the progression of Jenna

started this new drawing of jenna last week. making slight progress on it as halloween has basically taken over all my free time this week. i think we hit up every halloween store within an 8 mile radius of our home. but my youngest finally settled on a green punk rock outfit, which she is very happy with. also finding the perfect pumpkin to carve proved challenging as well! now i just have to hit up the craft store tomorrow to get pieces of my costume done.

i will have to put this drawing a side next week as i have a commission due in 2 weeks. and it's going to take all of my attention as the original photo is very old and has no details, so i will be making it up as best i can as i go along. my fingers are crossed that it will come out well! i should get out my lucky rabbits foot and 4 leaf clover as well...i'm going to need all the help i can get!!

hope you have a fun halloween weekend...may all your candy bags be overflowing!!

harmony

june 2008

ever since my mom's last days at a hospice in wisconsin almost a year ago, my brother and i have become close...even friends now! my mom would be very, very happy over this as we have had little to do with each other for 46 1/2 years. in fact we fought hard against each other most of our childhood. i can hear my father's words ringing in my ears as i write this..."if you're going to kill each other do it in the basement." that's so we wouldn't disturb him during martini time!!

but now...wow... we are just enjoying each others company like crazy! i guess we have both changed so incredibly much that we were finally able to come together as equals. as his relationship is ending now and he is telling me his story, all that residue i thought i'd gotten over has resurfaced. i am definitely beyond tired of my own sad story of the love of my life leaving me, but i believe there must be another layer of healing that needs to happen so i can live my happiest life.

so when that negative angry self pity voice comes in my head i override it with a few different mantras. thru much repetition, i am trying to (hammer in) create a clearing for a new way of being. because really, all that nasty negative stuff is not who i want to be and not who i am. not at all!

writing out gratitudes every morning helps as well. i have gained soooooo much from being in a relationship with my ex and then subsequently his leaving me, that i have changed, matured and expanded beyond words! and all of my experiences have been invaluable to me and has led me to my new found friendship with my brother and i am truly grateful for that!

family home

this ruddy brick tri-level is the home i spent my childhood years in and was in my family's possession for 45 years! my bedroom was in the back overlooking a good size hill (perfect for sledding) along with a substantial and bountiful garden. i can almost taste those raspberries now...mmm! our family home finally sold a few months ago.

i just received this photo today from my brother and it's makes me kinda sad looking at it, knowing the anniversary of my mom's passing is almost here. how could close to a year fly by that fast? memories are flooding back as a year ago, right after halloween i got the frantic call from my sister pleading me to rush home, the doctor has only given my mom 1 day to live. my mom hung in there for a month, so we all had the opportunity to spend an abundance of time with her and each other. we laughed, we cried, we hugged, we watched old home movies and we remembered!

giddy up

here's scout, all finished and matted and ready to go to a new home!

sorry for the bad photos. it's getting harder to take photos during the week. the sunlight doesn't hit our home til after i leave for work and already fading by the time i get home. when is day light savings time anyways? soon, i suspect! i guess this means i will have to start planning my blog posts over the weekend. which will be challenging as i really never know what i'm going to write until my fingers start tapping away at the computer. it's like trying to plan out your wardrobe for the week...impossible...i may not be in the mood for my black pants on wednesday. or even meals...how do you know that chili will be pleasing to your palate on thursday? just another challenge in life i guess (smile)!

tonight we are hitting up the halloween store for costume ideas and we just got the last disc of 24,season 7 in the mail (gotta see if the terrorists take out the united states), so i really doubt there will be much drawing done! Hope you have a more productive evening then mine!!

great art picks up where nature ends
marc chagall

here's my hiking buddy...josie. ever alert to mysterious sights and sounds in the mountains. we've been spending long weekend mornings lately just exploring...contemplating...dreaming! my resonance raises greatly when i'm in nature...sometimes it's hard to turn around and go back home where i know laundry, yard work, grocery shopping and so much more is patiently waiting for me. but it's all good...my life is mostly balanced now, but as always, extremely busy!

college is being heavily discussed in our household...and other possibilities as well. and my future has been quietly waiting in the wings to see what Allie decides. that's what's been a bit difficult in taking alyson stanfields e-course, as one of our numerous assignments was to write out our intentions for our future. with my plans hinging on my daughters decisions i've had to have a couple of scenarios in mind.

finished silvia on friday and started two new pieces over the course of the weekend. tonight i'll be putting the finishing touches on my horse drawing so i can send it out on tuesday. and this week hope to get my biography finished (updated my resume last week) and redo my website once again. i want to simplify it and have it geared exclusively towards my drawings. seems a bit helter skelter to me right now.

new life

angeles crest

i did a lot of hiking over the weekend...made it almost to the top of the mountain...but it was kinda cold and i didn't have a windbreaker, so eventually we turned around. because of the fires the terrain was so different...barren, lots of land and rock slides, large groves of ghost-like trees, and very little wildlife. at the basin of the mountain new life started taking hold and that was very encouraging to see.

being out there in nature triggered so many memories and this incredible outpouring of gratitude. even tho i have had to let go of so much this past year, i was just feeling so blessed. lately i have been feeling like a pioneer in re-creating my life. so much uncharted territory lies ahead of me bristling with all of it's uncertainty. i've had to give up the dream of what i thought my life would be like and tho that realization was very painful, it has not broken me. in fact i am feeling so good about myself, my art and life in general, i am really moving forward. and that feels great!

i really wanted to show you all the new updates on my drawings this week but the weather is not co-operating. been overcast, cloudy and lots of rain and so impossible to get good photos right now...but honestly i have been drawing!! in fact, last week for whatever reason, my creative juices were just flowing and ideas bouncing around in my head right and left! i think it might have been because of the art walk last week...all that raw talent stirring me up! will be starting some of it over the weekend...very excited about that!

my e-course just wrapped up last week and a fun thing happened, many of the artists participating wanted to remain in touch and keep that energy going. so we started a group on facebook and altho many joined few have participated. even if we just have a nice small core of people, that will be okay. we're all there for the same reasons~ accountability, motivation and encouragement. there's also connection and friendship to boot! all good!

the weather channel has promised sunny skies tomorrow, if that's true you'll see some artwork by the end of the week. i won't be just babbling on and on and on...so i know you're all crossing your fingers for the sun to show it's face!!

Have a great day!!♥

downtown art walk

as my cold is persisting here and going into my lungs, haven't been drawing very much at night, just taking it easy. so, you'll have to wait till monday to see some good progress on "scout!"

tho i did drag my youngest daughter emi to the downtown art walk in los angeles, as i wanted to check out three galleries i've had my eye on to send my promotional package to. lucky i did go as two of the galleries doors were shut. did find another one i liked but both times i've been there they've had only photography showing in that space. i'll go again next month for the final time before sending my work out.

on the way back to our car saw this interesting cracked pattern in the sidewalk and thought it so cool! took a few shots, then emi wanted to try and got her foot in the shot...but i LOVE it!! we decided this may be our new project together! photographing her feet downtown!!

there was an abundance of great art to be found at the galleries. but this artist, patrick haemmerlein is definitely my favorite. i've had my eye on his work ever since i saw it on the mincing mockingbird blog. next month i'm going to purchase one of his small tree pieces, i can't resist, they're just so awesome!

feeling better

hot water with lemon and honey

homemade vegetable soup

a few bed mates

but hogged the bed

and a little bit of drawing done.

i had to eat my words on thursday as i told my friend that i never get sick, then went and got that nasty cold my daughter had at the beginning of the week! put me out almost all weekend long. felt better sunday afternoon so got in some drawing but will have to book it over the next week to get this drawing done in time.

just over doing it again as i push myself very hard at times to get things done. the blast off e-course i'm taking is very intense with lots of routines to incorporate into each day. continuing to work hard on updating my resume and write my bio. and had to work out a lot of details with our passports and pieces of my trip last week. that on top of being a mom and artist. a bit too much i admit, still learning to keep everything in balance.

altho all that sleep was kind of a nice indulgence....i must say!