World War I and Sunsets

I am still learning to find my balance in life. I do think this will be an eternal thing for me.

Wednesday found me at the Museum of Idaho. They were having a one day traveling exhibition stop by.

It brought tears to my eyes.

It is called "Honoring our History" and is completely about World War I. It took things down to basics as well as it could. The events leading up. Life during it. Life after.

I had a bit of a line to get in. The cold was too much for my husband who left to get a coat.

Once you got in though, it was warm and you couldn't stop reading and looking. Pictures adorned so many different descriptions. There was a section where you walked into a 'bunker' on the Western Front. I found out, I was just the right height that I would not get shot as I walked down it.

It was sobering.

In the end, what I really thought of was, lets please not repeat things. Let us learn from all nations and walks of life. Let us learn to remember that the other person across from us often has the same dreams, goals and fears. We just wear it all a little differently.

Respect.

Tolerate.

The end of the day, I decided to really try to capture a sunset better. I have many, many, many pictures of sunsets and sunrises and I thought, its time to improve an area! I found what I could about it and I know that for most anything, hands on is the best way to learn.

So, I chose my spot an hour before hand. Took my dog Toby on a nice walk. I chose an area in downtown Idaho Falls near the "Greenbelt". This area runs for quite awhile along the river and is right at the "falls".

This is what I feel like was my best capture at a quick glance. Though I may change my mind after I go through them more thoroughly.

I am excited to do more. Different seasons, different angles.

I will be a sunset catcher.

An ATC Card and Thoughts

I have been neglectful of anything really 'art' lately.

I find myself in a familiar place.

Afraid.

What exactly I fear, I'm not sure. Though it has a dose of "ohmygoodnesswhatifImessthisup" AND 'ohmygoodnesswhatifIDON"Tmessthisup".

It feels strange. I have a large piece started, at least largest I can quite get on paper. It daunted me for a long time. It stared at me with its blank whiteness and dared me to even try to convey what I wanted to convey on its smooth surface.

I took its challenge and started last weekend.

I haven't gotten very far. Its like there is an imp on the board telling me 'you won't get very far before you ruin this'.

Why is it so hard for me to let go and not worry? What is truly the worst thing that could happen?

I have been able to finish some little Artist Trading Cards. These, I seem to not worry about at all.


"Harvest Goddess Gusty"


"Fly Skull"

I love the My Little Pony inspired piece. I want to do more. The Fly Skull, not so much, but I was playing around with a paper sample.

I know I worry to put myself out there, in any form. What I really want to create and do.

I have put my heart and soul into many things, many times, only to have it torn apart.

That fear is stopping me.

I suppose, it didn't stop me from loving, should it really stop me from creating?

Completed Art- Pigeon Reminds- Love

I have a thing for animals.

All kinds of them. They often show up in my work. What I think of most is their meanings. Traditional meanings. My own meanings. What others may come up with.

I've been wanting to do a series of paintings just expressing those meanings. I started it a long while ago when I was with my husband and I did one for us.

The finished recent piece is thus-

"Pigeon Reminds us- Love"
Colored Pencil and Marker on Cotton. 11 x 14 inches.

I really do love this piece. It brought together materials that I am enjoying immensely and images that I enjoy. When I searched through all the meanings of pigeons, most knew of the Dove and its association with peace. A few though, spoke of love. Think of it as a carrier pigeon- it returns home. They have loving 'coo coo' sounds. They are abundant. There is no lack of love.

Next time you see one, mayhaps you will think of love, wherever or however you are.

Musical Wednesday- Nick Warren

I loooove my Sirius satellite radio. I can find something to fill my soul with every week.

I particularly enjoyed this piece this week. Its something to soothe my nerves and goes with the wind that flows through my car during the summer.

Substructure (Nick Warren)- "Firewire"

Enjoy.

Completed Art- Inspiration

This is a drawing I absolutely love. For many, you may not see the differences between this work and previous work. Perhaps it is obvious to some, none or all.

Its been a long time since a drawing has been this close to my heart and soul. Its opened me back up in a way I have not felt since I worked on "How I Breathe" back in 2003.


Inspiration

Its not perfection incarnate for me technically, which is something I really love to do, but found myself okay with it with this piece.

It feels exactly how I feel though.

I want to write more about it but I am still grasping better how to put this type of thing into words.

I'll get there. Much like anything else. :)

The Concept of Celebration

There was a friend I had.

We started out as friends in seventh grade. We were both artists and a little different from the usual crowd. We found connection through our art and being rather social pariahs.

Years passed and we changed. I moved. A lot. She stayed home. I struggled through college, 3-4 jobs at a time, marriage, more moves and lack of time to focus on the things I was passionate about.

She struggled to help out home and work on her art.

I envied her. So much. I wanted that kind of time. I wanted to have so much security to be provided for me that all I really needed to do was focus on my love- art.

More years have tempered those feelings. We are no longer what I'd call friends. Not by my choice, but hers.

I still get to see her art. She can still see mine. In some ways, she is ahead of me. In others, I am ahead of her.

What I've discovered is thus- celebrate.

Look at the people around you not as your competition, but as your family. In the LDS church, there is the concept that we are all God's children, ere go, we are all spiritual brothers and sisters.

I know when people in my family succeed, I celebrate with them. I celebrated my brother and his sobriety. My sister and her going to college for the first time. The jobs they acquire. The families they have. I congratulated and helped where I could. There were no feelings of envy, even if sometimes they were doing things I really wished I was. It was celebrating that they got to do it. Through the connection we had as family, their victory was mine as well.

We are all connected. No matter how tenuous we may feel it is, its there.

I say celebrate what others are doing! Let it drive us to do better in our own lives if we need to improve and if it is something we've conquered, remember the time we had when were at that place in our lives.

So, I celebrate this artist. He does work in a size I want to get to. I love that he is able to do what wants, I hope you enjoy looking at his work and that he may always be supported in it.

iroelpencilwarna.blogspot.com

Thank you Iroel, for sharing your soul.

Duck Races

Saturday I face painted at the "Duck Races" on the greenbelt in downtown Idaho Falls.

I did not manage to get a single picture I wanted to. :(

After the 9 hours I was down there, I was booked for a company party for another 2 hours.

Made for a long day.

It seemed to rather energize and wear me out at the same time. I am amazed at how it feels. Stayed up late to work on a drawing. I'm hopeful to get it done this week. I think there is a good chance of it! :D

I also came up with a nifty art show idea. We'll see if anything ever comes of it.

A County Affair

This week I was supposed to be face painting at the North Bannock County Fair. That didn't work out. The person in charge didn't figure out where to put me till yesterday. Perhaps next year.

Last week though, I spent a wonderful time at the South Bannock County Fair. Made new friends, had a fun time and just thoroughly enjoyed the truly community event it was. It was to me, a classic farm country county fair.

I loved it.

The people seemed to enjoy having me as well! Here are a few snapshots of things I did while there.

Heart Mask!

What is it with me and those horn things in my masks? XD

No County Fair is complete without girls with mustaches.

This was a kid I got to paint quite a bit since he was part of the family of my neighbors. He was AWESOME!

All in all, a good time. I brought a piece of art to work on, but forgot the reference photo so there was a bunch of frustrated down time. I'm working on it now though! I had plenty of time to think though and got an idea for a show I'm heading up and some other pieces I want to do.

Just all in all, a great time. <3

Now to go eat before my stomach chews through my epidermis and to clean the house a bit to prepare for a mexican feast tonight. nom nom nom

Irritation

I have had a wonderful week. Not that it shows today. Every little thing is driving me crazy. I have tried to deal with it in many ways and nothing is helping.

I guess I'll just have to wait till I can get to bed and look on tomorrow with fresh eyes.

I have had a chance to work on a piece though... coming along decently.

I am loving it.

Today this is the song that is stuck in my head and seems to be helping a bit. Just love it. I really enjoyed watching my dvr'd episodes of "The Voice".

"Inspiration" Work In Progress

The piece I was able to work on for hours this week. A peek at it.

An Empty Cup

Today, I have felt empty.

This week has been an awesome one. I got many, many, many things done. House cleaned, friends visited, artwork done. I even worked on a piece of work for probably 8 hours. Just a really good week.

I face painted at the Blackfoot Pride Days this weekend. Friday was actually a very relaxing day. We made a little bit of money and I got to watch this Azteca Danza group. First time I had seen anything like it. It blew my mind. The visuals were right up my alley. Gorgeous, sumptuous costumes in bright colors and amazing head dresses with feathers. I loooved it. Been looking up pictures and info on the concept today.

Saturday, was long and arduous. I didn't feel good part of it. Probably was a bit dehydrated. I have bought a little cooler that should help with that for next weekend.

By the end of it, I was just done with people. I did not do well in handling the public for a bit and felt so bad for doing so. Just many little irritations. It was a great day though- I just didn't handle it like I feel like I usually do.

I've been fighting this feeling of "go away world" since I woke up. I just want to be alone for a bit. The saddest part is, I feel these great ideas clamoring to get out on paper and instead of I'm trying to find that quiet part to fill my soul back up and I do that by doing meaningless things like play games on Facebook or read comics.

Luckily, my husband does now bow to anything unless he wants to.

So, he turned on some Mormon Tabernacle Choir music. If you have never heard this choir- you should. Their musicality is wonderful. Arrangements- stirring. This one helped to fill me: "The Lord's Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli-



I didn't get to listen to the whole thing, but it helped to fill me a bit. I don't know what it is when I get this way. I am grateful for all around me and miss those that aren't. I hope to get back to feeling more hopeful soon. :)

Tulips!

I've been sick again lately. Took about a month to get back to even near my usual energy and felt like I played catch up waaaay too much!

I wasn't able to enter a couple of shows, but was able to attend one opening. It was for the 3rd Annual Idaho Falls Arts Council Juried Show and it was a great breathe of fresh air after being cooped up for days on end. Was able to see some people from both groups I belong to (Museum Artists at The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho and Colored Pencil Society of America). Its a decent show, pretty typical of last couple of years I've seen, a good dash of traditional and contemporary. A fun spot was a set of collages, of which I can't find the artist's name to link to. Phooey. Hopefully I can find it later.

I've been busy with a fellow face painter (Michelle of Unforgettable Evenings) organizing a mini face painting convention! We started as a small jam but wanted to get people out of the wood work. Hopefully, people will come out and enjoy! I just want to get the creative energy flowing.

I did finish two drawings today. A couple of business card sized pieces for a show at The Willowtree Gallery. The opening is a big fundraiser for Tautphaus Park Zoo, where you will get a chance to purchase the finished product of these two pieces I did.

They ended up being colored and I JUST LOVE THEM! The opening is April 7th and tickets are $20. The show runs later though and all pieces are $65 and all business card size. I'm excited to see it all together! I'm excited I got them done. :)

Its also a double wammy because I'll be offering prints of them at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival later one this month! I'll be my third year there and I'm excited to finally have some tulip pieces to show. They were drawing from pictures I had taken last year. I'll also put them up to purchase online later next week.

Phew! Off to do more! :D

A New Understanding.

I think I finally understand something.

Let me preface this by saying if you know my work, you know I love LOVE LOVE to draw people. I love the details, contours, expressions et cetera in the cornucopia that is the human race.

I never quite understood why so many people take away the defining characteristics to that particular face. Eyes start to became the same basic ones as before, noses, etc. I thought that it was just something that I didn't understand.

I think I do finally understand today.

I'm struggling with finding a reference photo today. More and more, galleries, competitions, art shows want the artist to have copyright to the photo they referenced (especially when copying). Its not always being so acceptable to just take a great photo and make a great drawing because, oh wait, the photo you chose was great. You didn't do the lighting or anything else, you just have the technical skill to reproduce it faithfully.

I work from a lot of reference photos. I tend to change things a lot within the pictures by adding elements and other things such as lighting and colors.

I get why though many artists don't do it- the pain of finding the photo. Necessity becomes the mother of invention and you create what you want.

I may end up doing that today. We'll see.

Cupcake! KAWAII!

I've been doing face painting at a party place here in Idaho Falls called Blast Off! Its a really great place. Fun things for the kids, always clean and reasonably priced. I do face painting on saturdays and there is usually a lull. I saw cupcakes on a little girl's shirt and this is what I ended up painting.

I loved it so much I didn't want to wash it off; that doesn't happen often. I am thinking a cupcake needs to be added to my menu board though! :)

It Mattered to that One...

A Sea Star. A Sea Star.

This is a sketch for a tattoo I am designing for someone. I haven't drawn in awhile and it felt good to sit and put something down on paper.

I really like where it is going... but who knows exactly how it'll end up. <3

Inspiration

Found some inspiration through this artist today...

Bokkei

The time lapse pictures are awesome. Thinking about doing that myself. We'll see how that goes.

Feeding My Soul

I had a fellow artist ask me today, "Why do you do art?"

I always thought is was just "because". Because I can. Because it feels good. Because I have the talent. Because they said to. Because my Mom would get mad if I didn't.

I found through closer inspection today, its because it feeds my soul in a way nothing else can.

The world sucks. I love the phrase "we are spiritual beings having an earthly experience". We're supposed to come down and experience all these "slings and arrows". How else are we to learn? Doing artwork is the closest I get to having that feeling I get when I am in the temple.

Everything matters, but its all okay. Everything will be okay. "Endure. Endure and save yourself for happiness".

I share my works in the hopes that others will be fed as well.

A man was shown two visions. The first one, he saw emaciated people with giant spoons that were longer than them. A humongous pot of delicious stew was in the middle of the room and everyone around it was starving. The could get the spoon in the pot, but could not get the spoon full of food to their mouths. It splashed to the floor, falling into the cracks to be wasted.

The vision changed. Same room. Same pot of stew. Same giant spoons. Only people were full, they were laugh, dancing, and enjoying life.

As he watched, he saw that the people had learned to feed each other. They could easily reach the pot and the other person's mouth.

May I be able to feed you and in turn, feed myself.

<3