Artsy Building Blocks

Back in December,

I had this fabulous basics art class

with a wonderfully brave and creative

group of women
who joined me at Sturgis Photo and Gifts on Main Street in Sturgis, SD.

~ building block by Lynne ~ 

After 2 years of holding classes,

I finally realized that I needed to do a

mixed media basics class.

Building Blocks

is that class.

Here's a peek at our beautiful time together.

If you missed out

and want to try it yourself,

or you want to make another set,

join me at Renae Meisner's Create!Studio in Rapid City,

on Saturday January 31, 2015,

9 a.m. to noon.

Robyn's sparkly words of wisdom.

It's a great buster of those winter blues

that try to sneak in to those deep winter days.

It will bring

color

and 

laughter

and

courage

into

your

heart.

We start with an introduction to basic supplies

and make a sample flip book of products.

Then we decorate three chunky blocks of wood.

I love it when sisters do this together!

Tina's work was all pretty in pink.

Monica's collage ~ love her colors and old soul feel

Joey's selected words on a background of maps...oh, how I love maps.

Is she cute or what?

Art is always more fun with friends! ~ All the way from Watertown!

That Monica knows how to choose color...

Ranch wives unite! 

I love how my art "students" become my friends.

Lynne brought her own stash of goodies to work into her projects.  You can do that! What would you bring?

There is some little magic that happens

to your soul when you make something with your hands.

I can't explain it

until you experience it.

Give Renae a call to reserve your spot at 

605-431-8870.

Space limited to 12 guests.

$50 per person.

All art supplies provided.

~ Me with my lovely assistant and friend Missy ~

Work In Progress ~ Just do what you can do today

It is one of those months

in which

I have random pieces

all over my house

in various stages of completion.

Sometimes

I like them incomplete.

I especially love

the morning sunshine

that casts shadows and gold

through the windows.

Everything looks its best in that light.

Our calendar swells with activity.

Our life is full.

Our life is good.

I find myself saying "no" to lots of great and wonderful things

so that I can just be in the presence

of my family

in the precious few hours each week that we have together.

If I don't keep my head and heart in check,

I get overwhelmed.

You too?

So, to beat the overwhelms,

this morning, I started to work on this piece:

Just do what you can do today.

My kids always joke that I need to keep one of these for myself.

Yes, they know me best.

They know that the things I make are not things I have mastered

but things I need to remember.

I ruffled through my stash of papers and happened upon

some prints my mom had made of my grandma's diaries for reunion decorations.

I randomly selected one to fit in the theme of just today.

I didn't even read it.

But as I began to adhere it to the board,

I read:

Chilly day warmer this afternoon.

Ground white with snow this morning

all gone by noon.

Tommy did the chores and feeding.

Had to get a cow in tonight and sew her up.

Had the whole thing out.

Oh yes, indeed, Grandma Edna and Grandpa Tommy, just doing what you can do today.

If you have not raised cattle, you might know about cattle that hemorrhage their entire uterus.

It is by far one of the most difficult, messy, frustrating, yucky jobs on the ranch...

and sometimes the mama cow just can't make it after that kind of trauma.

That was Grandpa Tommy's "just do what you can do today".

I continued to read the part I had cut off

learning that my grandma had gone to town, cleaned house except for the kitchen

and to top the day off,

one of my uncle's got shot in the mouth with a BB gun

"fooling around"

as she put it.

My uncle was fine.

Just spit the BB out.

Friday, April 19, 1963.

Just doing what they could do that day.

~ * ~

Find me here this fall:

and here:

Note To Self Mixed Media Art Class

Saturday October 11 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

at Create!Studio in Rapid City

Click the link above for all of the details and to register.

And soon to be announced,

but mark your calendars...

a class at Sturgis Photo and Gifts, Sturgis, SD, 

on Thursday, October 23 from 6-9 p.m.

Here's a clue:

I will also be at the Wink Ranch at Howes, SD on October 25.  

Official details coming tomorrow!

Seriousness Isn't a Fruit of the Spirit, but Joy Is

Chasing the last light of summer as it spins to fall,

I am reminded of a quote from one of my favorite bands:  Rend Collective.

Here it is,

"Seriousness isn't a fruit of the spirit, but joy is."

Be inspired by their bio video of The Art Of Celebration here:  Rend Collective Bio

filled with Irish-ness, joy, opened eyes, celebration, art . . .

totally reminds me of the childlike joy that our youngest brings back to our family.

Oh, it's been a lotta serious around me lately,

but then . . .

I am inspired by the words of my friend Junelle Jacobsen ...

visit her blog here:  YES and AMEN

and you will see what inspired these photos.

She never fails to stir my spirit with her art whether in word, photo, watercolor, collage.

Here is Junelle's challenge to which I responded,

"Perhaps it is time for you to chase the summer light?  

Today may be the right day for your inspiration collection to begin...again.  

Listen to the woo.  

Be pulled by the light.  

Trust the holy muse and find your shoes.  Just go.  

I can't wait to hear what you find~"

Not only has it been a change of season,

it's been a life changing season around here.

Our oldest has started high school.

For us, living an hour from the nearest high school in all directions,

means that he is living with my parents during the week.

I am made to let go 

and 

continually 

my inability 

to fix 

and mend 

and make it all ok 

and right

is evident.

And

that is

ok.

He injured his knee on the third day of football practice.

X-rays, ice packs, an MRI, doctor visits.

And then I get the call that my youngest fell and broke both of her wrists.

More X-rays, ice packs and doctor visits.

My heart lets go a bit more.

And we are all ok.

And joy persists.

See?

We miss him during the week.

But . . . even among siblings . . . it is true

that

absence makes the heart grow fonder.

It's good to see his car coming down the road.

Joy.

It isn't stopped by a couple broken bones.

Joy.

It's in this magic golden light.

Yes?

Find me here this fall:

and here:

Note To Self Mixed Media Art Class

Saturday October 11 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

at Create!Studio in Rapid City

Click the link above for all of the details and to register.

And soon to be announced,

but mark your calendars...

a class at Sturgis Photo and Gifts, Sturgis, SD, 

on Thursday, October 23 from 6-9 p.m.

Here's a clue:

Living Wholehearted. What's gratitude got to do with it?

Wholehearted Gratitude.

Sunday I taught this class on creating a journal from a repurposed book

by creating a collaged cover using a photograph, similar to my art pieces on wood & canvas.

I shared this time with a lovely group of seven women at Scrappin' Ladies in Pierre, SD.

But it wasn't just about the project.

It was about their life.  My life.  Really living it.

I have a couple more of these coming up,

so I wanted to share a bit about what you could expect.

Through sharing my own personal stories

of moving from seeming to always fall short to abundant living,

{not necessarily materially, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually}

I will share how gratitude moves us

into living wholehearted, fulfilling lives

right in the mess of everyday, ordinary stuff

as well as the biggies.

Back at Christmas 2008,

I wrote about it in a Christmas letter

you can read about it here.

Life Is Not About Painting The Perfect Picture.

I share about being real and about savoring life's little treasures.

Here is what you can look forward to at a Wholehearted {Gratitude Journal} event:

We will transform an old book into a personal, unique work of art 

featuring one of your own personal photographs.

You will enjoy curling up with your journal and recording those priceless moments

with words, photos, art, or whatever your mind comes up with...

We will create a bookmark from a heart-shaped rock, twine and ribbons.

We will laugh, visit, perhaps shed a few tears, and tell stories.

We will be brave in trying new things.

We will find things to be grateful for.  The deep things. The really important stuff.

I will share my personal journey of discovering gratitude and beauty in my everyday life.

I have two Wholehearted {Gratitude Journal} events coming up.

Click here for the details and registration information:  FALL SCHEDULE

Here is a sneak peek at  projects

from the last journal class.

In addition to writing,

photography is one of the ways that I record my gratitude.

Sunday was a great day of journal-making and friendship building

finished off by this beautiful drive home across the prairie.

Sharing with you some gratitude in photos 

for this great state of South Dakota. . . 

. . . during the "magical hour" when the prairie

is lit up

in all her glory.

The two events I have coming up:

ARTescape afternoon on

November 3 at the Jon Crane Gallery in Hill City, SD

and

an evening class on

November 7 at Sturgis Photo and Gifts in Sturgis, SD.

Click here for event schedule and sign up details:

FALL 2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS