down. Knowing that I am more than likely going to head into another dysfunctional dream of some sort, I hustle myself out of bed and make my way to the kitchen and make a cup of tea. Two consecutive nights in the past week found me without any sleep and I headed into each morning hugging my coffee cup and praying for the powers that be allow me to have at least a few consecutive hours of sleep during the upcoming night.
But, here is the double ended sword. The dreams are scary, but make for interesting stories. In fact, the dreams of the past few nights seem to segue into the next and are quickly filling a notebook that I grab as soon as my eyes open and I start making observations, notes, even little diagrams of what went on in my head over the past few hours. I recounted a bit of the action earlier today to my sister and she was somewhat horrified and suggested that I need to get out of the bedroom when I wake up from one of these terribly frightening dreams. And that is what I do and make the necessary notations whilst sitting in the comfort of my front room with either the radio or television providing some background noise. I even keep a DVD loaded in a portable player for these nights of quiet horror.
I am not able to come to any conclusion as to what is causing the dream activity of the past week. But, I do have enough material to research to try at some point to put into a book. Whether anyone would want to read such dark thoughts is not certain, but judging from the audience for the Twilight series and The Hunger Games, I think the darkness that is permeating my subconscious is more than a worthy opponent for either franchise. That may sound terribly egocentric, but, I have been the one to view the events taking place and I am quite certain that most people would be horrified at what has taken place. I have looked over my notes and wondered how to pull them all together and strangely, the opening sequence for the story shot into my mind. If the dreams terrified my sister, I do not want to think how the opening of the story would affect her. To that end, it appears I will be researching mortuaries, what happens within and afterwards. The unfortunate part of all this is that it appeared to be me in a leading role of this dark and gloomy horror flick. Translating it all into written word is going to take some doing and I may just have to change the story from being told in the first person to some other form. I am not so certain that I want to be the one that meets their demise and would rather push that role onto another unsuspecting character.
Now, back in the studio, I find that I am drawn to the darker shades of blue and now want to incorporate watercolours, acrylic paints along with acrylic inks all on one canvas. I have been playing with each medium independently and on different canvases. None of them are capturing what I see in my mind and truthfully, I am seeing far too many ideas that need to be put down on canvas in some way. I suspect that I need to slow down my thought process and allow myself to let one thought at a time percolate and develop. Then, that would be the time to jot all the ideas down in my journal along with ideas of how to put them on canvas and what mediums should be used and to what extent.
Even now, late into the evening, I am debating whether the next few hours would be best spent in the studio or in bed, trying to capture the ever so elusive few consecutive hours of sleep. At this point, I am leaning towards the studio in hopes of getting something down, anything, just to prove to myself that I still can make art. It has been a bit of a dry spell, but not due to a shortage of ideas or prompts. It is most certainly due to an overactive mind finding itself overflowing with a wealth of ideas and the flow will not stop long enough to allow me to finish one piece. I run from one piece to another and back and forth until I am exhausted.
watch the pottery shards cover a fair expanse of the room. But, that is a story for another day!
How has your week been? Are you able to find some studio time or time to just let your thoughts wander? Hopefully, your thoughts wander to more pleasant places than mine have visited this week. I am laughing whilst typing this as I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoy thriller movies and books. But, I just never thought that I would find myself walking my way through these nightmarish waters each night when I finally hit the wall and find those few precious hours of rest. I am wishing you pleasant dreams both during the day and night, depending when you allow yourself to rest. Here is hoping that you find inspiration in your dreams and are able to make good use of the resources provided by your subconscious. That is how I am hoping my week will play out!
Sincerely, Rutheemac
P.S. I did bring home the hand mannequin from the art shop last week and am enjoying trying to capture the poses on a sketch pad. My cleaning lady came in on Friday and when she walked into the front room she spotted the mannequin sitting on a table. She backed away and looked somewhat terrified, asking what that "thing" might be. I reassured her that it was only a wooden hand with movable joints that allowed me to pose it in different positions. Whilst she did calm down, she did give wide berth to my much sought after prop. I think I will put it in hiding in my supply closet the next time cleaning day comes around. One thing I have learned over the years is that keeping your cleaning lady happy is a priority in order to keep some semblance of order around the flat. :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Some days the time just flies!
Oh my goodness! Today just flew and I am just now sitting down to write a post for this blog. It is very early on Monday despite what the time stamp says. Sunday flew by and found me running from one activity to another and spending a lot of time on the computer helping another resident in the building where my flat is located. Sometimes what you have planned for the day just has to change when something else pops up and seems to need your attention. Maybe I lack the power to stay with one plan of action, or maybe I just do not seem to be able to say "no, I am tied up for the moment." Regardless, I fell off of my carefully planned out schedule and am just now sitting down, cup of coffee in hand (but no cookies!) and typing away to tell you what has been going on in the life of the want to be artist/writer.
The week played out pretty much as most weeks do. A little shopping, a little reading, some laundry, playing in the studio, some more laundry and on and on. I will confess that laundry is a bit of an obsession with me. I have to wonder why there is not a laundry detergent named "Obsession" just yet but I am guessing that it is only a matter of time before this lands on some shelves in a shoppe near you. Today hit and I was on my way into the studio when I decided to check my e-mails and I am so happy that I did! There was an e-mail from a special friend that I hear from pretty much every other week and I open each and every e-mail with the anticipation that I am about to have a good chat. And, a good chat it was, so much so that I felt the need to respond right away. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I cannot write a short e-mail, they are all of epic proportions and this one was no different. But, for some reason, my brain was shorting out and I kept losing my e-mail or sending it off before it was well and truly finished. I am sure this is due to a) my fingers stumbling over the keyboard, b) my eagerness to get my thoughts down on the page before I lost them, or c) either a case of dyslexia or early onset Alzheimer's. Truth is, my mistakes could be a combination of all of the above. I really do have to focus when I am writing anything these days in order to get my thoughts down correctly. I need to make lists so that I do accomplish the more important things that need to be done. But, I wonder if maybe this new age of technology has made my brain function with fewer brain cells in good running order. I seem at a loss for words by times, I tend to get lost in my thoughts frequently and I am easily distracted.
Maybe all these problems are caused by my being too technologically challenged. It is so easy to hit the wrong key when I am keyboarding and send communications into cyber space before I really mean to hit the "send" key. I am easily distracted and a piece of music on the radio can totally derail my line of thought or take me to a place where I have not been a resident for a long time. I am laughing at this, but sadly, it is true. I am of an age where I am nostalgic for simpler times, the music I was listening to way back when and a time when I knew what colour my hair really was and so did the hairdresser. These days, I seem to flit from classical to rock, new age to middle age, best sellers to classics. There is no rhyme or reason to selections of music, the books I choose to read or anything else. I am a child of no age, one who definitely marches to her own beat, the beat of whatever music is playing in my head at that particular time on that particular day. I am not terribly concerned that my attention span is a bit sporadic. I would rather do a turn about and head off to where I can do something interesting or be able to help someone.
So, today, I sent a lengthy e-mail to a friend albeit in two parts. Sorry about that CM! Hopefully, it all made sense in the long run and made you laugh. Friends do that for friends, they reach out, listen, chat, laugh and tell stories of their past all in hopes of connecting. That is what any type of communication is supposed to do, but the reality is, many of our communications these days are sadly lacking in personality. We subscribe to the "form letter" type of communications format. This is so not acceptable and our letters reflect that we have lost our "voice" when we write. What I mean by this is that there was a time when you could read something and knew straight away who had written the piece. Today, you can never be sure. With spell check, auto format and all the techno stuff, we have lost our individuality. I always knew when a certain person had left me a note at work because she could never spell the word "marijuana."
So, I have managed to go off of my line of thought one more time today! I did, after three, maybe four attempts, manage to get the e-mail written and sent correctly. I have had a quick response telling me that it was received and yes the recipient did laugh at the content. S'all good! Very bad grammar, but indicative of my somewhat creative state of mind. Or, it could be that I seem to have an empty coffee cup and should see about a refill. Kim and Russ, two friends on twitter, know and share my daily requirement of caffeine that keeps me waxing poetic or in other words, a tad manic. I will let you decide which is more accurate.
So, what else did I do today? Another resident in the building needed some computer help. Not having a computer and desperately needing a quick brochure with tear strips to be put together for her business, she called asking if I would help. It has been a while since I have actually put together paperwork of a business nature, but in the spirit of helping this woman get her fliers done, I agreed to give it a try. It took a few hours to get a format that I found acceptable and got the gist of her information typed up and looking fairly professional. Adding a few creative elements just because I felt the need to do something art related helped me feel better about what I was doing and feel that I was making her fliers stand out in a good way. So, a few hours ago, the fliers were delivered and left at the neighbour's door. Hopefully, they accomplish what she needs them to do and she gets some more clients. I will tell you a little secret here and hope you will not tell anyone. When I delivered the fliers to the door down the hallway, Molly accompanied me. Molly has a real yearning to tackle this lady's door as there is an over sized wreath hanging on it and my energetic little feline is coming very close to jumping up and tackling the wreath to the floor. Heaven only knows what she plans to do with it at that point, but I am keeping an eye on her and on the wreath, willing it to stay where it is currently hanging. Say a prayer that Molly's antics do not allow her to gain much more height when she jumps or I am going to have to rebuild a wreath of very much dried magnolia leaves. I am pretty sure one tumble to the floor and they will not be in very good shape. That is best kept among all of us here!
I heard from the art shoppe where I ordered the articulated wooden hand a few weeks ago. The wonderfully helpful clerk who helped me place the order called to inform me that my order had arrived and was ready for me to pick up. She sounded so excited, in fact as excited as I am to finally have a life sized hand that can be posed in any manner of ways. I have to wonder what pose it might be in as it sits waiting for me to pick it up on Monday. I have visions of it being posed in the "thumbs up" position. My sister suggested it was in the pose of the greeting Mr. Spock used in Star Trek. I never thought of my sister as being a Trekkie, and that gives me some pause for thought. No, I am fairly certain she has not actually watched an episode of Star Trek, but I could be wrong. I will let you know if I find out differently.
Oh, and when the clerk called to tell me that my order had arrived, she also mentioned that there was a sale on and there were a lot of items that I used and I should look at the sale flier. Duly noted and I have a list made of items to pick up tomorrow. I have a feeling that Monday is going to be an interesting day. Molly is already running around the flat behaving like a little monster, kitty monster that is and complete with interesting sound effects. Again, I am not sure what has brought this behaviour on, but it may very well be connected to the fact that she was just in her litter box. She tends to get quite excited after she does a certain something and I am quite likely going to find that something when I head into the bathroom to tidy it up before I head off to bed.
Anyway, I will be in the studio working this week along with getting back to reading. I have been reading Danny Gregory's "How to Make a Journal of Your Life." I have not finished it as yet, but can already highly recommend that you put it on your "to read" list. Danny Gregory writes a chatty book full of his wisdom on taking the time to document what you see and gives some pointers on how to put your ideas down on the page. His biggest piece of advice is to take it slow and easy and not to stress over it. Rome was not built in a day and you will not manage to be Picasso in that short of time either. You can quote me on that. I try every day to improve my drawing skills and I can tell you, I have a long ways to go on this journey before I come close to Picasso or any other real artist. But that is all part of the journey, taking the time to learn not just about drawing, art and so on. It is also very much about taking the time to explore what you see and taking the time to enjoy life.
I hope you have a wonderful week! I will let you know what goodies I find at the art shoppe and how well my resolve to stay on budget holds up. No promises on that, but I will try to keep to items I actually need and will use within a reasonable amount of time. Beyond that, it is a good guess just what might be in my shopping bags by the time I get home.
Sincerely, Rutheemac
The week played out pretty much as most weeks do. A little shopping, a little reading, some laundry, playing in the studio, some more laundry and on and on. I will confess that laundry is a bit of an obsession with me. I have to wonder why there is not a laundry detergent named "Obsession" just yet but I am guessing that it is only a matter of time before this lands on some shelves in a shoppe near you. Today hit and I was on my way into the studio when I decided to check my e-mails and I am so happy that I did! There was an e-mail from a special friend that I hear from pretty much every other week and I open each and every e-mail with the anticipation that I am about to have a good chat. And, a good chat it was, so much so that I felt the need to respond right away. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I cannot write a short e-mail, they are all of epic proportions and this one was no different. But, for some reason, my brain was shorting out and I kept losing my e-mail or sending it off before it was well and truly finished. I am sure this is due to a) my fingers stumbling over the keyboard, b) my eagerness to get my thoughts down on the page before I lost them, or c) either a case of dyslexia or early onset Alzheimer's. Truth is, my mistakes could be a combination of all of the above. I really do have to focus when I am writing anything these days in order to get my thoughts down correctly. I need to make lists so that I do accomplish the more important things that need to be done. But, I wonder if maybe this new age of technology has made my brain function with fewer brain cells in good running order. I seem at a loss for words by times, I tend to get lost in my thoughts frequently and I am easily distracted.
Maybe all these problems are caused by my being too technologically challenged. It is so easy to hit the wrong key when I am keyboarding and send communications into cyber space before I really mean to hit the "send" key. I am easily distracted and a piece of music on the radio can totally derail my line of thought or take me to a place where I have not been a resident for a long time. I am laughing at this, but sadly, it is true. I am of an age where I am nostalgic for simpler times, the music I was listening to way back when and a time when I knew what colour my hair really was and so did the hairdresser. These days, I seem to flit from classical to rock, new age to middle age, best sellers to classics. There is no rhyme or reason to selections of music, the books I choose to read or anything else. I am a child of no age, one who definitely marches to her own beat, the beat of whatever music is playing in my head at that particular time on that particular day. I am not terribly concerned that my attention span is a bit sporadic. I would rather do a turn about and head off to where I can do something interesting or be able to help someone.
So, today, I sent a lengthy e-mail to a friend albeit in two parts. Sorry about that CM! Hopefully, it all made sense in the long run and made you laugh. Friends do that for friends, they reach out, listen, chat, laugh and tell stories of their past all in hopes of connecting. That is what any type of communication is supposed to do, but the reality is, many of our communications these days are sadly lacking in personality. We subscribe to the "form letter" type of communications format. This is so not acceptable and our letters reflect that we have lost our "voice" when we write. What I mean by this is that there was a time when you could read something and knew straight away who had written the piece. Today, you can never be sure. With spell check, auto format and all the techno stuff, we have lost our individuality. I always knew when a certain person had left me a note at work because she could never spell the word "marijuana."
So, I have managed to go off of my line of thought one more time today! I did, after three, maybe four attempts, manage to get the e-mail written and sent correctly. I have had a quick response telling me that it was received and yes the recipient did laugh at the content. S'all good! Very bad grammar, but indicative of my somewhat creative state of mind. Or, it could be that I seem to have an empty coffee cup and should see about a refill. Kim and Russ, two friends on twitter, know and share my daily requirement of caffeine that keeps me waxing poetic or in other words, a tad manic. I will let you decide which is more accurate.
So, what else did I do today? Another resident in the building needed some computer help. Not having a computer and desperately needing a quick brochure with tear strips to be put together for her business, she called asking if I would help. It has been a while since I have actually put together paperwork of a business nature, but in the spirit of helping this woman get her fliers done, I agreed to give it a try. It took a few hours to get a format that I found acceptable and got the gist of her information typed up and looking fairly professional. Adding a few creative elements just because I felt the need to do something art related helped me feel better about what I was doing and feel that I was making her fliers stand out in a good way. So, a few hours ago, the fliers were delivered and left at the neighbour's door. Hopefully, they accomplish what she needs them to do and she gets some more clients. I will tell you a little secret here and hope you will not tell anyone. When I delivered the fliers to the door down the hallway, Molly accompanied me. Molly has a real yearning to tackle this lady's door as there is an over sized wreath hanging on it and my energetic little feline is coming very close to jumping up and tackling the wreath to the floor. Heaven only knows what she plans to do with it at that point, but I am keeping an eye on her and on the wreath, willing it to stay where it is currently hanging. Say a prayer that Molly's antics do not allow her to gain much more height when she jumps or I am going to have to rebuild a wreath of very much dried magnolia leaves. I am pretty sure one tumble to the floor and they will not be in very good shape. That is best kept among all of us here!
I heard from the art shoppe where I ordered the articulated wooden hand a few weeks ago. The wonderfully helpful clerk who helped me place the order called to inform me that my order had arrived and was ready for me to pick up. She sounded so excited, in fact as excited as I am to finally have a life sized hand that can be posed in any manner of ways. I have to wonder what pose it might be in as it sits waiting for me to pick it up on Monday. I have visions of it being posed in the "thumbs up" position. My sister suggested it was in the pose of the greeting Mr. Spock used in Star Trek. I never thought of my sister as being a Trekkie, and that gives me some pause for thought. No, I am fairly certain she has not actually watched an episode of Star Trek, but I could be wrong. I will let you know if I find out differently.
Oh, and when the clerk called to tell me that my order had arrived, she also mentioned that there was a sale on and there were a lot of items that I used and I should look at the sale flier. Duly noted and I have a list made of items to pick up tomorrow. I have a feeling that Monday is going to be an interesting day. Molly is already running around the flat behaving like a little monster, kitty monster that is and complete with interesting sound effects. Again, I am not sure what has brought this behaviour on, but it may very well be connected to the fact that she was just in her litter box. She tends to get quite excited after she does a certain something and I am quite likely going to find that something when I head into the bathroom to tidy it up before I head off to bed.
Anyway, I will be in the studio working this week along with getting back to reading. I have been reading Danny Gregory's "How to Make a Journal of Your Life." I have not finished it as yet, but can already highly recommend that you put it on your "to read" list. Danny Gregory writes a chatty book full of his wisdom on taking the time to document what you see and gives some pointers on how to put your ideas down on the page. His biggest piece of advice is to take it slow and easy and not to stress over it. Rome was not built in a day and you will not manage to be Picasso in that short of time either. You can quote me on that. I try every day to improve my drawing skills and I can tell you, I have a long ways to go on this journey before I come close to Picasso or any other real artist. But that is all part of the journey, taking the time to learn not just about drawing, art and so on. It is also very much about taking the time to explore what you see and taking the time to enjoy life.
I hope you have a wonderful week! I will let you know what goodies I find at the art shoppe and how well my resolve to stay on budget holds up. No promises on that, but I will try to keep to items I actually need and will use within a reasonable amount of time. Beyond that, it is a good guess just what might be in my shopping bags by the time I get home.
Sincerely, Rutheemac
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The road to Norway!
I am back. I needed a brief break to get myself back together in the studio, meaning that a major tidy was in order and from the looks of my desk, a major tidy is needed to put the paperwork in place once again.
The piece I was working on to send off to Norway for the #twitterartexhibit was sent off a couple of weeks ago. To my relief, David Sandum sent me a message a few days ago saying that he had received it. You might recall that my submission for the previous exhibit, a year or so ago, was lost in the mail and did not make it in time for the due date. In fact, it was several days after that when it surfaced. All is well, I am quite happy that my submission made it in time for this exhibit which begins in April. Check out the latest on the exhibit using the hashtag #twitterartexhibit or #DavidSandumArt. Remember to send your pieces in for the exhibition so that they arrive no later than March 30. That will give David two weeks to get the exhibit set up and I am guessing that with the number of artistic pieces being sent to him, it will be a labour of love to place these patchwork sized pieces up on the wall coordinating colours and textures.
I have put a picture of my submission to the side of the post as well as a picture of another painting that I did this week. Both are done using acrylic inks, which I am new to using and learning how to work with in order to get the results I am trying to achieve. I would say that the inks are much like watercolours, with the main difference being that the ink is very hard to scrub off of my fingers. Consequently, I am extremely careful not to leave Molly in the studio if I make a coffee or tea run to the kitchen. I well remember scrubbing ultramarine blue acrylic paint off of my kitchen floor in the old flat and doubt that the inks would wipe up as neatly. At this point, I have the sides of a few fingers as well as their tips tinted with yellow ink making one think that I have indulged in one too many cigarettes. That is not the case and I can put my hand on the bible and state that no cigarettes have been smoked in over three decades. I think one more major scrub with the nail brush and I should be back to the normal skin tone I usually have. But, if that does not work, I do have an ink that is flesh toned and might be just the ticket to try on a finger or two. Just kidding!
I have a feeling that I am going to continue with the inks for a while since I am enjoying experimenting with them. Building up colour and testing how one ink blends with another is fun. I am also working in the use of watercolour pencils along with the inks to get another colour blended but still showing on top of the original colour laid out on the paper. Using different coloured papers that I picked up at the art supply shop a few weeks ago is proving interesting as well. Building up the colour without saturating the paper is tricky and involves patience that I am still trying desperately to cultivate. But, I must be progressing in that department. Two nights ago, when I was in the studio, I looked up to see that it was 1:30 a.m. Working on the sunflower painting had me so involved that I had lost complete track of the time and lost out on my hour of reading before calling it a night.
So, yes, reading is still very much part of my daily routine as we move into the third month of this year. One of my plans for the new year was to make sure that I took time out each day to enjoy a few chapters of a book. I had hoped that it would be possible to read two books per month and I seem to be able to manage that without too much trouble. I have read "The Hunger Games" trilogy, "Bird by Bird", and "The Awakening" at this point. Currently, I am working my way through Brenda Ueland's If You Want to Write" and Nancy Holder's/Debbie Viguies' "Wicked: Witch & Curse." One book good for the mind, the other satisfying the urge for that urge for something a little less than would be considered nutritionally sound if it were a meal. I will let you decide which book matches up with the mentioned categories. Those who have been following me on my journey will no doubt pick up on my enjoyment of books that relate to the supernatural. I have to confess, I love reading books of most genres, but give me a series like "Twilight", "The Hunger Games" and so on, and you will find me totally involved to the point where the book is carried with me at all times so that should I find myself waiting for my appointment at the doctor's office or in line to pay for a purchase, I can pull out the current book that is being inhaled, and indulge in a few more pages whilst waiting. A few days ago, whilst sipping on a coffee while on an outing, I spent a lovely hour or so enjoying a few chapters of one of the books currently being read. That is the joy of reading, you can always pick up where you left off and use whatever time you have available to make some progress through a book. The books I am currently reading are both actual paperback books, but never fear, the e-reader is being used as well and I have a few books downloaded to dive into when I need a break.
I wonder where the e-reader will take us in terms of books being published. Will we still be able to pick up a current best seller in paperback form or will most books be published as e-books? There is something so satisfying about holding a book whilst reading it. There is a smell to the book, the ink, the pages, not so much with the e-reader. I have to admit that the e-reader has its merits. I can easily toss it in my purse to take with me and have more than one book to look through without the heft of additional books in my bag. The leather cover protecting the e-reader gives the illusion of holding a book whilst giving me all the benefits of this new age reading format. Have you switched over to e-books or will you stick to traditional books? I can never see myself giving up actual books since I feel that certain books just do not format well on e-readers. Cookbooks, books on art techniques and so on are always going to have pride of placement in my bookcase and in my heart. I have had too many good relationships with actual books and will never totally give them up anymore than I could say that I will never eat another chocolate chip cookie. That would just be cruel and unnecessary!
So, that is how my life has played out over the past few weeks. Nothing earth shaking, but at the same time, progressing at a pace that I am comfortable with. What are you working on artistically or otherwise? The longer days seem to offer more time to work on projects, but at the same time provide more distractions. I find myself looking at seed packages and wondering what I should plant on my little balcony. I am debating on some herbs that I can use in the kitchen along with a few flowering tubs. Pansies catch my fancy as do sweet peas, but I had better decide soon. Sweet pea seeds need to soak a while to soften the outer casing if memory serves me correctly. Oh well, now I have more reason to stay on the computer and do some research on what I could reasonably grow with minimal effort. At least bringing water to the balcony using my walker lightens the load. I will just have to make certain that a little feline is safely tucked into another room and cannot escape onto the balcony or beyond. I cannot bear to think of Molly getting lost and not having her cheerful little face waking me up each morning.
So, that is how life is moving for us mid month. I am at the point of portioning out all the entrees that have been bubbling away today. A beef brisket, pot of soup, baked chicken breasts along with a batch of muffins is or will be cooling until they can be tucked away into my freezer. Julie Anne Rhodes (http://julieannerhodes.com/) has made me a cooking convert. It really is so much better to use her PCApproach to cooking and enjoy homecooked meals each night. Thank you Julie Anne! You will never know how much better meal time is since you taught me your approach to cooking. Anyone reading my blog would do well to check out Julie Anne's site and join the community. I can guarantee that your dinners will be wonderful and you will meet the nicest people in the forum.
Have a wonderful week! I hope you find some time to do things that you truly enjoy.
Sincerely, Rutheemac
The piece I was working on to send off to Norway for the #twitterartexhibit was sent off a couple of weeks ago. To my relief, David Sandum sent me a message a few days ago saying that he had received it. You might recall that my submission for the previous exhibit, a year or so ago, was lost in the mail and did not make it in time for the due date. In fact, it was several days after that when it surfaced. All is well, I am quite happy that my submission made it in time for this exhibit which begins in April. Check out the latest on the exhibit using the hashtag #twitterartexhibit or #DavidSandumArt. Remember to send your pieces in for the exhibition so that they arrive no later than March 30. That will give David two weeks to get the exhibit set up and I am guessing that with the number of artistic pieces being sent to him, it will be a labour of love to place these patchwork sized pieces up on the wall coordinating colours and textures.
I have put a picture of my submission to the side of the post as well as a picture of another painting that I did this week. Both are done using acrylic inks, which I am new to using and learning how to work with in order to get the results I am trying to achieve. I would say that the inks are much like watercolours, with the main difference being that the ink is very hard to scrub off of my fingers. Consequently, I am extremely careful not to leave Molly in the studio if I make a coffee or tea run to the kitchen. I well remember scrubbing ultramarine blue acrylic paint off of my kitchen floor in the old flat and doubt that the inks would wipe up as neatly. At this point, I have the sides of a few fingers as well as their tips tinted with yellow ink making one think that I have indulged in one too many cigarettes. That is not the case and I can put my hand on the bible and state that no cigarettes have been smoked in over three decades. I think one more major scrub with the nail brush and I should be back to the normal skin tone I usually have. But, if that does not work, I do have an ink that is flesh toned and might be just the ticket to try on a finger or two. Just kidding!
I have a feeling that I am going to continue with the inks for a while since I am enjoying experimenting with them. Building up colour and testing how one ink blends with another is fun. I am also working in the use of watercolour pencils along with the inks to get another colour blended but still showing on top of the original colour laid out on the paper. Using different coloured papers that I picked up at the art supply shop a few weeks ago is proving interesting as well. Building up the colour without saturating the paper is tricky and involves patience that I am still trying desperately to cultivate. But, I must be progressing in that department. Two nights ago, when I was in the studio, I looked up to see that it was 1:30 a.m. Working on the sunflower painting had me so involved that I had lost complete track of the time and lost out on my hour of reading before calling it a night.
So, yes, reading is still very much part of my daily routine as we move into the third month of this year. One of my plans for the new year was to make sure that I took time out each day to enjoy a few chapters of a book. I had hoped that it would be possible to read two books per month and I seem to be able to manage that without too much trouble. I have read "The Hunger Games" trilogy, "Bird by Bird", and "The Awakening" at this point. Currently, I am working my way through Brenda Ueland's If You Want to Write" and Nancy Holder's/Debbie Viguies' "Wicked: Witch & Curse." One book good for the mind, the other satisfying the urge for that urge for something a little less than would be considered nutritionally sound if it were a meal. I will let you decide which book matches up with the mentioned categories. Those who have been following me on my journey will no doubt pick up on my enjoyment of books that relate to the supernatural. I have to confess, I love reading books of most genres, but give me a series like "Twilight", "The Hunger Games" and so on, and you will find me totally involved to the point where the book is carried with me at all times so that should I find myself waiting for my appointment at the doctor's office or in line to pay for a purchase, I can pull out the current book that is being inhaled, and indulge in a few more pages whilst waiting. A few days ago, whilst sipping on a coffee while on an outing, I spent a lovely hour or so enjoying a few chapters of one of the books currently being read. That is the joy of reading, you can always pick up where you left off and use whatever time you have available to make some progress through a book. The books I am currently reading are both actual paperback books, but never fear, the e-reader is being used as well and I have a few books downloaded to dive into when I need a break.
I wonder where the e-reader will take us in terms of books being published. Will we still be able to pick up a current best seller in paperback form or will most books be published as e-books? There is something so satisfying about holding a book whilst reading it. There is a smell to the book, the ink, the pages, not so much with the e-reader. I have to admit that the e-reader has its merits. I can easily toss it in my purse to take with me and have more than one book to look through without the heft of additional books in my bag. The leather cover protecting the e-reader gives the illusion of holding a book whilst giving me all the benefits of this new age reading format. Have you switched over to e-books or will you stick to traditional books? I can never see myself giving up actual books since I feel that certain books just do not format well on e-readers. Cookbooks, books on art techniques and so on are always going to have pride of placement in my bookcase and in my heart. I have had too many good relationships with actual books and will never totally give them up anymore than I could say that I will never eat another chocolate chip cookie. That would just be cruel and unnecessary!
So, that is how my life has played out over the past few weeks. Nothing earth shaking, but at the same time, progressing at a pace that I am comfortable with. What are you working on artistically or otherwise? The longer days seem to offer more time to work on projects, but at the same time provide more distractions. I find myself looking at seed packages and wondering what I should plant on my little balcony. I am debating on some herbs that I can use in the kitchen along with a few flowering tubs. Pansies catch my fancy as do sweet peas, but I had better decide soon. Sweet pea seeds need to soak a while to soften the outer casing if memory serves me correctly. Oh well, now I have more reason to stay on the computer and do some research on what I could reasonably grow with minimal effort. At least bringing water to the balcony using my walker lightens the load. I will just have to make certain that a little feline is safely tucked into another room and cannot escape onto the balcony or beyond. I cannot bear to think of Molly getting lost and not having her cheerful little face waking me up each morning.
So, that is how life is moving for us mid month. I am at the point of portioning out all the entrees that have been bubbling away today. A beef brisket, pot of soup, baked chicken breasts along with a batch of muffins is or will be cooling until they can be tucked away into my freezer. Julie Anne Rhodes (http://julieannerhodes.com/) has made me a cooking convert. It really is so much better to use her PCApproach to cooking and enjoy homecooked meals each night. Thank you Julie Anne! You will never know how much better meal time is since you taught me your approach to cooking. Anyone reading my blog would do well to check out Julie Anne's site and join the community. I can guarantee that your dinners will be wonderful and you will meet the nicest people in the forum.
Have a wonderful week! I hope you find some time to do things that you truly enjoy.
Sincerely, Rutheemac
Monday, February 27, 2012
Spinning my wheels but moving along!
It is hard to believe that another week has sailed by and I am sitting here typing away trying to get a post up to let you know what I have been up to in the studio and just in general. Time seems to advance more quickly when you have a lot of ideas to work, transferring them onto pieces of canvas or jotting down events or your perspective of them in a journal. So, this week did advance in most areas, but at a pace of one step forward to two steps back, a ratio that was not entirely satisfying. But, it allow me to progress on my journey, just in baby steps as opposed to a sturdy, well balanced stride.
I am still playing with the acrylic inks and attempting to put what I see so vividly in my mind down on a small piece of watercolour paper. At one point, I decided that it might yield better results if I were to work on a regular sized sheet of paper and then work down in scale until I reached a postcard sized piece. This seems to be working better for me and I managed to get some work done on two pieces neither of which are completed. I sit down in the studio, turn on the CD player and lose complete track of time. More than once I looked up to find that it was after midnight and hastened to tidy up, rinse out brushes and join Molly Cat who was already snoozing soundly in the bedroom. She does not like it when I disturb her by moving her so that I can slide under the covers, but I am adamant that I take my rightful place in the bed. Molly then retaliates by crawling up on top of me and curling up on my lower abdomen preventing me from turning onto my side or shifting my position.
Truthfully, I do not have a lot to show for my efforts of this past week. More than one artistic attempt was binned after not developing or showing any promise. Colours did not come out the way I had intended, subject matter illusive, and I just could not put brush to paper with any show of promise. I am being harsh with myself and readily admit that I cannot settle for anything less than my best attempt to develop as the artist I want to be. Realistically, I understand that it takes time to develop in any field, art being no different than any other. Consequently, while I am putting up two of the pieces I am currently playing with, know that I am not pleased with them and will be revising them considerably before I can muster any sense of satisfaction.
I need to understand the layering of colour necessary in order to build it up to the level that I am hoping to achieve. Currently, I seem to have a heavy hand in the application and need to yield to using patience over enthusiasm as I work into the night. Maybe, and I shake my head at this, I should call it a day and head off to bed a tad earlier. I have a tendency to get into the studio later than I would really like and then try to compensate by staying there later than one should reasonably expect to with the consequence being a weary artist who has lost her perspective. Not a good thing! So, this week, I am seriously going to try to revamp my schedule allowing for an early afternoon session followed by a break for my evening meal and then return to the studio for a couple of hours after which I will camp out on the sofa and read for another couple of hours. Sounds reasonable, does it not? I am not so certain that I will accomplish this trend for more than a day or two before I revert to the way I have always worked. Some changes are just not meant to be, but I will see if it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks. Okay, maybe the word "dog" is not politically correct in a household that houses a very vocal feline, so maybe I could be the alpha feline who gets to have the last word. But, only if Molly is agreeable to that. We all know who calls the shots here and if Molly is not happily satisfied with the state of affairs, then no one within the flat will be allowed any peace. I am saying this with tongue firmly in cheek.
My resolve to read more, allowing for at least an hour a day, is progressing well and I am into the last chapters of one book, Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird" and into the opening chapters of Kelly Armstrong's "The Reckoning." The first book being instructive in my quest to learn better writing skills and the last book allowing me to enjoy fiction with a supernatural theme. My hope is that in time that I will be able to write a best selling piece, probably involving creatures not common to our everyday lives. I suspect that these creatures may not be typical to most, but possibly I should not make that assumption. It is somewhat appealing that a little supernatural could exist and add a little something to our daily routines. But then, I always have been one to believe in faeries, wee folk, ghosts and such. A grown woman who believes, now that might not be something I would share with anyone but those who follow this journey as I am fairly certain some acquaintances. i.e. my doctor, would be concerned, to phrase it gently.
What else have I been up to? Well, earlier, I made a futile trip to an art shop hoping to replenish some supplies that are running low. Who would have thought that there would have been a demand for frisket all of a sudden? But, the out of stock sign not only encourages, but allows for a trip later in the week to another shop. Besides, I might just find a better price on some inks that I hope to add to my stash as well as check on the availability of a hand mannequin that I would very much like to have, but decided that the price today was more than I was willing to pay. And yes, hand mannequins do exist, but I suspect stay put on the shelves they inhabit if the price I already saw was any indication. I will let you know how the upcoming trip, currently to take place on Thursday, plays out. I promise that I will be fiscally responsible. But, you do know that while some long for the elusively perfect pair of shoes, or the exquisite handbag, I turn into a lust for all things housed in art supply shops. Well, maybe not everything, but trust me, more than enough items I long for would put me on purchasing restrictions for the month of March, a page on the calendar not yet reached.
So, hopefully, I will make some advancements over the course of the week. I do have friends coming for a visit one evening which will involve my baking up a batch of cookies and brownies. No doubt, I will make a dash out to pick up the requisite fruit and vegetables that I seem to be craving of late. But, my main agenda will be composed of painting, reading, researching and other activities of an artistic nature. Oh, and activities pertaining to the pampering of a certain feline. But, we all know that those activities are by far the most important. That the world does rotate around a certain little ball of fur is a given, as so it should be.
Have a wonderfully inspiring week!
Sincerely, Rutheemac
I am still playing with the acrylic inks and attempting to put what I see so vividly in my mind down on a small piece of watercolour paper. At one point, I decided that it might yield better results if I were to work on a regular sized sheet of paper and then work down in scale until I reached a postcard sized piece. This seems to be working better for me and I managed to get some work done on two pieces neither of which are completed. I sit down in the studio, turn on the CD player and lose complete track of time. More than once I looked up to find that it was after midnight and hastened to tidy up, rinse out brushes and join Molly Cat who was already snoozing soundly in the bedroom. She does not like it when I disturb her by moving her so that I can slide under the covers, but I am adamant that I take my rightful place in the bed. Molly then retaliates by crawling up on top of me and curling up on my lower abdomen preventing me from turning onto my side or shifting my position.
Truthfully, I do not have a lot to show for my efforts of this past week. More than one artistic attempt was binned after not developing or showing any promise. Colours did not come out the way I had intended, subject matter illusive, and I just could not put brush to paper with any show of promise. I am being harsh with myself and readily admit that I cannot settle for anything less than my best attempt to develop as the artist I want to be. Realistically, I understand that it takes time to develop in any field, art being no different than any other. Consequently, while I am putting up two of the pieces I am currently playing with, know that I am not pleased with them and will be revising them considerably before I can muster any sense of satisfaction.
I need to understand the layering of colour necessary in order to build it up to the level that I am hoping to achieve. Currently, I seem to have a heavy hand in the application and need to yield to using patience over enthusiasm as I work into the night. Maybe, and I shake my head at this, I should call it a day and head off to bed a tad earlier. I have a tendency to get into the studio later than I would really like and then try to compensate by staying there later than one should reasonably expect to with the consequence being a weary artist who has lost her perspective. Not a good thing! So, this week, I am seriously going to try to revamp my schedule allowing for an early afternoon session followed by a break for my evening meal and then return to the studio for a couple of hours after which I will camp out on the sofa and read for another couple of hours. Sounds reasonable, does it not? I am not so certain that I will accomplish this trend for more than a day or two before I revert to the way I have always worked. Some changes are just not meant to be, but I will see if it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks. Okay, maybe the word "dog" is not politically correct in a household that houses a very vocal feline, so maybe I could be the alpha feline who gets to have the last word. But, only if Molly is agreeable to that. We all know who calls the shots here and if Molly is not happily satisfied with the state of affairs, then no one within the flat will be allowed any peace. I am saying this with tongue firmly in cheek.
My resolve to read more, allowing for at least an hour a day, is progressing well and I am into the last chapters of one book, Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird" and into the opening chapters of Kelly Armstrong's "The Reckoning." The first book being instructive in my quest to learn better writing skills and the last book allowing me to enjoy fiction with a supernatural theme. My hope is that in time that I will be able to write a best selling piece, probably involving creatures not common to our everyday lives. I suspect that these creatures may not be typical to most, but possibly I should not make that assumption. It is somewhat appealing that a little supernatural could exist and add a little something to our daily routines. But then, I always have been one to believe in faeries, wee folk, ghosts and such. A grown woman who believes, now that might not be something I would share with anyone but those who follow this journey as I am fairly certain some acquaintances. i.e. my doctor, would be concerned, to phrase it gently.
What else have I been up to? Well, earlier, I made a futile trip to an art shop hoping to replenish some supplies that are running low. Who would have thought that there would have been a demand for frisket all of a sudden? But, the out of stock sign not only encourages, but allows for a trip later in the week to another shop. Besides, I might just find a better price on some inks that I hope to add to my stash as well as check on the availability of a hand mannequin that I would very much like to have, but decided that the price today was more than I was willing to pay. And yes, hand mannequins do exist, but I suspect stay put on the shelves they inhabit if the price I already saw was any indication. I will let you know how the upcoming trip, currently to take place on Thursday, plays out. I promise that I will be fiscally responsible. But, you do know that while some long for the elusively perfect pair of shoes, or the exquisite handbag, I turn into a lust for all things housed in art supply shops. Well, maybe not everything, but trust me, more than enough items I long for would put me on purchasing restrictions for the month of March, a page on the calendar not yet reached.
So, hopefully, I will make some advancements over the course of the week. I do have friends coming for a visit one evening which will involve my baking up a batch of cookies and brownies. No doubt, I will make a dash out to pick up the requisite fruit and vegetables that I seem to be craving of late. But, my main agenda will be composed of painting, reading, researching and other activities of an artistic nature. Oh, and activities pertaining to the pampering of a certain feline. But, we all know that those activities are by far the most important. That the world does rotate around a certain little ball of fur is a given, as so it should be.
Have a wonderfully inspiring week!
Sincerely, Rutheemac
Monday, February 20, 2012
Pick a pathway, continue a journey or start a new chapter
I was indecisive as to what I should write about today and so this post is going up much later than originally intended. This tardiness is not due to my not working on anything artistic or of artistic merit this week, but rather that I had a little too much going on. I worked in the studio using the acrylic inks that are proving to be a learning experience, read for a while each day, got inspired by two journals that came my way and thought about other ways in which I might challenge myself. Add to all this a major need to purchase groceries followed by some enjoyable time spent in the kitchen cooking ahead so I would have meals ready for the next couple of weeks. So, yes, it was a busy week and I have to admit that more than one night was spent in the studio. I figure if I cannot fall asleep within a reasonable length of time, then it is far better for me to get out of bed and do something constructive.
The learning curve using the acrylic inks is a steep one. But, I am enjoying the experience, maybe just a little too much. I have started a couple of pieces and trashed a couple that were not turning out the way I had hoped. I find my biggest obstacle is me. I feel that I should be able to dive into any medium and be able to put a respectable piece of art together regardless of whether or not I have worked previously with that particular medium. Mea culpa, such is not the case and I have to accept that I need to allow myself time to work with my inks, learn how they respond to different brushes, take the time to mask off areas of the canvas with friskett so that I keep the colours where I want them without trickling over into other areas on the page. In other words, I need to learn to be patient with myself if I want to give myself the opportunity to grow as an artist. I am impatient and like to see results quickly, but I am learning that it is far better to take the extra time and use it wisely allowing sections to dry, see the intensity of the colour and how it relates to other colours already laid out on the canvas. I need to allow myself to change my mind as to what colours I will use and what the subject of each painting will be. Will I paint a series or will I do one offs, single canvases not related to each other with the only common factor being the use of the acrylic inks.
I try to be frugal in my use of friskett and other mediums that would help me to achieve certain effects on my canvases. The hard hitting truth is that there are times to bite the bullet and use the proper materials and that even if they are used on test pieces, this does not mean that I have wasted a medium. Learning through experimenting is the best way for me to learn and develop my own techniques. It is one thing to read about a technique, but an entirely other method of learning by actually putting thoughts into action. I have always been one who likes to actively work on a problem in order to resolve it and find the best method to work with for me. That is not to say that how I work out my answers and what items I use to achieve the much desired effect will work for another artist. I am more than happy to share my findings with others, but need the other artist to know that while this method may have worked for me, it might not achieve what it is they hope to capture on their canvas.
While I have been spending a lot of time in my studio, very happily I must admit, I have also promised myself that I will read at least two books per month. This leads me down another pathway where a new chapter of the journey is showing up. Bird by Bird, a book written by Anne Lamott is a book with "some instructions on writing and life." I always have enjoyed reading books of all genres through the years. I read a statistic last week that the average adult has read less than 100 books. That horrifies me on so many levels. How can someone not want to read a book? With so many books to choose from on such a variety of subjects, my problem is picking one book to read now and promise myself that I can to back and read any other books that capture my attention. Picking one book over another makes for a difficult decision and I have to firmly keep myself in line and ask myself which book best follows my interests at that moment or which book will give me a brief holiday from what is going on in my life at that time.
I have wanted to wanted to write for so many years and true to form, I figure that I need to do some research on the writing method before I contemplate starting. Bird by Bird outlines in baby steps how to get yourself in a writing frame of mind. Writing a bit each day and building on your skills will hopefully lead you into the steps necessary to write that novel that we all feel is just waiting in a corner of our brain, waiting to be transcribed and then hopefully to be snatched up by a publisher. Suffice it to say, that the book does not sugar coat the likelihood of this ever happening, but at the same time does not discourage the would be author from writing. Getting something down on the page each and every day is key to setting yourself in the "writing frame of mind" and forces you to establish a schedule in order to accomplish this goal.
I have a lot to learn before I manage to write something of any substance, something that might capture the attention of a wider group of people than my blog currently reaches and that will likely mean that the subject of the book will not likely be about my journey through artistic mediums, at least not at this time. I have not got a clue as to what I would write about, but I know that it is going to take a lot of time and effort. I have got the time and effort, well, I am more than willing to work away on practising and writing piece after piece to develop my own voice and style. So, whilst I read books to learn about the process, I have notebooks on the go in which I outline ideas and research these ideas, fleshing them out to see if there is maybe something in this idea worth writing more than just a paragraph or two about. With this in mind, I found the perfect journal type book in which to track these thoughts and ideas.
Marisa at Omiyage carries a line of such journals. Have a look at her web store at http://omiyage.ca and you will find various journals. The two that captured my attention are "A 1000 Kinds of Stories" and "Editorial." The first journal has 1000 sections contained within a wire bound book that will slip into your tote or briefcase. The sections are numbered and I can see myself making brief notes in each section, 1000 steps to pulling together information, ideas, to reach the point of actually starting the process of writing. This journal would also be perfect for jotting down quotations that have reached out and meant something to you at this time of your life. It could be a journal to track your exercise goals, an entry for each day as to what you accomplished. There are so many stories to be written about in this book that I suspect everyone reading this would have their own spin as to what they would like to make notations about over the course of 1000 days.
The second journal, "Editorial" breaks a page down into sixteen sections, graph lined with an area at the top for a title or subtitle. Another perfect book for the writer in training! Each little section could contain a goal to accomplish regarding one's writing. By the time the budding author has worked their way through the journal making notes as they go, he or she should be well on their way to developing a story line. I am excited by both of these journals. I have not made an entry in either, and I suspect that I will start off with 1000 kinds of stories to get my creative juices flowing. Will I ever really write a book? I would like to think that I will pull together a story, whether it is a short story or perhaps that epic novel. I can envision a few people rolling their eyes upon reading this and thinking that I definitely have more than a little fluff stuffed between my ears and masquerading as brain material. I still plan to travel down this pathway and see what unfolds. A few years ago, I thought that I would try painting and I am still painting, learning and growing with each piece. Maybe, just maybe, I can try writing and see if I can progress from smaller pieces to actually pulling the storyline together along with character development and make it turn into a cohesive piece of writing. That is what I am hoping to achieve.
My artistic challenges for Sunday were kitchen related. For the first time in my life, I made a pot of chicken vegetable soup. I have made many a pot of vegetable soup, minestrone soup and others similar in nature. But, I was proud of my chicken soup and have to admit, it tasted pretty good and I now have enough soup for more than a week of lunches. I also roasted a chicken, low and slow which produced such a juicy, tender meat, that I was pretty amazed. JulieAnne Rhodes has a web site, http://julieannrhodes.com/ in which she teaches her PCApproach to cooking. By setting aside a few hours each week or every two weeks depending on how many people you are cooking for, you can cook and package up the meals in portion sized servings or family sized servings and just need to heat these up and have dinner on the table in no time flat. I use the approach to get different items cooked or baked. A pan of a perogie style lasagne was baked off, cut into servings and frozen, along with a pan of boneless, skinless chicken thighs roasted, an Asian inspired meal utilizing ground turkey, Asian spices cooked up and ready to serve over rice and just because I love muffins, a dozen blueberry muffins baked up beautifully and are now individually wrapped in the freezer, ready to be warmed up in the microwave. I have enough individually packaged entrees to keep me going for around three weeks, so I think spending Sunday afternoon in the kitchen was well worth the effort. You definitely should take a look at JulieAnne's web site and join the community. For a very modest cost, you will have access to a new menu each week, along with the recipes, the shopping list and tips to ensure your success. Plus, you will be able to participate in the forum where members answer each other's questions, have a chuckle at some stories of kitchen successes after battles valiantly met head on where youngsters have been persuaded to try a new type of mashed potato which actually was cauliflower mash and where vegetables are tucked into entrees without picky eaters even being aware of their presence. I can guarantee that you will be ROTFL over some of the blogs and the forum discussions. But, more importantly, you will find that it is possible to get dinner on the table without going crazy each night and you will meet the most amazing group of folks who are there for you in a heart beat. Now, that is what I call a family, a very extended one, but most definitely a true family with JulieAnne keeping us all together and helping with advice, suggestions and most of all, you can tell that she really cares that you have the tools you need to produce delicious and healthy meals.
So, this is the week that was! It was artistic in so many different ways, and all of them satisfying. I will put up pictures of the acrylic paintings in progress on Twitpic so you can get an idea of how things are working out. As for samples of my writing, well you read a sample each week in the form of my blog post. I still have a long ways to go to developing a writing style, much less coming up with a solid idea for a book, but these will come with time and effort.
I hope you had a wonderful week and would love to hear about your artistic endeavours in the studio, kitchen or where ever you encountered them. They all count! Do not ever think for a moment that they do not.
Sincerely, Rutheemac
The learning curve using the acrylic inks is a steep one. But, I am enjoying the experience, maybe just a little too much. I have started a couple of pieces and trashed a couple that were not turning out the way I had hoped. I find my biggest obstacle is me. I feel that I should be able to dive into any medium and be able to put a respectable piece of art together regardless of whether or not I have worked previously with that particular medium. Mea culpa, such is not the case and I have to accept that I need to allow myself time to work with my inks, learn how they respond to different brushes, take the time to mask off areas of the canvas with friskett so that I keep the colours where I want them without trickling over into other areas on the page. In other words, I need to learn to be patient with myself if I want to give myself the opportunity to grow as an artist. I am impatient and like to see results quickly, but I am learning that it is far better to take the extra time and use it wisely allowing sections to dry, see the intensity of the colour and how it relates to other colours already laid out on the canvas. I need to allow myself to change my mind as to what colours I will use and what the subject of each painting will be. Will I paint a series or will I do one offs, single canvases not related to each other with the only common factor being the use of the acrylic inks.
I try to be frugal in my use of friskett and other mediums that would help me to achieve certain effects on my canvases. The hard hitting truth is that there are times to bite the bullet and use the proper materials and that even if they are used on test pieces, this does not mean that I have wasted a medium. Learning through experimenting is the best way for me to learn and develop my own techniques. It is one thing to read about a technique, but an entirely other method of learning by actually putting thoughts into action. I have always been one who likes to actively work on a problem in order to resolve it and find the best method to work with for me. That is not to say that how I work out my answers and what items I use to achieve the much desired effect will work for another artist. I am more than happy to share my findings with others, but need the other artist to know that while this method may have worked for me, it might not achieve what it is they hope to capture on their canvas.
While I have been spending a lot of time in my studio, very happily I must admit, I have also promised myself that I will read at least two books per month. This leads me down another pathway where a new chapter of the journey is showing up. Bird by Bird, a book written by Anne Lamott is a book with "some instructions on writing and life." I always have enjoyed reading books of all genres through the years. I read a statistic last week that the average adult has read less than 100 books. That horrifies me on so many levels. How can someone not want to read a book? With so many books to choose from on such a variety of subjects, my problem is picking one book to read now and promise myself that I can to back and read any other books that capture my attention. Picking one book over another makes for a difficult decision and I have to firmly keep myself in line and ask myself which book best follows my interests at that moment or which book will give me a brief holiday from what is going on in my life at that time.
I have wanted to wanted to write for so many years and true to form, I figure that I need to do some research on the writing method before I contemplate starting. Bird by Bird outlines in baby steps how to get yourself in a writing frame of mind. Writing a bit each day and building on your skills will hopefully lead you into the steps necessary to write that novel that we all feel is just waiting in a corner of our brain, waiting to be transcribed and then hopefully to be snatched up by a publisher. Suffice it to say, that the book does not sugar coat the likelihood of this ever happening, but at the same time does not discourage the would be author from writing. Getting something down on the page each and every day is key to setting yourself in the "writing frame of mind" and forces you to establish a schedule in order to accomplish this goal.
I have a lot to learn before I manage to write something of any substance, something that might capture the attention of a wider group of people than my blog currently reaches and that will likely mean that the subject of the book will not likely be about my journey through artistic mediums, at least not at this time. I have not got a clue as to what I would write about, but I know that it is going to take a lot of time and effort. I have got the time and effort, well, I am more than willing to work away on practising and writing piece after piece to develop my own voice and style. So, whilst I read books to learn about the process, I have notebooks on the go in which I outline ideas and research these ideas, fleshing them out to see if there is maybe something in this idea worth writing more than just a paragraph or two about. With this in mind, I found the perfect journal type book in which to track these thoughts and ideas.
Marisa at Omiyage carries a line of such journals. Have a look at her web store at http://omiyage.ca and you will find various journals. The two that captured my attention are "A 1000 Kinds of Stories" and "Editorial." The first journal has 1000 sections contained within a wire bound book that will slip into your tote or briefcase. The sections are numbered and I can see myself making brief notes in each section, 1000 steps to pulling together information, ideas, to reach the point of actually starting the process of writing. This journal would also be perfect for jotting down quotations that have reached out and meant something to you at this time of your life. It could be a journal to track your exercise goals, an entry for each day as to what you accomplished. There are so many stories to be written about in this book that I suspect everyone reading this would have their own spin as to what they would like to make notations about over the course of 1000 days.
The second journal, "Editorial" breaks a page down into sixteen sections, graph lined with an area at the top for a title or subtitle. Another perfect book for the writer in training! Each little section could contain a goal to accomplish regarding one's writing. By the time the budding author has worked their way through the journal making notes as they go, he or she should be well on their way to developing a story line. I am excited by both of these journals. I have not made an entry in either, and I suspect that I will start off with 1000 kinds of stories to get my creative juices flowing. Will I ever really write a book? I would like to think that I will pull together a story, whether it is a short story or perhaps that epic novel. I can envision a few people rolling their eyes upon reading this and thinking that I definitely have more than a little fluff stuffed between my ears and masquerading as brain material. I still plan to travel down this pathway and see what unfolds. A few years ago, I thought that I would try painting and I am still painting, learning and growing with each piece. Maybe, just maybe, I can try writing and see if I can progress from smaller pieces to actually pulling the storyline together along with character development and make it turn into a cohesive piece of writing. That is what I am hoping to achieve.
My artistic challenges for Sunday were kitchen related. For the first time in my life, I made a pot of chicken vegetable soup. I have made many a pot of vegetable soup, minestrone soup and others similar in nature. But, I was proud of my chicken soup and have to admit, it tasted pretty good and I now have enough soup for more than a week of lunches. I also roasted a chicken, low and slow which produced such a juicy, tender meat, that I was pretty amazed. JulieAnne Rhodes has a web site, http://julieannrhodes.com/ in which she teaches her PCApproach to cooking. By setting aside a few hours each week or every two weeks depending on how many people you are cooking for, you can cook and package up the meals in portion sized servings or family sized servings and just need to heat these up and have dinner on the table in no time flat. I use the approach to get different items cooked or baked. A pan of a perogie style lasagne was baked off, cut into servings and frozen, along with a pan of boneless, skinless chicken thighs roasted, an Asian inspired meal utilizing ground turkey, Asian spices cooked up and ready to serve over rice and just because I love muffins, a dozen blueberry muffins baked up beautifully and are now individually wrapped in the freezer, ready to be warmed up in the microwave. I have enough individually packaged entrees to keep me going for around three weeks, so I think spending Sunday afternoon in the kitchen was well worth the effort. You definitely should take a look at JulieAnne's web site and join the community. For a very modest cost, you will have access to a new menu each week, along with the recipes, the shopping list and tips to ensure your success. Plus, you will be able to participate in the forum where members answer each other's questions, have a chuckle at some stories of kitchen successes after battles valiantly met head on where youngsters have been persuaded to try a new type of mashed potato which actually was cauliflower mash and where vegetables are tucked into entrees without picky eaters even being aware of their presence. I can guarantee that you will be ROTFL over some of the blogs and the forum discussions. But, more importantly, you will find that it is possible to get dinner on the table without going crazy each night and you will meet the most amazing group of folks who are there for you in a heart beat. Now, that is what I call a family, a very extended one, but most definitely a true family with JulieAnne keeping us all together and helping with advice, suggestions and most of all, you can tell that she really cares that you have the tools you need to produce delicious and healthy meals.
So, this is the week that was! It was artistic in so many different ways, and all of them satisfying. I will put up pictures of the acrylic paintings in progress on Twitpic so you can get an idea of how things are working out. As for samples of my writing, well you read a sample each week in the form of my blog post. I still have a long ways to go to developing a writing style, much less coming up with a solid idea for a book, but these will come with time and effort.
I hope you had a wonderful week and would love to hear about your artistic endeavours in the studio, kitchen or where ever you encountered them. They all count! Do not ever think for a moment that they do not.
Sincerely, Rutheemac
Monday, February 13, 2012
Trying something new
I am writing this post much later than I normally write them. Saturday nights seem to be my usual writing time and I think that I have myself believing that between the hours of 7 p.m and 10 p.m., my creative persona dons its writer's cap and pulls together this blog. The reality of it is, that the writing I do could be done at any time on any particular day. I know that a lot of people feel that they do their best writing when certain conditions are met. For me, the only condition that must be present is that I need to have accomplished something of an artistic nature within the past several days.
This past week, I have been playing with acrylic inks in my studio. I have picked up a small selection of different colours which should more than suffice. I have been spreading the inks on pieces of watercolour paper to see how the colour lays down on the paper, whether the paper buckles, and so on. I have a ways to go before I am ready to paint the pieces of art destined for Norway for the Twitter Art Exhibit. I really want to do something impressive, something that defines me as an artist. But, I have to admit, I am not sure what it would take to put something down on watercolour paper to have others think of me as an artist. I am of the opinion that one must accept themselves as whatever it is that they want to be noted for before they can actually be deemed that particular type of person. So, although I am determined to become an artist and participate in various attempts using different mediums, does this strong desire to be an artist in fact make me one? What do you use to define yourself or how did you come to describe yourself as an artist?
I have a studio room in which I keep various art supplies varying from different paints, coloured pencils, right on down to pieces of fabric and an assortment of wonderful Japanese papers. I say that I am a mixed media artist, an artist who uses the different mediums to express my ideas, thoughts and dreams. I have even done up a picture, Japanese in nature using embroidery floss as one would use paint to put down certain colours as one would paint sections of a canvas. But, supplies aside, is there something in my particular make up that holds the key to my determining whether or not I truly am an artist? I wish I knew the answer to that question.
I guess I could take and accept the premise that since I make art, therefore I am an artist. But, even though I make up pieces that friends kindly refer to as art, I have to wonder if I really am meant to be on an artistic journey. Am I just fooling myself into thinking that this is what I really want to be and so if I tell myself that it is true, that I will make myself over into a fine artist? I am not so sure that it really works that way. Just because I would like to be an artist, does not mean that I am one anymore than being able to sew a button on my shirt says that I am a seamstress. I know beyond doubt that I am not a seamstress, nor will I ever become one. Sewing does not pull me into its power and mesmerize me the way that art does. As lovely as a dress might be, I cannot see myself going over it, seam by seam, noting the tucks, fine seams, exquisite buttonholes and finely detailed darts. I can see myself looking over a piece of art taking note of the gradations of colour, the balance in a painting, the textures of the paint, the subject matter and how it is portrayed, as in whether there are symbolic references or whether I see actual references to a particular subject. But, are these acts enough to cause me to think of myself as actually being an artist?
I do find pleasure in my into the art's world. Wandering through the aisles of an art supply shoppe, I can while away the hours quite easily But, then I can happily spend hours roaming though large office supply shoppes. There seems to be something about vast quantities of paper, pens, and other supplies that I find enjoyable. Lately, in art supply shoppes, I have been drawn to the aisles of coloured inks. calligraphy pens, and other supplies related to the art of penmanship and the study of illuminated script. I enjoy looking at samples of penmanship from earlier times and wondering how people were able to develop such elegant ways of putting their thoughts down on paper. The only answer I have is that constant practice must help in developing the skill. Consequently, practice must be the key to developing any skill, even those deemed artistic in nature.
So, I will continue on my artistic journey. I must admit that typing down these thoughts right now, has helped me reach this decision. I was beginning to lose faith in myself. This often happens when I feel that I am not progressing at the rate at which I felt that I should be developing skills. I seem to forget that progressing at a rate, any rate, is a positive. I will learn at the pace for which I am hardwired, and not a bit faster. Learning at a slower pace is not a bad thing. I need to take my time and go over something frequently in order to really learn it and learning to write in an elegant style will take time after having written, and written badly for so many years, taught me sloppy habits that lead to embarrassing transcripts of my handwriting. I do want to learn to make illuminated script (think of the elaborately scribed capital letters in storybooks) and use this knowledge for another project at a later date.
Meanwhile, I have come up with two drawings that I hope to put into action for the Twitter Art Exhibit. While I cannot say that these drawings will be the ones that make their way to Norway, I do feel that I want to try them out using the inks. Somehow, I want to think of these pieces as being similar to stained glass in design. That is the nice thing about this project, if I do not like the way these two sketches turn out, I can always go back to the drawing board and try to come up with something I like better.
I hope your week is full of artistic surprises, nice ones of course! As always, I would love to hear from you. Tell me what you are working on, what it was that called to you to head into an artistic life, what causes yourself to doubt your instincts and question whether the artistic life is for you. Maybe we could get a real support community running here to help out with giving you the feedback that you need and so much more.
Have a great week!
Sincerely, Rutheemac
This past week, I have been playing with acrylic inks in my studio. I have picked up a small selection of different colours which should more than suffice. I have been spreading the inks on pieces of watercolour paper to see how the colour lays down on the paper, whether the paper buckles, and so on. I have a ways to go before I am ready to paint the pieces of art destined for Norway for the Twitter Art Exhibit. I really want to do something impressive, something that defines me as an artist. But, I have to admit, I am not sure what it would take to put something down on watercolour paper to have others think of me as an artist. I am of the opinion that one must accept themselves as whatever it is that they want to be noted for before they can actually be deemed that particular type of person. So, although I am determined to become an artist and participate in various attempts using different mediums, does this strong desire to be an artist in fact make me one? What do you use to define yourself or how did you come to describe yourself as an artist?
I have a studio room in which I keep various art supplies varying from different paints, coloured pencils, right on down to pieces of fabric and an assortment of wonderful Japanese papers. I say that I am a mixed media artist, an artist who uses the different mediums to express my ideas, thoughts and dreams. I have even done up a picture, Japanese in nature using embroidery floss as one would use paint to put down certain colours as one would paint sections of a canvas. But, supplies aside, is there something in my particular make up that holds the key to my determining whether or not I truly am an artist? I wish I knew the answer to that question.
I guess I could take and accept the premise that since I make art, therefore I am an artist. But, even though I make up pieces that friends kindly refer to as art, I have to wonder if I really am meant to be on an artistic journey. Am I just fooling myself into thinking that this is what I really want to be and so if I tell myself that it is true, that I will make myself over into a fine artist? I am not so sure that it really works that way. Just because I would like to be an artist, does not mean that I am one anymore than being able to sew a button on my shirt says that I am a seamstress. I know beyond doubt that I am not a seamstress, nor will I ever become one. Sewing does not pull me into its power and mesmerize me the way that art does. As lovely as a dress might be, I cannot see myself going over it, seam by seam, noting the tucks, fine seams, exquisite buttonholes and finely detailed darts. I can see myself looking over a piece of art taking note of the gradations of colour, the balance in a painting, the textures of the paint, the subject matter and how it is portrayed, as in whether there are symbolic references or whether I see actual references to a particular subject. But, are these acts enough to cause me to think of myself as actually being an artist?
I do find pleasure in my into the art's world. Wandering through the aisles of an art supply shoppe, I can while away the hours quite easily But, then I can happily spend hours roaming though large office supply shoppes. There seems to be something about vast quantities of paper, pens, and other supplies that I find enjoyable. Lately, in art supply shoppes, I have been drawn to the aisles of coloured inks. calligraphy pens, and other supplies related to the art of penmanship and the study of illuminated script. I enjoy looking at samples of penmanship from earlier times and wondering how people were able to develop such elegant ways of putting their thoughts down on paper. The only answer I have is that constant practice must help in developing the skill. Consequently, practice must be the key to developing any skill, even those deemed artistic in nature.
So, I will continue on my artistic journey. I must admit that typing down these thoughts right now, has helped me reach this decision. I was beginning to lose faith in myself. This often happens when I feel that I am not progressing at the rate at which I felt that I should be developing skills. I seem to forget that progressing at a rate, any rate, is a positive. I will learn at the pace for which I am hardwired, and not a bit faster. Learning at a slower pace is not a bad thing. I need to take my time and go over something frequently in order to really learn it and learning to write in an elegant style will take time after having written, and written badly for so many years, taught me sloppy habits that lead to embarrassing transcripts of my handwriting. I do want to learn to make illuminated script (think of the elaborately scribed capital letters in storybooks) and use this knowledge for another project at a later date.
Meanwhile, I have come up with two drawings that I hope to put into action for the Twitter Art Exhibit. While I cannot say that these drawings will be the ones that make their way to Norway, I do feel that I want to try them out using the inks. Somehow, I want to think of these pieces as being similar to stained glass in design. That is the nice thing about this project, if I do not like the way these two sketches turn out, I can always go back to the drawing board and try to come up with something I like better.
I hope your week is full of artistic surprises, nice ones of course! As always, I would love to hear from you. Tell me what you are working on, what it was that called to you to head into an artistic life, what causes yourself to doubt your instincts and question whether the artistic life is for you. Maybe we could get a real support community running here to help out with giving you the feedback that you need and so much more.
Have a great week!
Sincerely, Rutheemac
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Fun in the studio!
It's been an interesting week in the studio. I decided to go through my rubber stamp collection and resort them into different categories to make it easier to find a particular stamp when I want to work with it. It is amazing how my collection has grown over the past three years. Suffice it to say, I could start my own card shop with my collection and cover most occasions for which we send cards. I managed to condense the collection by using some larger containers for the floral and Christmas stamps. By doing this, I freed up some much needed shelving room.
Touching and looking at all these stamps got my creative juices flowing and I decided that I should get busy with some Valentine greetings and you can see the results to the side of this blog or by going to Twitpics. Some of the cards are blatantly Valentiney in nature, others less so meaning that they could be sent to someone to say that I was thinking about them and so happy that we are friends. No romance required or anticipated. LOL The messages have yet to be inscribed on the cards and I am pretty sure that some embellishments of some type will be added to each and their envelopes will receive some type of decoration as well.
I would love to see more and more people sending greeting cards, just for the fun of doing it. I know how I feel when I receive a card in the mail and I save it, tucking it away in a special box set aside just for that purpose. I have two friends that I regularly send cards to for any number of occasions. They have each told me that they have saved all the cards that I have sent their way over the years. They have two of my paintings hanging in their home and made sure that I signed and dated these before they left on that particular visit. I am not sure who was happier in that moment, my friends or myself. I love to make things for people and so my enjoyment of making cards allows me to send a little of myself to each person receiving a greeting.
The studio is back in shape and I only have to pick up the tin of coloured pencils that a certain feline dumped on the floor whilst I was in the shower. I knew something was up when Molly was sitting on my walker and slamming the loo door with her butt. Trust me, when I say that I was not amused at her antics. But, if that is the worst thing she does, I can live with it. She has been rather accommodating by sleeping on my feet the past few nights and keeping my feet warm.
On the agenda this week, is for me to work on my submission for the art exhibit organized by David Sandum. My acrylic inks have all arrived, I plan on cutting my watercolour paper this evening and hopefully by Monday morning, I will be ready to do some test runs. Hopefully, by Sunday next, I will have a few pieces to put up with my blog.
Have a great week! I would love to hear or see what you are up to creatively!
Sincerely, Rutheemac
Touching and looking at all these stamps got my creative juices flowing and I decided that I should get busy with some Valentine greetings and you can see the results to the side of this blog or by going to Twitpics. Some of the cards are blatantly Valentiney in nature, others less so meaning that they could be sent to someone to say that I was thinking about them and so happy that we are friends. No romance required or anticipated. LOL The messages have yet to be inscribed on the cards and I am pretty sure that some embellishments of some type will be added to each and their envelopes will receive some type of decoration as well.
I would love to see more and more people sending greeting cards, just for the fun of doing it. I know how I feel when I receive a card in the mail and I save it, tucking it away in a special box set aside just for that purpose. I have two friends that I regularly send cards to for any number of occasions. They have each told me that they have saved all the cards that I have sent their way over the years. They have two of my paintings hanging in their home and made sure that I signed and dated these before they left on that particular visit. I am not sure who was happier in that moment, my friends or myself. I love to make things for people and so my enjoyment of making cards allows me to send a little of myself to each person receiving a greeting.
The studio is back in shape and I only have to pick up the tin of coloured pencils that a certain feline dumped on the floor whilst I was in the shower. I knew something was up when Molly was sitting on my walker and slamming the loo door with her butt. Trust me, when I say that I was not amused at her antics. But, if that is the worst thing she does, I can live with it. She has been rather accommodating by sleeping on my feet the past few nights and keeping my feet warm.
On the agenda this week, is for me to work on my submission for the art exhibit organized by David Sandum. My acrylic inks have all arrived, I plan on cutting my watercolour paper this evening and hopefully by Monday morning, I will be ready to do some test runs. Hopefully, by Sunday next, I will have a few pieces to put up with my blog.
Have a great week! I would love to hear or see what you are up to creatively!
Sincerely, Rutheemac
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