The Best Is Yet To Come.....Art Everyday Month Day 22

Things I love....I can't help it I've listened to this song about 50 million times and I just love it...actually love the whole album of these rugged southern hippie boys, Kings of Leon :) Listen to it and hopefully you'll be inspired to create! Or dance....or just ride down the road with the music blaring smiling on your way to your destination!

So if you've walked along my road over the last week...you will have seen these pages and canvases evolve....my painted muses really have taken form and they are at the point where I am feeling like they are strong enough to leave alone so I can go on to my next inspiration.

How will I know what that will be?  Did you ever feel alone and wonder if anyone could hear what you are saying?  Did you ever wonder if you were ever going to be able to do better than you've done before?

What if this last one was as good as it gets and you will never be able to top that last big thing?

I was listening to Elizabeth Gilbert's speech on nurturing creativity and the expectation the world places on creative minds who have achieved greatness....and the expectations that we place on ourselves.  Is it realistic?  Are we destined to a life of solitude and crazy moods or  be predisposed to turn to altered states of mind to cope with what was and what might not ever be again.  Go ahead and listen to it.  It gives you another perspective on achieving greatness and nurturing what is in you no matter how good the 'next' is.

When you are feeling alone and aimless....there is someone watching over you and nurturing you even when no one is looking. Or listening.   A muse, a guiding light, a supreme being, a God, a friend, a loved one, a stranger, they are behind you and watching and helping to guide and shape that which is inside of you. I have to admit...even though I by far have not achieved the ultimate success of whatever I do...I have that fear of not being able to come up with another story idea, what if I never sell another painting and the best is already behind me....what if, people laugh at me and what I do??? Silly things but fears nonetheless....if you listen long enough, you can be moved into inaction and the creativity fades away.  Stomp it out and listen to the positive muse inside of you....let  her show you that the best is still yet to come.

Turn on your favorite song.  Listen to the beat, the movement, the voice, the enthusiasm and let everything else happen. Even if your greatest thing  you've ever done happened yesterday, who cares! You will never know if something else better isn't just down the road as you plant the seeds each and every day trying to find it unless you try and move along. .  You have to do it.  You must do it....you must engage in persistence. Determination.  Allow guidance from the world it will show you the light.

Listen.

Baby's Got Some Back.....Grounds :) Art Everyday Month Day 12

 

Let's just say I have a whole bucketload of ATC's on my art table today.  That's in addition to the bucketload of supplies, and tools and tricks of the background creator's trade laying around :)

 Tomorrow I'm doing a demo on making funky backgrounds for your paintings and Artist Trading Cards. I could probably make about 200 cards if I had time there are so many cool things you can do!  I like  LOVE making backgrounds!!!!

 I know, I know...eventually the backgrounds need to turn into paintings but heck, they are there for when the inspiration hits.     Check out the burnt umber rusty background above....That's a part of my citra solve experiments with a paint color wash over top.  FUN>

 Another from the same stash with a phthalo green wash.....Yum :)

Sweet funky flowers....love making these too....

So many possibilities so little time.  We won't even go into the 400 some dollars I spent today on new art supplies and canvases...LOL.   I better get off this computer and get creating to pay for my shopping excursion at the Art of the Carolina's today!

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If you are in the Raleigh area tomorrow, be sure to stop by the Art of the Carolina's at the North Raleigh Hilton.  I have 2 demos scheduled..one I know for sure is at 4:15 in the make and take room hosted by the Carolina Mixed Media Guild, and the other will be a demo/discussion over at the Strathmore booth featuring their new product, Visual Journals.  Not sure on the time for that one though...somewhere between 1:30 and 3:30 :)  I'm just excited to be going and to hang out with so many of my artsy friends!

New beginning --and a GIVEAWAY!

You probably wonder where I've been this last week! Not surprisingly, I've been buried under a pile of boxes. This truck jam packed full times 2 which we started moving last Friday. I didn't have as much help as I thought I would so there was just two of us on Friday doing all the heavy lifting and moving. The excitement of a new beginning kept me going though despite the elbow grease required :)


Here's a pic of my quaint little abode, a 1960's ranch that is as cute as can be. For my first home, it's perfect. Probably the only thing missing that was on my wish list is a wrap around porch, but I do have a deck..lol...so there you go, it's all about compromise and loving what you have and not focusing on what you don't.


Another selling feature was this super sweet woodsy back yard, complete with an out building (with lots of spiders...eeek!). I hope to make this into an outdoor studio one day. It already has a cement floor and good bones to work with. In the Carolina's, summer is brutal so this would have to be more of a Spring and Fall art house but who knows, I'll probably have to fit it with air and heat anyway if I want to keep paint out there and paintings. All I know is that I love it!

The kitchen in disarray, this was about 10:00 pm last Friday night as we were putting up all the stuff after about 12 hours of work. I don't love the plaid wall paper on the back wall.. so that will be changed out but I do have tons of cupboard space so that's a good starting point.

Cozy little living room....I set this up right away so we'd have a place to sit in between all the chaos of moving. I am changing out the wallpaper (wall paper every where!!) eventually and hopefully get a new living room suite. In the course of moving I found my fall decorations so I put those out the first night, too. I forgot I even had them to begin with..lol.



And on to my studio....shelves everywhere! YIPPPEE I can FINALLY move all my art junque out of the dining room and set it up so I can not only be inspired, but be efficient at what I do! Previously, I spent more time going through boxes and totes to find what I needed. Talk about frustating!


I'm not even kidding you when I say I had half a truck load alone of art stuff....that is for rizzle!
It's taken me all week to get things out the boxes and on the shelves.

I have most everything un packed and so now it will be just a matter of rearranging here and there, making sure I have my supplies in a way that makes artful sense and then beautifying it with creative goodness as I go along.

Hey, how about a contest--Let's come up with a name for my new studio. Are you in???
What will you win?? A pair of 2 of my heart blocks, 6x6 in the color of your choice and words of your choice.
To enter, just name your suggestion in a comment to me, now through October 10th and the winning suggestion or inspiration for the studio name will get a pair of customized Sweet HeART blocks!


progress....almost ready to create....


Love the fireplace, I just need to get a smaller table so I can make an L shaped work area by my desk and leave the fire place area open. Perhaps put a small reading chair in the other corner not pictured.


Last night I finally started on a new project.....in my new studio, in my new home. :)



Next up...see the finished piece and more about my new painting :0

Thank you for taking this house buying journey with me. I couldn't have done it without the support and guidance of my friends and family! It's been a ride but I'm proud of where I am right now and excited to see where I go next with my new role as a homeowner :)

Don't forget to put your choice in the hat for the giveaway by making a suggestion for my studio name!

Mixed Media Work in Progress!

The bigger the better is my motto lately...lol!

Peeking in on me :)

After almost a month off from really creating much of anything, I'm back in the studio. I needed a break to be honest with you. Preparing for Springfest really burnt me out! BUT, I'm ready to get back at it. I'm working a bunch of things, including a few custom orders as well as putting the final touches on my new class coming up July 15th.

Take a peek!