Susan's Art & Words

2010-03-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

A NEW BLOG

Today, I started a new blog. Why? Well, when I started this blog almost 5 years ago, the blogs were very different. So, was I.

When I started here, the blog choices were very limited. I had only a few templates to choose from, limited picture space and loading. I wasn't able to get a blog address that matched the blog name. And as my blog grew, I really outgrew the name.

Back then, I wasn't sure what my blog would be about, but knew I wanted to share my art and some of my writing with other people. And I have met some wonderful artists, art lovers and writers! And I want to keep growing with all of you and the new world of blogs.

To do that, I want my blog to cover a wider range of my creative life. I want it to be a place to celebrate my joy, passion and creativity in all aspects of my life including my art, writing, friends, family, my dog, Jilly and maybe even my not so little secret hobby, crochet.

My new blog is named Sculpting a Life because I really feel that my life is a lot like sculpting in many ways. Every day, I carve out my life around time working in my studio, writing in my journals, walking my dog, Jilly, enjoying time with my husband, Michael, children and friends. Whether I'm exploring new materials like acrylic paints on clay, trying new things like crocheting socks, discovering the joys of baking, rediscovering old story ideas, I want to be able to share my passion about creativity with all of the like-minded people out there in one blog space.

So, come by and visit my new blog, Sculpting A Life. Let me know what you think and share how you find joy and passion in your own life.

2010-03-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

Tree of Life-"Courageously Taking Root"-Completed!

About 4 months ago, Lisa Smith and Brenda Boylan met with me about doing a copper project for their school auction at Valley Catholic School. Although we talked through many different ideas, including a wreath, Lisa had a tree in mind and showed pictures of iron trees that she'd found on the web, representing the Tree of Life. I suggested the children could put words and textures on the copper leaves. Brenda did a small sketch of a tree with 29 leaves, beads and wire. I explained how I envisioned the tree to be more sculptural by incorporating copper tubing along with the leaves, wire and beads.

The tree sprang to life.

I ordered the copper and cut it down to squares, then Lisa and Brenda cut out the birch shaped leaves. I visited the class and worked with the children to do the repousse work, writing the words into the copper. After they cleaned the copper leaves, I did the patina on each and every leaf. I painted a chemical patina into each of the children's hand written words and colored them with a heat patina. I did heat patina on the textured leaves. Then, with the help of my husband, Michael, we soldered and wired and beaded each of 45 leaves onto the many branches of the copper tree I made in my studio.

Although I had their input and reference materials, the tree took on a life of its own as I worked on it in my studio. I made several sketches of my vision of the tree as I worked out the size of the trunk, limbs and branches. Then I made a working drawing of the tree in the original dimensions of 2x3 feet. The finished tree is almost 4x4 feet.

Once the drawings were done, I went to work constructing the trunk and branches of the tree to be sturdy and beautiful. As I twisted and turned the copper, I realized that the trunk I was making for the tree was, well, a lot like life. Life spirals up and out in many different and unexpected directions. It branches out growing stronger as time goes on, yet even the oldest and strongest branches can sprout new tender shoots and leaves at any time. The three spiral roots link together, just as our bodies, hearts and souls entwine in our lives.

The Tree of Life is an age-old symbol that appears throughout history in many cultures around the world. Different cultures use different types of trees ash, yew, oak trees to magical trees made from dragons. It symbolizes birth, death and knowledge. In some cultures it represents a variety of pagan gods. In Christianity, it is used to represent Jesus Christ.

This tree of life project entitled, ‘Courageously Taking Root’ has birch shaped leaves and, in some cultures, the birch tree is a symbol of rebirth and new life. What a wonderful symbol for young children and a beautiful way to raise money to build a new school. I couldn't think of a better symbol for young children and even some of us who aren't so young anymore. That no matter what your age, you are always able to grow.

Lisa wrote this about the project for the auction catalog, entitled, "COURAGEOUSLY TAKING ROOT". "Nature holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives. This will be portrayed using a birch tree which has symbolic meaning both for our children and for the Valley Catholic community as we move towards building our new school together. The tree of life is approximately 3x4 ft done in copper. It can be hung inside or outside and has a built in hook on the back. The children have chosen words of inspirational and beautifully engraved their words on the leaves. This piece would look amazing inside or out and will have gone through a "patina processing" embellished with various "jewels" that have been added through out the sculpture. Beware and be ready as you will want this for your your home, office or special place."

2010-02-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

Now it's Summer!

The Tree of Life is almost done. All the leaves with words and without words are soldered and wired on. The beads are on, although, I may be tempted to add a few more. There's still some patina work to do and a few places to polish up. And I have a few branches to 'prune'. Then it will be ready for delivery.

My biggest challenge right now is stopping. I'm in that 'futzy' phase where I tend to get bogged down with adding and subtracting elements that, in the end, I realize I really don't need. I've loved working on this project and it's hard to see it end. But what I really need to do is face up to the finish line and acknowledge the that the project is done.

2010-02-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

From Winter to Spring in just two days!

Here's the latest photo of the Tree of Life project. All the words that the children pushed into the copper sheeting are up and soldered on. Half of them have beads and wire as well.

There's more to come...more leaves, beads and wire, too! I'll post more photos after my studio session tomorrow.

2010-02-22T19:04:00.000-08:00

Leaves are bursting out in my studio.

The Tree of Life grew leaves today. The picture today shows some of the leaves with words attached to the ends of the branches. It's only about 1/2 the leaves with words and then, there are the leaves that are textured and smaller. And then, there are beads and wire to add. And then? I guess I'll know when I get there.

This Tree of Life is a lot like life, of course, a process that requires passion, hope, faith, courage, and love. Look closely and you'll see all those words and more up on those branches now.

Stay tuned. More to come!

2010-02-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

A tree grows in my studio.

You can see it here in process. The large copper tree will be adorned with copper leaves and beads.

The project is called, Tree of Life, and just like life, it’s a creative adventure. The trunk has many layers of spiraling copper that twist, turn as they grow upward a symbol of how we all grow in many different directions. The branches are heavy and light reaching outward, again, like life; there is a need for strength and delicacy. The base has three main roots symbolizing the body, heart and soul.

The leaves were given to the children in the class to repousse’ with words and textures. I had a great time working with them and found their word choices fascinating. The most popular words were peace, wisdom, faith and life. In second place were the words, dream strength, courage, joy hope and grace. Five children chose these words; friends, vision, thrive, passion and energy. No one chose the word, love.

So I added my own leaf with the word, love. Because, this tree project is certainly been a labor of love for me. I’ll keep you posted on further progress and pics of the finished piece.

2010-02-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

Celebrating Love before and after Valentine's Day.

I'm lucky to do what I love...art and writing and teaching. But it's not always easy. It's very easy to get side tracked, blind sided and disappointed by things that happen in life. So I don't take it for granted when life delivers me a weekend of what I love and sharing in what the people in my life love as well.

I went to congratulate friends on their new gallery shows. My husband did what he loves to do as well. The next day, we had time together walking, napping and watching the Olympics. Then later, we both got to share our daughter's performance doing what she loves to do, singing. And we enjoyed a delicious meal of salmon, salad and bread.

Sunday was restful and relaxing as we took turns cooking up a storm in the kitchen. We both love to cook and cooking together in the kitchen is always a labor of love and a way to connect and create. It was harder when the kids were little, but we still made time to make these heart shaped cookies(in the picture above) that the 'Valentine Fairy' magically hung on their bedroom doors just in time for Valentine's Day.

This weekend, we were childless...something new to us. Caitlin has a home of her own now and Kyle was out of town snowboarding with his friends.

Alone in the house, Michael and I made a puff pancake for breakfast, spinach Parmesan omelet for lunch but we saved the big adventure for dinner. We cooked a live lobster! It isn't as hard as you might think, you just steam that lobster in a big pot for about 20 minutes, crack it open, clean it out and serve. It was delicious with the fresh asparagus and hollandase sauce. We shared one of our heart shaped cookies for dessert.

Love comes in many ways in life and I'm very grateful that this weekend, I got the chance to cook up ways to connect and share it.

2010-02-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hanging out with art and artists.

What could be better than two days of fun friends and family, great art and tasty food?

I feel honored to be chosen as one of over 100 Oregon artists for the 28th Annual Visual Arts Showcase. What made it even better was celebrating with so many artist friends. I love Joni and Cynthia’s sculptures. Brenda’s pastels are always so beautiful. And Christy, Christine, Tupper, Gretha and Sunny’s paintings were treasures for the eyes and the soul.

The food on Friday was absolutely delicious. Catered by Ava in Beaverton, there was a dazzling selection of cheeses, fruit, focaccia sandwiches, salads and little bite size desserts. Saturday, I enjoyed chocolate covered strawberries, dessert bars and cheeses. Yum!

The exhibit included a wide range of fine art and craft including paintings, pastels, mixed media, photography and sculpture. I enjoyed seeing all the pieces and meeting many new artists.

I had two pieces accepted this year. My ‘Ocean Elements’ triptych and ‘Reflection’ are two very different and yet, very similar pieces. Both are ‘bas’ relief pieces out of metal.

The ‘Reflection’ piece is copper sheeting sculpted using my version of the age old technique of copper repoussé.

I sculpted the ‘Ocean Elements’ piece using my fingers, hands and arms, then painted the aluminum mesh with many, many layers of acrylic paints. It’s the biggest piece I’ve ever attempted in aluminum mesh. After it was done, it hung on my studio walls for quite a while. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, actually. I knew I wanted to frame or mount it somehow, but, the question was…how? I know I didn’t want the edges tucked or matted. My husband made the frames and we figured out a way to ‘float’ the mesh pieces inside the frame.

It’s always a little nerve-racking wondering how your art will be displayed. The triptych was hung at the entrance to the show on the brick wall and it really worked against the red brick.

I was so happy to see it there in the show and to spend the weekend hanging out with friends, family and art…well, life doesn’t get much better than that.

2010-01-29T20:08:00.000-08:00

(Wolf and Bear masks enjoyed by their new owners)

Question: Why do I do what I do?
Answer: Love.

I make masks out of window screening and copper. I’ve made all kinds of animals and mythical creatures in metal…cats and dogs, lions, bears and birds including a frog, donkey, tarantula, cheetah, macaw, owl, phoenix, dragon and a thunderbird just to name a few. I’ve made a series of fairies faces and masks that look like leaves.

A decade or so ago, I’d have thought I’d be done with all these masks by now, but I just keep on making them. Not only that, I keep coming up with ideas and creatures that I just need to make.

So there’s that question again…why? And the answer, so simple and clear…love.

I love imagining the animals and mythical creatures. I love shaping them out of aluminum and copper. I love painting them even though the process requires many, many, many patient layers of paint plus carefully detailed painting and repousse’ to get the richly detailed feathers, fur and scales. I love the fact that the depth of color defies the lightness and transparency of the completed mask.

Most of all, I love that people are so thrilled when they see them, feel them and put them on. They are transformed from boy or girl, woman or man into a wolf, bear, frog, lion, dragon or phoenix. I love to see the wonder on their faces when they look in the mirror and see their new masked persona. I love it when they realize that I can’t see them as they were but only as they are with the mask on.

I love that no matter what the person’s age or stage, the mask brings out the clear, true spirit of imagination that we usually only see in very small children. I love being part of that link and transformation.

Yes, it takes a lot of time, effort and skill to make each and every mask but when I’m working on the masks, my life becomes timeless.

Why do I do what I do? Love. Pure and simple.

2010-01-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

(Above: new bisque fired clay pieces awaiting inspiration)

Inspired in a basement.

On Friday, I got the chance to visit Gina’s clay studio.

I met Gina last year during the opening for Beaverton Art Showcase. I really enjoyed meeting her and interviewing her about the mural project in our suburban downtown area. So I was really looking forward to visiting her clay studio.

Gina is a well known local painter and for the last few years, she’s been working in clay, too. I’ve worked in clay off and on, but this year I’m doing more thanks to a gift of a kiln. Having my own kiln gives me many new opportunities, but there’s also a lot for me to learn.

Gina generously offered to share her knowledge and techniques with me. Down in her basement, I was surrounded by clay bowls and vessels big and small. The shelves were filled with rows of work waiting to be fired, glazed and finished. Three tables were topped with even more work in process.

Gina showed me how she paints different colored slips on different colored clays to create a rich textured surface. She showed me the glazes she uses and how the colors look on the pieces after firing. She generously shared her knowledge and I learned a lot, of course.

We shared our thoughts, our process and our fears about adventuring into a media that was new to us. And we laughed a lot, too.

I enjoyed getting to know Gina better. I was inspired by her whimsical bird houses, her vessels and bowls, the deep colors and textures, and the amount of work that surrounds the space. And even though she may not be aware of it, I can see how Gina’s painting techniques coming through her work in clay.

Seeing all the different ways to use one glaze, touching the different colored clays, talking about art and sharing laughs, I felt energized. I couldn’t wait to get home, get out my clay catalog and make a list of new supplies. I felt new ideas dancing in my head. I started to crave the touch of soft, new clay.

But the most important thing I found in the basement was a my inspiration. I didn’t realize that it was buried, until I ventured down into Gina’s clay studio.

2010-01-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

Share your creativity rituals and help light the way for others in the new year.

For years alone in the studio, I began my day with a ritual I called ‘CM’ or creative meditation time. I poured myself a fresh cup of coffee, turned on my favorite music, lit a scented candle and sat down in my chair. Closing my eyes, I attempted to bring my thoughts from the world of everyday activity to the world of creativity.

Doesn’t this sound restful and wonderful? Then why does it take so much work to get my butt in that chair? Why do I find myself at the computer, answering email or dust mopping my floors instead of sitting, focusing and creating in my studio?

I can say I’m too busy but after a few weeks, I get tired, cranky and resentful. Yes, it’s easy to put the needs of others before mine. Yes, it’s easy to find other jobs more productive. And again, yes, it’s easy to blame myself or others for my lack of ‘CM’ time.

The other day, I met an artist friend for coffee. After talking to her for a while, I realized that although I feel all alone in my struggles, I’m not. Almost every creative person finds themselves fighting the foes of fear, procrastination and time.

It’s a new year. And this year, instead of guilt and fear, I want to embrace the feelings of freedom, lightness and joy. I know that getting back to my ‘CM’ time is a big step in the right direction. But maybe in the New Year, my old ‘CM’ ritual needs some renewal, too.

So I’m asking for your suggestions. What steps do you want to take this New Year? Do you have a ritual that gets your creativity going everyday?

Share it here. I’d love to hear some new ideas. What sparks your creativity can light the way for all of us.

2010-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

Decking the halls for the New Year.

It all started the year my daughter cried when we took down the Christmas tree. I had to admit, taking down all those colorful, shiny decorations, festive plants and wreaths always felt sad to me, too. So, I told her that I wasn’t taking down the decorations for an entire year, I was ‘redecking’ the halls for the New Year.

Since then, as the Christmas holiday décor comes down, the New Year décor goes up. A white, gold and silver theme replaces the reds and greens. On the table, I put a white tablecloth with metallic threads, a gold metallic runner and a centerpiece with a hurricane, white pillar candle and festive beads complete with brass bells to ‘ring’ in the New Year. The mantle gets a snowy theme with little flocked trees and lighted white wreath. The hutch which holds the Christmas china gets redone with crystal champagne glasses and a silver champagne bucket. One year, I made a New Year’s wreath. You can see it pictured above…I cut oak leaves out of aluminum sheeting adding veins and details in repousse’.

It doesn’t take long to add these festive touches but it goes a long way to brighten up everyone’s mood after Christmas is over. My daughter has carried the ‘tradition’ to her own apartment this year as she ‘redecked’ her halls for the New Year, too.

I think what I love the most is the process itself. I renew my home for the New Year. I honor the past year’s good times with the gold touches. I welcome the abundance for the new year with the silver oak leaves. And I open up to new beginnings with all of the white touches; the candles, flowers, table cloth, trees and lights.

What started as a way to make my daughter happy has become a tradition that makes us all happier in the New Year.

2010-01-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

(photos bottom to top: before, during and after)
Flames and fireworks:
Burning the past and lighting the future.

For many years, my husband and I have spent New Years Eve at home either hosting sleepovers for our children and their friends or monitoring their party plans and hoping for their safe return. Saying goodbye to 2009 meant saying goodbye to old patterns and hello to what I hope is a new end of the year tradition: celebrating with friends and fireworks and a ritual burning of a sculpture made by Patrick Gracewood.

Patrick has created and burned a special year end sculpture for the past 30 years. His first sculptures were stuffed with fireworks and ignited on the beach in California. After moving here, Patrick continued the tradition despite the rainy Portland weather. For two days before the end of the year, Patrick gathers found objects, cardboard boxes, mailing tubes, wood shavings, leaves and seeds. Then with paint, glue, string and fireworks, Patrick creates a sculpture to burn.

Every year, the sculpture is different. Last year, it was a Nutcracker King with rats for the Chinese New Year. This year, with the second full moon for December on New Years Eve, Patrick’s sculpture had a ‘blue moon’ face, arms like the goddess Shiva and two large tigers because 2010 is the year of the tiger.

Everyone gathered, talked, ate and enjoyed the warm peaceful space of Patrick’s studio. When the time got close to midnight, people began writing their goodbyes to 2009 and what they’d like to say hello to in the New Year. The folded, rolled papers were placed in a basket decorated with white flowers in front of the blue moon goddess. Close to midnight the sculpture was carried outside. Michael and I proceeded with the storytelling sticks, others carried fireworks, sparklers and baskets of seeds which were saved originally for Y2K. Remember, it was supposed to be the ‘end’ of the world? We were all glad that almost a decade later, we could let go of those old fears, too.

Miraculously, the rain stopped just in time to set the sculpture on fire. Sparklers sizzled. Colors exploded. The darkness of the past and future were lit up. The flames warmed the cold, damp night. And as we all stood around the funeral for the past and the birth of the future, we shared a collective sigh. Some talked of letting go of the many mistakes from the last year and keeping the lessons learned. Someone else saw meaning in the fire ritual, how as it burned the creation to ash, its flames allow us to see the light of possibilities in a year of unknowns. Others shared hopes for the New Year: new beginnings, health and happiness.

As the flames died down burning the past and lighting the future, we exchanged wishes and hugs for the New Year with new friends and old. Then we left quietly into the early hours of the new morning of 2010.

2009-12-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Jilly at home with her new Christmas toy.

Jilly: A good dog comes home when she’s called. Finally.

Jilly ran away from home today and I didn’t even know she was gone. How did that happen? Well, earlier today we had new internet and phone service installed in our home. The installer left the gate open on the side of the house and I didn’t notice until after I let Jilly out in the backyard.

Big mistake. I know. Especially because Jilly has a history of running away and not coming when she’s called.

Three years ago, when we adopted Jilly from Guide Dogs, she was being ‘career’ changed because, she wouldn’t come when she was called. They called it puppy training issues. I called it a good dog with bad messages.

It’s taken me a lot of time, treats and training to get Jilly past most of these bad messages. Some, I know will never go away. But Jilly and I have worked hard to get past the big one, coming on command. And we’ve made huge progress this year.

She played on the beach, off leash, and stayed close to me. She follows me up and down the street off leash, too. Now, she’ll even run from one end of the street to the other between my husband and I and not run away.

So today, when I found the gate open, I whistled for her. When she didn’t come running to me, I used the ‘call’…Jilly, where am I? No response. Ok, I responded with quite a few @#$$##@@ but we won’t print that here.

Then I ran in the house, put on my coat and Michael got the car. As he turned off our street to the left, I went to the right looking for her. Michael hadn’t even gone ½ block when he tooted the horn, there she was!

I stopped, turned and yelled, “Jilly, where am I?” She started running right to me and I started running for home. She followed me, passed me and ran right up our driveway into the garage and sat on the rug in front of the door looking up at me. What did I do? I gave her a treat and a kiss, of course. Then I told her what a good dog she was to find her way home. And come when she was called…finally.

That makes my year happy new or old.

Then I locked the gate!

2009-12-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

En-lightening holiday:
Bringing creativity, heart and spirit back to the season.

A few posts ago, I wrote about how life changes had changed my holiday over the past year or so. And that’s not a bad thing. I realized that this gave me a chance to change some things, keep others and add something new.

I asked myself these questions: What cookies do I really love to bake? What do I want to light up with lights? How many decorations do I really want to get out and set up?

The answers were simple, really. I baked what I love to eat: Grandmother Gallacher’s Cherry Cake, shortbread and chocolate candies filled with walnuts. I lit up the tree and stairway with lights. I put out my Christmas Tree China that I love, filled a few bowls with pretty purple and gold balls, added snowy trees to the mantle, a wreath to the hall table and set out a few scented candles.

It all seemed to come together simply and easily.

As an artist and writer, I really love to create. This year, I let myself do that with my Christmas baking. When we had chocolate left over from the chocolate candies, I spread it out on waxed paper, added two kinds of chopped, salted nuts and put it in the freezer. Voila’…chocolate nut bark, yum!

Another thing I love to do is solve problems. And this year, I did that too. Long ago, my mother had gotten a recipe from my Grandmother Gallacher for her Filled Butter Cookies. But when my mother tried to make them, they didn’t turn out. I’ve had the recipe in my file for decades, but now, I wanted to make them myself. Looking at the recipe, it was clear to me that the proportions of butter to flour were all wrong. So, I fixed it. For the first time since my Grandmother died, I tasted these delicate butter cookies filled with cream cheese and raspberry jam. They are delicious!!

I really believe creativity and inspiration are meant to be shared, so I asked you: What do you love to do for the holidays around your home?

Lynn H said:
“I like peace and quiet, and days alone at home with my beloved Brian. I like making soup in the crock pot which does not need watching. I like the strings of Christmas lights which we leave up on the windows all year, and plug in from November-March while the sun is so absent. I like "less is more" for holidays. Last year we had our (1940's silver tinsel) tree but no decorations upon it. It still bounced light around the house and made it festive. I think holidays are about celebrating relationship. About telling those I love that I love them, one more time.”

I agree! This is a time to show our love for those we love, and that includes ourselves. Loving myself has always been hard for me, but doing these small things to light up my own holiday has been en-lightening to me. Because it’s not about doing things differently, it’s about being who I am, doing what I love and sharing that spirit with those I love. And that includes all of you!

May the season lighten and enlighten you, too and I hope that you’ll feel welcome to share it here, too.

2009-12-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

A Walk in the Park -
An occasional series

Ice Lessons

This week taking a walk in the park is freezing, literally. Early morning temperatures are in the teens and the ‘highs’ for the day are in the 20’s.

As I walk by the lake every morning, I see a new layer of ice. The ducks are crowded into smaller and smaller ponds where the ice isn’t frozen until finally, the top of the lake is completely covered in ice. While the ducks huddle as best they can, the heron stands in solitary splendor on the ice.

When I usually spot the blue heron, I find her camouflaged by tall grasses beside the lake or perched on a grey branch near the shoreline waiting to catch the fish swimming by. This week is different. The heron stands on the ice in the middle of the lake waiting and watching. I wonder, why would she even bother? She can’t catch the fish through the ice.

Perhaps there’s a lesson here on the ice for me.

When I look out onto the icy lake, I see a barrier, like a solid floor, closed door or glass wall. I see what’s on top, the ice. I don’t see what’s underneath hidden from my view.

But maybe the heron does. And that’s why she’s standing in the middle of the lake on the ice. She sees what’s underneath the ice. She sees fish, food, possibilities and life.

Suddenly, I see it too.

I see that although the top layer of the lake is frozen. Nothing is moving. Nothing is growing. The trees are bare and appear lifeless. That’s just the surface. Below the fish are swimming. The algae are growing. The trees are very much alive even without their leaves.

At this time of year, when the sun comes out only briefly and darkness covers more of our days, it’s easy to get stuck in an icy frame of mind. Feeling cold, gray and seeing the world around me as frozen and unmoving.

But the heron showed me that below the icy, grey surface, the world is teaming with life. The world is moving and thriving. Just because I don’t see it or hear it, doesn’t mean that the things aren’t happening all around me. Things that, like the heron knows, take time to come to the surface.

What do I do in the meantime? Take my cue from the heron, walk out into the world, then wait and be ready to catch those fish when the ice melts.

2009-11-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

Wreath-Copper repousse'

Bringing light and lightness to a dark time of year.

It’s the beginning of the holiday season. This year, for me, it’s going to be different. My daughter now has her own home, so she won’t be living here for the holidays.

For the past few years, she’s helped me do the decorating and some baking. She enjoyed working with me getting out all the ribbons, Christmas books, Santa collection and candles. I used to do it all myself, becoming grumpy and frazzled. With her cheerful help as co-decorator, it all came together with an ease and grace and lightness that felt much more like a holiday.

This year, she’s been busy decorating her new apartment. Buying candles, table runners, ribbons, colored balls and twinkle lights. She called me on the phone to tell me all about the deals she found at the stores. Today, she proudly showed me her holiday decorated home. It looks lovely.

I’m glad she’s happy and into the holiday spirit. I want to feel the same spirit. In holidays past, she used to bug me to get the tree, decorate the stairs, put up the lights, get out the Christmas tree china. Ok, I used to feel a little pressured by it all, but now, I’m just not as motivated to get the holiday decorations up. Right now, I’m busy with other things, classes to teach, articles to write, pieces begging to be worked on in the studio. I’m glad for the work, especially work I want to do.

Maybe that’s a clue here. The holidays have always been something I did for others. I usually abandoned my creative work in order to get all the decorating, baking and shopping done. I did make some choices I liked but most of it was a combination of what the kids wanted and expected. And that was ok, Christmas was for them after all.

Maybe now, it can be for me, too. The question is what do I want? The answer, I’m not sure.

What cookies do I really love to bake? What do I want to light up with lights? How many decorations do I really want to get out and set up?

What do you love to do for the holidays around your home? Share your favorite and maybe we can inspire each other to bring light as well as lightness to this dark time of year.

2009-11-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

Losing control.

For the past month, I’ve taught 3 different project classes in 3 different places, gone to meetings upon meetings, done interviews, and managed to squeeze a few hours in the studio. Ok, I’ve been busy. The point is: how much of these creative projects and time are within my control?

As a self-employed artist, teacher and writer, you might think all of it. I used to think that, too. Not anymore.

I’ve always been a self-motivated creative person. If I wanted to make something, I made it. If I didn’t know how, I figured it out. That might mean reading a book, taking a class or just doing it. Whatever I needed to do, I did it. Myself. I had creative control of my project.

That was an illusion. I wasn’t in control of my creativity then and I’m not now.

I may want creative control, but I don’t have it. It doesn’t matter whether I’m working alone in the studio, on a group project, or in a class with students. Students show up or not. Some people are easy to work with, others not. Ideas that seem good, go bad. Supplies get discontinued.

What I really want is a good ending. That's why I think I need creative control. What I need to do is to lose control and follow the creative road. Trusting the bends, bumps and detours are all important parts of the journey. And that the end result I’m trying to control isn’t the end at all, it’s just a stop along the way. Sometimes the stops are good. I make a beautiful piece with clay, metal or words. Sometimes, it’s bad. I recycle the pieces and learn something new.

Maybe, creative control isn’t something I really need and don’t really even want. It’s just my fear wanting to drive my life, so maybe it’s time to shift into a different gear. Lose the control and enjoy the ride.

2009-11-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

Fun with metal.
A great class on Saturday.

I love working with metal. I love sharing my love of metal and creativity with others. When I get to do both in one afternoon, it’s delightful.

It was a dark and rainy afternoon outside, but inside creativity bloomed. These wonderful women worked magic with copper and aluminum screening sculpting them into bowls, baskets, leaves and vases. Then, on went the colorful beads, wire, gold leaf and paint!

Here are photos of their beautiful art work.

2009-10-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

An interview with Helen Hollick
And a book review: Pendragon’s Banner

(Listen to a podcast interview with Helen Hollick at Voices of Living Creatively)

It turns out Helen Hollick and I share a love of Mary Stewart’s Arthurian fantasy novels, Crystal Cave and Hollow Hills. Both of us remember enjoying these wonderful stories about Merlin and the young Arthur. But for Helen Hollick, it was something in the back of Stewart’s book that brought another sort of magic into her life. “The thing that intrigued me was her author’s notes which said if Arthur had been real, he would have lived around post Roman times. Now that really got me interested. Because I had never liked the stories that had placed him around Medieval times. When I read that, I thought, oh, I’ll check into that.”

That started Helen on a path leading her to write a trilogy of books about Arthur before and after he becomes king.

The first book, The Kingmaking, I reviewed here last year and loved for its detailed down to earth portrayal of Arthur as the supposed bastard son of Uthr who takes the throne and becomes king. The second book, Pendragon’s Banner covers the years between 459-465 A.D. and tells the tale of Arthurs struggle with the power, politics and family strife.

What I like about these books are the many, many wonderful details about the daily life of Arthur, Gwenhwyfar, their three children, servants and soldiers. The fighting among the family for control of the throne is just as believable as the battle scenes.

I wondered, how did author, Helen Hollick write so richly of a past that may or may not have happened. Some of it comes from Hollick’s extensive research and diploma in Early Medieval History. Helen explains, “I looked into what facts we do know of that period, really researched post roman and early saxon, so in weaving in the real facts, that can make what we don’t know for sure to be more real. I looked into daily life. I looked into what kind of horses they would have had, harnesses, armor, and the buildings.”

Helen’s research includes personal experiences as well. “I’ve actually been to all those places in the books, Glastonbury, visited Summerset, been to Scotland,” says Helen. “It makes a great excuse for a holiday.”

Some of the plot details, like the scene where Arthur’s young son falls into the river, come from her feelings and experiences as a mother. “We were actually on vacation camping by that very river,” Helen explains. “My own little girl was about 5. It had been raining, and we went down to look at the river. It was in flood, flowing very fast exactly as in that scene. I held my Cathy’s hand so very tight, because I had a vision of a child falling into the water. I pulled her back from the bank, told her to be careful and picked her up and held her. Then I went back to the camp and just wrote the scene down. It was very hard to write. I was in tears the whole time.”

That wasn’t the only scene that was hard for Helen to write. “I have to say I don’t know how I manage to write the battle scenes,” says Helen. “It really helps to be in a bad mood. It’s a really good way to get rid of angst, to write a battle scene.”

The battle scenes details aren’t the only thing that grabbed me as a reader but the depth of Arthur’s feelings about the work a soldier must do. Helen agrees, “Yes, when you read a story of battle it’s always made out to be a glorious thing, propaganda, of course, to get people to go out and fight. But you don’t think about the other side, people get killed, horses get hurt. This is the reality.”

The battle scene that begins Pendragon’s Banner came after a long period of writer’s block. “I got to the point where I thought, if I don’t do something about this writer’s block, I’m not going to get this book finished,” explains Helen. “And I was determined to write the words, ‘the end’, even if I never got published. So I went along to a writer’s course and the teacher said, I want you to write down your feelings. I just wrote down the first word that came into my head. Before I knew it, I wrote the word, sword, then the word battle. And all of a sudden the whole battle scene just came into my head and I just sat and wrote. It was really funny because then the teacher said, ok, you can stop now and I said no way, I haven’t written for 6 months and if you think I’m going to stop now, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Even though Helen’s extensive historical research gives the scenes detail, it’s not what got her started writing. “I hated history when I was at school, absolutely hated it,” says Helen. “When I was 13 I was writing pony stories, because I really wanted a pony of my own and we couldn’t afford one. So I made one up.”

From then on, writing has been a life long passion. Even when her original publisher stopped printing her books, she got the copyright back and self-published them in the U.K. Then found a new home for her trilogy here in the United States with Sourcebooks. In addition to her Arthur trilogy, Helen Hollick has written a fantasy adventure series about pirates for fun and most recently, a movie script about the battle of Hastings called 1066. “We hope to shoot in the UK but it will be on release in American as well,” Helen says. “We’re talking big blockbuster here. Fingers crossed, I’ve even got my dress.”

Whether or not her books or movies about Arthur, pirates or a battle are a success, Helen would never stop writing. “I’m always scribbling something down, even if I’m not working on a book. That short time when I heard that they weren’t going to publish my books, I was devastated,” says Helen. “I sobbed for 2 weeks. Then I pulled myself up and thought come on, it doesn’t mean you can’t publish your books.”

And she advises everyone to follow their dreams, too. Helen’s advice, “Do it. Don’t think about it, go out and do it. At least try, I feel that at least I tried and I’ve managed it. Ok, if my books don’t sell it doesn’t matter, at least I’ve done it. Rather than looking back in a few years time and thinking oh, I wish I’d done that. At least have a go, give it your best shot.”

In my opinion, Helen Hollick’s given it more than her best shot. Whether it’s The Kingmaking or Pendragon’s Banner, it’s an enjoyable, fascinating read into the past that feels like you’re there, too.

2009-10-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

'Reflection' Copper repousse

Sculpting a life and a living.
Writing. Showing. Teaching. Making.

Looking at this month, I’ve been blessed to be able to do everything I love to do.

As an artist, I sculpt out of metal and clay. I’ve made jewelry and garden art and started new masks out of mesh and copper.

For two weekends, I was part of the Portland Open Studios Tour and opened my studio to men, women and children interested in finding out what I do and how I do it. It’s always a little hectic getting ready for the event. I clean out my studio, set out demonstration materials, put out some of my pieces for display. It’s a lot of work. But what makes it all worthwhile are the looks of wonder, the words of appreciation and the people who come back every year to see what’s new.

Right after my open studio event, I delivered a large copper repousse’ piece to a juried exhibit downtown. My piece, “Reflection” will hang in the First Presbyterian Church as part of the Works of Faith exhibit until January 2010. It was wonderful to meet my fellow artists and the people from the art committee on Sunday.

Later in the week, I started an artist in residence at a local elementary school. The project is based on my ‘Ethnic Portrait’ series and involves the students in art and writing, two of my favorite activities. I met with the teachers, went over the supplies and the timelines. Then I went back to my studio, made an example of the project and prepared some supplies. At the school, I set up, presented the project and taught the classes with the help of the wonderful teachers and students. It was a great experience!

Today, I’m setting up interviews for articles I write on my blog and others. Writing advertising copy. Making a list of the supplies needed for the second week at the school. Getting work together for a photo shoot tomorrow. Putting some paint on one of my mesh masks. Taking my dog for a walk in between rain storms and making dinner.

Sometimes I worry whether it will all get done, but it does. Somehow, in spite of the bumps, I am able to sculpt a life and a living doing what I love to do. I’m grateful.

2009-10-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Portland Open Studios:
Opening my studio and my creative process to my neighborhood.

I do sculpture work in aluminum screening, copper sheeting and clay. I love faces and animals and the concept of shapeshifting. I see faces and figures in the landscape around me, the leaves on the trees, the clouds in the sky, the rocks and even the marks on the ceiling. My source of inspiration and materials seem right to me, that’s why I do it.

But to others, I realize it may seem a bit odd. Since I work on my own, in my studio, this isn’t a problem, really. I can do what I do and no one knows the difference. Until now.

As part of the Portland Open Studios Tour, I invite people to come into my studio and watch me work. They get to see me push a bear shape out of aluminum screening, press dragon scales into copper sheeting and read some of my stories. I explain how I do what I do. I show them the materials and the process. I answer their questions.

I have some of my finished pieces on display, so they can see the finished product as well as the process. I hope it helps them to understand what I do and why. I hope it helps them learn more about art, the creative process as well as inspiring them to honor their own creativity.

Every year, I feel a little like the curtain is drawn back on my creative process and there I stand, alone and revealed to the world. It’s a little scary. But every year, I find out just how wonderful and generous and eager people are to share in the creative process.

If you’re ever in Portland the first two weeks of October, get a tour guide and come and visit my studio! This year, I was interviewed by a fellow artist and you can read the interview on the Portland Open Studios Tour blog

2009-10-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Pushing and pulling.

Punching and painting.

For me, making art is a physical act. I cut copper sheeting or aluminum screening and push it into a beak or nose, round it into a moon or rock. Whether I'm making a mask, landscape or pendant, it takes strength and delicacy to get the images and textures into the copper or aluminum.

I've been working very hard the last few weeks to get new work done for this year's Portland Open Studios Tour. I wanted to have a variety of pieces in copper, aluminum mesh and clay to show the people who come through the tour. I want them to see that although the stereotype of an artist is working in one medium all the time, that's not necessarily the reality.

I love masks. And I make masks in clay, copper, aluminum, as well as teaching mask making to children and adults in clay, plaster and collage. I love animals and landscapes and jewelry. And I make animal sculptures that have human qualities, landscapes that have faces in the rocks and sky. When I was a teenager, I loved making jewelry. This year, I decided to do more of what I love, so I've been busy in the studio making earrings, pendants and pins out of the copper I love so much. It's a great way to use the good pieces left over from my larger work and to play again in a familiar and happy playground.

The tour starts next weekend. I still have work to finish like an aluminum eagle sculpture, a lamp, as well as mounting, glueing and setting up all the work for display. I'm feeling a little stressed with the deadline looming right now. But I know that next weekend, I'll be ready. And I look forward to meeting the people from all around my city who come to peek over my shoulder, watch me work and ask questions about how and why I do what I do.

Before I was on the tour, I took the tour. I loved seeing all the different work, studios and meeting all the artists. It not only gave me a better idea about art but it gave me the courage to do my own art.

My hands may be stiff. My shoulders and back are achy. My mind is reeling with to-do's that still need doing, but I'm happy to be working in the studio. I'm grateful I get to do what I love and next weekend on the Portland Open Studios Tour, I get to share that with all of you who visit me.

If you live in or around Portland, Oregon, take the tour October 10, 11 and 17, 18 from 10am to 5pm. Just pick up a Tour Guide at Art Media, New Seasons, Powell's Books or online at www.portlandopenstudios.com Celebrating our 10th year, the Portland Open Studios Tour brings 100 artists and art lovers together to share the process of creativity.

I hope to see you! If you want to know more about the art and artists in Portland Open Studios Tour, check out our blog at http://portlandopenstudios.wordpress.com

2009-09-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

How to keep that Maui feeling in Portland, Oregon.

I came back to Portland from Maui on September 16th and ten days later, that Maui feeling is starting to fade. I don’t want that to happen because there was a feeling to life there that I know I need here and now. Everyday.

It’s not just about a vacation. But a state of mind that was, in spite of recent life circumstances, healthy. It was like I’d been rescued from turbulent waters, wrapped up in a blanket and given a nice, warm drink. As well as time to take in my rescue and decide that life, in its very essence was a very good thing, something to hold in the palm of my hand, gently, savoring every little taste like a bite of delicious chocolate.

But, as we all know, life gets in the way. It gets busy. I had masks to send off to a show in another state, something I’ve never done before. I had work to finish for my open studio coming up in 2 weeks. I had interviews to do and articles to write. I had classes to set up, meetings, emails, problems to solve and animals needing walks. You get the idea.

For awhile, that Maui feeling stayed anyway. But slowly it started to fade away, buried under the to-do lists. I didn’t want to lose it, so I kept reaching down under the pile of life stuff and brought it back again. I put a sunrise view from our lanai on my laptop to remind to greet the day. I found hibiscus blossoms in my own garden and floated a few in a crystal bowl on my desk to remind me that beauty is life giving. I wore my Maui sarong in the evenings to remind me that life can be free of constraints. I used the coconut soap, shampoo and lotion that reawakened my senses. It all helped…a little.

Then, my friend, Susan suggested compiling some words to describe the experience there that I could use here. I followed her wise advice and started scribbling words on a piece of paper. I struggled. None of the words seemed to capture it for me. I asked my husband for suggestions. He added a few words. I scratched off a few. The list was longer than I wanted. Life was simple there and I wanted the list to be simple, too.

The words on the list are acceptance, bountiful, enjoyment, restful, peaceful, sweet smells, birds, ocean, sands, beautiful, colorful, live. But they all seemed too much.

Here are the words I feel say it better now: Calm, beauty, ease, pleasure.
What do you think?

2009-09-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Living, loving, creating and Maui

Last week, I was on Maui. The beautiful, lush, tropical island with soft, sandy beaches and warm surf is a fantasy land. And fantasy is just what I needed to recharge my depleted physical, emotional and creative batteries.

If you’re a regular reader here, you’ve heard about my life over the last 19 months. It’s been a bumpy, sad, scary and difficult road with no end in sight. Yet. My husband’s been laid off, worked part time, laid off again. Three people we’ve known, worked with and raised children with have died. My daughter moved away from home. The life we had, that we thought was stable is gone. And we’re both searching for ways to use our talents, live our lives creatively and make a living.

Seeing people we know die too young was shocking. But it also helped us see life as a gift that doesn’t come with guarantees. What it does come with is choices, and the biggest one is to live in fear or live in love.

I spent many months in the fear zone. I wasn’t sleeping or eating very well. I lost weight. I cried a lot. I tried to get out of it by looking for reasons and causes of the difficulties, trying to figure it all out. So I could fix it all and everything would be back to normal again. It didn’t work. I had to realize that there are many things in this life, my life that I can’t control: cancer, economic recessions, industry changes and children growing up.

One day, tears streaming down my cheeks, again, I asked a friend what I could do. She said, “Let go and let God”. Now, she knows I’m not a religious person and I don’t like the word, God. But in that moment, I realized that she was right. And that God didn’t have to be the male, power figure that I grew up with but a name for the essential energy force that is in and around all of us.

Something shifted that day. I had been telling my self to let go. But I was like a child on the monkey bars, who weary of hanging on was still too afraid to let go and trust that I would land on my feet.

Maui. The trip to Hawaii was an act of trust, of letting go and loving my life instead of fearing for it. It seemed crazy at first to my ‘control’ mind to book a 5 day trip to Maui when so much is still up in the air. And yet, it felt completely right. Right after we booked the trip, I felt this incredible sense of relief. I didn’t know what the feeling was at first, then it hit me. That’s what ‘letting go’ feels like.

And I like the feeling. Oh, I still had my scary moments getting ready for the trip and getting on the plane. Even though my mind was having a hissy fit, there was a place inside me that was calm, clear and rock solid.

On Maui, I rose at dawn everyday. Watching the sunrise, hearing the birds call back and forth to each other, seeing the colors change on the distant island and the sea, I felt calmly present. My mind was silent. My body tired at first, began to rest even as I walked the beaches and floated on the waves. I picked up sweet scented flowers on the path and filled bowls with them. My creative vision became clear once again and I saw the ‘masks’ in the palm trees and the figurative forms in the tree trunks. I longed to paint the warm reds, oranges and pinks of the sunsets and the luscious greens of the distant sugar cane fields. The deep blue green waves and the light peach clouds made me want to take out my pastels and draw in a way I haven’t allowed myself to do in many years.

I wrote in my journal inspired by articles I read that told of other women’s life changes. I realized that my life isn’t bad, wrong or odd, just changed. And many of the changes, as my friends have pointed out, are good changes for me, my husband and grown-up children. But the lives that ended, have shown me the importance of living. Really living.

What does that mean for you or me? Everyone has their own ideas. Mine is to live a creative life that sustains me in physical, emotional and spiritual ways as well as inspiring and helping the world and the people around me. How can I do that? I don’t have the complete answer. Yet. Maybe I never will. But surrounded by the beauty on Maui, I opened up to life and love. I know that my choice is to live in love instead of fear, and finding ways I can share that through my life, art and writing is creating a life worth living.

2009-09-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

A Book Review:
Beg, Borrow, Steal
A Writer’s Life
by Michael Greenburg

Each chapter feels like a scrapbook page of Michael Greenburg’s life. As the son of a cantankerous scrap metal owner, Greenburg left home and dropped out of high school to live the writer’s life. Making a living is the challenge he faces taking jobs, driving cabs, selling cosmetics, writing scripts about golf, teaching Spanish and ghostwriting memoirs.

Filled with a trunk load of curious and interesting characters, including old Hebrew school chums, immigrant neighbors, fellow street vendors, shady movie producers, drag queens, rats and coffee house baristas, Greenburg gives you a chance to peek into their world through his eyes.

The chapter on living in Argentina with his high school sweetheart is a touching thrill ride as she barely survives being shot in a Buenos Aires prison riot and they escape into the country celebrating life and conceiving their son. The memory of his neighbor, the tailor and a fortune lost is heartbreaking. His description of his unsuccessful career as a waiter shows his dedication to his writing as well as his longing for a steady paycheck. My favorite was the story of Eli, the difficult dachshund whose story is one that ends happily.

There’s no doubt that Greenburg is an excellent writer and his life has been filled with adventures of living a creative life. He’s a columnist for Times Literary Supplement, author of a successful memoir, “Hurry Down Sunshine”, articles in O, The Oprah Magazine, and The New York Times Review of Books. His stories are compelling, readable and enjoyable.

2009-09-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Making masks on a Sunday afternoon.
What could be better? Nothing.

This Sunday, I was happy to do another “Unmask Yourself” workshop. As I told the class, the latin word for mask is persona. And so, you can see that you wear a mask every day, it’s called your personality.

The idea for the class, to unmask yourself, really means to go with your gut. Pick colors, words or phrases, beads, feathers whatever feels right, today. To stretch yourself playfully beyond what you might think is you.

My class dove right in with gusto. They glued layers of papers, words, phrases and pictures layered it all with sparkly glazes, paints, beads and feathers.

I think the pictures speak for themselves. All in all, we had a great time.

2009-08-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

('The Red Fairy' Mask)

Masks: Why do I love them?

I love making masks. I’ve made masks out of paper, plaster, felt, clay, copper, brass, aluminum and screening. I’ve made masks of cats, dogs and frogs, wolves and polar bears, birds and bugs. The sun and the moon. A dragon, phoenix, and thunderbird. It doesn’t matter to me what kind of mask I make, it’s always a fascinating process.

Why do I love masks? I’m not sure. All I know is that making a mask is like searching for an answer to a question I don’t even know I have. It’s relaxing. It’s playful and joyful, mysterious and magical. Its peaceful solitude and energizing connection all at the same time.

Maybe I don’t have to know why. I can just love making masks. Period.

2009-08-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Rubber bands & Paper clips:
A message from the Universe.

Walking my dog into the park last week, I looked down and there on the path was a bright shiny, silver paper clip. Not a big deal, right? To me, it was a message.

Oh, I know, it sounds a little crazy, but let me fill in the blanks for you.

About ten years ago, I was taking drawing classes in which I produced stacks of newsprint drawings. The only way to store class assignments was to roll them up and wrap a rubber band around them. I went through a lot of rubber bands. And, worrier that I was, I began to worry about a running out of rubber bands.

I was worrying about this one morning as I was walking my dog in the park. I looked down and there on the path right in front of me was a bright red rubber band. I didn’t think much about it and kept on worrying and walking. There, on the path, was another bright rubber band. I began to wonder but again kept walking. When I saw the third rubber band, I stopped. I bent and picked up the rubber band, then turning; I went back and picked up the other two I’d seen on the path. Then I laughed and gave a nod to the Universe for the lesson learned. Stop worrying about not having enough, what you need will come your way.

I always remembered that day because it was a turning point for me in many ways. I was daring to learn to draw, something I had wanted to do for a very long time. I was a mother of young children, volunteering at their schools, going to my classes in the evenings, doing my homework while they were at school and dog sitting to pay for my classes. I’d always been a worrier, but as I moved through my classes and into my own art, I began to change some of my old patterns.

Now, I make, show and sell my art as well as writing and teaching. If you’ve read any of my recent blogs, you know that this last year has brought many unexpected changes in my life. Endings have come in many forms, deaths and jobs to name a few. I know the economy has brought these changes to many of you as well. It’s been scary. And some of my old thinking patterns have crept back into my life.

A few weeks ago, I was filing papers and needed paperclips. For years, I’ve had hundreds of the little silver clips, so there always seemed to be more than enough. But this day, I couldn’t find any, anywhere. The drawer that was always full of paperclips was empty. Ah, yes. I began to worry about paper clips.

So, the other morning walking my dog into the park, I looked down and there on the path in front of me was a bright, shiny, silver paper clip. I smiled. I nodded and gave thanks to the Universe for the reminder. I will always find what I need, when I need it.

Abundance is right there, on my path, whether it’s rubber bands or paperclips, all I have to do is stop worrying and keep walking.

2009-08-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Making art:
Where does it come from?

Sometimes I don’t have a clue. Strike that…many times I now realize, I don’t have a clue. I pull out the clay or copper or aluminum mesh. I push. I pull. I paint. I write. Then it goes out into the world in some form or another, a gallery show, a commission, or a play. Sometimes it sells and sometimes it might be displayed in my home or stored in a closet.

One piece I created about 9 years ago features a copper mask/face on the front layered with oil paint mounted in a black wooden box. The box opens to reveal a copper repoussé of a woman in a cloak, her arms raised with a sun on her right and a moon on her left, waves indicating water are below her and the tree of life forms a border around her. On the left side of the box is a copper piece inscribed with the words, “From fire to water to life.”

I was compelled to create this piece, but always had a deep discomfort with it. The mask/face on the front scared me, but I loved the goddess repoussé on the inside. The kite shaped black wooden box, made by my husband, was beautiful. But after I showed it, I was happy to put it in the closet. There it stayed for many years.

Last year, as I was setting up for Portland Open Studios, my husband pulled it out of the closet. I didn’t really want to put it out but he insisted. So I reluctantly hung it up on a wall for display intending to take it down when the tour was over. But something funny happened along the way, I realized what this piece was all about and made my peace with it.

This piece is about my Dad.

My Dad had glaucoma and was forced to retire, when the large automobile corporation discovered his disability. His anger and grief led him in a downward health spiral. After he died, I created this piece. The ‘kite’ shape is actually a coffin, it even opens up like a coffin with hinges on the side and inside, the poem I wrote and the repoussé are all about freeing him from his pain and letting go.

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But I didn’t get it. And if my husband hadn’t insisted that I take it out of the closet and hang it up where I had to look at it for two weeks, I’d never have figured it out. As artists, writers, musicians or anyone who creates, the why is always a big question. Sometimes, we know. Sometimes, we don’t.

For the past year, I’ve been doing interviews and podcasts with artists and writers. What I’ve learned is that the drive to create is fueled in many different ways and that some artists do know where that fuel comes from, and some don’t. But sometimes, if we’re lucky, like I was, you get to figure it out. Patrick carves wooden sculptures based on his desire for stillness. Kelly paints her memories of landscapes. Nicky sculpts and welds her way back from cancer to health.

You can hear these podcasts at www.voicesoflivingcreatively.com or read the articles on my other blog at http://voicesoflivingcreatively.blogspot.com

These podcasts will give you the opportunity to hear these artists personally explain their work. Their stories are unique and inspiring and these interviews give you chance to understand where their art comes from.

2009-07-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

Heaven on a hot day:
Homemade Blueberry Cobbler

I love blueberry season. Not just because blueberries are luscious, of course, but because I love to bake. Yes, it's my little secret. Not very feminist of me, I know, but domestic as it is, baking is one of my joys in life. Perhaps, it's time to come out of the closet, so to speak.

Ever since my Grandmother Gallacher taught me to make her scones, I've been hooked on baking. I became the family cookie maker and when my children were little, I developed dozens of muffin recipes for their snacks. True to my creative side, I'm always coming up with new recipes or modifying old ones, and although I do have a library of cookbooks, I rarely follow these recipes. I use them as concepts or guidelines or a jumping off point to something I'd like to bake. Although, I love my Grandmother's traditional scone recipe, I've made my own creations based on it such as Poppyseed Lemon Scones, Chocolate Raspberry and Maple Oatmeal to name a few. I'm not sure she'd be happy with me about that, but oh well.

Today's piece of heaven is a blueberry cobbler that I baked using a filling of fresh, local blueberries, sugar, tapioca and lemon juice topped with a variation of my Grandmother's scone recipe. Serve it warm or on a day like today, cold with a generous dollop of yogurt. Yum!

It's a little slice of heaven on a day when it's already 99 degrees outside and it's only 1pm. This is not my kind of summer day, which is why I live in Portland, Oregon, to be able to have moderate summer weather with highs in the mid 80's to low 90's. But, Mother Nature has her own ideas.

So I'm glad that the other day, I had the idea to bake this cobbler and today I get to enjoy it! It's delicious coolness of such a hot day.

2009-07-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Art & Labor & The Labor of Art Show:
How what we do, influences our art.

I entered one of my sculptural boxes, “Zara, a woman from Niger” in a local show called, ‘Art & Labor and The Labor of Art’. This piece, one of a series of three, started with the face of a Nigerian woman. As I worked on her face in clay, I started wonder: what is her life like? What does she do to sustain herself and her family? How does she dress? Who shares her life?
This piece became a series of three, depicting the faces, textiles, landscapes and lives of women from Niger, India and Japan. I researched their countries, lifestyles, work and history. I read books about their countries, searched National Geographic articles and found travel books for photos of the country’s landscapes.

With this information, their stories emerged.

‘Zara, a woman from Niger’ begins her day by the fire warming herself in the cold desert morning. Her husband is away on a caravan in search of salt, a prized commodity in this desert country. ‘Sartha, a woman from India’ wakes at dawn to go out into the crocus fields to carefully pick the stamens which become the highly prized spice, saffron. ‘Meiko, a woman from Japan’ farms her small plot on the island of Hokkaido. She is an Annui, the indigenous people of Japan once exiled on the island by the Japanese government.

On the outside of each box is a copper repousse’ illustrating some aspect of their daily life. Inside the door is a short written piece about their daily life. Mounted inside the box, the clay faces are adorned with ethnic jewelry, textiles and tattoos. The background behind the faces depicts their native landscapes.

I’m thrilled that all three ‘Ethnic Portrait’ series boxes were accepted into the show. Art & Labor, the Labor of Art exhibit focuses on the issues of labor, making ends meet and the effects of economy on family and society. As well as the relationship between the arts and labor movements and the reality that human toil is the foundation of creativity.

I’m honored to be one of many wonderful national, regional and local artists in this show curated by Lora R. Fisher, such as Gwenn Seemel, Mitch Baird, Christopher B. Mooney, Celeste Bergin, Allen Schmertzler, Patricia Gifford, Susan B. Schenk, Anthony Lazorko, Jr. and Sarah Hauser. If you’re in Portland, Oregon, you can see the show at the Olympic Mills Gallery, 107 S.E. Washington Street, through August 30, 2009.

To see all three ‘Ethnic Portrait’ sculptural boxes, visit my website, Susan Gallacher-Turner Sculpture

2009-07-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

A visit with author, Janet Riehl

Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry & Music

Janet and I met over the internet while doing a blogtour for author, Eric Maisel. I visited her blog. She visited mine. And a blog friendship was born. We’ve supported each other often, commenting on new events in our lives both good and bad. Today, I’m so happy to have her visit my blog as part of her own blogtour for her new audio book, ‘Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry & Music’.

Janet’s coming to Art & Words from Janet Muirhead Hill’s blog. You can see the complete calendar for Janet’s blogtour

The audio book, ‘Sightlines, A Poet’s Diary’ is a weaving together of the lives of six generations featuring Janet and her father reading poems, telling stories, singing and playing music that brings us all back to the true meaning of family.

Welcome, Janet. I’m so glad you’re here to visit, so let’s chat.

Susan: When you began commuting from California to your family’s home in the Midwest after your sister’s tragic death, what was your creative life like in Lake County in Northern California?
Janet: I’d moved up to Lake County in 1998 to continue my life as a working artist by living less expensively after living in the Bay Area for about a dozen years. By the time I moved back to the Midwest, I’d spent around 22 years in California. That wasn’t part of my life plan, it just worked out that way.
In the Bay Area, in 1990, the art came in for me. I painted large scale banners on cloth and had my first solo show 9 months later. I belonged to a story telling troupe led by Luisah Teish—Storyteller, Yoruba Priestess, Writer, Director, Teacher and Performer. I wrote my own stories, preformed them, and used the banners I’d painted as the backdrops and props. I began a stream of creative writing in addition to the stories I performed.
When I moved up North to Lake County—a sparsely populated, breathtakingly beautiful, poor, rural locale—I made my mission to promote arts and culture within the county. I did that in every media possible: writing, visual art, and performance.
As a writer I sponsored poetry readings and a monthly writing circle. I was twice nominated Poet Laureate of Lake County…a surprisingly hotly contested position.
As a visual artist I mounted outdoor celebrations-performances-installations in both state parks in the county. I was given a grant from UC/Davis to be bio-regional artist in residence the year of my “Water Ceremonies” work. I showed throughout California and engaged in mail art internationally.
As a performer I appeared twice in The Vagina Monologues and several local theater productions. For three years running my sweetheart and I produced a comedy variety review show called “Comedy on Tilt.”
Plus, I supported much of this community arts work through substitute teaching all around the lake, running a family literacy program, and teaching art class for children.
In other words, in many ways, my life was not unlike the lives of most practicing artists: I did what I could, when I could, as well as I could.

Susan: How did you keep it going during these years between 2004 when your sister died, through your mother’s death in 2006, to the time you moved back in 2007?
Janet: I had to scale back. I’d be in Illinois for six weeks and then back in Lake County for three weeks. This schedule lasted for years. What I loved about writing “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” was that it was portable. I could write while caring for my mother and supporting my father. All the information I needed I carried on my thumb drive. The book was something I could shape and control and own—at a time when the wheelbarrow of my life had completely tipped over.

Susan: Did you do more visual art before your sister’s death in 2004?
Janet: For 17 years I kept my visual art practice going: 1) from 1990 when the art came in… 2) through 1996 when I graduated with high distinction from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland as a clay sculptor… 3) and on up to the time of my definitive move to the Midwest in 2007.
My studio, Rocking Triangle Studio, was active in producing work and projects in many media. I continued to contribute to the visual art world of Lake County after Julia’s death in 2004. I joined the board of EcoArts of Lake County during that time.
My method was to rotate between writing, visual art, and performance, in terms of where my energy was focused during any given period.
As I prepared for my move in 2007, trying to figure out what to pack, I decided that I would close my studio. I gave away much of the art I’d created and my art materials. I took some materials to my father’s house just to play with myself and with my great-nieces.

Susan: Writing is now your main art form?
Janet: I decided that I needed to make my life simpler by focusing on one discipline. I decided that would be writing.

Susan: Do you see the story poem becoming an ongoing form for you?
Janet: My main form of writing is memoir. The first book came out as the story poems. The memoir I’m currently writing “Finding My African Heart: A Village of Stories” is solely in prose.

Susan: In your new audio book, Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music [hotlink to CD Baby], you combined your love of words with music. How did that come about?
Janet: When we were kids we always sang in the car. The great love of my father’s life is the music of his boyhood and young manhood. He’s an excellent musician, performer, and composer. But, for him, it’s all about the music.
I’d used music in my talks as I traveled sharing “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary.” In Illinois, my father performed with me several times during these talks. I’m a musician myself.
Shaping the audio book into interweavings of poems, songs, family stories, and the banter of our recording session in Pop’s parlor naturally provided a fuller context.

Susan: You’ve talked about quilting as an important part of your family history, how have you carried on the tradition of quilting?
Janet: I’ll never be a quilter as my great aunties were or as my mother was. I’m not adept at fine stitches, for instance. My sister and I embroidered on a flower quilt in the car on our family vacations. My stitches, as a 6-year younger sister, were always so sprawling compared to hers.

In Ghana I pieced a quilt top from the hand-woven strip cloth made in the North. When I came back to the States in the late 1970s, Mother worked with me to complete this to bed-size, pad it, line it, and tuft it as we did her comforters.

I’d collected marvelous Maridadi silk screen prints from Kenya. (Maridadi is Swahili for anything beautiful, tasteful, or pleasing to the eye.) Mother worked with me in the same way to make a doublebed quilt top and take it all the way to a full-fledged comforter.

After 911, I made a Peace Quilt out of paper towels which carried the words to my poem “What I Want to Say about War” against a back drop of black trash bags…embellished by other media.

The quilting instinct is the desire to bring together fragments into one object of beauty and meaning. I do that through collaging in a variety of media. “Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music” is, essentially, collaged from pieces of sound that tell stories in words or music.

Susan: How has sharing your feelings, music, and poetry helped you through this tragedy and brought you closer to your community?
Janet: In some ways, this has happened by bringing the community closer to me. I was able to create a far-flung community of people who don’t know each other and have never met who have found the two projects in The Sightlines Collection—book and audio book—helpful to them. This gave our experience a sense of meaning and purpose.
There are even some readers who go back to read “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” once a year since it’s come out. That’s an astonishing outreach for an individually produced project.

Thank you for stopping by on your busy blogtour, today. The next stop on Janet’s tour is with another Janet. You can hear her on Janet Elaine-Smith’s internet radio show, “Marketing for Fun and Profit on PIVR(Passionate Internet Voices Radio)
To win a free audio book view and comment on the featured video of the week on the top post at www.riehlife.com. Janet will use a random numbers generator to choose a winning comment.

2009-07-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Telling Tales:
Art & Story time for the kid in all of us.

Tearing out pictures. Making up words. Putting them together to create a story. Then telling the tale to others. Giving people a chance to work with words and pictures in a fun, easy, free-form way was the idea behind the workshop, ‘Telling Tales’.

This storytelling, mixed media workshop, brought people together to work on both a group story, and their own individual story. This mini-workshop was given in conjunction with the Subject/Object show at The Kingstad Gallery. In the short time span, I didn’t expect anyone to have a finished product, but a jump start their creative juices and inspire them to create in a new way using words, pictures, paint and glue.

Here’s what one artist, Carolyn Rondthaler, started in the workshop and finished in her studio. This is a mixed media accordion book, using magazine images, words, paint, glue, glazes and more. I love the natural flow of images and words that Carolyn uses to tell her tale.

To see the complete book, you can view the slide show at http://picasaweb.google.com/carolynrondthaler/StoryBook?feat=email#slideshow/5350302171945798482

2009-06-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Sculpting a living in spite of fear.
A podcast interview with sculptor, Patrick Gracewood.

(Garden sculpture by Patrick Gracewood)

Last week, I wrote about fear and creating. I asked you to share your stories about how you deal with fear. I’m going to collect the comments and stories in another blog, so keep those comments coming. I know I learn so much by talking with other creative people out there.

This week, I’d like to share what I learned talking with Portland, Oregon sculptor, Patrick Gracewood for a podcast on Voices of Living Creatively. One thing I learned is that fear goes with the territory in a creative life and it doesn’t mean you stop or give up. “Art has saved my life many times; I give my life to art,” says Patrick. “It takes a big commitment.”

This dedication comes from a simple philosophy: if it’s sculpture, he’ll do it.

Patrick is living a creative life and making a living combining his own studio work with commercial sculpture work. His studio work ranges from large concrete garden sculptures to small, hand-carved wooden figures. The commercial sculpture work has included working for such diverse businesses as a mannequin company, a wax works, landscape and architectural design firms, and film companies such as CBS and Universal. He’s worked on the films “Legend” and “Legal Eagles”, fountains, facades and column capitals for casinos, a portrait of guitarist, Jimmy Hendrix for a Seattle high school and an enormous dragon for Wynn Casino in China.

As with all kinds of freelance work, the jobs come and go. Patrick agrees that’s scary but he’s found a way to deal with the fear and keep creating. You can hear more by listening to the podcast at http://www.voicesoflivingcreatively.com/

Listen and let us all know how your art saves your life in spite of your fears. If you or anyone you know is living a creative life, let your voice be heard. Set up an interview and podcast for your website or blog by contacting me at http://www.voicesoflivingcreatively.com/

2009-06-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

Fear and Art: How to be fearful and creative.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, fear swoops into my mind, my studio, my life and knocks me off my feet. I don’t like it. Not one bit.

What do I do? I get out my boxing gloves and try to beat it into submission. The only problem with that is, I wind up beating myself up and I’m tired of the bruises. Or I run, as fast as I can, trying to get away. I get busy, busy, busy with email, chores around the house, running errands. The problem with that is, the fear follows me anyway.

What I’ve come to find out is that fear and creativity seem to go hand in hand. I’m not the only one who feels the terror of the creative life and what’s even weirder is that it doesn’t seem to matter if you’ve just had a success or a failure with your art. The fear is there anyway. Add this ridiculous economic roller coaster ride we’ve all been on lately and no wonder many of us feel the need to put our heads between our knees.

Ok, so what can I do about it? I know I don’t want to feel this way anymore…maybe I can’t eliminate fear entirely, but surely, there’s a better way. So I went in search of answers although there are many out there, I wanted to ask the people in the trenches, artists and writers how they deal with the fear. This is what I found out.

My friend, Patrick, says when the terror gets him, he goes out into his garden and sits for a while. When his heart rate slows down, he goes back into the studio and works. My writer friend, Susan, uses acceptance to pull her through the fear and back onto the page. Laurel takes a walk in the park. Janice goes out and works in her garden. Michael feels the fear and moves on.

I moved on, too. This week, when my life felt like a ride on Space Mountain, I went into the studio anyway. I got out the clay and pushed it around for awhile. Then I cut out a piece of screening and pushed it around, too. I layered yellow, ochre, white and black on my owl and lion masks. Today, I cut and rolled aluminum into lilies and leaves. Even though there was music playing, it was quiet and peaceful. The 'fear' roller coaster ride stopped. Finally.

I didn’t have to fight or flee. I just had to show up, get out my clay, metal and paint. How simple is that? The way out of my fear is to create.

How do you deal with your fear? Leave a comment, so we can all help each other.

I saw this on youtube. Author, Elizabeth Gilbert, talks about anxiety and “A different way to think about creative genius.” It helped me. Give it a listen and let me know if it helps you.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

2009-06-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

How do you live a creative life and make a living?

For years, I’ve been lucky to have been supported by my husband’s income and free to explore my art, show my work, teach classes and write. The economy has changed that for us.

I’ve made some money over the years. But now, my creative life needs to make a living. How do I do that?

The answer: a new website and a new series of interviews with people who live creative lives around their passions and make a living. The website is http://voicesoflivingcreatively.web.officelive.com/

The first interview features, The Weitzers, a couple from Portland, Oregon, who make a living through their passions for a healthy life. They run a variety of home-based businesses but each one started out as a personal passion. They’re an inspiration.

I know I need to hear these stories. I don’t want fear to derail me from my passions, that’s why I decided to seek out others who have been living a creative life and making a living from it. I wanted to pass that inspiration and information onto you, too.

We all need to know that it is possible to live a creative life, a life doing what you love and paying your bills. Check it out. Let me know what you think. And if you or someone you know is making a living from their creative passions, and would like to be interviewed, let me know.

Listen to the interview on iTunes at http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fax.itunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewPodcast%253Fid%253D319569665
Or read the first interview in the ‘Living a Creative Life’ at http://voicesoflivingcreatively.web.officelive.com/

2009-05-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

A wonderful class:
Creating Muse Wands.

Creating is a magical process. It’s even more magical when I get to share the process. Last Saturday, on a sunny afternoon, I taught a class through Portland Community College called, ‘Muse Wands’.

After introductions all around, I set out the supplies and did a short demonstration of how to do copper repoussé. Then the students dove into designing and creating their own personal ‘Muse Wands’.

These remarkable women created unique pieces: a copper angel with healing stones, a sun/moon face with blue, green and white beads, a butterfly covered in leaves and a homage to earth, water, air and fire. I’m so glad that one of the students sent me these pictures of her finished ‘Muse Wand’.

What a magical, creative afternoon!

2009-05-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Puppy Love

A soft, fluffy, furry, warm nosed puppy snuffling up to your neck is one of my ideas of heaven on earth. There’s just nothing like the sweet smell of puppy breath and little wet kisses to make you feel loved. I guess they don’t call it puppy love for nothing.

I’ve helped with my friends with several litters of puppies over the years, but this time, I just get to be a puppy love visitor. Whether I get to pat, cuddle or just admire their cute little faces, it’s warm and wonderful and refreshing, just to be around these cute bundles of romping energy.

These five adorable puppies are in the loving hands of two dedicated foster care volunteers for the Oregon Humane Society. The Mommy was taken from a farm near Burns, Oregon along with over 120 other dogs. When she came to their home, she was matted, underweight and pregnant. But her eyes were soft, sweet and hopeful.

Soon, she gave birth to five healthy puppies obviously from several different fathers. There are two black and white and a tan that look like mom, one lab-like black one and one black, white and tan pup that looks like Burmese mountain dog. Whatever their parentage, they are healthy bundles of energy.

Next week, they get spayed and neutered and then, they’ll be ready for adoption. At eight weeks, they’re the perfect age to add to your family. Take a look at these pictures and see if there’s a place in your heart and home for a little puppy love.

Mom will be looking for a new home, too. But she needs a little puppy recovery time, gaining some weight and getting spayed before she’s ready for a new home. I have to say, she’s come a long way from a shy, worried girl to warm, curious and sweet dog. I know she’ll be a wonderful friend and companion, too.

If you’re interested in one of these cute pups or lovely mama dog, you can check out the Oregon Humane Society website at http://www.oregonhumane.org/

2009-05-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Life & The Art of Collaboration.

If you’d asked me last week if I did much collaborating, I’d say no. As a studio artist, I work alone in my studio and I wouldn’t call the clay, metal or paint collaborators. As a writer, I write alone on my laptop and even though I do interviews and articles, I would say it was more like collecting information than collaborating. As a teacher, although I’m working with students, I wouldn’t have called it collaborating. But I’d be wrong.

This week, I went to the Oregon Arts Summit, a gathering of businesses, artists, educators and arts organizations. The theme of the meeting was, ‘The Art of Collaboration’.

After the summit, I realize I collaborate all the time. I just didn’t know it. I can see that I had a very narrow view of collaborating. In my view, collaborating would involve two or more people sitting down and working on a single project.

According to jazz saxophone player and speaker, Mike Phillips, “Collaboration begins with a relationship between you and your gift.”

Although my studio work looks like a solitary activity, I realize now, that isn’t true. When I sit outside, watch the birds fly, see faces in the leaves on the trees and use the spirit of nature in my copper repousse’, clay or metal mesh, I’ve collaborated from within myself and with my environment.

Of course, teaching a group of students is, indeed, an act of collaboration. I may come in with a basic idea for the class, but the way the class flows and grows is all about getting over fear, learning to trust and working toward an art piece together.

My writing is, also, a collaboration. In an interview situation, especially, the person and I have to trust each other enough to share information. I may be asking the questions, but the depth of the answers depend on the person’s willingness to open up about their life, work and process.

According to writer, Barry Lopez, “We gave up community in order to get the individual. We need to rediscover what it means to be community oriented.”

For many years, I longed to belong to a community of artists. Joining Portland Open Studios has given me that opportunity. But collaborating can be tricky. A few weeks ago, another artist asked me to collaborate with her and although I could see the benefit for both of us, I was concerned. I worried that she just wanted to find out my process, so she could use it to her advantage. So I tiptoed around it and she stopped asking. I can see, now, I was wrong.

Because life is all about collaborating, from the air we breathe, food we eat, work we do and, yes, the art we make. Of course, there’s fear. Especially right now, with the state of the economy but maybe that focus needs to change.

Lopez says, “It’s not about the money. It’s about love. It can be done and the money will turn up.”

If I can do it, so can you. Yes, it takes trust, patience and heart to live a good life in an artful collaboration. But isn’t that what it’s all about?

I think Barry Lopez said it best when he ended the day with this, “Let’s make something beautiful. Whatever you do, try to make it helpful. Show us what we fear and give us the reason to believe we do not need to be afraid.”

2009-05-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

(Trimmed area) (Untrimmed area)

(Heron in Lake)

A Walk in the Park:
An occasional series.

After days and days of drenching rain, wind and hail, the sun came out. The park sparkles. Like a freshly polished jewel, the bright yellow green leaves shined in the sun, small white cherry blossoms sprinkled the ground and little ducklings floated behind their mom in the lake.

As Jilly, my yellow lab, and I walked around the lake, I spied a small blue heron fishing by the small island. We stopped and stared at this beautiful bird with its long, graceful neck, curvaceous body and stilt-like legs. Carefully, my husband made his way closer to take these pictures. Why were we being so careful? Because, we haven’t seen herons for awhile at the park. And that’s strange, because we’re used to seeing herons around our lake on a daily basis.

So why the change? Well, I’m not an expert, but I noticed that when the park workers began their forest trimming program to eradicate invasive plants, I stopped seeing the herons.

Take a look at the other pictures, here. Notice the beautiful naturally lush forest? That’s an area that hasn’t been trimmed, yet. Then, see the barren, flat area with the dead branches? That’s just one of the areas that have been cut down by large trimmers and mowers.

Now, they’ve started spraying. Yes. The other day, walking in the park, there was a small sign stating that herbicides were being sprayed on invasive plants, and a warning to stay from any foliage covered with blue dye.

The invasive plants they’re spraying are blackberries. Many a day, I’ve happily picked and enjoyed these plump, juicy berries while walking through the park. What’s nicer than a stroll through the woods, than one where you get free snacks, courtesy of Mother Nature? With nature now covered with herbicides, I won’t be snacking there anymore.

But what’s really bothering me is what they’re doing to the bird’s nesting places. First, trimming the bushes in the forest eliminates nesting for some small birds, snakes and rabbits. Now, they’re cutting down the bushes on the island where the geese and ducks nest. And right now, it’s the middle of nesting season.

Last week, I saw the first set of new goslings. Three sets of protective parents surrounded 12 little goslings as they foraged in the grass. I admire the goose community every year. They work as a tightly knit group parenting their goslings. Together, they protect, nest, birth, feed and teach their goslings. When goose flight school starts, it’s an amazing thing to watch how well organized they are at teaching their goslings to fly.

But how can these parents protect their goslings now? Where are they going to go when their nests are destroyed? How will they know to stay away from the blue-dyed plants covered with herbicides?

Next week, I’m calling the park department. I’m going to give them a piece of my mind. I want my park to be a safe place for everyone, moms and dads with kids, goslings, ducklings and herons, too.

2009-05-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Beltane!

Happy May Day!

Gather ‘round the maypole and dance with me! Let’s celebrate the ancient festival of Beltane.

Beltane is one of four fire festivals in the ancient Celtic calendar. These fire festivals, Samhain, Brigantia, Lugnassadh and Beltane were three day religious festivals marking the changing of the seasons. The party started the day before the festival and lasted until the day after.

Then, Beltane celebrated the start of the ‘light’ half of the year, the blossoming of flowers and budding trees. And in ancient times, men and women coupled beneath the trees in the forest to celebrate the earth’s new flowering.

Here, it’s May Day. A day to dance around the maypole, crown a May Queen and collect flowers to give out to friends. As a child, the day was celebrated in the Catholic church with a special mass. At the end, the eldest girls, wearing fresh flower wreaths in their hair, led everyone outside to place bouquets of flowers beneath the statue of Mary.

I loved it. I was allowed to wear a colored dress instead of my dull navy and green uniform. There were flowers everywhere and, except for Christmas, the only time the church looked beautiful to me.

I still love it. My backyard is full of bright tulips and the heady, sweet fragrance of lilacs. Yesterday, I saw the first group of new little ducklings and goslings in the park. I gathered bouquets of lilacs and crabapple blossoms for the dining table, my bedroom and studio. Here are some blossoms to share with you, pictures from my yard and the park where I walk my dog, Jilly.

I hope you're enjoying spring wherever you are!

2009-04-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

Two questions.
One Answer.

(Ball masque: Sun)

If you had all the money you needed and wanted and your health needs met, what would you do differently in your life?

This question came to me last week after a dream. Then later in the week, a colleague of my husband’s died. And the question took on new meaning, giving it even more perspective. Because, let’s face it, death is the end of this journey. With that in mind, I asked myself, the second question.

How do I want to live from now until then?

The answer to both questions is the same. I want to do what I love to do, be with who I love and enjoy it all much, much more.

I’d still want the same house that I have. But I’d appreciate it more. I’d plant more flowers and buy more flowers. I’d let myself sit out on the patio listening to the birds, sipping my coffee, reading and writing. I’d sculpt my clay, wire and copper. I’d paint and patina. I’d write blogs, articles and interviews. I’d want to publish and show my work to share it with others. I’d still want to teach in some form or other, again, to share the delight in being creative. I’d still want to make some money along the way, as a form of validation for work well done.

But I’d do it with ease, grace and flow. Gone would be the fear and guilt that has driven my life so far. If I wanted to buy something, I’d buy it. If I wanted to eat something, I’d eat it. If I wanted to go to a show, I’d go. If I wanted to go to Hawaii or Europe or New York, I’d go.

So with all that on my mind, here’s what I did today. I walked my dog to the park and around the lake with my best friend, and husband. I cleaned my house, with my husband, daughter and son, because I like living in a fresh, uncluttered place. While I dusted away, I thought about writing this piece, what I wanted to say. I had my lunch on the patio listening to birds sing, looking at purple tulips in bloom, tasting the salty ham sandwich and creamy potato salad. I worked on a few of my sculpture pieces, answered email from friends. Then I did some errands, picking up the makings for my favorite spritz and a dozen new flowering plants to fill my patio pots.

If this sounds boring to you, so be it. But to me, it’s been delicious to just live out a normal day with a new sense of ease, grace and enjoyment.

Ask yourself these two questions and see what answers come to you. Then let me know…what would you do or not do?

Now to have the courage to book that flight to Hawaii!

2009-04-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

A Dream & A Message.

(Sculpture: Lion 2009)

I woke up from a scary dream last week and felt wonderful. I felt a kind of peace, mixed with a curiosity that I haven’t felt in a long time. And I also knew I was remembering the dream because it had an important message for me. I needed to figure it out.

Here’s the dream.

I was driving my car, making a left turn through an intersection when the gas pedal stuck. The car stalled. There I was in the middle of the intersection, the light about to change, cars about to start coming my way and the gas pedal was still stuck. No matter how hard I pushed or pumped, the gas pedal wouldn’t budge. The car was stopped. I was getting frantic when I realized that I had only one option. Take my foot off the gas. This seemed like an illogical move. How could I move forward if I took my foot off the gas? I pumped the gas pedal some more, the car didn’t move. So, I took my foot off the gas. Immediately, there was a popping sound and the gas pedal was no longer stuck. I knew I could go. Carefully, I lowered my foot, gently pushing down on the peddle and the car moved through the intersection. I made my left turn, continued on my way safe and sound.

Here’s the message.

The gas peddle – my energy – was stuck. I was afraid, but no matter how hard I pushed myself, I was not able to move through the intersection. I was literally at a crossroads – a decision had to be made. There was danger to myself if I didn’t take action and forces outside my control, illustrated by the oncoming cars. And it was clear that continuing to push on the gas was getting me nowhere. So I had to face my fear, and take my foot off the gas. When I did, I was able to drive my car through the intersection, making the left turn that I had wanted to make and continue on my way. Healthy and unharmed.

I’ve been working very hard in the last year. And although, I love working in metal, clay and paint as well as writing and teaching and showing, I’ve been driven by fear. This economic recession has hit home. My husband was laid off. My two ‘children’ are living at home. My art work has made money but it’s been small amounts that were ‘perks’ to our family budget, not necessities.

I didn’t want to give up my art work. It’s a career that I’ve been working on for over a decade now. So, I did the only thing I thought I could and that was make more work, show in more shows, and line up more classes. And I’ve done just that, in the last year, I’ve made over 30 new pieces, shown in over 14 shows, written on more blogs, tried new online networking/marketing sites and lined up over 20 new classes. And I’ve made a little more money. But I’ve had a lot of classes and shows that didn’t make anything. If all the classes had gotten sign ups, I’d be teaching in three different places, 3 to 4 times a week. There was a part of me that realized that this schedule was way too busy.

The dream had a message. Stop. Quit pushing yourself. That the only way to make it safely through the intersection of all these oncoming forces out of my control, was not to be more controlling. But to let go. Take my foot off the gas and allow the pedal to pop up on its own. Then I could move ahead in the direction I want to go.

Letting go. Letting the opportunities pop up, then gently, pushing down on the gas is the way to move ahead safely. Now that’s a wonderful feeling.

2009-04-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Doing what you love can save your life.
Book review: ‘Walking Nature Home’ by Susan Tweit

When many of us are wondering how to make a living during this fearful time, perhaps the answer is to change the question.

What if it isn’t your livelihood that was about to end but your life? If doctors told you had two to five years to live but that although, they didn’t know how to cure the illness, they did know that where patients made major life changes, their health improved dramatically. What would you do or not do? How do you deal with the fear, find your way to love, and a healthy life?

These are the questions that Susan Tweit faced in her early 20’s when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. As a trained scientist, she took on the research project of saving her own life and shares her journey with us in her new book, “Walking Nature Home.” Her warm and wise memoir has lessons for us all on how love, nature and finding your own creative voice are important for our very survival.

After reading and enjoying, “Walking Nature Home”, I wanted to ask Susan more about how she saved her own life by doing what she loves.

SusanGT: When the doctor told you that it's much more difficult to get well, if you're not happy, how did you find your health and happiness?

Susan Tweit: I had to learn to listen to my body and to my heart and spirit. You'd think we'd just know that--I'm sure we do as children--but as we grow up it seems like we are trained otherwise, or forget how to pay attention to those inner voices. I started by paying attention to what my body was telling me by taking notes on my symptoms: what they were, when they occurred, what I was doing or eating or feeling. It helped that I saw this as research. That somehow gave me permission to pay close attention. After a while, it just became habit. But I still didn't know what made me happy. When I'd ask myself, I was so out of practice at listening to myself that I just drew a blank. So I started paying attention to when I felt good, too, and what I was doing or eating or feeling then. Pretty soon I could actually hear that inner intuitive voice when it spoke to me. As I learned to listen to myself, I learned how to manage my health, and of course, surprise, surprise! I saw positive changes in my life too.

SusanGT: You say that you saw your illness as a teacher, a source of wisdom that you needed to hear, what lessons did you learn?

Susan Tweit: My illness forced me to find those "core values," the things that are most important to me in living a healthy, authentic life, to being myself in a positive way in the world: How to be attentive to myself. How to trust myself. How to articulate my needs in a way that was respectful to me and to others. The importance of living in an open-hearted, generous way, a way that honors all of the lives with whom we share this miraculous planet.

SusanGT: How did your illness help you find your true voice?

Susan Tweit: It gave me permission to listen to myself, to be attentive to what I heard, and to take myself and my needs seriously. It also gave me the impetus to learn who this entity I call "I" is, and what sustains my life--why living matters to me. Once I got in touch with that entity "I," I gradually found my writing voice, the genuine and unique things that the real me has to say, and how to say them in a lyrical and compelling way.

SusanGT: In your book, you talk about how love healed you and how love has been proven to heal others, would you share that story here?

Susan Tweit: I came across one of the most fascinating pieces of research about the healing power of love in Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Christianne Northrup, MD. She tells a story there that I retell in Walking Nature Home: Scientists studying heart and blood vessel disease at Ohio State University bred a group of rabbits to develop both hardening of the arteries and coronary artery disease. The bunnies were then fed a killer high-fat diet, but when they were dissected at the end of the study, researchers were puzzled to discover that a significant group of them showed no trace of coronary artery disease. Finally, the grad student who fed the lab rabbits confessed that at mealtimes, she took these rabbits out of their cages to pet and play with them. Subsequent studies replicated this result: the animals that received loving attention came out clean.

What that says to me (and to others as well) is that love can heal. Being loved, being tended to in a loving way, causes chemical changes in our brains and immune systems that can actually heal our bodies. Studies of the chemicals that transport our emotions from cell to cell explain the mechanisms for that kind of healing, and studies of various sorts on touch in healing, emotions and healing, bear out those conclusions. What it comes down to is that love--not sex, not passion, but steady affection, respect, caring, and support of those who feel warmly toward us, really can help us heal.

That does not say that love will banish every health condition. It didn't make me well. But the love I live with has helped me adapt to my physical challenges, and live a good life with them.

SusanGT: So, if love heals, did you find doing what you love also created healing and health? And what are those 'things'?

Susan Tweit: What I love is writing, speaking, and restoring nature and its community at home in the places where we live. I believe in the power of love--love for my husband and family, love for nature and the community of lives whose interrelationships make this Earth a habitable and inspiring place, and love for life itself. Living in an open-hearted and generous way that respects the lives around me--human and all the others--has restored my life to a rich and rewarding path. I believe that our species has one important talent to contribute to this life and this planet: love. It is our capacity to be compassionate and generous and loving that makes us special, and could well save us. It certainly has given me back my life.

Thank you, Susan, for sharing your story with all of us. The lessons you learned about love could be life-saving lessons for us all.

You can learn more about Susan Tweit and her book, “Walking Nature Home,” by visiting her website at http://susanjtweit.com/ or her blog at http://susanjtweit.typepad.com/walkingnaturehome

And you can participate in a teleseminar with Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnet, phone 1-712-432-0600, access code #998458, at 5pm Pacific time/8pm East Coast. Here’s the link for you http://womensmemoirs.com/2009/04/author-susan-tweit-provides-insights-and-writing-prompt/#comments

2009-04-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

A Walk In The Park:
An occasional series.

To quote poet, ee cummings, “in Just spring when the world is mud-lucious..”

Here, in the Pacific Northwest it couldn’t be more true. Spring arrives here in waves of rain and wind. Some call it liquid sunshine. I call it wet, windy and cold, but it does make everything bright green and mud-luscious with occasional sprinkles of pink snow from blossoming plum trees.

As I walk my dog, Jilly, around the lake, the geese squawk loudly alerting their community to our presence and warning us to keep our distance from their nesting areas. I respect their homes and their beaks. You don’t want to mess with a protective goose, it’s dangerous. One thing that never fails to amaze me is their unity as a goose community. They all watch out for each other while at the same time protecting their own nests. They group together for nightly swims, and once the goslings are hatched, they all take part in protecting, feeding and teaching them. The goose unity always amazes and inspires me to search for such group unity in my own life.

As we head out of the park and through the suburban neighborhood, I notice some daffodils that have popped up one by one through the grass in someone’s front lawn. It’s obvious they weren’t planted there. They just came up from somewhere beneath the sod on their own. The bright yellow trumpets are even more spectacular against the green grass. And the fact that they ‘stand alone’ independent of a flower bed or planter, seems amazing.

It makes me wonder. It fills me with awe. It shows me that life will spring forth out of the unknown to bloom in the most unexpected places.

In these difficult times, when I’m fearful of all the unknowns in life, these little daffodils make a powerful point; that life grows up from the dark soil, through the tough grass and blooms brightly.

That gives me hope to believe that while I might be in the dark about the future, that doesn’t mean growth isn’t happening. As I walk along my path, there’s new life springing forth and blooming. Perhaps, all I have to do is remember to lift up my eyes and see it.

Speaking of learning life lessons from nature, be sure to come back next week and when I visit with author, Susan Tweit, about her wonderful book, "Walking Nature Home."

2009-03-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Art opening in the suburbs:

(Left:Shapeshifter-Polar Bear ribbon, Right: Black Sheep, Shapeshifters- Polar Bear, Wolf, Owl, Lion & Sheep.)

subject object show at The Kingstad Gallery.

There’s a prejudice out there about the suburbs. People who live in city say the suburbs are a bland, boring, homogenized, cultural wasteland. I’ve lived in the suburbs for many decades now, and I’m here to tell you it’s not true.

Take a walk in the park, 5 minutes from my house on a Saturday and listen to all the languages spoken. According to a recent survey, there are over 90 languages spoken in Beaverton alone. The resources include large public libraries, parks, lakes, bike paths, recreation centers, dog parks, farmers markets, and, yes, art galleries.

On third Thursdays every month, at The Kingstad Gallery in Beaverton, you can view a wide range of art, savor and sip delicious food and wine, and mingle with artists, musicians and performers who might also be your friends and neighbors.

The new show, ‘subject object: exploring the human impulse to hunt, gather & tell tales’, features paintings, sculptures, watercolors, photography, mixed media collage, assemblages and mosaic work from over 20 national, regional and local artists.

On opening night, I took in the wonderful array of work by local artists. I saw Becca Bernstein’s elder portrait series, Buck Braden’s ‘Street Car of Desire’ series, Allen Schmertzler’s powerful political paintings, Kurumi Ishikawa Conley’s gorgeous, fused glass pieces, Mark Randall’s ‘Life in the Circus’ series, Celeste Bergin’s wonderful paint boxes, and Uta Felhaber-Smith’s found object collages, just to name a few. And I’m honored that my Shapeshifter series and two of my Myth series pieces were also on exhibit.

This relatively new gallery in Beaverton shatters the assumptions of the suburbs in many ways. The art is professional, the crowds diverse, and music eclectic. The building also houses a comedy club and theater group as well as hosting many local meetings and luncheons all year long, giving the art and artists a wide viewing audience.

I think once you see the exhibit at The Kingstad Gallery in Beaverton, you’ll realize that powerful art and talented artists live and flourish in the suburbs, too.

For more information about The Kingstad Gallery, drop by at 15450 S.W. Millikan Way in Beaverton, Oregon or visit their website at http://www.blogger.com/www.kingstad.com/gallery/gallery_home.html

2009-03-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Meeting and Greeting.
Learning and Teaching.
Doing a demo at the Museum of Contemporary Craft.

This month, one of my Season’s series sculptures, ‘Spring’, is part of the March community showcase at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. As part of Portland Open Studios Tour showcase, I was asked to do a demonstration of my sculpture process for visitors to the Museum.

So Saturday, I packed up some small pieces of aluminum mesh and some examples of the finished process and headed over to the Museum. I was looking forward to it for many reasons. One, I really like doing the demo. It’s fun.

And this time, it was even more fun, because I was there with three other artists from the Portland Open Studios Tour; Bonnie Meltzer, Wendy Dunder and Careen Stoll. We all do very different work. Bonnie crochets copper wire. Wendy makes lamps with tissue paper and paint. Careen throws pots but on this day, she was making a pinch pot. And although, I’ve used wire, tissue, matte medium and clay, I’ve never used like they do. So for me, it was an opportunity to learn from watching their demos just like the other visitors. And I got a chance to talk shop with co-workers in the same line of work.

It was also a chance to meet and greet people from all over the city and country who love art. They wandered through the museum, took in our art showcase and came up to our demo tables. They asked questions about what we do and how we do it. We told them about our art, each other and the Studio Tour that brought us all together.

Portland Open Studios Tour has been a wonderful experience for me. It all started last year, when I timidly filled out the application and sent in my fee. I didn’t know whether I’d be accepted or not. I tried not to think about it. But when I found out I’d been accepted, I was elated and scared.

Because, now, I’d be opening up my home for two days, two weekends in a row, to people from around the city and country to watch me in my studio do my art work. As a solo studio artist, this seemed overwhelming and terrifying.

I did it anyway. And I’m so glad I did. I met six other artists who lived in my own neighborhood as well as many other artists in the Portland area who participated in the tour. As part of the tour volunteer requirements, I got the chance to interview and write about other tour artists. It was a wonderful, eye-opening experience to peer over the shoulders of other artists as they work and ask questions about their process. I learned about stone carving, printmaking, weaving, bead sculpture, pastels and European egg painting. It was so much fun. And that was all before the tour even started.

The tour came and went with surprising ease. I had so many wonderful, interesting people visit me. I learned more about myself and my art through the process of sharing it with others. One couple donated their kiln to me. Sure, I sold art work. But the biggest benefit for me was doing the demonstrations for the visitors, explaining what I do, how I do it, answering their questions and listening to their stories about their own art experiences.

Before this wonderful experience, I never would’ve pictured myself doing art demos for people at a museum or in my own studio. But that’s what’s great about trying something new, isn’t it? I may have taught others about my work, but I learned so many new things about myself, about other artists and about my community.

2009-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

King Arthur: Real or Imagined.
It makes a great story either way.

Book review: The Kingmaking

by Helen Hollick

Just like everyone else, I’m familiar with the stories about King Arthur, Guinevere and the knights of the round table. Are they true? Did all this really happen? Did Arthur and Guinevere really exist? The fact is, nobody really knows. The real question is, does it matter? No.

And author, Helen Hollick would agree.

I’ve seen the movies and read other books about Arthur, so when I was received Helen Hollick's ‘The Kingmaking’, a 500 plus page paperback from Sourcebooks, I wondered if this would be another journey into myth and fantasy or an attempt at history. It’s a little of both.

A good book lets me explore new lands, experience life in the past, present or future, and get to know the hearts and minds of the characters. It’s an enriching experience that comforts and inspires me. I treasure my nightly reading time so, if I don’t like one book, I go onto the next. I have to say that I looked forward to picking up 'The Kingmaking' every night. I savored every page.

Author, Helen Hollick created a more ‘real’ Arthur and Gwenhwyfar than I’ve ever encountered before. She creates a world that is believable and realistically detailed. I could tell that she’d actually seen some of the locations she describes. I liked the depiction of the characters daily lives in a down to earth way, the familiar family dramas such as sibling rivalry and the conflicts between paganism, Christianity and the monarchy. Even though it’s not historically accurate, it feels real.

Hollick says, “I am not expressing fact, merely what might have been. The dates are my own interpretation, gleaned from a hotch-potch of muddled theories and chronologies. They may not ally with those proposed by the professional historian, but as virtually no date of this period can be established as absolute fact, I feel I can justify my theories.”

With this in mind, Hollick sets out to tell her story of the Dark Ages of Britain around 450 AD. The Roman Empire is crumbling leaving tyrant, Vortigern, to rule the British until Arthur, the son of Uthr, can grow up and fight for his right to the throne.

There are battles and lovemaking, political marriages and mistresses, deaths and births, and squabbling heirs to the throne. The usual Arthur, Merlin and sword in the stone myths are missing here.

Hollick explains, “As for Arthur, no one knows if he was real. A few scattered poems and early Welsh bardic tales were adopted by the twelfth century Normans who were responsible for the stories we know so well today. The knights, chivalrous deeds and Round Table belong to this later period, as did the fictitious invention of Lancelot, his adultery with Gwenhwyfar, and Merlin the wizard. You will not find them in my tale.”

Although, I didn’t miss the myths because Hollick’s depiction of a more ‘real’ Arthur was much richer even if it’s not an accurate history, it’s still a great story.

If you ‘d like to learn more about Helen Hollick, her website is http://www.helenhollick.net/ ‘The Kingmaking’ is book one in the Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy www.myspace.com/pendragonsbanner

2009-02-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

Creating a life of integrity and meaning without gods.

Or how to be a meaning maker instead of a meaning seeker.

Book review:
The Atheist’s Way by Eric Maisel

I’ve read many books by author, Eric Maisel. I’ve found his thoughts on creativity and mindfulness in “Fearless Creating” and “Ten Zen Seconds” to be helpful and practical. As an artist, working in the solitude of my studio, his wise words served to anchor me during the art-making process. So when he asked me to review his new book about Atheism, I said, yes. Now, I’m not so sure.

I grew up with a god in my life. But pretty soon, I began to wonder, ask questions and get into trouble for being a little too curious. I was supposed to just ‘believe’. I wanted to be a good little girl and keep the nuns from smacking me, so I acted like a believer. But that’s all it was, acting. I saw through it all. Later, I got angry about all the ‘stuff’ and just quit going to church. Whew. What a relief that was, but I didn’t stop seeking. I studied other religions and philosophies finally thinking I was settling closer to eastern ideas, which Maisel calls ‘river religions’. The more I looked at it, I saw it still had many of the dogmas that western religions and gods do, just different names. Even though Tarot, I Ching and other supernatural beliefs attracted me next, I saw that again, there was the same problem here just a different name. After reading this book, I see that Eric Maisel agrees with me.

He says, “The god religions, the river religions, and the world of the supernatural enthusiasms do not serve you. They force you to rein in your intelligence, make claims that you do not honestly believe, and hurt your chances of taking a fearless inventory of your beliefs and charting a course that will make you proud.”

My question then, is, where do I go from here? Eric Maisel would suggest atheism. I’m not sure I want any ‘ism’, if you don’t mind. But one idea in his book that I do embrace is meaning. Specifically, meaning making.

He describes it this way, “You let go of wondering what the universe wants of you, you let go of the fear that nothing matters, and you announce that you will make life mean exactly what you intend it to mean.”

Sounds easy, but exactly how do I go about doing that? Eric explains, “We look forthrightly at the next hour, week, month, year and decade and we try to make conscious decisions about what actions are congruent with our heroic effort to live passionately and well.”

What does that mean on a day to day basis? That depends on our needs on each and every day. According to Maisel, when we need to act, we act. When we need to change our attitude, we can change it. We don’t give in or give up.

In other words, I do what I can do. If I’m not pleased with where I am or what I’m doing, I can change it. Making meaning does literally mean that I make it, every day. And since every day is different, mean making one day might be different that another day. At first I thought that sounded a bit like a license to be flaky, but that’s not the idea. The idea is to be grounded in the real world and respond to it in real time with what’s really meaningful. And being willing to respond to change by changing what needs to changed and doing what needs to be done.

I like that idea with or without the ‘ism’ attached.

For more reviews and information about Eric Maisel’s book, The Atheist’s Way, http://www.theatheistsway.com/
http://theatheistsway.blogspot.com/
Or his website at http://www.ericmaisel.com/

2009-02-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

An old kiln with a new life:
A gift from one artist to another passing the creative flame.

When I had my open studio in October 2008, I had many wonderful visitors. One special visit came on a Sunday morning, from Ed and Dorothy Wilbur, a lovely couple who not only admire, respect and collect art from artists but over the years have created many of their own masterpieces.

Their home is filled with art inside and out, included in this amazing space are many pieces they created as well. There are masks, paintings, sculptures, garden art, artfully painted walls, stencils, a miniature house with art, quilts, and much, much more. Including several workshops where they’ve created their artwork over the decades.

The day Ed and Dorothy came to my open studio, they noticed my clay sculptures around my home. And they wondered why they’d never seen them in the gallery. I explained that I’ve never shown these sculptures, because I never had enough of them to make a ‘body’ of work. Why? Because I never had consistent kiln access that would allow me to build a body of work. Ed offered me his kiln and I accepted.

A truck had to be rented. The kiln was moved. An electrician had to be found and scheduled to come out and put in a 220 Volt line in the garage. This took months. Then, a kiln expert was called to come out, inspect, repair and set the kiln up for firing.

Now, at last, the kiln is ready to fire my clay sculptures. During this time, I’ve been working on new clay pieces and five are in process. I bought a kiln manual, so I’ll have some idea how to fire up my kiln without blowing up my pieces. Soon, I’ll be loading my own kiln, with my own pieces and bisque firing them. I’ll let you know how it goes, until then, here are some pictures of my new/old kiln and new sculptures in process.

2009-02-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

Coming full circle:
From rejection to acceptance into the local visual arts showcase.

Showcase Sculpture: "Winter/Imbolc"

When my son started pre-school, I started painting again. I hadn’t painted since a horrible humiliating experience in a college watercolor class. Don’t misunderstand me, the prof was right. I had a lot to learn and I knew it. I didn’t let his intimidation force me out of the class of art majors. I stuck it out to the end. I could tell he respected me for it. But the experience took its toll on my soul and after the class, I quit painting.

After my daughter was born, I vowed to teach myself to draw, something I knew I needed to learn. So when my little baby went to sleep, I took out my pencils and drawing pad. I made a little progress, I think. But as a full-time mom of a daughter and then a son, I didn’t have a lot of energy left over for my own creativity.

When my son entered pre-school, I had two hours, two days a week to do art. I set up a studio in the corner of my bedroom. My studio was a drafting table, stool, watercolors, my old brushes and a few sheets of good paper. Out of the reach of little hands, I was able to enjoy the pleasure of alizarin crimson washed skies and Payne’s grey mountains. In a few months, I had a piece that I thought came out well. I had gone to the local art show, so when I saw the call for art, I hung my watercolor on my dining room wall, took pictures and submitted it.

It was rejected. I felt embarrassed and disappointed and humbled like I was by that long ago college professor. But this time, I didn’t stop making art. Instead, I started taking classes. First, it was beading classes where I created mini-landscapes couching tiny seed beads into mountains. I took pieced imagery creating a two-sided quilt with an abstract painting on one side and a machine embroidered portrait of Katherine Hepburn on the other. Drawing and painting classes came next leading to a love of pastels and the beginning of a fascination with faces. My first sculpture class required me to make a clay bust. It was not love at first sight.

At home, I was still painting with pastels and paint on my small drafting table in the corner of the den. But I was trying to get my fabric painting to have more of a sculptural form. I tried different glues, fiber and battings when that didn’t work, I bought some screening at the local hardware store. When I couldn’t get the fabric to stick, I gave up on the fabric and started painting the screen.

Ah…aha! It worked. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. But, it was a little weird, I mean how many people do you know who make art out of window screening. But it let me do all the things I liked, fiber, paint, faces and sculpting.

I didn’t know it then, but I do now. I’m a sculptor. Once I started sculpting screening, clay and metal, my paintings improved. My drawings became more skilled. After all those years of feeling like a failure in art class, I found out I was able to draw and paint. I just needed to do it in 3 dimensions instead of 2.

This year, butterflies fluttering in my stomach, I filled out the entry for the same local art competition I had entered my watercolor in almost 17 years ago. Only this time, I entered my Season’s sculptures. A few days before Christmas, I got a present from the past, my Season’s sculpture entitled, “Winter/Imbolc” was accepted into the 27th Annual Visual Arts Showcase.

On Saturday, I went to the opening. It was packed with people. Artists, art lovers young and old wound around an amazing array of photography, watercolors, oil paintings, fiber art, and sculpture. Coming around to the end of the room on a white pedestal, was my sculpture “Winter/Imbolc”.

Sometimes it is worth the wait. It felt like I’d come full circle and it felt good.

2009-02-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

(Ball masque-Sun)

Don’t worry.
Be happy.
Right. How come it’s so hard to do?

Today is a busy day and that’s a good thing. I’m a little nervous, excited as well as happy. Yes. I said it, happy. Why is it so hard for me to say that I’m happy? I want to be happy- doesn’t everyone? Ok, maybe there are some people out there who don’t, but I do. I really do. So what’s the problem?

Fear. Oh, that old feeling back – again. It sounds ridiculous but it’s the truth. I’m afraid of being happy. Why?

Here’s what came up. What if it gets taken away? What if it’s a mirage that looks good from a distance but never materializes. What if it’s just a pretty frosting that covers up a bad situation. What if something goes wrong? What if I’m not worthy. Why should I be happy when others are not?

I wonder why I distrust happiness? Because in the past, it wasn’t what it seemed? It was a mask worn by someone who really felt differently? It was a rug that was pulled out from under me? Could be. We’ve all had good situations that turned bad. Or days that started out good and ended differently. But I know, I’ve also had the opposite happen, so have you, I’m sure. Bad situations, people, days that turn out to be good in the end.

So, what’s the problem?

When I look back at my life, I see times when I was truly happy. Enjoying a romantic picnic by the river with my husband. Holding my newborn daughter and son for the first time. Strolling the beach at sunset. Nothing bad happened.

Writing this now, I’m feeling less nervous and more relaxed. I’m looking forward to today. I have a sculpture piece to deliver to an art show. I have a mask making class to teach to fun-loving children at a local elementary school. I’ve got a party to go to at a jazz club.

I can be happy. I can enjoy my artistic accomplishments. I can have fun teaching the art of mask making. I can enjoy the party. There that wasn’t so hard, after all.

In the spirit of happiness, here’s my contribution to the happiness meme that’s going around the blog world right now. With all that’s going on in the real world right now, I know I need all the happy thoughts I can find. I hope it helps you find some of yours, too.

The meme is simple: You list six things that make you happy, not necessarily in any order, just the first six that come to mind. Ok, maybe that might be hard but try not to worry about it. (I’m smiling at you, see?) Then you "tag" another blogger or two with the meme, to pass it on.

1. The sun shining down on me as I walk my dog around the lake. I feel the luscious warmth on my back while my nose feels the frosty, winter air. I see the heron feeding, hear the redwing blackbird singing and lean against the powerful cedar trees and sigh.
2. Going over and kissing my husband and asking him if he’s happy and he says, “Yes.” I ask, “Why?” And he says, because right now, everything’s good…home, him, me, the kids, his work, my work. I kiss him again for reminding me once again, that life is good.
3. Playing with clay, pushing on smooth copper, painting with a rainbow of paints and writing the stories that the pictures want to tell me.
4. The first sniff and sip of fresh morning coffee.
5. The sound of my daughter singing. The sight of my son digging into a home cooked meal with gusto.
6. The support of friends and family. I don’t take that for granted…thank you all!

Ok, so now it’s time to tag someone else…Brenda Boylan, a pastel artist, http://brendaboylan.blogspot.com/ and Patrick Gracewood, sculptor, http://shadowsonstone.blogspot.com/

Have fun with your happy thoughts!

2009-01-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

A WALK IN THE PARK:
An occasional series.

Today, it snowed. My dog, Jilly and I take a walk to the park every morning and today, there were snowflakes coming down all around us. Softly. Quietly. What is it that makes snow covered anything more magical?

The streets are still streets. The trees are still trees. The rocks are still rock solid. Yet, covered with a dusting of snow, they change into something even more beautiful. There seems to be more mystery here.

Is it the soft, fluffiness covering the world’s rough edges? Is it the glitter, glistening of the light bouncing off the white snow? Or is it what you don’t see, that creates the magic and mystery. The mystery of the partially snow covered branches, rocks and leaves, or the contrast of the uncovered dark edges up against the soft, white mounded snow.

There is a contrast to everything that gives a new dimension to life. But there is the part of the world that is now covered by snow. It’s not visible to us in all its color, shape and detail. It’s hidden. That’s the mystery.

Oh, we can all fill in the blanks of what’s really there. But what if we let our imagination create something new there, just for today. We can imagine that underneath the snow, there’s something new. Maybe there’s a flower, a treasure, or a hidden world.

I do know that it changes my walk. My feet sqwoosh on the snow. The snow falls so quietly. Everything seems hushed, even the ducks quack and the birds twitter softer. I see the seagulls standing on the ice in the middle of the lake. I smell the clean, cold brightness and taste the flakes as they fall on my lips.
The world just feels softer, prettier, and calmer. So do I. Why? That’s the mystery. Maybe, that’s the magic, too.

(My dog, Jilly and I take a walk in the park every morning. It’s exercise for my body, but it’s also an exercise for my creativity. Leaves, trees, rocks, water, birds become more than passing objects, they become food for my imagination and a source of on-going inspiration. I’ll be sharing my morning experiences occasionally here on my blog. Let me know what you think.)

2009-01-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

(Moon-Susan Gallacher-Turner)

Sculpting a Life:
Studio secret revealed.

I used to have a secret about something I did in the studio everyday that nobody knew about. I did it everyday, the same way. I felt a little guilty about it because it felt so good to do it. So I kept it to myself, my little studio secret. What I didn’t know then was this; this secret was important to my success as an artist, my health, sanity, relationships as well as my productivity.

What is it? It’s hard to put a label on it. So I’ll just go ahead and describe it step by step.

First, I’d make coffee. While that was brewing, I’d light a candle or two and put on a CD, usually instrumental. When the coffee was ready, I’d pour myself a nice, big, mug full and head to my studio. I’d sit down in the wicker chair with my dog at my feet and begin. I closed my eyes, sniffed and sipped my coffee and concentrated on nothing. I did nothing but sit, sip, listen and breathe. Thoughts would rush through my head. Feelings would bubble up from within, sometimes I’d sigh, sometimes I’d cry. But through it all, I’d keep sitting.

I treasured that time and called it my Creative Meditation. I got brave after awhile and put it on my schedule as C.M. I was able to do it after everyone else had left for school or work and I was alone. It felt so luxurious to have that time, alone, all for me – everyday.

Where did it go? Life changed. It’s hard to find the space and time to do it. My kids are college-age, live at home and are here most mornings, so I’m no longer alone. My beloved dog, Heather died and, although, a wonderful new lab has come into my life, she doesn’t always sleep at my feet. I’m also feeling the economic pinch, the need to push myself harder, to make more money, to be more productive. That means more to do and less time to be.

I remember when I started on my road as an artist and I began my creative meditation, I was afraid if I stopped and sat down, I might never get anything done. Of course, that didn’t happen. I’ve gotten a lot done over the years and have the portfolio to prove it.

There’s a lot to do. Right now in the studio, there’s a copper leaf piece on the table, three clay busts on the rolling stand, and a screening sculpture on the easel waiting for another layer of paint. There are new classes to plan and organize. Writing projects for blogs, freelance, interviews, book reviews that all need to be finished. Then there’s the work that goes with living; dishes, laundry floors, cat boxes, garbage, cooking, walking the dog. It seems an endless list that once done needs to be redone. Everyday.

I love what I do. And whether I’m sculpting, teaching, writing or connecting with new people I’m focused right there. So why can’t I focus on taking this space each day? Why is it so easy to-do and so hard to-be?

Fear. Now I’m afraid that if I stop doing, I’ll be swallowed up by fear. My fear of the unknown and my feelings of powerlessness will bring me to a grinding halt.

But running away from my fears doesn’t make me less afraid, all it does is keep me away from me. And after all, in this world of unknowns if you don’t know yourself, what do you know? I think that one way to get through the unknowns is to get back to what I do know. Me. Everyday.

Today, my to-do is to-be. For 1 cup of coffee, I resolve to let myself have a space everyday to be, to sit, to breathe in and out, to listen whatever pops into my head or heart.

2009-01-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

ART IN PROCESS:

THE LION DEMO IS ALMOST DONE!

I started the lion sculpture in October as one of my demonstrations for those who came to my studio during the Portland Open Studios Tour. Since then, I finished the sculpting and went onto painting stage. I put up a few pictures in a blog on November 20, 2008 showing the the painting stage in process.

I did take some time off during the holidays to enjoy the homey 'arts' of baking, decorating, wrapping and celebrating with family and friends. But I've been back in the studio the last two weeks working in clay, copper and screening.

I wanted to share this new photo of the lion's progress. I'm happy with how the painting process turned out. What do you think?

2009-01-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Out with the old
And into a new year, thank god.

I’ve been putting off writing my blog for the New Year. Procrastination is not one of my faults, honest, you can ask my friends, family, fellow artists. I make my deadlines.

So why am I dragging my feet, here? I’m not sure, really. But let’s face it, the last year was definitely difficult. I started the year with my wrist in a cast. I couldn’t work in the studio, drive or tie my own shoes. I went through physical therapy which meant more pain as I worked my way through all the exercises. Then there were the job changes. Lay-offs. Fill-in work. Part-time. It meant saying good bye to familiar routines, friends, medical benefits and money.

It was scary. Even though, I know we’re not alone, there was gloom and doom everywhere I looked, it was still hard. What was hardest was not losing faith, in the face of fear.

I tend to be a “Polly Positive’, you know, the person that sees the silver lining in the clouds, the lemonade among the lemons, the openings when doors close. This year, I found myself mired in the pit more than I’d like to admit with tears streaming down my face as I mopped the floor or painted in the studio. I can’t believe I’m writing about this, because at the time, I was so ashamed of myself.

Now, I know that there is no shame in feelings. And that feelings, felt, don’t get in the way of progress. Because although, there were losses last year, there were also gains, too. That was the biggest surprise of all.

In spite of the difficulties and fear throughout the year, I completed more pieces, participated in more shows, sold more work, taught in more places to adults as well as children, did a series of artist interviews, wrote podcasts, artist profiles and book reviews, and met many wonderful new people. And I didn’t realize it all until I sat down to write in my journal on New Year’s Eve.

The year that had started out to look like complete failure was, actually, successful. And not just for me, either. My husband got out of a job that he felt stifled by and into a new place where his talents are valued, used, and being expanded. My daughter has tripled the students she had last year. My son quit one job, found another and has learned a whole set of new skills. Even the dog made progress. Now, she can heel off leash for me, as long as there’s no snow, of course.

We started last year with loss and sadness and ended it with gains and happiness we could never have imagined.

So what do I want to throw out with the old year, then? Dead-end jobs. Duck and cover tactics to try to insure security. Keeping my light low to avoid being seen. Routine and boredom. Fear. Sadness.

Ok, maybe I can’t throw out fear and sadness. They’re feelings that are part of living. What I can keep is the knowledge that feelings of sadness don’t prevent happiness. That fear doesn’t prevent action, in fact, it can inspire it.

Here’s what I’d like to ring in the New Year with – hope in the face of the unknown. Excitement about meeting new challenges leading to growth. Opening up to new people, places and opportunities to be even more thankful for than I could ever imagine.

2008-12-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

Meet Jilly:
The dog who needed a new life and a new home.

It was June 2006. Heather, my golden retriever, was in her golden years. At 16, Heather wasn’t getting around all that well anymore. But I was determined and I walked her twice a day, even if it was only to the mailbox or the corner.

About that time, my husband interviewed the people at Guild Dogs about their adoption program for ‘career change’ guide dogs. I already knew about it. I’d heard that it was a long process to get a puppy and could take years. I’m not a naturally patient person.

This time was different. Heather was aging. She was approaching her 17th birthday and her back leg just wasn’t working like it used to. When Michael got the adoption application, we filled it out, figuring, if it took years, that would be ok.

We got a call the next week. After an extensive phone conversation and interview, they made an appointment to check out our house and yard. We passed inspection and we went out to meet Jilly.

I’ve never had a lab but I’ve always had a soft spot for the yellow ones. When we walked in the door, there she was, a sweet, brown eyed yellow lab with a little black nose. We took her for a walk around the grounds and she did really well. I was impressed with her training. After all, she was raised in the Guide Dog training program. But, she was being ‘career changed’ for a reason.

I soon found out that she had a few issues. She liked to play ‘keep away’ which means that she’d fetch the ball but refuse to bring it back. She didn’t come when you called her and again, if you tried to ‘catch her’ she’d play keep away with you, too.

One night, we opened the front door to let a friend in and she bolted out the door. Gone. We searched for hours. Then we went home and sure enough, bouncing happily down the street came Jilly. She found her way home because it was, after all, dinner time. Labs never miss dinner time. It’s happened a few more times since then including a romp in the park when her collar broke.

Now, it’s 2008 and Jilly’s been part of our lives for 2 ½ years. And I’ve been working with her everyday on her issues.

Now she walks over grates without stopping or pulling me off my feet. If a van door slams, she might twitch but she stays heeling at my side. When the front door opens, she goes to her bed and stays. She loves to play ball and now will drop it at my feet, waiting for me to throw it again. But she’s not perfect.

‘Come’ is a dirty word to her. She will not respond to it at all. So, she and I have learned to play a new game called hide and seek. I hide and call out to her, “Jilly, where am I?” She loves to ‘find’ me. She also comes to me when I whistle three times. We’ve been working on off-leash with a ‘follow me’ command. I hold treats in my left hand and tell her to follow me. She does.

I thought that we’d finally done it. I thought that Jilly had gotten over her fears and found a home at last.

The other day, we’d just come back from a lovely, snowy walk in the park; I stomped on the concrete floor to clear the snow from my shoes and off she went. She ran down the driveway and around the corner so fast, I didn’t have a chance of catching her.

So I didn’t. I was so mad. All those months and years of training and she took off just like that. I felt betrayed. I told my husband to forget it. She could just go. I was done trying. I was done training. I guess maybe she was, too. I didn’t know what else I could do.

So I went inside and changed out of my wet clothes, ready to call it over. I’ve always wondered in my heart if Jilly really wanted to be part of our family, or if we were just another place to be ‘trained’. When we went to take her home that first day, she wouldn’t jump into the back of our car. I had to pick her up and put her in. I didn’t know if we’d bonded, even after all this time. And I didn’t know what else I could do to create a bond, then I realized that I was looking for the wrong dog. I was looking for Heather. Two years after Heather’s death, I was still bonded to her. And maybe I always will be and Jilly knew it.

In my closet, socks half off, I started to cry. Yes, I still missed Heather. But, I wanted my Jilly back. I wanted her here, safe and warm with her sweet, yellow head resting on my feet. I even wanted those begging eyes and drooling muzzle next to me at the dinner table. I put my socks back on. I marched downstairs, grabbed my coat, hat, and gloves. My husband grabbed the car keys.

Once I got in the car, I seemed to know where she’d gone. I told my husband to turn left, then right. I could see her in my mind’s eye, she was at the bottom of the hill playing with other dogs. Suddenly, I yelled, “Stop.”

Yes, there she was at the bottom of the hill playing in the snow. I jumped out of the car, ran over to where a woman was standing and told her not to let Jilly go. The woman assured me she wouldn’t and they were trying to figure out where Jilly lived when we pulled up. A man in a house across the street appeared cheering when he saw us. Apparently, he’d tried to catch Jilly and she ran away from him, too. The woman holding Jilly, said she’d been having a great time playing with their dogs in the snow. Rolling and tumbling and snuffling in the soft white drifts.

I grabbed Jilly’s collar and looked down to find her gazing up into my eyes. In those wonderful soft brown eyes, I saw a mixture of recognition, relief and apology. My husband came over with the lease and led her to the car. This time, she didn’t hesitate, she jumped right in. She knew right where she belonged.

I apologized to the people. I tried to explain, it was the sound that had triggered her to bolt. I told them she was a career change dog and I was working with her training everyday. They reassured me, it was ok. They were just glad she was home.

And, so was I. I found Jilly this time. I knew right where she was, because she’s right where she’ll always be, in my heart.

2008-12-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

Let it snow,
Let it snow,
Let it snow!!

It’s still snowing and we have up to 8” of fluffy white stuff, here in rainy Portland, Oregon. I can’t believe it. We’re going to have a White Christmas here where Christmas’ are normally grey and rainy. It’s so beautiful to have a winter wonderland right outside my window.

Yesterday, I took my usual walk with Jilly, my yellow lab, and took pictures of the snowy scenes around the lake. Yes, it was cold. Yes, it was wet. But it was delightful all the same.

Home again, my husband and I put a beef stew in the oven. While rolling candy dough into balls, we sipped eggnog lattes and watched the classic movie, ‘White Christmas’.

The tree twinkled in the corner. The snow continued to fall softly outside. Since we’ve no place to go, let it snow!

2008-12-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

GIVING THANKS.

Right now, with all the gloomy news about the economy, job lay-offs, and arts funding being able to give thanks for anything seems like a miracle. Miracles do happen. Believe me.

So right here, right now, I give thanks to Ed and Dorothy Wilbur for their generosity, warmth and kindness. In addition to supporting my work by buying several of my masks, they have gifted me with something I never thought I’d be able to have – a kiln. This is a much loved piece of studio equipment from Ed’s workshop where he did clay work as well as fused glass. I feel honored to have it passed on to me.

I’ve done clay work off and on for years. I’ve had it fired at the good graces of several different friends over the years. And I thank them for their kindness. But I didn’t want to keep on bothering people, so I just decided to quit doing clay and turned my attention to my metal work instead. And I thought I was fine with that until I got the chance to teach a clay mask class at the Museum of Contemporary Craft this summer. Then I realized how much I missed clay but without a kiln, I didn’t see how that was going to happen for me.

Enter Ed and Dorothy. They visited my studio during the Portland Open Studios Tour this year and noticed the clay sculptures on display. They hadn’t seen them at any of my gallery shows and I explained that I didn’t have many because I didn’t have a kiln or access to one. They asked if I wanted a kiln. I nodded. Then they offered me their kiln. I was stunned. I couldn’t believe such generosity.

But arrangements were made. A truck was rented. And I picked up a kiln. What, I asked could I possibly do for them in return? Nothing.

However, Dorothy had admired a wreath I’d made of aluminum oak leaves. I came up with an idea to make one of copper so it could hang outside in their art-filled garden. The day after thanksgiving, I delivered it to them. And they gave me another layer for the kiln and books on glass fusing.

I give many, many thanks to Ed and Dorothy. For they are the type of people who make miracles happen. Believe me. I know. Thanks to them, I now have a kiln!

2008-11-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Art in Progress:
Lion Demo moves on.

A month ago, I opened my studio to the public as part of Portland Open Studios Tour. This is a chance for me to show and tell what I do. My demonstration for the two weekends included two different media, copper and aluminum screening.

The demo with the screening didn’t look like much then, just plain silver screening that I was sculpting into a lion. I tried to take a ‘before’ picture then, but the aluminum screening just doesn’t show up well in a photo.

Now, I’ve had time to get into the process of adding the paint. This piece is still in process. It’s not even close to finished. There are many, many layers of paint to go. But I thought I’d take a picture of it at this stage to share with you.

2008-11-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

A NEW VISION.

A NEW BLOG.

A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE.

I started a new blog. Not because I needed another thing to do but because I felt compelled to work for the change I want to see in the world. I wanted to start the ball rolling in a positive direction for a change.

I know. We all know. There's a lot of bad news out there. Gloom and doom seem to be the new mantra. Research and history shows that the Great Depression's momentum was a direct result of a mass mindset of fear. And fear serves no one and hurts everyone.

I want to see us heal. I want to see change in a positive direction. I want to pass on good news. I want to affirm that, in spite of everything you might hear out there that life is good.

So that's where the new blog comes in, and you do, too. I want this to be a place where we can all share stories, poems, songs, tidbits, little life events and big ones, too that are good. Let's start our own upturn in the world, right now.

The new blog is titled: Life Is Good...Pass It On. Come on over and join in. Here's the link http://lifeisgoodpassiton.blogspot.com/

2008-11-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

CREATING A

VESSEL CLASS:
WHAT AN ARTFUL, FUN AFTERNOON.

On Saturday at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, I taught a class called, ‘Create a Sculptural Vessel’ through Portland Community College. I arrived with all the supplies, set up the room to allow for a flow of function and creativity and hoped that the students would be ready for a hands-on, free-flowing, art-making experience.

These great women eagerly dove into the experience. They cut the copper or aluminum screening into pieces. Then they started to play with metal. Bending. Pushing. Folding and rolling. And soon, chatting away as they worked, sculpted vessels began to appear. Moving on to the paint, metal leaf and beads each student/artist added to their vessel making it their own unique piece of sculpture.

Of course, during the creation process there are those times of indecision. Resistance. And fear. What should I do next? Will I make a mistake? How will it turn out?

I was there to help the process in any way I could. Explain or demonstrate a technique. Show an example for the three vessels I brought. Ask a question. Offer a suggestion. Or encourage exploration for inspiration.

We were lucky to have inspiration just steps away inside the Museum of Contemporary Craft. There are two ongoing exhibits, ‘Manufactured, The Conspicuous Transformation of Everyday Objects’ and ‘Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler’. As well as a Community Showcase featuring a beautiful display of unique contemporary and traditional baskets from the Columbia Basketry Guild. Plus there were two artists from the Columbia Basketry Guild doing a demonstration right next to our classroom.

All of these explorations helped to inspire us all as we took in the textures, colors and forms on display around us to push, pull and create more from the sculptural vessels.

I saw a wonderful transformation take place as the women took screening and created truly beautiful, unique sculptures. Some of them seemed a little mystified about how and where the forms came from, but isn’t that the wonder, mystery and fun of creation?

2008-10-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Sculpting Show and Tell.

(Doing my copper repousse' during Portland Open Studios. Photo by Lisa Griffin)

For two weekends in a row, I've been part of the Portland Open Studios Tour. That means from 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday, I open my studio to the public. But it's more than an art show and sale. It's more like art show and tell.

Remember when you were in kindergarten and you brought something to school to share with the rest of the class? Well, this is something like that. As a participating artist, my job is to show people where, what and how I work. It's been an interesting process.

When people come to my studio, I show them how I bend, shape and pinch window screening into sculptures of animals and people as well as push copper sheeting into masks and landscapes. I tell them how color is added and answer questions about where I get my materials. I let them wander through my home looking at my some of my other pieces explaining how the original stories and found objects give the pieces unity. I listen as they tell me about their experiences with art and sometimes, show me some of their artwork.

I must admit, I wasn't sure what this experience would be like. Opening up my studio to strangers seemed a little scary at first. Not to mention, putting many of my sculpture pieces on display in my own home for people to see and touch. Talking to all the people for 7 hours each day was both invigorating and exhausting. It was a lot of work, more than I expected. And it gave me an even greater appreciation of all the work that gallery owners put into every monthly show.

But I'm glad I did it. They learned about my art process and I learned about their art experiences. I told them about how my work evolves with each piece and they told me how they felt about the sculptures. It was a wonderful exchange of appreciation, knowledge, creativity and ideas. And isn't that what show and tell is all about?

Visit my website at http://www.susangt.com/

2008-10-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND OPEN STUDIOS TOUR:

COMING 'OUT' AS AN ARTIST IN THE SUBURBS.

Saturday and Sunday, I unlocked my front door and welcomed strangers, friends and neighbors into my home and my studio. It was a little scary, to be honest, to open up my solitary studio space and process to new people. I felt a little uncomfortable letting others see unfinished work especially pieces still in process. But I loved doing the demos, showing children and adults how I do what I do.

That's the mission of Portland Open Studios Tour, to let the public see artists at work. And I believe and support that mission. I feel strongly that the more people see working artists, the more they'll understand and appreciate finished art work.

I've never done anything like this before, so it's all been a bit of a roller coaster ride. Since being juried into this year's tour in March, I've had a lot of new experiences. There were meetings large and small. I was a little intimidated attending the first large group meeting but very quickly felt at ease as everyone introduced themselves and we split up into smaller groups by our volunteer jobs and neighborhood areas. I went to smaller meetings for publicity. I volunteered to write for the group blog. I was a professional writer in a previous 'career' but hadn't used those skills in a while, so this was another new adventure for me.

During the course of the last seven months, I've met many wonderful, fun, creative and supportive artists. At my 'cluster' group get togethers, I met 8 other artists who all live within 5 minutes of my studio. I've demonstrated my copper repousse' work next to printers, stone sculptors, painters and weavers on a beautiful summer day in a park. I've interviewed at least 7 other artists for the group's blog site as well as writing the audio scripts for podcasts. http://www.infopods.org/

But most important of all, for me, was meeting all those curious 'tour' visitors. I showed how I form my screening sculptures and copper repousse' to men, women and children of all ages. As they wandered through my studio and home gallery, they asked all sorts of interesting questions, made wonderful observations and showed their appreciation of my work.

There are many people in my own neighborhood who have no idea what I do all day. So it gave me an opportunity to show my work to them. It also gave me a chance to display the pieces in a home setting, as well as explain the concepts and stories that direct and inspire my pieces.

I admit, I was exhausted at the end of the weekend. It was a lot of work. But it was also a very rich and rewarding experience especially when the last visitor of the day said that my studio was the best one yet!

For anyone in the Portland area this next weekend, my studio will be open again both Saturday and Sunday from 10-5. Buy a tour guide at http://www.portlandopenstudios.com/ then come on by and visit!!!

2008-10-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

OPENINGS:
ONDA SHOW IN LAKE OSWEGO
FEATURE STORY IN THE TIMES

(Top-'Reflection' copper repousse',

Bottom-'Spring', screening sculpture)

It’s been a week of new opportunities and experiences. I was part of a group show at a new gallery, ONDA. And I was interviewed and had an article about me published in a local paper.

The “Celebrating Nature” show at ONDA in Lake Oswego this month is a benefit for the Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. A local wildlife sanctuary located along the Tualatin River that is home to a wide variety of animals and birds including eagles, great blue herons, egrets and more. At the opening I met many new people including fellow artists and volunteers at the refuge.

The Times, a local community newspaper, called to do a story about me and my participation in this year’s Portland Open Studios Tour. This tour, which is in its 9th year, is an opportunity for people in the community to watch artists at work in their studios. For me, working in my studio is a solitary activity and this is my chance to share my process with the people in my own neighborhood. When the article came out on Thursday, it was amazing to see my picture in the paper. And I felt a little shy, but I was glad to have this wonderful opportunity to be featured in a local paper.

Check out the ONDA show online at Oswego@ondagallery.com
And check out The Times article online (no picture of me or my art, unfortunately) at
http://www.tigardtimes.com/features/story.php?story_id=122281721230808800

2008-09-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

(Left)Bill Murray mingling with art lovers.
(Below)Art lovers and their new dragon mask.

MASK SHOW OPENING

METALURGES

A MAGICAL EVENING WITH OLD AND NEW FRIENDS AND FELLOW ARTISTS

Last night was the opening of the new Metalurges Mask Show. It was a celebration of a new gallery partnership of Susan Levine and Bill Murray, the re-connection of mask artists and collectors from the former Graystone Gallery.

My love of masks and Bill’s mask shows goes back a long way. For many years, I would drive across town just to view Bill’s annual show. This was before I even dreamed of making masks myself, but now I know all those visits inspired me to take art classes, learn to paint and sculpt.

When my screening sculptures were chosen for the Graystone Annual Mask show, I was thrilled. Every year, I looked forward to it and when it closed, I was sad. What I didn’t realize at the time, was how important mask making was to me. My studio work slowed way down. I felt lost.

What kept me going, once again, were masks. This time, mask making re-emerged in my life through workshops and after-school classes at schools around the city. I made a few masks in my studio, but more and more, I was helping others learn the magic of mask making. I love bringing the magic of creation to others. I really believe that creativity is a core need no matter what your age or stage.

When Bill called, with the news of a new mask show opening, I dove into my studio filled with new energy and inspiration. I created 5 new masks for the show, 2 in copper and 3 in screening.

The copper repoussé dragon was inspired by the wonderful new children’s book based on Peter Yarrow’s song, ‘Puff, the Magic Dragon’. I taught a mask makers class at a local elementary school last spring using the book and song all about Puff. So, I knew that one of the masks would definitely be a dragon.

Once again, Bill’s mask show makes magic for everyone involved. Artists get to catch up with each other and share their new masks. Old and new friends get to mix and mingle. Art lovers are treated to a feast of mixed media masks in clay, wood, steel, wire, tile, aluminum and copper.

If you weren’t able to make to the opening night celebration, you can still enjoy the show from now through October 31st. Metalurges Gallery is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday Noon to 5p.m. or by appointment at 3601 S.E. Division Street in Portland, Oregon.

2008-09-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

UNMASK YOURSELF:
Finding yourself is child’s play.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of teaching another mask making workshop. This time it was at New Renaissance Book Store and the class was for adults instead of children.

The class, called ‘Unmask Yourself’ invited grown-ups to take a creative, artistic journey of self discovery by making a multi-layered mask. This was my first experience bringing this kind of art experience to grown-ups and I wasn’t sure how it would go.

It was great. This wonderful group of men and women jumped right into the spirit of discovery through playful art making. They eagerly sorted through a rainbow collection of colored and patterned papers. Cut out shapes from foam and words from magazines. Painted glittery glazes and shiny puff paint. Drew with oil pastels and forks dipped in paint. Twisted wire and added beads. Glued on feathers, sparkle wire or fuzzy yarns. The time flew by and three hours later, their masks were done.

Were they surprised? Were they pleased? Did they learn anything about themselves? Yes. Yes. And Yes.

Several people talked about the importance of taking chances. Some had dreams of winter. Some just enjoyed the art materials and playing with feathers and beads. I think we all learned that making art isn’t just child’s play, it’s a fun way to get back in touch with yourself. And that’s a joy to be enjoyed at any age!

2008-09-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

A NEW ART EXPERIENCE:

FROM ART GAWKER TO ART GROUPY

This weekend in Portland, Oregon, I went to Art In The Pearl, a Labor Day weekend art festival with music, food and kid’s art activities. It’s a gathering of local and regional artists showing work from ceramics, paintings, sculptures, fused glass and photography to hand-crafted leather goods, jewelry, baskets, felted coats and hats. It’s also a gathering of artist guilds and groups doing demonstrations and giving out information to anyone in the community interested in learning more about art. This year, instead of just watching the demos and admiring the art, I was able to have a small part in the event.

As a new member of the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Guild, I was allowed to hang one of my copper repousse’ pieces in the guild tent. Every year that I’ve gone to Art In The Pearl, I’ve always checked out their tent, admired the art and picked up a brochure telling myself I’d join. Last year, I finally did it. It’s been an eye-opening experience. I’ve met many talented artists. Learned about a wide variety of sculpture media. Gotten some really helpful advice. And participated in group shows and demos all over Portland that I wouldn’t have had access to without the guild.

I’ll admit I’ve never thought of myself as a ‘group’ person. I’ve always been comfortable working on my own but I have to say that joining this group has been a great experience for me. And although, I don’t feel that I’ve done much for the group, yet, just a newsletter article or two and a contact list for the president; I look forward to doing and learning more. All in all, I'm learning much more as part of a group than just a gawker. Try and see for yourself.

2008-08-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

AN INTERVIEW:
WENDY NYEMASTER, AUTHOR
UNLEASH THE POEM WITHIN

A few months back, I received a review copy of ‘Unleash the Poem Within’ and I loved it. I wrote a short blog about it here in July. Then I wrote to the author, Wendy Nyemaster, with questions about her unique book concept as well as her personal journey as a writer/poet. Her answers are below.

As you read, you’ll learn that this was a very personal journey for Wendy as well as the other contributors to her book, the Poetry Posse.

During the last few months, I’ve been going through my own difficulties and I have to say, that Wendy’s book helped me, too. I wrote a few poems and seeing my feelings as words on a page, helped. So the idea came to me that maybe other women out there would like to try their hands at a little poetic self-help. How about you?

Would you describe yourself as a poet or a writer?
Writer because I write a lot of different things other than poetry.

Tell me about your journey as a writer. Where did it start? Where are you now?
It seems like I’ve always been drawn to writing, but I can specifically remember thinking “I want to be a writer” in the third grade. I read A Wrinkle in Time and thought, wow. I have found immense comfort, inspiration, and direction in writing—both my own and that of others—since I can remember thinking. And I’m not sure which one came first for me: reading, writing, or thinking. I’m not sure it was even a conscious choice. I have simply known that write is what I am supposed to do. I have never been as sure of anything else in my life. I’m still finding how I am best heard, but I’ve always known writing was my path to follow. But, for a long time, I tried to pretend I didn’t hear its whisper because I thought what if I fail? What if I’m no good at this thing I want so desperately? To never try was to pretend I still could. When my husband and I separated after ten years of marriage, I had to redefine myself. I had a shock of cold water that forced me to see if I could swim. I also was just mad enough to want to do something big to show him that I could. That’s when I got the idea for Unleash the Poem Within. I started writing it, got an agent, and here it is. After its publication, I didn’t feel relieved or accomplished—instead I was hit with a very heavy now what? feeling. I stopped actively writing on that project in March of 07; it was published in April 08, and I just now, here in August of 08 have an idea of what to work on next. It wasn’t exactly writer’s block, but I just didn’t know where to go. I’ve got another nonfiction idea with my agent now, and while he’s shopping that around, I am working on a novel. But, I still write poetry more often than any other thing. It not only helps me express myself, but it gets my creative juices flowing so that I can work on other things. Where I am now is never stop writing. That is the only way I feel like I am moving forward in my life, no matter how well things are going in different areas. I simply have to write. And most of the time that starts with a poem.

Some of us express ourselves with painting, sculpture, journal writing, or fiber art, would you say that poetry was your way to self-expression?
Absolutely poetry is my way to self-expression—as well as self-exploration. I’m not sure I know how I think about something or what I think of it until I try to write a poem about it. It also helps me be creative in all other writing areas. I find that writing poetry opens up the valves for all kinds of wonderful writing to rush out.

You say that you wrote sonnets before you knew what they were, what got you started writing poetry?
I honestly don’t know! My mom says she always remembers me adding little groups of words, little “poems” with every picture I drew from about six on. When I was in high school, I wrote the most ridiculous “sonnets,” meaning rhymed groups of stanzas. My friends and I would exchange them. Since then, it’s not even a conscious thing. Sometimes my words come out in verse. As I explore poetry more, especially since I was blessed enough to write the book, I experiment with different forms. And that to me is not only great fun but also amazingly revealing.

How did it help you?
Poetry specifically helped me get through my separation. Before that, it helped me get over a post-partum depression I didn’t have a name for. I believe in God. That’s my belief. And I believe that God gave me poetry to get me through the tough stuff. That’s why I say it’s not even conscious sometimes. I think its God’s gift to me. That’s not to say I claim to be terribly gifted at it, it is to say God has given me this outlet to see me to the other side. Now, additionally, poetry helps me keep writing. As I said, it clears the way for so much additional writing to come through.

Poetry as self-help is a unique approach, what gave you the idea to write a book about it?
Because it has helped me personally through some pretty big, tough stuff, as I mentioned—my separation after ten years of marriage, post-partum depression—as well as the everyday struggles that come up. I thought if it’s been this helpful to me, perhaps it might be helpful to others. I knew I couldn’t write a book, especially my first, about something I didn’t believe in. Poetry as self-help seemed the perfect subject.

You describe different kinds of poems in your book as being helpful with different types of personal situations…can you give me a few examples?
The sonnet has a natural affinity for helping with emotional situations. This tradition goes back as far as the sonnet goes back. It helped both myself and another Posse member with marital difficulties. My world was obliterated when my marriage was unraveling, it felt like I couldn’t grab a string connected to anything. Sitting down and going through all my emotions—anger, betrayal, loss, etc—and finding the ones that fit my poem meant I felt like I fit. I simply didn’t feel so overwhelmed and lost. I felt like I had more control since I could identify and sort though what I was feeling. And when I knew what I was feeling, I knew better what I wanted to see happen. I felt like when I could write it in a poem, I could name it and wrap that string around it. The other Posse member who wrote her poem anonymously, the only way she could be true to what she needed to say, too was experiencing difficulties in her marriage. It helped her to give words to a vague, looming heaviness. When she had the words, the heaviness lifted. So, the sonnet, in my experience, is great for emotional situations.

Lori, one of the Posse, was having some issues with money—too much debt to be specific. When she chose that as her subject for the list poem, she was challenging herself to delve into it. The list poem is a form that is very unrestrictive as far as “rules” go, but is still a poem, so there’s a process to it. Dissecting the issue into lines helped Lori grasp some of the emotions behind the problem. This was really inspiring to me, to choose something we don’t really like to talk about, something that admits personal weakness. She knew it was a problem and was really courageous to put it out there. The list poem is easy to write and great for these everyday, not-very-poetic issues that can hold us back.

The letter poem is a great way to let something go that might be holding you down—like guilt. Nikki dealt with the guilt she felt at her Aunt Arla’s passing. You can choose a form to help with your letter, or use free verse. This process is incredibly cathartic. When I was writing the book, I would divide the Posse up into groups, working on two chapters at a time. So, half of the Posse didn’t see half of the book. When Lori read it in its entirety, she came across Nikki’s poem, one she hadn’t seen or read before. As it turns out, the exact same thing happened to her! Lori and Nikki come from two totally different backgrounds and are at completely different places in their lives, yet share this common experience. Lori’s aunt died of ovarian cancer, caught too late, just like Nikki’s Aunt Arla. She had the same overwhelming guilt as Nikki. Lori said she was very emotional reading Nikki’s poem. And even though it wasn’t her own, she could let some of her own guilt go through Nikki. She said it was like reading her own poem.

In each chapter, you include a different form of poetry, examples from famous poets, your ‘poetry posse’ as well as music suggestions, why the music tracks?
As I say in the book, to me music and poetry are so similar. Perhaps music is poetry with instruments, and perhaps poetry is music without instruments. Music inspires me all the time to write a poem. So again, it’s a mode of inspiration that works for me, and I thought it might for others as well.

Tell me about your ‘poetry posse’.
The Posse is a group of ordinary women, some who had dabbled in poetry here and there and some who had never written a poem—ever. But it was important to me to get my point across to show that poetry really can help. And to do that, I had to gather a group of women to prove it. I could have pulled examples from famous poets, but this was different. This was a way to use poetry in every day life with every day problems. So I needed every day women. Some of the Posse are my friends (one going back to middle school!), some my family, and some I have never even met, as they came into the group through my friends or family. I made the conscious decision to make it as diverse a group as I could. They are all so brave for taking this journey with me. Can you imagine asking someone to write a poem, who has never written poetry before, and oh, by the way, it’s going to be published? But gamely, each and every one of them put themselves out there and learned a lot as a result.

I’d love to have you work with me and a few other women to discover more about ourselves and our lives through poetry. How about it?
Yes! I would absolutely adore the opportunity to do that.

2008-08-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sculpting a Life:

One day at a time.

('Sunrise' new copper repousse')

A few weeks ago, an artist and mom-to-be asked me how I managed my studio time. It’s a good question. And one that I wished someone had answered for me when I started out, so I gave it some thought. I wanted to give her something that no one had really given me back then, the truth rather than the myth.

Here’s the myth. That all artists work in their lofty studio spaces alone at least 8-10 hours a day struggling to make their work meet their highest standards of excellence.

Here’s the truth. My work has been done in a variety of settings over the years. I started out with a drafting table in the corner of my bedroom because it was above the reach of my pre-school son. Later, when we moved to a larger house, I put the drafting table in the corner of the den. And gradually the den moved out and my studio moved in. As far as hours a day, I don’t count them. Oh, I spent some time whipping myself into a frenzy trying to uphold the myth of long studio hours, but I kept getting interrupted by life. My life.

Here’s another truth. I work best in 45 minute segments, about the length of one of my favorite CD’s. If I work on one piece any longer than that, I start undoing my own good work. I call it ‘fuzting’. It’s very frustrating. So, what I’ve found works for me is to have about 3 pieces going at once which I work on for 45 minutes each about five days a week. Some days I work longer. Some days I work less. Some days I write. Some days I go out and have fun. Well, ok, I’ll admit, I have a hard time getting myself out for fun, but I’m working on that.

The point is, small segments of time add up to finished work. Think of it this way, Michelangelo carved his masterpieces one chip at a time. So can you. Studio time can work with you, around your life, your kids and walking your dog. It may not happen in one month or one year, but in time, you will have a portfolio of work to show for it and, if you’re lucky, a couple of healthy kids and loving relationships, too.

Just one more thing…don’t forget to play. Go out and have some fun on a regular basis. It feeds the soul. Speaking of which, I’ll talk to you later, I’m going to a movie.

This post was also published in the Joy of Living Creatively at http://ericmaisel.blogspot.com/2008/07/sculpting-life.html I post there every other Friday and I have several other posts there you can check out. As well as my myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/sgtsculpture

2008-08-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

SCULPTURE

ON FIRST THURSDAY

Last night was one of those wonderful mid-summer nights, just right for a stroll through one of Portland's local art districts. There were crowds of people everywhere, taking in the scene with art in the alley, music on the corners and gallery openings. Delights for senses were everywhere.

I was lucky to be part of a group show put together by the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Guild at the PosterGarden. Crowds flowed in and out for 3 hours to the beat of Samba Soleil taking in the paintings, jewelry and handcrafted items in the showroom downstairs as well as the diverse collection of sculpture from the guild and incredible treats from Fete by Myriam upstairs.

I had a great time chatting with friends, art lovers and fellow artists on such a beautiful summer night!

2008-07-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

PLAYING WITH CLAY

AND MAKING MASKS

AT SUMMER ART CAMP

I never went to camp as a kid, but last week, I got the chance to have some fun at a camp here in Portland. I was a guest artist at the Museum of Contemporary Craft's School's Out, Art's In summer camp for children.

What better way to spend a summer's day than playing with clay and making masks. I was there bright and early Monday morning along with Kate, Shir and Jessica to set up for the 'campers'. They set up tables and chairs while I cut and stacked blocks of nice, red clay. When the children arrived, we went on a private tour of the museum's exhibit, "Generations, Ken Shores" led by Kate. This exhibit was filled with wonderful ceramic pieces both functional and non-functional, glazed and painted, as well as mirrored architectural pieces. Looking at the colorful, textural sculptural pieces, we explored the many ways that clay can be used in artwork.

With all this inspiration, we got to work in the studio/lab area. I did a quick demo of slab mask making and talked about shape and form. Then the children went to work rolling out their own slabs of clay and shaping their own masks. Pushing into the clay. Pulling it out. Attaching pieces. Carving lines and forms into it. Or punching holes in it, so that later they could add wire, beads or feathers. Some were inspired by the human face, others by animals. Some worked from photo reference materials, others from their imaginations. Whatever their inspiration, they worked all morning and afternoon building their own unique clay masks. At the end of the day, the masks were taken to be bisque fired and returned to the children for another day of art adventure.

On Friday, I came back to find all the masks had made a beautiful transition through the kiln. Each mask was bisque fired and ready for the next step: Color. We spent the day talking about and experimenting with color. How do certain colors make you feel? What are the primary, secondary and tertiary colors? How can you blend, layer and texture with colors? Then after everyone had painted their masks, we added extra elements. Feathers. Wire. Beads. Ribbons. Yarn. Just like each mask maker, each and every mask was individual and unique.

The week of art ended with a gallery show of all the artwork created by the children, papermaking, woodworking, wire beading and clay mask making. It was a fun, energetic, exciting and inspiring week. And I think we all had a great time at camp!

2008-07-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

SCULPTING A LIFE

MY NEW SERIES ON CREATIVITY CENTRAL

About six months ago, I answered a call for blog correspondents from around the world to contribute bi-weekly articles on living creatively for Eric Maisel's new blog: Creativity Central. The idea was to have many people 'reporting' from their different parts of the world sharing what was new, creative and artful in their lives and locals. I sent in my proposal and waited for the technical bits and pieces to get put together.

At long last, the site is up and running. I wrote my first article as a new 'blog correspondent'. My life has had some unexpected twists and turns this year and when I wrote the initial idea up, I really had no idea where I would find myself when blog publishing time came. I was to write about 'sculpting a life' and at the time my life was falling apart. But what amazed me last week, as I wrote my first piece for the blog was how far I've actually come in the last few months. What I thought at the time was the end, I see now was really a new beginning. My life wasn't really falling apart but re-forming itself.

To read more, visit my blog on Eric Maisel's Creativity Central at http://ericmaisel.blogspot.com/2008/07/sculpting-life.html

2008-07-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH

PORTLAND OPEN STUDIOS ARTISTS

AT CRAFT PDX: A Block Party

The sun was shining. The music was playing. And artists were sculpting stone, metal and clay. Painting. Making prints. Weaving. Carving wood. Basket making. Drawing on eggs. And crocheting with wire. It was all part of the second annual Craft PDX block party put on by the Museum of Contemporary Crafts.

I was there doing my copper repousse' along with many other talented artists featured in this year's Portland Open Studios Tour. There was so much to see and do. In addition to the Portland Open Studios tent, there were many wonderful demonstrations from the city's local art guilds. You could even make your own art. Whether you were a grown-up or still growing, you could make your own raku pot or play with clay.

It was a wonderful day. If you weren't there, here are some pictures I took for you to enjoy. If you see some art that you want to know more about, mark your calendars for October 11, 12, 18 & 19 for the Portland Open Studios Tour. And come watch artists at work. You can buy the Tour Guide from participating artist, Art Media, New Seasons or the website http://www.portlandopenstudios.com/

2008-07-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

HELP YOURSELF WITH POETRY.

WITH WENDY NYEMASTER'S BOOK,

'UNLEASH THE POEM WITHIN'

I've never really thought about poetry as the ticket to self-help or self-health. But I have to admit to writing some small poems along the way. Were they helpful? I don't know, but it felt good at the time to write them. Were they good poems? Probably not. But according to author, Wendy Nyemaster, that doesn't matter.

"The idea", according to Wendy, "is to use poetry as a means to a more creative, expressive and authentic life." It can help you let go, be more grateful, explore your creativity in a whole new way. And it's helpful for sorting out some of life's sticky situations, as well. Say, for example, you have a relationship issue? Then write a sonnet. You want to stay in present moment? Try a haiku. Feeling a little lost? Let a villanelle help you find your own voice again.

In addition to chapters covering different types of poetry forms, Wendy gathered a few women and formed a 'poetry posse'. This group worked their way through all the chapters and contributed many of the poetry examples used in the book. Each chapter also includes a list of music the posse felt captured the feeling of the poetic form. I found the music suggestions interesting, some definitely not to my taste, but the poems written by 'real' women helped me get over my fear of poetry as perfection.

I must admit, this book intrigued me. I read Wendy's conversational, breezy introduction and I was hooked. I had to try this out for myself. Yes. I wrote a poem. Probably a very bad poem, but it did feel good to write it and it helped me see something a little clearer than before.

So, if you're looking for a new way to help yourself, you could pick up a copy of "Unleash the poem within" and try your hand at writing a poem or two.

2008-07-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

NEW WORK UP FOR JULY

Seasons-'Spring'

If you're in, out or around Portland, Oregon during the month of July, stroll by the Justice Center windows on S.W. 2nd and Madison, downtown. You'll see some a wonderfully diverse display of sculpture from bronze, airated cement, fiber, metal and clay from some of the members of the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Guild.

I have four new pieces in the display, two new wall-hung copper repousse' figurative landscapes entitled, 'Rebirth' and 'Reflection' as well as two new aluminum screening sculptures entitled, 'Spring' and 'Summer'.

2008-06-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

A STUDIO VISIT WITH A STONE SCULPTOR:

JONI MITCHELL, CHISELING OUT BEAUTY.

As I stepped out of the car, it was obvious right away that a stone sculptor lived here. In the front courtyard was a pumice sculpture of a mother and child that radiated a loving connection mixed with free-spirited playfulness. This was one of two outdoor sculptures adorning Joni Mitchell’s home but there was much more in her backyard studio which she and her husband built themselves.

Through the double doors, this simple white studio held an amazing array of power tools, a kiln, and a hose connected to the air compressor housed in the garage. And it’s the tools that powered Joni’s interest in stone carving, without them Joni would have given up on stone. “In my first class, I only had a hammer and a very small chisel and I swore that I would never touch marble again, because it was too hard,” said Joni. But when Marlyhurst teacher, M.J. Anderson, a well-known stone sculptor, introduced Joni to power and air tools, Joni said, “Then I really loved it.”

Joni took me through her process step by step. First, she begins each piece by going through the stone for obvious flaws, carving off at least 1 inch of the stone surface to get rid of marks and imperfections. Then she uses her power tools to cut lines 1 inch apart, and uses her hammer and chisel to knock out the rough shape. After marking out the form with chalk, Joni puts on her safety gear including ear plugs, safety glasses, gloves, mask and hat and carves away using smaller power tools. From then on, the process becomes more about responding to the emerging shapes.

Joni described it as feeling her way through the stone, “It’s very tactile. I have to stop and use my hands to feel my way, using the small air chisel, I start carving the features in.” Joni changed to smaller and smaller diamond tip grinders and carved out the baby’s nose and lips. Joni said, “I do a lot of feeling and hand work.” She used a series of small stones in different textures to smooth out bumpy areas by hand. Then a variety of wet/dry sandpapers and compounds are used to polish the marble ending with a stone sealer to protect the stone.

It was easy to see the beauty of the marble when viewing any of Joni’s finished pieces. But how does Joni choose her stone? She said, “I usually go buy a piece of stone, sometimes for color or shape or posture, then I look at it for a while. With this piece of pink marble, I had it for a couple of years until I was ready to carve it. I could see the posture, very feminine and very fleshy and perfect for the mother and child and the relationship.”

Images of mothers and children abound in Joni’s work. As a mother of two, it was her loving memories of the special joy and connection with her young children that inspired Joni. Joni explained, “A lot of times what inspires me to make a piece is a moment in life that has really touched my heart. That’s why I work.” “I love the mother and child. I would do just babies, if I could.” About the inspiration behind the pink marble piece in process, Joni said, “It’s the way that the mother and child are physically connected.”

And it was that physical connection to the art making process that kept Joni working during a very difficult time. After losing both her brother and her son in a little over one year, it was the studio, the stone and a choice to be positive that helped her heal. “Art has really helped me a lot through some very hard things and that’s why I do it. I hope that when people look at my art it helps them, gives them a feeling of hope, feeling that things are ok,” said Joni.

Joni’s journey into art started with a correspondence course and ended with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marylhurst University. In the process, she has worked in watercolor, acrylics and charcoal. But it was a clay sculpture class that fired her love of the three dimensional form and led her finally to stone. Joni said, “With sculpture, I just knew what to do, it might be anatomy training for the radiology work that I do, helped, but I loved it and I couldn’t stop doing it. I’ve always loved stone. I grew up as a child collecting pretty rocks. And I love the permanence of it when it’s done. I like the fact that I work on my pieces for months before they’re done.”

Marble sculpting was a process that took patience, focus and perseverance. And for Joni, it was a way to find answers to personal questions and a choice to see the beauty in life. Joni said, “It’s a very spiritual thing to me. I’ve always been that person to see the beauty and the beautiful things in life. In my heart I always wanted to sculpt something positive and beautiful.”

Joni has shown her work in the Beaverton Arts Commission show and the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts. Currently her work is being shown at the Kingstad Gallery.

You can visit her this fall during the Portland Open Studios Tour October 11-12, 2008. Portland Open Studios is a self-directed tour of 98 artists workplaces located throughout the Portland Metro area. Tour Guides will be available at Art Media and New Seasons Market.

To see more of Joni Mitchell’s work visit her website at http://www.jonimitchellart.com/.

2008-06-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

THE NIPPLE PROJECT:

FROM ONLINE TO OUT IN PUBLIC

What started out as an online art statement has blossomed into a mixed media exhibit at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Anna, California. Opening June 7th, in a show entitled, "Enclosed, Encased, Enrobed", will be an installation of mixed media nipples.

Some will be in a wall installation with nipples sewn onto individual bras, a section guilded with pink for submissions related to breast cancer, and some on objects that represent some of the most common slang terms for breasts. Cans. Hooters. Melons. Boulders. All with nipples attached, of course. This truely unique and quirky project gets a fitting exhibit.

How did the nipple project get started? Well, a few years ago, Victoria's Secret introduced the IPEX bra designed to provide 'maximum nipple coverage'. Jennifer Baylis and Andrea Domingnez felt that this was just one more way to eradicate and androgenize an important female body part. Which at the same time, ironically, is a body part most emphasized in fashion and the media. As the project evolved, the organizers realized that they had started something that went even deeper. They received nipples from breast cancer survivers and those who had lost friends and family to breast cancer expressing their grief and respect. As well as new mothers expressing the joys of nursing.

I heard about the project and totally agreed with Jennifer and Andrea. As a women and the mother of two children, I felt that nipples needed to be honored and appreciated for being such wonderful multi-taskers. I created six nipples for the project.

Three are made of brass metal screening and decorated with copperwire and beads. I see these as the 'goddess' nipples using symbols of precious metals and beads to honor their role in creation and nuturing. The other three are made of aluminium screening that I painted in a variety of amusing, colorful and fun ways to appreciate the wonderful, playful quality that nipples also represent.

I sent them off wrapped appropriately in Victoria's Secret tissue paper. It just seemed to me to be the 'perfect fit'.

2008-05-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

MAGICAL MASKS INSPIRED BY

PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON

For the last 7 weeks, I've had fun teaching an afterschool class at Llewellyn Elementary School called 'Mask Makers'. Inspired by the release this fall of a children's book based around the popular song, "Puff, the Magic Dragon", my mask makers have been busily creating dragon masks.

I read them them the book on the very first day and by the middle of the book, they were singing away as I flipped through the pages. Then, we listened to the CD included in the book. When the CD was over, they asked me to start it all over again. Humming along, they worked on their magical masks. Each week, we added a new element. First it was noses. Then, fanciful dragon ears as well as layers and layers of texture and color with different papers and paints.

In addition to the masks made by my mask makers, we made set elements for the drama class who will be performing the song and dance on the school stage. My creative class made an ocean backdrop with Puff's cave textured out of paper, a pirate ship, billowed sails and colorful dolphin fish, butterflies and birds.

Throughout the class, the song played in the background inspiring us all with it's magical melody helping us to create these wonderful, magical dragon masks.

2008-05-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

ORPHAN WORKS BILL

OR HOW TO MAKE STEALING ARTWORK LEGAL.

(Artwork: Elements-Fire)

In the last week, I've learned about a new bill in Congress and the Senate called the Orphan Works Bill. This bill would take away all the copyright laws that now protect art from being used without the permission and compensation. Put all work in the public domain that is not pre-registered through as yet unnamed agencies at artist's expense as yet to be determined.

This means that any writing, concepts, sketches, artwork, photography of artwork could be copied, distributed and used by anyone at anytime without my knowledge, permission or compensation. That's stealing. And that's wrong.

I received two emails about this bill this week. One from my local art group, the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Guild and from Robert Genn in his weekly artist newletter. I had no idea that such a terrible bill existed. I was shocked. And angry. And I wanted to do something about it right away. But what? To whom and how?

Here's who and how. Register for this email list at illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com Then click on the website at http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/ You will go to a page of pre-written letters opposing the bill. Click on one and fill out the info and it will be emailed to your local congress and senate representatives.

It's easy. Fast. Join me and do it now. The more of us who let our shock and anger be known, the less likely this bill will be passed. The Orphan Works Bill is stealing. And it's wrong. Let's stop it. Now.

2008-04-28T18:23:00.001-07:00

THREE ARTISTS

THREE TOTALLY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES

ALL AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY CRAFT

Last weekend, I did a demo with my screening sculptures alongside two men who worked in stone and clay. This weekend, I did a demo showing my copper repousse' technique alongside two women working in steel and mixed metal sculpture. All at the Museum of Contemporary Craft http://www.museumofcontemporarycraft.org/ in Portland, Oregon.

It was an interesting and educational experience for me in many ways.

Bonnie Meltzer (http://www.bonniemeltzer.com/), a metal and fiber artist uses electrical wire as yarn and crochets sculptures that include aluminum cable, telephone wires and various parts of recycled electronics including computers and telephones. I love to crochet with yarn, but I've never thought of buying spools of electrical wire. It was inspiring to watch Bonnie crochet this thin, shiny, red and green metallic wire in and around aluminum cable. The resulting spiral took on an undulating, organic shape that looked almost Seussical to me.

I showed various copper repousse' pieces including my oak leaf mask, animal angels and fantasy landscapes. I told interested museum goers about the history of repousse' and showed them how I created the landscape in the copper from the backside using a variety of tools that I've collected from around my home. As well as explaining how I 'paint' the piece using chemicals and heat to create the colors and textures.

Alisa Looney,www.alooney.com, a steel sculptor, had a wonderful collection of amazing macques of her large scale pieces. To demonstrate her technique, she had a book of photo illustrations showing her process step by step from cutting the steel into her unique figurative shapes to welding it all together.

It was inspiring and educational for me to learn more about these other artists and their techniques. And I learned from the museum goers, who were generous in sharing their art experiences and techniques, too.

We were representing the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Guild, a wonderful organization that includes many talented artist. To learn more visit the website at http://www.pnwsculptors.org/

2008-04-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

TAKING THE PRIVATE, INDIVIDUAL ART PROCESS TO THE PUBLIC.

A DEMO AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY CRAFT.

On Saturday, I worked alongside two other sculptors from the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Guild at Portland's Museum of Contemporary Craft. The three of us took our solitary studio work and process out to the public. I wasn't sure how it would go or whether I would enjoy this experience of demonstrating my sculpting technique in metal screening. Or how it would be to work in the same space as two artists I did not know who worked in completely different media.

It went very well. It was refreshing and invorgating to have the company of two experienced and professional artists.

Joseph Highfill, a figurative clay/bronze artist, was working on a 4 foot high sculpture of a man in plasteline clay. He showed other plaster faces and busts that he does as portrait commissions. His work is graceful, precise and beautiful. Jonas Blant, a stone sculptor, worked on soapstone. He showed other stone sculptures of cats. His stone pieces were smooth and glowing. I worked on aluminum mesh sculpting a male woodland fairy and a female fairy face. I showed other finished mesh sculptures including a macaw, cheetah and an old wise woman.

It was an interesting three hours working side by side Joseph and Jonas while answering questions about our work and chatting with curious museum goers. My conclusion: I liked having the comradier of coworkers for a change. I was even able to problem solve with them on a project I was working on and although I didn't come up with my exact solution then and there, the conversation and sharing led me to an idea that I hadn't even thought about before.

2008-04-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

SOMETIME'S YOU DO GET WHAT YOU WANT!

This week, I got a letter of congratulations. I was selected to participate in Portland Open Studios 2008 tour. That means I'll be opening my studio, my process and my work to people in my community.

I've participated in the tour before as a visitor, not an artist. I've known other artists who've participated in years past. I've always wanted to do this but was a little shy about opening up my art space to others. I guess I've grown since then, because I'm excited to share what I do and how I do it. The tour dates are in the fall, so check back here and I'll keep you posted.

Hoorah!

2008-04-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

REJECTION:

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you'll find, you get what you need." (The Rolling Stones)

Let's face it, rejection hurts. It's hard, upsetting and ego-blasting. All the little whispers that I keep so tightly locked into their little closets start shouting out loud. And I don't like what I hear, things like 'your work's not good enough, you should work harder, better, or stop altogether'. I feel like a failure. I feel sad. I feel like hiding away. I feel alone.

But I know I'm not alone. This week on one of my artist groups, a member shared her story of rejection. Tapestry crochet artist, Carol Ventura (http://tapestrycrochet.com) sent out her art packet and got a rejection letter. Because she's a well known fiber artist with years of experience, she took it in stride. Oh, she wasn't happy but as she pointed out it's part of the process. Sometimes you get accepted and sometimes you get rejected. One feels good, the other doesn't.

As another fiber artist, Bonnie Meltzer (www.bonniemeltzer.com) put it, no one likes to get a rejection letter. It's hard. It hurts. But the important thing is to get back up on that horse again and keep moving. Because the only way to get your work out there is, well, to keep putting your work out there.

Another artist, Julie Goodenough (www.juliegoodenough.com) wrote in to say that she's going to be teaching a course in how to get your work into juried shows. The funny thing is, both she and her teaching partner had been recently rejected from not one but three separate shows. They wondered if they were qualified to teach this class. And, of course, they are. They have experience with acceptance and rejection. They can pass along the fact that as an artist, you do the best possible presentation you can and then, you wait. Sometimes you get accepted and sometimes you get rejected. The biggest lesson they can teach is that you are not the only one. You are not alone.

Sometimes I can't get into the show that I wanted. But I got back on the horse, stayed open to new opportunities and what'd you know? Yes, just like the song quoted above, I tried and sometimes I find I get what I need.

How has it worked out for you?

2008-03-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

A four-footed perspective:

Life's way too short.

So wag your tail...as much as you can.

This week several of my friends have had their four-footed companions pass on or develop terminal diseases. It brings life into sharper focus. And what jumps out at me and them is how the animals who live alongside us not only share our everyday lives but our past.

Here's what I mean...when Heather, my golden retriever came into my life as a pup, my son was 2 years old, my daughter was 5. When Heather left our lives last year, my son was 19 and my daughter 22. My friend just said goodbye to her calico cat after 18 years. When her cat joined their family, their son was four. Her cat, Cleo, died this week. Her son is now 22, her daughter is in her 30's, married and living in Spain. What's brought into sharp focus here? The years may seem to drag when you're living them day by day, but when someone part of your daily life is gone, you realize that life flys by. One year you have a puppy, a toddler and a kindergartener and another year down the line, you have a teenager, a college graduate and an elderly dog.

My other friend found out her 4 year old dog, Duke, has a terminal heart condition. He may live 6 weeks or 6 months, no one knows. The sharp focus...life is short, way too short. So if all he wants to eat is butter and eggs, so be it. If he wants an extra cookie, blanket or walk in the park? He gets it.

So what's really important? Quality of life. His and hers. Yours and ours. Everyones.

Brings me back to my New Years Resolution: I Quit. Remember? I quit rushing. Multitasking and stressing. And fearfully listening to the latest health scare. Instead I'm breathing, eating and living everyday with as much joy as I can. Sounds easy. But I can tell you with life's little changes that have come my way this year, it's been tough.

I have a new four-footed canine friend, Jilly. Although she's not a pup anymore, she's still got lessons to learn even after two years, we're still working on 'come' and 'sit'. But, as I watch Jilly, get excited to go for her daily walk or jump after a ball, I realize she's got a lesson or two to teach me, too. One of the big ones: Jump. Jump for joy. Why? Because life is here, enjoy it while you can.

2008-03-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

AND PERCHED IN A TREE

IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD PARK

I couldn't believe my eyes. As I rounded the lake in my small suburban park, perched in a birch tree by the lake was a bald eagle. I stopped and stared, eyes wide and unbelieving. My husband took out the camera and moved down the grassy embankment to take pictures.

You've got to understand, my husband and I walk to this park and around the lake twice a day. Everyday. Rain or shine. All year round for over 10 years. We've seen the usual parade of park life: ducks, geese, nutrias, squirrels, jays, crows, sparrows, robins, cormorants and seagulls on occasion.

But never, ever an eagle. And we wouldn't expect one due to the closeness of the homes surrounding the little lake. And, by the way, I'm from Michigan originally, and what they call a lake here would be considered a pond there. So you see what I mean, seeing an eagle perching in a birch tree was an amazing and wonderful surprise. Another coincidence was having a camera with us. We just happened to be carrying a camera that day because there's a tree in the woods I'd been wanting to photograph for studio reference for one of my copper repousse' pieces.

I had to see this as a sign. And so on arriving home, I looked up the significance and symbolism of the eagle. Here's what I found in "The secret language of signs" by Denise Linn.

"This is a sign of great significance. To native people around the world, the eagle was a symbol of the Creator. The eagle connects you to the Great Spirit above. In ancient Egypt, the eagle was the symbol of the day and the full light of the sun, and was therefore considered emblematic of illumination. In ancient northern Europe, the eagle was associated with the gods of strength, power, and war. In many ancient cultures, the eagle was considered a messenger from the heavens. On Roman coins it was the emblem of imperial power. Listen carefully when this sign appears for you; it can signal a time of power and strength in your life of soaring freedom, of seeing life from new heights."

Right now, in our lives, both my husband and I are challenging ourselves, taking new risks, exploring new territory. The eagle landing in our lives that morning on our routine walk through the park was definitely more that coincidence. It was a sign and a very good sign for both of us.

2008-03-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

SE AREA ARTWALK

CONNECTING ART WITH LIFE

Sometimes art can become separate from life. Put on a pedestal. Something to be viewed at a museum. Something from the past. But it doesn't have to be that way and this last weekend's SE Artwalk was proof that art is about life, everyday life and everybody can enjoy it.

The 5th Annual S.E. Area ARTwalk included the work of over 90 artists in 52 different locations in Southeast Portland between Hawthorne Street and Powell Boulevard. Giving Portlanders a wide range of businesses and studios to walk, bike, eat, and explore art. The K & F Coffee served great espresso and tea as well as the wonderful felted creations of Bonita Davis and architectural glass of Donald Leedy. Cadenza Academy featured the abstract figurative works of Joel Barber. Annie Meyer's studio showed ceramic tile paintings and monotype prints. Palio Dessert and Espresso featured the work of Abernethy Elementary School students. New Horizons Hair Design showed the art clay silver pieces of Cheryl Cook. And Metalurges featured three sculptural artists, Susan Levine, Robert McWilliams and Rabun Thompson. Just to name a few of the many art stops along the route.

The largest art gathering was at Fire and Earth featuring over 30 sculptors. Members of Pacific northwest Sculptors Guild held a group show that stimulated the imagination and tickled the creative tastebuds of artwalkers of all ages. On display were crayon-colored sculpted fish, penguins and geese. Graceful abstract steel figures. Beautiful bronze figures. Kinetic clocks. Mosiac pillows. Clay figures and reliefs. Carved wood pieces. Copper repousse'. Bronze animals, dragons, and fish.

In addition to the art, the artists were on hand to answer questions about the techniques and process that goes into to creating the works of art. And there were artists doing demos that included clay figures and a large sand sculpture to the delight of all the artwalkers.

So much to see and two whole days to take it all in. And take it in, many Portlanders did. Despite rain, hail and sunshine, the artwalkers just kept streaming into the PNWS exhibit. After all, what's a little rain in portland, the liquid sunshine city anyway? Sun or not, what really shined was the art.

2008-02-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

"THE VAN GOGH BLUES, The Creative Person's Path through Depression"

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ERIC MAISEL

Today I'm so pleased to talk to Eric Maisel, author, creativity coach and psychotherapist whose books, newsletters and podcasts have helped so many creative people succeed. I know his books have offered me advice, inspiration and guidance along the sometimes long and winding creative road. And this book comes from one creator to another. Eric Maisel, a writer himself, knows first-hand the struggle creative people experience and in this book, he address the problems and seeks to lead all of us out of the blues.

Why do creators experience depression? According to Eric Maisel, "Creators are not necessarily afflicted with some biological disease or psychological disorder that causes them to experience depression at the alarming rates that we see. They experience depression simply because they are caught up in a struggle to make life seem meaningful to them. People for whom meaning is no problem are less likely to experience depression. But for creators, losses of meaning and doubts about life's meaningfulness are presistent problems-even the root causes of their depression." Eric calls this a 'meaning crisis'.

Question: Eric, how do I restore meaning during a meaning crisis?

Eric: First, you need to have the kind of vocabulary of meaning in place that allows you to accurately name your current difficulty as a meaning crisis. Then, having correctly identified it, you need to remind yourself forcefully that you make the meaning in your life and so it is on your shoulders to either reinvest meaning where it just got lost or make a meaning investment in another direction. That is, you must decide if your current novel, which suddenly feels meaningless to write, is still worth your attention, in which case, you reinvest meaning in it, or whether your must abandon it and start another project. You restore meaning by actively and consciously either reinvesting meaning or make a new meaning investment.

Q: Facing that novel on the computer screen, a blank canvas or a lump of clay, how can I move through my fear or meaning crisis and keep creating?

Eric: The first step is to notice that fear or anxiety is at play, rather than mislabeling the situation (for instance, by suddenly deciding that you have no talent or that your paintings will never be wanted). The second step is to embrace this anxiety, rather than trying to fend it off. Anxiety is natural and, at modest levels, no particular problem - the problem is fighting like heck to avoid the experience of it. So you embrace it and say, "Gee, I am feeling a little anxious." Just saying that will help. Next, you use some anxiety management technique to reduce your experience of anxiety: just taking a few deep breaths can work wonders. Label it correctly, normalize it, and then reduce it.

Q: So I've recognized my anxiety and taken a few deep breaths, but I'm still not getting my studio work done. I say, I'm too busy or too tired. Or I'd love to sculpt a new clay figure but I don't have a kiln to fire it in. Am I sabotaging my own efforts? And why would I do that to myself?

Eric: Because creating is difficult, and because we want to keep that truth out of conscious awareness, we act as if we want to create but then find ways of avoiding it. The most characteristic ways we avoid it nowadays is to say to ourselves, "I'm too busy" and "I'm too tired, " both of which work to keep us from our art because they have enough of a grain of truth to them that we can comfortably buy them. The most classic way to avoid the hard work of creating is to use some 'yes, but' construction, which translates as, see, I really wanted to do it(sculpt), but, darn it all, something monumental is in the way(no kiln). If you point out that there is a kiln thirty miles away, what will you get in reply? - a new 'yes, but.'

Q: Working daily at my art, how do I measure success and feel more successful?

Eric: The typical way that a creative person measures success is according to how well his creation is received by the world. If he finds a publisher for his novel, he designates that a maker of success. If the novel sells well, he considers that another . But what marker will he use during the 600 days he is writing his first novel? It can't be publication or sales: it must be that he is showing up and honorably working. If he does not consider markers like those and if he doesn't celebrate those sorts of successes on the days that he shows up and works, he is likely to feel too little rewarded and too unsuccessful and give up on creating. We must decide to feel successful as we proceed, because external validation is not going to come often enough to meet the need we have to feel successful.

Thank you, Eric. And that's gets me right back to the core of creativity. I create because it is meaningful to me and important to me to do it. And by doing my creative work everyday, whether it's sculpting, writing or painting, I feel successful. I am a meaning maker.

For more about Eric Maisel and his books, workshops and consulting services, be sure to visit www.ericmaisel.com

2008-02-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

Blogtour Stop Thursday:

An interview with Eric Maisel

"The Van Gogh Blues: The Creative Person's Path through Depression"

I'm looking forward to talking with author, psychotherapist and creativity coach, Eric Maisel about his book and how artists can chart a new course through depression to a more meaningful creative path.

I know as an artist my work is an important source of meaning in my life. It is work I do because it is meaningful to me, but what happens when meaning gets de-railed by self-doubt or critism? According to Eric Maisel, this is a meaning crisis. And that our way out of this crisis and back to our job as a creative person, is to become our own meaning expert. I, you, we have to 'opt to matter'.

Sounds easy. But, this is where it gets tricky. Any artist facing a blank canvas wonders, "Do my efforts really matter?" The answer is really simple. You choose to matter. You choose to live, create and relate in ways that matter to you. And that's the way you stay on the meaningful, creative path.

But how do you overcome the anxiety that keeps your brush in mid-air? How do you bravely make your own meaning everyday? How do you recognize self-sabotage and walk through it and beyond it?

Join me here on Thursday, when Eric answers these questions and more.

2008-02-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

One-handed no more!
Hear the sound of two hands clapping....
Thanks to the healing help from many caring people.

It’s been a long two months. The biggest challenge was keeping my spirits up when I couldn’t do my art. Working with metal, as I do, whether it’s copper repousse’ or the aluminum mesh takes the coordination of two hands. I couldn’t do it one handed.

I needed help. And I got help from many talented, caring healers. I had delicate surgery to straighten my wrist bone done by a talented orthopedic surgeon, Darin Friess. The physician’s assistant, Tannia, sculpted my cast to help me heal and be as comfortable as possible. Janice Weitzer, a caring herbalist and massage therapist worked with me to release pain and open up my circulation so I would heal faster. And Ruth Ann, my occupational therapist, manipulated my fingers, hand and wrist each session and taught me stretching and strengthening exercises.

All their wonderful, caring, professional help has given me my hand back. I’m healed!

I applaud them all. And now, thanks to them, I can use BOTH hands!!!

2008-02-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

A romantic tale.

A Valentine's Gift.

A new, old ring on my finger.

About a month ago, I told my husband that all I really wanted for Valentine's Day was my wedding ring back on the third finger of my left hand. When I broke my wrist, they had to cut and twist my ring off my finger, mangling it badly. The only consolation they could give me was that I could get a 'new ring'.

But, you see, I don't want a new ring because I love my wedding ring even after 20 years. I had it made for me by a custom jewelry artist when my other 'store-bought' ring fell apart. The artist, Deborah Spencer, created a one of a kind ring for me that fit my finger perfectly.

So when they mangled it, I went in search of her on the internet. I found her and she told me not to worry, she could probably fix it. Just bring it in to her when my hand had healed a bit. So, early in February, I brought it to her shop. Deborah took a look at it and said, she could fix it, no problem. I left it with her.

On Valentine's Day, my husband and I went to her shop to pick it up. Deborah fixed it, and then some. Not only was it sized up to fit my finger a little better, but all the old scratches had been polished off, and the diamonds were sparkling clean. Guess how much she charged me? Nothing. It was all part of her service to her customers. It's a Valentine's Day gift I will never forget.

If anyone wants to see more of Deborah Spencer's beautiful, artistic jewelry, here's her website...

www.deborahspencer.com.

2008-02-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

A wrist that can twist.

And necessity is the mother of creativity.

In the photo to the left, you see my recovered hand. Adorned on Valentine's Day with my beautifully, artfully created and repaired wedding ring. As well as a fingerless glove that I created in crochet to give my wrist some cozy warmth while typing on the cold keyboard of my computer. Why did I need a fingerless glove? Because, you see, I don't need my wrist brace anymore...Hoorah!!

I even get to play with clay. Well, not clay exactly, it's more like the silly putty I played with as a kid. It even bounces. And, in addition to doing my rolling, pinching and squeezing therapy, I can make funny faces, gumby-like people, bird beaks and crazy heads.

Who said physical therapy can't be fun?