the week of "0"

so, last week on monday was an "0" birthday for me. i thought i could quietly let it pass, but, once i had reached the hallway to my office, i knew i was busted! someone clearly knew which bday this was....

there were only a select few who even knew my actual age; and the rest were surprised at the age and told me it would be ok.

so, after one week of settling in to this new, next decade of my life this is what i have decided....
-that i am comfortable with my age; but, if you think i am going to wear jeans that come to my actual waist and only come to my ankles...you will be sadly mistaken
-that i am the most confident in myself that i have ever been; i have learned life lessons, and moved forward
-women are beautiful at any age; but, the older a woman becomes the more beautiful she becomes because of life-especially if she has a passion because she will want to share and open up and that is hard to resist
-you need to be open to life and take the open door even if it is barely cracked- if you want it, pull, open it; life is meant to be a learning experience; if you believe you can, that is all it takes- why aren't you doing it?
-and nothing can beat a great group of friends....on a friday night (thanks girls for a wonderful bday party...what happens in the yukon- stays in the yukon...so as long as we were being silly...while taking pics, i was all about the "facebook" standard issue-peace signs with the pursed lips...)

a day of fun for donation

a day of painting is always good....this small one (12" x 12") is being donated to a fundraiser...

mixed media post for jan

i hope you enjoy!! here is some of my own mixed media/vintage collage work. if you are visiting and like the work in the pics posted...there is very similar mixed media work for sale and available here by another very talented artist! be sure to check it out!!

glimpse...

thank you to lisa and to jan for posting nice comments and wanting to see...the creation of the mad fool painting weekend. here is a cell phone photo of the piece that was donated to the fundraiser. the photo is not the greatest...the painting is a little more pastel-y in life than usual, but, i still really liked it.

and tomorrow....i am posting just for you jan! i loved your work i found at your esty shop. i have a little mixed media hiding in me as well....although, where i am at (as far as living location) mixed media is, i believe, misunderstood and not fully appreciated.

passion for paper

but, not just any paper will do....vintage papers are the best! now, i think i can be fairly creative, especially with my papers, but, check out this.....this creative soul's work was recently featured in martha's spring wedding 2010 issue!! (yes, we all know martha who...)

for those who follow, you already know i have a thing for circles, dots...and love to sew on paper, but, this garland is the coolest! i am loving this!

thanks to polkadot barn (jan-you are one of the coolest!)for the shout out about the coolest garland and giveaway ever! and to enter the giveaway you just need to visit...olivebites!

my favorite one is the vintage hymnal garland!! i'm gonna keep my fingers crossed and hope a little karma blows my way.....which is your favorite?

mad fool

i painted like a mad fool this last weekend...i had a commission that i had only gotten the briefest of details for that caused my pea brain to kick into overtime apparently- because i could hardly sleep friday night. so, saturday i did a little shopping for the requested size canvas and went to town! i really like what i ended with....i am hoping that the requestor likes it as well, but, if not- no problem....i liked it and it came so quickly and easily, that it is sure to find a good home by someone.

i also finished the piece for the donation to the "doctors in concert" that is this weekend. that piece i had mentioned i was a little worried about expectations- but, it came together so nicely and quickly that it will be fine. i really liked the end product and again- that is good.

if the artist is happy, then, life is good!

ripple

i was asked to donate a piece to the children's care hospital event called "doctors in concert." the person who is organizing the event had stopped into the gallery and really liked my work. she had especially liked the work entitled "are you listening?"

after i had agreed to donate a piece, one that is currently into the works, and drop it off at the gallery for her next week, a small ripple of fear went through me. first of all, it is a work in progress- note, it is not finished; and what if she doesn't like it or if it wouldn't live up to her expectations?

it is always easy to take the commission or work, but, then, there is always this brief moment of fear when someone is really relying on this work; this isn't something you just created, really liked, and now are selling- this is something they are trusting you to make, create for them. trust...so, i am going to...
trust in my own listening (and listen to that internal whisper of creativity),
trust in my dreams (i am holding the door open- i saw the light and i am looking
into it to see what other wishes come tumbling out)
trust in my work and be honored i was asked.

complexity

it almost never ceases to amaze me, my lack of the overall complexity of life and how i seem so able to completely see it one dimensionally. here is my scoop...

today at work, i am filling in for our resident employee health nurse, who has told me on several occasions that she is NOT a therapist; and then, i remind her that she tends to be very motherly and sometimes people just need to talk. so,...someone comes to me today and virtually tears up walking in the door. now, i am not overly like our resident nurse (at least i do not consider myself to be that motherly, however, i have decided that i am a very good listener- so, sometimes i believe that gets mistaken for the same thing- back to the story....) she says she is not feeling well, and needs to go home; but, with tears in the eyes, i have to at least ask if she is ok...well, her life is just really complicated right now, and she is one who tends to set the bar exceptionally high (which i relate to as well), but, as she is leaving to go home, she says, next week she will have to tell a story about why she is why she is and this is why she does what she does and it all boils down to doing what she loves (i am listening- my own door is open, and that is exactly again, why i am stepping away from one of my own positions at work to focus on what i love to do).

and as she leaves, i am amazed at how i can assume that everyone's life is not complicated (if you are at work, then, work is work, and i can separate out work and home fairly easily)and that everyone has some sort of problems outside of work, but, that i don't consider their life outside of work.