paper craft

On Tuesdays I get to volunteer in the art room of my children's school.  Not only do I get to spend time with my kids and meet their friends, I also learn a lot about art and find myself inspired by the children's projects.  This week I explored crafting with different kind of paper.  Collage, weaving, abstract art, pattern making - all this can be done with just a scissor and a good glue stick.  I love to see that the same piece of paper - applied in different ways - can have such a different outcome. 

84/365, sent to Bellevue, WA

85/365, sent to Seattle, WA

86/365, sent to Bellevue, WA

87/365, hand-delivered in Seattle

88/365, sent to Sammamish, WA

birthday week

In our family, three out of five birthdays fall onto one week.  There is a lot of hustle and bustle of baking cakes, buying gifts, planning parties and still enjoying family time together.  The first year my daughter was born, she was my 'birthday present' to my husband, whose birthday is a day after hers.  It was all adrenaline and excitement in the hospital then - with chocolate cake delivered by the extended family.  At that time, we did not think ahead that this baby would turn 12 years some day and be her own beautiful person - inside out.  But here we are, 12 years later, still giving birth in some ways to a child growing into her own and on her way picking up bits and pieces from us.  Happy birthday!   


78/365, sent to Pelham, MA

80, 365, hand-delivered in Seattle

81/365, sent to Pelham, MA, guest artist: Ana Light

82/365, hand-delivered in Seattle

83/365, sent to Burlington, Vermont

mindful

During the last eight weeks, I have attended a class on mindfulness. I have learned to focus my mind on the moment and be present in the here and now. The practice can be done as meditation - during which it is fascinating to see how busy our minds are. The more powerful experience is to practice mindfulness in the everyday experience. Where are my thoughts when I am eating breakfast, where do I wander off to when I am driving along the street, what am I thinking about when I am folding the laundry? Needless to say, it is rare that we are really aware of what is happening to us and our bodies in the moment. The planning and scheming mind occupies most of our attention. I do find, however, that when I create my daily postcard, I can more easily surrender to the present moment. Art is a form of meditation.
74/365, to Seattle, WA

75/365, to Mountain View, CA

76/365, to Seattle, WA

77/365, to ???

79/365, to Rochester, NY

undoing things

I got this beautiful yarn as a gift. It is a light grass green angora wool mixed with the softest rabbit hair and it just feels exquisite in my hands. The project I intended for it seems much too difficult. After ripping my attempts open too many times, I have given up on it. I have chosen a different project - but alas - I find myself opening up and starting from scratch more than I like to. Is it just that I am choosing the wrong projects or that I am in the mood for a challenge? I don't feel discouraged, but rather tickled by the attempt to get it right. The beauty of knitting is that you always have another chance. The wool unravels and is in the same perfect shape as before. That is different with paper or life. Once you have painted on it or made your mark, there is no way to return. You can choose to correct your mistake and walk into a different direction, but you cannot undo it. That's why I like the knitting - I get a second, third, fourth and even fiftieth chance.

69/365, sent to Seattle, WA

70/365, sent to Jerusalem, Israel

71/365, sent to Seattle, WA

72/365, hand-delivered within Seattle, WA

73/365, sent to Hamburg, Germany

dress up

The week went by so fast with a lovely and lively visit from family, followed by Purim festivities. The children all managed to find a costume of their choice in our dress-up bin. It is amazing how creative you can get by working with what you have got. Sometimes the mixing and matching of the ordinary garment is all one needs to make a great outfit. This is how I feel about my cards as well. I have a limited number of supplies to choose from and a set surface to work with. By mixing and matching the supplies, I can create entirely different outcomes. It is almost as if the blank postcard plays dress up all over again.


64/365, sent to Los Angeles, CA

65/365, sent to Seattle, WA

66/365, sent to Bern, Switzerland

67/365, sent to Los Angeles, CA

68/365, sent to Garbarone, Botswana

inspiration

I am always looking for inspiration. At the library, I will take out any book that remotely has to do with art instruction. Most of the books I will brouse through, do one or two exercises and then return without much gain. Not so with the Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists, by Carla Sonheim.
I don't remember how I came about the book, but Carla Sonheim is a local artist who inspires beginners and seasoned artists alike to look at art in a fun way. Her book and online classes focus on allowing oneself to be SILLY. Her guidance allows me to take art not quite so serious, but to have fun with it. She encourages everyone to find that inner child and just play with pens, crayons, collage or anything that you have readily available. Most of my mixed-media art has been inspired by her book. For your own inspiration, please visit Carla's blog http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/.

59/365, to Seattle, WA

60/365, to Seattle, WA

61/365, to Karlsruhe, Germany

62/365, to Garbarone, Botswana

63/365, to Frankfurt, Germany