Blog-a-long day 2 - Hay Fever

Six years ago I went on a life changing adventure.  I moved 2100 hundred miles by myself from Detroit, Michigan to Henderson, Nevada (about 10 miles from the Strip in Las Vegas).  It was a gutsy move I must admit, but one I do not regret.

I was born and raised in Detroit.  In fact I spent the first 57 years of my life there.  It was a good place to grow up.  Museums, the Detroit Zoo, Bell Isle Park in the middle of the City; dynamic shoreline on the river; watching the freighters sail up the River heading to Lake Huron on the trek toward Lake Michigan and Chicago.  My Father worked at Fort Wayne one of the few working Forts at the time.  It had been turned into the Army recruiting station, processing young men going into the armed forces for the state of Michigan.  My dad administered eye and hearing tests to many of my high school friends when they were drafted.

I went to Catholic school for 12 years.  My mother, ever the protective Momma Bear, ensured that her children went to private school and had the best education she could afford.

I raised two children in Detroit, both are college graduates and I am proud of them.  Worked for 33 years at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and like any company it had its good and bad points, but it afforded me a good living and I was able to help my children through college.

There are a lot of trees and grass in Detroit.  We have a myriad of tree lined avenues; streets with beautifully manicured islands; parks in neighborhoods with majestic grass.  In fact many home owners take great pride in having the best manicured lawn on the block.  There are contests to determine who is the best.  It is also very humid in Detroit, well in the mid-west in general (excuse me, have to sneeze).

So how does this all relate to Hay Fever????? I have it, in fact I have a rare form of it.  I do not normally get itchy eyes, no, no, no.  I get a form of bronchitis with a cough that sounds like a mack truck is coming through.  For six years I have not had to suffer with this malady, sure my allergies act up from time to time, but is minor compared to Hay Fever. 

I have been home visiting my daughter for five weeks.  I was fine for the first three weeks and then like a bolt out of the blue----Friday, July 25th, the cough began.  Uh oh, where is my Sudafed?  Could not find it must have let it at home....It was all down hill after that.  Four days of the cough from hell, woke me up and everyone else too.  Felt tired and sluggish, then the sneezing started and runny nose with itchy eyes.  Today, Aug. 2nd, one week after this attack began, I am starting to feel human again.  Still sneezing but the cough has subsided, had a good nights sleep with no wheezing and I actually feel peppy.

I love to come home and visit during the summer because I do not travel to Michigan in the winter.  Did I mention the reason I moved? I DO NOT LIKE SNOW!!!!!  As I said, I love coming home to visit, last year I was home for three weeks and no hay fever.  This year it will be 5 and a half weeks by the time I leave next Wednesday - hay fever attack.  So what does that tell me dear reader?  Either do not stay any longer than 3 weeks OR do not forget my allergy medicine.  In fact I think I am going to buy some before I leave and put it in my room (did I tell you I have my own room at my daughters? Oh Yeah, grandma privileges), that's the ticket. 

Well, I am going to end this post because I feel another sneeze coming on.

Photo Friday

My attempt at Photo Art.  This is a Tomato that was getting old.  I liked the texture and decided to take a picture.

What Does Blogging Mean to Me?

The Lagoon in Venice

 

I woke up this morning thinking about the journey I am about to take.  Participating in a 30 day Blogalong.  It seemed like such a great endeavor and I realized that I will have to put something in this space everyday for 30 days.  Hmmm, what did that mean?  Do I have enough to say? 

The more I thought about it the more I realized that this is another opportunity to make the most of my goal in 2013 to be more creative, to embrace yet another process and learn more about the process and me.

Each day when I rise, I read Scripture and for the past month The Daily Word.  They give me comfort and provide grounding and a serene start to the day.  I also get an inspirational email from Renaissance Unity in Warren, Michigan.  The prayer below was for today and after I prayed it I wondered how can I reach our to everyone through my art?  How can my life be a river, providing sustenance, peace, life to everyone I encounter on a daily basis.  How can my art, both through writing and painting or drawing, be a catalyst in that effort?

I plan to explore these questions during my 30 days of blogging.  In this way blogging will mean, at least to me, a way of working out questions I have about my life and it's purpose.

Dear God,

Whisper to me of Your great love for all beings and help me
spread that love everywhere on my journey.
Remind me to reach out to everyone and draw in the lonely.
May my life be more like a river and less like a reservoir.
So it is.
Amen
I invite you, dear reader, to come along for the journey and see if I really do find some answers. If something touches you or you have a question, feel free to leave a comment.

See you on the journey, Pilgrim

ICAD Summer 2013

Pictures of the Index cards I created from June 1st to July 31st. ICAD 2013 was created and curated by Tammy Garica of Daily Yellow.  Tammy has many projects for the creative spirit.  It was wonderful to be part of a group of really artistic ladies.  Each week we were given prompts to use to inspire the daily card.  You had the choice to use the card or make up your own.  My cards are a combination of the prompts and things that just popped into my head.  Please visit Tammy's blog/website www.daisyyellowart.com.

I am truly inspired by the kindness and encouragement I received from many members of the group. I know that I will participate again next year (Lord willing). 

Dear Reader, if you have the opportunity, sit down and think about something you have dreamed about doing and for what ever reason put it to the side.  Pick it up and try it.  Enjoy the process of learning, enjoy the process of making crap as you move on to something you really like.  Allow yourself to just plain old have fun.  You will not regret it.

Inner peace

Inner peace, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

I am posting this today because I like it a lot. This is another lesson in using what you have. The painting is related to week 31 of lifebook 2013. Jeanette House was the teacher and she presented three wonderful videos.

I have to tell the truth because I was herring tired of doing faces. Not because they are not fun, but because I was committing a cardinal sin----comparing my work with others. I look at many portraits and they look so life like, in my eyes mine don't. So I have an inner struggle before I draw one.

This project kept calling me so I decided to use one of my journals to give it a try. Lo and behold, I fell in love with the finished product. Now I cannot wait to get home and really work the portrait. It will be so much fun, but in the mean time, I am happy that I tried.

Random thoughts tuesday

My beautiful grandchildren Lauren and Kellen.  It has been so fun spending this time with them.

Today's thoughts are truly random.  So much has been going through my mind lately, from how we should treat ourselves and others, friends who are ill and anniversaries of those who have died that meant a lot to me.  In fact last Thursday I spend the day quietly in honor of friends who are on the journey of cancer treatment.

When I woke up today I decided to spend the day in relative quiet and peace for two friends that I just found out need to have surgery later this month.  People are going through so many trials and they just need a hug, or a prayer or both.

ICAD:  later this week I will post some pictures related to the 61 day Index Card Art Project that will end on July 31st, tomorrow.  It was a lot of fun to do and allowed me to work on a small art project daily.  I find that it has improved my technique.

DOODLE CAMP:  doodle camp is over but I am on day 19 of the 24 days of concentrating on one concept, drawing something everyday.  I chose doodles and zentangles and it has been very revealing.  My plan has been to interpret and existing zentangle on one day and the next make up my own.  Will post picture next week.

LIFE BOOK 2013:  I have not done anything for this project while in Michigan, but will play catch up when I get home.  I am really excited to get started again and my main goal is to complete the Mitzi B project.  When I left home I did not like it at all, but I was looking at it from a very negative space.  After watching the Jeannette House video yesterday, my perspective has changed and I will look at it with fresh eyes.

You know sometimes you just do not have anything really profound to say.  Life just moves on at it's own pace and basically you go along for the ride.  At least that is how I feel today.  It is coming up on the 7th Anniversary of my Mom's death and I just realized that the last time I heard her voice was August 2nd, 2006.  She has a bad cold/cough and was very busy with meetings that week.  I remember I finished the conversation with Love You Mom, and I am so glad that I did.

Well dear reader, that is about it for this week. Time to finish my art projects for today and work on my knitting homework for Stitches Midwest.  Take care and be blessed.

Photo Friday - Market Day in Orvieto

Random Thought Tuesday - Stretching Myself

Pink Flower

Last September I painted this picture as part of the Art Retreat class I took in Orvieto, Italy.  I had one of the most patient teachers in the world, TracieLynn Huskamp.  She was so encouraging as I stretched myself beyond belief.  To say I was a nervous wreck is putting it mildly. 

First we went on a photo shoot throughout Orvieto, I was drawn to the flowers in the flower shop, they were fantastic.  Then we picked out the photos that we liked and they were printed so we could race them on muslin and then paint them.  When I first painted the picture above I absolutely hated.  I could not get the shading right.  Infact, I just could not comprehend the concept of shading at all.  Internally I wanted to quit, but I just couldn't.  I had to stretch beyond my comfort zone.

I look at the painting now and cannot believe I actually did it.  I am so happy that I did not give up, that I listened to Tracie and embraced the work.  I have grown so much in the past year.  I have continued to take classes and try new things.  I am stretching in ways I cannot imagine.

I have made books with multiple signatures, I have finally learned how to draw zentangles.  Faces, forget about it......I am getting more comfortable with each portrait.

Face Drawn for Radical Wellness Class

 

What does stretching yourself mean?  For me it means attempting to do things that either I have never done before or have been afraid to attempt.  Over the past couple of days, I have given this a lot of thought.  A friend named Monica encouraged me to just be me.  Spend time doing what I love to do, not as a job or work, but as a time to give peace to myself and just be.  It really feels good to take her advice.  Orly Avineri, one of my favorite painters and bloggers gave this concept in the last class I had with her:  :Create, do not Produce."  These words mean so much.  Creativity should not be a production line, rather, for me it must be a time of discovery, allowing myself to be imperfect and love it.

 

Stretching myself has given me peace and joy.  When was the last time you stretched yourself dear reader?  Tell me about it.



Photo Friday -

Today starts a new series, Photo Friday.  I have taken a lot of photos throughout the years and for the most part they just sit on my camera or computer.  Photo Friday gives me an opportunity so share some of them.  No words other than a basic theme.  Just sit and enjoy.

Flowers of San Lodovico in Orvieto, Italy

Random Thoughts.....Using What You Have

I read a post this morning by Danny Gregory (http://dannygregory.wordpress.com/author/dannygregory/.  You should go and read it, it is very good.

This post started my mind churning, thinking about what I have been doing lately.  I am currently in Michigan visiting family.  I packed a limited amount of art supplies for the trip.  If an outsider were to look at my "stash" it would seem like I brought the house with me, but it is really just a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  I participated in Doodle Camp from July 8th to the 12th and found that with imagination and letting go you can make do with what you have.  You can also learn to use those items more creatively.  I am now really comfortable with using a watercolor brush.  This really neat tool is great for traveling, you fill the barrel with water and paint away with your watercolors.  I have used Tombow watercolor markers for years but never to their full potential.  The colors are so rich when scribbled on watercolor paper and activated with a watercolor brush.

I cut squares of freezer paper and used them as a really inexpensive and easy to carry palette (saw this idea on pinterest).  I took my water soluble crayons and colored on the palette and then activated it with water from a mini spray bottle.  whoo boy the colors are so vibrant and I solved the problem of writing over the painted area.  You see  these crayons are waxy and when you color directly to your paper and then wet them, they leave a waxy film.  If you want to write over it, your options can be limited.  BUT......if you rub them on the palette paper and then activate, the act just like any other watercolor and can be written on with anything.  Of course a lot of people probably know about this, but it is news to me and what makes it more pleasing is that I was willing to experiment and try something new.

One other aspect of my art that I have found interesting is the color palette I have developed.  I find that I am liking vibrant colors, reds, oranges, turquoise are so yummy.  It is so fun to paint backgrounds for future work and these colors as a base just sing to me.  Plus that is pretty much what I have with me in various shades and hues. 

Since January of this year, I have been really exploring my creativity and Using what you have has been buzzing in my head for quite some time.  But it was more of a "suggestion" rather than a must do for me.

Now "Use what you have" has taken on a whole new meaning.  I will be taking a class Mastering Twinkling H2O 101 when I return home in August.  I purchased some Twinks, but I have some paints in pots called Angel wings (this may not be absolutely right because I can never remember off the top of my head).  They are little cakes of shimmering paints similar to twinks, so I figured I would use them as well as the Twinkling H2O's.  Colors are just as vibrant and they have the same shimmering quality.  We shall see how it works.

Using what I have has been a learning experience and it makes so much sense.  Why make life harder than it has to be?  Well those are my random thoughts for today..

Peace to you dear reader, thanks for stopping by.

Faces

Faces, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

I am learning how to doodle. I know it should come naturally and anyone can do it. While this is true, I find it hard to just sit and doodle and then not compare my doodles to others. I participated in an online Doodle Camp last week hosted by Dawn Devries Sokol. Let me tell you that it was so much fun.

The photo here is part of that class. We had to draw a random series of wavy lines and then find areas where we could draw faces. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and the camp. It lasted 5 days and we had assignments each day. I find that I am still working on them tweaking color, adding more doodles and just plain old enjoying myself.

I made the book that I used for the camp. Making a book was a part of the process and some really great books were designed by my fellow campers. I do hope that we have camp next year. It was a really inexpensive treat.

Art Has Become a Major Part of My Life

Art has become a major part of my life.  I find that things I did not know exist are coming forth and it is so interesting.  I started the process wanting to develop backgrounds for my greeting cards and the entire journey has taken on a life of its own.  Which is so amazing to me.  I love to try and see what I can do.  I love the colors and the mixtures as they appear on the page.  I love the words, the symbols, everything about it.

The one thing I need to learn is how to relax and let go of expectations.  Just let the emotions and feelings flow.  That will be my goal for the last six months of the year.  To paint without a prescribed agenda, just let it flow and see where it goes.  As Donna Downey says on Inspiration Wednesday, I do not have any idea what I am going to do, so we will just have to see.

So dear reader, I have no idea where the next six months will lead me artistically, we will just have to wait and see.

--Pilgrim

Thoughtful lady

Thoughtful lady, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

Portrait drawn on page in journal I won as part of a blog giveaway. Jessica Sporn created the journal. The portrait started out as a circle painted white and blue. I saw a face in he circle and this is the result.

Be Willing To Be Me

Try to please
 It doesn't work.
Try to appease
To no avail.

All I have is me.

Try to anticipate
And get it wrong.
Try to guess
It takes too long.

All I have is me.

Being strong
To meet someone else's goal
While losing sight
of my real role.

All I have is me.

Yes, all I have is me
Who is enough
Me....
Who knows
Me, just me.

I have to
No, I must be,
Willing to listen
Think
Understand
And then...
Be willing to do me

Because all I have is me.

Landscape

Landscape, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

Painting done during art demonstration at Desert Art Supply in Henderson, NV

Inspirational Quote swap cards

Inspirational Quote swap cards, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

The above picture represents a group of inspiration cards I received as a part of the Inspiration Card Swap in March of this year.  It was a lot of fun.  A new swap has started and I will be working on new cards and posting them here during the month of July.  Stay tuned.

The eyes tell the story

The eyes tell the story, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

Week 24 of Lifebook 2013 - As I write this entry, my eye is staring back at me.  The eye that I drew and painted for the emotions theme for week 24 of Lifebook.  We were instructed to take a picture of our eyes and then paint a portrait.  It took me a while to get up the nerve to do this one.  I had given encouragement to a fellow lifebooker who was having a problem getting started.  Quietly, I was having  a problem also.  I took the photo(it really felt strange to take a photo of me)  and realized that my eyes were quite a bit smaller than most of the eyes that had been painted by fellow classmates.  Oh horror of horrors, small and almond in shape, what was I going to do.  You see I first had to trace your eye on transparent paper and then collage paper that would be painted over.  Could I have enlarged my eye?  Probably, but then it would not have been the real me, it would have been a "photoshopped" version of me.  So, after a rather interesting conversation with myself I traced the eye, iris and teeny weeny pupil and began to collage with small bits of paper.  It was looking good.  Whew I was on a roll.

My fave part was painting the background (learned another cool technique).  Prepping the page; wet it with water and then lay on a light coating of gesso.  Since the paper was curling, I turned it over and wet the back so that it would lay evenly (think I got this hint from one of my facebook buddies).  Once the page was dry, following Kelly's (our instructor) instruction, I wet the page and then painted my flesh tone.  Since I am a person of color, I used a deeper color flesh tone paint (can you tell I am too lazy to get up and look for the name), and dabbed it with paper towel to create texture.  I love how it came out, I mean love it.  Background textures just sing to me.  Anyhoo, once the page was dry I glued my eye onto the page with Matte Medium and painted the eyeball, Iris and pupil.  To add drama to the eye I used a stencil to add drama and texture in cobalt turquoise and cobalt teal.  I also added shading to give more emphasis to my eye since it was so small.  The shading around the eye lid gave it depth.  The words "The eyes tell the story" are so true for me.  I have been told that people can really tell what I am thinking by looking at my eyes.

I was a little heavy handed making my lines in the Iris, need to practice using a lighter touch, but over all I am really pleased with this painting.

 I have learned so much in the past six months about painting and myself.  My goal for the remainder of the year is to just paint for the heck of it.  It has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks that I need to paint and draw outside of weekly assignments and just see what I can do.  I am going to make a book to take to China, it should be fun to make.  Will post a copy when I am done.

Take care dear reader.  Pilgrim

Letraset flexmarkers

Ltreaset flexmarkers , a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

I also won these markers by posting a comment. I really wanted to win these because they are markers in ethnic skintones. Since I am learning to draw faces, I thought they would be a really great addition to my markers. I really like them, Letraset us a great company with excellent products,

I will post a picture soon

Journal made by Jessica Sporn

Front cover of book, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

I am so blessed. I received this lovely art journal from the talented Jessica Sporn. I normally do not sign up for contests on blogs, but I watched the video of Jessica creating a similar journal and really liked it so I thought I would leave a comment. A fellow facebook artist had to tell me that I should check Jessica's blog because I had won, I was very excited, however the day that I found out was the day of the terrible tornado in Moore, Oklahoma so I did not write about it, The words on the cover "Bloom where you are planed." are a favorite of mine. I was the title of a luncheon hosted at my church in Detroit, Michigan many years ago. It has stayed with me and been a driving force in my life.

I may post pictures of this book at as I work in it, but for now, it is sitting where I can look at it and just enjoy.

Sketching

image, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

Today I decided to start practicing sketching. I want to do some sketching while in China, so I better get started practicing. I have to loosen up, but I like what was done here.