Ready to go!

Wow, I got a lot done today.  I guess that's what happens when the dog and husband are away.  I finished my proposal for The Creative Connection Art/Yoga Program and the Curriculum guide.  I also wrote some evaluation and assessments (hate those things).

All I have to do is wait for the approval from the D-home and I'm ready to go.  Please please please cross your fingers that I get approval soon.  I've not worked so hard for something like this since graduate school.  I really feel that there is a shift that's about to take place.  It might take a few years to see the final pieces come together, but I'm on my way.

Namaste!!!

It's a beautiful day out there

Somehow it's always nice after a summer rain storm.  You get much needed precipitation to make sure you lawn and garden are maintaining that green sheen, and it just cools everything off.  At least for a few moments.  I seized the day this morning by taking a nice walk around the neighborhood.  It DOES look nice and green.  This is usually not the case by the end of July.  Usually every one's yard looks so brown, that the grass just breaks off like straw. (Except for the people who water their lawn constantly)  It's so nice to look around and seeing things blooming, vegetable gardens providing nourishment, and trees not sagging from the heat and humidity.

I hope that I can maintain that feeling (the not sagging part).  I'm in the final stretch of summer vacation and I want to make sure I use every moment I have to do the things I love.  One of them being CREATE ART!  I've started a few small pieces, but they aren't quite there yet.  They seem a little lacking.  I'm not sure what yet.  As you know I create a lot of layers in my art work, and I think the one that's giving me trouble needs another layer of something.  Layers are intriguing to me.  Think of all the things that are layered.  Right?  SO much to un-peel and pull back.  The core, the center, the inner piece is protected or hidden from layers.

Ohh-- I just got some ideas.

Anyway, it is a beautiful day out there, I'm hoping the heat and humidity stay back a little longer so I can enjoy the last of my cappuccino (home made) outside on our little patio.

I hope you're enjoying the day where you are.

FUNDED!!

Let's all do the dance of JOY!! Creative Connection, the art and yoga program I'm getting off the ground is funded for yoga mats, blocks, straps, and a few art supplies.  This is just what I needed to keep the momentum going.  It has been a busy summer. I've been completely immersed in the planning of this program and I'm so happy we'll have some awesome supplies to see it through!!  What a great relief.

So now I have a grant under my belt, I'm actually going try and fund myself.  It would be nice to get paid for all this planning and implementing, wouldn't it?  Well, that's step 2 and definitely high on the priority list.

But for now a big hug, thanks, and tons of gratitude to all the people who funded this pilot program.  I hope to make it grow and spread!!!

Om - Shanti - Namaste
Everything - Peace - I honor the divine spark that is within you, which is also within me

Summer Art

The summer is going away faster than I imagined.  I've been trying to find time to do some art, but have had very little success on creating new images.  I have a bunch of ideas, but can't seem to get very far on the implementation of them.  I WILL! I vow it.  BUT-- I did kind of come up with a way to re-use some of my art.  And re-use some of my old dreary clothing.  TRANSFERS!

Remember when you'd go to the beach, you'd pick out one of those hundreds of designs to get your very own souvenir tee-shirt.  Well, I'm doing it with my art.  I actually like how these came out.  I have another that I made for my husband too, but I forgot to take a picture.  I think I've stumbled on a little way I can use my creative juices for a quick, successful creative process.

I'm no stranger to printmaking, either, so I really like using previous images over and over again.  So here they are.

This is from an old painting I did in graduate school.  I cut out the part that I wanted to be on the shirt.  

The one on the left is actually a multi media collage I did with some old word-a-day calendars.  It was fun to make, but I also decided to cut out certain parts and apply them to the shirt.

The blue one has a parts of a painting I did before I graduated from college.  I printed the whole picture and then cut out some positive and negative shapes.  I like the organic, rounded shapes.  And you can still see a lot of the texture of the painting, which looks already worn on the shirt.

What do you need for this?  Old clothing, ink jet printer,  iron on transfer paper, and an iron, and some original art work (or even photos).

I am working on a series of yoga-sinpsired art.  This is one of the first ones.  I used my old typewriter  for all the text.   Then I cut up the text and collaged it all together, and then overlapped yoga drawings (in seated-meditative positions) on top.  Painted it.  I'm still not done with the painting, but I liked how it looked already, so decided to give the transfer idea a try with something that was still in the stages of being done.

You can really see the texture here, and the holes in my shirt at the bottom...it's retro, right?

So we'll see how these guys wash and wear.  A couple of days from now the iron-ons might fall off, who knows????  I did by the cheap ones.  I plan on buying the better quality ones next time.  And hopefully I'll use some different artwork.

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer.  I have had a good one, it just goes so fast.  I'm off to NYC for some much needed inspiration and then I'll be back.  Hopefully in the next week and 1/2 I'll have some new small pieces to post.  I can't wait to show you what I'm planning!