Spring into Action

Some scrap watercolor paper, a hand-full of watercolor pencils, a bit of ink, and an hour at The Bikery . These bears are fine with goofing off, mixing it up, joining in. Lots of us, me included, need a bit more practice at this sort of thing.

Allow yourself to find ten minutes (or more?) to just scribble a bit, dig in the dirt, LOOK at a leaf, think an "opposite" thought of your usual thinking. Daring, yes, but well worth the effort. Heck, do it during TV or radio commercials. I usually use those times to tidy the house, but that's not much in the way of goofing off.

Spring is here, but fleeting. Let's go draw a bud that's due soon to bloom. Or dance among the blossoms.

Fare-thee-well and Good Luck -

Sue

Spring

Tulips are up, birds are chirping, grass is greening, and it's time to take a walk without headphones or earbuds and hear the day - whatever it's sound.

Time, also, to dig out some old art supplies and play. Chuck Close says painting is moving colored dirt around with sticks. Maybe it's time to do the same. Roz Stendahl is a great fan of gouache. We found a box of colors in the basement yesterday. Time to spring into action - find out where the magic hides, and agree or disagree with Roz.

The sun is winning the battle over clouds for the moment. The odd heat of last week is gone for the morning. Except for constant pulse chiming in right side of head (yup, still there), the day seems almost normal. I've not been listening to ESPN's Peyton Manning/Tim Tebow talk, nor things political. Stuff will sort itself out in the end.

Now there are thoughts to write down and images to be created. Sometimes one or the other or both make a difference in another person's life. That's quite amazing. The things YOU say and do make a difference in peoples' lives. That's something to Remember.

On to playing with some dirt. Spring is here. Next 30-Day Challenge? Make a difference in somebody's life before Summer.

On to the Grand Adventure-

Sue

Hunker Down

To honor the possibility of Spring and Summer coming, here is an image from last year's What We Need is Here group's field trip to Willow River in Wisconsin.

This is not me hunkering down, but another's attempt to photograph a gold leaf and a spiderweb among the assorted greeneries and branches and roots and water in this beautiful area.

The act of hunkering is something I'm finding hard to do these days - pulsatile tinnitus for over three months takes over parts of head and the constant "ding ding ding" "chime chime chime" over-powers the "get to work" "ignore those phantom cubs with cymbals."

Must get mad enough to rise up, get some exercise, and then re-hunker to do the daily deeds.

Deeds today: work on new "Happy here" pastel, enter art fairs, pack an order, Enjoy Life, re-watch the Kevin Kling interview with Krista Tippet (there's Inspiration for ya!), bitch less, laugh more.

How do you deal with those life tests and daily hurdles? Head for studio? Head for out-doors?

"Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost. Sometime, somewhere, somehow we shall find that which we seek." - Helen Keller

Fare-thee-well,

Sue