Raising the bar on my creativity - Let me know what you think!

Wonder Prayers

I've been having the best time this cold, cold winter, beading in my sunbeam that comes through the windows of my studio - if the sun is shining; sometimes I get snowflakes and white skies as I watch the birds and squirrels at the bird feeders.

My new work involves even more of what I love, and that is the art of the Golden Age of Illustration. I've discovered cabochons based on this type of artwork, and when I can't find the ones I want, I have learned how to make them -yay!

The pendant above is a detail of a Mucha illustration, and I love his artwork enough to spend 40 hours embellishing it so that it becomes a little piece of wearable art. I call this pendant Wonder Prayers because the beautiful young woman in this detail looks as if she's seen something she thinks is wondrous, so she has her hands together almost in prayer, coming up to her mouth, which she covers in wonder and laughter and excitement - what has she seen? What does she think? She is filled with wonder and enthusiasm (which is defined as "being filled with inspiration or ecstasy arising from supposed possession by a god").

Oh, it's you, wearing her! She loves you, you goddess, you!

Fluffy fringe

As you know, I love color, and this pendant incorporates the colors of the cabochon, greens and turquoise, a bit of red and orange, and lovely creme and bronze. It feels good to run your hands over the fringe, which is why I do it! The bottom beads are Czech dagger beads, made of glass. 

I learned a lot with this cab - having read how other beaders do certain parts, I found that I had better results if I went with my own stitching. The bail (the part that holds the pendant to the necklace) is done with a single thread that weaves through the beads several times for enduring strength. Tomorrow I will make her braided necklace of seed beads in the same colors that I incorporated in the fringe, with a sterling or silver filled fastener.

Wonderprayers (above) will either end up in the Green Drake Gallery or at another spot in town, such as Cafe Lemont, Gift Adventures, or a little place in Boalsburg - am figuring that out.

Little Goddess with her necklace

I've finally been able to finish my Little Goddess's necklace - had to decide what kind of style I wanted. I wanted something that would blend with the piece without detracting from it, and I wanted to avoid the somewhat dated look of a bunch of large beads strung together. The result is a braided seed bead necklace that blends with the pendant, does not detract, and feels comfortable to wear. It has a sterling silver and silver filled clasp that is easy to do up. Little Goddess stays in my personal collection since she's my first bead embroidered pendant and I love her very much.

Mucha springtime cabochon pendant

I have several Mucha cabochons that I'll be embellishing like this one - my Mucha Springtime Cabochon. I love his images of women in all their beauty and I love to celebrate this by embellishing them. This one also has the braided necklace chain with a sterling lobster clasp.

These pendants take between 30 and 40 hours to make. Hours spent listening to soft smooth jazz in Sirius radio or old time movies. Happy hours in my sunbeam overlooking the birds out in the yard. They incorporate thousands of beads, most are sewn through twice, some more than that, and yards of thread, which takes some negotiation not to tangle. 

Fluffy fringe!

As we know, I love fringe, and this Mucha Springtime pendant incorporates a nice bunch of it. It's bordered on the bottom by lovely Czech dagger beads, which give the fringe some weight so it hangs nicely. 

Good tools

These are some of the tools I use as I make the cabochon necklaces. The wooden tube labeled "Shepherdess" holds some of the beading needles I use, and the sterling silver container under the scissors also holds beading needles. That container used to be a 1920s holder for matches that you could strike along the bottom, but I've repurposed it. Also in this tool dish is my fairy thimble which my husband gave to me for Christmas one year. And beeswax for conditioning the thread, and a "sewing picker" for taking out some things sometimes, and of course my glasses so I can see what I'm doing.

Three Gnomes and a Couple of Bears with Treasure

The latest thing I'm working on is a storytelling bracelet - and I'm having a lot of fun with it. This will be a cuff bracelet. The main focal bead is a beautiful picture jasper bead that brings to mind a deep dark cave and a pathway and a bunch of cliffs to the side. So I put with it three little gnomes who live in the cave, and their friends, two bears. The moon (a beautiful coin pearl bead) shines down on them as they walk the paths to their lair, from which spill treasures of pearls. Their pathway is lit by torches along the way. 

The colors in this one are mainly blue grays, cream, tan, and brown. I have some more little gnome beads made in peru and some more gorgeous gemstone cabochon beads so will be doing more gnome cuff bracelets which will end up at the Green Drake Gallery and other places around town.

I will also have some cabochon pieces in my Etsy shop, Dreamkeeper Creations.

Magic waiting to happen

I have some cabochons I'm so excited to work on, and some of them are from Alice in Wonderland - the Queen (above) and the Mad Hatter (below). 

Mad Hatter magic waiting to happen

I've learned from the Wonderlit course I've been taking to mix my loves - fairy tales and beadworking does it for me - let me know what you think!

Signing off for now to go and create some more - ahh sweet creative hours!

Namaste

Jen

Breathing Space - The Secrets of My Studio

Sacred space with new OTT lamp - yay!

I recently spent 12 hours reorganizing my studio, and it feels GOOD. That's after my little swollen sausage fingers recovered from the work of moving out about 200 books (donated for others to enjoy) and making space for essential art tools and information to be at my fingertips. 

I LOVE my studio. 

The photo above shows my drafting table, which we got at Salvage, the place where Penn State sends its castoffs, and this table is one of the best things I've ever purchased there ($60, and it's where I spend the majority of my time every day, great investment!). It's very high, so I can sit or stand, which is good for variety in positioning while working. 

When we got the table, it had a Borco vinyl cover on it which we had to scrape off (no small feat), and Rob, my sweet husband, did a wonderful job refinishing the beautiful wood top. I love to work on it. It has all sorts of nicks and dents and stains in it after a few years of me tapping my watercolor tubes down on it to get them open, hammering nails in wherever I need them to secure a beading project, using glue, which sometimes I can peel off and sometimes I can't, and all manner of permanent ink or painting abuse. 

SPACE!

I know the photo above doesn't look like much, but it's one of the things that makes me feel sooo good about the reorganization. It's space! This area is just behind my little couch, and while I was working full-time, I didn't have much time to organize so it got overloaded with piles and piles of books waiting to be read, which my mother kindly gives me after she's finished with them. She's 80. She reads about 5 books a week. I can't possibly keep up with that. So I spent a bunch of time packing a bunch of them up to donate. Now I can b r e a t h e. I do keep my sewing machine there, which I use to make my crazy dolls and baby pillowcases. 

Active Etsy items at my fingertips, yay!

So when I sorted out all the books I had s p a c e on the shelves to put the things I need - such as the active items in the baskets that I have for sale in Dreamkeeper Creations on Etsy. This is lovely convenient.

Inspiration

These are the books above the shelves closest to my computer working desk area - they inspire me. I have several from the "Idiot" series, such as Idiot's Guide to Zen Living, Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom, and Idiot's Guide to Eastern Philosophy. These are handy. Along with them are some other favorites that have helped me to build a foundation from which to spring. I can't live without books. Love the connection with authors, the smell of the ink, the turn of the page...and learning.

Beading Table

Now we're getting to the good part - the middle of the room holds my beading table. This is where a lot of projects happen. Note the ridiculous lamp - I've struggled with this sucker for several years, but recently have been able to purchase a gorgeous OTT lamp, which I love so much I got another one for this table. The OTT lamp has 37 tiny led bulbs that provide daylight color and brightness which totally wins over the 40 watt bulb I used to have to work with. Now I can actually see what I'm doing!

I love that now the beads are all organized into categories right at my fingertips - shapes, gemstones, glass, African beads, metal, etc. Finding what I need when I need it is now possible, yay! The round bowl holds the tools I use.

Working Books

These are my reference books that I pull out to learn a new technique or get inspired. I love having them all together and accessible. I've read them each several times and they're my go-tos when I want to do something I haven't done before. 

Sacred Territory

This is one of the best parts of my studio. It's right to the left of my drafting table and holds all the tools I use all the time. Pencils for drawing, brushes for painting, markers for art journal doodling, watercolor paints, etc. So great to finally have them all together and at reach. Organizing feels good!

Earth Treasures

Most artists have a special relationship with the beautiful Earth, and it's not unusual to find in their homes and studios treasures they've collected and I'm no different. My Peruvian baskets contain rocks and sticks collected across North America on hikes in several states, including Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, etc. My favorite most fascinating rock is the square one, which I picked up in Wyoming during a stop on a 40-mile canoe trip - it has lines incised across it and rolls like dice. It's ancient. Probably part of some game played long ago. Also I do love the big rock in front that is full of fossils. I picked that one up on a hike in California. I love the spiral shells captured in it. 

Cosmic Surfer Bracelet Detail

And here is some of the work that I do in this lovely space - the Cosmic Surfer Bracelet is finally finished after two years of on and off working. It will go into the Green Drake Gallery for the adventuresome person to whom it has meaning. Made with love just for you!

All done, YAY!!

This cuff bracelet has a gorgeous soft, durable cognac leather backing and will have a pewter sun toggle clasp. It took about 150 hours and incorporates hundreds of seed beads, and a gorgeous focal cabochon. It's full of crazy color and lots of spirit - the design carries forward the waves of the cab, and the sun (male) is fully shining on the left, but a bit protected (female) on the right. These little white face cabs are carved of bone. It's a statement piece for sure. Feels very good to touch.

New Project - Mucha Springtime Woman

So now that Cosmic Surfer is about finished (toggle clasp going on tomorrow), a new project is already begun - Mucha's beautiful Springtime Woman, which will be a glass pendant with a gorgeous peyote stitched border and some lovely fluffy fringe and a beautiful seed beed necklace. (Please excuse the white semi-circle, that's the 37 led lights from the table lamp). Check back to see the completion of this one, and the new ones to come!

Einstein napping couch

Years ago when I was envisioning what I wanted my studio to be like, I imagined a Persian rug (check, Ebay), a fireplace (check, little gas fireplace), and a leather couch so my husband could spend time with me while I'm working (which is about all the time). Sometimes he sits here with the pups on his lap, and the cat over his shoulder, and sometimes I curl up here to take a nap or sleep at night - I call it pretzel sleeping cause the couch is just loveseat sized and you can't stretch out much unless you put your feet on the ottoman (which is where the pups like to sleep). Everyone should have a nap place in their studio whenever possible. Sometimes you wake up with lots of wonderful new ideas and inspirations just like Einstein : )

Sweet dreams!

Namaste

Jen

Mom's 80th Birthday Party - She Opens Her Special Present XO!

Mom getting ready to make a wish

For Mom's 80th birthday my sister Melinda made the special 1-2-3-4 cake that my Grandmother (Mom's mother) used to make and it turned out perfect. Every bit of it is from scratch, including the delectable from scratch chocolate icing. It has a flavor that you never forget. Not an easy cake to make like my Grandmother did; cooking time really matters for moisture, and texture is everything depending on the recipe, but it's well worth the effort, thanks Mel!! She also put little heart shaped candles on it as well as the number 80 and some more colored ones for good luck - some of the candles made colored flame, which I had never seen before, oh the wonders of this world today : )

I should probably add that Mom wanted a pizza party (she declares she's forever 35 in her mind, and we have TUMS) - so we ordered several pizzas from Facia Luna, where my beloved son Torey worked for a number of years while working through his college degree at Penn State. 

I made the salad - 3 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped, with capers, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, a little roasted red pepper for color, cucumbers, scallions, shaved Italian cheeses, and a light red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. Yum. It was a nice complement to the pizza.

Yep, the tissues were at hand and everyone needed one!

The suspense was killing us as we waited for the right time to give Mom her special present. My sis knew that we'd all cry when Mom got a look at her very personalized commissioned painting, and she had a fresh box of tissues on every table in the living room : )

My favorite photo

My iPhone is an old model and doesn't do much to accommodate indoor evening lighting, so apologies for the photo quality - this is my favorite photo cause both Mom and Melinda have their tissues at hand and are talking about the details in the beautiful painting.

My brother had invited my sis and myself over to his house when the painting arrived and we all sat on the floor with the painting propped up against his couch exclaiming every time we recognized a new detail that was transferred to this beautiful painterly world from Mom's reality. We loved watching as Mom went through these same discoveries.

Wow, Rick Alexander really trumped it with this one!!!!

As a souvenir, we each received a little booklet of images of details in the painting along with some beautiful quotes Rick chose and some description of the details. I asked Mom to sign mine, and the message she wrote is very beautiful and special. She said "Forever my love to my dearest middle child and such a memorable 80th birthday from your all loving Mom. Boy do my three kids ROCK!!!"  : ))))

Mom was enchanted, as we knew she would be, and every time she looks at this beautiful painting she'll remember how very much we love her and how special it has been to celebrate her 80th birthday together.

GOOD TIMES!! Thanks Rick!!

Namaste,
Jen

How to Get Along with a Twelve Tailed Dragon

My Twelve Tailed Dragon

My Twelve Tailed Dragon has been flirting with me for the past few days. I was very surprised to find that he is capable of fierceness, but it's not at all his favorite thing. 

Red and White Striped Soft Boots

His favorite thing is a pair of red and white striped soft boots with bells on the toes that he loves to wear. This was the first indication I had that this drawing was not going to be too predictable - Dragon was gonna tell me what he wants, and it was up to me and my pen and my muse to give it to him. 

He's a very fancy, Grandfatherly Dragon, who knew?

After I drew his striped boots he decided he wanted a golden star hanging from one of his horns - and because it's always a good idea to keep your Dragon happy, that's what he got, along with a selection of bows and gold bangles to decorate his tails. He's very polite, see how he holds his tails under control while his Little Green Faerie Girl helps him pick out which kind of ribbon he likes best?

Litte Green Faerie in her best party dress.

Dragon's Little Green Faerie Girl has made sure to put on her best party dress in preparation for the festivities. She has a selection of ribbon for him to choose from, all color coordinated with her outfit so the other faeries will know they're pals.

Twelve Tailed Dragon Gettin' Dressed Up to Party

At midnight they'll go to the magical clearing in the forest for bonfires and dancing under the stars. He'll probably take her flying over the mountains, through the clouds, next to the moon and stars, too. They'll stay up til dawn to catch the sunrise from a nice hillside, then head back to the cave for some ZZZzzzzzzs. Sweet dreams! 

* * *

A couple of the challenges with this little painting involved figuring out how to include all twelve tails in the Dragon picture. I love how the tail started out as a braid, then exploded like fireworks into his twelve separate tail tips, hence the salt treatment behind his tail tips to help with that expression. 

Another challenge was that Little Green Faerie clearly expressed that she wanted her dress to be pink, red, and orange. I loved the challenge of making these colors work together, how did I do? To make it work without totally clashing (I know, my colors are crazy) I added a little red and yellow to the pink, and a little pink and red to the yellow, and a little yellow and pink to the red. So somehow it looks just the way she wanted it - very colorful like the time before twilight as the sun goes down, right when all faerie parties begin!

This little painting is a result of the suggestion to draw my Twelve Tailed Dragon in the Wonderlit course I'm taking. It's been a pleasure meeting him, and I look forward to drawing some more of his adventures (and meeting some of his friends!).

Til next time....

Namaste
Jen

Happy 80th Birthday to Mom - Best gift EVER

Mom in her happy place

So my mother is turning 80 this year, in just a few days. She's a little nervous about it, but kind of zen and we're all feeling very fortunate that her mind is sharp as a tack and she's still fairly mobile.

We wracked our brains for what might be a good present for her - we wanted it to be something special. Dad's been gone to heaven for several years, and she's moved from the place they lived to our little town, so a big party wouldn't be quite right at this time.

My sister had discovered a verrrrry special artist who does paintings on commission, and his name is Rick Alexander. Rick is magnificently talented and also a very empathic person - able to do paintings on commission that celebrate the lives of very special people. He can paint the things they love, the animals they love, the people they love, and the result is nothing less than absolutely enchanting.

We decided to have a painting done for our mother (my sister, brother, and myself went in together on this very special present).

The result is wonderful. We can't wait til she opens it at her party on Tuesday - we will pass out the tissues beforehand! There won't be a dry eye in the house.

Dad, and us

My brother sent Rick a decent amount of information, such as that my mother associates hummingbirds with my Dad, so in the painting, my Dad is represented by the beautiful hummingbird flying along, yet leading the way, in joy. And each of us siblings got to pick an animal that represents us, my sis is the elephant happily playing with the water, my brother is the dragonfly, able to flit about at will, and I am the lynx, my totem animal for life who leads me through many meditations and teachings.

Some of Mom's favorite things

From the info that my brother sent to Rick, he was able to paint so many of my mother's favorite things, such as the cat named Cricket that she and Dad had and loved so well, and ladybugs, and the camels they loved from when they lived in Arabia for four years - the "blanket" on the camel is actually a reproduction of a bookmark Mom uses all the time, that she keeps on her table by her favorite chair when not in a book. Stargazer lilies were my Dad's favorite flower, and they're in there, as well as the butterfly ginger jar that he bought her when they were young and in so much love, that sits on her fireplace mantle today (no one's allowed to touch it, especially the maids).

I love that the painting shows her in her happy place, surrounded by all the things and people and animals she loves, and when I wrote to Rick to say thank you for your amazing talents, I told him I thought he'd struck up a spiritual connection with her while he was working on this.

What a very special present. We can't wait til she opens it and we know that for years and years to come, whenever any of us looks at it we will know and appreciate the celebration of who she likes to be. Rick also is making each of us a little printed book of details in the painting, so we'll each have a lovely keepsake.

Thank you Rick Alexander, for your beautifully refined talents and for making my Mom's birthday and all the days to come so very, very special!!

I would highly recommend this artist in case you want something really really special for someone you love! He can be reached at r.l.alexander@me.com - keep him in mind....

Here's to our elders, may they enjoy comfort and love and our joy in them each and every day!

Namaste,
Jen

Great Gift for Beach Lovers

Do you have people in your life who make a positive difference? Here's a gift that a friend of mine discovered that is a way to let them know they're special to you.

Starfish Necklace

I am happy to make this necklace for you or a friend or family member who is special to you. Convo me at Dreamkeeper Creations on Etsy if you have an interest. It's based on a story that Loren Eiseley wrote about making a difference in this beautiful world. The version I love the most is this one:

“Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, 
"It made a difference for that one.” 

― Loren Eiseley

Downloaded from https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/56782.Loren_Eiseley 12/20/13

This Christmas one of my favorite customers ordered 5 necklaces for people in her life that she appreciates and she wanted them to know this. So she asked me to do something based on this story. Each person's necklace was unique to them - I asked her what colors they love, and my muse took over from there.

Each necklace includes a sterling silver starfish charm, plus a beautiful focal bead that represents the colors this person loves, plus a lovely fluffy bunch of accent beads, including rice pearls, a potato pearl, and gemstone beads that pull out the colors in the focal bead and enhance the physical energies of the wearer.

This person loves red!

The description my customer gave me of this person was that she loves red and fun, funky jewelry. So I used a gorgeous handmade lampwork lentil bead that suggests the playful movement of water with it's splashy painted design. The accent beads include bamboo coral and agate, rice pearls and the sterling silver starfish charm. 

Golds and coppers

For another friend of hers, who loves gold and copper colors, my muse chose a coppery smooth disk made of shell, and accent beads of agate, hematite, rice pearls, potato pearls and glass, plus the special sterling silver starfish charm.

Blues and Lapis

For another one of her friends she wanted blues, so my muse chose a gorgeous handmade lampwork bead by Grace Ma, and we added Swarovski crystal beads, agate, onyx, and rice pearls as well as a potato pearl.

Warm earth colors

For another friend and colleague who loves warm earth colors, browns, greens, and oranges, we chose a gorgeous agate focal bead, and added agate, hematite, rice pearls, potato pearl, and the starfish charm.

Each recipient will receive a 20" sterling chain that feels like silk when you run it through you fingers, so smooth and flexible, plus a shorter 16" leather necklace with sterling end caps and lobster clasp in case they want to wear their necklaces a bit shorter.

They also get a copy of the story along with the reminder that the gift giver considers them something special - a "starfish tosser" - someone who makes a real difference in this world.

I had such a good time making these necklaces and was charmed at how different each one is, unique to the wearer, but holding the same message: you are special.

I LOVE doing custom creations. Don't hesitate to contact me for ideas you may have. Many good things are born of good minds and hearts working together, and the gift keeps on giving each time the wearer puts it on.

Namaste
Jen

Dance with Destiny - new ink image

Destiny shows me her dance steps

For my Wonderlit course we had an exercise where we had to write "the catalyst" for change.

Michelle said "Let it [the catalyst for change] describe itself--even if you've simply called it "emptiness" or "longing." She said, "Make sure to use strong language, especially verbs."

I perceived that the catalyst for change in The Dragon Slayer is "destiny," because he isn't the one who makes the decision to go slay the Dragon; he's chosen by one of the other noble warriors.

When I reread the first draft I felt that I had taken the suggestion to "use lots of action verbs" too seriously: the dialog below shows how I first imagined Destiny would talk to Dobrynya, the hero, who's been chosen to free the princess and the people of the kingdom from the twelve-tailed Dragon:

"I am Destiny. I am Fate. Hear my call summoning you. You've had enough time to practice, now it's time for the real thing. Get up! Listen! Act! (see my action verbs? ugh) Apply yourself! You have been chosen for this. Now is the right time!! (! do you think I put in enough exclamation points?!) I will give you strength and determination. I will stay with you; haven't I stayed with you all these long years? Now is the time to act, for you are very well prepared. Do not fear, but carry on!"

This dialog feels kind of like a kid getting yelled at by their mother. So I slept on it, and when I woke up I decided to change it. (This is one of the things I like best about writing, that we can change things.) I rewrote how I imagined Destiny would communicate with Dobrynya. (I kind of see everything in life as preparation for what comes next, like a puzzle where at the end all the pieces fit together to make a beautiful tapestry. In the story, Dobrynya has won many battles as a noble warrior, so one thought I had was that Destiny had been there for the ride all the way and she could take a gentler, more encouraging tone with this Dragon battle).

Rewrite:

Destiny is patient, kind, and knowing. She has been riding with me all along. She sees and knows everything, so her eyes are important. She is beautiful, timeless; she wears the colors of the rainbow.

She says, "At last I get to meet you, Dobrynya. We are longtime associates. You are one of my favorites. You have a good heart and you are full of love. Come with me as you face the Dragon. Relax into me and let me be your wings. My sister is Fate and she is the culmination of all that you and I do together. We create fate in the journey of our destiny. Fate is legacy. Fate is all that you have done and said. Fate is the reflection of all that you are. Fate is love because you are love, and love always wins. Come with us now more consciously--and use your special gifts. You've earned them. Share them with the people of the kingdom to free them from the Dragon's cave. We are with you."

In another exercise we, as students, imagine ourselves in the protagonist's situation. In doing that I drew the image above that shows me (on the left), quite the ingenue, with offerings of sunflowers for my meeting with Destiny. I'm dressed in soft pink fabric with a golden sash (to represent limitation without the "magical" gifts, but not too restrictive). Destiny has no restrictions. She has more freedom and takes my arm to show me her dance steps (how to develop the magical gifts). She is a world traveler with very few limitations. She has a treasure box full of wonderful magical things for me to explore. She has, by her side, Crow, who represents Cosmic Law.

I think we all have special gifts and talents to use in our lives, and the little stars by my head in the image represent that. We can reach out and grab one if we want, and in the image Destiny helps "me" do that.

I still need to draw her sister Fate, which I'm contemplating. Am not sure if she'll appear in this picture (probably) or in another (probably). Anyway, the work is totally fun, not so much work as play, and the journey is interesting. I think the artwork is coalescing - which is part of what I'm looking for in this course. I am getting better able to convey feelings that may be common to others, and in that way, maybe can share a little comaraderie.

I will paint this after I finish drawing it. Should be beautiful--wish me good luck!

Namaste,
Jen

New Learning - Wonderlit Rocks!

Story Map

Well I'm about 6 weeks into retirement and pursuing some of the things my new "boss" encouraged me to pursue in order to create new foundations and directions (similar to what I did when I started my job as an instructional designer - learning is a great way to "resituate").

I'm about halfway through the Wonderlit course, and it is sooo much fun - multifaceted, and the learning is applicable to where the student has been, where the student is now, and where the student intends to go. It's very interesting from the instructional design point of view to experience how the course author pegged so many of the things that students are demanding these days, such as very personalized learning, total engagement, options (no single answer is the only right answer), applicability, depth, etc.

The image above is from an exercise that included a lot of thinking and application of course concepts; it is a drawing depicting the passage of the protagonist in a fairy tale of our choosing. I chose The Dragon Slayer from Fairy Tales of Russia, an old, old book that my parents used to read to me when I was very young. The illustrations in this story are so beautiful; they're what first sparked my love of art.

I love this image of Dobrynya fighting the twelve-tailed Dragon from the book Fairy Tales of Russia.

One of the course author, Michelle Tocher's beliefs is that fairy tales have much to teach us, and students often tend to focus on the ones that most directly reflect our life path or current circumstances when we begin to really study a storyline.

She teaches us about Joseph Campbell and his work with mythology and religion. Michelle herself has a strong background in the history of science and religion as well as journalism, communications, and storytelling (nice combination of skillsets!). In her course, we learn how to immerse ourselves in the story, really studying the story from many different viewpoints (including the characters themselves, whether human or inanimate, including magical forces), and we learn how to associate the archetypal lessons with some of life's real-life lessons and events.

My Story Map

When we apply the same storymapping technique to the events in our real world lives, it can be very interesting as well as confirming. My little map depicts the beginning of my real-life story at the point where I was a single mom with two beautiful children to raise on my own. I traveled from the mountains of Colorado to the town where my sister lived, where there happened to be a wonderful university, the largest employer of that little town. I worked there for 16 years while raising my kids, but at the point where they left home to go out into the world and spread their own wings, I filled the void left by their absence with art (of course). I happily worked on it many nights and most weekends into the wee hours, but after about three years of that schedule, I became very tired, and realized I had to choose between the day job and the artwork. It was a hard choice because I was very invested in both, but the art of my heart won.

Sometimes the universe has to kick us in the butt before we'll listen and my crisis point where I felt the kick was when I was in the kitchen talking with my husband one evening. I was in a place in our house that probably wouldn't pass code today (old house), where the basement door and the studio door and the door to the outside converge. It's a very small space. I was waving my arms about and my hand hit the little window on the outside door. To our surprise, the window broke into a thousand pieces, and that was the point of decision - we became silent, looking at the little pieces of glass on the floor and I suddenly woke up and realized I could no longer burn my candle at both ends. So I made the choice to take the leap into the art world, and what a gift that has been, though leaving my other world was very hard.

So my story map above shows me stepping off the "magic carpet" (which is the office floor at my university) and into the new and developing world.

Illustrating a message dream.

Another image I've done for this course is a depiction of a dream I had which represents a conversation I had with my husband about starting a new business. The image shows me holding a child (the child is "the new artistic endeavors/the business which is being "birthed" - in the dream it was a toddler because I had been working on it, but it was still very young). I'm standing next to my husband in the doorway of our home. The dining room represents the state of the "heart's dream," (to devote myself to art exclusively), and in the dream it was in a state of neglect (since I was more committed to the university job). So there are chairs turned over, spiderwebs, a little box of new tools that says "please open," and symbols representing the four elements - air (the window), earth (the plant), water (half-empty pitcher), and fire (unlit candle). The four elements are elements that must be present (and active) in order for the "thought" to become "reality"; for "matter to manifest." There is also the fifth element, spirit, which is represented in the union of the man and the woman (male = action plus female = intuition or receiving nature). When all these elements combine, the dream becomes reality.

So for this Wonderlit course, I've been doing the textual/thinking lesson work and supplementing it with some visual work, which is very fun. The next thing I get to draw is Destiny and her sister Fate. Can't wait to see how that one turns out. I will be painting these at some point. Right now am drawing them faster than I can keep up painting them, plus have several lovely commissioned bead orders for Christmas that I need to get done in the next few days.

Check back to see the painted versions and to meet Destiny and Fate : )

Along with the Wonderlit activities, I'm reading some really good books, which include Right Brain Business Plan, The Gift, and Make Art Make Money (a study of Jim Henson's philosophies) - really great stuff for creative people.

I think this learning will provide some direction for where my artwork goes. It also is helping to strengthen my writing for some other projects I've been working on (Tree Book, Tree Book, more info to come!!!!).

Thanks for checking in - hope your journeys are rewarding as well!

Namaste
Jen

American Indian Inspiration

Coyote Listening

Some of my best paintings are from the period when I was working on the American Indian stories. The watercolor painting above depicts Coyote as he enters the village of the Wolf People who have stolen his grandsons and tied them to the centerpole in their roundhouse. His grandsons hold the light (they're "enlightened"), and the Wolf People have no light (they're ignorant and caught up in "group think"), so have kidnapped them and Coyote is there to rescue them.

Coyote's Village

This watercolor depicts village life around Clear Lake, which is the territory where the American Indians lived (and still live close to), whose stories are so wonderful. It is amusing to me that I made a mistake in drawing the fish and didn't realize it until later. When you catch fish and cook them like this over a fire (Internet wasn't available for easy research when I did this painting and I didn't think to check on this), you would probably run the stick through the gills of the fish, so that they would be hanging tails down. I have the stick running right through the middle of the fish, which is most likely totally wrong.

However, I forgive the error, as the picture is nevertheless able to convey the beauty and sense of community in the way these people lived. Everyone has a task and tasks are accomplished together. They didn't live with the "every man for himself" mentality that seems to riddle through many facets of American society today (especially political, medical, and commercial/business enterprises); they believed in doing what was "good for the whole." This is what I love and admire about many "primitive" tribes. I have learned from them that they were/are a lot less barbaric than many aspects of our society today.

Coyote's Grandfather passes to the other world

The watercolor above depicts Coyote's grandfather passing away, and in it I've tried to convey the belief of these people in the continuance of life. It amazes me that in their stories their teachings are pure and unadulterated--they understood energy in ways that we are only beginning to discover, including the energy of people--physicality vs. other planes or levels of existence. We think we're discovering new things through science and interdisciplinary sharing of information when all along it's been there if only we could be humble enough to listen instead of overrun.

So my new directions are taking me into the exploration of the threads of gold that run through all cultures, all religions--the good, life sustaining teachings that keep us whole and in community with each other.

I know I want to be a part of this understanding and work in support of it, though I'm not yet sure what my contributions will be, but am thoroughly enjoying the journey.

I lately find that the quote that is uppermost in my mind is the one that goes "if you are not part of the solution you're part of the problem." I'm spending time connecting with as many people as possible who are actively what I consider part of the solution (which includes many in the educational fields, as education helps to change lives for the better, and enables people to get out and make a difference).

With my art I'm asking myself what I can put out into the world that will add beauty, lend strength, will not clutter it up with useless, meaningless plastic garbage that just contributes to the pollution of our beautiful delicate planet--we'll see how this all arranges itself. For now the journey is pretty interesting.

Namaste
Jen

Superstitions - How they make us good at our jobs

Lucky Green Shirt

I have some superstitions that must be upheld in order to secure success. Do you? If so, do you embrace them or do you feel weird about them?

I've always loved art, and have been completely unable to resist its call, no matter what time it is, no matter what my obligations might be for the next day; if I feel the call of drawing, painting, or writing, I must answer. 

HOWEVER! I am a bit weird about it - have been this way since the beginning, when I was about 11. When I first started drawing and painting seriously many years ago, I would put on my lucky green shirt each time, and the paintings or drawings would turn out great. If I didn't have it on, the pictures wouldn't turn out well. As a result, I wore the original green shirt for years and years during creative bouts - but eventually of course it wore out. I kept it so that I could at least touch it before starting a project or after a while, just look at it. Eventually just knowing it was there worked. (Shades of Pavlov going on here I'm sure.) After several years I had to consign it to the ragbag, so searched to find a replacement. Ta da, the soft green shirt above serves very well (it's a bit too big for me but I bought it anyway since it was similar to the original and they didn't have my actual size), but I've no longer a need to put it on, look at it, or touch it to have a picture turn out well, however, knowing it's in my closet is a good and comforting thing. 

Superstition #2 The Paper Towel

Painting with watercolor is as much about laying the colors down as it is about blotting them up. Control of the medium is very important. I always use a paper towel, but have some superstitions about this paper towel. It can take between 20 and 40 hours to complete a watercolor painting, comprising several sessions. And the thing is, I have to use the same paper towel throughout the whole process wherever possible, I have no idea why. Occasionally I need to get a fresh one, and I can never throw out the old one til the fresh one is in my hand. Something about carrying the energy over. Silly, huh?

Superstition #3 The Sacred Water Jars

I am also very particular about what containers hold the water that I paint with. When I start a painting I fill up two jars (organic spaghetti sauce jars from several years ago). One jar holds cool clear water and the other holds water with a bit of dish detergent in it so the brushes can get really clean when they need to. Yes, I do think I could paint with a different container for my water, but it comforts me to know that these jars hold the history of prior paintings and I like to use them each time. The little images on the glass must be facing a certain way (front) and I don't refill with clean water until I absolutely must. I never leave them empty during a project. Weird, huh?

Time to organize! NOW! Chaos is reigning!

Now I'll tell you a story about the OCD Gurlzz Club that I belong to. You may find that you would fit in just fine, if so, join us for lunch and giggles. I have a couple of friends that I love to go out to lunch with because we have a lot in common, and one of these things is our penchant for organizing (This will relate to painting in a minute). When we first got together we shared hilarious stories of how we do things. We organize our closets according to color. You can see in the above photo that my closet is in need of rearranging which is definitely bugging me but I'm putting it off because since I've retired and started to devote myself full-time to my artwork I need to redefine myself and I'm not sure what to keep and what to put away or give away, so this project still awaits.

Some of the other things the OCD Gurlzz do is organize the grocery cart just so as we're shopping so that when we unpack at home things are together and practically jump into the pantry and fridge properly by themselves, labels front facing of course. Another one of us flips light switches in her home so that all the doubles are either up or down, doesn't matter which direction, but they must be the same. Kudos to our husbands for going along with our foibles.

Counting Buttons

Another thing I do that reflects this behavior of comforting the self by organizing information is count buttons. Sometimes when I'm watching TV I find myself doing this. Not a problem - but I can tell you that most men take five buttons from neck to waist to cover themselves up quite nicely. (Aside: once when I was driving to work there was a shiny silver truck beside me chugging along with lights on along the bottom. Guess who counted all those lights? Tra la la....)

It's all in the details

So now we get to the painting/creativity part. This is a pen and ink drawing I did of my cat Ivy as she was playing in the windowsill with a little spinning top. The drawing is composed of thousands of tiny strokes, each of which has a direction and a "pressure" that must be pulled from the ink pen. In order to be able to do this an artist needs a certain attention to detail that many people may be blissfully oblivious of. We look at the world differently. We take in masses of information and organize that information using the creative side of our brains to create an output that makes sense. This is a tall order.

I think that this process bleeds into our "outside" lives in the ways that are thought of as superstitions or compulsions. I think I'm trying to describe the underlying type of personality characteristics that make us good at what we do, which could be interpreted by some as "superstitious" or compulsive, or even weird. For a person to be able to take in masses of information and put out something that conveys that vision in thousands of strokes, from eye to hand to paper there must be some ability to observe, take in, assimilate, and convey "data." We find ways to comfort ourselves in the process.

My conclusion is that in order to be a decent artist, one must have this ability to organize massive amounts of data in a comfortable way, and it can work successfully for us in a number of ways if we can learn to control it. I think the "superstitions" and OCDness help us to do that and enable us to be good at what we do.

Now maybe I should go wash my hands?

Namaste!
Jen