January Beginnings

As I told you in the last post , I have been very busy planning and structuring 

out 2015 for the last few months. 

Every few months I truly do need do assess where I am spending most of my time /vs. where my time is needed most .

 Lots and Lots of time on emails with you all (very needed and most important)  , and classroom work, editing, uploading ,photographing , posting etc. Packing , shipping , paperwork , and most of all practicing the will power to step away from the computer once the work is done, so that something else can get done like creating :)

A handmade journal I made for my Mother in Law for Christmas. Ssh it is late!

I am like anyone else that gets completely overwhelmed with social  media ,and will sit there in a stuper of a million photos and never create another thing again.

 I even think I may be hyper sensitive to it. If am I creating under deadlines or in a creating mode (for shows workshops articles etc ) I can pretty much only answer emails, and maybe post some updates. I cannot go on the internet, as it will almost block me creatively. 

I have to  just be in my own head. 

I added some Peerless water color tags I had made inside the journal

  

PInterest- (mind numbing addiction there should be a 12 step program for, and I would be the first to sign up, "addict #1") 

Instagram -( haven't got the complete hang of it yet , but the fact that updates buzz through on my phone can't be good or healthy for me)

Facebook (won't go near it for fear my eyes would never leave a digital screen again, and I would abandon all real human contact . Accept for the fan page because its kind of like a blog, well kind of ...)

Flickr  ( my first social media sharing experience, might be obsolete but you can't give up your first love) 

You Tube ( I have had to be physically drug away, no really  ) 

Twitter (thank God I have never been on it, I would probably still be there and  not be able to talk to you now) 

journal has lots of decorative papers (prints of some of my backround paintings )and pockets 

With all of that said , it is also a completely magical thing !!!

That we are able to  share  , and see , experience, and enjoy  ART like we have not ever been able to in the past !

I myself just require balance ,

 and like a small child of 6  or 7, 

I have to set strict  times, and time limits on myself 

when I can enjoy this wonderful social media world . 

and lots of stitching both machine and by hand which was a lot of fun!

I saw a lot of great stuff from the  "100 faces challenge" or "project" late last year , I am not positive where it began , but I think it might be artist  Sharon Tomilson as she has a facebook group for it. I do not have a regular facebook ,for reasons explained above. But, I noticed some posts  on Instagram , and flickr as well. So I can join in too! 

I hadn't drawn for over 2 months as I had been working ALOT on the metal workshops, so here is a great exercise to practice with. If I don't draw, and or paint at least  a little bit ,even if just a few minutes each day , I can loose my rhythm very quickly and it takes quite a while to get it back. And, then frustration can creep in . So , I had to set rules for myself. 

1. work through it and then call it done! 

I can easily re work this first painting 100 times and I would never get from face 1 to 100 . They would all be this  same face reworked 100 times! Even if I am not happy with it , it is face #1. Reagan is very good about keeping me in line on this . If she sees me rework the painting she will call me out as cheating LOL. 

                                                 

Face #2 in my Moleskine

2. Beginning is the most important part of the work!

If you have fear of a blank page, make a mark on each one with some fun paint splatter etc. so it is no longer white, baron ,  and empty.

face #3 (my version of Tinkerbell for Reagan in my Moleskine)

3. Begin your journey by starting where you are .

Out of practice? Never done it before? Dabbler?

The only way to get better is to begin where you are at this very moment. 

Nobody in the history of the world sat down with a piece of paper and drew like Da Vinci ...

not even Da Vinci :)))

Journal page in my Moleskine

There will be an all new "Wax on Wednesdays !" this week !

This week's theme is photo collage.

Video will be up on Wednesday and I will share materials I used here on the blog with you :)

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Blessings,