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.