Thursday, March 26, 2009

www.artlifeartstudio.com is almost done!

I am just a couple weeks away from launching the website for Art Life. I am thrilled at the pictures my photographer friend Ned, www.nedsphotography.com took for the site. We are going to have a lot of great things going on at the studio.

Art Heals


My day today will be better because of all the things I get to give people. There are things to give that I made that I am going to give, and things that others (including kids) have made in my classes. I am especially moved by a handmade clay bead that I fired for a friend last night. She made it this week to send out of town for a memorial. The family was asking that everyone either make, buy, or find a bead to string as a collective memorial for this child's passing. As terribly inconceivable as the death of a child, something like this gets the family and friends together and doing something. I know my friend felt like she was able to "do something-anything" to help her friends in pain. She left saying "this was therapeautic for me" Art has a way of doing that for people. In the moment we are making it, we are out of the pain, the concentration on the problem, or the feeling of helplessness.

I am meeting another artist/songwriter friend who was just diagnosed last fall with MS at 33 years old today for lunch. She is so positive and focused on eating right and keeping her spirits up. I know a new painting would bring that to her each day. My hope is that as she looks at the colors I painted and she feels lifted. Because it is a gift, I know my friend will see the painting and always know that she is cared for and she is not alone. I can't take away this harsh truth in her life, but I can give her art that reminds her that she is loved. I painted her two (one is pictured above) and placed a quote by Ashliegh Brilliant www.ashleighbrilliant.com on it; "I am just moving clouds today, tomorrow I'll try mountains"
Art does heal, it's up there with laughter, good food, and friends. I am grateful to give these pieces of healing love today in the form of clay, paint, and canvas. I am grateful others do the same in the world. The world needs art.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Rocket Ship Spring Blast Off



The first day of spring, and the end of a spring break week left us all very fufilled and exhausted. We ended the week with my last of 6 classes with my first session at Art Life Studio. It was great to see the kids show their parents their portfolios - we made so many things and they learned about several mediums. We had hanging fish, mobiles, color wheels, paintings and drawings. The clay pieces are being fired this week. Afterwards, Milo (my 3 1/2 year old) and I painted this appliance box together. It was our project one-on-one, spontaneous and free. We first cut 2 doors and 2 peep holes. Then the color, wonderful color, all over the place. This simple box showed me that all the toys in the world can never add up to the imagination within us all - with no money and no car needed we created another world. I also got some dryer vent tubing from the garage and that served as the way we "fueled up" before blast off. The sun danced off this silver flexible tubing- and I loved the way it looked next to the kid painted sides and hard angles of the box. A sculpture, a rocket ship, a one-on-one moment with one of my kids, a perfect 65 degree day. Totally free, totally us, totally back to basics.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Thursday is a studio day

I am plotting and planning for my studio day in 2 days. A full day for me, no kids, no husband, no phone, no plans- but to make things. I am going to start with some painting and then travel over to the printmaking studio at Watkins. I am working on a series of moon/rocket images with robots and astronauts. I would love tp re-do my 3 year old's room into something that inspires his little male mind. I appreciate the need for that even at 3 because he is growing out of what is there now. I did a series of oil paintings for his nursery - 4 vegetables. Corn, radish, tomato, and snap peas adorned his gender neutral baby room. Now, we are all boy and I think robots and space images would fit the bill. I asked him what he wanted and he said "robot rockstars" I will try to incorporate the rockstar aspect somehow (not sure yet). I am thrilled to be able to be inspired by the people I love. I have the plans for art peices that come out of the blue, but mostly it comes from the people I love or someone that needs a little gift of art. I love to give people paintings and prints that I have made. Giving is a great source of inspiration to me. I would say that I have given away as much art as I have sold. That is one of my greatest sources of pleasure.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Making Room

I am working on making room in my closet for new things. Not that I am going to go out and buy a bunch of new clothes right now, but there just might be something around the corner, and I don't want a bunch of old clothes hanging around. I seem to be able to think better when I have room around me. Room in my schedule, room on my kitchen counter, room in my closet, and room in my thinking for shades of grey. I know that I don't know everything and if I allow myself teachable time to fail a little, crumple up that new sketch or idea, try again and again, I will eventually come out smarter. I watch my boys do that effortestly, they don't complain that they don't know how to do something. They ask, they might yell, they concentrate hard, but they don't give up. I can learn from that. I will make room in my life today for things I know nothing about.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

the time is near

The Art Life idea has been in me since I became an artist when I was young. I don't know how I actually "became" an artist. I think others actually started calling me one before I called myself an artist. I think that is why teaching is so important to me, because we as teachers show and guide our students into their strengths before they even know what they are. Even peers, adults, and friends do the labeling before we know what or who we are as artists. That labeling can also be negative - "I can't draw" "My daughter takes after her dad, he's the athletic type" "I don't know what I like to do-I am not an artist" That is why I want to bring Art Life to everyone -to every budding or seasoned artist. Just in case you are sick of the labels or need a new one.