Metals - Color, Texture

I am a visual artist - I am not a composer of music, an interpreter in movement, or a maven of words. I am a visual artist. My chosen media for many years has been metal and glass. It occurred to me as I drove to work yesterday, that I really love working with metal. It always amazes me how malleable metal can be. The things that I can do to change the surface of metal, and what I can then do to color or embellish it, just makes playing so much fun! And I love the colors of metal, unadorned: the bright white gleam of silver, the wink at the sun that gold boldly does, and the mellow warmth of copper. I love them all. I tend to work most with copper, not only because of the color but also because it is a more affordable option for me. But copper fulfills much of what I want in a metal. It can be cut, hammered and shaped. It can be etched. It can be enameled and patinated. It can be soldered or cold connected. It's a happy metal and I really enjoy it.

Even as I work with the metal, however, I still have a deep desire to be better with pencil, ink, paint and paper. There is something so portable about being able to produce art on the fly. I have at least one sketchbook with me at all times - in my jacket pocket, in my car, in my work room, next to my bed. I love being able to grab a pencil and jot down a design or a scene on the fly. But expertise in this, like in most things, requires regular practice and I won't be able to truly devote myself to all of the aspects of my art until I have retired from my "day" job. Therefore, let's all think optimistically about the economy and our place in it. We will be able to pull ourselves out of this economic downturn, recover our funds and financial stability and our personal confidence. Then I can retire and play with my art. After all (as my good friend likes to say)...."It's all about ME" - LOL.

Create happiness by sharing beauty with another person today.

Friday - This is a Good Thing!

It's Friday. This is a good thing - at least I think so. The week is almost over, people are still coming through my doors to purchase products for their own crafting needs, and I am still collecting more friends on SuperPokePets. But by the end of the week I'm tired. Really tired. I'm running at a schedule that I might have been able to pull off when I was in High School, but it's a really tough one for a 50+ woman. I go to sleep at 10pm, and wake up at 3:30am. I hit the computer for 3 hours of computer work and Emails and have a half-hour for my shower, etc. Sometimes I let myself sleep for an additional 30 minutes, but then I really fall behind. I don't eat a healthy diet, I need to lose 50 pounds, and I don't have enough time for my own crafting and art. So....now that I have the negatives out of the way....

It's Friday. This is a good thing - at least I think so. I took my enamel samples to my beads yesterday and chose the colors for my 3-D flowers. They need to work into the full project. Now I have to mentally run through how I want the colors applied. I think I'd be best starting out with an undercoating of transparent over the entire flower to protect from fire scale. Then I can start working on a nice, mellow aqua-ish exterior with a riotish interior of pinks, yellows and a splash of orange. It'll be fun. So....how many days until Wednesday and time for my kiln?????

When I create art, I wake up. I exercise my brain - both sides, and I start humming and being generally very happy. It's probably a really good reason why I try to do something creative every day. What to do today? Maybe I'll just draw a quick picture with my colored pencils, maybe I'll do a bit of beadwork, maybe I'll color with crayons. Whatever I decide to do - it will feed the creative part of my brain. Feed your brain - don't let it wither through lack of exercise. Create, and through that creation - create happiness!

Hmmmm....Have I Mentioned????

Have I mentioned lately that I hate the IRS? If I haven't.....I really don't like the IRS. We have a family high deductible health plan which entitles us to have a health savings account (HSA). Apparently it is against the law to have a joint HSA, even though the health insurance is joint and even though both of us can write checks from the HSA account for health-related expenses. So, in the infinite wisdom of the IRS (not!!!), because I am the primary name on the HSA account, my DH (Darling Husband, Dear Hubby, Damned ... Damn Him - all depending on mood, time of day, and events pending) cannot put in a legitimate "catch-up" donation to the HSA account because I would not qualify for this donation for another year. Have I mentioned that I hate the IRS?

So, today, my DH (pick your own definition) gets to go to the bank and open his own HSA account - because, of course, we aren't allowed to have a joint account. Then he can deposit this additional contribution into his own account. In the meanwhile, I got to live through his temper tantrum about the idiocy of the policy for three hours last night. He's not my Dear Hubby right now....

On a more positive note, I had a very productive day at the kiln yesterday. Finished my color strips for my opaque colors so I'm looking forward to starting work on my 3-D pieces next week and maybe getting to start work on my transparent color strips. It was so nice to have some kiln time, although I can already tell that working at my kiln during the summer will be a very hot experience. I'm still looking forward to it though. It's just SO much fun!!!

Errands, Cleaning and the Kiln

The conflict of time once again raises its' ugly face. I have errands that have to be done this morning. I have to deposit a check into my retirement account before the end of the day so that I can file my income taxes. I also have to purchase the latest Prince music CD at my local Target - the only store authorized to carry the music. I have boxes to mail, a bank deposit to make, some funds to transfer and a duplicate book to return to Barnes & Noble (one of my favorite places in the world - books...I LOVE them). After all of that, I may actually be able to get to work in my home.

It occurred to me this morning that I have been in this house for 22 years. (No, I don't live in THIS home, but it's a wonderful picture, isn't it?) In that time I have accumulated 22 years worth of "stuff" - much of which I really don't need and all of which is getting seriously in my way. I have been trying to clear things out, but I have realized a remarkable lack of success in that endeavor. But I will have to keep on trying because I need to make things clear enough that I can eventually move my studio into the home instead of keeping it both at home and at the shop. That's going to cramp my space and my DH refuses to give me any more of his own crafting space. So, back to the attempt to clean, organize etc. And in between all of that, I MUST work at the kiln today. My fingers are itching to play with some enamel. And so, once again, housework will fall by the way and art will reign supreme. I like that choice - at least for now :-)

Where Did the Spring Go?

Snow, rain, temperatures barely above freezing, forecasts of snow - 2"-6" within the next day or so. When did I sign up for this? What power decided that Spring would flee away into the south and not return for another week or so. This really is NOT pleasant, and I was really loving the new spring green grasses, the brave first flowers, and the happy birds trying to attract a seasonal mate. I was looking at my pond, waiting impatiently for the return of my spirit bird - my egret. And I am sorely disappointed at the weather that I must endure now to get there.

I've spoken earlier about how Spring can be the most deadly of the seasons. How people would be at the end of their stored foodstuffs. Of course, when the weather cooperated, hunting would have been possible at this time of the year. But the new growth would have just been starting and the end of the root vegetables and grain stored for the winter would have been reached. I am feeling like that with my patience with winter right now - at the end of it - LOL. But, on the positive side, it will be over soon. And I, in my amazement, have passed 150 posts and am still enjoying giving clarity in print to my own creative existence and goals. I hope that the passing person happening upon my blog is as amazed as I am and that I haven't bored you to tears over the past posts. I will keep on living my life in the best way that I can and I hope you have a wonderfully happy, musical and focused day.

Crazy People - Positive Focus

The news this morning is full of death, mayhem, celebrity problems or causes, etc. Doom and gloom. The world is coming to an end in 2012, at least according to the Mayan calendar (and several other ancient cultures also). If I pay attention to the news, it seems that we are racing towards this end with breakneck speed. So many of the world's people don't reach their 50's. So many children are working or killing others before they reach their mid-teens. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to sit in comfortable houses with inside plumbing and adequate food and water sources are incredibly lucky and should be thanking fate every day for that luck. I try to, although I'm sure I don't thank those forces that allowed me to have my life as often as I truly should.

I do, however, try to present the world in a positive spin. I try to create beauty, I try to treat people with respect and happiness, and I try to keep emotions in check when my DH gets a bit out of control. All of these things aren't going to stop global warming. They won't stop polar bears from starving to death, or lions from being killed in Africa. They won't stop the stars from spinning or the wind from blowing. But they may make one person happier and that person may make another one happier in return, etc, etc. One good stroke can effect a change and I urge you, today, to do your own small part to spread kindness in your own small part of the world. And, while you're at it, thank whatever powers that exist that you are able to live a creative life.