Wednesday, August 29, 2007


Teeny-tiny watercolour and a befuddlement: Watercolour again done quickly. Inspire me Thursday had watercolor for the theme this week also and so I squeezed in this quick 3.5 x 5 inch watercolour based on the photograph. I'm feeling better with this but would really like to get into it more. I used a black uniball for the details and added a tiny bit with caran d'ache crayons again.

Life is kind of a befuddlement at this time. I won't go into details but will ask for prayers for a high school good friend that had a baseball sized tumour removed in a major surgery yesterday. I just learned of it this afternoon. Her name is Jeanne.
There are all kinds of other challenges as well but know that I am doing very well considering and that for some reason numerous people keep sending me angels in spirit and angel pictures and all kinds of angels. Thank you sincerely.

backyard

Angels be with you,
Wendy

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

She looked to the setting sun: The theme this week for inspire me Thursday is watercolor. I think I tried that theme once before and just never got back to the watercolours. I often think I should try to do more sketching and painting but, when I get into my 200th year perhaps, maybe heaven? I started with too much paint, not enough water. It got too dark.









After it dried I misted it with a very light spray of tiny pink in water. That lightened it quite nicely.










I thought it was a pretty boring piece so decided to add the tree, and some words, and the angel. For those I used caran d'ache crayons and a silver marker. I got a bit carried away with the marker on the angel. Oh well. Notice the wind blowing gently through her hair. Hmm, I think the wind is blowing her skirt in the other direction. A spinny angel? Reminds me of someone I know.

she looked to the setting sun

Angels be with you,
Wendy

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

About etsy:
I like to look at slide shows on flickr sometimes while my hands are tied up for a couple of minutes and my brain is not. Today I decided to check etsy groups and came across this fabulous pool where they were discussing etsy shops and selling. As I am "oh so close" I decided that's where I needed to look today. I came across these tutorials about etsy shops and a lady whose been very successful there. The tutorials will be extremely beneficial I'm certain. How are your etsy sales going? I'll see you there soon.

blazing clouds

Monday, August 20, 2007

My sewing machine: Only a few days ago I realized I haven't been at my sewing machine since early June. Even though I have some pants hemming to do for Cat, I'm really looking forward to getting back to it, getting back to working with fibres, fabrics, buttons. Journal quilts have been on hold. Today I chose to work on one for June. This is what I have planned so far, oh, and the binding and the other fibres. You'll have to wait until it's done. I forgot to mention that the orange button will be for the August quilt. YES! orange is the colour for August.

On the red fabric I used some dishwasher soap with a bit of bleach in it. I needed to experiment with the stamps. Initially I had far too much soap. Later I didn't get so much of the whitening effect, but it got darker instead. Not certain what happened. I then used black dye based ink to do some stamping. I just have to determine now if there are any possibilities for setting the ink? Hmmm, any ideas? I'm wondering if I can press it.
The fabric is for Christmas projects so I've some time to sort it out. I also need to determine some time soon if I can use spray varnish on rice paper. I love to use rice paper and I've got quite a lot of it.
Angels be with you
.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

On yesterday's CaC "getting to know you day", Helene had questions about:

Magick and Freedom in the Writing world.

I'd thought to write a story but as usual I lost time. Here are my responses:

1)Do you feel that immense Freedom in the writing world? can you write about anything?

Yes, I absolutely feel freedom in the writing world. I’m not sure that I could write about anything. I prefer to write about that which I know, that which I feel. I was asked to write a piece specifically for someone. That seemed more like homework. If I choose to write specifically for someone, that is much better.

2)Do you feel safer in the writing world or are you at ease too with speaking?
what is the difference for you?

I am somewhat at ease with speaking, have done presentations, but I feel much more comfortable with expressing myself in writing. I’m not so great at instant comebacks. I tend to “stick my foot in my mouth” quite often. I do much better when I have time to think more about what I want to say. I have done readings sometimes but that is different because I’ve had time to think about what I am going to say to go with the readings.

3)Can you travel thanks to writing?

Yes, I am able to do that but haven’t taken much opportunity to do so. To this time I’ve mostly written about experiences and my thoughts. I want to get much more into fiction. That’s down the path. I do love to use metaphor and personification. It slips out sometimes without my realizing. That brings me joy.

4)Do you re-create another world, or another self in the writing?is it an escape or a way to dream?to find some peace of mind?

I don’t think I’ve really taken opportunity to do that very much but after reading Helene’s French posse piece I am inspired to re-create another world. I do sometimes enjoy reading fantasy and have just barely started in January a fantasy piece. It was set aside. I’ll return to it.

I started therapeutic writing about three years ago. It has greatly benefited me in coming to a place where I am more comfortable with myself. The words just seemed to flow from me. I think now I get more peace of mind through my visual art and combining words with the visual art. That’s a very good thing for me as I still have this battle with depression and self-esteem levels. It’s not quite the same now, but creativity seems to make a huge difference. Also, my helpers, professional types, are not as available to me, so it’s great I’ve discovered healing through creativity.

5) Can you write about your secrets to feel better when you need to share?( either in blogs or private diaries)

Yes, there are some things I can write about on my blog when I need to share. I’m not sure I would call them secrets. I’ve never really kept a diary that I felt comforted by – such a pity. I probably would have felt much more comfortable about myself, my diabetes, my feelings, if I had been guided through a writing journey. Emotions were not something to be readily shared when I was growing up. That’s ok. I grew up in a very loving and supportive family. I think my parents and the people who were close to me just wanted me to be happy but they didn’t really know what would have been best to help me to that avenue. I do feel blessed that they allowed me the many avenues and encouragement they did.

6)Are there things you would never write?(in your diaries or in blog etc)

This fits together with the piece about secrets. I have written some pieces which I have shared with only a very few people. I have not shared them with a more general audience because of the sensitivities of other people regarding their own capabilities, journeys. But I did write about them.

Regarding myself, I feel it is much better to talk (write) about how I feel and things I’ve experienced in the possibility it might help someone else. At readings I’ve done, where I’ve talked about depression and low self-esteem, I’ve had people come to me afterwards and tell me that’s exactly how they’ve felt. They were grateful. I also know for certain that I drew one person back to writing that had not done it for many years even though he has a degree in writing.

7) have you ever done Ghost writing, it's like role playing with letters or emails?
would you be interested in this?

I’m not sure if I’ve ever done it. I don’t think so. I think it would be fun. Would the recipient know it is role-playing and know who wrote it? I think it might be tricky for me to keep my whereabouts secret but I believe it could be very much fun.

8)Would you write about your fantasies or keep them in your mind, because it's too secret and private to share?

Hmmmm, I think I’ll keep the answer to myself. ; )

9) would you feel safer to write a blog if you were anonymous?

I don’t think it would make any difference to me. I am often too open and willing to share but maybe that’s a good thing.

10)Do you believe that being anonymous increase the freedom of writing?or do you feel that then maybe you are not seen and heard in your complete real self?

I feel to a large extent I would not be seen for my complete, real self. A friend of mine feels I’ve my own style of writing. I think if anyone knew me very well they would recognize the writing. Once I start doing more fiction I’m not sure that will hold true, but I suspect it would still be apparent.

11) What is writing to you?

To me words reach levels of my soul that would otherwise be inaccessible. The ability to write and therefore dig deeply within, allows so much freedom. There’s a saying that “a picture paints a thousand words”. To me that saying is so unrealistic. If someone believes that, then how many pictures would a story paint? We are all unique, extremely individual. With every grouping of words put into our brains we each envision something a tiny bit different. There will be common themes, common ideas of focus, but our past experiences and knowledge will allow us to paint that picture in its own very individual way. To me, that is richness at the highest level.

See also this poem from a few years ago which I recently posted at my other blog.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

My blog appearance ~ I suppose some people think I change the looks of my blog as frequently as others change their hair colour or maybe even their clothes. I'm being terribly, ummm, unsettled, and feeling like I don't quite know where to begin with all the art plans. I was looking for something that is art to post tonight but couldn't really come up with anything I'd completed. I must rectify that soon, like within the next month (hopefully days) or so. I think I'm also a might concerned about my dear Suze friend. I pray that she is alright.
As I couldn't find art to post I decided it was just simpler for now to change the looks of my little sharing with the world community. I was partly prompted, probably totally prompted, when I paused to take time to read the latest interview at CaC done by groovyholly. When I went to check Lani's website I was blown away. I didn't have much time but just the homepage alone seemed to exude joy and positive energy. For example she has a "place to go in case of artistic emergency" - wow, how inspiring.
I must remember "LIFE IS GOOD".

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Question ~ if my sweater keeps falling off my shoulders ~ Does it mean my sweater is too big or small? Does it mean the sweater was designed to fall off the shoulder? OR does it mean I've actually learned to let my shoulders drop a tiny bit! HA?

Angels be with you,
Wendy

Saturday, August 11, 2007

When you think a new thought, entertain a new dream, or mentally choose a new goal, your thoughts "leave" you and go out, in every direction, to the farthest corners of the planet - on a mission.

They carry a life force all their own, like ripples created when a pebble is tossed into a pond, and their sole object is to reappear back into your life as things and experiences.

You can't change this... but, YOU CAN use it. VISUALIZE.




Mike Dooley
What's been happening?
Some days it feels like there are so many things I should be doing and so many things I said I would do and haven't done. I start feeling like I haven't accomplished much of anything but if I start to look around I can find a number of started projects, like the first two pictures. One is of tags I need to finish up. They were done while we've been traveling - to the farm or back or to Regina from the farm and back.
The next is of a board book which I've glued paper to forming a paper quilt background. I've been spending time choosing papers and tearing them with a ruler. I'll tell you more once I've gotten further in the project. Here are some more papers I just purchased for the same purpose. The next two pictures make one think "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." I really want to get my etsy shop under way soon. I think I said that in March and a number of times before that. I'm getting much closer now but we'll see what happens. I've got really lots of fabric and lots of plans. I've been finding fibers to use with the projects. I've also been doing more purchases to round out the available supplies and make the projects more doable.
Part of what has set me back with creativity is lack of help for our daughter "Cat". We are supposed to have people to help but for a number of reasons it hasn't worked out this year. I've also been disappointed three times this summer when I thought I had opportunities to sell some of my art locally but nothing transpired. One project is not certainly off but I'm feeling quite doubtful. I do have some other ideas in mind but I have to actually create much more before I can get excited. I tend to think I can have things ready tomorrow, not allowing myself enough time. Then I panic. I'm thinking now perhaps it's better to procrastinate a bit and not get so anxious. On Thursday I actually mailed my letters of resignation for the board of directors I was on. That will allow me more time and energy. It was a huge first step.
Back to the creating. I think I have a few moments.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Shine:
Kind of a grey day outside and consequently I start feeling grey too. That's worse than blue.

I was thinking about Karen doing a mosaic of a friend's house, which she admired. I thought "Where is anything in our house that would be worthy of a picture?" I found these corners in the china cabinet and a few other things. I decided to share these with you for today.
Hopefully they'll remind you AND me to shine.

corners

Angels be with you.

the gift of time


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"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be
seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. "

Helen Keller

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