Howlin' at the baloon

This weekly challenge is helping me finish things!  Even though these layers take time to dry between each, I still sometimes get stuck and put a piece "aside to think", which ends up being an indefinite unfinished business...  So this piece was on that track, but because I needed to finish it this weekend, I made a choice, and the wolf is just what I needed to make this have "something extra".  

I am learning that part of my "putting it on hold" impulse in art is when I have an idea and then the immediate feeling like I don't have the skills to actualize that idea.  This weekend I just went for it, drawing that wolf multiple times until I was happy with it, then I rolled paint across a piece of paper, waited for it to dry, then transferred my drawing onto it!  Yay!

Wishing you a week of reflection and learning more about your fears and behavior patterns!

PS That is a goofy title, but it might stick!

Mountain Calm

I am really feeling good about this challenge.  It's been reminding me to "just finish" a piece, rather than wait and wonder if I ought to do something else or "make it better".  I think this has also helped me leave a piece alone before I fuss with it too much and then don't love what I did...

I have been so drawn to mountain lines and they still make me happy. 

 I love the combo with these big circles.

Mountain Calm, Acrylic on wood.

Enjoy your week!

Calm

Here I am, letting go, creating a crazy background, 

setting with it and then finding calm amidst the storm!  

Using Aquaboard is great for this "just-create-without-so-much-thinking" challenge since the best effects come when you don't try to manipulate it so much and just go with the flow- literally- the ink is flowing around in the water on the surface and interacting with the other ink puddles in unique ways.  

For instance on the upper right side you see a cool shape that reminds me of a tree on a cliff being blown.  I don't think I could have got that delicate organic-ness if I tried, and if I had messed with it I would have lost the beauty.  

The orange pieces are from a watercolour piece of paper, with similar zen relaxed effects- paint with salt and then sit back and see how it dries...

Wishing you peace and calm this week- 

or the ability to relax and enjoy the storm, 

which is pretty much the same, maybe?

Water is Life

I'm finding it interesting that I named this challenge "not-so-sacred" and the messages that have been speaking to me are pretty sacred!  (Must be the times we are living in right now!) I started this wanting to make sure that I keep a weekly practice of playing, exploring and not worrying so much about the outcome of a painting.  This I've done, though this week I am a day late, since so many paintings were in progress and needed drying between going forward.  For instance the paper for the flag and boat are both painted as well, and then I cut that out and used them for the imagery.

The Standing Rock message- Water is life- is one that has been pulling me lately.  If, in fact, we soil these waters, then many states down stream would be without clean water.  I feel it is so important to reflect and make choices that will help our future society, not just help the here and now, or those who already have a lot of money and power.  

The concept of a water protector is beautiful, and a metaphor for our own lives.  

What do you protect and find so sacred in your day to day life that you would take a stand for it?

This one is in dedication to all those people in the freezing cold, 

standing up for something they feel is quintessential for our life- clean water.

Mni Wiconi

Water is life.

All parts of the whole

This week I continue to let go, enjoy the moment and not worry so much about the outcome of my art.  I have been thinking about collage a lot, and incorporating beautiful papers, so I enjoyed using these triangles.  

The words came to me, wanting to convey something about us being parts of a bigger whole.  This sunburst shape gave me the last sentence.  Imperfect, growing, trying to navigate a stormy world, the sun shines on us all, so are we so different after all?

Wishing you moments of connection and feeling a part of a bigger picture. 

Enjoy your week!

Together, We Are Strong

In the vein of letting go and freeing up, today I did what I love to do with watercolour- 

play with lines and balance.  

Of course, important messages and statements are swirling around my mind, after spending a rejuvenating march with maybe 40,000 other humans who took a stand for humanity today here in San Diego.  

So today, these lines that I often paint felt like they were representing the people of the world coming together. Let's stand- for all we believe that humanity can be and hold it true.  Embody love, hope and unity to model positive energy for our future generations!  

The Sea Emerges

Here's my second week's endeavor of this year's weekly challenge to flow, relax and be with a painting and not overthink it.  This one I was thinking would have a word or phrase on it, but then I loved the movement and subtleties I captured and decided to let it be "done".  It's much more pastel than I've done before, but feels great in person.

I love the ocean so much, it makes total sense that when I relax and let go, the sea emerges...

Enjoy your weekend!

Not-So-Precious-Saturday-2