Inspiration and Breathing

I once looked up the definition of inspiration and, interestingly, one of the definitions was "the drawing of air into the lungs". As soon as I read that I stopped. I drew in a deep, deep breath.... and slowly released it.

I felt reinvigorated and somehow, at the same time, more peaceful. It's amazing what a truly deep breath will do for you isn't it?

The last few weeks in the wake of the Hubby's shoulder surgery I've found it difficult to find, not only time, but energy and inspiration to dive back in to my painting and creating. This is a big prob for me, y'all! My art is my business and, more importantly, a vital part of who I am and a great way for me to unwind. I missed it greatly and was searching for that inner spark and inspiration for my next creative projects.

Then it hit me. I needed a deep breath.

So I paused and breathed deep of my favorite inspirations that I'm surrounded by~

• the smiles and laughs of my family
• spending time chatting with the Hubs...he is my best friend, after all!
• praying for those I love and even a few I don't! ;)
• reading
• music and singing
• grabbing my camera and trying new things
• books, mags, blogs, websites that make me wanna grab a paintbrush
• raising my head from the task at hand to notice the beauty in my world
• writing messages on my little chalkboard in the kitchen
• I tried to do something creative everyday...take a photo, blog, bake something special, doodle or draw, research a new technique...something!

What do you take a deep breath of when you need to refresh and recharge?

Paint with Me Thursday ~ Buttons

My cousin Lisa from Boondock Ramblings joined a weekly link up challenge that involves ART! I'm in love, y'all! Heather from Simply Feather is the genius behind the Paint with Me challenge and she graciously invites all artists to join in the creative fun...no matter their preferred medium or skill level. I love that. Thanks Heather!



This week's challenge was about buttons. I heart buttons. I have a stash of vintage buttons left over from my great-grandmother's sewing business years ago. I had visions of doing something more elaborate than what I came up with, but sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do when you're a mom...and your Hubby just had shoulder surgery! Besides, I kinda dig the results...



















This piece is made up of odds-n-ends from around my little studio....

• old hard back book cover - painted


• painted vintage sheet music heart - fixed on the cover with heavy matte medium


• faux pearl beads from a local thrift store sewn on the heart


• "imagine" embellishment from my leftover scrapbook stash


• vintage button also sewn on the heart


• scrap of ribbon


• straw (yes, a straw!) taped to the back to string the ribbon through for a hanger

Now I just have to find it a home in the house...maybe the mantle in our kitchen?

I'm on Kelly Rae Roberts' Blog!

The delightful Kelly Rae recently posted on her blog that she wanted to share some of the stories and artwork that people, inspired by her Taking Flight book, frequently sent her. She generously went on to invite her readers to join in....and I did.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be featured. I thought I'd get lost in the shuffle of the masses of submissions she'd most likely recieve after her open call. I checked in with her blog this evening and her feature post was up. I was enjoying the truly wonderful submissions and stories when -WHOA! Hey that's ME!

So, if you've got a moment go take a peek! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pinch myself....OUCH!

"I wanna paint like you, Mommy!"

That's what the Bubs told me when we were chatting in my studio. He'd come in a few moments before and leaned on the back of my chair to peek over my shoulder at what I was painting. It was one of those slow days around the house. He had the day off from school and the Hubs had the day off from work. Some days we like to just chill out and enjoy being home ...no major cleaning projects or grocery shopping treks.

For a child who's used to a more structured day, chillin' out at home can be a relief....for a little while and then they start expecting you to come up with some activity for them to do! I'm pretty sure that's how the Bubs was feeling when he said that he wanted to paint like I was. He'd mentioned his interest in painting a couple times before and Poppi went out and got him a few canvasses to have fun with.

So he painted. It was fun to watch him- no fear, no hesitating or second guessing. We talked about how to use a paint brush and paint, what colors he wanted to use...and enjoyed being together. I know having that time with him is a memory I'll treasure. I hope he'll come to treasure it, too.

Gratitude and apologies~

I am both giddy and humbled by all of the encouraging feedback I received about my art. Many, many thanks to you all! You've inspired me to create even more and I hope to have more ready to show y'all soon.

One minute I'm doing my happy dance and in the next, I'm biting my nails or pulling my hair. It's delightful!

I think I may have inadvertantly insulted the Hubs, though. Unintentional though it may have been, it was done and I want to come clean.

The Hubs has always supported me in all my artistic ventures. He gets me supplies, offers encouragement, a listening ear when I need to "talk out" my ideas, a gentle (but firm) shove when I need some get up and go.....and love. Unconditional, precious and uplifting love. So when I started sharing with him some of the wonderful comments you all sent, he was just as thrilled as I was. However, he couldn't understand why I didn't truly believe him when he said much the same things as y'all did.

Oh.

I realized that I had, in my insecurity, done something to hurt him. My biggest fan.

Hubby, I hear you first and I hear you the loudest. I'm sorry for letting my insecurity get in the way of accepting your honest support.

I'll make it up to you later...........

An artist who gives flying lessons...

I recently made a discovery. It wasn't earth shattering and won't be in any history books, but it was a momentous occasion for me. I, in one of my web surfing sessions, stumbled across the artist, Kelly Rae Roberts. She does whimsical and encouraging mixed-media works of art like this:

When I found out that she had a book published, I was so excited that I gushed about it to the Hubs. I thought he was listening with half an ear at the time, but he must've been paying more attention than I realized because he turned right around and ordered it for me from Amazon. It's titled Taking Flight~ Inspiration + Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings. In it she tells her story about being almost thirty and knowing that she wanted to do more with herself (um, I can identify). She talks about being nervous about experimenting with her art again after having set it to the side for so many years. She's not formally trained, but she created because it gave her joy (um, again, I can identify).

I may never sell a single piece that I create, but I'm already having so much fun creating and painting again. Even the Bubs has noticed how much fun I have when I'm painting/drawing and now he's excited about expressing himself on paper. We ooh and ahh over one another's creations and those moments are so very precious to me!

I don't have any pics of my "creations" to share with you, as yet, since the workmen are laying tile in the kitchen today and I can't get to my little studio. I'm working on finding my own aesthetic and experimenting with different techniques. The best fun, though, is when my guys just hang out in the studio with me and watch what I'm doing or ask me questions. I like that they feel included in what I'm doing....they should since they are at the heart of almost everything I do!

So I went a little crazy with Picnik....

But it was worth it...How cute are my boys?!

A stocking for E-man~

I know. Christmas isn't for several more months, but I couldn't help myself! I saw this blue velvet remnant that was marked down to less than a dollar and just knew that it would make the perfect material for E-man's Christmas stocking. Besides, with all the holiday shenanigans and shindigs that will be going on when December rolls around, I'm not gonna have a single free moment for making a stocking.

I made the rest of our stockings when the Bubs was a baby. I had a moderate amount of scrap fabric and a minimal amount of greenbacks to support any kind of decorating thus our handmade stockings were born (me and sewing machines don't get along). I also painted glass ornaments that year for our tree and to give as gifts. I still have some of those....they were fun to do. Hmmm, maybe I'll do a few for Christmas this year, too.


Anyway, I used remnants and pieces of clothing for this stocking, too (I used a pair of jeans for Hubs and Bubs's). That blue and brown plaid is from a dress that I wore when the Hubs and I were dating. Those buttons are some from a collection that I have from my great-grandmother's alteration business. I love reusing things and including items that have a bit of history attached.

You've prob'ly noticed that the stocking is minus the more traditional Christmas colors of red and green. What can I say? When I saw that dark blue fabric, thoughts of red and green flew out the window! It just looks like the E-man to me.

So, yes, I've started my Christmas projects a bit early - well, early to me - but I couldn't resist. I've got a few more things left to do on the E-man's stocking, yet. It needs a hanger ribbon, his name and maybe something decorative on the body of the it. I don't know, I'll prob'ly make it up as I go along....Like I usually do!