Fun

Going to attempt having some Fun, and thinking, and goofing off, and planning. hahahahaha

Days

Was just scribbling in main journal about Anthony Bourdain.

Still cannot watch his stuff on the screen.
Will soon.
A dose of Tony is good for brain and soul - even now.

On to this Daylight Getting Shorter Day!!

I am semi-sad, yet semi-perky.

Birds are chirping.

So can I...?

Goal

I have an odd, but serious, goal.
No, it is not DRAWING strength.
It is being strong.

For a reason that only a few people know - 

No, I cannot do one yet. But the muscles are getting more muscle-y. Really.
So, here be visualization. 
I have  almost two months...

Best of Luck with your Odd Dreams!

Fare-thee-well
Sue

Our next art festival will be at Shell Lake, Wisconsin the Saturday after July 4th. Time to get back to the studio! And planking....

Words

Today I've been asking people what some of their favorite words are. One of mine is "imbroglio."

Because of this little project I have learned "gubernaculum" and "sesquipedalian." 

The mystery of what resides in each of our little few pounds of brain stuff is always fascinating.

A few of the words I could type here. I simply choose not to - though they led to a great chat about the different ways of cursing around the world.

Asking folks about words can lead to much wonder. Try it!

An hour or two in a coffee shop combined with the Facebook - most often my "drug" of choice.

Now it is time to cut out a sheet of Hearts and got on with the true duties of the day.

I've found I need the structure of a week plotted out in a journal. I am am excellent go-with-flow type, but often the end of the flow is not really where I want to end up. Now the words/task taunt and remind. I need that not-real cattle prod - electric or other. "Git along, Little Susan, git along." (zap!!)

Prepping for the Spring Green, Wisconsin art festival this weekend. I will not be ready, but will be as ready as I will be. It is weird to have that mindset now - but it keeps me slightly saner than many of those other mindsets. And as a person often on the edge of "ARCGK!!!" often, putting the bossa nova music in  the ears and simply going with some of the many things that make up hours helps me realize that days can be filled well with a variety of odd strivings. 

The starting of the large painting of the Minnesota Zoo Russian grizzlies has actually been fun. I'd fought even looking at that 30" x 30" square of Masonsite for a couple months. Now that there is paint over grid marks - well, doing the deed seems possible!

I hope I can do these two bruins justice. And it might be time for a return zoo visit soon. Actions vs words!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Patio Garden

For No Good Reason - 

TEN THINGS ABOUT THE PATIO GARDEN

1) It was in place when we bought our home in 1993.

2) The day lilies and some of the other plants were put in by former owners.

3) I often forget to augment the soil....

4) Sedum LOVE this space.

5) Last year for the first time I forgot to put up the Hammock of Relaxing....

6) The tuberous begonias remind me of Grandma Rowe's gorgeous window boxes.

7) Invasive viney things are trying to win their battle for the rocks and soil.

8) There are a number of large animal bones finding in the greenery.

9) The oriental lilies appreciate the bit more sun now that our favorite maple tree had to be cut down.... Oh, the mixed emotions on my part.

10) Ferns thrive here. Some other plants do not.

On to the rest of Summer!

Hoping that you have a Special Green Space.

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Jazz

JAZZ
Jazz
Jazz
JAZZ
Jazz........

A Bear FromLast Week -

The sketch books are used for so many things. 

But then there is The Other Paper. This piece is made up of scraps remaining from cutting out Hearts from OTHER papers. So many scraps....

Yesterday I wasted and/or used well two hours gluing scraps from other doings to an oblong sheet of orange card stock. This is the result:

It was during a work shift at American Gothic Antiques - so I could have been doing "nothing." Or drawing thumbnail sketches for Serious Projects. But I did this.

A trusted friend I showed this to thinks it is a finished piece of art. I have no idea.

But it was fun to play with. And it got brain focused and in The Flow. This cannot be be discounted. many of our brains feel much better while in Flow. When time goes away. When the focus in on NOW. When many small decisions and choices create a Something and the back and forth in the skull is relaxed and "easy."

This piece of papers is worth the doing just for that!

On to a day that won't be quite as pleasant. Tech and business stuff. Then, maybe Art and Gardening.

On to a twenty minute walk along the river. 

We all have our priorities. Good luck with your day - every day!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Again again.

A little something from Art on the Lake, held this past weekend on the shores of lovely Lake Minnetonka in Excelsior, Minnesota.

Because of thunderstorms most of Saturday we could bond with under artists under the food tent. Lightning and metal-poled tents always make me nervous.

Sunday was MUCH  BETTER. Many reasons.

People were buying what we were selling. The sun came out every so often. In the end the beer venders were GIVING AWAY BEER!

We were very busy and then not by turns.

During slower times we could have longer chats with interesting folks. Teachers, mechanical engineers, mothers of teenagers, and the like.

Here is me goofing off with "Afton" in the background. It's most always about the eyes.

And now it's about getting a haircut. Soon. The forehead creases will be there forever. Crazy hair can be cured.

On to a shift at AmericanGothic Antiques. Where the bears began. It's going to be a "waste" the day reading, making Hearts, journaling about the too much that happened this past week, and planning too much to do this week.

May you keep on the breathing side of life today...

Fare-thee-well, and thanks, folks, this weekend for sparking a bit of creative spirit. Whew.

On to getting the core and arms stronger by the end of June, July, and August. A need to do a chin-up!!

- Sue

Ambition

Ambition

I don't have any.

Bears Again

Trying to play again. making Bears became Serious Work - and this is not a good way for me to work. Play is my Work.

Soooo....

Because it was fun to make sixteen bunnies on one sheet of watercolor paper it seemed time to see who might show up if the paper got filled by bears.

This is what happened:

Time spent in a local coffee shop helped. A place that serves whole carafes of coffee. Sadly, decaf for me. Decaf, time on a stool (this place  that single diners seat themselves at the counter, and no laptop temptation.... The tiny tin of gouache and watercolor pencil bits. The water-filled brush. Various brushes and pens and pencils.

Not saying that good stuff happened, but stuff happened.

And at the last I gave away more Hearts.

Bears came and Hearts went.

Working at Playing.

Now it's time to work/play in the garden.

I'm pretty bad at balance...

Excelsior (MN) Art Festival coming up next weekend. Way too soon. Way too soon... Way too soon....... Booth 6. Next to the lake. Mixed emotions? Yup.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue the Over-Complicating -Things-Most-Days