Entries Tagged as: energy
Moon Walk
November 28th, 2008, Comments (15)
I painted this today after a nice, long nap. We spent the night at my mom's and I didn't sleep well, so when we got home I was so pooped that changed into jammies and went straight to bed. Heh. When I woke up, I went straight to my studio and painted this. I started by putting down some directly on the paper and then responding to it, bit by bit. And this is what came out, a girl taking the moon for a walk. I'm calling it "Moon Walk." And it's about 9"x12". Last night before I went to bed, I drew loads of ideas I had for art involving the moon. This one above wasn't one of the ideas, but I see a theme coming on! As a Cancer, I am a moon girl after all.
I hope those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving had a lovely holiday and aren't feeling too stuffed!
Cat Stackers
November 25th, 2008, Comments (19)
It was so dark and gloomy all day, so I felt the need for my art to be fun and light. I ran a bunch of errands in the rain and it was pleasant to be in the cozy car, listening to an audiobook on cd, warming my bum on the butt-warmer seats, feeling cozy and dry while stuck in traffic. I didn't mind going slow or waiting. Running from car to store with packages and umbrella and purse was a little less fun and little more comical, especially when a big box I bought to ship art in, nearly flew away from me in the wind.
Today in Soul Coaching, the focus was partly on how you carry yourself. I know that making a decision to carry yourself a certain way can make a huge difference. There was also an exercise about taking some time to truly relax and even though I didn't do it multiple times during the day, I did take a nice long rest after a yoga session with a purring cat on my chest, just breathing and melting into the floor. And that felt fabulous.
Some of the AEDM-ers are eager to continue with the project. And although I can't commit to posting art every day beyond this month, I will still have the Creative Every Day 2008 project going. And I think I'll start using the linking widget for the weekly CED posts too. I'm loving that widget. Widget is also a fun word to say. Widget, widget, widget. O.k., I'm tuckered out. Sweet dreams, you creative geniuses!
Lantern
November 23rd, 2008, Comments (22)
Here's the Lantern painting finished. Much of the collaged background has been covered, but bits of it still show through. This is a picture, taken in the evening, so the colors are a bit more rich in person. I'll scan it later to make prints from.
I'm hoping to get the calendar proof tomorrow and then if all goes well, I'll be able to start taking orders on Tuesday. I'll let you know as soon as they're ready to go.
The Soul Coaching exercises today were about your physical being. I noticed I felt resistant to doing the exercises. I don't feel like I've been taking the best care of myself lately. I could give reasons, but it doesn't matter much. The simple fact is that I need to do a better job of taking care of myself. A couple people have asked about this book group and whether it would be happening again. I believe Jamie is planning to run another group through this book in January, which is right around the corner!
I'm feeling totally blah this evening. Working on the painting was good, but my energy is low. So, I'm off to spend the remainder of the evening on some soothing self care: relaxing, reading, and drinking something warm...perhaps tea with honey! I hope your weekend was a lovely one!
Soul Coaching Art
November 22nd, 2008, Comments (9)
Today's Soul Coaching exercises were so up my alley! I only had time to do the first level of exercises, which involved doing 3 drawings. For the first drawing, author, Denise Linn asks that you close your eyes, get a sense of the what you are feeling in that moment, reach for the color or colors that express that emotion, and then draw it out. I used caran d'ache, water soluble crayons to do these drawings. And the drawing above is what came out. I was feeling mainly soft blue mellowness with bits of a light green anxiety. The images developed as I drew. For the second drawing, we were asked to close our eyes, imagine the way we'd like to be feeling, and then draw that. What came from that is below. I was wishing for a bit more fire as perhaps you can gather. I'd like a bit more energy that's rooted in that blues I have much of already. But perhaps the it's like that expression, the grass is always greener. I just don't seem to be the high energy type and I am o.k. with that. I think I'm capable of more energy though and I'd like to work on that.
Then in the last drawing, we closed our eyes again, asked if our soul had a message for us, and then drew that. For this image, I saw in my mind a purple lotus flower and what I drew is below. I got the sense that my soul was saying, be still, be at peace. Everything is o.k. And it is!
It was fun to do these drawings and just play intuitively. I think I'll do the other exercises another time. I've done something very similar to the other exercises Denise Linn shares, such as drawing with the non-dominant hand and drawing with both hands at once, last year during a class at Artfest. I loved the drawings that came from those experiences and highly recommend trying it out. You can read more about my experiences in that class and see what I drew here.
I went to a craft fair with my bff today and got totally wiped out. It was fun and inspirational (so much color! so many ideas!), but I tend to get overwhelmed in spaces like that and didn't buy anything. My bff bought the cutest hat for her lil girl and a couple other gifts.
I hope you're all enjoying the weekend and staying warm (it's freezing cold here in New England!)
Random Acts of Kindness
November 21st, 2008, Comments (13)
"One kind word can warm three winter months" –Japanese Proverb
Random acts of kindness. That's the theme of Soul Coaching today. You see it a lot on the internet, called RAK for short. And what an amazing place the blogging world can be for spreading the message about a need and watching the kindness of others who jump at the chance to help out.
Today, Patti Digh at 37 Days is spreading the word about Glen Edward Chapman, a man who was found innocent and released after being in prison for 15 years, and yet he was given no assistance for his re-entry into the world. From the News & Observer: "He was released from death row with 10 minutes' notice, one outfit, no counseling, no money and no assistance from the state after being incarcerated for over 15 years for crimes he did not commit." Patti has pointed out how you can help this man, by writing a letter to the Governer of North Carolina asking that he give Glen Edward Chapman an official pardon of innocence so that he may receive compensation for the 15 years that he lost in prison to help him get back on his feet again.
Looking for other ways to connect with kindness?
- Operation Nice is a blog all about how a little niceness goes a long way.
- A super cute Something Nice poster you can download and post in your community.
- Try putting a quarter in a parking meter that has expired and save a stranger from a parking ticket!
- Leave little love notes for others to find.
- Visit the Random Acts of Kindness organization for ideas and inspiration.
- Send a special note to someone.
- Smile.
- Write an inspiring message in chalk on the sidewalk.
I'm imagining send loads of love out to all of you today. Do you feel it? I actually love doing that. Even before I studied Reiki, I used to imagine a sort of loving energy emanating from me at certain times. I first tried it at my cousin's funeral and then sometimes on a crowded train that seemed like it needed some love. It's a lovely practice to try out, even if like me, you are a bit skeptical about these things. It can never hurt to try and send the love out there and it does feel fabulous too.
I'm off for now. I'll be back this evening with some artwork!
A Work in Progress – Lantern
November 20th, 2008, Comments (23)
I've been drawing an image in my sketchbook of a woman in the woods, a couple different versions this month. Today I was thinking maybe I'd use a 14"x14" wood panel that I'd prepared, but wasn't sure. I still get this moment of hesitation when working with materials that I might find precious, a larger canvas or panel, or an expensive art supply. I was thinking that doing art every day helps lessen that feeling and then I had a funny bit of synchronicity. I had brought in the mail and saw a new Anthropologie catalog. On the last page was a picture of a woman standing in the woods holding a lantern, much like the images I'd been sketching. And the dress she wore was called the Lantern's Glow dress. Well, that does it, I thought! I set to work collaging the panel, here you can see the panel at that stage.
In the afternoon, I began to paint in the image. I'm not done yet, but here it is so far.
I'll work on it more tomorrow. I'll write more about my Soul Coaching journey tomorrow as that's all the energy I've got for computer time at the moment. Toodaloo for now!
Lollipop Trees
November 19th, 2008, Comments (18)
Oh weird, the new typepad upgrade (not visible on my site, the upgrade is an update to the post editor) finally made it to my blog. It'll take a little getting used to I suspect, but so far I'm liking it!
Above is a quick playful piece with ink and acrylic on 9"x12" watercolor paper that I'm calling, "Lollipop Trees." It was inspired in part by receiving a book of The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss in the mail today. His private paintings are so amazing!
I'm posting late again today. I spent the afternoon doing some babysitting for my bff's little girl, who calls me Lala (ack, the cuteness!) I totally admire all you moms (and dads!) who can take care of your little ones and do creative things for yourself too!
For Soul Coaching today, I really loved the focus on saying yes to everything in your life...the traffic, the sniffles, the chilly weather...a big, holy yes! I don't know what it was exactly, but it totally gave me an extra boost today to say an enthusiastic yes to everything. There was also an exercise that encouraged returning and re-returning to the present moment throughout the day. I'm loving listening to author Denise Linn's recordings that go along with each day's exercises, especially the meditation that she includes at the start of each day's entry.
The hubster just returned from a business event, so I'm off to relax with him. Happy creating everyone!
Mandalas and Shadows
November 18th, 2008, Comments (15)
Posting a little late tonight. I went to take pictures of my art of the day, only to realize that my camera's battery was out of juice. It worked out well though, because while it was charging, I got motivated to bring to life a second piece of artwork that had been in my head all day.
The first piece I created is above. Last night I had gessoed over an old record, so I knew that I wanted to paint on it today. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to paint, but I thought maybe I'd do a mandala. I ended up squirting red paint directly onto the record and then going from there. Around the edges, I put little blue elephants that I think are pretty darn cute. I put it up on the wall with a clear pushpin and I'm loving how bright it is.
So even though I'd done my art for the day when I finished the mandala, I had a strong urge to follow through on an idea I'd had in the morning when I read the entry in Soul Coaching. There were some intense exercises in the book today and yet it really resonated with me. I even had a feeling as I read, that the art I'd submitted to Jamie for the group blog would be up there today (and it was). Also, today was day 17 in the book, and 17 is my lucky number (I say lucky, but I really mean it's the number that I see everywhere and consider to be a wink from the universe.) So with all these little synchronicities, I felt like I had to honor my idea-spark from this morning and bring it to life. And I'm so glad I did!
The idea came as I was reading Denise Linn's discussion of the shadow, the darker side to our psyche. She asks the reader to look out for places where we might be projecting our shadows onto others. I don't know where I read about this originally, but it's a great practice. Basically, the idea is to notice when you're annoyed with or judging someone or something. And when you notice, you stop to think about whether this someone or something is reflecting a part of you that you are annoyed with or judgmental of (whether that part of you is part of your past, present, or perhaps your future.)
I'm calling this piece "Shadow Self" and it's done with acrylic on 12"x16" watercolor paper. I was imagining this sort of vivid and active shadow self down below, while the real self is somewhat subdued because it is trying so hard to ignore the shadow. (I'm really liking this size right now!)
Other bits of today's exercises from the book included turning your "shoulds" into "coulds" (something I like to do and was glad to be reminded of), looking at our sexual history, getting our skeletons out of the closet, and then dancing out our dark and light aspects. It was all a cathartic experience, especially the dancing piece which I surprised myself by really digging into. So, all in all, today was a super expressive day, one of those days it was just pouring out of me. And with that, I'm off so that I can get this posted!
p.s. Thanks for the interest in the calendar I'm creating! I'm waiting for a sample copy to arrive, so I know that the quality is excellent before I start to sell them. As soon as they're ready to go, I'll let you know!
Red Balloon
November 17th, 2008, Comments (23)
I've been busy, busy all day, putting together a 2009 calendar of my artwork (I'll let you know as soon as it's ready!) In the process, I've also prepped some more artwork for prints which I hope to have up on my art website soon. These things always take longer than I expect them to, but I feel good about the progress I've made nonetheless.
Taking a break from the computer this afternoon, I set to painting in a completely intuitive fashion, upon a 12"x16" piece of watercolor paper. I wet the paper, letting some paint flow into the water, creating shapes and lines in a fluid way. Things were flowing again, unlike yesterday, which was a relief. When I stepped back, I saw what was the woman's hair and started bringing that out, eventually seeing that she was wearing a grand red dress and holding a red balloon which is why I'm calling "Red Balloon." I used some ink in the end to draw in her face and give some highlights to the dress and the feather headpiece in her hair. It was fun to play with paint, with no particular end in mind.
This playful method fit right in with one of the focuses of Soul Coaching today, which was to find ways to experience more fun and joy. I plan on having a lovely, fun night to myself this evening while the hubster is out. Heck, it's fun just thinking about the variety of things I can do to make it a fun evening!
In need of a laugh? It's perhaps my love of all things cat, but I find this incredibly funny. It makes me laugh out loud every time. So, if you need a giggle, be sure to check out Guster's a cappella "Carol of the Meows."
Thanks to Wendy for pointing out that AEDM got mentioned on the Liz Massey's blog, Creative Liberty. Liz also mentioned the amazingly talented, Tammy Vitale in the same post. And I have to mention that Tammy created a drawing named after me, called Leah Dancing as part of AEDM, that I just totally love. I've never had a piece of art named for me before. What an honor! It made me all giddy.
Assorted Business
November 16th, 2008, Comments (20)
Well, today's art-making was a frustrating experiencing. I was trying out a new material and it was going well until it suddenly went very wrong and the whole thing turned into a big gray mud puddle. Doh! I scraped it all down and started over, trying to just play at this point. And it was just one of those days where nothing was flowing. Somewhere along the way, I decided to let it go and ended up with this little elephant. He's cute, but the whole experience had me feeling a little cranky. Gotta let go. Experimenting is good, failure is even good and I did learn some things in the process. Here's my little elephant, which is acrylic on 6"x6" panel.
Ah well.
This week in Soul Coaching the theme is "Fire." And today's exercises have to do with facing your fears, listing them out and then imagining how you would survive the worst case scenarios. Some of my fears have to do with rejection, although these particular fears have lessened over time as I'm taking rejection less personally. It still bothers me, but not nearly as much. I hope to tackle some of my lingering rejection fears this week.
A big, huge thank you to Jamie for the Kreativ Blogger award!! Here are the rules:
-Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
-Post the rules on your blog.
-Write six random things about yourself.
-Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
-Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
-Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
6 Random Things About Me:
- I'm the shortest person in my family.
- I've dreamed about the sex of the baby (and been right) for all my siblings and a couple friends.
- I find slapstick humor (especially people falling down) incredibly (and stupidly) funny.
- I have a series of freckles on my face that if connected would make the shape of a lawn chair.
- I get all twitchy if someone repeats the same word over and over again.
O.k., so I'm supposed to tag some people. I've resisted doing it all together lately as I don't want anyone to feel left out. But I also know it's nice to receive an award now and again, so I'll pass this one on with the note that I'm overwhelmed by the multitudes of creative bloggers I've met through doing AEDM and CED. Seriously. You all deserve awards. For today, I'd like to nominate:
- Andrea of A Cat of Impossible Color, whose awesomely thrifted outfits make me wish she could manage my wardrobe.
- Jennifer of Life Unfolds for her incredible sweetness and boundless creative energy.
- Julia of Red Otter for her beautiful arrangements of inspiration.
- Shelley of Oiseaux for her stunning creations.
- Tammy of Women, Art, Life: Weaving it All Together for inspiring me with her gorgeous artwork and incredible energy.
- Judean (aka luf) of Sukeydookiedoo for being my bff and an endless source of support and creative inspiration.
