Sunday, October 23, 2011

Girls Rule...

I made this today. I don't know why. I had sketched these three little girls a few weeks ago and they were just sitting on my table waiting for me to 'bring them to life'! I kept looking at them and they just were so sweet. I was compelled to finish. So I guess, that is my reason for making this...although I feel sorta silly knowing I have loads of other work to do, and yet, this still kept calling! I wonder why I do that? Anyway, I have promised myself that I am going to be more focused and try my best not to get sidetracked! I keep telling myself that there is a method to my madness and that all of my making and creating tangents will ultimately serve me well and not to be so hard on myself for following my muse! It is all leading me to something. I just know it! In the meantime, I think this piece is for all of my girlfriends (on line and in person) who 'get' me and support me and are there for me cheering me on! (Yes it's YOU!) Girls DO Rule! xokp


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Coffee Happy

I am working on a series of illustrations of the things that make me happy. My first one, you may remember, was art supplies! I liked it so well and it got such a good response that I decided I should do more and so the idea of painted "happy lists" were born.
Though I created my first 'happy list' painting before I began the Creative Courage e-course, the whole idea of writing out and illustrating my goals, dreams and wishes has been strongly encouraged. I figured I would just run with that concept. I have found that getting this type of reinforcement onto paper
has been really good for my spirit and has kept my outlook and attitude positive and optimistic!
I have decided that I like focusing on what makes me happy and saying nice things about myself! Hooray for that!
So far on my "happy list" I have art supplies and coffee, but I have plans for a lot more. My goal is to finish one per week. That should keep me busy for about another ten weeks!! Well, if there are any that YOU would like to see please follow me and leave a comment! Thank you, as always for being here and looking at my art. It makes me happy ! xokp


Sunday, October 2, 2011

I wish I may...

...I wish I might....have the wish I wish tonight. 
As you probably have noticed, I have been writing, posting and talking about the e-course I am taking with Stephanie Levy. It is called Creative Courage. We just finished up our first week and WOW what a thought provoking and productive week it has been. We have had amazing interviews with  Susannah Conway  and Jessica Swift both wildly creative, talented and successful women. I have had the opportunity to meet other like minded artistic souls and we have discussed things like, creative visualization and dream overload. We have done exercises to make us more aware of our dreams and goals and help empower us to vocalize, clarify and solidify them. It is a lot of heart-work, but so rewarding. One of the things Stephanie told us in the very beginning of the course was to actually write our answers out and not to just think them in our heads (haha she must know me!) She said, "Your "homework" is to actually answer these questions. It's easy to read through the exercises and imagine answers, but it truly makes a difference if you take the time to write things down. Writing down your dreams, goals and next steps is the first step to making them come true!"
I definitely think it makes a huge difference to take the time to define your thoughts and visualize your answers. I have been having a wonderful time being thoughtful with my answers and illustrating them as I go along.
On Friday (our last 'lesson' for the week) Stephanie assigned us a weekend project. It was to make a 'wish jar'. She said she got the idea from Keri Smith and thought it would be a great project for this course.
All we had to do, was get or make some sort of container. It could be a jar or a box or any vessel to hold scraps of paper in which we would write down our  wishes/goals/dreams. Of course, we could add to our wish container at any time and it would be something we could revisit at any time to remind us of our wishes/goals/dreams.
I, of course, was super excited to have this lovely reason to make something fun and creative.
And I even have a fun story to share with you as a result...
About two months ago I purchased this really cool jar a thrift shop for $3.00. I love this jar. Here is a pic:


I think it is super cool and I thought I would use it for my 'wish jar'. 
Then, on Friday, I stopped at another thrift shop, a thrift shop all the way across town from me (but it is just down the street from my daughter's apartment...) and here I saw another very cute jar/vase. It was a round glass vase and had cute daisies painted on it. It was only $1.99 but I decided not to get it, well, because I didn't need it and I figured I would use the cool jar I already had. Needless to say, when I arrived home on Friday night and began to gather my materials for my wish jar project, I took all of the candy out of the jar pictured above and set it at my art table. I was thinking about my wishes and how I wanted to make my art and fill my jar and suddenly I knew I COULD NOT USE THIS JAR! It had a lid!! I realized I could not have and did not want my wishes to be contained! I did not want to keep a lid on my dreams! My wishes needed to be able to go out into the Universe! They needed air and flow! I called my daughter immediately and asked her to go to that thrift shop and find that vase and bring it to me on Sunday (she was coming over to get a manicure and do laundry, so I figured it was a fair trade!) So Saturday morning she went and found it (I guided her over the phone) and here it is...
I call it my Wish-Full jar! It is Wonder-Full and I am so Great-Full!
                               

I am happy. Just looking at it makes me feel that all my wishes will come true! Silly? Maybe. But I don't think so! Here is a peek at the 'wish-full stones' I made...


It is a great project and exercise. If you are inclined you should try to make one for yourself...as I placed each stone inside, I held it and read it out loud. I could actually visualize each wish coming true. It was a very gratifying feeling. Thank you Stephanie and the 'team' you have put together for the wonderful inspiration, ideas and motivation. Yay for wishing and dreaming!
xokp

Saturday, October 1, 2011

in my journal today...

This is my second completed journal page for the Creative Courage e-course I am taking. This has been a good question to answer. It is nice to say nice things about yourself! You should try it! xokp