On Track....

for cooking and a good family Thanksgiving. 

When DH came in yesterday, he had to step around the ladder in the kitchen, dishes everywhere, a sink full of sudsy water, and dishes draining on towels. He ask me what in the world had possessed me. 

I explained that removing and hand washing everything from the kitchen cabinets in November before Thanksgiving has always been my tradition. I also told him I skipped the last two or three years. He said, "so you are getting back on track then?" 

Yes, I think I am getting back on track. 

I will probably be absent here until after the coming weekend. 

Here is wishing you all a good family Thanksgiving too.   

♥

on my desk this week
a birthday infusion

When life jerked me senseless

around Thanksgiving, the only thing I can remember is that I wanted to paint angels.

I didn't really want to paint.
But I really wanted to paint angels.

And so it goes, the chatter in my head that never seems to stop.

I wanted to deep clean this house. That always helps.
But I didn't want to clean this house.

I wanted to start developing a new online class. Any one of my class ideas would be great.
But I didn't want to develop a class.

I wanted to start preparing for the rose garden of my day dreams.
But I didn't want to dig in the dirt.

I wanted to visit friends.
But I didn't want to leave my house.

I use to say, all I really want to do when I retire is be at home. I just wanted to be at home because I had so many day dreams about what I wanted to do if I could just be at home.

Now I was home.
But everything I wanted to do seemed too huge . To much . More than I could handle. Overwhelming.

So, I started painting   angels   through the   month   of December.
Today, I'm thinking I'm ready to start painting angels again.
♥
Note: This is the fourth installment of  How the infusion of San Miguel may have effected me which started November 19th.

one life circumstance
his name is Stupid Kitty (for real)

If you had ask me,

What will you do with your time when you retire? The first thing I always said, "there is not enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to do.

Then I would tell you the first things on my list.

• sit in the chair zone and read books

I planned to read and read until I was bored with reading.And I did do a good amount of that.

• just sit in the chair and do nothing. just. sit.

I have done a lot of that too.

• sit in the chair and stitch until I became bored with stitching.

I did

• paint, paint, and paint some more

By my standards, it doesn't feel like I have done much painting at all. I haven't.

• grow my art business

• garden

• clean house

• visit friends

And so on and so on and so on.

One thing I remember, I was in full-on immersion of my online class, A Diary of Faces.  I started the 18  week class in July knowing we were close to a sale of the business. Because the class was in organic diary format, I knew my commitment would be gigantic. (perfect for retirement) The class was and still is an enormous success with approximately 140 videos that I shot, edited and presented on most week days for 18 weeks. My contribution to the class ended November 9, 2012.


Today's Truth: In the end, I was totally exhausted and in burn-out mode from those 140 videos.  On top of that, it was during this time there was an undercurrent of the "life circumstances" that would come to bare by the end of the month. No doubt this contributed to my exhaustion. 
♥

Note: This is the third installment of  How the infusion of San Miguel may have effected me which started November 19th. 

mail art from 2010

Before Retirement.....

Today: A brief explanation of my retirement. My history.


I worked 50 years, except for a few short years while my children were in school.


Near the end, I fought for retirement.  I had a difficult time getting my point across. And that was; It was time for me to get to do my thing before time ran out.  

I felt desperate. I was troubled that if I worked any longer, I might have used up all of my energy. I would have nothing left in me. I had already lived more years than either of my parents. It became about my own mortality. My sanity.


Just as I arrived at the edge and began to feel the resentment creep into my heart, it happened. We sold our business and retired.


Don't misunderstand. I worked many years with gratitude in my heart that we had a business and shared a good life and business 24/7, as they say. We are a good team. It was good.

mail art from 2010

Plus, there were perks at the desk in town. I found ways to make the best of being there. 

For one thing, if you have followed my blog, you know that I spent lots of time making art-at-my-desk. Usually, it was mail art, various art journals and altered books. Art at the desk was all about supplies and materials that would fit in my art-to-go bag. 



I started my retirement mid-September last year. 
♥

Note: This is the second installment of  How the infusion of San Miguel may have effected me which started November 19th. 

How the infusion of San Miguel may have effected me...

A portal in San Miguel that captivated me.

As I stepped through this beautiful, organic, hand constructed, gateway in San Miguel, it felt like stepping into a giant size fairy house. I loved the structure so much. I day dream about building one here in my giant garden fairy setting.


Metaphorically, as I stepped through this portal in San Miguel it was an entry for the infusion that I went for.


Today, I want to begin sharing with you how the infusion of San Miguel may have effected me. Please bare with me. The whole narrative is complex with many layers of my thoughts, my stress, my history, my future, my day dreams, my reality and my sanity. (Or lack thereof.)


I can't reveal this truth all in one day for three reasons. One, I can't even organize my thoughts in outline form. Two, It would be too long.  And more importantly, it is an ongoing discovery on my part. And yours too if you are interested. 

I want to share this beginning and the unfolding story in short regular entries.     

It was like a giant fairy house entrance.

Today's truth: In my heart and soul I have been struggling about a year now with various life circumstances. The details are not of importance to this narrative other than just to say the stress has been debilitating especially to my creativity.

In San Miguel, I opened my heart and soul to an infusion of  clarity. That is what I need to chronicle here and now. 
♥

My Wrap-up of San Miguel

Sketch

I don't know about you but I seem to never finish my retreat art while on the retreat. 

For me it's not about coming home with finished art pieces.

I enjoy myself and take in as much as I can.

I fully enjoyed making this charcoal sketch for the inside of my triptych while in San Miguel.

And I'm happy I didn't rush the process because I am truly learning to love the charcoal sketching process.

When I got home, I finished it with paint. 

I have a personal challenge when traveling to retreats.

For one thing, I travel very light knowing I have to be able to manage my own luggage.

So, one thing I do is take only the supplies that are called for, with one exception. 

It is very tempting to take all my go-to supplies and tools.

You know, things you think you can't create without. 

I know you know what I mean. 

So, I allow myself to choose one thing that wasn't on the list. 

I purposely choose something that I don't use everyday.  

My tube of Golden Iridescent Gold (Fine) is what I took on this trip.
What you need to know is there was not one single tube of paint on the supply list. 
Of course I was sure that was an oversight and quickly shot an email to Rebecca to confirm.  
Nope, bring none!
A special colorlicious Mexican paint would be provided.
Katie provided us with the above image.
And I'm sorry to say, I don't know who the artist is.
I glued the image and then did a paint over. This I did finish in Mexico using liberal amounts of the Iridescent Gold mixed with every color.

I also finished my pouch that all the new art pieces fit in.

We each brought a piece of canvas that we used as a work surface while painting.
We cleaned our brushes and used up left-over paint on the canvas.
Then on the last day we each created a pouch.
We all shared many of the little scraps and they became a symbolic bond that connected each of us and the memories we made together.

favorite door

Many doors and portals await one in San Miguel.

This was one of my favorites.

couldn't pass up the selfie

I love these pictures.
My happiness shows.
♥

Full Moon Over San Miguel

Well well, I think I have been back from Mexico two weeks already.

How can that be? 

Still seems like yesterday and I'm still mellowed out from the trip.

The "chair zone" has become the story of my life. I can't seem to leave it.....

....this isn't what I mean to share today. 

Photo Credit:   Lulu Moonwood Murakami

We were blessed with a full moon while in San Miguel.
I was too dumbstruck to even try to take a photo.
Thank goodness one of my new artist friends did capture the amazement.
I'm sharing her "postcard" view that sums up the Full Moon Over San Miguel.
You will want to visit Lulu's blog as she and a group from Portland took an extended trip to Mexico and she is sharing so many beautiful photos just like this.
I am thrilled to know this new art friend. 

Full Moon Over San Miguel

Full Moon Over San Miguel is all about plaster, painting on it and other techniques taught by Judy Wise and Katie Kendrick.

I was inspired by the full moon and this is my way of remembering it.

(Even though I didn't really get the moon shape right)

My Full Moon Bracelet

Katie gifted each of us with a little bag of beads.

Actually it was a complete kit to make this bracelet

When I finished mine and put it on my wrist, 

I was struck by the beautiful white gemstone that fell right front and center representing another full moon over San Miguel. 

Thank you Katie and Judy for a wonderful experience in San Miguel. 

♥