As I alluded in my last post life and art are correlated. In the comments Sherri said it’s like a braid. That’s certainly true for me; life, creative projects and self-care weave together. It’s not a work slash life balance so much as it is what can I do that makes both life and creativity sustainable and as fun as possible? Art and life can teach each other what they need when I’m listening to what makes me glad to be alive at that moment. The thumbtacked quote below is one of my favorites.
Here’s another painting in my Odditerrarium series titled “Teacher”. Like the others is is 10 x 8 inches and created using ink, gouache and collage on board. It will join the rest of the series for my upcoming exhibit at Burnt Bridge Cellars via the Caplan Art Designs Gallery.
A closer look at what this cat is thinking.
Here’s a short Reel on Instagram of me working on this cat portrait- https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdqmKrRphr6/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
I’ve been framing artwork almost every day like I mentioned last post in an adjustable rhythm of spray varnish two and frame two. Slowly but steadily I’m getting all 20 framed.
The back looks like this when I finish the framing and write the title of the painting on the backing paper in ink. Then I slip it into a protective sleeve and then into a box with its fellows.
Two of the 20 finished paintings are smaller at 7 x 5 inches but all of the rest are 10 x 8 inches.
At the end of the week I got the the rest of the frames I need from the Aurora Gallery! The new frames are outside the box and the box is full of artwork that’s already been framed. So if I keep this work rhythm going I will have all of the framing finished a week early before delivery. I like giving myself some time to relax before delivery day.
Breakfast one day this past week was lemon scones made by my wife! They were yummy! And here’s my sketchbook page that day.
This week besides my spray two frame two work routine also had a leaking dishwasher in it. We’ve ordered a new one. Then another morning we were having breakfast (not the scones) when suddenly the water heater beeped frantically. We frowned at it. Rusty our dachshund barked at it. We looked at the instruction book and at the app for our heater. Nothing we tried helped. So we called our regular handyman and before our coffee got cold Kyle had our issue fixed!
We’re sending him a big thank you by postcard… (postcard art by Clancy)
Since we’re hand washing dishes until the new dishwasher is installed I made my homemade simple sauce (recipe card here) and added chunky veggies – zucchini, onion, bell peppers – it was very good over pasta! Several meals were had with easy clean up – just the pot I boiled pasta in and the bowls and forks we ate with! The sauce was reheated in the pot it was original cooked in.
When things go wrong I refer to this thumbtacked note on my studio wall.
And that concept of seeing possibilities includes remembering especially during difficult or stressful times to see the beautiful things. Here’s some beauty I enjoyed seeing in my wife’s garden.
And also this thumbtacked thought was good to remember…
… and it was good to practice. Just for fun we got some Daniel Smith watercolors that have shiny aspects; interference, iridescent and duochrom to the colors – and both of us played with them on watercolor paper. Taking time to play is important especially in stressful times. The cat helps too.
Below is another days breakfast and sketchbook page. Since this week had stressful times with household appliances in addition to maintaining my work rhythm I mostly let go of my social media posting and responding. Letting go of the social media part of living a creative life helped too. I will pick it back up… and the break was/is nice. (Thank you in advance if you share this post on your social media.)
This next week besides the framing and will focus on website and promotion prep for the opening of Odditerrarium. It’ll also have some more rest and recreation in it before the opening of Odditerrarium on June 3!! Wahoo!!
I hope all of your household appliances work smoothly or are easily fixed this week! I also hope you make time to see the beauty around you and to play. See you next Monday.
I admittedly have a bias towards cats but I think your latest Odditerrarium painting is my favourite so far. I hope your new dishwasher is installed soon. I lived most of my life without a dishwasher but I really resented having to return to handwashing everything a couple of years ago when we were in the same predicament. Your wife is a very talented gardener and the lemon scones look and sound amazing.
Thank you!!! I’m beginning to feel confident about painting cat eyes now and I too am very pleased with this portrait. Like you I’ve hand washed dishes for years but after having a dishwasher for a long time it is hard to go back to hand washing. We have an appointment this week to get the new one installed! Here’s hoping…
Yes, my wife is an amazing gardener and baker! I constantly feel so lucky to be with her! I showed her your comment and she said “Awww. Tell her Thank you!” and she grinned 😊
I’m glad the appliances are mended and on the mend! Never know what a day will bring. I love the fine detail in the ‘Teacher’ thought terrarium. What fun to play with those shimmery paints. And I was especially admiring the irises from the garden. I love the scent of that particular color and type of iris. My grandmother grew them and for all the years after, she kept a pastel I drew of them when I was 12. I long had a sensory memory of sitting in the garden observing, drawing, feeling the warmth of the sun and comfort of the earth, enjoying the coming and going of the bees, and smelling that lovely scent. Whenever I miss her I think of that feeling and my enjoyment of all her lovely violets that she grew so beautifully inside her home too.
What a wonderful memory of your grandmother and the garden!! I like the purple Irises too and sometimes I think they smell either like licorice or grape juice! Lol!!
Yes, it was a hoot to paint everything with shiny colors!! Thank you again for your fun comments!!
I can’t decide what they smell like, and thus I go smell them whenever I see them near enough to a sidewalk. They have a unique beauty all their own, but smell like they’d taste delicious! LOL… Have a great week, Sue!!
Lol!!!! Me too!!! Have a great week Sheri!
The teacher cat has such pretty aquamarine eyes! In the thought terrarium, I was very glad to a pencil and not a red pen!! No student wants their graded homework to bleed. I love the “Shut up and dance” pages of your sketchbook. My attention was caught by the yellow and white flowers. They look like two flowers in one!
Yes!! A red color pencil is much preferred!! This cat portrait was requested by my college art history professor and she really did use a red color pencil to mark my essays! And I’m glad you liked my sketchbook pages. I think the yellow and white flowers are Columbines but don’t quote me on that label- they’re very pretty whatever they’re called!
I never used red to grade because the first semester I taught composition, a student thanked me for not using red pen because her her high school papers looked like they were bleeding when they were returned to her. Her comment made a big impression on me.
Lol!! I bet it did indeed make an impression!! Another teacher I had in middle school used a multi-color pencil and I confess to making mistakes on purpose just so she’d use that pencil on my paper!! 🤣 It made such beautiful marks!! Years later as an adult I saw and bought a pencil like it but somehow it didn’t have the same magic as my teacher’s pencil did.
That’s so funny! Did you ever let on to your teacher?
I do remember asking if I could pretty-please have the pencil stub she’d just thrown away… as i recall now she looked at me oddly and said yes. 😁
I can only imagine how oddly she must have looked at you! 😀
🤣🤣🤣🤣💕
Very nice, encouraging post for people who have doubts about their creativity.
Thank you!! What a wonderful comment!! I appreciate it that you saw what I was saying!! ❤