Sketchbook Project 2012

What if you could submit your artwork to an organization to be exhibited and it would not be turned down?  What if you were told it would be displayed and it would travel and it would be SEEN and there would be no judge or jury--only people who would appreciate it and admire it?  What if you knew your art work would become a permanent part of an exhibit where generations to come could potentially see your talent?  If you knew all of that, wouldn't you submit your work?  Wouldn't you just put it out there?  Well, guess, what?  You CAN do all of the above and there is still a little time left to get your Sketchbook.  The Sketchbook Project is sponsored by The Art-House Co-op.  Check out their website and sign up so you can share your art with the world!

I've started mine--here are a few pictures of the process . . .

Half Retreat - Women & Art

What I learned this past weekend . . .

Art is meant to share
Creativity is contagious
Laughter purges the soul
Heart talks are healing
Tears are cleansing
Sleep is overrated
Meals are not about nutrition, they are about fellowship
The smell of mod podge, paint and staz-on are perfume
and especially . . . 
the love of a friend is a precious gift!

The birth of "Half Retreat" was a spinoff of my friend Sandi's very special dream: "Secret Lake Retreat." After 4 amazing days with 5 women armed with stacks of paper, two sewing machines, a bucket of paintbrushes, an assortment of paint, dyes, sprays and GESSO - we decided that once a year was not enough. And so the birth of "Half Retreat" was born--a little respite halfway through the year!  And it was just what we all needed;  there is nothing to compare to being in the bosom of your friends who have a way of knowing just what you need.  So for three nights and four days we laughed, we created, we played, we talked, we cried and we just were . . . I am safe with these women.  No judgment. No criticism. No accountability.  Just unconditional love and acceptance.  I've decide that God gave us girlfriends so we would have someone who could understand our needs and our hurts and our loves and have compassion for us because we've all been there.  Can I just say that I love these women?  I do.

(And a huge thank you to Roben-Marie for her amazing photo collage . . . she really captured the essence of our experience!)

Fallow???

I created my "C-R-E-A-T-E" banner, now I need to get back in my studio and actually create something!  Blasted creativity block!  I'm at a standstill and finding it difficult to break out of it.  I'm surrounded by boxes of beautiful beads and trinkets; ephemera and paint; paper and glitter--it's everywhere, but I can't seem to get past the distractions and let the magic happen.  I sit and push the colors around on my palette.  I sort papers and ribbons and line up bottles of ink . . . still nothing!  I decided to google "artist's block."  I actually came across several websites with ideas on how to ignite your inspiration! It didn't help much with my problem, but I did get a few laughs.

Here is a good one: "Tip #6  Remember that everyone has fallow periods.  I don't consider them fallow, just the subconscious taking a breather and getting ready to take a different direction."

What the heck is fallow?  I looked it up and here is what I found:

fallow 1 |ˈfalō|adjective(of farmland) plowed and harrowed but left unsown for a period in order to restore its fertility as part of a crop rotation or to avoid surplus production : incentives for farmers to let the land lie fallow in order to reduce grain surpluses.• figurative inactive : long fallow periods when nothing seems to happen.• (of a sow) not pregnant.
Hmmm.  Okay, that sort of makes sense . . .  except that last part about the SOW!
I am hoping that my problem is just my subconscious taking a little break and is about to shift into massive creativity overload!!
Oh well - the drought has to end soon . . . bring on tomorrow!