Art, Art, Art

This weekend the kids at the library got to try a lovely landscape painting with Char Vanderhorst, a local artist whose beautiful work is currently hanging in the library.  It's so great when they get to learn some new art tricks and each artist does bring something new.  Plus I finished the drawing for the mural on canvas for this year's Summer Reading Program in July - I always look forward to this program as the kids love painting something so large (approximately 8x4 feet) and are so proud to see the work hanging in the library the rest of the year (I'll share the unpainted canvas after I get a photo of it).  I've also planned another mural for the Program Room which we'll begin in June.

I also finished painting number twelve of the 'Sacred Vessel' series which will be exhibited in fall.  This one was such a struggle.  There were parts I absolutely loved and then others where I didn't know which direction to turn.  So it was good to have these other projects, as well as another Cloth Paper Scissors article and work to complete for a break.  I tend to leave work up to view, particularly when I am challenged by it, until I get a resolution.  And once I was able to turn back to the piece, I definitely had a lightbulb moment and the rest was effortless.  It's been interesting as the previous pieces (yes they did also have their challenging moments) were worked 2-3 paintings at a time and so it seemed that I could resolve areas in one while working on another, and this time I only worked on the single piece as I've been working on a number of other projects at the same time and it was more difficult.  So, I definitely see the value of working several pieces at once, BUT I am a person who desperately craves order so that sense of 'clutter' causes me stress.  I tend to work one piece from start to finish, I think it was ingrained into me as I grew up.  I do love the process and don't feel that it is necessary to rush anything or to push when I'm not ready, but still, prefer to complete one piece at a time.  Though I do continue to be creative in other areas such as sketching, writing and knitting so I think that also helps me to work through any difficult passages.

I also find, because I'm such an organized person ('anal' is how my husband teasingly refers to it), that working more intuitively causes me a little stress at times.  There are problems that are associated with loss of control, BUT (again) I welcome them.  I welcome the peace that comes with letting go, with knowing that I don't need to resolve everything today...or ever really.  And I have to admit that this process seems to fit the two sides of me, the one that is the moon child, the Cancer, the girl who built fairy houses in the forest, who was labelled 'daydreamer' by her teachers and the one who desperately needs order, lists, and schedules.   I am so grateful to have found work that combines it all.

PS  I saw the May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors with my article 'Whispers: Soul Painting' at Indigo, Chapters and Walmart in the past week - It's so exciting to see them everywhere!