Well, with procrastination at a premium. Here are the ATC ‘s I made for this months swap.

I had this buttterfly that Jimmy gave me last fall. I keep it on the kitchen window sill. I love it.  I got to do my fabric pattern collage thing, the draw with my watercolor pencils then paint, finishing touches with pitt pens. I loved this little sunshine project.

I think waiting to get mine back from the swap is the best part.

Today was an extremely prolific day for me. I collated three canvases and they are ready for paint & ink.

The inspiration I believe is a two fold on this one. First it’s spring. There are flowers everywhere. Gorgeous beautiful flowers, it doesn’t really matter if they are in the wild like the California poppies on the side of the road or the carefully place tulips in a millionaires flower bed. From here to there and everything in between we are in bloom.

I am loving spring this year. The rebirth of mother nature. An awakening, I could very easily be a bear. Listen, glutonously eat from summer to fall, sleep safe & warm all winter, then awaken with the spring! Then play with fish and eat the next 9 months away. Amen! I don’t much like winter anyways. It’s over rated & cold.

so here’s to spring the beauty and inspiration she brings….. I am off to paint

This week they took me to work in San Francisco, Ca.
I love my shoes!

I didn’t go for a class just wanted to prep & paint pages in my book. But surprise. Andrea asked and then I heard myself say yes… Learned some great techniques,had a great time.

Here’s what I created.

It was an invitation from my “fly girls, my tribe, my classmates” to join them, to be a part of, a prt of something good of crearive energy.

We are gonna art party!!! And I was invited!!!

So art… Hmm the topic. Well it’s subjective.

I’ll explain by telling you about my family, we are all artists. In one medium or another we all create. I have grown up this way. Well my mother, the educated artist says “Art is subjective…..if it makes you feel emotion, any emotion. It is art.” So I have looked at art, love or hate it, if it evoked emotion it was art. By definition, by my up bringing it qualified.

That said, I was in the bay area last week with an employee of mine. We were just leaving a delivery for a client. We were driving and saw Cupids Arrow

Well, I said “Isn’t that cool!” to which Chuck replied ” No! ” with some other negative comments. Then I proceeded to tell him that is was art. He argued it wasn’t. I then went on to put the subjective mom theory to the test. I must say I WON!!!

I am not sure if he agreed because he didn’t want to argue or was just to polite to insult my mother. Regardless, I will take the win! Caulk one up for my theory and smile.

But, Art what does it mean to me? How does it inspire me?

Let start with inspire

in·spire

? ?[in-spahy^uhr] Show IPA verb, -spired, -spir·ing.

verb (used with object)

1.

to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence: His courage inspired his followers.

2.

to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to inspire confidence in others.

3.

to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.: to inspire a person with distrust.

4.

to influence or impel: Competition inspired her to greater efforts.

5.

to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like,does: They were inspired by a belief in a better future.

6.

to communicate or suggest by a divine or super natural influence: writings inspired by God.

7.

to guide or control by divine influence.

8.

to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence,without avowal of responsibility.

9.

to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc.: a philosophy thainspired a revolution.

10.

to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale.

11.

Archaic .

a.

to infuse (breath, life, etc.) by breathing (usuallyfollowed by into ).

b.

to breathe into or upon.

12.

to give inspiration.

So what inspires me? Everything from my emotions to experiences to nature. Sometimes its just goofing and random chance drops a beauty in my lap. Like this one

It has no name. It was the accident on a day I was doing backrounds. I love it! It’s a golden sunset to me. A happy accident.

Inspired infused awakened – life. Breathing. Feeling. Living. In this large gorgeous world there is a plethera of things to inspire me. It’s about the glasses. Which ones am I wearing for the day

Am I looking at the world with my eyes or my soul? Am I hearing you story, your words or am I listening to what you mean with my soul? It’s perception….am I living or existing?

Art feeds my soul, enriches me. It has saved me more than once (and that a story for a different day). It’s what I want to be, what i love. Some days I am then others it just makes me smile…It’s my reason…

It is no longer that way for me. For that I am grateful, I have been living a path with new found freedom for many years now.

I was given a small drop of hope. The seed from which I grew a new and better life, a life worth living. So as the new year starts I think that hope is the word.

It’s about being able to differinate my hopes from my dreams. Remembering that my dreams are a precursor to a plan, road map, a destination. That hope, well hope is the fuel. The juice that gets the dream moving.

Keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground. Trudging one foot in front of another. My head in the clouds swirled and surrounded by my dreams. Fueled by hope. Knowing that everything is possible. just follow the plan, lay out the map.

Somewhere I heard it said ” Shoot for the Moon, if you fail you’ll land among the stars”

So here is to 2012 the year of Hope.

So at the time this was a self portrait of my heart…..