

sweet little bird


I did this quick sketch of my daughter's hello kitty on the couch in the almost dark..the only light in the room was from some christmas lights around a window. I wondered what it would be like to draw with less light, how I might be surprised by the marks I made since I wasn't able to really see them, how what I would see would change due to less detail, etc. etc. A fun little experiment..gave me an idea to use for a class, whenever I go back to teaching meditative drawing..


I woke up this morning to the most beautiful sunrise. So I grabbed my camera a took a few shots. Then, while nursing my son, I was flipping through AEDM blogs on my itouch and happened upon wishstudio, run by Mindy Tsonas. Under her events listings I noticed she was having an open house today with an open art activity so I told my family, "we are taking a trip to Newburyport!" It was such a beautiful day here in New England, and Newburyport is a lovely place. We spent the day collaging and chatting..it was great fun. While getting to know Mindy and the broader world of online creative offerings (the ones she hosts all sound so cool..please, check out her events) I made the postcard above. Thank you Mindy, for your amazing offerings and inspiration!

I sat down to do a sketch of my daughter's dolls in her small rocking chair, but instead I started doing these energy drawings. This is what happens to me quite often. Automatically. I allow myself to continue, watching the marks form their way across the page. Then when the energy is released and I know I am done, I try to "see" what I have drawn. Tonight this phrase came to my mind; "What you see is what you get". Quite literal, huh? But the thing is, I don't get it so many times; I know I have to trust. When I thought about the not getting it, and wrote it in the title, (Do or Do Not) I was reminded of Yoda. Yoda said, "Do or do not; there is no try". So I will continue to "do", at the same time I "do not" and forget about the frustration that comes about when I think of trying to figure it all out. After all, this blog is called Drawing it Out, not Trying to Draw it Out. My husband works for an organization who's motto is: No mistakes. Just art. So there you have it; the art that came through me. I know, I trust it was no mistake.
Did this super quickie collage after a not-so-quickie clay class. I worked on my idea for making spiral plates, and it took a lot of do-overs before I got a small sample of something I was interested in. But I suppose that's how it goes sometimes...you work over and over on an idea, and sometimes you get something. Other times you rush rush rush, don't "think" at all, and something just comes spontaneously and seemingly effortlessly. Yup. Gotta love the process...
On Friday's plane trip to Philadelphia, I sat next to a young Harvard bio/chem student who was on her way to a graduate fellowship interview for a summer position in England. She was one of 13 finalists and 2 people were to be selected. She was very nervous and was reading up on current events to help prepare. She said she started reading up on current events three weeks ago and not focusing on her regular studies because in the interview process she may be questioned about her views on cultural and political issues, and that she really didn't know what was going on in the world. I heard the phrase from the song "Come as you are" by Nirvana in my head and acknowledged the message. But I asked myself, "should I say something to this young woman? Should I discreetly give her the message that I felt like I was receiving for her? How do I say, "I think you should just be yourself and let that person shine through"
I see your true colors shining through Tonight in ceramics class I learned how to put a base on the bowl I threw last week. I also threw my second pot. Hurrah! It truly is meditative having the clay be centered in your hands, watching it spin around and around. I can get used to this! It really helped me to unwind after my day. I hope to go in and throw some more. We have studio access outside of class time. But I still have my eyes on the prize of doing more belly bowls. I even have another idea brewing..oh, the possibilities! I knew the idea of centering would come up again..I remembered a book I wanted to read written by M.C. Richards, called Centering in Pottery, Poetry, and the Person. I put it on hold at the library and it is now ready for me to pick up. Yahoo!!
Yesterday was the first day I did not draw or do something for AEDM. I went to bed at 8pm because I was so completely wiped out. I decided NOT to beat myself up over it..instead, congratulate myself for making it half way and think about all of the benefits from doing this challenge. And feed off of that energy to keep me going! Baby steps...it takes baby steps...
In my effort to meet other moms and friends for my 4 year old, we went to a Meetup at a park in a neigbhoring town today. It was so beautiful..there were horses and other farm animals there..All of the fall leaves were whirling in the sky...yellows and reds in their peak. There was a small pond. I watched the leaves floating on the water and travelling across, guided by the wind. I was reminded of the first day I started this blog..with the frozen coins locked under the ice. Today I identified with the leaves..moving slowly, quietly, peacefully..
Things are moving along here in my new environment and I am starting to meet some wonderful people. But I miss our community in Portland terribly..and today was one of those days where I took a step back for an overall reflection of where I was.
In the afternoon I took my daughter to the school playground near our apartment. She saw hopscotch there and was excited to jump it. As I watched her jumping, I thought more about "steps" and taking steps..instead of a "10" for the last step, the word "Home" was written on the pavement. I wondered how many steps it would take for me to reach a place that felt like home..how long it would take to feel completely at home with myself. And that is an even bigger challenge, one that I could not do without art being part of it.
Milkweed Pod.
In tonight's sketch, though still inspired by our beach booty of shells, mussels and rope, I remembered that there were formal concepts of art I was playing with. I grabbed a container of my husband's sharpies and decided I wanted to work with the hard, permanent lines of the sharpie against the soft, more fluid watercolors..oh my gosh, I'm sounding like an artist..who went to art school and would've probably had an art assignment all about "contrasts in shape, line, color, etc." I just have to chuckle to myself. I went to a very formal school which was absolutely wonderful in receiving the foundation I wanted and needed..but then it took me a while from being outside of school to find my voice..and I remembered what one of my teachers said.."you learn everything and then you unlearn it, keeping what you want and forgetting the rest" When I went to school I totally did not "get" abstract art..if I tried it, I felt like a fake. And now my life and my experience has gotten it, and it was only by slowly letting go and allowing myself to just be. Be with whatever material was in my had. Be with whatever I was feeling. Be with whatever inspired me.. I would often think, "how could this all come from me; it looks like 100 different artists did this work" I have had the full range of output now -from realistic to abstract to automatic. And it is all me. It all comes through me. So this is what came out of me this evening; the excitement of being an inquisitor all over again...even if it has been done, and learned and unlearned by a bazillion different artists out there. What is so wonderful about being creative is being open to what comes forth each and every time you sit; being open to wherever it goes..because even though I was "pulling mussels from a shell" again..this drawing was different from the one before it, and the one before that...

I did this small watercolor by looking again at the shells and things my husband collected at the beach. But this time I departed further and ended up turning the paper 90 degrees..stopped looking at the subject and just painted. What I saw in here was a blue heart of sorts..can't say I totally love this piece but it is what came from me today...








Today I had the rare opportunity of being alone with my 2 month old son; my daughter was at my mother's house and will hopefully spend the weekend with her while my husband and I go away for the weekend for our 10 year anniversary. After dropping her off I decided to go to the beach here in Beverly, MA. I sat on the sand with my baby and watched the tide come in and out, in and out. Right in front of me was a rock. I watched the waves as it came up and over the rock, then receeding back to re-expose the rock.
I started this sketch of my husband when my 2 month old son woke up...so there you go, a part portrait. Both of them are now on the couch...and it looks like they both may be going to sleep! Doubt if I can get another sketch in before midnight(I've got 15 minutes....) but I'll try...then I'll turn into a pumpkin and the day 2 challenge will be over...
I recently moved to Beverly MA from Portland OR. I am originally from the Boston area, but it has been 18 years since I left. While out with my daughter today, exploring our new hood, I saw a community fountain that was frozen over. The tossed coins were locked beneath the ice and it made me reflect for a moment. I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition..wishing for something and then being frozen or stuck or locked in time...