- Published on
Rearranged
"Rearranged" - charcoal and pencil on toned paper, 18" x 24" "Blue" - acrylic and charcoal on paper, 11" x 14" . Ready to frame. Each available here and at Artfinder.
"Inevitably, certain experiences rearrange us."
MARK NEPO
Oh, Mark Nepo! How did you know? Rearranged. I have been rearranged. And still sorting out where the pieces fit well together.
This puddling into the new year is a bit off-putting for me. Plans? Schedules? Calendars? These have always been my crutches. They're still here, of course, but I am keeping them just out of reach. Careening through each day like a drunken bull and letting the terrain beneath my feet determine which way I will meander.
This isn't a graceful method for navigating through life. But it is something new, which leads to, well, more new things. Like an urban hike after dark with my sisters - standing on the muddy bluff of Overlook, peering down at the sparkly lights of the rail yard and the glistening Willamette river, navigating flooded back alleyways and streets. Graceful? No. Exhilarating? Yes.
"Inevitably, certain experiences rearrange us."
MARK NEPO
Oh, Mark Nepo! How did you know? Rearranged. I have been rearranged. And still sorting out where the pieces fit well together.
This puddling into the new year is a bit off-putting for me. Plans? Schedules? Calendars? These have always been my crutches. They're still here, of course, but I am keeping them just out of reach. Careening through each day like a drunken bull and letting the terrain beneath my feet determine which way I will meander.
This isn't a graceful method for navigating through life. But it is something new, which leads to, well, more new things. Like an urban hike after dark with my sisters - standing on the muddy bluff of Overlook, peering down at the sparkly lights of the rail yard and the glistening Willamette river, navigating flooded back alleyways and streets. Graceful? No. Exhilarating? Yes.
Blue
As I contemplate the muddy waters of being rearranged, seeking meaning and direction, Nepo's words whisper soothingly: "despite what we're taught, we don't have to choose between meanings. Rather, we can absorb and integrate many meanings." The world wants us to choose a direction, a meaning, a purpose, a path. But there is just this one wild life and so many meanings to choose from. I am happy to absorb and integrate them all, gathering them in baskets and boxes and with open arms and heart.
A wise Irishman once told me all of these experiences are puzzle pieces. Only I never knew the puzzle itself could change size and shape. Whoa. I'm gonna need more baskets.
A wise Irishman once told me all of these experiences are puzzle pieces. Only I never knew the puzzle itself could change size and shape. Whoa. I'm gonna need more baskets.
For those who attended my "Once Upon an Artist" demonstrations this past fall (or anyone else who is interested), Andrew Simonet, author of Making Your Life as an Artist now has a workbook you can download for FREE here. The book is also available for download. It's a little roadmap toward making your artsy dreams come true.
- Published on
"Softened" - acrylic and charcoal on paper, 12" x 18". Ready to frame. Available here and at Artfinder.
"It takes time to soften the habits of our heart and mind and work them in our hands, a little each day, in order for the heart and mind to be of use somewhere else."
MARK NEPO
January and resolutions.
I haven't made any New Year's resolutions, yet I feel the call to soften habits. Slumps I've fallen into. Indulgences that have gone a bit off the rails. Nepo makes the pursuit of change seem more attainable - allowing time to soften. A little change each day. Yes, please. But just a little. Being "resolute" seems much more challenging than "softening." I imagine my habits melting into puddles.
"It takes time to soften the habits of our heart and mind and work them in our hands, a little each day, in order for the heart and mind to be of use somewhere else."
MARK NEPO
January and resolutions.
I haven't made any New Year's resolutions, yet I feel the call to soften habits. Slumps I've fallen into. Indulgences that have gone a bit off the rails. Nepo makes the pursuit of change seem more attainable - allowing time to soften. A little change each day. Yes, please. But just a little. Being "resolute" seems much more challenging than "softening." I imagine my habits melting into puddles.
If you freed your heart and mind from just one less-than-stellar habit, where else would you put them to use? Maybe toward bravery, or making home-made ramen (like my soup goddess sister, Wendy), toward understanding something elusive or maybe just daydreaming of the many things you can put your newly-freed heart and mind to use on. :)
My hands are working gently at slump softening. One drawing at a time. One leave-it-all-on-the-table-in-a-heap-of-exhaustion life-drawing session at a time. Thank goodness I now live in the land of caffeinated goodness on every corner.
My hands are working gently at slump softening. One drawing at a time. One leave-it-all-on-the-table-in-a-heap-of-exhaustion life-drawing session at a time. Thank goodness I now live in the land of caffeinated goodness on every corner.
This week's PDX recommendation is Sweedeedee, where you can start your day with a savory porridge and a slice of honey whiskey bread. And where the staff will dazzle you with vinyl LPs played continuously while you eat. You'll get a kick out of saying "Sweedeedee" all day long, too.
- Published on
Awakened
"Awakened" - acrylic and charcoal on illustration board, 12" x 16" . Available here and at Artfinder. "Life Study 1" and "Life Study 2" - charcoal on toned paper, each 12" x 16". Available here and here.
"So the greatest threshold to an awakened life is the courage to say yes...yes to the challenge to live your own life, vulnerably and directly, until your being touches the sea of all beings." - MARK NEPO
Let's jump into the new year with both feet, shall we? The first of the finished pieces from last week's life drawing session at Hipbone in PDX. And a couple of sketches in charcoal on toned paper.
You'd think the most vulnerable person in a life drawing class would be the model. But no, it is each of us artists, drawing in quickly timed blocks without time for contemplation, erasure or starting over. Just seeing and responding without time to think.
And that is truly the beauty of a well-run session. The leader carefully times, announces, forces a pose change and starts the clock again. You are at the mercy of the tick tick ticking and forced to shut out all of your hesitation and just do it. While others are watching. And there, in that space between thoughts, you are awakened.
Every fiber of your being is in the moment, in flow, observing and responding, not thinking, just being. In a packed classroom, "the sea of all beings" is right there, ebbing and flowing around you, touching but not touching as you are completely alone but not alone. Finally, finally - the monkey mind (of which I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN I am the QUEEN) is hushed. Oh bliss! Oh perfection! Let's do that again, shall we?
Every fiber of your being is in the moment, in flow, observing and responding, not thinking, just being. In a packed classroom, "the sea of all beings" is right there, ebbing and flowing around you, touching but not touching as you are completely alone but not alone. Finally, finally - the monkey mind (of which I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN I am the QUEEN) is hushed. Oh bliss! Oh perfection! Let's do that again, shall we?
Life Study 1 - charcoal on toned paper. 12" x 16"
Life Study 2 - charcoal on toned paper, 12" x 16"
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"Return to Wonder" - acrylic on paper, 18" x 12". Available here and at Artfinder.
To be alive is power,
Existing in itself,
Without a further function,
Omnipotence enough.
--Emily Dickinson
The final painting of 2018 is a return to abstraction. A paint over with a little nod to the ethereal wonderland that is the wilds of Oregon.
There is a desire to reflect at the end of a year...to set goals, analyze successes and failures and to make resolutions. I am a huge supporter of future planning and goal setting! But this time - this time I am going to simply be alive. As Dickinson says, existing in itself, without further function.
And for me this is a massive leap into the unknown. To just exist, to let one year roll into the next without (GASP) a plan? Inconceivable! And yet, I am going to do it.
To be alive is power,
Existing in itself,
Without a further function,
Omnipotence enough.
--Emily Dickinson
The final painting of 2018 is a return to abstraction. A paint over with a little nod to the ethereal wonderland that is the wilds of Oregon.
There is a desire to reflect at the end of a year...to set goals, analyze successes and failures and to make resolutions. I am a huge supporter of future planning and goal setting! But this time - this time I am going to simply be alive. As Dickinson says, existing in itself, without further function.
And for me this is a massive leap into the unknown. To just exist, to let one year roll into the next without (GASP) a plan? Inconceivable! And yet, I am going to do it.
Wherever you are in the wide world, as the new year opens the door to unending possibility, I wish for you a return to wonder and the unwavering belief in a trail of breadcrumbs that points to the best life possible. And, of course, a liberal dose of malarkey along the way. Happy New Year!
This week's picks in PDX!
Hiking: Tryon Creek Park. This park in south west Portland is a great hike when you can't commit to a full day. Lots of small trails, plenty of incline and interesting bridges and gullies. And it's dang pretty!
Hiking: Tryon Creek Park. This park in south west Portland is a great hike when you can't commit to a full day. Lots of small trails, plenty of incline and interesting bridges and gullies. And it's dang pretty!
Dining: Wayfinder. Great beer, great food. Try the Freedom Hash (vegan) or the Chicken Schnitzel. And they deliver through the Caviar app (when you don't want to get out of your pajamas). Easy peasy.
Fun and Games: Guardian Games. The largest selection of board (and other) games I have ever seen. And a pub. And some super helpful game nerds who will make sure you leave with the best game ever. We really appreciated their IRS sale (The IRS really sucks inventory reduction sale) and so did half of PDX who stood in line with us.
Fun and Games: Guardian Games. The largest selection of board (and other) games I have ever seen. And a pub. And some super helpful game nerds who will make sure you leave with the best game ever. We really appreciated their IRS sale (The IRS really sucks inventory reduction sale) and so did half of PDX who stood in line with us.
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"You're Here to Take Over" - acrylic on aquabord, 11" x 14". Ready to frame, or can be leaned against a wall upon a shelf. Available here and at Artfinder.
You're not here to take part,
You're here to take over.
Whoa. This sentence landed in a horoscope for Leos several days ago. And it twirled around in my head until I had to paint it. The timing was particularly scrumptious, because I had just been inspired by another artist, who FEARLESSLY painted exactly what she wanted to, despite its unconventionality, and then posted it everywhere.
You're not here to take part,
You're here to take over.
Whoa. This sentence landed in a horoscope for Leos several days ago. And it twirled around in my head until I had to paint it. The timing was particularly scrumptious, because I had just been inspired by another artist, who FEARLESSLY painted exactly what she wanted to, despite its unconventionality, and then posted it everywhere.
That kind of bravery is exactly what we're called to do in art. Paint without boundaries, censors or inner critics. Ignore the masses and break new ground - even if others cannot yet appreciate it (or never do). It was a much needed kick in the pants for me, and has me more determined than ever to bushwhack a wildly creative path in the new year.
And so a sword-wielding warrior woman has taken over the studio. I love it when that happens.
This is also a lesson in surrounding yourself with the right people. Creative people need creative people. No timid Tinkerbells or passive Petunias (or Peters) - give us brazen Berthas and courageous Clydes! We rise (or fall) to the bar set set by our peers. A high bar pushes us forward and helps us feel unfettered. I am darned lucky to be surrounded by artists who don't stop pressing forward.
Now where on earth did I put my sword?
And so a sword-wielding warrior woman has taken over the studio. I love it when that happens.
This is also a lesson in surrounding yourself with the right people. Creative people need creative people. No timid Tinkerbells or passive Petunias (or Peters) - give us brazen Berthas and courageous Clydes! We rise (or fall) to the bar set set by our peers. A high bar pushes us forward and helps us feel unfettered. I am darned lucky to be surrounded by artists who don't stop pressing forward.
Now where on earth did I put my sword?
- Published on
"Repose" - acrylic and charcoal on illustration board, 12" x 16". Available here and at Artfinder.
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.
--Rainer Maria Rilke
Here in the land of green and groovy, the light is soft and diffused. It is the perfect setting for contemplating the big mysteries of life while taking a well-earned rest.
And rest it is to be reunited with charcoal and paints, letting the muse have her way with me. Today she insists on a restful figure and a three color palette. I am happy to oblige.
There is a great temptation, when relocating, to resolve everything as soon as possible. Unpacking, setting things up, making spaces work, finding "our" grocery store, gas station, bank, coffee shop...but Rilke's words whisper to me.
"Repose" - acrylic and charcoal on illustration board, 12" x 16". Available here and at Artfinder.
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.
--Rainer Maria Rilke
Here in the land of green and groovy, the light is soft and diffused. It is the perfect setting for contemplating the big mysteries of life while taking a well-earned rest.
And rest it is to be reunited with charcoal and paints, letting the muse have her way with me. Today she insists on a restful figure and a three color palette. I am happy to oblige.
There is a great temptation, when relocating, to resolve everything as soon as possible. Unpacking, setting things up, making spaces work, finding "our" grocery store, gas station, bank, coffee shop...but Rilke's words whisper to me.
Be patient. Love the questions, Sit with what is unresolved.
There it is....the dreaded "P-word" again. But somehow, here, it is easier to wait. Easier to pause - delightful, even. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, stops to exchange pleasantries, offer a smile, ask if you need help. I have to stop myself from rushing and bustling through the day, because I think here that would be downright rude! Just like in lovely Listowel in Ireland. I am doing a lot of sighing and smiling here. It is sweet relief.
In the studio, there is a temptation to resolve my direction - who am (artistically) here in Oregon? What will I create? Who is my muse? What does she want? Ahhhhhh. But here, too, I will love the questions themselves and strap myself in for the journey. If I listen closely, there might be magic along the way.
There it is....the dreaded "P-word" again. But somehow, here, it is easier to wait. Easier to pause - delightful, even. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, stops to exchange pleasantries, offer a smile, ask if you need help. I have to stop myself from rushing and bustling through the day, because I think here that would be downright rude! Just like in lovely Listowel in Ireland. I am doing a lot of sighing and smiling here. It is sweet relief.
In the studio, there is a temptation to resolve my direction - who am (artistically) here in Oregon? What will I create? Who is my muse? What does she want? Ahhhhhh. But here, too, I will love the questions themselves and strap myself in for the journey. If I listen closely, there might be magic along the way.
For those of you contemplating a visit to the PNW, I will share my favorite new spots as I find them. These might be cool places to visit if you're ever out here (which I hope you will be!)
Today's lunch spot, and my new favorite AMAZING Mexican restaurant is Tamale Boy in the Dekum Triangle. It's just blocks from my house, and super delicious. Try the cauliflower.
This week's delightful shop discovery is actually a favorite from a prior visit to PDX, and I was thrilled to find it still thriving: Woonwinkle. Who can resist this?
Today's lunch spot, and my new favorite AMAZING Mexican restaurant is Tamale Boy in the Dekum Triangle. It's just blocks from my house, and super delicious. Try the cauliflower.
This week's delightful shop discovery is actually a favorite from a prior visit to PDX, and I was thrilled to find it still thriving: Woonwinkle. Who can resist this?
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"Rabbit, Rabbit" - acrylic on paper, 12" x 18". Available here and at Artfinder.
A new month is just moments away, and with it the utterance of "rabbit, rabbit" to bring in good luck. Which is why I was not at all surprised when these two unusual rabbits appeared in this painting.
This is the last piece from the SoFlo studio. The last piece of paper and the last bits of paint. The whole shebang is wrapped, boxed, labeled and waiting for transport. Well, everything except a new travel art kit to keep me from pulling my hair out over the next three weeks (the approximate amount of time it takes to load, transport, unload and unpack when moving from one extreme end of the country to another).
But there are still nine rooms, a garage and an attic to pack, so I have the feeling there is plenty to keep me occupied until next Friday when I board a plane. :)
A new month is just moments away, and with it the utterance of "rabbit, rabbit" to bring in good luck. Which is why I was not at all surprised when these two unusual rabbits appeared in this painting.
This is the last piece from the SoFlo studio. The last piece of paper and the last bits of paint. The whole shebang is wrapped, boxed, labeled and waiting for transport. Well, everything except a new travel art kit to keep me from pulling my hair out over the next three weeks (the approximate amount of time it takes to load, transport, unload and unpack when moving from one extreme end of the country to another).
But there are still nine rooms, a garage and an attic to pack, so I have the feeling there is plenty to keep me occupied until next Friday when I board a plane. :)
My head is twirling with lists and reminders. Let's leave the land of busy busy busy, dear reader, and spend a few luxurious moments standing on fishes:
The deep parts of my life pour onward,
as if the river shores were opening out.
It seems that things are more like me now,
That I can see farther into paintings.
I feel closer to what language can't reach.
With my senses, as with birds, I climb
into the windy heaven, out of the oak,
in the ponds broken off from the sky
my falling sinks, as if standing on fishes.
Rainer Maria Rilke
The deep parts of my life pour onward,
as if the river shores were opening out.
It seems that things are more like me now,
That I can see farther into paintings.
I feel closer to what language can't reach.
With my senses, as with birds, I climb
into the windy heaven, out of the oak,
in the ponds broken off from the sky
my falling sinks, as if standing on fishes.
Rainer Maria Rilke
- Published on
"Who Does She Think She IS?" acrylic on paper. NFS.
A few quiet hours in the morning before the hubbub of Turkey Day commences. The children (none of them really children anymore) all sleep all snug in their beds after a late night of board games and highly competitive hilarity. These are the times a mom feels deeply, incredibly grateful. Well, and maybe a little bit shocked and aghast at how much they know and how much she does not. They are teaching me now.
I spent some time just watching and listening to these young folks yesterday. Their passion, intelligence, creative thinking and kindness filled me with hope for the world. That and their willingness to play with paint at the kitchen table, if even for a few stolen moments. Working with charcoal, titanium white acrylic paint and a little black gesso, they created some quick studies inspired by shapes and patterns in art book paintings.
Sigh. One happy mama on turkey day. :)
A few quiet hours in the morning before the hubbub of Turkey Day commences. The children (none of them really children anymore) all sleep all snug in their beds after a late night of board games and highly competitive hilarity. These are the times a mom feels deeply, incredibly grateful. Well, and maybe a little bit shocked and aghast at how much they know and how much she does not. They are teaching me now.
I spent some time just watching and listening to these young folks yesterday. Their passion, intelligence, creative thinking and kindness filled me with hope for the world. That and their willingness to play with paint at the kitchen table, if even for a few stolen moments. Working with charcoal, titanium white acrylic paint and a little black gesso, they created some quick studies inspired by shapes and patterns in art book paintings.
Sigh. One happy mama on turkey day. :)
Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
--Emily Dickinson
- Published on
"Too Much" - mixed media on paper, 22" x 15". Available here and at Artfinder.
Oh gosh this piece was FUN! Thank you to Lia for challenging me to give this one a go. Watercolor, acrylic, gesso, colored pencil, paint pens and charcoal - the kitchen sink is in this painting.
It has been a week of words and phrases popping up and sinking in. It began with this word:
whigmaleerie or whigmaleery
PRONUNCIATION: (hwig-muh-LIR-ee)
MEANING:
noun:
1. A whim.
2. A fanciful contrivance.
ETYMOLOGY:
It’s a Scots term, but we know little about it beyond that. Earliest documented use: 1730.
Oh gosh this piece was FUN! Thank you to Lia for challenging me to give this one a go. Watercolor, acrylic, gesso, colored pencil, paint pens and charcoal - the kitchen sink is in this painting.
It has been a week of words and phrases popping up and sinking in. It began with this word:
whigmaleerie or whigmaleery
PRONUNCIATION: (hwig-muh-LIR-ee)
MEANING:
noun:
1. A whim.
2. A fanciful contrivance.
ETYMOLOGY:
It’s a Scots term, but we know little about it beyond that. Earliest documented use: 1730.
My brain is full of whigmaleerie and malarkey. The words makes me smile.
And then there is this quote, posted by someone I greatly admire:
"Maybe we are here to love wildly, passionately and fearlessly," whispered the heart
"You are going to get us all killed," yelled the brain.
Living in that pocket, where the heart is pushing us to new limits while the brain is yelling to put on the brakes - that's where the good stuff grows. And that's where you will be "too much" for some people. But you, dear reader - fierce, brave, creative - you aren't afraid to be too much. You love wildly. You love fearlessly. And you aren't too shy to embrace a little whigmaleerie.
And just to be sure you understand how truly unlimited a little whigmaleerie can be, here is both the Whigmaleerie dance and the Whigmaleerie band. :)
And then there is this quote, posted by someone I greatly admire:
"Maybe we are here to love wildly, passionately and fearlessly," whispered the heart
"You are going to get us all killed," yelled the brain.
Living in that pocket, where the heart is pushing us to new limits while the brain is yelling to put on the brakes - that's where the good stuff grows. And that's where you will be "too much" for some people. But you, dear reader - fierce, brave, creative - you aren't afraid to be too much. You love wildly. You love fearlessly. And you aren't too shy to embrace a little whigmaleerie.
And just to be sure you understand how truly unlimited a little whigmaleerie can be, here is both the Whigmaleerie dance and the Whigmaleerie band. :)
- Published on
"Tipsy" - acrylic on cradled birchwood panel, 24" x 20" x 1.5". Ready to hang. Available here and at Artfinder.
I am back in the studio after a whirlwind week. This time expanding on the simple shapes and tension theme which I began exploring in a prior abstract.
This is a much large piece, and is painted using both thin, matte layers (achieved by mixing white gesso with acrylic paint) and thick layers of acrylic heavily applied with brush and palette knife. Colored pencils, charcoal and a chopstick (for scratching through the paint) were the finishing touches.
I am back in the studio after a whirlwind week. This time expanding on the simple shapes and tension theme which I began exploring in a prior abstract.
This is a much large piece, and is painted using both thin, matte layers (achieved by mixing white gesso with acrylic paint) and thick layers of acrylic heavily applied with brush and palette knife. Colored pencils, charcoal and a chopstick (for scratching through the paint) were the finishing touches.
Tipsy
The world feels a little tipsy right now...people coming and going, events monkey-piling on top of each other - the interim time between being here and being there.
"No place looks like itself, loss of outline
Makes everything look strangely in-between,
Unsure of what has been, or what might come."
- JOHN O'DONOHUE
Older projects are wrapping up, winding down, quieting. Hush now.
New projects have sprung up like spring shoots, dazzling and demanding and promising the moon.
Somewhere in all this in-between I will pack my art supplies. But not today. Today the muse grabs me by the collar and drags me with a sense of urgency. How can I say no?
"No place looks like itself, loss of outline
Makes everything look strangely in-between,
Unsure of what has been, or what might come."
- JOHN O'DONOHUE
Older projects are wrapping up, winding down, quieting. Hush now.
New projects have sprung up like spring shoots, dazzling and demanding and promising the moon.
Somewhere in all this in-between I will pack my art supplies. But not today. Today the muse grabs me by the collar and drags me with a sense of urgency. How can I say no?
Once Upon an Artist: Telling Tales and Selling Art - November 20th, 7 pm at ArtServe (hosted by Gold Coast Watercolor Society) Free and open to the public
Once upon a time, there was a girl who was banned from art forever. Half a century later, she is an award-winning artist with art in collections world-wide, with four books under her illustrated belt. How did THAT happen?
You are invited to pull up a chair and listen in as mixed-media Maven of Malarkey and Queen of Quirky Jen Walls tells her story, tells you how to tell YOUR story and explains why storytelling matters in selling your art.
In this demo like no other, you'll learn to swashbuckle like a pirate, reign like a queen and SELL YOUR ART like the masterful genius you are!
Once upon a time, there was a girl who was banned from art forever. Half a century later, she is an award-winning artist with art in collections world-wide, with four books under her illustrated belt. How did THAT happen?
You are invited to pull up a chair and listen in as mixed-media Maven of Malarkey and Queen of Quirky Jen Walls tells her story, tells you how to tell YOUR story and explains why storytelling matters in selling your art.
In this demo like no other, you'll learn to swashbuckle like a pirate, reign like a queen and SELL YOUR ART like the masterful genius you are!
