~Barb's 2Bits

Creative Every Day and other new starts for the new year.

2012-01-02T09:36:00.005-07:00

CED is off and running, the theme for January is NEW.

In an effort not to bounce around like a ping pong ball with enthusiasm to do lots of NEW things I am concentrating on simplifying my life. Making time for the important things and working on avoiding the emotional storms of 'what ifs' that threaten happiness and achievement everyday.

My inspiration is the 2009 video of Susan Boyle rocking the world at her 'Britains Got Talent' audition. Even knowing that her singing was going to shock people, it took incredible courage to stand up there knowing that the audience was snickering at her.

A couple of things struck me about this video, one of course, is her talent, the pleasure of hearing her sing and the reaction of the audience. The other is that the audience was GLAD to give up their cynical eye-rolling reaction to her appearance and demeanor and WANTED to celebrate her success.

I think we all get caught up the the negative too easily and it is nice every once in a while to be shocked out of it - in a nice way.

If you haven't watched in a while, sit back and enjoy.

Creative Every Day

2011-12-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

I started the Creative Every Day challenge I think the first year that Leah offered this online creative workshop. It was fabulous and while I didn't blog about it, I enjoyed it a lot.
The next year I started it and didn't finish, life got in the way.
Then in 2010 I started it over halfway through the year. My OCD self just knew that I should start at the beginning and somehow 'catch up.' Yeah. My more rational self said to just jump right in and participate. My creative self said - you two go fight about it, I'm going on vacation. And I could not finish, or even start a single project.
Just a little blocked.
So this year I actually signed up on time and I can't wait to get started working on the projects and looking at what everyone else is doing. There are some fabulous artists that take part in this and just watching their work is inspirational.
You might want to join in yourself. Just click on the link in the right hand column and sign up.

Winter Solstice

2011-12-22T04:04:00.001-07:00

poor little blog...

2011-12-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

sitting here all abandoned, the few readers slowly disappearing, if they remember to visit to officially disappear.
This blog started, if I remember right, as a venting place for my political leanings. I really don't want to do that again. It's not that I don't have political leanings, but it is such a dark place.
I also don't want to whine about things going wrong in my life, there is such a thing as too much sharing, especially on the internet, and I am sure that I could step WAY over the line easily just ranting away.
Then there was the art and photography that I never got around to posting much of.

I picked up my well hidden copy of The Artist's Way a few days ago and realized that I had started it about a year and a half ago and abandoned it almost immediately. I read through some of my Morning Pages and realized that I was really down and depressed and the little I wrote just reinforced that.
I didn't work through it enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So I decided to do The Artist's Way again. Actually, it will be for the first time since I quit so early on last time. Last year I was at a low point financially but a really really low point emotionally.
This year the finances make last year look successful, but I have a much more optimistic outlook on creating the life I want. I think maybe last year I didn't really know what I wanted and that has clarified for me in the last year or so.
The Artist's Way will start getting me writing here again. No, I am not going to inflict my Morning Pages on the world. That sort of babbling is suppose to be private and besides, I agree with Ms. Cameron that it should be hand written if possible.
But I may blog about how this project is affecting my life. Hopefully in mostly good ways.
With a more optimistic outlook I may feel free for an occasional political rant, but it will be short.

sorting thru photos and art....

2011-11-15T10:03:00.001-07:00

Looking for stuff to put up on Red Bubble.

Gold and Blue

2011-10-25T07:19:00.001-06:00

One of the last days of gold leaves and bright blue skies.
Our first winter storm arrives tomorrow.

Miso, from NPR

2011-09-25T11:23:00.000-06:00

Mastering Miso's Mysteries

Fall Equinox

2011-09-23T09:55:00.001-06:00

Boulder County, Colorado

New from NPR....

2011-09-21T12:46:00.002-06:00

A new food blog from NPR - looks like a good one. Some of their best blogs have turned into really good shows. This one will be fun to follow.

The Salt

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/09/21/140472231/so-what-is-the-salt

What do you think?

2011-09-10T17:10:00.002-06:00

killing Mother: Civil Disobedience is the American Way – Time to g...

2011-08-14T15:47:00.001-06:00

killing Mother: Civil Disobedience is the American Way – Time to g...: "The American population has been lulled into a trance-like state. Once upon a time, we were a nation of activists. Our founding fathers wer..."

Real Time With Bill Maher, New Rules-Socialism 7/29/11

2011-08-05T18:00:00.001-06:00

The Provocation: The Nine Provocations

2011-07-02T21:31:00.002-06:00

The Provocation: The Nine Provocations:
"Remember those pesky little injunctions judges like to post in their courtrooms south of the Mason-Dixon line? Not to be outdone here at ou..." ......click

Sunday favorites

2011-06-19T17:29:00.001-06:00

Jumping

Juice

Jeans

eating organic

2011-06-17T20:55:00.001-06:00

I have eaten some organic food for years. I try to buy fresh eggs, when I can't get fresh eggs I get organic eggs in the supermarket. The improvement over factory eggs is well worth the price. I buy organic milk when I can afford it. I like milk and it is the perfect vehicle for moving toxic materials from the cow to me. I buy organic vegetables from farmer's markets and stands all summer.

I have never really gotten serious about changing my diet to primarily organic, mostly because I assumed the cost was prohibitive. But the announcement last week by the FDA that they approved arsenic added to chicken feed was really the last straw for me. Arsenic is a heavy metal that our bodies cannot get rid of, tiny amounts accumulate and can reach toxic levels. In the Victorian era women used to eat tiny amount of arsenic to make their skin beautiful, then they died of it.

The FDA approval of this feed hit me in the face with the reality that if I want to eat healthy I have to figure it out myself. So I have been watching prices and figuring out how to eat primarily organic if possible. I shop at Safeway, Kings Soopers, which is Kroger in the midwest, and a health food store called Vitamin Cottage. Here are some things I have come across in the last couple of weeks.

Organic eggs and milk are cheaper at the health food store than at the grocery.

Organic green leaf or red leaf lettuce was cheaper today by the pound than iceberg lettuce at the grocery.

Organic carrots, tomatoes, radishes and lots of other veggies are the same price as the industrial food.

I tried some organic chicken this week (I want to eat organic but I am not vegan). I got 4 thighs for the same price as 5 or 6 at the grocery and the taste was unbelievable and I did not have to cut out huge pockets of fat.

Organic berries at the health food store are right now cheaper than the regular berries at the groceries.

The health food store tends to carry more local and more 'in season' produce than the grocery.

I am growing squash, onions and herbs, all of which will keep for a long time.
I think I can do this.
If you are like me and have dismissed the idea of eating organic because of the cost, go and look at what is available in your area, you might be surprised, I was.

well trained consumers

2011-06-16T20:03:00.000-06:00

I bought gas today for $3.53. I was quite pleased with that.
Aren't we well trained. When the price was charging up at 5 and 10 cents a day and went screaming past 3.53 I was not pleased. But after it hits over $4/gal and then inches its way back down a penny at a time, I am happy to pay 3.53.
They train us so well to be ripped off on a daily basis and be content with it.

Sunday favorites

2011-05-22T18:23:00.001-06:00

Iceland
land of fire and ice

Ivy

Iced Coffee

Sunday favorites

2011-05-15T12:37:00.000-06:00

Horses !

Thursday's trees

2011-05-12T12:13:00.001-06:00

Thursday's trees

2011-05-05T12:08:00.002-06:00

Tuesday Tarot

2011-05-03T19:37:00.000-06:00

Mystic Dreamer Tarot

thursday's trees

2011-04-28T12:03:00.001-06:00

Thursday's trees

2011-04-21T12:01:00.001-06:00

Tuesday Tarot

2011-04-19T05:56:00.001-06:00

Llewellyn Tarot, The Fool, from the Mabinogion (Welsh Mythology)

Sunday Favorites

2011-04-17T17:35:00.002-06:00

I am a great fan of the birds of prey, so for the letter G I am going to share three of my favorites, one from each of three categories.

The Goshawk. A native of Great Britain, this is a large powerful hawk, capable of easily killing a large hare (or jackrabbit like we have here). Like most hawks this one hunts from a perch, or a falconer's fist and chases the prey. Big and strong enough to chase a hare through dense underbrush this was the hawk of the workman back when falconry was a way to eat, not a sport. This hunter was a favorite.

The Gyrfalcon. Again a native of Great Britain and parts of Europe. Trapping, taming or hunting with this falcon was punishable by death. This was the falcon for kings only. Falcons hunt by hovering over an area - called "waiting on" - and watching for prey to become visible when they dive on the animal. Gyrfalcons would accompany the royal courts on their hunts, following the horses and dogs.

The Golden Eagle. Native to North America, this bird is a common sight in the west. They prefer to nest on high cliffs and cruise the canyons looking for prey. Despite their size and noble appearance eagles have never been admired by falconers. Disappointing as it may be, most eagles are not exceptional hunters and often eat carrion.

one sign of spring

2011-04-14T19:53:00.002-06:00


photo from flickr - no other credit given

Where ever robins go in the winter - they eat well. They are starting to re-appear and they are so fat it is a wonder that they can fly.

Tuesday Tarot

2011-04-12T06:01:00.001-06:00


Tarot of a Magical Forest

Sunday Favorite Things

2011-04-10T11:01:00.002-06:00

Frankincense. I burn incense all the time and this is a favorite.

Finger food. Always better when you can eat it with your fingers.

Farms. Not agri-industry. FARMS, healthy places to grow food. They are making a comeback.

Freya. Last week I cheated and used Eclipse (Afghan Hound) as an "E" Freya got her pointy little nose bent, so here is Freya.

Thursday's trees

2011-04-07T20:21:00.002-06:00

The trees have been looking sort of fuzzy lately, but reluctant to show any green. Finally a hint of green in starting to show. But not on all.

Tarot Tuesday

2011-04-05T05:55:00.003-06:00

Mystic Dreamer Tarot

thought for the day

2011-04-04T05:00:00.003-06:00

"In the sacred traditions,

the first thing you do in the morning

is ask for blessings from the four elements:

earth, air, fire and water.

Because all of the work that you are going to do that day

will change the universe."

~ Laura Esquivel

Sunday Favorite Things

2011-04-03T07:26:00.002-06:00

Electronic Toys

Eggs, fresh, organic, free range

Eclipse (ok this is cheating, but that is her name)

Tuesday Tarot

2011-02-15T07:05:00.004-07:00

No Tarot readings, just Tarot Art.

Archeon Tarot

Tarot Tuesday

2011-01-18T18:41:00.004-07:00

Tarot of a Magical Forest

are they kidding?

2011-01-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

Since last Sunday gas has gone up 50 cents a gallon and eggs have gone up 50 cents a dozen.
I just happened to notice those two, have to wonder what else is jumping up in price. Also have to wonder why Conoco gas is 24 cents a gallon more than anyone else. Unless they are giving something away, who would stop there?

Sunday Favorite Things

2011-01-16T22:24:00.002-07:00

Dandelions

Deviled Eggs

Dogs

from Daily Kos...

2011-01-16T07:32:00.002-07:00

Things My Dad Could Teach Us--Life Before The New Deal
Things My Dad Could Teach Us--Life Before The New Deal

HSN

2011-01-13T17:38:00.002-07:00

I have been watching HSN for the last two days. Not buying, just watching.
Sometimes I just want to sit down for a little while, drink some coffee and be entertained. I don't have cable and don't watch reality shows. I get burned out on the news and political mud throwing, I only like watching a few sports on TV (like many more in person) and I don't usually plan to just sit long enough to watch a movie.
I stumbled across HSN the other day and had a great time window shopping. Did it again the next day. It's on right now.
I remember the first time I watched HSN. I heard a comedian say that Suze Orman must be the only person in America who has never been up at 2am with a credit card, a bottle of wine and HSN.
Eat your heart out Suze.

Frozen sunset

2011-01-11T06:22:00.001-07:00

It is cold here right now. Just checked and it is 1F with wind chill taking it down to -9F. Yesterday the high was 13, but with bright Colorado sunshine on the snow and no wind it really didn't seem that cold.
I happened to look out a west window right at sunset and got a glimpse of a sunset that brought home a sense of cold.
The blue sky had washed out to white, a fiery sunset had wispy bits of white fog softening it, fading colors to icy pastels, the trees were black against the sky and the snow was a heavy blanket of white over everything, without the glitter that sparkled during the day. There was a stillness in the air and a sense of being in a frozen painting.

Sunday Favorite Things

2011-01-09T17:42:00.002-07:00

Cats - I love cats, I have always had cats. I will have to make sure I don't turn into the crazy cat lady.

Comforters - this is almost the same thing as Cats. I especially like the soft, cuddly lap size ones. I have a polar fleece heated one, it's a wonder I ever crawl out from under it.

Crafts - if you are grading results, I suck at crafts. But it is sheer fun to cut and paste and create without judgement, like a child.

Cookies - 'nuff said.

Tarot Tuesday

2011-01-04T04:44:00.002-07:00

No Tarot readings, just Tarot art.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot

30 minute painting

2011-01-03T05:41:00.002-07:00

image found here...patriciazaballos.com

Don't you just love it when you read something that is such a simple solution to a problem you are having that you cannot believe you didn't come up with it on your own? When we get frustrated about something we tend to travel well worn paths trying to fix it and often ignoring simple solutions.
I have been very unhappy about my inability to do much watercolor painting. Either I feel that I don't have time or I get bogged down in doubting my ability to create on paper what I am seeing in my head. So I procrastinate and spend time being unhappy about it.
Today I read a New Year's resolution from an artist to paint one painting everyday, the stipulation was that it take no more than 30 minutes.
I thought..... I could do that. Not necessarily paint an entire painting each day, but just paint for 30 minutes. I can fit 30 minutes in somewhere. The artist making this resolution said that she had, over time, begun to paint in more and more detail, with tiny brushes and obsessive attention to detail. She wants to free up her art, so if she requires herself to finish a painting in 30 minutes she will have to let that attention to detail go.
That is not my goal, but just doing SOMETHING is my goal. Like her, I am going to NOT worry about the finished product, and instead concentrate on the process of doing something for 30 minutes.

Sunday Favorite Things

2011-01-02T05:56:00.005-07:00

Bees, specifically Honey Bees. Other related critters, not so much. I have always been fascinated with honey bees, I would like to live where I could have my own hives, which means my own honey. If you want to help find the cause and cure for colony collapse, before we run out of bees, check out the Great Sunflower Project.

Books. I love books, paper books, electronic books, books on tape. I have carried a book with me at all times since before I started school. I have one in my purse and one in the car right now.

Free Hugs

2011-01-01T11:04:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T16:48:00.001-07:00

Tarot Tuesday

2010-12-28T06:43:00.003-07:00

No Tarot readings, just Tarot art.

Shadowscapes Tarot - The Hermit

Sunday Favorite Things

2010-12-26T09:45:00.001-07:00

Artichoke, with yummy buttery sauce.

Armadillo, what a great way to ignore the world when it it bugging you.

here he is on a more sociable day.

Acorn, one of my first lessons in the wonders of nature.

That odd little nugget is the seed for this mighty tree. The roots go as deep as the branches reach up.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T09:35:00.001-07:00

Farm Stand come back to life

2010-12-07T18:58:00.001-07:00

Crappy picture, the sun was so low and in my face, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I would have liked to get a picture after dark, but it is a long way from where I live, so I guess not.

Pen and watercolor wash

2010-12-03T16:40:00.002-07:00

I don't know that it is art, but it is a lot of fun to do. I don't have a plan, I just do a color wash with some vague idea in mind and then try to pick out what I want with a pen. This one got too wet and the sky ran, or maybe it is trying to rain.

playing around on the computer

2010-12-01T04:56:00.001-07:00

I think I am done with this one. I started out with the idea of making this look like a woodcutting and it morphed from there. Not sure yet if I like it or not, but it is different.

Solstice Sun Wheel

2010-11-29T22:01:00.002-07:00

Join people around the world celebrating the upcoming Solstice, Yule or Christmas, which ever you observe.
A weekly prayer for peace and light as solstice approaches.
Visit here Beth Owl's Daughter for all the information.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T11:25:00.001-07:00

Enjoy the day. Be grateful. Share what you can.

COLD!

2010-11-25T07:34:00.002-07:00

When I got up this morning it was 6 degrees. Cold, cold, cold.
Now I know that those of you who live in the Dakotas, Siberia or Outer Mongolia (and you know who you are) scoff at the suggestion that anything without a minus sign in front of it could be considered cold.
Well, consider this
6 degrees F is -14 degrees C. Now it sounds colder.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

the farm stand in November

2010-11-20T08:16:00.001-07:00

Making greeting cards

2010-11-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

from my collection of photos arranging them in sets and sticking them on Etsy. I also have plans for some watercolor/glitter/anything-else-I-can-think-of cute cards for Christmas. So far they are only plans and at the rate I am going they may stay that way.

I'm so tired

2010-11-07T18:24:00.001-07:00

Long weekend full of stuff to do. Hate the time change....animals don't have clocks to set, they know what time it really is, like feeding time. I need a day off from everything.

ok, I'm over it

2010-11-05T17:00:00.002-06:00

The elections were good fun, although we really should arrange for the voting to be on Halloween, I mean, what could be more appropriate?
The ads were horrifically nasty and expensive and repetitive, the election returns coverage was hysterical, MSNBC was especially at the top of their game.
All participants have had the opportunity to whine and point and/or preen and strut.
It's over.
Shut up.
Back to normal life.

time is just flying by

2010-11-02T05:42:00.001-06:00

The latest shot of my favorite farm stand, taken October 29.

They always have some great fancy pumpkins in mixed colors and odd textures. Or maybe they are some sort of giant gourd other than pumpkin. Whatever, they are different.

Remember this? This was less than two months ago.

first real snow on the mountains

2010-10-29T06:34:00.002-06:00

The view from Boulder Valley.

Early Snow

hanging on

2010-10-26T07:25:00.001-06:00

I took this a few days ago. It is the maple tree in my front yard and it is desperately resisting turning colors and losing its leaves. So are many others in this neighborhood. It is an older area with lots and lots of mature trees and they create a sheltered area for themselves. We are having a few cold nights this week, will this tree give in and change to its brilliant fall foliage, or just dump all the leaves at once as they are? It does dump everything almost overnight, but it usually puts on a good display first.

I think this is odd...

2010-10-25T06:15:00.003-06:00

The desktop weather gadget says that the high today will be 54 and the current temp (at 6am) is 63.

I love this...

2010-10-22T07:01:00.001-06:00

“Don’t ask what the world needs.

Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

(Howard Thurman)

fall, again

2010-10-22T06:41:00.002-06:00

Colorado fall landscape. Trees crowned with impossible shades of yellow and gold standing in front of cardboard cut outs of flat fake mountains. The sky a paler shade of blue than we see the rest of the year. The faint smell of woodsmoke and drying alfalfa that follows you even into the city. Fall in Colorado is worth even the winter that will follow.

Crown Hill Park

2010-10-19T20:44:00.001-06:00

Reining

2010-10-17T08:49:00.001-06:00

I spent part of the day handing out cards at a small reining show. The weather was great, everyone was having a good time and I even got a decent picture or two.

One semi-political comment

2010-10-16T06:35:00.002-06:00

I am not going to turn this back into a political blog, but I do have to comment occasionally.
I think that the Supreme Court was out of their collective heads to fling the door open and allow corporations anonymous carte blanche in political advertising.
The vicious, anonymous, you-can't-hold-me-accountable-because-you-don't-know-who-I-am political ads we are seeing right now are not what this democratic process of picking representatives is supposed to be about. Probably the worst thing about it is that it makes rational people want to throw up their hands and walk away, leaving only the whackjobs involved.

This one looks interesting

2010-10-15T06:44:00.003-06:00

I listened to an interview with this author on NPR today and I will have to add this one to my To-Do list. If he writes as well as he talks this should be fascinating.

First Light

2010-10-10T19:47:00.002-06:00

First signs of snow

2010-10-08T22:05:00.002-06:00

There was a little snow on the mountains today. Not too many years ago many of the highest peaks visible from Denver had snow year round on their highest points. Now they are dry and grey through most of the summer.

Fall

2010-10-04T20:13:00.003-06:00

The last couple of afternoons have felt like fall for the first time. Bright sun, some dark clouds on the horizon and a zippy wind knocking the leaves loose from the trees. This is one of my favorite fall pics. It is along a road that I have driven often for 30 years and it looks pretty much the same every fall.

Colorado Sky

2010-09-25T18:47:00.002-06:00

If I painted a sky that looked like this, it would look fake. Unretouched photo. Northwest of Denver at 3pm.

Art Journal - Devon

2010-09-20T19:33:00.004-06:00

I found this preprinted shopping list in a box of stuff in the garage. It is "Things to Get for the Whippet" and includes: cookies, bunny, treats at the bottom of the blank shopping list. I got this when I had Devon The Whippet. I wanted to capture just the colors and curves of Devon. The blue/green is for the winter coat he wore with a flower pattern.

Distracted from Morning Pages

2010-09-20T06:31:00.004-06:00

I found myself distracted over this last month by little mundane things like trying to make a living. And while I was still coming up with ideas for my creative projects, I wasn't putting them into action. I was too busy spinning in place. When I let this happen, sooner or later I feel the unbalance that this creates, an unbalance that I lived with for many years and am now consciously trying to drive out of my life. Writing the Morning Pages, taking even a few minutes in the evening to work on a watercolor sketch, reading the artist's blogs that I have posted here... all these things serve as a counterbalance to the nitty gritty and free up my mind to be more productive and less hectic. So I fell back into bad habits for a few weeks, fuel was added to the fire by my internet problems, and I am climbing back onto the track that I want to be on. One good thing is that I never put the watercolors away and I carry my morning pages journal and my camera everywhere I go. I feel saner already.

Computer Editing Photos

2010-09-19T10:57:00.004-06:00

fI like playing around with photos in PhotoShop. Not all photos lend themselves to major changes because I am not a pro and haven't had any training. My photos that I love the best are the ones that never see PhotoShop; those are the special ones.
This morning I just grabbed a photo from a file of 'leftovers' and started playing with it. I liked the original, but it was pretty ordinary.

So I just started playing with it, changing the filter effects, making it into an abstract painting (that was ugly!) ..... I didn't have a plan or any idea where it was going. After applying a cool filter, a mirror image, a sunspot and editing out some foliage I ended up with this. I like the end result. Lots of fun too.

I am ready to go back to pencil and paper...

2010-09-10T20:08:00.001-06:00

really, I am.
So my internet connection is now slightly faster than dial-up in a thunderstorm, but still not where it is supposed to be. But at least I can do things online for more than a few minutes at a time.
Work first, then play. I will be back to try to get up to speed on everything and everybody over the weekend.
yay!

Internet Connection Chaos!

2010-08-27T06:31:00.002-06:00

I am having internet problems. Slow connection, keeps cutting off. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Call the provider, tech has me rewriting code for the broadband card. Yay! it works! For at least 10 minutes after I hang up. Rinse, repeat. I am getting close to a temper tantrum.

Afghan Hound puppy

2010-08-26T18:21:00.002-06:00

Bright Water

2010-08-20T17:31:00.002-06:00

reflection

2010-08-18T04:09:00.002-06:00

Farm Stand

2010-08-17T19:09:00.003-06:00

We used to call these farmer's markets until farmer's markets grew into the block long multiple vendor markets they are today. I guess that's a good thing. Especially for the farmers who are trying to grow organic and need a place to market their produce. I still like shopping at these little stands better. This one is on my way home from where I work in the morning.

This is a corner of the fields where the produce sold in this stand is grown. The faint colored line across the middle of the field is zinnias and strawflowers. They will sell them in huge bunches when they are ready.

Today I picked up a fresh green bell pepper, fresh onion and fresh eggs for a yummy omelet for dinner.

TAW check in

2010-08-15T20:44:00.002-06:00

This is supposed to be the check in for Chapter 2 and the start of Chapter 3, but I am slowing the schedule down a bit.
I have been doing the Morning Pages and this week I did an Artist's Date (more on that another time) but I have not really had time to do the exercises or even re-read the chapter. I skimmed through it last Sunday and that was it.
So I am going to stay at Chapter 2 and spend some time on the exercises. Morning Pages are great, very hard to sit down and do them, but I feel good as I do them and they make a difference in the day.

Art Journal...this is gonna be fun!

2010-08-15T18:15:00.003-06:00

My first art journal - title page

I have always wanted to do an art journal. Whenever I see one on someone's site I have to stop and look at it. But I have always been too intimidated to try it. These last couple of weeks of being committed to having time for my art and doing TAW morning pages I am starting to think about my art more like I did when I was young and the process was the fun and the challenge, not the finished product. I realized that I was looking at art journals like a finished piece of work, which I guess they eventually turn in to. Then I realized that I needed to do an artist's journal as a way to explore, take notes, have successes and failures and keep them all together as a learning process. So I sat down and started one tonight. I have always been fascinated by how some artist's can seamlessly bind collage and original art together into one piece. So I am going to experiment with collage.
I sat down this afternoon with some old magazines, scissors, glue, an unused sketchbook, and some watercolors. I did this very simple page almost entirely from magazine clippings. I like it. I had fun. It was like being in first grade only with a cup of coffee, sharp scissors and no Sister Mary PITA telling me that I was doing it wrong. I felt like a little kid and really enjoyed the process. I put a bunch of clippings that I like in a folder, stuck the folder in with my watercolors and it will be ready to get me started next time.

The Next Chapter - The Happy Book

2010-08-13T17:43:00.004-06:00

I just got my copy today. It looks wonderful. I am going to read and start playing with it tonight.
When I was in the bookstore there was a woman in the aisle where I was hunting for this book, she had several books in her arms. When I found The Happy Book I leafed through it for a minute and turned around and almost ran into her. I know I had a big grin on my face and I held the book up and said "I can't wait!" I saw her checking out later....she had a copy of The Happy Book. I hope she has fun with it.

internet connections

2010-08-13T06:16:00.003-06:00

I have been having internet problems all week, apparently my broadband card is malfunctioning. Wouldn't you think they would just get me another one and THEN figure out what is wrong with it? I had an online tech doing tests for half an hour and another that wants me to call him.
*sigh*
So I haven't been visiting all the wonderful and talented people engaged in the creative projects I am watching or participating in all week.
I hope to cruise around to my favorite sites this evening. Looking forward to a quiet evening and this would be fun.
Fingers crossed.

Avatar

2010-08-10T17:41:00.004-06:00

I never saw Avatar in the theatre. I watched it last night, even without the 3-D effects it was pretty impressive.

The Artist's Way - first check in

2010-08-08T22:49:00.004-06:00

So, this was my first week doing The Artist's Way and it was eye opening. I did the Morning Pages everyday except Saturday. I don't know why I skipped Saturday, I don't know what happened, it was just suddenly Saturday evening and I realized that I had not even thought about doing it in the morning. That was not good.

I did not do the Artist's Date - at all. I knew what I wanted to do. In the mornings I work for someone else, but in the afternoons and evenings I am self employed and have a lot of control over my schedule. I couldn't get it done. Everything else kept getting in the way. Obviously I was not making it enough of a priority, but I was kind of surprised to let this one slip away from me.

I did get some of the exercises done, not all like I had thought that I could do but I did some.

On the plus side, the morning pages really do help put things in perspective. After you blather on for a page about something that seems like the end of the world, suddenly it doesn't seem like such a big deal any more. And some little thoughts that pop into your head suddenly turn into important ideas when you write them down. I do like doing this, although it is really hard for me in the morning. I tend to be somewhat of a zombie with coffee for a while in the morning.

On the negative side, this is a lot harder than it sounds. The whole program together means actually valuing yourself, your ideas and your time. Apparently I don't do that very well.

Carrying on this week, trying to do more.

Creative Every Day - Fire

2010-08-07T06:50:00.002-06:00

The Next Chapter

2010-08-06T20:35:00.004-06:00

What made me happy this week?

I have stopped "planning" to get back to doing fun and creative things. I stopped wishing I had time to do the things I want and found a way to get started.

I am doing The Artist's Way and really enjoying doing the Morning Pages, they have motivated me to get moving. I rejoined Creative Every Day and I just found The Next Chapter. I don't have the book yet, but I have the message.

Probably the biggest thing is that my paints are not put away where it is a PITA to get them out to use. They are on the kitchen bar. Brushes, sketchbooks and paper, paints, jars, palettes, all sitting right out where I can work for 5 minutes or an hour, whenever I find a few minutes. I have sketched a couple of really bad watercolor sketches that have given me the inspiration for another and taught me some new techniques. I always wanted to watercolor paint, I have always been intimidated by it and I have always put it away at the first sign of 'ick.' Now I see lessons learned in 'ick' and I am having fun.

Creative Every Day - Fire

2010-08-06T06:51:00.007-06:00

Fire in the sky. Dawn over Denver 8/6/10

The Next Chapter

2010-08-05T05:49:00.004-06:00

I looked all over the net a few weeks ago to see if there was a new Next Chapter and I couldn't find one. I was so disappointed because I had really enjoyed the 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. And guess what!? I found it. I forgot it was Jamie Ridler and when I linked to her page it came up. And along with it this video of a flash mob in Toronto.
So, the book is The Happy Book (have to go get a copy tomorrow) and the question last week was, what made you happy this week? Finding the project AND this video made me happy this week.

on my 'must read' list

2010-08-04T05:43:00.006-06:00

Two young men create a fictional character, an eccentric elderly woman, and find her standing on their doorstep. Info on Amazon here.

A blend of historical fiction, set in an early Chinese dynasty, and fantasy. Info on Amazon here

Creative Every Day - Fire

2010-08-02T19:24:00.007-06:00

Playing with Fire

I go to the gem show and pick up stones that I have plans for, stones that I get an inspiration for as I play with them and some stones that just catch my eye.

In this picture are citrine, carnelian, red jasper, rhodochrosite and hematite. These are all stones of projective energy, associated with the element of Fire.

The rhodochrosite is destined for a necklace with a pendant of rhodonite (another Fire stone). I have played around with the citrine (one of my favorites) and the carnelian but I have not been struck with an idea that I like yet. I will do something with them this month in honor of Fire.

The Artist's Way - official start

2010-08-01T21:15:00.006-06:00

This is it. The official start of The Artist's Way. I have been doing the morning pages all week and glad to be able to say that I have done them everyday, over huge mental resistance. I decided that Sunday would be my day to read each chapter and plan for the exercises and artist's date for the upcoming week. Saturday will be check in day. Although she says that you don't have to do all the exercises each week, the first week's seem to be all interconnected so I am going to try to do them all. Most can be added onto the morning pages. For an artist's date I am thinking about browsing the antique stores in Lafayette, something that I have wanted to do for about 15 years, I think that was the last time I did that. And a cup of coffee at Canon Mine, which is something I do manage to do every once in a while. I need to set a date and time and carve it in stone. Equal amounts of skepticism and excitement over this.

we need more of this and less campaigning

2010-07-31T14:23:00.014-06:00

This was over a bill that would have provided health care for the responders at 9/11, many of whom are suffering from the long term effects of the toxins at the site.

Creative Every Day - Life

2010-07-30T06:13:00.017-06:00

I just rejoined Creative Ever Day but I was glad to have something to post for the theme for July - Life.
I am doing a little bit of gardening this year for the first time in several years and enjoying it so much. I happen to have some Nasturtiums in several stages of their life right now and decided to share them.
One thing I like about Nasturtiums is how incredibly fast they grow. One day there is a little piece of stem pushing up through the soil, seed and newly forming leaf still buried. It pauses there for a day and then overnight there is a little plant with a giant leaf or two.

The first picture is a 3 day old plant. The two in the pot below; one is a week old and the other is just one day.
Another thing I love about Nasturtiums is that they will not be tamed. They are very happy in a pot, but you cannot shape them or tie them or coax them into growing in the shape that pleases you, they grow as they wish. This one spent a month spilling over one side of the pot and then suddenly took off in the other direction.

And of course the best thing about Nasturtiums is the incredibly brilliant flowers nestled half hidden in the enormous leaves. Delicate, jewel like while they are blooming and beautiful shapes when they fade.

But you shouldn't let them fade because they are edible and yummy in a salad.

I am going to do it

2010-07-28T17:57:00.002-06:00

And I am putting this on my blogs, FB, everywhere just so I don't stick it in a drawer and forget about it.
The Artist's Way is a 12 week project to free your creativity. The first chapter includes a written commitment to follow through for the full 12 weeks. I am starting it tonight.
There is a website that has good information for anyone who is interested at The Artist's Way

Creative Every Day

2010-07-26T06:18:00.005-06:00

I just rejoined the Creative Every Day online group. I did a the challenge last year for just a few months and dropped out. I am ready to jump in and participate again and I was thrilled to find that it is still going on. If you haven't heard of CED, here is what is going on, in the words of the creator:

Welcome! Pull up a cozy chair. My name is Leah Piken Kolidas and my intention for this blog is to share my artwork, thoughts on living a creative life, and what is inspiring me (so much!). I host two challenges here: The Creative Every Day Challenge and the Art Every Day Month Challenge (every November.) Click here to read more about me. Visit my art website and online store, Blue Tree Art Gallery, here. Thank you for visiting!

The participants in this project log into the challenge page and share their creative projects as often as they wish, there is a weekly sign in and at least half of the fun and inspiration is looking at everyone's work. Sincere thanks to Leah for hosting this great site and for all the work she does to make it friendly and inspirational for all of us.

The theme for July is LIFE and since I feel that I am just starting to return to life, I'm sure I can find something fun to share. I have a link in the sidebar to sort my CED posts from all the other stuff I talk about here.

1st Roma Tomato

2010-07-25T10:03:00.007-06:00

My first Roma tomato, grown in a pot.
I don't usually grow tomatoes. I have found that if you grow one, it will either die or not produce any fruit. If you grow two you will have more tomatoes than you can eat, give away, force your friends to take and/or compost. And they attract pests by the bushel basket full.
A few nice fresh tomatoes from a farm stand are plenty for me.
But I got curious about this little dwarf tomato plant. I put it in a large pot, outdoors, and it grew into a bushy little plant, about 12" high and started producing tomatoes. Neat.

cross country schooling today

2010-07-24T06:36:00.009-06:00

The weathermen have promised a day in the 70s to 80s and not the upper 90s, I hope they are right. Unbelievably Nina is still resistant enough that I will not be on a horse. I am supposed to be teaching and don't want to spend all my attention dealing with her tantrums, so I will be afoot.
I swore I wasn't going to do this again without a horse. Oh well, my choice. It will be fun anyway.