Fresh Air

I cut up the group of 2"x2" drawings (see Dec. 18 blog entry) and handed them out as gifts to a group of art friends. While I was personally influenced by the Big Sur fire when I was drawing them, I also thought about this group of women and how we all go through difficult times in our lives, and the tools we use to keep from sinking into dysfunction or worse.

My husband read me a quote about how our country doesn't really know how to do grief. We expect our family, friends, neighbors to bounce back unharmed by traumatic change, and we are surprised and disappointed when it isn't so easy to achieve this cork behavior ourselves. These drawings describe thought/behavior tools that can help with buoyancy.

Francine Survilo wrote to me her thoughts about the drawing she received.

"I like the little ladder picture because of the idea of getting different air.  I remember a time when my mom was having a terrible, upsetting time with her landlady trying to make her get rid of all her flowers and I was trying to help.  We would both get so upset and then one day I drove us a couple of miles east 
to the Baylands where we sat on a bench.  After 2 or 3 minutes we both felt so much better - just light and free like our old selves.  That's what I thought of when you talked about the different air up on the ladder."

Leaping About

A bit more activity has appeared on the page. Making this kind of drawing takes time. Each individual is a world unto him/herself, as we are in life. One must disassociate from one type of thinking figure into a different personality/experience and character drawing style. Interruptions from life helps, too. That little pig is Miss Priscilla who was released from her pen when the Big Sur Fire burned too close to her home. I keep hearing her grunts of pleasure.

"Unfolding Bouquet"

5"x3", oil.

Will be showing in Daly City next month.

Details below.

When Disaster Strikes

"15 Dream Makers"

6"x10"

(click to see)

Sometimes life takes us on adventures we'd prefer not to travel. These little drawings are about the courage we find within ourselves to get through rough times and to reclaim dreams lost. Somehow we have to turn what is difficult into something that is transcending. It takes a certain mind set, and it can take months, even years to achieve. It is absolutely doable.

I drew these the first day I learned my home town was on fire. Many of my friends have lost their beloved homes with nothing but their lives and a vehicle to drive out in. If you are interested in helping those devastated, here's a link with information.

http://surcats.org/index.php

In order to reclaim lost dreams it helps to find within oneself:

(Reading left to right)

1)    Unconditional love.

2)    Inner balance through concentration.

3)    Trust in the lessons from your ancestors.

4)    The ability to climb towards breathing fresh, clean air.

5)    A trust that you can soar with your own inner strength.

6)    Your own unique triangles of experiential insight and strength.

7)    Creative energy.

8)    Your personal spiritual holy grail.

9)    Your own unique key to answering the question.

10)  The light that is reflected in the glass that is holding the liquid.

11)  Community support.

12)  The relaxing atmospheric thought of meditation. 

13)  Your connection with nature.

14)  The knowledge that every deep hole is full of insight.

15)  Your personal magic.

Here are links generated by just a few of the interesting people

who walked in last week. 

Many create great holiday gifts.

Contemporary Clothes

Beer Chemistry

Photographic Beauty and Inspiration

Photographic Theatrical Oomph

Tasty Wine

Insurance Troubles

Coaching for Distant Romance

Heroines

Best Chocolate I've Ever Tasted REALLY

Yum again

Energetic Insight

Voice Lessons
The Apple at my Feet

The Art in Communication

This work in progress is pretty much what it is all about. Here we are, doing our own things, each of us in our own worlds and then sometimes reaching out to others. How we touch those near us is sometimes messy and at other times helpful and maybe inspiring. There are confused times when we don't read other people very well and make matters worse by reacting from a place of inner anguish or self disrespect. Balancing these miseries are the blissful moments where those we meet enjoy the unguarded sounds that come out of our mouths.

Some of us are natural clowns, some natural frowns. We might be emotionally straight brains or twisted psychological tornadoes. We might ponder the universe or be those that are fascinated by the cracks in the sidewalk. We are those who love a good cup of coffee or those who get jazzed by herbal concoctions. We are they who have never met an argument that isn't lovable or those who cringe at the sound of a nay. Is it air under that hood of a car we love the most, or that which blows off books in forgotten libraries? Do we delight by the stories of others or wish we didn't have to hear so much noise in the world? Do we like frijoles, sushi, cooked cabbage, fried worms, chocolate roasted with love and inspiration? Do we pop mint life savers when we are at a loss of what else to do?

This past weekend I had an Open Studio and my art room was full to over flowing with strangers and friends alike. Each individual was a walking inner story sharing my space and looking into my art mind with interest that ranged from enthusiastic soul mate to informed critic and on towards detached skeptic.

What thrills me about the whole experience is that it was not a one sided experience. People did not just come in and look and leave: instead there was discussion about views and perspectives and philosophies. We talked about my work. We talked about their work. We both found and noted similar chords as well as disparate notes that set each of us apart as individuals different from one/another.

Communication is at the heart of all art. It is so easy to settle into surrounding oneself with like minds, but the fascination is in discovering the diversity, recognizing that what we might think at first has no meaning actually could come alive when thought upon... and then Wow! our world has just been enriched with the youthful vitality of the newly perceived. This past weekend such wealth of ingredients was tossed into my compost pile. This morning it turned into black gold. Time to create guys! You, too!

Equilibrium Within the Seasonal Chaos

"Riding Chaos" has been accepted into a group art show in Chicago, the theme being "Equilibrium". Click on the image and use a bit of imagination and you will see many symbols of calming elements we humans reach towards as we ride through our shifting world. (Example: that maroon rectangular shape might be a flying carpet just waiting to carry a trapped soul off into fabulous adventures of discovery, pleasure and hope.)

This painting and my recent miniature art can be seen this weekend,
Dec. 7 & 8, from 11-5 at:

Peninsula Art Institute Open Studios
1777 California Dr.
Burlingame, CA

(Painting has since sold.)