Get back to my fibers and artwork

Finishing my socks

I realize that I haven't been knitting or weaving recently! I recently picked up a pair of socks that I started over six months ago and they still aren't finished.  That makes me sad.  They are full of lace and cables and beautiful, I want to get them finished.  Living a life in balance is hard.  The demands of life with family needs, spousal attention, work and life commitments all take us away from our artistic journey. I want to do these things, but I also want to be a creative individual.

I know for me I always feel better when I can have creative time in each day.  I purposely get up early each morning, to have some type of creative time for myself.  The emails, blogs and facebook have begun to take more and more of my time.  I find that the fiber arts and  painting gets put to the side.  I am not sure how to fix that.  I know all artists struggle with this.  I am not a full time artist and it is not my financial support for life, therefore I don't give it as much importance  or validation.

I have made a commitment to myself this week, to watch less mindless television, to stay away from my social networking "facebook" and concentrate on more creative time with myself.  Can I do it???  I surely hope so.  I don't feel good when I am not allowing my creative spirit to soar!  It has only been a day and the urge to cut the television on is strong.  Hmmmmm something is out of balance here!

I look forward to coming back to myself and my art.  I need that.  Everything in my life is pretty wonderful, so this little area of concern can be fixed.  Living a life in balance is a very hard thing to do, but it can be done.

I went to the art store yesterday, I am fortunate to have a Jerry's Artarama just FIVE MINUTES from my house, how cool is that!  I bought myself some artistic treats.  I was looking for a nice set of watercolor pencils and found them.  I was stirred up with excitement as I carried my little bag out of the store and I look forward to quiet time and experimenting with them.

I am trying to finish my socks before fall and they will be a pair of hand knit socks just for me.  They will remind me of  over coming procrastination and getting things accomplished.  My desire is to live my life more creatively and I am giving myself permission to do so!
Blessings

"Serenity"

I was creating this week and was enjoying painting this simple little tree.  As I finished it I was able to take a look at it and the title "Serenity" came to me.  Somehow it seemed to fit perfectly.  It is often hard to work on a piece and then give it the perfect title.

In creating art, sometimes we over do things, over think the process and carry a project too far.  Lately I have been concentrating on knowing when a piece is finished and doesn't need anymore!  That is harder than you think!

Serenity comes in many forms.  A quiet morning with no distractions, the beauty of your  own backyard, the birds singing their melodies, the written word, a quiet bath, a beautiful song, candlelight...I could go on and on.  I have been trying to find Serenity in my life lately. 

I yearn for quiet and am trying hard to not get distracted in the business of life.  Retreating to my studio and painting seems to work for me lately.  I love the quietness when my own inner muse speaks to me.  It is always there with me, I just need to take the time to listen and hear.

So I look at the simpleness of my little tree and remind myself to look for Serenity in all things. I know for me I feel more at peace when stillness is involved.  I truly believe my creative soul is beginning to flourish again, and for that I am grateful.  It has been a while since I have come out to play!!  I welcome the opportunity. 

I invite you to look for the Serenity and stillness in your own life and be grateful when you find it.  Life is one amazing adventure and there is so much out there for us to seek.  

Blessings always to you my friends.

My Creativity Course Challenge

www.creativethursday.com

This has been such a fun week for me.  I recently enrolled in the Creative Thursday E-Course by Marisa Haedike and we began our projects this week.  I had never enrolled in an E Course before, but I was looking for some motivation to come my way and there Marisa was!  I had always followed her blog and enjoyed her posts and her website.  The description of this course truly made my heart leap and I knew it was something I wanted to do.

Each week she would post a video and a "Creative Challenge" that we would each participate in.  You also get to communicate with the other fellow "Creatives" as Marisa calls us.  (I like that)  You can leave comments  for each other on her blog, or post pics on the Flicker Site.  I am already learning more than I thought and it is just week one.  I didn't even know what Flicker was!

This weeks challenge was to create something from Photography or Writing.  I love the writing, so I decided to do something out of my comfort zone, Photography.  I have a great little Nikon Coolpix, but what I don't have is a fancy dancy incredible camera.  I started taking lots of shots of gardens, my own plants, and things in the Outer Banks this past weekend.  I settled on a plant that my four children put together for me for Mother's Day.

I love the colors and the different hues in the Elephant Ear leaves, so I took a picture as you can see.

I took several pictures of the plant, but what I wanted to concentrate on was capturing the beautiful colors and doing something with them.  How would I do that?  I chose watercolors, my favorite medium of all! I got out my paints, paper and brushes and started to blend and see the colors start to come together.  I then even added a little texture medium to the watercolors.  I started to play with the painting, still knowing I was not done with my project yet.

So I got the idea to create a paper weaving with my painting.  I began to cut up the painting in little 1/2" strips.  I learned never to be afraid to do something different with your work, not all watercolor paintings are meant to be framed and hung on the wall!  I began paper weaving and liked what I saw!

I took a step back to observe my work and realized that I had come to where I wanted to be.  What had I learned from this experience???

Visualization

Creative Play

Photography

Project deadlines work!

Inner pride for a job well done

Today I took it just a step further and decided to frame a little extra piece of the weaving.  I then proceeded to write words that spoke to me (don't think you can see in photo)  I began to write the words love, yoga, muse, create, think, awareness, zen

on the strip of weaving.  This will hang in my studio.

So my first week's challenge was fun and as I am finishing my blog entry to share with you, I realized that I did use both mediums Marisa asked us to use, photography and writing, here is my writing in my blog!

Creativity is about exploration, design, and listening to what is inside.  Sometimes it doesn't always work and sometimes you come up with delightful surprises.  To me creativity is all about finding the time to work at what you love and never being afraid to try something "out of my comfort zone".

Thanks Creative Thursday, can't wait to see what is up for next week!

Painting with my Watercolors

"Blissful"

I just finished framing one of my paintings entitled "Blissful" and I am pretty tickled with it!  I have been studying watercolor paintings for over three years and this is not the easiest medium to work with.  It does take time to get comfortable with it and I believe I have finally crossed over the line from fear into comfortable!


I will never be a traditional watercolor artist who paints faces or barns or houses.  I am definitely more spontaneous than that, I am just allowing the paint to go where it wants to go.  I consider my work to                   be abstract and I love that.  I never know what I will get.


I have had the opportunity to study with some pretty wonderful teachers over the years, through structured courses and workshops.  I think I prefer the workshop setting more than the classroom setting.  In a workshop you get your favorite teacher for two to three days, paint like crazy, fill your notebook with ideas and things you want to remember and off to your homes and studios you go.  When I look back at my photos and notes, I learned so much in a very short time.  


I have also learned with some wonderful watercolor teachers as well.  Each bringing a different approach to the medium and I have been able to learn from all of them.  To let you know just how serious I was about learning to paint, I went to  my teacher's home, every Friday morning at 8:00 am to be to work at my full time job at 10:00am.  I did this routine for months.   She would put a lot of effort in the classes for me and I will always be grateful for my watercolor beginnings.  Thank you Janet!  I then was able to learn from an incredible friend and teacher of mine, Louis Jones,  son of Herb Jones.  An incredible artist in his own right, he shares his gallery with wife Susan, and son Ryan.  What an incredibly talented family that is, and I consider my artistic journey blessed by being able to study with them.  I would go on Wednesday evenings, after working a full day and go to the art gallery where classes were being held.  There he would teach a technique and we would paint for hours under his direction.  If we were lucky enough, he would play his guitar for us while we were painting.  I loved the group setting, but at times that can be intimidating, so many artists on different levels!  Thank you Louis for your encouragement and direction.


Now I feel as if time in my studio is the best teacher of all.  I have learned that you can take the best classes and workshops, travel to learn, buy wonderful art supplies; but if you don't spend time growing with the medium it is worth nothing.  I am my best teacher.  I know what colors stir me.  I know when a painting is worthy of framing and I definitely know what speaks to my creative heart.


I will never be a famous artist, I know that.  I paint because it makes me happy.  Painting calms me during uncertain times and I love sharing it with others.  Watercolor is fun, it is mysterious,  it is frustrating, but all in all a beautiful medium.  Try it sometime, seek out a teacher, buy some supplies and try your hand at it, you will never regret it.  You never know, you might be framing something spectacular.


Hugs and Blessings to you my friends!

Learning something new!

I am really enjoying the blogging experience.  As you can see I have created a new background and added a few design elements into my page.  Before starting this blog, I had only read other people's blogs and enjoyed them.  I always wanted to have my own place where I could go and express what was in my heart and mind, but I was apprehensive about where to begin.  I doubted that I could accomplish it.  With time I have taught myself to write freely and create a place that I enjoy going to.  I have learned to design borders, add gadgets, incorporate pics, multi link myself to my "social networks" (see I am also getting the lingo down!).  The internet can be a scary and intimidating place but it can also be a wonderful place to connect with friends and family.  I  also met many new friends with the same creative interests as mine.

Learning is a good thing and as I soon approach my 53rd birthday,  I have learned that we are never too old to learn something new.  I like that all of my kids have MacBook computers.  They talked me into getting one and I have learned from scratch how to use it.  It is so intuitive and amazing at the same time.  I have jumped in with both feet and I know I haven't scratched the possibilities this computer gives to me.  Every time my son Curt comes to visit, he is showing me something new or fixing something I didn't get quite right!
I know that when I write down my feelings and post something for my blog, it goes out into that big computer world.  I know that I am creating words for myself and I hope that a few of you are enjoying it.    
I will continue to learn and grow through this experience.  So you see creating doesn't always have to be with yarn or paintbrush in hand or spending money on the latest new project!  It can be with writing from the heart.   The written word is magical and enlightening.  I knew English was my favorite subject in school for a reason!!  It wasn't until just now that I figured that out.

May your day be filled with creative blessings today!

Inspiration from Vacation

How often do we get away from our everyday responsibilities?  Not often enough in my opinion.  We are so hung up on our everyday happenings that we are forgetting to slow down and learn to relax without our computers, phones, emails, blogs etc.  It is as if we have almost forgotten how to be still and quiet.  That scares me a little, because I am included in that statement.

I know in my own life I am busy being a full time Optical Manager.  Everyday of the week, someone else dictates my time and my schedule.  Rarely do I get to sit at my loom or knit on my lace shawl, or even read a good book.  By the time I return home and do my other responsibilities,  I am so tired the thought of being creative is thrown out the window.  Does this sound familiar?

 

Recently my son got married.  I shared with you that I was able to have some quiet reflection before the wedding.  It was a wonderful experience and I am so proud of my son and his new wife.  The wedding was a happy time for all of us. Our family is complete with two wonderful sons and their precious wives.   Life has given us such a blessing.  Right after that my husband and I were able to cruise on the Norwegian Sky to the Bahamas.  It was awesome and awesome some more!!!!

No television, cell phones,  no computers (well you could for 40 cents a minute!) just me and my hubby.  We had a balcony in our room and I was able to enjoy the mighty ocean and all of God's nature.  Me and my knitting needles while my husband chose to sleep late in the mornings.  It was so invigorating.  I had chosen to learn knitting socks on two circular needles.  That was a different learning experience for me since I have always knitted on double point needles.  How quickly it came with no distractions...hmmm.

We were able to tour the islands, go snorkeling, visit Atlantis aquarium and see the most beautiful fish and swim in beautiful waters.  By divine providence we met a couple when we went snorkeling from the cruise ship,  it was just the four of us on this sailboat.  We hit it off the entire cruise!  She was a fiber artist and I the weaver, obviously we had plenty to share with each other!!!  What a blessing it was to meet them.  God gives us little gifts all the time in our daily lives.  I even took an excursion Yoga on the Beach!  The beaches were heavenly and I was inspired by the colors of everything.  So much so that I can't wait to incorporate the colors of the tropics into my knitting and weaving.   I can visualize now a handwoven scarf full of teal blues and greens!!!

We all need to get away from time to time.  We need to listen to our inner hearts and what it is trying to say to us.  For me the lesson I learned is that I am too busy.  I need to slow down and appreciate what is right in front of me.  I need to take the time to create and not fit it in whenever I can, my work deserves better than that.  When we give quality time to our endeavors it will show in our work, when we do something half heartedly, guess what...it will show in your work!

I am happy to be home and I am returning to my busy schedule.  I have a renewal of mind and spirit and it can make the difference.  I choose to rest, I choose to slow down and I choose to appreciate all that life has given to me.  Each time I return to my studio I am refreshed in spirit.  I am ready to create with joy.  It is a choice we make everyday whether we will be consumed by busyness or not.  I desire to be calm,  quiet and refreshed.  I want everyday to matter somehow.  Let's see how long I can keep that frame of mind.  I am betting it will quite sometime.

Interwoven Thoughts...

Here is what I am thinking about today:


I love yummy cupcakes                                             
Weaving is my passion
I love to knit socks
Lace knitting is hard, but worth the effort
Time with friends is the best thing ever
Soy Lattes are delicious
Vacations rock
I appreciate God's beauty in nature
Yarn stores are addictive
Good music inspires the soul
Discover Aromatherapy...it's amazing
Creating whatever is what I need to do
Throwing the shuttle is relaxing
I feel calm doing yoga
I love spending time on Ravelry
My facebook friends keep growing
I am learning to spin again
I want to spin yarn for socks
I take a pair of socks to knit wherever I go
I love mixing fibers and textures
My favorite color is teal
I love my family
I want to retire in the Outer Banks
Being a fiber artist is the best thing ever
Watercolor painting is my zen
I love candlelight and hot baths
Watching an old movie with popcorn is great
I love a Sunday afternoon nap
I am grateful for the sounds of a thunderstorm
I love to read on my new Kindle
I love spending time with my hubby
Time in my hot tub is like a mini vacation
Tea time is always a royal treat


Try brainstorming your favorite thoughts, it can be very cleansing for the soul! It's about appreciating all that life has to offer us!

Having a quiet week

This is a beginning of a quiet week of reflection, joy, anticipation and keeping my spirit calm.

This Saturday my son is getting married and these are precious times for the Wynn family.

There is something different when your "baby" gets married.  I thought is was something when my first born got married two years ago, this is an even different set of emotions.  All the wonderful memories come up to the surface, perhaps it is because of all the photos of our life I had to scan for the wedding ceremony!

Life is a precious gift, each and every day never take a moment for granted.

I have chosen to be present in the moment this week.  I have quietly been threading my loom 

for a beautiful scarf or knitting on my lace shawl.  I always come to my fibers when I am seeking comfort and relaxation.  My lace scarf is really starting to show its beauty now and I look forward to knitting each new row.

As soon as the wedding is over, I am heading on a cruise ship to the Bahamas, 

hmmmm

wonder which knitting project will come along with me?

Feeling Sentimental with Knitting

In less than two weeks I will be attending my son's wedding.  These are happy times for our family and I am looking forward to it very much.

Each time I pick up my knitting it has become a quiet time of reflection.  Knitting gives us such a place of contentment, reflection, harmony and rest.  I honestly feel that whenever I have my needles in my hand.

This is truly an art of love and time.  Those who do not knit honestly can't appreciate the amount of time that goes into a knitted piece, maybe some do, but not many!!  Only fellow knitters understand the gift of  love and time that surrounds a knitted piece.  That is not why I knit.  I love spending time creating something for myself or a loved one.  I love the fact that when I get the rare opportunity of time to sit, knit and not be disturbed,  I will be going off into a quiet zone that no one else can join me!  The piece before me begins to grow and I am learning all the time.  My first Ishbel lace scarf has certainly taught me patience.  It is coming along now and with each new knitted row, I can see the lace design popping through.  When I am creating a piece for someone else, I love praying over that piece for that individual; their life and their family.  It is part of the gift they receive when the piece is completed.  It is especially wonderful when I am knitting little baby booties.  I love praying for that little life that is ready to come into the world;  that to me  is a very special feeling.

So as I pour through pictures to scan for my son's wedding and stumble across the cable knitted sweaters I made for my boys, I have become extremely sentimental about knitting today.  Knitting has been a part of my life as long as I can remember!  It isn't until recently that I have fallen in love with it the way I have.  I know that it has gotten me through some very rough times sitting with two very ill parents in the past few years.  It has given me much joy sitting with girlfriends in a knitting group or taken me to some wonderful shops and festivals and it brought me to the wonderful online community of Ravelry.

I will continue to knit and continue to love my quiet place where I go to knit when everything else is happening around me.  While I am knitting, I will keep reflecting on all the good things in this life;  the blessings of children and family and friends.  Each day is truly a gift, it is up to us as to what we do with it....I know for me somewhere in my day a pair of knitting needles and of course my yoga mat are trailing closely!

Falling Backwards in what you create...

Ever have a bad time with something that you are creating?  Ever feel like all the hours spent on creating something and then having to start over can be frustrating?  Well I believe that has been me this week, I was humming along with my Ishbel knitting, got up to finishing the first section A and realized my spine center stitch was off by 1 stitch, way down in the stockinette section!   OOPS!  I thought of every which way to leave it, justify leaving it there and my sister (The Ishbel expertise) said to me that I couldn't leave it, that lace knitting was all a part of the learning process.  She encouraged me to find and correct the mistake and I did.  I wound up pulling it all out and beginning again three days ago.  I must say,  now that I started over, I  am knitting with more confidence and without mistakes.  It is a joyful experience!

Anything in which we create and spend our precious efforts and energy toward, whether  it is weaving, knitting, spinning, painting, or our exercise routine;  is worth our 100% energy toward it.  I learn that every time I step onto my yoga mat.  I want to do my very best with the routine I have before me.  That is how I feel toward any of my creative efforts.  Right now, knitting has my complete focus, I want a completed Ishbel shawl for myself.  My goal is to knit my two daughter n laws one for Christmas.  Each one will be in the colors of their wedding.  That is what I love about knitting so much, we can personalize each thing we knit.  As I am creating a knitted piece for someone, I pray over that piece and who I am knitting for.  I consider it a gift of love.

Yes, I fell extremely backwards this week in my knitting journey.  I was frustrated, tired and disappointed in myself as an experienced knitter.  How could just one little stitch create such havoc in my knitting world?  Come on and admit it, you have been there too!

Blessings to you and Namaste!