A lesson in perspective

You can always tell when I’m focused on work. The blog goes silent or I start publishing short photo filled posts. However, this photo filled post has a lesson to be learned. Sometimes there really is more than meets the eye. Take this photo of my yard (1/4 of my yard for the sticklers) for instance:

Except for the two daffodils it appears lifeless and dull. Right? Wrong. These are the wonderful images I’ve taken in the last week, which prove Nature is alive and in bloom.

Never assume. Always look deeper.

A Pause for Poetry

School holiday, dentist appointment, errands–that’s been my day. I also finished my turn for a RPG/Civ-like game I play with some old friends from my school days. There hasn’t been time for much else, but while browsing my copy of Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson (something I’ve kept since my high school days) I came across this poem that struck a chord:

He touched me, so I live to know
That such a day, permitted so,
I groped upon his breast.
It was a boundless place to me,
And silenced, as the awful sea
Puts minor streams to rest.

And now, I’m different from before,
As if I breathed superior air,
Or brushed a royal gown;
My feet, too, that had wandered so,
My gypsy face transfigured now
To tender renown.

Poetry like this once inspired me, it fed my dreams and hopes.  Food for the soul, couldn’t be a better descriptive cliche.

Nature Upclose

I love taking a closer look at ordinary objects, especially those in Nature. We miss so much with the naked eye. These photos were all taken with my iPhone 3Gs with a Macro lens designed for the iPhone (sure sign I’m a Geek). You can see all the photos I take with my iPhone here: http://statigr.am/almakepeace

A Matter of Time

Yesterday, I spent much of the day working on the small, ACEO paintings for my IndieGoGo subscribers. This is not something that would normally take all day, but my hands had other plans. As I pushed myself beyond the pain, something HUGE occurred to me. Next month will be the last month of art cards for all but four of my subscribers. Seriously. Two more will end in April and the last two in May. I’m forever grateful to my subscribers and supporters but my insides are jumping and hooting. The IndieGoGo project is nearing completion!

What does this mean?

Beginning in April, or even mid-March, I will be able to devote more time to writing. I’ll be able to have a schedule. Can you believe it? Since the project began my writing time as been something like a chicken with its head cut off. I run around frantically, squeezing in a little writing whenever, and wherever I can, but without much focus. To have a dedicated time for writing will be momentous. Here’s my tentative schedule:

6:00-7:30 a.m.     – Wake up time and getting my daughter off to school.

7:30-8:15 a.m.      - Coffee, breakfast, emails and light blog reading.

8:30-9:30 a.m.      - Walking time (I need to exercise more).

9:30-12:30 a.m.    - Writing time!! Some of this will be actual writing and some will be brainstorming, editing, etc.

Lunch

1:30-3:30 p.m.       – Painting (or general art).

I’m leaving the rest of the afternoon open to anything else–social media, helping my daughter with homework, reading, etc. The new schedule will also mean the time I spend painting will be on my personal projects and goals. I’ve enjoyed creating the art cards every month, but when you work so hard on something that isn’t really yours, it can affect your other work. I often feel drained after finishing a month of art cards, drained creatively. Turning around and working on a new painting is the last thing I feel like doing. I’ll also be able to give my hands a well deserved break!

News from the studio

As most of you know, I don’t have a lot of blog time set aside at the moment. Between writing, painting, and filling my IndieGoGo Art Card orders it’s amazing I have time to be a mother too! Here are two new paintings I’m working on, slowly. This first image is in the ugly stage. I say ugly because there’s a lot more painting to do and a lot more layers to build.

The second image is still only a sketch on the watercolor paper, but both images are taped down to the same board. If I need a break from the first painting I can turn my attention to this one.

There’s a sneak peek on my website for February’s IndieGoGo Art Cards, for the curious.