Create!Studio ~ Let's Get Together and MAKE STUFF! ~

There is something about this line in Miranda Lambert's song Automatic

that resonates in my artist heart:

 

Whatever happened to

waiting your turn

doing it all by hand

'cause when everything is handed to you

it's only worth

as much as

the time put in

 

 

I think my new friend and sister "creatologist", Renae Meisner,

of Create!Studio in Rapid City, South Dakota,

would agree.

I was privileged to teach one of my favorite mixed media art classes

A Note To Self

in her studio last Saturday.

 

Before and after class,

Renae and I visited and visited.

I suspect we could've sat down and chatted into the wee hours of the morning

about creating all kinds of things

including the lessons we both have learned

about daring to begin a creative business.

 

Once our guests began arriving and the warmth of humming voices

filled the studio

the nervous excitement began to flow.

 

Soon, ladies dove into a pile of patterned papers

and the fun begins.

 

 

There is something beautiful that happens when you make something by hand.

If you take the time to create something with your hands,

in inevitably requires your heart and soul.

 

 

 

You create from what is truly important to you.

You create what you feel.

You create and something happens

that is tough to explain.

 

Renee and I visited about how connections seem easy when

creating.

About how maybe it is because

in order to create

we have to let the guard crumble a bit

and be real

and vulnerable.

 

Something miraculous happens layering paper and decoupage

and paint and words and meaning.

Lisa's piece above is one you could linger over and look

for detail after lovely detail.

 

There must be a letting go in the process.

It is a brave thing to make something

and then let people see it.

It is a scary thing

to look at a white canvas.

 

The photo above shows Brenda's collage of scrapbook papers,

a beautiful quote she brought from Pinterest

and lovely layers of paint patterns;

all of which create a special place to honor her treasure: grandchildren.

What wonderful fall-ish colors!

 

But each of these women brought their hearts

and filled up the white space with beauty and meaning.

 

Julie created a gorgeous color-filled collage

from Mother's Day cards from her daughters

and included each one's hand written name in her piece.

How precious is that??

 

Jamee and Tami

dove in with words and color and paint.

I love the words that they keyed into and highlighted.

 

I have to mention designer Melody Ross and Full Circle Exchange.

Melody designed this tissue paper for FCE.

I bought it for gifts, but have used it in my collage classes.

Not only does it spark something beautiful in the women and their art at my classes,

Full Circle Exchange is a company doing something well and good and right

in this broken world.

FCE creates jobs and job readiness for female refugees fleeing

circumstances we could never imagine.

I love using their products and sharing about them at my classes.

You can learn about the company here:

Full Circle Exchange

Learn about Melody Ross and her company Brave Girls Club here:

Brave Girls Club

 

You can see in Jamee and Tami's projects

the typewritten words that they have highlighted in these next few photos.

 

 

Leslie made this gorgeous collage of all things mountain biking.

When she discovered what you can do to paint

with a paper towel,

you should have seen her go!

 

 

Janell made this happy bright piece with so many scrumptious layers.

Perfectly fall and perfectly joyful!

 

I love the feeling of trying something new

and realizing

I can do this!

 

I see it happen again and again.

 

Renae's piece is such a rich example of taking scraps that one might throw away

and collecting in a few color families to put together such depth and interest.

This will be so lovely on her wall.

 

Each one has a clip so that they can place "A Note To Self" in it

or a photograph of a

moment that matters.

 

Below are photos from my March "Note To Self" class at Sturgis Photo & Gifts.

 

I love that no piece is ever alike.  Ever.

You can see values, treasures, beliefs, and accomplishment

in the pieces and in the faces below.

 

If you are interested in attending a class,

here's what's next:

 

October 23: 

LIVE YOUR SONG: mixed media art class at Sturgis Photo and Gifts

Details here:  Live Your Song

 

November 15:

JOURNAL YOUR JOURNEY: mixed media art journal class at Sturgis Photo and Gifts

Details coming soon!

 

 

To reserve your spot for either of these classes,

call Terri Jo at Sturgis Photo and Gifts at 605-347-6570

 

You can also visit Renae Meisner and myself at our art booths

at the upcoming Pinedale Bazaar at Pinedale Elementary School

in Rapid City, SD, on November 8, 2014.

At my classes,
I use a variety of materials from old vintage books and wallpapers,
to scrapbook papers from KandCompany, BasicGrey and Stampin'Up,
the Full Circle Exchange tissue paper,
old sewing patterns, brown paper bags.
You can decoupage so many things to create a one-of-a-kind background.
I provide sheets of words and many women bring their own quotes or verses.
Note:  I'm not affiliated with any of the companies listed above.
They are just some of my favorites and I encourage you to visit their sites.

Join us!

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:

Even Among Unanswered Questions

Lately, I struggle

to create something

that feels authentic.

Today, this rings true:

The struggle visits often.

Actually, it's pretty common.  Rarely do I find instant inspiration.
Yet the fight to create looms large in recent months
whether it be words or art or photos.

So I make empty backgrounds.

Just showing up and creating something

and pouring out something

waiting for the words, the images, the ideas.

trying to get myself out of the way to serve the work . . . as Madeline L'Engle puts it.

She writes in Walking On Water: Reflections on Faith and Art

about how prayer and art involves a process of pouring out self so that one can listen.

So, I spend time in the pouring out process . . . 

and every now and then the still small voice begins to whisper . . . 

I feel this great pressure to put

answers

and

knowing

into my art.

And this year

appears to be

a year

of

unknowing.

I guess unknowing is the most authentic thing currently.

My family: healthy goodness.

My marriage: solid, faithful, love.

My kids: more than I could hope for.

People

struggle

with far deeper

hurt

and

questions

than I.

But even so.

I lost my writing voice.

It eludes me.

Or I can't find an authentic public voice.

I write privately...too much is personal.

And so, for now, much of my writing

stays private

serving its purpose there.

But my soul aches to share.
I know others experience it too.

This year

I continually walk through questions

about relationships,

about my faith,

about how to live and walk and share that faith

personally, and with those I love.

I am walking through questions

about dreams that I have had

hopes that have gone unfulfilled

ambitions that never quite seem to be grasped,

about where to apply the interests and passions that I have.

Do I keep doing what I am doing?

Do I make changes to my business?

Do I really have a business or just a glorified hobby?

Is that ok?

Do I do something totally different?

Do I renew my teaching certificate?

Do I try to become a licensed professional at something?

Will that really open doors for me?

The doors that I want to go through? 

Or just think I should go through

so people think I am "doing the right thing"?

I question

when to hang on

and 

when to let go.

I question

about control 

and finding joy

 and avoiding pain

and avoiding conflict

and avoiding rejection

perhaps at the expense

of who I am ... maybe ?  ?  ?

I question about how to help those I love.

I question about transition as parents.

I question about the future.

Life is a huge question mark isn't it?
I think it's time to get comfortable with the question.
Welcome it.
Acknowledge it.
Ask it.

I have sought security much of my life in knowing.

Knowing the answers.

Knowing the right thing.

Then doing the right thing.

Even, I specifically remember as a child in elementary school,

doing better than the right thing

if that was possible.

I have thought

 that if I know and do the right thing

that everything will be ok.

That if I know and do the right thing

everybody in my life will be happy.

That somehow there is a formula to know and do

that will fix things.

Fix relationships, finances, insecurity.

I have tried to know right, do right, be right, prove that I am right, appear to be right.

I have valued and sought security in understanding.

This has been a year

 of unknowing,
not understanding,
uncertainty.

My chest wrings with an ache 

that stays more often than leaves.

A painful peeling-away tears deep within me

of the things in which I have sought safety and security.

That peeling away frees me though.  It is good.

Because all of my grasping to know right and do right and appear right

speaks of my own form of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, 

independence of . . . need for anyone but my own abilities . . . 

including . . . God.

It speaks of my need for Him and there I find peace in the questions.
Not in people's answers, not in my own answers,
but in His vast knowing and understanding
that is beyond my own.
Some how, I can trust that.

Even though

all of this is happening . . . 

Even though

I do things that are different than I used to do . . .

Even though

I may not do what others think is right . . .

Even though

I don't always have an answer . . . 

Even though

I am not ready for some things . . . 

Even here.

Even now.

God is still whispering

to

me.

Even in all the questions.

I am finding Him.

everyday ordinary life

grasping

for everyday, ordinary

beauty

in the midst of everyday, ordinary

questions, uncertainty, 

and ever-moving, ever-changing

life.