Aquaspas, afternoon tea and making paper

Yesterday Sandy and I went out for the afternoon in anticipation of her birthday next week. Spa day!! We went to the Aqua Massage spa in Oshawa and got massaged by water jets, and energized with pure oxygen. Next "tea" in Brooklyn. Not at the tea room I was familiar with, but at another tea room. Lovely afternoon. It just reminds me how important it is to my sanity to go out and spend time with my female friends!!!

On Tuesday, I had my first full experience making paper. A friend who has been making paper for years, offered to show me a while a go. I've always been interested in the process and have bought myself some of the equipment required. I looked at the box and I got overwhelmed with tackling the process by myself. As a hands-on learner I do best when I can do each step myself with someone guiding me. So I shredded my paper, soaked it, and brought some petals and leaves from my garden for inclusions. Discovered that I had not prepared the inclusions properly, so we cooked them in the microwave as a stop-gap. (Not sure how that will work out!). Then put the pulp in the blender and used my frame and deckle to scoop out the pulp to form a sheet. Flip it out on felt (without messing it up), load the felted sheets into a press to squeeze out as much water as possible; then peeling off each sheet to get them ready for the drying process.  Let it be said that there quite a number of steps before you have handmade paper. I look forward to seeing the final product once it's dry. I'm getting lots of ideas of how to work with this process and develop my own approach. So many ideas.....so little time it feels like.

I did do painting this week. This is one that I have finished using a modeling paste to create texture and I used four colours in acrylic which I got  to blend in the middle ground. A little addition of gold and I like the results.

Monday I had to sit outside and keep mom company, so I worked on these two studies of a picture of a sunflower. the first one is done with water soluble ink and graphite pencils and the second one is done with watercolours.

Week 7 Update

It's already seven weeks into this year of living vicariously through creativity. This week, I got focused on getting re-focused if that makes sense. Some ideas about what direction to go into next or what to re-do so that I can get more versed with a technique is pushing-pulling me. I am in the process of redoing a painting that I completed several weeks ago. I will show it when its done, maybe even today!In the meantime today I sat outside with mom and did a study of a Monarch on an echinacea blossom.It was a gorgeous day. Humidity is gone for now..

The other painting I finished this week is an abstract landscape that I finished yesterday. Acrylic with tissue paper texture. I got the idea of the very high horizon from Celebrate Your Creative Self

I think I will try something like this again, but see if I can move from realistic to abstract in the scope of the painting.

While searching for ideas for how to work with coloured  inks when I came upon a website for a collective of "daily painters". Wow! This group has set a goal for them selves to complete a painting a day and share it. Not too ambitious you say, well think again. It requires a great deal of freedom of time commitments as well as self-motivation. I am thinking of seeing if I can challenge myself that way. It would require a lot of re-focusing of my time and priorities. As I write this I realize that I'm not there yet technique mastery wise. But that is where I want to be once I find my specific voice and song.

Cats versus Alex

Spent most of the afternoon working on this study of hydrangeas from my garden. Working with miskit to preserve the whites. Been continuously hot and humid for about 3 weeks now, with no break in sight. Makes it harder to get things done.

We've been having fun with the cats lately. Alex saw a mouse in our family room late at night a few weeks ago and decided that the Max and Oscar have to earn their keep. Up until now, we have locked them up in the laundry room area at night so they won't startle mom during the night. So after running around trying to find a folding door that fits the opening to the dinning room (smaller than standard door size) we are able to  expand their space at night to include the kitchen and family room. This means that they can't get upstairs to startle mom at night. I still put them to bed as normal, and then Alex lets them out into the expanded space when he goes to bed. Always later than me, since he is a night owl. Bit of confusion for the cats the first night. Fine for about a week. Saturday morning I came down stairs and see they cats sitting in the living room They had jiggled the latch until they got it open. Alex now decides that he will put a wedge in as well to keep them confined. Sunday morning they are sitting outside our bedroom door proud as punch!! So now the games begin. New strategy to secure the door. No cats this morning, but my money is on them figuring this one out as well.

Week 6 update

Six weeks are finished already! So many techniques to try, so little time it seems. Quite a frustrating week in some ways in that I am feeling that I am being pushed and pulled constantly and that I have to fight to find snatches of time for me. Between what I have to do to "take care of" mom, cats house, plants, cooking, weeding, repair people etc etc etc., and what I want to be doing some days its a struggle to keep my temper from blowing over. I know there is a delicate balance that I have to try to maintain, but sometimes its a bit overwhelming, and being my hot-tempered self, I just blow. Had one of those this week. Not pretty and not comfortable. Thank heaven for time and cooler heads prevailing eventually.

As I reported in my last post, I got the greenhouse put together and attached this week. Here it is!

This week I experimented with watercolour  to see if I could create the atmosphere of a grainy black & white photo that I got out of the paper several weeks ago. It showed a Buddhist monk on a mountain top at Summer Solstice. I feel I got the atmosphere I was looking for, but the execution is not quite right. I may try this idea again. At any rate, here it is.

Hot Summer Days!

Mid week 6 of this journey. Its been hot!!! hot and humid. Makes getting on with things somewhat more challenging. Finally got my new greenhouse assembled and attached to the side of the house. Quite an undertaking, but this birthday present to me is finally done. Getting back to my Mother Earth persona I think! At any rate, I did complete a nature study today sitting out in the shade with Mom. She seems to be sleeping more during the day, but she loves the heat. I have become quite fascinated with the diversity of leaves. Every one seems to be unique. If only we humans could be as creative as the Great Spirit. When I stop to look (this is quite an important step for me since I always seem to be in a rush to get things done or on my way to get something) I feel my self becoming quite peaceful. I think that is why my garden is so important to me.Things that grow from tiny seeds just blow me away. Creativity takes on new meaning.

Just in case I forget, sweet potato vine, coleus, Rieger begonia and one unknown species.

It's official! I'm 65

So as the tag line indicates, I'm now officially a senior citizen! I don't feel "senior". There must be some more politically correct way of identifying this period in one's life. I do like Moses Znaimer's term "Zoomer", in that it connotes a boomer with zip. I want to feel 'refired" not retired! So there!

Since this Blog is part of my journey into "refirement", I'm focusing on all that is possible, motivating and creative.

This week has seen a lot of moving and organizing as a result of the wall unit for my stereo system. Fours rooms ended up being affected, all for the better. Lots of pruning of stuff, so now its sorting to give away, throw out or sell. Upshot is that I did not have too much time to paint this week, but I do feel that I worked effectively to recreate my space and our space. Cats are quite confused with all these changes of course. But that cats!!

Here is a picture of my new (used) wall unit in the living room. Plus the recovered sofa and chair was delivered today as well. Just waiting on the coffee table which is being refinished. You can see the new upholstery on the chair in the left bottom corner.

This is what I did finish this week, a  nature study of leaves from my garden; geranium, two different types of Japanese maple, and a dusty miller.

And last, a picture of me on my 65th.  Not sure if its how I think I see myself in my mind's eye, but not too bad.

Week 4 update

Bought a wall unit through Kijiji on Thursday to house my stereo system in the living room. Was on cobbled together units that I was not too happy with. Working on house decor is part of this 65th year mission. On Tuesday they came to pick up the couch and chair to be recovered. (Only a 6 week wait for pick up!!!). That meant it was time to shift into gear. I has been looking for several weeks at new and some not new units. Checked Kijiji on Wednesday. Atrocious picture quality but I decided to contact and made arrangements to see it the next day. So now that meant dismantling the existing units, as well as my glassware cabinet since it too will move. Then the old unit will move to the office and a storage unit there is freed up to go into my studio space upstairs. Boxes everywhere, but my studio is set up!!!! I'm just trilled. Here are the pics.

So the upshot is that I did not get too much finished this week. Working on a mono-print which is on the drafting table/art desk and experimenting with a new string gel and acrylics that's on the easel.. Interesting stuff. Need to play more to get the hang or how to apply it consistently.

This week I hope to get the rest of the house organized!!! But I can work and play.

Mid Week 4

Its been hectic. Yesterday Andrea stayed with Mom and we were able to do running around. Thirteen stops ( I counted) in 6 hours. Got a lot done though.

Been doing some nature studies when I'm outside sitting with Mom this week. I have to be close or she is looking for me or asking Alex where I am. Does not need or want anything, just needs to know where I am. Makes working in my studio a bit of a challenge sometimes. So early morning and snatches of time in between.

Here is my study of two different coleus leaves from my garden and tree branch detail from pictures in a book.These were done in water soluble ink and water soluble coloured graphite pencils.