Spring Song

 

About two days ago it started getting noisy around here.  I don't need another hobby so I was resisting looking.  But last night I knew the little guy was in the tree behind my bedroom window!  Big puffy chest.  ???

This morning I went out to hang up the bedding on the line.  Ah, a robin!  Of course, they like to nest in that old potting shed and sit in the trees!  I can put away the bird book. phew!

And whereas I need rubber boots to stand at the clothes line, (lowest place on the yard, I think);  it is probably time to start thinking about spring chores

                                         

But I have been on a bit of a tangent.  AGAIN!   I have been 'analyzing' my clothes.  TOO much information!  I thought I had it just about licked when it was dropped into my screen that the colour of our hair, eyes and skin 'greatly' influences our clothing choices.  I knew through colour season analysis that I was a winter (circa 1975)  and I knew aging dulls things a bit.  But I was kinda thrown of my main tangent trail into a side eddy when I realized just how much my colouring has changed (2017).  I am mostly neutral- dark brown hair is totally silver now, brown eyes are a dull hazel and my skin has never been shiny and colourful.  So I am neutral dominant and light valued.  I do best in a monochromatic colour scheme in a mid range and with a light bright thrown in or perhaps an analogous palette which I really do luv!  Can you here me yip yipping?  I SEE says the blind man. Makes sense to me!   And if you think monochromatic is boring-  check out the vivienne files

My styling for our house sale has gone to a neutral background with a monochromatic colour for major pieces and pops of soft accent colours!  I luv it! I feel validated!
 
 It also explains my monochromatic flower beds!

This should directly impact my creative art journey.  Knowing what I know I'll be able to eliminate a lot of impulse spending and add some great art!

Whoo hoo!   I'll be springing into action and singing a new song!

One and the same

Amazingly what one learns about making art and decorating one's house.  Same principles also apply to one's clothes closet.  And vice versa!

1) Needs to fit!  The dresser looks great by the bed but I can't easily make the bed every morning and that corner is just about eye level with a less than wide awake Rooster.  So, plan B.  Assemblage is a wonderful mixed media style but I can barely get the top off the child proof laundry detergent bottle.   I stroked  the Dremel off my 'have to have' list.  Therefore all the ill fitting clothing have been edited out.  Well, I kept a few warm and slouchy tops- for cooler art days.  They will likely not survive the painting messes any who!

 2) Colour!  I do luv colour but apparently it showcases better on a neutral background and as eye popping accents. The orange art room tends to clash with and colour most of my art project appraisals.  :O  My colourful (and busy) backgrounds are benefiting with knocking back with swathes of gesso and the application of baby wipe rubs.  I have learned all this after investing in coloured walls and now I'm continuing under the influence of the current grey trend.  Grey, BTW, shows up colour wonderfully.   Much as fire engine red may suit my colouring I won't be wearing a full skirted dress in it. A bit more subdued and who knew that blue jeans are considered a neutral.  I must add, mind you, that I was looking at some red shoes the other day!  lol

3) Rule of thirds.   Gosh this applies in photography, art canvases, windows and drapes, groupings of threes so why not the old body!   duh!  Proportion and lines has less to do with body shape and a lot to do with what will make a pleasing silhouette.  Half black and half white with a red belt and gold bulls eye buckle is not too pleasing.  Now I am a short plumping hour glass who needs to embrace my curves without giving star status to the plumping parts.  It is good to identify one's nemesis and then skim lightly over them!

4) The yes and no lists.  I rather like those white minimalist houses but I'm not neat enough to maintain one.  So relaxed Ikea works.  I'm giving my French Provincial chairs to my DD#2 and my dearie is swallowing the recovering costs and adjusting to the new swapped mid century modern book case. ;^)  Family Affairs!!!    Follow alongs and Project Lifes are not my style.  My own blogging themes,  making my own journals and adding some of the bought ephemera works for me.  Making art for Ikea shelving is my happy place.  Unhappily, vbsigh, bosoms are a fact of life for us X rated figures.  Much as I wish I was that 60's Twiggy model, I ain't.  But turtlenecks are not my best look.  I need to lower that neckline and get a nice bit of jewelry under my chin to draw the eye up and help  acquaintances who are stuck- well, you know where!  An interesting aside is that I have a tee shirt with a bit lower neckline and luv it.  So this is really about what makes you happy.  I luv stripes.  I'm not giving them up but I will be thinking rule of thirds and columns of colour when I do it.

5) Armed with your YES list, edit your closet.  Downsizing has been easier since I reconciled that I would not be revisiting my folk art period!  :{   And while I kinda like the Victorian style of mixed media I won't be spending a lot of my art budget on lace and pearls.  A lot of what isn't my art style is passed on to the grand kiddies who haven't discovered their style yet.  lol   Ideally I want to reach into my closet and get what works quickly, easily and happily.

6) Accessories.  The secret weapon for colour and creativity.  Those statement accents on the coffee table or bookcase.  The bit of metal or glitz near the focal point in the mixed media art.  The earring, bracelet or scarf.  Amazing what a bracelet does to an outfit or a brooch to a drab cowl necked sweater.

7) Capsules!!!  This totally makes sense to me.  My home decorating focuses around tweaking the seasons.  I have created four bookcases in my basement that store colours and accessories for the four seasons that we enjoy.  I luv arranging vignettes and it beats shuffling rooms full of furniture around.  No surprise that my randomness leads to various aspects of my art and crafting life.  If I embrace the slower pace of winter which keeps me indoors  and spend my time sewing and hand stitching  my life is far less frustrating.  I guess one can snow dye but dyeing is likely a fall outdoors project for me.  It was a no-brainer for me to make four clothing capsules.  One for each season and they actually over lap a bit so I just shuffle the seasons from accessible to not so accessible along the hanging bar.  This works better for me than colours or kinds which I tend to associate with seasonal wear anyway.  And if I need orange I do know where in the seasonal line I can find it.  It also shows up gaps and the unnecessary number of the same four items and lack of a fifth but different.

The biggest thing I learned is nothing stays the same.  House decor goes through trends.  A major colour shift occurs every 10 years like brown to grey and minor accessory styles change yearly.  Classic is timeless.  Most of us have seen the rise and fall of crocheting, paint by numbers, scrap booking and grunge art.  But fabric, paper, and the colour wheel are a basic.   My 30 year old body exists only in old photos and in my mind.  Reality reveals we all change.  Selfies (for your viewing pleasure only)  are an excellent tool for showing that!  And after the first half dozen painful crying jags one focuses on line and proportion.  Mind you, dressing in one's bedroom then going for the selfie in better light does not prepare one for the full mirror view of a bent over and half clothed confrontation enhanced by the lighting in a change room.  I wonder they sell ANYTHING!!!   But covering the body is not really negotiable so lets happily and comfortably embrace it.  How about with some style?

Another aha! was percentage.  One day a week I dress up for church.  One day I have scheduled for errands.  Those days I MUST dab some makeup on.  See colour above!  Five days I am at home happily messing about.  Party wear opportunities are extremely rare.  So the 3 ball gowns were tossed.  Just kidding.  However the sparkly top that no longer buttons was sobbed over and laid to rest in the discard pile.  That defining moment actually led to unearthing my cloth measuring tape!  :/  If my math is correct, 14% of my closet should be semi formal (?) maybe classically casual.  14% should be casually classy.  And a whopping 71% needs to be for a comfy, casual, creative country chic (k).   And it sure isn't!   But I do have a list for future forays into the change room, lighting be d***ed!

SEW- I think tunics, with a bit of shape at the waist are my ticket to creative freedom.  Even a loose thin belt would work.  The pattern will be easy to fine tune.  Easy to sew, easy to wear and I do have fabric!  The prototype waits beside Nina and the Rooster's coveralls.

Being creative.  Whether it is through my homemaking,  chasing the muse, or revealing who I am to all those who pass me on the street, it is all one and the same.

Finding Myself!

Here is the way I see it!

I am a Mystic.  No surprise it is the baseline of who I am.  It will certainly influence what I do but I am an introvert and this is a private part of me.  It'll be a silent partner.  But one who dances in the spirit!

Again, no surprise; I am a Storyteller which also partnered with Scribe and Writer. The big three! This likely explains why I am more inclined to research and write about my plans than do them.  lol  I stride along, reporting what I find that is interesting.

I am a Student which is why I am such a technique junky.  Again, blogger fodder.  I hardly have time to attend sock hops!

I am an Eternal Child.  This is no surprise to those who know me well.  I learned I was an 'otter' some years ago and what shocked me was that I was just about 95% instead of my usual scores for surveys which are average, 50 percenters.  This just makes me jump for joy!

And I am an Hermit.  An happy hermit, I might add.  Of course, this means I have lots of time to write and blog. oh, and play!  So I'm not likely to be seen out and about too very much!

 I just feel the stress ooze out of me when I learn I am an Artist only as a secondary trait.  I am a Creative!!!   I have no passion/drive to be a big artist.  I will be happy to write about my creativity instead.

It is interesting to me that I am a Teacher only as a secondary impetuous.  Learning is more important to me but I will absolutely share what I learn.  I did some 'real' teaching and can see now that teaching is a tad stressful for the Hermit!  :O  Now teaching the grand kiddies is really just playing school and hardly seems to count.   I really learn as much as they!

The big surprise to me was that another secondary trait is Engineer.  ???  But I do like to be a creative problem solver in many areas and I do like systems in place so things flow smoothly.

I had the Rooster take the quiz with me and we are in basic agreement.   Bless his heart, he thinks I'm a capital A artist.  He also thinks I'm a Princess!  Okay, I'll grant you that I'm spoiled!  ;^)  Nice to know we are of like mind.

All in all, I am happy that the book has validated where I am wanting to head in my creative journey.  It was worth the price of the book to finally own up to my passion, writing.  I am not sure what has made me resist acknowledging  writing/storytelling but ...

The book also helps use the archetypical information to inform your mixed media style.  So that will be an interesting process as well.  I do intend to let my little light shine and to tell about it!

Achilles' heel

An Achilles heel is a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, idiomatic references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.    wikipedia

Truth be known I have a couple!

It has been incredibly cold and rainy this spring.  I don't do cold real well.  So I've been huddling under a blanket and...

I wish I was as committed to my hobbies as I am to reading.  I had managed to 'control' my reading for the last few years and I was doing so well I treated myself to a 'free' e-book site.  Not good.  Especially with chilly and snugly added to the equation.  I did get a great list of art books for the grand kiddies and got them in from the real library.   I have a good focus for the next year!  Now libraries, even small town ones,  have due dates and require drives into town during their work hours.  A download is just a click away.  vbsigh  So I deleted my link 24 hours ago and so far so good!

When we are able to get out and cut grass we get that done but another downpour puts the greenery on a dash for blossom or bust.   This wooden tower fell over with the soggy soil, old wood, high winds and heavy, lush vine.   :(  So now a new structure is added to the list.  Two steps forward and one back.  grrrr  Actually just one hour east of us they were evacuating cottages because of fires.  This weekend they evacuated because of flooding and road washouts.  sheesh!  I shall be thankful as wade through the grass by the clothesline.

 But help has arrived as the grand kiddies spread their own sunshine all around.  Who can resist that???

My Rooster can't run as fast as he used to.  Shoot, neither can I.  So our son in law has the barn doors on his list.  'Course our fields are soaking wet so my farmer actually ordered some top soil so we could get to the flowerbeds on the south wall of the house.   I did add a few more cement pavers to an open space and I think I may have the dogs kafoodled!

When we can't go out we stay in and my Rooster goes into handyman mode as old plumbing meets new technology.  It didn't help that I ordered the farm sink a few years ago and the new improved sink fits the new style of Ikea cupboard I chose.  eek!  Its all good.  My guy is of the old school who can improvise and now can swear in Swedish!  The pull out drawer under the sink needs 1/4 inch  to clear the plumbing.  Since the leaks are all stopped, tweaking was NOT an option so I have a little notch cut in the back of the drawer.  Ha, garbage pail will hide that!!!

My DD#2 has persuaded me to let her help me downsize.  I told her I have been but I'd have another look around.  Ahem!   Now every week I cart a truckload of stuff, weather permitting,  for her to store in her basement until... ;>)  Now she has made lots of money selling stuff that I had already passed on to her. (She is a real minimalist)  Course some stuff needs to sneak past the grand kiddies as 'everything' is their favourite.  lol  But she has sold some old toys I had passed on and has bought them new/better ones.  The Rooster has made me carry a few things back into the house and one yes-no-maybe so is on hold in the girl's bedroom while I reconsider.  $25 so far and a dresser is pending!   But things really are feeling more spacious.

Because...

We REALLY are downsizing.  We have had to admit that we are not able to keep up to the maintenance this amount of acreage requires.  It has been a process and my farmer has taken a bit longer to 'let go and move on'!   I'm always up for a change and can hardly wait to see what is gonna happen.

My personal/physical achille's heel is actually my hands.  I am afflicted with eczema and that is such a bummer for mixed media.  But one must suffer for ones art!  Right.  Also cheating on the diet contributes so I'm back on the wagon and that will also improve my overall mental well being.   I have two rooms to paint and the kitchen to touch up but I'm optimistic.  Garden soil is a problem but I now have good leather gloves.  I should have got those years ago as they are SO much better than the cute cloth ones!

I know my regular blog friends are gonna groan.  When I confessed my transgression to the Rooster he just shook his head. Full disclosure-   But I bought another planner.  Start today.  I know. I know. What can I say. There is just 'something' that makes me feel warm and fuzzy about personal planners. I do plan on scheduling 3 blog posts a week as this 'whenever the fancy strikes' plan isn't working.

If I swear in Swedish will you believe this is the last one?  Okay, okay. But I think I'll blame it on my heel!

A path for the Wanderlust

Well, I lost sight of the path to Wanderlust when I was putting away all the paper and stencils in preparation for playing with mixed media this morning.   Mind you, we are experiencing a big white snowfall so paths really are disappearing.  lol

I pulled the white curtain back that hides the fabric stash before putting my new rolling cart back into that corner.  Eek!  I decided to tackle the fabric shelves because in the original reshuffle I'd just jammed things in.  One thing led to another and I got into shopping mode because good ideas were happening and I could see a good and general long range pathway.

The good news is that I shopped the stash as I reshuffled some old projects.  I doubt I will even need to do much actual shopping. ha!  But it also helped with this week's goal to identify which old UFO's I don't have any interest in finishing.  It also will save me time in the long run as I revive the patiently waiting sewing and fibre art list. :)

I found some fabric I'd bought for a winter fibre art jacket.  This totally changed my thoughts for the hallway wall hanging.  This will be better.  And totally saved me from going down a rabbit hole.  I am a visual person and when I lay things out and walk from room to room and view the groupings I can see what works and what doesn't.  I'd lost my focus and KISS motto!

Hallways are kinda important to get somewhat right because the other rooms lead off of them.  So aqua is the base for the hallway's various seasons but not the base colour for the other rooms.   Nothing like making things complicated!  lol  This isn't fixed in stone but hopefully I won't cut up something that is essential to 'The Plan'.  ;^)

Keeping true to KISS means that not every room and every flat surface needs a quilt however small.  kiss!!!   :{  But the sitting room does need lap quilts and sets the tone for pillows in the nearby front room.

And while the basket quilt in toile fabrics that I have had on my to-do list forever made the cut,  I will be sure to update some of the fabrics.

  I want to remember to save enough of this Bali for a pillow though!  I expect my pink transferware will always stay in the china cabinet in the front room so pink will figure in somehow.

My hall area rug is the colour theme for upstairs.  I bought it with my first earnings and I've not been sorry.

The up hall will have a wallhanging and a pillow but again, it has four doorways off it.  It also has a bit of a different feel than the more public rooms downstairs.   This plan needs more thinking but the snow has stopped so I need to shovel all this back into place, label the shoe boxes, and clear the art room for the rest of the week.  Its been fun though! 

In the beginning

Beginning a new year, clean page, etc.  could also involve some disclosure.  So...

My relationship to my God is important to me but not something that I want to blog about although frankly, my life revolves around what pleases Him.  I belong to a small home fellowship and we decided to change things up by meeting on Saturday evening rather than Sunday morning.  No doctrinal basis for our decision except personal convenience.  The time change and the busy summer schedules had proved the change effective so when the fall time change drew near we were liking the results and have decided to continue.   This affects my blog. :0  I now have Sunday free to plan!!!
 

Believe it or not, I really have kinda fine tuned my hobbies.  KISS is my 2016 word and as I can only keep so many balls in the air, this is the plan.

 AND if I do have a general plan for how the week plays out I am more liable to get things done.   So Sunday I'll layout the plan.  I am also hoping to use some of the day for sewing if the Rooster is busy on his own hobbies because I am once again committed to the ufo busting Vicki instigated.
 
 Monday will showcase my passion for taking pictures with a nice vignette.  I had gotten a fancy camera last year but it was definitely not simple nor even handy most of the time so in the spirit of KISS I had traded it in for my current pocket sized Nikon which I am totally happy with.  It also turns out that our new mobile cell phone takes excellent pictures.  So I have got things covered and if I want to increase the learning curve I can read the manuals.  ;^)   But I will also be pursuing photo worthy projects in mixed media for later in the week.  House work permitting!  I do have to disclose that the Rooster and I have not been laying about eating holiday snacks.  Following his fine example we both have substantially simplified and thrown out lots of clutter!  So house work should be faster and easier as I won't be moving piles of stuff ahead of me as I clean. (more about that in the future)
   
Tuesday is a quick post on Treasures as I continue to document my early quilt projects.  I can schedule these ahead of time so I will have a 'free' day to pursue studio time.   I did join a year long mixed media workshop.  Wanderlust.  I want to increase my understanding of various mixed media mediums and bump up my productivity level.  I should have some things to show for that long term commitment!  Hopefully by the end of 2016 I'll be more comfortable with the moniker 'artist' and what kind of artist I want to be.  ;^)

Wednesday is free right now as my work schedule has changed.  I can use this day for planning art 101 with the grand kiddies and my once a month craft class.   Another year long class I joined was The Documented Life Project.  This year's 'unplanner' is similar to something I did a few years ago and actually kept up with for over half a year.   The format is a smaller binder and, well, is frankly quite intriguing but more doable.  It seems likely that it will generate ideas for the grandkiddies smash books as well as indulge my messing about with mixed media.  And heck, I might just be forced to publish scratched off to-do lists!!! 

Thursday is my day with the kiddies and any errands I can incorporate.   Usually I am beat when I get home and this is a good evening to catch up on the free books for my e-reader that I discovered a few weeks ago.  I LUV reading but I am going to be seriously limiting those 'free' ones that are the start of 4, 6, 8  book series!  yikes.  I have no time for those.  :(

Friday indulges my luv for home decorating.  I have had an epiphany that spurred on the whole 'throw stuff out' frenzy of the last few weeks and has me incredibly excited to make our home 'ours'!  I shall work my way through the house each season but I have definitely simplified the whole process.  I will start at the entrance and work my way around but I do hope that it is noticeable that I have a whole new studio set up.  Eliana spent a week with me and I had her help me split my work spaces into one room for sewing/beading and another for all the wet mixed media/scrapbooking stuff.   Because the incentive was for her to actually get some sewing done her slow start moved up a few notches about the time I began to flag and I give her full credit for keeping us both hard at it. 

This gal is all about- Yes, I can!

A needle threader was later added to the supply list.

A new needle case and a fun project.

So that is the plan and I believe there is some kind of quote about half done/well done...

This will do...

“I wouldn't know where to start."
"He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to."
"Thoreau?"
"Harry Emerson Fosdick...”