Wishcasting Wednesday

It's time to make a wish! Today, Jamie Ridler asks..."How Do You Wish to Spend Some Time?" Well, that could be an easier wish to ask. In fact, this wish is raising it's hand and practically jumping out of it's seat to answer.....pick me, pick me, pick ME!! I wish to spend some time in the studio! It has been way too long since I've had a good chunk of time to myself to create. I have some ideas brewing that want to come to life.

Wishcasting Wednesdays

Today over at Jamie Ridler's blog the question she poses today for Wishcasting Wednesday is: "Where Do You Wish to Make a Fresh Start?" I wish to make a fresh start with my art. I have already changed the name of my company to Hula Dog Designs, but I have failed to fully jump in and start anew. A change has been lying in wait for some time now, and I am at the point in the process of figuring out what is holding me back from going full steam ahead. I know that some of it has to do with the loyalty or more like it, obligation, that I feel towards my clients. People who have purchased from me before have come to expect a certain style when they see me at art shows. And I don't want to disappoint....ah, there it is, that creative monster! Don't get me wrong, I love my style. But I feel a need to expand. I know that in life there are periods of expansion and periods of regression and periods of stillness. I am on the edge of expansion, trying to figure out how to take that next critical step. I am reading all about resistance in The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. And I owe a great many thanks to my art group as we are working through a lot of this as well. The show we just did was so much fun! And also went a long way towards opening us all up artistically.

The above piece is entitled, "Remind Me", and it is based upon a poem of the same name by the uber-talented writer, Elle O'Dowd, a woman who I am so very proud to call my friend. Sadly, the poem is based on the love between her and her daughter who was tragically killed by a drunk driver. My heart is happy with how this work of art evolved and came to be. There is a certain rhythm and process to mixed media that I really like. It seems to fit in with my busy lifestyle as a working mom and wife. I could easily work for a bit, come back and quickly jump back in. Also, there is a limitlessness to it. You get to decide the boundaries. There is a freedom where most artists of this genre are not critiquing technique. It is the opposite of seeking perfection. It is more about seeking imperfection, which isn't all that easy for a perfectionist, but may be just what I need. You can't see it from this photo but there are shells and bells and dangly bits hanging from the bottom. And from the top sits perched a clay heart with the words Remind Me stamped on it. I thoroughly enjoyed the cutting, gluing, choosing, painting, sculpting. I am trying on the label of mixed media artist and something about it feels right. Next, I want to do one that incorporates my love for dogs, and one in particular, our pitbull, the Baby Java, a memorial piece to commemorate his passing a year ago last week. I'll post my progress with that.

So, I know what to do... I need to clear away the fear and the resistance, instead of taking a huge step, think about taking small steps every day, stop being a people pleaser, trust in my work and myself, and alway give thanks that I wake up each day with the opportunity to start fresh! Mahalo peeps and love beams to you!

The Magnificent VOG 7

Please forgive me for neglecting the blog! Getting ready for a show is usually pretty crazy in the final week and this show was no different. Compound that with end-of-summer/back-to-school activities and you get the picture. The reception for this show featuring my amazing art group, VOG 7, will be August 14, at 7 p.m. at the Casselberry Art House. For all of you locals, I'd love to see you there.

These are a few of the peices that I will have in the show. The color is NOT right but I'm going to let it go for the sake of time management. The above painting is the first in a new spirit series I'm working on. This one is called Halo. It depicts a rainbow ring around the sun. I don't know if you have ever seen one of these in real life....it is AMAZING!! My daughter spotted this one while we were at New Smyrna Beach earlier in the year. Regrettably, I didn't have my camera. In addition to being called a rainbow ring, it is also called a Halo, and some call it The Eye of God. Hence, this painting was borne from that. I did a few mixed media pieces for the show and I am really diggin' it. I'm feeling a crossover happening soon.

Next up, is the mask that I featured in the last blog post. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. The whole process was quite an achievement and really opened up my creativity in a lot of ways. I haven't worked with sculpture of any sort for quite some time, so it was kinda cool to do that. In addition to the lessons this mask taught me about endurance and perfection, it really taught me to have patience even when you need to work quickly. Remembering to breathe has a lot to do with it. This whole mask was an exercise in breathwork. Ahhhh, so much wisdom comes from just doing.  That's a little bluebird of happiness up top (I made his legs out of Q-tips!)

Next up is BE. I showed some blurry out-of-focus snippets of her before she was completed in a prior post, while I was working on her during vacation. She is really not "completed" yet, I have a few other ideas for her...like a little messenger art tote bag with her kit of brushes and sketchbook, and Velcro hands so she can hold things. A lesson from this project....it is fun to play with dolls. I had a great time sewing and making use of little saved items. Play is good for the creative soul.

This is her little bio that I made for her. She is quite a fearless, creative companion!
********
So, this week I'll be doing final prep for the show and final back-to-school shopping. Oh, and my daughter's 8th birthday is coming up on the 22nd! A couple of busy weeks ahead. We'll see what adventures unfold.