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| Guitar 1 |
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| Guitar 2 |
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| Guitar 3 |
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| Guitar 4 |
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| Guitar 5 |
Monday, October 10, 2016
2013 Studio Time
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| Pumpkin with Squash Bugs, Acrylic, 2013, 24"x36" |
I instituted Studio Time (yes, capitalized): setting aside one afternoon a week to spend in the Studio. Just think, I told myself, if you have one afternoon a week you will always know you can work on a project. If you have one afternoon a week, say even 3 hours a week, you will have 156 hours you don't have right now to work on your art. Since then I have painted 17 paintings for friends that I call "mug shots." I have painted 1-10"x36" painting, 4-18"x24" painting, 13 paintings (24"x36") and 1-36"x48". I have made 4 papier-mache chickens and 5 coat-hanger, paper and mixed media ladies. All while designing 15+ Christmas cards/year for my business Walton Laser Graphics. And, because energy begets energy, I have written 18 original songs and performed 12 of them.
Could having those extra hours set aside really make that much difference?
I think so. I immediately felt freedom that I didn't have to stew over never having any time. I had time. I was more excited about what I was working on even when it wasn't going well. I knew I had time to let it rest and I had time to get back to it.
Above was one of my first paintings made during Studio Time. It was an idea that had been rolling around in my head for a long time. Finding my garden infested with squash bugs gave me the last push to start and finish a whole project.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
The Best Audience in the World!
We were sipping our cups of caffeine before heading south to visit the grandkids, when the phone rang. It was Lee's daughter with a request. She wondered if Grandma Cindi would like to be the Guest Reader in Chandler's second grade class. Mike, her husband, was scheduled to read; but, they wondered if I wanted to read my story "Sadie, the Lady Bug" that I wrote for Carrington, their daughter, when she was three. Of course, my answer was a big loud, "YES!"
Three hours later we were on the road with 25 copies of "Sadie, the Lady Bug" coloring books. As Lee drove, Grandma Cindi colored a book for show and tell.
There is not an audience in the world, not even the Idaho Songwriters Association Forum (and they are good), match an audience of second graders when one of their own has a parent or grandparent come to read. I felt like a Rock Star! I was so touched when Chandler came in, after being the door holder for the class coming back from recess (a high honor), with his big smile shining towards me. If you ever wonder whether you make a difference in someone's life, just be the guest reader of your grandchild's class.
It didn't matter that I only colored with crayons and markers. It didn't matter that my story wasn't perfect and that it needs a serious re-write from 15 years ago. It didn't matter that my artwork also needed re-work. What mattered was Chandler had his grandparents and his parents present in his classroom. What mattered was the lovely, attentive, young audience.
No, I don't think my heart could have been any fuller or the honor ever greater.
Three hours later we were on the road with 25 copies of "Sadie, the Lady Bug" coloring books. As Lee drove, Grandma Cindi colored a book for show and tell.
There is not an audience in the world, not even the Idaho Songwriters Association Forum (and they are good), match an audience of second graders when one of their own has a parent or grandparent come to read. I felt like a Rock Star! I was so touched when Chandler came in, after being the door holder for the class coming back from recess (a high honor), with his big smile shining towards me. If you ever wonder whether you make a difference in someone's life, just be the guest reader of your grandchild's class.
It didn't matter that I only colored with crayons and markers. It didn't matter that my story wasn't perfect and that it needs a serious re-write from 15 years ago. It didn't matter that my artwork also needed re-work. What mattered was Chandler had his grandparents and his parents present in his classroom. What mattered was the lovely, attentive, young audience.
No, I don't think my heart could have been any fuller or the honor ever greater.
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| That's our grandson in the green shirt next to the guy with KITE on his back. |
Monday, March 9, 2015
More blob creatures.
More blobs...the animals on the right are watercolor and colored pencil. The right ones are collaged pieces of paper with a Sharpie pen.
It helps me to take a photo and then see it on the screen. It gives me a different view and somehow even looks better than in person.
Oh, yes, that is my evening Gin & Tonic in the upper left corner. :)
How do you cook 'em?
We found two of these huddling under a sagebrush on one of our walks. Many of their kind were smashed to smithereens. We just wondered, how do you cook 'em?
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Blobimal Book Next Lesson
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