Playing with Paint

Sometimes it's fun to head into the semi-unknown. Here we have some lovely Masonite boards starting to be covered in acrylic paint. Working in a series helps  the possibility of having at least one successful piece come from all this paint spreading. I wanted to stay with the bear theme, yet play with shapes and emotions. On to it!

With so many works in progress I am not focusing too long on each panel yet. Just pulling paint tubes and experimenting. We'll see if the cute stay cute and/or the concerned stay concerned. I'm also going to try and use only the paints and modeling compounds we have on hand. There are parts of each character I already like. Once the bears have personalities they want to have both back-story and some kind of future. That's the fun and responsibility of being an artist. Creating something that might deserve to stay in existence. (Yes, there are bears in the basement on which judgement keeps being put off. That's the not-fun part of being an artist.)

So, we will return to these five soon and see what happens. Dare to fling some paint yourself!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Fuzzy Fun and Fluffy Fun

These three were the result of Scribbles by Sue at a  local assisted care center. We loved them as soon as they came out of the marker! I  don't know what kinds of birdies they are - other than confident, patient, and bewildered. Shapes first, eyes and beaks second.

Draw some feathered friends - young or old. This trio made us all laugh and smile. Your birds will do what birds do. Some instill fear. Some inspire. Some make us hungry. Some make us laugh.

A bird on the page is worth two in the mind?

Egging you on!

Sue

Gettin' Back At It

Yes, it's been a while....  As to chiming head - more tests, no answers. So, always mixed worn-out emotions.

However, seedlings have grown enough to be transplanted, Todd has mowed the lawn and removed a stump, and is talking about making the garden bigger. The garden will be larger because he wants to use the sod to cover the spot where the stump had been.

This is O.K. with me. More basil, more tomatoes. And more room for squash.

This morning the daffodils are waving in brisk sunny breeze. There are tasks to attend to doing. And I want to learn how to have Fun again. The constant chiming has seemed to suck 95% of Simple Enjoyment out of life. I really like Joy and Fun. And hope that you do, too. I like to laugh. Lots. But lately it's been mostly ironic cackles. I watched a bunch of funny stuff on You Tube yesterday - improv, etc. When others are hysterical it helps to join the crowd.

Today's plans are to slap some paint on some bears, do some business stuff, and try to break the cycle of anxiety creating worry creating mini panic creating anxiety. Will start by having a lovely cup of tea, some breakfast, and then drawing a flower - just for fun.

It's good to be slightly back.

May your day be fruitful and/or vegetable-y -

Sue

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

Attempting the Pinnacle for Fun

Attempting. Yup. Sometimes we know what we're doing well enough that it's time to go out on a limb or scale a different peak or dance a new dance. Even if we really don't want to do the deed. Why? Because, maybe, eventually, what we don't know how to do NOW will someday be what we are expert in, or at least we will be able to appreciate those who ARE the experts.

And, woo hoo, just trying might be Fun. What a concept. Goofing Off Theme again.

We have treated some smaller, various-sized pieces of Masonsite board and every now & then I say goodbye to the pastel pieces and hello to the various tubes of acrylic paints we tend to pick up here & there. Ya can't leave a reasonably-priced art supply item at the yard or estate sale. No, it must be rescued & introduced to like creatures stored for future use. Then, if it is a tube of something, it will dry out & get tossed (sad) or be used (happy). We like happy art supplies better. (I'm listening to Mozart right now & kinda wish I was slapping paint on something instead of typing about slapping paint on something).

Anyway, so the piece pictured is a start of something. I have no idea what. I have fear of both dancing and pinnacles so it's fitting that I should attempt a bear dancing confidently on a pinnacle - right? Problem now is - what to do next? Fear is creeping back into the decision-making. Argh. I like the form and attitude, but now what? Be brave, little bear-painter. It's acrylic paint - you can have do-overs. Do not stop with this attempt as you are suggesting to others to goof off. GOOF OFF! The beast can not fall off the mountain - it's a flat surface. The bear is in no danger. But there must be Change involved. Yup, our old friend, Change. And Chance. Oh oh. Change and Chance. And old tubes of color to play with a relatively new bear. And this is for Fun. Fear versus Fun. The bear doesn't care. The peak doesn't care. So back to that pile of paints and on to the mountain.

On to the daring. Dare to play a bit today?

"A healthy manner of play is necessary to a healthy manner of work." - Ruskin

On to the goofing off on the pinnacle of your choice!

- Sue