“With eye upraised his master’s look to scan, The joy, the solace, and the aid of man: The rich man’s guardian and the poor man’s friend, The only creature faithful to the end.”
Category: Uncategorized
Art-ing in a ‘Large’ way
I started this painting as a commission, but it didn’t turn out as planned, so I went a different direction and created this abstract, nebulous work of color. It’s got some really interesting detail. The size of this painting is a whopping 4′ X 5′. It would be perfect over a sofa on a large, open wall. This painting is available on Etsy by clicking here.
Scenes from today….
Just a little bit of my day through photos,
Xander waiting to come in after taking the boys to school. 
Lookie what I bought myself....Won't this look lovely on a black sweater? If you want one of these, you can go here to find it.
- What’s in your desk drawer?
Feeling content after a long absence
Yesterday a wave of happiness and contentedness washed over me. I have been feeling better about things in my life in general and I feel the tide of change’s gentle click.
I’ve been painting more in the last month and it feels really good. I’m not turning out anything spectacular, but what is happening is the process is stirring something inside of me. Just having the ability to dip my hands in paint and then to canvas has churned a new bliss in me. I also intend on having a very artful 2012. In the next year I plan on attending a few art retreats and focusing on learning some teaching techniques to become a painting instructor-or at least that is my ultimate goal from all of this. The teaching part may not happen till much later, because let’s face it-I have a lot to learn and gather about the process, in addition to learning how to work with other people who will have needs and emotions brought forth from the act of painting. It’s all so very therapeutic. And spiritual. I can’t wait to see where it leads me. In addition to attending some workshops/retreats, I am making a personal goal to complete 100 paintings by the end of 2012. This is something that is essential to accomplishing my overall goals in art.
I painted a little sign for my studio and I’m putting it in a place where I can read it all the time. It’s just what I need to see.
Not only is my happiness quotient going up, but I have been changing my eating habits to healthier, more whole foods and I try to avoid processed stuff as much as possible. I have lost 12lbs since May and although I have a whole lot more to lose, I’m not stressing about it because I will lose it. I’m confident. It will be slow but steady and with knowledge and a little activity I know I can do it. I am reading this book which is helping me educate myself in the ways of cooking and eating healthy.
The way I see it, if I have good, healthy food and a means of creativity and self expression, I can go anywhere. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Random signs of love
Today as I walked out of the post office and to my car I spotted this beautiful heart shaped leaf lying alone on the rain soaked asphalt. I couldn’t help but smile. Here was proof that love really is everywhere.
Thirty Years On and a little Gravity
I had a wonderful time this past Saturday getting reacquainted with old high school friends at my 30 year reunion. Gosh how time has passed! You wonder where thirty years have gone, and while young the prospect of thirty years in the future was almost unfathomable. But surprise, here I am. I’m so glad we’ve made it, and no sirree, I wouldn’t change a thing-except maybe I’d eat less (if I could go back in time and offload to myself a wealth of practical wisdom it would be, “Keep your mouth closed”.) But, I’m working on that, and what I can honestly say is here, in the now, at the sweet age of 48 I am happy. I am healthy and surging with ideas and possibilities for my future. With the exception of the effects of gravity, all is well. And for that, a song to commemorate the physical changes we’ve all endured to get where we are now.
I can hardly wait for the next reunion in five years, but honestly, it seems like forever between now and then. Funny, it seems unfathomable, just like it felt back in high school. I’ll see you then…Oh, and if I can quote the song, “Gravity….stay the hell away from me.” 😉
My World on Wednesday
I took some photos over the last few days and I wanted to share them. I had a nice weekend with a few friends and I never miss an opportunity to snap some photos to remember the moments. So here we go!
Number Five with a Psychedelic Vibe
I spent Sunday painting, once again experimenting and just letting the process take me where it will. I’m pleasantly pleased with this one! Done with acrylic paints, it’s a bit psychedelic and that makes me happy. I’m going to continue on and create and see how things evolve. With each painting I feel myself learning and realizing new things about the process of art. It’s a wonderful feeling. Its as if as the brush strokes the canvas the wheels in my brain begin to turn and I discover new techniques and experience ‘happy accidents’ which are a good thing! Check back, there will be more paintings in the near future. I’m going to make art a habit.
The Red House on Mango Street
“But the house on Mango Street is not the way they told at all. It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath. Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in. There is no front yard, only four little elms the city planted by the curb.” —Sandra Cisneros
This is the title of my newest painting I completed just today. I have always wanted to paint my vision of the little vignettes Sandra Cisneros writes in this sweet little classic. Mango St. is a real place in Chicago, my hometown…kinda neat.
My weird, weepy and (kinda) wonderful week…
*Last Friday I woke up to the harsh realization that my refrigerator had bought the farm. The compressor was broken, and it died during the unlucky 13th year of its ‘life’. I had to go out on Saturday with my son and get a new one and haul it home…what fun. Although it cost some money I didn’t really have, it is nice to have a shiny new fridge. (I love it).
*This week my dryer also stopped working. I have yet to call in my appliance repair guy to have it fixed. I think appliance catastrophes are like death-they come in threes. My garage door opener bit the dust about 10 days ago.
*I started and finished a painting of a dove-which I love.
*This all happened very fast, but I spontaneously applied for a job last week, got interviewed and hired and started the job in what was like 4 days. It was not a glamorous job at all. It was a minimum wage gig that involved phone work for a market research company. I tried it for one day and realized it wasn’t for me. My husband tried to warn me it wasn’t something I should take, but I didn’t listen. Thank goodness I don’t desperately need a job. I would have hated to be stuck with this job because I had to get a job quick. I feel so sorry for people who are working at jobs they absolutely dread going to.
*In that one day of working as a phone solicitor, I realized
1.How lucky I am to be able to stay home and take care of my family.
2. That I really need to write my resume and get my self out there in the art world. I need to find a ‘creative’ job. I have a college degree, for goodness sakes.
3. I think I would rather do without things than go to work at a job I hate just to be able to afford them.
*Had to perform a mercy killing on a mortally injured mourning dove my cat Charlie had ambushed and attacked in our willow tree. He brought it to our front porch and raced inside with it in his mouth. I was just terribly saddened by the sorry state the poor thing was in. Charlie had bitten its tail feather’s and butt completely off and it’s insides were exposed. I knew it was going to die, and I could only imagine the horrific pain it was in, poor sweet bird. I had to put it out of its misery. It took everything I had inside me to end it’s life. I cried for 2 hours.
* Ironically, after I took care of the bird, I got to thinking about my dove painting. Somehow it made the painting more meaningful, as if I had memorialized the bird before it had even died. Later that evening I watched several reruns of The Office to get my mind off the bird and to laugh a little. Oh my goodness, what episode comes on…the one where Michael Scott and the rest of the office have a funeral outside by the parking lot for a bird that flew into the window and died. That was all I needed. 😦 It’s weird how the universe creates coincidences that tie in together and seem so relevant.
*I tend to get turned on to tv shows long after they’ve been airing and most of the time after they have ended. Just this week my kids introduced my husband and I to The Office. I seriously can’t get enough-I’m so addicted to this hilarious show. Luckily, we have several seasons so we can have mini marathons every evening. Just a little simple pleasure that lightens my spirit.
*I drove downtown today (Chicago) to meet with an adviser at UIC where my daughter wants to transfer. I realize just how much I miss living in the city. Typical for me, I immediately started daydreaming about living in a little flat in the heart of the south loop where I can have access to all the cool stuff going on like museums, festivals and just people in general.
*Tomorrow I will paint again. Finding time to be creative is at the top of my priority list these days.
Why Jane 