A-Z: R is for THE MOST REMARKABLE DAY!!

As most of you know, I have been given the opportunity to be a part of a small working studio/gallery in Port Angeles, WA, about a 1/2 hour from my home in Sequim. It has been like a dream come true for me, not only to be 'there', but to rub shoulders each day with other artists who do wonderful, inspiring work. I feel like they are my new extended family and I love the creative energy I feel when I'm there. 

It is a working studio in that we all work on our art while we are there, a person making pottery, another does fractals on the computer (math based art), another is an acrylic painter, another makes jewelry, and the only man in our group is making a canoe. We each have our own area but the whole "gallery" is an open room for people to be able to browse, ask questions, and watch us work. 

I recently took a vacation to Alaska to see my youngest daughter and her husband as well as my step-daughter and my grandson. When I returned I was told that one of my first drawings had sold and that the man who bought it wanted to meet the artist. Well, today he came in to the studio and picked up his piece and got to meet "the artist". 

It has always been difficult for me to see the abilities I have, especially where my art is concerned, because I create it for me first and foremost. In talking to this man (Brian), I found out that he is very knowledgeable about art, the "masters" of eras past, of techniques, and so on. I was wondering to myself, 'what in the world is he interested in my work for?'. He started to tell me that he was so impressed with my work, with the distance of each line being so precise, with the look on the woman's face in another drawing, and on and on. He said that he had not seen talent like mine in a very long time and that I was way under priced. He asked how long it took me to do the piece he purchased, and spent about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes talking with me. 

When he told me that he had purchased the piece for a friend, I was so surprised since he liked it so much that I thought it was for him. Then he told me that he had come to Port Angeles to die, that he is ill and won't recover. He told me that he has made peace with this and is ready for the time to come when his adventure will continue elsewhere. He and I finally shook hands and he left with my wrapped piece under his arm. 

I sat down at my work table and began to resume working on my current project and all of a sudden was overcome with emotions. This man, virtually a stranger to me, had given me a gift so precious that it is priceless. His words of praise and encouragement will be with me as long as I live. I did not feel sorrow for him because he is ready to "go", but I was overcome because he had seen in my work what comes out of my heart when I make something.

The piece Brian bought is called "The Red Maze". Each section of it is a different pattern and it is a piece that I did about 4 years ago, finally got it professionally framed, and kept it. I didn't like it when I did it, but kept it anyway. 

I'm so glad I did. 

A-Z: S is for SUPERSTITIONS

Yesterday was my lucky day. I have several of them each year, noT many, but a few. It is on those days that I feel almost invincible, super-human, untouchable, etc.!! It was FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!!! I was born on the 13th and every day that falls on the 13th is a good luck day to me. Those same feels are not so in the world, in general.

Well, it wasn't just ANY Friday the 13th yesterday, it also had a full moon. Moon was my first word. As I was growing up I felt that if I slept in the moonlight that I would grow up to be beautiful. I must have read that in one of my childhood books or something, but every chance I got I would open the curtains and lay on the bed where the moonlight hit and sleep there.

Many people have different superstitions. Some are good for you and others can be a problem for you if you really believe them. You have probably heard the one where if you step on a crack in the sidewalk you will break your mother's back. Or if a black cat crosses your path that you'll have bad luck. Oh, and the one where if you break a mirror you'll not only have bad luck, you will have 7-10 YEARS bad luck!! Everyone knows walking under an open ladder is bad luck too. Right?

A CARD COVER I MADE SEVERAL YEARS AGO

Other superstitions are:

• 13: An unlucky number
• 3: a lucky number that signifies strength
• 666: The Devil's number, bad luck
• 7: a lucky number
• A bird that comes in your window brings bad luck
• A bride should be carried through the door of their new home for good luck.
• A groom seeing the bride before the wedding is supposed to be bad luck.
• A lock of hair from a baby's first haircut should be kept for good luck
• A person cannot drown before going under three times
• A rabbit's foot brings good luck
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away
• An itchy palm means money will come your way
• At the end of a rainbow is a pot of gold
• Clothes worn inside out will bring good luck
• Cold hands, warm heart
• Crossing your fingers helps to avoid bad luck and helps a wish come true
• Don't open an umbrella inside - it is unlucky
• Dream the same thing 3 times, it will come true
• Four leaf clover is good luck
• Garlic protects from evil spirits and vampires
• If the bottom of your feet itch, you will make a trip
• If the groom sees her in her wedding dress before the wedding is also considered bad luck and is believed to lead to an unhappy marriage
• If you blow out all of the candles on your birthday cake with the first breath you will get whatever you wish for
• If you spill some salt, pick some of it up and throw it over your left shoulder to stop bad luck from coming.
• If your nose itches someones coming that you know
• To find a four-leaf clover is to find good luck
• To give someone a purse or wallet without money in it will bring that person bad luck
• To have a wish come true using a wishbone, two people make a wish, then take hold of each end of the bone and pull it until it separates. The person with the longer end gets his or her wish
• To make a happy marriage, the bride must wear: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
• Warm hands, cold heart
• Washing a car will bring rain on
• When you speak of good luck, always knock on wood
• When your palm itches, you will come into some money

These are to name just a few of the hundreds out there. Our language is sprinkled with these "sayings" and we really think nothing of it.

My Friday the 13th was spent with my daughter, having our nails done, eating at delicious restaurants, seeing old friends, and talking to those I love. Bad luck comes and goes, and as far as I am concerned bad luck comes in threes....now I'd call that a superstition too, wouldn't you?

Have a great one! Janie

A PIECE I STARTED AND LEFT - LARGE 16"X20"

A-Z: Z IS FOR ZUMBA AND ZENTANGLE

STUDY IN BROWN AND ORANGE (sorry for the blurriness)

Today, as I sat and watched my youngest daughter work her tush off at Zumba class (two days in a row, even!), I all of a sudden realized just how happy I was to be here with her and to share in her life for the week I'm visiting. I haven't seen her for over a year and we haven't really had a chance to talk in over two years or more. I have really missed her special spirit, her loving ways, and her wisdom. She was there for me during a very difficult and dark time in my life for which I'll always be more than thankful for. She is a "helping" kind of person and it is no wonder that she is a therapist and helps people on a daily basis. She is my only child to get their Masters and considering she started out with a bit of a disadvantage when she was little, she has climbed mountains to be where she is today. If I sound proud, it's because I am. I'm so happy she chose the field she did, and that she is sharing her special gift with others. 

So, back to Zumba. My daughter is trying with all her might to get some weight off because she and her hubby want to start a family. I tried Zumba a couple of times when I was going to the Senior Center in Renton, Washington. Let me tell you, it really kicked my behind and I could not continue. But the class that my daughter goes to is really high intensity and she kept up with the best of them!! It is very difficult to continually dance/exercise for an hour at that kind of high energy but she hung in there and it is so like her, because she has done that so much throughout her life. She perseveres to the very end. 

ZUMBA CLASS IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

While she was "Zumbaing" I was sitting on a bench in the corner, working on my latest and greatest art piece. Since I'm traveling, I don't have any large projects with me but instead have these small 6"x6" papers in black and white. I hit the Daniel Smith art store in Seattle before boarding the plane for Fairbanks and stocked up on pens. Not only do I draw for pleasure, I draw for relaxation. It is something that I have been unable to do for over a year and now that I no longer have shaking hands, I can draw to my heart's content.

BLUE FLOWERS ... seems to be a theme of mine. Will look better when it's framed.

And so come next Saturday, we...my Betts and I, will be back at Zumba. I only wish I had a body that could do what she does because it sure looks like fun as well as work!! At least I'll be there to cheer her on and I hope that every time she goes to Zumba after I leave, that she will know how proud of her that I am and that I'll always be in her biggest cheerleader!! Always!!

THREE-DIMENSIONAL HEART (At least that's what it's going to be when finished)

A-Z: F is for Feelings

A STAR IN MY UNIVERSE

Feelings....There have been so many songs written about feelings. There are volumes of books filled with poetry about Feelings. And so here, tonight, I am pondering this 7 letter word. The definition of Feelings is:

1. The function or the power of perceiving by touch.

2. Physical sensation not connected with sight, hearing, taste, or smell.

3. A particular sensation of this kind: A feeling of warmth; A feeling of pain.

4. The general state of consciousness considered independently of particular sensations, thoughts, etc.

5. A consciousness or vague awareness.

6. An emotion or emotional perception or attitude: a feeling of joy; a feeling of sorrow.

7. Capacity for emotion, especially compassion: to have great feeling for the suffering and/or joy of others.

8. A sentiment; attitude; opinion.

9. Feelings, sensibilities; susceptibilities.

10. Fine emotional endowment.

11a. Emotion or sympathetic perception revealed by an artist in his or her work.

11b.The general impression conveyed by a work.

11c.Sympathetic appreciation, as of music.

 

Wow! Who would have thought that a simple word like Feelings could be described by so much, and yet when I examine my own feelings at this present time, they are as complicated and varied as those listed here, if not more. 

 

My feelings right now revolve around so many things....I "feel" such gratitude for my health getting so much better to the point where I am now allowed to drive again. I "feel" such  gratitude to be in the place where I am growing as a person and as an artist. I "feel" such gratitude to have an over-abundance of love in my life, which is both expected and unexpected. I "feel" so happy to have a renewed vigor for life and all that it can hold for me. 

 

A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE

 Things in life aren't always "black and white", and neither are feelings about things - at least for me. I am one of those people who looks at the whole picture and tries to paint it bright and having good intentions rather than seeing something dark and hurtful. I have been called a "Pollyanna". I wear that name proudly because I feel like if I give the next person the benefit of the doubt, and kindness, that they might, in turn, give that to someone else, and on and on. I want my feelings to be responsible for happiness in the world. I want my feelings to be responsible for joy in my own world. 

 

I heard and participated in a conversation today about loss of loved ones. Instead of making me feel sad, it made me feel even more grateful to be alive and to have purpose in my life. It made me even more grateful to have people to love and to be loved by. I am a very lucky person to have these things in my life and I will never, ever take them for granted. As I grow older, life becomes more precious and more of a miracle. It also rushes by so fast that I can hardly believe the change in seasons goes by so quickly. 

 

So, feelings, yes there is still the ever present pain from the degenerative discs in my back and the nerve endings that yell at me that I am alive, but....my feelings are full of grateful emotion as I write this....so thankful for those I call my friends and family and loved ones. 

 

Janie

 

MY LADY'S SLIPPER

 

A-Z: T is for THANKFULNESS

I know that there are a lot of things in life to be thankful for....someone to love, someone to love you, a child, a grandchild, a home, food on the table, the ability to take care of yourself and your loved ones, good health or the recovery from bad health, good friends, forgiveness of others, a new car to drive, etc., and the list can go on and on. 

Today I'm thankful for two things in particular...my oldest daughter whom we will call "Rez" and second, a big step closer to a reality. It seems that whenever I call on Rez for anything I really need, she is there. She has always been more of a really awesome friend than a daughter to me. She is one of those people who as a child had an "old soul". Now as an adult she has the enthusiasm for life as a child would. She soaks up knowledge and has a thirst for life that few people have. There isn't anything she does 1/2 way. She has been known to put costumes together without the benefit of a pattern, and makes all the elements of that costume from a hat (of a certain period) to the rest of it, even down to the shoes. She has been known to make chain mail that protects one's body from the blows of a sword and then learned to swing a real steel sword, participating in the Seattle Knights. She decided to take up running and has done several 1/2 marathons and a full marathon. Her dedication to running is nothing less than amazing. She is a gifted musician, getting a full ride scholarship after playing a cello for an instructor at the university she wanted to go to. Please know that she had only been playing that cello about two weeks and had played the violin for years prior to that. She is one of those people that makes hard work look like child's play because she has this laughter and attitude that makes it seem "fun". I am certain that if all the friends she has were called upon to gather in one place that there would be no existing building to hold them all. In one word, she is amazing. I have always told her that when I grow up I want to be like her. She says, "My mom doesn't make no garbage". Well, whether or not I had anything to do with the way she has turned out as a woman, I am proud to know her and to call her not only my daughter, but my friend. 

Anyway, Rez said she was going to come visit me over the weekend and it happened to be the weekend that I needed to get my studio/gallery set up in Port Angeles (PA). No problem, she said....even though she is still fighting off a bad col and not feeling up to par. So we loaded up the car and off we went to PA. 

CLOSE UP OF MY WALL INSTALLATION

 After working much of the day we left with it looking like this....practically put together. I still have several things I need to do and put out before I will call it "done". I say "done" because as with any place of business you keep moving things around to keep it looking fresh. The great thing about this place I'm in is that it is an Artist's Studio/Gallery and when you come there you will see an artist or two working on their craft. I am thank for this space to call my own, to feel pride in work hard done though I love it, and now that I have no problems with the hand tremors I experienced for months, I can again do what I love to do. 

FULL-ON IMAGE OF MY "SPACE" in PA

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not only thankful for the space, but for the friendships and camaraderie that I feel there. It has a "Welcome Home" feeling to it and knowing that I can add to that feeling is without measure. 

Rez and I got much done but only because she was there to climb the ladder, put up with me changing my mind, being handy with an electric drill in putting a bookcase together, and being my chauffeur.  I feel like I can move forward now to finish the space in a way that's pleasing to me. 

This morning my back hurts so much I can hardly move, but it's a good feeling....a feeling of having done something wonderful, a feeling of having accomplishment, and a feeling of joy. 

If you are ever in the vicinity of PA and have a urning to see the port and the interesting things that go on over there on any given weekend in the summer, or if you want to attend a Second Saturday Art Walk (from 5-8 pm), please to go The Landing and say hello to the ladies and gentleman who occupy the Artist's Studio of the Landing. I might be there, sitting at my work desk and you might find something you can't leave behind, something that has come from within an artist that will add something special to your home or office. Each artist is talented in their own way which you will see when you visit. 

This won't be the last story about my mew adventure but I hope you understand how thankful I am for both the help of Rez and the opportunity I have in PA.  Onward and upward!!

Have a wonderful weekend, and Oh, by the way, don't get used to a new blog entry every day!! But then again, I might have stories to tell more often and pictures to show.

Huggs, Janie