How Many Times Can One Re-Begin?

The brain wants to be A Blogger, but the brain makes excuses.

Writing can be be exciting, but also something that sometimes feel pointless.

That should NOT be an excuse.
It is time to start doing the mental chin-ups again.

                           Here we go again. One?

Coffee Shop Time

If you ask, bears will come.

I have a little ritual from time to time - simply writing "Who is here?" in a sketch book, and then putting the writing tool back down on the paper to see who might show up.

Today I met Alvin. 

What is written here is all I know of him.

Now he has lots more dotty fur, but his outlook on life is still the same.

Good luck, Alvin. Thanks for showing up, even if you really didn't want to.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

Cheating/Catching Up - 1

This is the first/third post today. The Personal Challenge of 200 Blog Posts will not be met if the fingers don't make contact with the keyboard. And I was making excuses to not type these recent days. It doesn't take much: too tired, don't feel like it, I'll do two tomorrow, really. Nope. So today's coffee shop doings - thanks, 2.00 de-caf, is posting three pieces. And in reverse order - so this is the last to be typed but the first to be seen - at least I'm guessing this will be so.

As will be bitched out in later/earlier post The Tinnitus is Strong With This One today. After a half-hour of decent tennis, after some actual studio work and breakfast, I was of the no energy/ambition. The Plan this year was to have Double Energy/Ambition. Really. So when the drags drag I am both uncaring and an unhappy camper. (Brains are interesting.)

Eventually, I knew that creating a something had to be done. Pastels have been ignored of late. So it was time to see what might happen if some pencils and a few miscellaneous chunks of soft of pastel in a plastic cover were put to use. Studio B yielded up a small piece of velour mat board and it was time to start.

First, I did something I seldom do - tape off a border around the board. I felt the need for bit of strict space around whatever was going to happen. O.K? What's going to happen?

A bear in a space. A lovely smiling flowery bear - in space. A white and yellow space. I started her at home. Took her along to McDonald's. Todd was kind enough to order unsalted fries so I had some. And tea from home. (I'm cheap.)A lady saying, "I like art" liked her! Thanks, lady! But there wasn't time to finish her there, so back home we came.

A few more minutes and another Happy Bear appeared.

Her taped border is still intact. Friends on Facebook "Like" her. And have given suggestions for other such bruins. Art can be easier when others make good suggestions...

So she will get a title, and she has given me some hope. 
We need more hope on a day like today...

Now the three posts are finished, and I will go home to see if anyone shows up tonight to play with art supplies or just talk about life.

(1/3 and 3/1)
Fare-thee-well,
Sue the Catcher Upper

You Never Know

Last week we took a short road trip up to Duluth, Minnesota. Official reason was to take art to two galleries. Unofficial reason was to see the Sun. We accomplished both - and more.

Here is one piece now on exhibit at Art Dock Gallery - down in the Canal park area. I'd decided to play a little. Not take shapes so seriously. You thought that was my usual way with things? Well, it depends. Because of the "ten thousand hours" of drawing and painting - yes, I can draw and paint "bears." But I live always with trying not to make them copies of themselves. This is not so easy. Real bear have specific features that I want to depict, and yet I want each piece of art to be a portrait of a singular bruin. And I do not want the work to appear labored. So this little acrylic painting came out in a series of steps: background, bear - in several steps, the moon/ball, and the foreground.

I've never been one for using spattering as a technique. This time I gave myself permission to spatter away! Goof off. Play!  Thanks, old toothbrush, you did the job. Spattering is a technique of loading the toothbrush with some very liquid paint and using one's thumb to scrape the bristles - thus freeing specks and spots of paint to fly through the air and land where they will. You can plan where to put the color - but brush and fingers rule.

No, I don't "know" what the white specks are depicting. They might be snow. They might be stars. They ARE tiny bits of white paint. 

And I don't know what the shapes are beneath the bear. I only know that I was using my forefinger to blot some shapes and I liked what happened. There are three or four colors in the shapes. I can still feel the fun I was having bopping my finger from paint to canvas.

And I had no thoughts about final shape and color of this bear. I like working with a limited number of colors, and I love "gesture." I tried to use minimal marks. As each area was worked on I had to decide whether to stop or go on. Yes, the claws asked to be added - haha. No, I don't know why. (Claws are fun to paint or draw.)

This painting is done. It's story is up to each viewer. I hope the story is a happy one.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

100 Days - 100 Dreams: 21

I complain because I have "no time" to draw.
Today I am finding time.
Because my heart needs to Draw.

Subject: Small cast resin polar bear

Art Supplies:
Prismacolor colored pencils
Strathmore Toned Gray sketchbook (5.5" x 8.5")
Black pen

The eye and arm are tentative. Yet one must begin.

The more you look the more you see. And,  yes, I decided from the start to make notes on the drawing. This way I don't feel pressed to create something that might be matted and framed. This practice is for PRACTICE. Learning. Relearning. Sort of like a musician practicing scales and fingering.

I was listening to an interview with Pema Chodron. Her "smile at fear" was worth the time. I am not good at smiling at fear.

This is as far as the drawing is getting tonight. It is not finished. I will keep at this bear until it has no more to teach me. Then I will draw another bear. Or a red leaf. Or a fork.

The subject is not as important as the drawing.

(To be continued.)

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

More Thirty Thankfuls

Today I am thankful (this is all very free-form)

1) for SUNSHINE.
2) that the garden is greening up.
3) for the teakettle that soon should be whistling on the stove.
4) for the music of Vivaldi.
5) that I got a re-order from a gallery out East.
6) because we have a new art fair to try this Sunday. (Oshkosh, WI - June 14).
7) for business that I need to use being only minutes away.
8) for a bowl of home-made soup waiting in the frig.
9) that we don't have to work at the antique shop today.
10) for the decent sales we've been having at the antique shop.

11) for the energy and will to keep exercising every day.
12) that I decided not to fight the folks at Wet Paint's art supply sale this morning, and spend the time weeding in the garden instead.
13) that the Bleeding Heart is STILL in blossom. It's been beautiful for WEEKS!
14) that Todd's (potentially) Giant Pumpkins are growing.
15) THAT OUR WEB-SITE IS FINALLY GETTING RE-DESIGNED!!!!
16) that American Pharaoh won The Triple Crown.
17) for Coconut Rough tea that friend living in New Zealand sent .
18) for friend who lives in New Zealand.
19) that I am not dealing with ambulance situation being heard in the background. (Thoughts and prayers going out to those who are.)

20) because I DO have more than enough art supplies!
21) for people wanting to buy the things that I create. THANK YOU!!!
22) for the NBA Play-off Series.  Sigh.
23) that we have more than enough food in our home.
24) that, as far as I know, both grown "kids" are doing O.K.
25) that Sir Todd gave me a good back rub before heading out for his day.
26) knowing I have more than 30 things to be thankful for.
27)  for Mozart and Bob Marley.
28) that I am in control of the big TV for a few hours. No, I probably won't watch - but I could!
29) because I can HEAR the kettle whistling through the tinnitus whistle. Nice Harmony this morning.
30) that this moment of blogging went quickly and easily.

Back to Reality!



Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

Scribble Typing

No, this brain doesn't "work." It jits. hopes (meant to type "hops"...), stays in one spot for five minutes if I'm lucky. Somehow accomplishes a few things through the day.

Today eyes are on computer, glancing out at black squirrel munching year-old sunflower seeds I'd raised from seeds to feed the squirrels. Of course that plastic bag got put into a work cupboard for safe-keeping/getting lost. Mission accomplished! And because one thing got moved from cupboard other things got noticed, some pitched (yay!), some moved to more useful spots (yay!), and ohters simply piled into neater piles (still Yay!).

But brain wants to start running for five minutes a day because "The New York Times" article says we will be better off if we do, and it's fighting doing paperwork that HAS to be done today, and it wants to start another pastel piece before finishing all the other pastels and acrylics that are ALMOST FINISHED. And it has to keep on task for Powderhorn Art Festival in Minneapolis this weekend, and it misses Summer already because early mornings are becoming dimmer and dimmer.

We shall not type of Guilt.

This bear is not particularly guilty; he was simply easy to post. I have to stop doing the "easy" stuff and start doing "harder" stuff. Once upon a time I judged life stuff by it's being "standable." If it was standable it could be done. It would not be pleasant but it would be accomplished.

I've since turned into a Life Wuss. Not in all things, but in many.

It's time to start Facing Fact Lake again. Life IS semi-peachy keen. Life is O.K. And, as someone else so wisely put it, how we spend our minutes is how we spend our lives.

Another blog post. Not particularly important to others, perhaps, but another life marker to me. Say Hi to YOUR Brain from me and mine.

Come on, brain, it's time for a run.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

FB page: Sue-Rowe-Studios
web: www.suerowe.com

upcoming art fairs:

Aug. 2 -3: Powderhorn Park -  Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 9: Art Festival at Brighton Beach - Duluth, MN
Aug. 23 -24: Artstreet - Green Bay, WI
Sept. 6 - 7: Art in the Park - Wausau, WI
Sept. 20-21: Marine on St. Croix, MN
Sept. 27 -28: Spirit of the St. Croix - Hudson, WI

Finishing Started - 2:

Here's another old one from the stacks. An odd sized image - so Mr. Todd will have to invent some framing for him.

I redid the sky with more black pastel, and tried to improve on the old bear's face and body. That's when it got interesting. Todd and I kept having different opinions concerning "worse" and "better." "Muddy." That sort of thing. "I liked it better the other way." "I was just trying to (insert a number of possibilities)." A somewhat no-win situation for both of us -  and the bear?

But now we consider the piece finished. Not perfect but one to say "Done." For better or for worse. Two down - at least 28 to go.

Ever onward -
And some day the day might get Above Zero.
Some day.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Clean Hard Fast:7

CLEAN: the dishes in the dishwasher.
HARD: to realize the number of items we must number for up-coming boutiques. But thankful we are IN  these holiday events! I am "80" for everything. A few years ago we did other venues that required different number. Needless to say this eventually drove us crazy - not a HARD thing to do - and we gave up those events. Simply not worth the effort. Not that we "work smarter, no harder" all the time - haha - but being artist/craftsman "80" makes life a wee tad easier this time of year.
FAST: how I drew today's bear. Grabbed the first piece of colored paper from the bag in Junk Drawer, sectioned off a four by six inch area, motioned to the pastel pencil container (Friendly Farms Small Curd Cottage Cheese Low Fat) to attend to duties, and started in to the mystery of creating Something quickly.

This fuzzy, perhaps dangerous, quirky bruin appeared. Nano-seconds of tiny decisions go into drawing quickly. Yellow pastel ears and curvature of head were the beginning. Next, with black pastel, eye area next blocked in, but no eyeballs. A dark blue pastel teddy-bear "stitched" nose next,(oddly, most of my bears' noses are indigo blue - no, I don't know why), and mouth that demanded to be drawn smiling.

Yellow fur with bit of orange followed, and body contours were outlined in black. (It's taking way longer to type HOW drawing was created than creating the drawing.) Eye decision made - hmm - instantly forming personality. White highlights here and there. More yellow to tone down black.

Still deciding on possible text, or leaving space blank, or putting color in spaces... I think this piece will stay as is for now. I don't know if the world needs another being possible up to no good, but this little guy was fun to draw and now he exists.

As long as we exist we can make the effort to create that better world, town, home we wish and hope for, so -  done with the dreaming and on to the doing!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

Clean Hard Fast: 4

 Yes, head is still clanging - along to Mozart piano music this dark morning.

CLEAN: not the work desk or kitchen table.
HARD: to believe our outdoor art fair season is over. It went out well, with a lovely, nippy, sunny weekend in Red Wing, MN. I learned that when a man says "I LIKE that bear" it means "I want to BUY that bear." Two different gentlemen at different times of day on Saturday. Thank you, gentlemen. I hope you enjoy your new bruins. Oh, and got to give away two of the Junk Drawer Journals made earlier this year to two new art fair friends who immediately put them to note-taking use!
FAST: how early mornings went DARK. It's 7:05 A.M. - time for tea, egg, bacon, and garden greens. But greens will have to be gathered blindly or by flashlight. Sigh. I still vote for five A.M. daylight - all year round.

A bit over a month ago it felt time to play with new techniques - thus the playing with acrylic paints that happened to be on hand and goofing off with papers - just to see. Here is one result:

Acrylic paint on 7" x 5" paper

I'd started doing mono-prints, but ended up cutting stencils out of scrap backing boards. Yay, for not tossing scraps. The four-inch wide boards can be cut into pieces for three bears. Yes, the designs are limited in size, but forcing oneself to work within limits IS a good challenge.

Papers, were, once again, scraps. But good scraps - either printing or heavy-weight water-color papers.

Paints ranged from garage-sale "craft" stuff to  new good goodies that I had to go BUY once I started loving the results. Especially exciting were the metallics in with or over the original layers.

The acrylic bears have now graduated to being painted on small wooden boards, and folks and I are happy with the results. I even "craft" stenciled two bears onto a canvas tote. It sold at the Red Wing Art Festival, though I wouldn't have minded using it myself. Have a small stack at these tote bags (25 cents each at a summer estate sale) so more of that doing will get done. We'll see how tough the board paper stencils are and how long they last.

Well, typing has taken long enough that a bit of yard is visible. Greens, here we come?

Web-site is down at moment - argh, but Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios is alive and fun.

We are attempting a too-long-in-the-doing vacation soon. And yesterday while working a shift at American Gothic Antiques I learned, at long last, of Kansas City's Oklahoma Joe's BBQ, so new eating plans for KC! We always ate at Gates.Time for a new chowing adventure. Great Art and Great Meats await! Now to carve out a chunk of time. Carve out a bit of time today for creating happiness, joy, and perhaps a piece of art or two. A crow is cawing "You CAN do IT!"

On to the day's Grand Adventures!

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Scribble Power

Must get back to the challenge of marking marks. In journals, in sketchbooks, and here. Even when one puts "blog" on list of things to do - well, of late...... that little square has been not been being checked off. Then there is evidence of one's intentions minus one's actions. Well, at least there ARE those small notebooks of tasks and plans. Spring and Summer DID exist. We did do stuff. Not everything, but quite a bit. Without notebook and photo evidence parts of me would be right back in the dark of this past Winter. No fun, no ambition, no plans, not much of a life.

This Winter, cross fingers knock wood, will be better. I'm not hoping for the Old Normal, just a better New Normal.

So here's a little drawing from early morning today. A smudged piece of card-stock from the Scrap Paper Drawer. Doesn't everyone have a Scrap Paper Drawer? We also have the Scissors Drawer but that's another issue. This piece of paper recently doubled as a dustpan. I really like card-stock weight paper. "It's a card! It's a dustpan!" And now the paper is supporting a scribble - so it's dustpan days are probably over.

One of our magnets was sitting on the kitchen table so we added her to the mix. Reminding me to get back to lists and schedules. And to keep scribbling.

Our last outdoor art fair of the season is over. The Red Wing Arts Association in Red Wing Minnesota puts on a lovely festival. Sunday was the better day of the two - although cold and wet put a damper on Saturday and some of Sunday. Of course the sky turned sunny blue as we were pulling out of town. We packed up "dry" - that's always nice.

And the Green Bay Packers won on Sunday night - that's always REALLY nice.

So on to the challenge of scribbling and posting. Give yourself a small challenge soon, accomplish it and let me know. You'll get a typed well deserved pat on the back from me, and maybe from others as well. And we all can use any number of pats. Heck - here are three just for fun: PAT PAT PAT.

Back to playing with paper -
Fare-thee-well,
Sue