Studio Snapshots

Whenever I visit my local home improvement center, I always make a stop at the paint department to check on their OOPS paint offerings. If you are unfamiliar with OOPS paint, it is simply paint that is returned to the store because for whatever reason, the customer was unsatisfied with the color. These cans range in price from $1, $5, $10. While this super-yummy HOT PINK might have been too much for the faint of heart, it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. For half price, I'll take it!
Isn't it gorgeous?

 

And this is what I painted! These boring wood chairs are well on their way to becoming fabulous.

My soundtrack for this project:  To The 5 Boroughs by The Beastie Boys.  This CD is filled with surprises, sounds, beats, humorous samples. It gets me groovin' in the studio!  Perfect energy to paint to!  This album is a love letter to New york after 9/11.  Easily some of the Boys best work. in my opinion, second only to Paul's Boutique. If you have a chance...check, check, check it out! Warning: There are F-bombs dropped all over the place. If this offends you, you might want to skip this one.

The Word is...

PRACTICE

Most of you are probably aware of the simple practice (ding!ding!ding!) of picking a Word for the year.  The idea is to pick a word that you can use to guide you through the year. Whenever you are feeling a little stuck or off kilter, you can focus on your word, regain some direction or perspective, and get yourself back on track.   For a little video that I made for my art group, explaining how I came to my word, PRACTICE, click here.

When contemplating this word, my mind initially went to the common notion of practice being laborious, as in "UGH, do I have to?".  The kind of practice that makes you "PERFECT". The kind of practice that no one wants to do.

UGH, is right. 

   But, for some reason, this word resonated with me, and on delving deeper and sitting with the word, I rolled around phrases like "What would I like to put into practice?"  "What do I want to practice?" and the affirmative, "I am a practicing ARTIST!"

So what if practice wasn't laborious?

What if it is merely devoting energy to what you want to create in your life? (I want to practice my guitar this year!) 

What if practicing is more about honoring your time? (I will make it a practice to go to the studio for at least 15 minutes a day!--that is mostly for those days when I am down and not feeling inspired.) 

Or respecting your body? (My practice is eating well and deep breathing.)

Or inspiring others?  (I practice smiling and kindness.)

PRACTICE=DOING=LEARNING

So this year, practice isn't about doing something that I should do, merely to get BETTER. (After all, I'm pretty amazing, right now! Can I getta Whoop-whoop?) 

PRACTICE, this year, is going to be deciding what I truly want to devote my time to, on a consistent basis, in order to create the life I dream about.  Boo-ya!

I'm going to practice being BRAVE. 

I'm going to practice listening to my INKLINGS.

I'm going to practice financial $$ RESPONSIBILITY.

I'm going to practice GIVING freely.

I'm going to practice KINDNESS.

I'm going to practice LOVING self talk.

Here's a little something I made to remind me of my word...

It's a 16" x 20" canvas, and I think I channeled me some of the lovely Traci Bautista in this one.

Traci uses a graffiti style of painting that is free-form , intuitive, and filled with energy.  This was quick and fun using colors that I love.  I just have to say I can't get enough of DRIPPING!  I loveit, loveit, loveit! I'll do another post on how to do this, just in case you've never tried this.

This painting is a loving, happy way to remind me of how I want to live my life.

It makes me SWOON when I see it.

I makes me want to PRACTICE.

Do you have a word for the year? I'd love to hear what it is!

Black-eyed Peas and Mermies!

Some Black-eyed Peas for Good Luck! I make a recipe called Hoppin' John. A combo of sausage (I used veggie), onions, the black-eyed peas, and rice. Add a few jiggers of hot sauce to individual bowls. The tradition is to add a shiny penny to the pot, and whoever ends up with the lucky penny is sure to have some super-duper good luck through the year! It was Leila who got it, after 3 servings! Then, today she tells me that she really didn't like it, but she ate it because she wanted that penny!  Hmmm, maybe I should plant a penny in some brussel sprouts!

These are a couple of cuties I worked on yesterday. I only had about an hour to spare and was in one of those moods where I didn't think I'd get too much done...was I wrong or what?  I just LOVE them!  Thinking of some words to add to them....

And I still haven't thought of my word of the year....have you?