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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Air

So I finally finished a picture I was painting...it's not the one I was thinking about painting about how to show emotion. It's one that I started over 7 months ago and it's the 2nd in a series of 4 based on the 4 elements: FIRE, AIR, EARTH, WATER.


Enjoy!


To Paint or Not to Paint.......

So I woke up this morning super tired...this feeling never seems to end for me, and I 'm on the computer like I usually am and decide to watch the movie Julie & Julia. I must say it's an awesome movie and so inspiring, but at the same time it I can't help but feel completely let down by it. The more I think about it, the more I think that I have nothing that is really important in my life, (well aside from my children and husband who are most important). I guess I should clarify that point....I don't have anything that is uniquely mine, that only I can do for me, that makes me feel passionate and relaxed and happy.

So over the last few days I have had this feeling that I really need to paint, and I think THIS, (at least for as long as my mind stays focused), could be my "uniquely mine", if that makes any sense? But at the same time I need to challenge myself. When I first started painting I learned how to paint along side Bob Ross on the Knowledge Network, and wow I was so excited! Here I could paint a beautiful scenery picture and it looked fabulous, at least to my family, my friends, and myself. I brought that newfound love into my art class at school, expecing my art teacher Mrs. Pelkey to be as excited as I was....this was not to be.

Although she was excited and supportive of my need to paint, she was not excited about the technique and for years urged me to push myself to develop my own style of painting. Now for one such as me, who has ideas a mile a minute and am as flighty as a butterfly, Bob Ross's style was perfect...I could paint a picture in 30 minutes and then I would be done and I could move on to something new! I continues painting like this for years, loving the compliments of my friends and family over the paintings I created, but at the same time I could still here my old art teacher in the back of my head telling me that that wasn't good enough, that I could do better. So because I couldn't hear those thoughts over and over again, I put away my paints and moved on.

Last year I decided to start painting again....I NEEDED to paint again. But I was afraid that I would continue to paint Bob Ross esque pictures, (although there is nothing wrong with that, I mean It worked for him right?), so I decided to look into different styles of painting. But the problem I have found with that is that I am still copying someone elses style. I need to develop my own, but the question is how?

And that is where I am left standing....

The solution is not easy, but I do have a direction. The question I asked myself this morning was, and remember I'm in a sort of dejected mood, "How do I paint emotion as opposed to painting a picture that has stuff in it?"

What does this mood feel like and how can I convey that with paint, a brush and canvas?

Hmmmmmmmmm......

I think I have something to work on for the next few days or hours....

Monday, January 18, 2010

So Uninspired...

So here I am ALL SUPER ESSITED to start a blog about my fashion and cooking and anything else creative that I do....and what happens? I crash before I even take off! I sit here thinking about what I wanna write about and I continue to sit and think until I get so dejected that I'm on the verge of giving up. Damn I hate it when that happens! Motivation IS such a Killer in my life as is my many and numerous mood swings. I can be all pumped about an idea that flies into my head from god knows where and just as quikly it's gone and I'm moved onto another one. Which I guess why I love fashion and creating and cooking so much....It's so versatile and free flowing. Unless you're blocked and then it sucks! Big time!

I'm wanting to work at getting unblocked but at the same time I think I'm going about it all wrong....I just need to relax and let the inspiration flow....which as a mom of 4 crazy boys under the age of 7 is pretty is pretty hard to do most days.

Oh well...It'll come, I just need to unfurl my blocked energy and let it flow.

But I think I will leave you with one of my favorite recipes. So that at least you might be inspired to have a bit of creativity tonight.....ENJOY!

Minestrone Soup

4 cups Vegitable or Chicken stock
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 large potato cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
2 tbsp italian seasoning
1 can kidney beans
1 can or corn kernels, or 1 1/2 fresh corn
1 zucchini, cubed
1 cup orzo or elbow pasta
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of honey garlic brats

Directions

1. Cut brats lengthwise and then into chunks, brown in a large soup pot.
2. Combine stock, potato, celery, onion, carrots, it alian seasoning, and cabbage and bring to a boil.
3. stir in the beans, corn, zucchini, and pasta and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the vegitables are tender and the pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

Photo by: Traci's Kitchen http://allrecipes.com/Cook/10395721/Profile.aspx