A Tale of Two Art Retreats Part 1

Over the next few posts I am going to write about two Art Retreats I attended between the period of July 21st to July 31st. It was a glorious time experiencing two very different venues and yet the same.  Two very different styles of art and yet the same.  Just a wonderful experience.

On Wednesday I will write about my time on Bainbridge Island in Washington State.  The theme of the retreat was Integrative portraits with Katie and Orly.  On Friday I will write about the Maryland Art Weekend held in Linthicum, Maryland outside of Baltimore.  Sunday will be a comparison of the two.  Will they be different or the same?

Both events stretched me and made me want more.

Today I am going to post art from the past, Wednesday and Friday I will post art from each retreat.  Life is something to be cherished and each day is to be treated as a new canvas waiting for the very first mark or swash of paint.

Post card painted for a Sketchbook project

Painting of black and white photo from Lisa Bebi's class at Art Fest

Portrait drawn in Doodle love book

Portrait inspired by a painting done by Mystele Kirkeeng

Posting these photos are more for me than anyone else.  To see progression is comforting.

Check back Wednesday to hear about great times on the beautiful Bainbridge Island.

Who is to Define What is Safe?

Hello dear readers, it has been a while; but I promise to do better.  I have been running a few ideas in my head based on some suggestions from friends and I think I will start to work on them soon.  However, the topic of this post is needless advice/criticism.

I participate in a lot of challenges throughout the year aimed at building confidence and stretching myself.  During the month of July there is the #worldwatercolormonth-july2016.  The paintings below are days 1-5.  I decided to try this challenge because I wanted to practice painting with watercolors.  It is fun and yet takes a lot of practice.  I got the really groovy idea to work through one my books on watercolor and make greeting cards instead of painting on a canvas.  These cards will be mailed on Monday as part of project to send encouragement to those in need of a good word.

Now you may ask what got my knickers in a not?  Someone posted in the Facebook group for the watercolor challenge that people should be brave and paint harder subjects and stop painting safe.  Well, what defines safe; and who is the one to define it?  It takes a lot of courage to post your work among strangers, even if it is a dot on a page.  The act of painting and then sharing is major; at least it is to me.  Plus, this not a class, it is a fun challenge for artists at all levels.

There was a time a statement like that would send me into hiding for months (and it was not even personally directed at me).  It is just the fact that as my daughter likes to say (and she is so right), we never know a person's backstory.  What seems safe to one person could be a major challenge for someone else.  

Each one of the cards below have things that could have been done better; backgrounds could be blended better; position on page could be in better proportion, etc.  However, the fact that I did it means so much to me.  And if have adopted the following attitude; I am doing the best I know how at this given moment and I am very proud of that.

I am so proud of all my art friends and always make sure to say an encouraging word.  Why, because they may need that word on that day.  

Watercolor Flower in Pot

Flower with Blue Background

Cute Little Birdie

Simplicity

Building Doodle on Watercolor Background

So dear readers be careful.  If you are an artist of any type; writer, chef, painter, jewelry maker, etc, think what you would want to hear and then act accordingly.  Don't tell a person on Youtube they have a terrible voice or talk to much...if you do not like it, just don't watch.  Everything we do is not going to be perfect (personally, I think perfect is overrated).  Yet, and this is very important, we tried and that is taking a risk; that is not playing it safe.

Ok, I am off of my soapbox now.  The smoke has cleared and on to another day of painting.

Until next time.....Pilgrim

2016 - Year of Rebirth

Photo taken in Alhambra, CA

I was just watching a video on art Heals hosted by Heidi Easley, it is a free series that is really good.  Today Lucy Chen was interviewed and what she had to say was phenomenal.  I am going to listen to her interview again.

She said that 2016 is a year of rebirth and that resonated with me. I realized that at the end of June, the first half of this year will be complete.  The thought occurred to me that I still have time to continue on my journey toward discovering who I really am.  But, I need to get busy and get back on program with purging "things" that clutter my space.  I need to set up my easel and commit to painting on that 30x30 canvas.

Art does heal and I have been trying to wrap my head around how I translate my feelings to the art journal or canvas.  I have kept so many deeply hidden, that I do not necessarily want to talk about, but need to be releases, so my goal for the rest of this year is to learn how to use art as a means of self expression, not a regurgitation of art class lessons.  Hmmm, this could prove to be really interesting.

See you soon, pilgrim.

Secret Sisters are so Very Special Journal

Today's post is about a very special project in which I was a very willing participant.  It was a Secret Sister Art Swap.  I like these swaps because you get some really great items.  This time was out of the norm really.  When I received my secret sister's name, Paula, I studied her wish list very carefully.  I wanted to make sure that I understood her likes and got items that would fit her life and style.  Many of the items I sent I already had on hand, but there were some items that I purchased because they would make the adventure of opening the box really delicious.

I have been blessed to visit Paris and have a lot if Parisian ephemera that I was glad to share with my "sister".  Last year one of my very best friends gifted me with a year's worth of french ephemera.  Every month I received a letter with the best french items.  I shared one of the month's with my sister; but the best item I purchased was the Pug Mandala coloring book....Oh that book was a real hoot.

Today I received a box and knew it was from the person assigned to be my Secret Sister.  Well I was blown away when I realized that my Secret Sister was Paula......This was just a coincidence (remember there are no coincidences)  more to the point it was a God Wink.  Below are a few pictures I took of the items I received.....It has a Paris theme, but more important it was actually art created by my sister.  A journal that I need to complete, Gelli plate Crusty bits, Napkins which I absolutely love to use as an under layer in my art.  One of the napkins is an Owl Motif and Owl is my totem animal.  I am so verklempted and overjoyed.  When I took the photos I started to crop and eliminate the background "noise", but I realized that I am an artist and that is how my artist table looks, full of brushes, paper, paints; all tools of the trade.  So my new finds fit in perfectly.

Beautiful bag that I am going to use for my Real Brush markers, soap from Lush and special eraser

Journal created and painted by my sister

yummy page for me to create on

Another Yummy Page  have to future out what to do

Owl Napkin...I am in love

Gelli Print - Crusty Bits technique using Paula's Stencil girl stencil,,,super in love

Portrait drawn by Paula to paint and add to journal page.

Swaps are so much fun.  I love the opportunity to participate in  them.  Thank you to Paula, my secret sister for making my day.  I will cherish all of my "goodies" and try my best to enjoy the creative process working in the journals, coloring books and everything else.

Dear readers, if you have an opportunity to participate in a swap, please do so.  You will have so much fun.

Until next time......Pilgrim


Comments are always appreciated.  Thanks for stopping by,

Where Has the time Gone??????

Painting done in Mystele Kirkeeng's class during An Artful Journey Retreat

The painting above almost did not happen.  I have a love/hate relationship with painting faces and went into class with a resolve NOT to paint a face on Sunday morning.  A classmate relayed a statement from another teacher about overcoming fear by just doing it.  So I dove in.  I used a painting I purchased from Mystele as a guide (more about using guides in another post) and got busy. I have a lot of work to do to get more comfortable with the process ( even on this painting), but I am so glad that I am once again trying to paint faces.

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The post on Happiness below was shared by Renaissance Unity Church of Warren Michigan.

I love, love, love Don Miguel Ruiz and his writings.

Happiness

Our life is so short that every time I see my children, I enjoy them as much as I can. Whenever I can, I enjoy my beloved, my family, my friends, my apprentices. But mainly I enjoy myself, because I am with myself all the time. Why should I spend my precious time with myself judging myself, rejecting myself, creating guilt and shame? Why should I push myself to be angry or jealous? If I don’t feel good emotionally, I find out what is causing it and I fix it. Then I can recover my happiness and keep going with my story.
~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Today's Affirmation

Adversity provides me with a chance to grow.

Today's Meditation

Dear God,

Life is fragile and oh so temporary.
I commit myself to enjoy who I am; to enjoy my own company, to be ever grateful for who I am - a vehicle for you to express through.
As I remind myself that it is You who has made me,
I feel a surge of respect and gratitude. 

Help me, God to remember that I am important to You and to all of life.
Help me to see in my loved ones and friends, Your goodness so I treat everyone with the uttermost respect, knowing that life is fragile and none of us knows who may be next in line to exit the body form.
As I celebrate myself and all others, I rest assured that my mind and heart are one with You.
Amen

Hello Dear friends and readers.  It has been a while. Where did the time go?  We are entering the 3rd month of 2016 and time seems to have just flown by.  I went to a wonderful Art retreat over the past weekend,  It was number 2 of the retreats I have planned for this year.  I received a lot of food for thought and creative action that I will reveal in later blogs.

In July I will be celebrating my 10 year Blogaversary. Now that is a real hoot.  10 years people.....What will I do to celebrate?  Hmmmm.......only time will tell.

Well that is all for today, but I will be back soon.

Follow your dreams dear readers, follow your dreams.  pilgrim.

Week 4 and Final Days of the 30 day on same canvas challenge

The start of the final days of the 30 days painting on the same canvas are so exciting.  To work with no direct purpose or goal is very freeing.  The make drastic changes is really out of this world.  I know that when I covered Day 24's painting with black Gesso many of my supporters cried Nooooooo!  To tell the truth, I loved that painting and did not want to cover it up, but, the purpose of this exercise as I have said many times was to embrace change and not become married to any one thing. I found that all of the bumps and texture of previous layers pushed through making this a most juicy canvas.

Day 25
Start of the final week with Black Gesso

Day 26
Adding color to the canvas by means of a grid

Day 27
Marks and secret language

Day 28
Adding stencil marks and color

Day 29
Added a little more color and marks

Day 30
Finished painting Varnished and signed

Well, the project is done.....how do I feel?  A little sad because I loved the process and yet very happy and proud because I accomplished it and have a hangable painting. Am looking at as I write this post because it represents a breakthrough for me.  I actually completed an abstract painting.  This is not part of a class, a prompt or anything else.  I have pictures of paintings that I can go back and use as inspiration for future paintings and that is so exciting to me.

What did I learn from these 30 days?

1. I love painting without a plan
2. I can make changes freely
3. life is about changes
4. life is about trial and error
5. always sign you work, commit to it, it is you
6. just have fun

I think this will be an annual process, so I will mark my calendar for Oct. 16, 2016, tuck a way a canvas (much bigger than this year's), and just have fun,

Thanks for following me on this journey.  Thank you to Judy Wise for inspiring this wonderful process.

Until next time, be happy.....pilgrim

Week 3 of 30 days of painting the same canvas

The third week is here and it is hard to believe.  I have actually been painting on the same canvas since Oct. 14th.  The 30 days will actually end on Oct. 13th my brother's 65th birthday.  He died of congestive heart failure 10 years ago and I think of hime often.  So it seems so perfect to honor his day in this manner.

As I work through week three I have had some profound thoughts, at least for me anyway.  I often observe the techniques of other painters, the softness of colors; the ability to make portraits so lifelike and want to be like them.  It can really be frustrating to try and achieve the effect of another.  It occurred to me that what I need to do is perfect my own style, embrace my palette and enjoy my process.  That takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders.  

I am learning a lot during this 30 day process, not just about painting but about myself.

Day 15
Gesso and Dylusions spray inks

Day 16
Golden Acrylics, Stencilgirl club stencil, black and blue stabilo pencils

Day 17
Golden Acrylics, white and turquoise craft acrylic and black acrylic paint in fine liner

Day 18
Acrylic, gold acrylic

Day 21 More subtle changes

Day 20
Flowers changed, book page added, rubber stamp dragon fly,  acrylic glaze

Day 22
Patti Tolley Parish Stencil added to top, love this stencil

23 and 24
White grease pen added for depth, Hurricane stencil from  Art Anthology

The end of week 3, the number of days is a bit off due to technical error but hey, it is all about being human.  Anyhoo, I thoroughly enjoyed the work this week and know it will be hard to cover it up, but cover it up I must as I continue this quest.

Observations for this week:

• trial and error can be really fun.
• There are times when I need to just play and see where it goes
• I am finally getting really comfortable with not having a solid plan
• a canvas can hold up to a lot of abuse and changes
• this has affected my view on life

Week 4 is the last week for this current challenge,

Week 2 of 30 day Painting on the Same Canvas

My thoughts for this week:

Entering the second week of the challenge with a complete paint over.  I love Black gesso and it occurred to me that I could paint over everything from week 1 with Black gesso and then see what happened during the following seven days.  This could be brilliant or a disaster, but it is only paint and can be covered over.  I am trying to embrace abstract painting and it is a challenge.  I was thinking about it this morning and abstract painting reminds me of algebra (which gave me loads of problems).  I am an accounting type of person, so my natural inclination is to paint something concrete; flowers, trees, birds, etc.

Day 8
Black Gesso, Golden Interference Paint, Gold Paint and Golden Fluid Acrylic for drips

Day 9
Acrylic paint, Patti Tolley-Parrish Pod Stencil, Stencil 101 border stencil

Day 10
Added Alcohol Ink splatters to the painting, knocked back with light wash of white
Gesso.

Day 11
Gesso, Acrylic Paints, fine liners

Day 12
Addition of color blocks using Silks Acrylic Glazes

Day 13
Mark Making with black stabilo pencil and black grease pencil,
Stencil girl club flourish stencli

Day 14
More mark making and subtle changes with white gesso

Observations for the week:  This week started out with painting black gesso over the entire canvas.  The colors of last week disappeared but the delicious texture remained.  While the black was start, the introduction of color during the remaining days brought out stunning changes (if I say so myself).

I place the canvas where I can live with it all day, I find that I really enjoy looking at the changes each day, but I am not married to it meaning that I am eager to make changes an see what will happen.

I am still a little tentative in my approach.  I hope that by then end of this challenge I will be less tentative and more go for the gusto.

Week 1 of 30 days of Painting on the Same Canvas

I cannot take credit for this concept.  A wonderful Artist, Judy Wise, introduced this process I believe it was in August of this year (2015).  She worked on a large canvas for 30 days painting on it.  Some days changing the entire canvas and some days just making changes to various portions of it.

I loved the idea and decided to try it.  My plan is to paint on the same canvas for 30 days from October 14th to Nov. 14th which is my birthday.  I am posting a picture everyday on Facebook.  However, I will be posting a blog post weekly.  I have not decided if it will be a different post or an update to the same post showing the next week's work.  I will have to give that some thought.

Day 1 Oct. 14
Gesso, collage and acrylic paint applied with room key.  Love the effect

Day 2 Oct. 15
Acrylic paint applied by hand, no brushes were used.
Fluid Acrylic was applied in a line and sprayed with water to get drips
I love drips  

Day Oct 16
Covered with layer of Clear Gesso to keep colors true
Used neocolor II water soluble crayons to get deeper colors
Orange acrylic paint with stencil
Seth Apter stencil for work timeless
Sprayed watercolor to get drips and used circle stencil to wipea away color on the blue

Thinking about the artwork that I am doing.  It is not related to a class or the example of someone else, it is all me and that to me is amazing.  It is really intuitive because I do not know what I am going to do when I sit down to work on the canvas.

Day 4
Gesso and Acrylic Paint
Kept small portions from Day 3

Day 5
Acrylic paint, charcoal and SprayInk

Thoughts about day 5:  I have the canvass where I can see it all day.  I was looking at it and it occurred to me that I should turn it sideways and get another perspective.  Had thought about using circles today and I wanted give them depth.  Tried my hand at the charcoal and smoothed it with my finger, it gave the coolest shadow.  I have to remind myself that this canvas will change in someway tomorrow so do not get too attached.

Day 6
Acrylic, Pebeo Dyna Flow Acrylic, molding paste and stancil girl stencils

Still working on the side but I wanted to add some texture with Molding paste.  I wanted the circles to stay for a while so I added the texture inside of them.  I liked the effect.

Day 7

Background paint Acrylic, destress stain painted on the molding past images and sprayed with water
circles used as  border distress stain

Week 1 has come to an end.  Some observations:

1. I really like this process
2. I am painting with out a class, the format, color scheme, everything is all mine and I am so happy with that.
3. cannot wait to see what happens in week 2 although I think, I will spend this second week building on the base of day 8.

Seattle 2015 - Who am I really????

I posted these photo's a couple a weeks ago while I tried to decide what I was gong to write about them and the experience with intuitive painting.  My mind really wasn't in it and I could not figure out why.  In fact I really did not feel like doing a lot.  I had a lot of obligations that I had to keep up with and I kind of walked through them on auto-pilot.  What was the problem?

I finally figured it out.  Two days after I returned from my wonderful trip to Seattle, I had to go for my yearly Mammogram.  This mammogram is very important because it helps to tell if any tumors have surfaced since the last one.  I was completing year 4 of my journey through breast cancer.

My appointment with my Surgical Oncologist was scheduled for Oct. 7th.  So I had to wait two weeks to get the results.  Let me tell you that those two weeks are really nerve-wracking.  I felt good, but then I felt good 4 years ago so that is not a really good barometer.  I did not want to portray a lack of faith, so I pretty much waited quietly praying for positive results, and getting myself spiritually and emotionally prepared if the new was not good.

Oct. 7th finally came and the news was good.  "See you next year" my doctor said as she left the room.  I shed some happy tears, another year clear---moving toward year 5 and all of its implications.

Today, I felt drawn to comment on these paintings

Mountains of the Southwest

Do you see me now

First, I have NEVER named my paintings, but felt called to do so.  Mountains of the Southwest is painted on a 24x24 canvas is a depiction of the Mountains I see everyday.  The mountains surrounding Las Vegas do not have vegetation and yet they are majestic and beautiful.  I have never painted a scene like this before, but, I thoroughly enjoyed this process and want to do it again.

Do You See Me Now is one of those "where did that come" from paintings.  I was having so much fun with this canvas, putting on paint, spritzing with water and letting it drip.  Then I saw a face with haunting eyes,  I put gesso on the area to block out the face and body shape.  I decided to spritz some more and the black drip went onto the face.  ARGGGGH and Oops.!!!!  I wiped the black like off the forehead and added more gesso to the face.  I looked at the black drip on the cheek and it look like a tear drop, it touched me and I decided it had to stay. So I added on more black and dark paint to move the body into the background and let the face be the focal point.  As I think about it, this painting is very personal and shows the impact of the past 4 years.  The part of me I never let people see.  Most of my paints are bright and cheerful. However, there are times when I do not feel bright and cheerful, when I feel vulnerable and afraid, when tears roll down my cheeks.

I am finally beginning to understand releasing your feelings in your work.  When you are not thinking  about it, it happens.  I have this yearning, this feeling that things are about to change, that I will begin to see life through a different lens.  I do not know what this all means, but between October 8, 2015 and Oct. 7th 2016 I plan to find out.

Thanks for visiting and watch this space........pilgrim

Random Thoughts: Learning a new Technique

Hello everyone it has been a while since I posted, but I have been working on some arty things.  I am trying to get into the habit of acting everyday.  No one as to see it, I just have to do it.  I have also been watching some youtube videos and learning how to use some of the products I have.

In the last couple of weeks I saw a few videos on Alcohol Inks and Copic Markers. The videos were by Barbara Joggles of Joggles.com and Diana Trout, an amazing artist and teacher.   I have to tell you I am in Love.  The randomness of the effects is just so yummy.  The posts below are of glossy playing cards, Yupo paper painted with Copic Markers and Yupo Paper painted with Adirondack Alcohol inks.  What is Yupo paper you ask?  It is a synthetic watercolor paper.  It is plastic and as a result, the alcohol ink will bloom when dropped or painted on a shiny substrate.  On the Playing cards I used a combination of drippage and putting ink on a makeup sponge and dabbing on the card.  

This is just the beginning.....I feel like a mad scientist as I will be trying more ways of painting over the next few weeks.  Watch this space.....

Playing Cards

Yupo and Copic alcohol markers

Yupo, alcohol inks and doodle

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep a smile on your face and love in your heart,,pilgrim

Random Thoughts: I Forgive You

My Tears flow like a River

Dear Reader, I rarely if ever write about anything political or religious on my blog or any other social media.  The reason for that is everyone is allowed his or her opinion and I try not to put my thoughts/opinions on anyone and I do not want them to put theirs on me.

However, today I am going to write about being humbled by the happenings of Wednesday, June 17th in Charleston, South Carolina.  Nine African Americans were killed senselessly by a young man who was eaten up by hatred that he probably did not really understand.  You see his statement as he committed murder shows that he did not have a good understanding, "You have raped our women, we want our country back....."(paraphrased).  He was repeating something he had heard said by others.

We have not taken anyone's country, we are not predators roaming the country raising havoc and rapes, we are Americans who have worked just as hard as anyone else to achieve the American Dream.

There are people of all races and ethnicities who have done things (thefts, murders, a myriad of crimes) that no one is proud of.  There are people of all races and ethnicities who struggle to make ends meet,  There are people of all races and ethnicities that are billionaires and there are people of all races and ethnicities who are crying because of this tragedy, trying to make sense of it all.

Last Friday, June 19th during the arraignment of the killer, family members were allowed to make a statement.  There were a couple who did not want to make a statement and that was understandable.  I do not know if I would have been able to say anything; however, the majority stated "I forgive you."  One by one they said "I forgive you and may God give you peace to your soul."  What?????? What did they say???? Forgive, they were willing to forgive?  I immediately thought of Jesus on the Cross when he said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

Yes they were uttering words of forgiveness, and realistically those words started the process of bringing solace to their spirits.  Because if we cannot forgive, we will be eaten alive by anger.  Now does this mean that everything was hunky dory?  No, you see they will have to say "I forgive you" many times for it to permeate their spirit and give them peace; but at least they have started the process and that is most important.

Saying "I forgive you", will not eliminate anger, it will not erase the pain, it will not remove the shock and at times despair.  No, that takes a lot of time.  Saying "I forgive you", starts the process for the family members, the Church, the City and the Country to heal.  Saying "I forgive you", begins to negate the evil done, it pulls people together and it makes all of us think about who it is we need to forgive.

As I said, I do not normally express these types of opinions in social media; but this is my blog and this is something I need to say.  Hopefully, we as a country will begin to heal from all of the evils that plague us and learn that it is time for all of us to work together to make life better for all.

Until next week.....pilgrim.  Who know where my thoughts will lead, the flood gates have been opened.