Goals for Shannon

Goals - Hmmmm

1. Enter work into shows. Just applied to Beaverton Visual Arts Showcase. It's open to Oregon artists, Susan????? Jodi??????
2. Create just because I can. Creating to create for me has always been tough. I'm a person who is driven by deadlines/structure.
3. Get in my studio at least once a week, even if it's just for an hour. It should be at least an hour. This is going to be tricky!!!! I can do it.
4. Try something new.
5. Play with Emma in the studio more. Nurture her love of this space and the time we have here together.
6. Blog on Sunday's

I think that's it for now. This piece inspired me at Open Studios. I like the push and pull. Ideas are brewing, need them out of my head and on the wax soon.

Bird Idioms Kris & Shannon Anyone else?

Kris and all - I hit the jackpot of bird idioms and they are getting me excited! I'm liking the idea of connecting this to the studio. For example, if I'm free as a bird, I'm allowing myself to be unhindered, free and create in my studio. Get it? Here are a few for your consideration:

free as a bird - Cliché carefree; completely free and unhindered.

bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - Prov. Having something for certain is better than the possibility of getting something better.

bird's-eye view - Lit. a view seen from high above.

Birds of a feather flock together. - Prov. Similar people tend to associate with each other.

early bird - Fig. a person who gets up early. (this would be ME!)

Eat like a bird- Fig. to eat only small amounts of food; to peck at one's food.

For the birds - worthless; undesirable.

It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest. - Prov. Only a foolish or dishonorable person would bring dishonor to his or her self or his or her surroundings.

Kill two birds with one stone - Fig. to solve two problems at one time with a single action.

Little bird told me - Fig. a way of indicating that you do not want to reveal who told you something.

The early bird catches the worm. - Prov. If you wake up and get to work early, you will succeed.

A bird's eye view - a view from a very high place which allows you to see a large area We had a bird's eye view of the old town from the top of the city walls.

A bird-brain (informal) - a stupid person

Birds of a feather flock together. - something that you say which means people who have similar characters or similar interests will often choose to spend time together

Hmmmmmmm Can we work with one of these? I like the idea of coming from the same place but creating our images at the same time and see where it takes us. Well not exactly at the same time but you get the idea.

Anyone else game for an idiom? I like them very much, they make me happy.

goals

some goals i have that are related to this project:
- read, post new artwork, and inspiration on this blog at least once a month (thanks, shannon! fantastic name.)
- mail my three pieces out before february 14th
- remove obstacles that i allow to keep me out of the studio, both physical and psychological (move clutter to storage. rearrange priorities to schedule time for the studio.)
- improve accountability and time management when it comes to my artwork. (i do this well in my career life, but struggle with it in my artmaking life.)

anyone else willing to share?

first thoughts

trying a photo...
oops, crop before upload next time.

this was a good exercise for me. to loosen up and let the process determine the finished product, instead of the other way around. i'm excited about the texture in the horns, and want to try another watercolor at home with more of this.

did anyone else take home a challenge, or a new experiment to try, from the oaea workshops?

Something to consider - Ownership

In the most recent issue of Communication Arts there was article I read last night and it stuck with me all day. I would like you to consider, what do you own?

"Ownership means being involved with something, putting in an investment of energy, caring and learning. You own what you are committed to."

Consider the subject of ownership, you are usually dealing with a specific problem or task or object. Was this stock a bad investment? Do I need liability insurance? Should I buy an iPhone? But if we think more broadly about ownership, it becomes more complex and more interesting. When I ask the question, "What do you own? What is the first things that comes to your mind? Your car? Your bank account? Or do you think of ownership in the non-physical realm of, say, friendship or faith or knowledge? Do you see ownership as a freedom, or are your possessions a burden? Does ownership imply yours vs. mine?

For years the authors mother told her that she was lucky because she has an important possession, one that she owns completely; her work. By that, she did not mean a job or a particular profession or even a talent. She means a commitment to creative endeavors to developing and producing objects and environments and to ways of thinking and looking. It is a crucial part of her identity. She has cultivated it, grown it and she lives by it.

Think of your creative journey. All the years you've spent pursuing and developing your creative identity. You have worked to make it yours. Do you own it?

I need to own my creative energy. I want to be committed. If you get a chance to read this whole article it's very inspiring.

still learning