Great Googly-Moogly

One of my Google alerts is for recycled art, and I'm getting alot of alerts these days (with Earth Day going on). This is how I found Magpie & Cake's blog, and from them, this cool site: www.envelopecollective.com.
This group is taking your art, in the form of mail that you create and send to them (postcards, letters, etc.), and documenting them by posting them to their site. I loved their attitude (fun) and concept. I'm going to send them a submission one of these days (it's ongoing). Most likely after the July show...You can too!

The other cool link was for something called Shapetionary...didn't get the url, oops. The idea is funny and different: to document all the object nouns in the dictionary with pictures... you can participate; they're looking for artists. I will try to get the url and post in my links; I'm sort of pretending that I have a readership. That way when I do, someday, I'll have gotten the hang of this.

Artist Mom

I've looked. There's not alot on the web regarding life as an artist AND a mom. It's such a difficult juggling act. I had a mother who was an artist, and I'm beginning to understand alot about the difficulties she faced, and how it impacted our relationship. Good and bad.

I'm going to begin writing with that in mind. (And if it's not THE focus, then it'll be one of them.) Because every day, I am dealing with my personal needs, my children's needs, and trying to find a balance that I can feel okay with. Maybe it's my personal struggle; with an introverted artist for a mother, I felt like I got the short end of her stick. And as an introverted artist myself, with two kids, I really REALLY try hard not to let things get out of balance, in either direction. (We also homeschool, so that adds another dimension...)

Now I've got to get into the studio for a couple of hours, so I can get some work done before I go to Griffin's baseball game...

Randomly Rambling

mmm... chocolate... excuse me while I finish this bite...
Ok. Let's see. I've applied for this local fine arts festival (see sidebar) and now I'm working like mad in the studio. Which is good. Apparently, I need deadlines like this. Good to know. I've come up with some new ideas, and you know what? I'm having fun. Yay.

I promised some actual interesting blog content, a while back, in case anyone is reading this. And if nobody is, that's okay too. I'm just trying to get the hang of it; get in the habit of writing, while I think about what it is I'm thinking about. Then, I'll have to figure out the Technorati tag thing...

I don't want to just ramble on about what I did today, or about random thoughts floating through my head; that would get repetitive, certainly. And maybe I don't even need a focus. But I'd like this blog to be ABOUT something. Some possible ideas that came up are: papier mache, local art events (THAT would be short-lived...here in South Lake Tahoe; but I remain hopeful), the status of my art... See my dilemna? What am I going to write about that is helpful to myself, as well as others? (There's a great kids' book series called "Minnie and Moo" with a cow who thinks too much and gets herself in trouble; I feel like that cow.)

And if anyone IS reading this, I encourage you to leave comments. You have to set up a Google account; it's actually quite painless. It helps people to find this blog, and if I figure out why that's important, I will let you know!

No More Waffles

I'm done "waffling" and have committed to sharing a booth with my talented friend Kristen (www.faerymed.com) at the Tahoe Arts Project's annual Fine Arts Festival this July. I did this show a few years ago, and it was alot of fun.

This leaves no time for "wondering about myself" as Katherine Hepburn put it; it's time to get into the studio and work. I'm hoping this will assist me in moving forward. Just doing the work and seeing where it takes me...

Ouch.

This is painful. I think it's supposed to be fun, but right now it seems painful.

I tried to do some work today, and came up short. Just not feeling it. I am not "on fire".Everything feels forced, uncomfortable, not "real". Not inspired or connected. I'm not sure what I need to do to really connect and get to that place where...what? where what? Where it feels fun? Where I feel inspired? Where it matters?

Yeah, all those things. Where the work flows and the result shows that flow. I'm just really LOST. The work I'm doing seems unimportant, unsatisfactory, and unprofessional.

Dammit.

Never Do That Again

Recipe for a seriously bad vacation:

Take one small Subaru. Pack it entirely full. Add two brothers in the backseat, and one pre-menstrual mom in front. Top off with mega-Alpha male dad in the drivers seat.
Drive for two entire days, or until all humans are overly grumpy. For fun, add trips to Seattle's Space Needle, but balance with parentally exhausting Science Museum. Don't forget the plugged up toilet at the hotel! Next, drive for the entire day to see Mt. St. Helens...whiny six year old optional. (well, not for us.) Once in Portland, make sure mom is well on her way to the sinus infection and has her period before heading out to the Saturday Market! Once back in the motel, just for fun, the fire alarm goes off! False alarm! Haha!
Finally, finish up with two more days in the car, and make sure everyone hates each other before stopping.

WE all agree: we'll never do that again.