Reality Check

Usually when I post on my blog, I have just taken some pictures, or have something new going on, but sometimes I just need to think out loud about my priorities, and what is going on in my world. I have not been able to make it to a couple of art classes, and I won't be going tomorrow, either, partly because I'm doing a friend a favor, and partly because I haven't been feeling so hot. I know it's partly physical, and partly mental, but that's just the way it is. I've been doing a lot of beading, partly for gifts and partly for myself, and one of the good things about it, is that I use it for a form of meditation, it's creative, and I can do it with my feet up when that is necessary, like right now.

I haven't been having many "spoons" lately, partly fighting off some kind of virus, and it's really discouraging when that happens. What I need to remember, is that most of the time I can use one of my strategies to make happen, what needs to happen and that is alright. I don't have to do it all, everything I think of, or want to do... I can space it out, or do part of it now, and part of it later. I have had to stop doing some things, but I can use my excellent brain to work around the blocks to do what really counts, and it is ok to take some of my prescription pain medication when I need it, I'm not just being weak.

I have had a few disappointments lately, for instance I thought that I could participate in the local Art Association, but found that for now, the one I joined just doesn't work for me. Perhaps in a larger group, maybe with a more diverse membership, I can find a way to participate that works better for me at this time. I tried to do the Newsletter for the Brea group, and found that the group had an intense "control issue" and really just wanted things to stay the way they were done a long time ago. Since I spent a lot of time and energy trying to do what I had been told they needed, that was pretty intensely upsetting and disappointing.

I've been realizing that I have too many unfinished projects around here. That tends to happen to me when I'm feeling down, and when I don't feel focused. I'm going to box up some of them, and see if I have anything I don't need anymore, then I can work on things as I want to, with more space to work in comfortably.

Anyhow, this is just what is going on right now. We have two new chairs, and mine is very comfortable, which is great because I'm spending a lot of time in it right now. We rearranged the living room, and I think it is going to be much more pleasant to sit in now, with a little more light, and some new curtains as soon as I get them made.

I stopped going to the quilting class a couple of years ago, since it conflicted with the other classes, and we don't quilt in there, we just show whatever we've been making, and get involved in more, and more, and even more attractive but unfinished projects. It's basically a three hour lecture, and not even time to socialize, either, just a short break somewhere in the middle.

I'm taking my second semester of Life Drawing, using watercolors in addition to the usual drawing materials, and I feel like I'm making some progress from time to time, but my drawing is still pretty iffy. I was enjoying the oil painting last year, maybe I'll take that next term, but right now, one class seems like plenty. One factor is that it takes a while after you get to class, to get your stuff set up, and get your painting or drawing to flow, and just when you get it really going, class is over and time to stop. I need to think about this, maybe do some oil painting at home now that Autumn is finally here, and now that I have a stable easel for oils.

I think it's a good time to have a finishing up of outstanding projects, and organizing myself so I feel better about my working space, and about what I do there. Right now, I'm having a hard time valuing my work like I should, and I think it's important that I work through that! B*B, Ysabeau

Finishing up some lingering projects

Some of the jewelry I finished this Summer, I had started last year. Sometimes I'm just in the mood to work on the base, design the shape, and come back to it later in a different frame of mind. The beading repetition is a great way to be in a meditative frame of mind, and get some internal peace. I also do crochet, hand sewing/quilting, and painting and get the same effect, it's fun and creative, and I end up with really pretty objects for myself or for special gifts.

B*B,

Ysabeau

Jewelry design this Summer

These are just a few of my designs that I made this Summer. I made some wonderful simple flowing pieces, and some fun complicated designs, all one-of-a-kind, and now that school has just started up again, I'll probably wind up most of the jewelry supplies until later.







The pieces range from simple pendants and earrings, to bracelets and necklaces in sets. I worked in peyote stitch and right angle weave for the bases, and went as crazy as I wanted to, from there. I love the way the right angle weave is so flexible it almost feels like a heavy supple fabric, and while single stitch peyote is slow, you can make structures that are only limited by your imagination with it! I also am working with some polymer clay making pins with character. That is interesting because I can combine beading, wirework, painting, even a little quilting or fabric embellishment.

B*B,

Ysabeau

Brea Art Association

I recently joined the Brea Art Association and attended my first meeting. I may be helping them with some work on the newsletter and I put up a blog for them, just basic with some information. It's definitely a work in progress, not done yet, but better than the absolutely nothing they had before on the web. There are some very talented people there, wonderful artwork, but just not that many are comfortable with computers, like they are with their other mediums. The group has been around for quite a while, but right now is quite small due to the natural cycles that groups go through. Anyhow, they now have a blog! Maybe some of the members will want to get together and paint outdoors, which sounds like such a lot of fun to me.

B*B,

Ysabeau

Believing in myself

My husband bought me this easel set for Christmas several years ago. To me, it meant that he believed in me, that it was worthwhile for me to spend time painting, and learning to paint. He suggested (over and over, I resisted!) that I should think about taking a painting class at the local college. I finally did, and it was a great idea, but very hard for me to start doing it, I felt selfconscious and fearful that nothing I did would be any good. I was terrified, but I wanted to learn.

I found teachers that encouraged me, other students that were kind and fun to paint with, and more ways to play with my painting. I need to remember to believe in myself as much as possible, and not get stuck in fear or in the past.

B*B, Ysabeau

Student Art Show 2007 Fun!

Here I am blurrily receiving my unexpected award, the Marciano Martinez Scholarship, for the abstract watercolor below, called "Days of Chaos".

Here I am with my two pictures, and my friend Andres who won a special award for his oil painting portrait of a young woman.

Here is my finished "Building Trust" oil painting that took me about five weeks, the picture somehow doesn't show the colors well, but I really enjoyed doing it.

Submissions to the Student Art Show this year

This one isn't very large, but I liked the abstract quality and the depth I was able to get while still using lots and lots of color. When I matted it and framed it, I was pretty happy with it.

I saw a lot of the entries, and they were very good, so I don't have a great deal of hope that mine will be accepted, but I feel good about entering. I love seeing all the diverse pieces that everyone has done, we have so many talented students at school that you never know what you may see.

I submitted two more that I don't have pictures of yet, one was finished at the very last minute, but it was interesting so I managed to mat and frame it up, and it's there to be counted! Four pieces was the maximum you could submit this year.

This one was really hard to mat, I ended up centering it in a longer frame, which worked out pretty well.

B*B, Ysabeau