Neat Stuff E Course

My Journal cover

I have had such a good time for the past five weeks

taking the  Neat Stuff E-Course with

Mindy Lacefield.

Every day for five weeks there was a wonderful email surprise

in my inbox with incredible lessons, videos, 
downloads and techniques from Mindy.

She truly out did herself with this course.
I received so much to feed my inner girlie
I can't even express how much.

I just wanted to share some of the fun things we learned

in hopes that if she offers this class again

YOU WON'T MISS IT!

We created a hand sewn journal

with hot pressed watercolor paper
(something I had always wanted to learn)
painted the inside with bright acrylic colors
and we were ready to begin
our Neat Stuff adventure

We had a private Facebook Group 
where we could connect with each other
as classmates
and share all that we were creating
We learn and grow by the sharing of our work
and the comments given to one another.
Creative community was formed.

There were:
 Writing prompts on Day One

Sketching on Day Two

Painting on Day Three

Pasting on Day Four

Words on Day Five

I learned so many wonderful journaling techniques.
Mindy taught us that our sketches and our own writing
will have a beautiful parallel in our own artwork,
she is so right.

I learned to just let go and have fun!
That message keeps surfacing
wherever I am in my creative life.
Sometimes I feel as an adult artist
I put too much expectations on my work,
is it good enough, how does it compare?
I am learning to create
what pleases me now.
So I am showing you here and sharing
 a few photos of my own fun work
from Mindy's course:

I used acrylic paints, pastels, india ink, epherema,

new brush styles, stamps, washi tape, sharpie paint pens

you name it we created with it all

The last three days of lessons were filled with

inspirational things.

I learned to create my very own stamps with

a burner and some foam

we collaged and used mixed media

to create a bird

(way awesome bird I must say)
that had to be my most favorite exercise!

What a treasure I have in this journal that I will

cherish for a very long time.
Mindy even created this course Zine
that I can refer to over and over again
I can't tell you how awesome it is!

The first time I met Mindy was at

Squam By the Sea

October 2010

in the Outer Banks

and we have been friends ever since.

She is a beautiful and creative soul

who has a teaching style that is

so caring and deep

She just wants to bring out

the inner child within all of us
to learn how to let go of expectations
and enjoy the process of it all.

Thank you Mindy for a beautiful experience

I will cherish and use the techniques you

taught us so openly and willingly!

You rock my friend!

Just me . . . what I have been doing

My photographer self

The summer is passing so quickly . . . I ask myself each day have I rested enough?  played enough? read enough? napped enough? written enough? taken care of myself enough?

Summertime is such a great time of year, it is always a time that we set apart for rest, play and vacations.  We have a different state of mind in the summer. 

Sure I am still working my full time job as an Optician

but I know that there is so much more to my life than 

just working all the time.

Summer reminds us to slow our bodies down, to soak up the sun, to play at the beach, put the busy stuff away till fall and I have so tried to do that this summer.  So I decided to just let you know what I have been doing . . . for the fun of it all!

painted a new canvas for my living room wall

rode bikes on the boardwalk oceanfront

hec . . . even swam in the ocean a lot

traveled to the Outer Banks numerous times

took a visit to the country in North Carolina

written poetry

taken so many photographs

gotten a suntan

relaxed in my hot tub (my mini vacation)

taken Mindy Lacefield's e course

Neat Stuff

(teaching me to play!)

cut my hours back some at work

saw the Batman movie

visited the Chrysler Museum

gone to candle light yoga classes

took up walking in the mornings

written Love Notes postcards
finished an amazing journey with
Liz Lamoreux's Inner Excavation

finished Laurie Wagner's e course
Telling True Stories

less Facebook

less Twitter

less time on the computer

enjoyed being with me

 and my precious family

there are blessings to just

retreating

playing when you want to

creating what you want

just slowing down with self

I even took the time to discover 

and photograph this beautiful little dragonfly

he let me play with my camera

and hung right in there with me

what a gift that was for me

because I love dragonfly's so much

they represent change

and I feel like my life is 

ever changing and evolving

It looks like I am doing a few things

this summer

but at my own pace

and in my own timing

and only if I wanted too!

Try it . . . for life is too short 

to keep rushing and being busy,

trying to get to the 

next Facebook post

you know what I mean

don't you???

Take time for yourself

do nothing

listen to your inner thoughts

take time for tea

you won't be disappointed!

My artist date

I had an amazing afternoon yesterday at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. I took my little self to the museum wanting to renew my spirit and it did just that.  I have been wanting to get away on a mini Donna retreat for quite sometime and couldn't figure out where to go or what to do.

Then I had the idea that I had this beautiful museum right in my backyard

(well just twenty minutes away)

why wasn't I spending more time there?

I took my trusty camera, my sketchbook and watercolors

and off I went for the afternoon.

I started first with a free soy latte from Starbucks

when I got to the museum

the entrance fee was free yesterday

and I spent $1.00 for a ten pack

of postcards

all in all I would say that was an inexpensive outing

but what I received in return

could not be measured!

As I walked through the galleries 

I was filled with inspiration, 

just being in the presence of such artistic greatness 

made my heart stir!

I took so many photos, because I was needing them for my two blogs

I am always looking for wonderful images to use with my poetry!

I was alone with just me

taking the time to sketch some memories

capture some images in photo

and watercolor a few vignettes

I can't tell you how renewing and refreshing the experience was

There were artist drawing stations throughout the museum

and I took the time to capture some of the symbols

I found in rugs and paintings

you know how I love to doodle

They provided all the supplies needed 

black construction paper, clip boards to walk around the museum

and white Prismatic colored pencils 

that was something I had never tried and I loved it

I encourage you to find yourself a place

to take a day trip

or an outing

somewhere you can retreat to for just a short time

breathe in all that is around you

and recognize that this is one of those moments

being alone with yourself

your thoughts

your art supplies

is a gift

truly

Sometimes we can't always run off to weekend retreats

with amazing artists

but we can retreat right in our own

backyards

look for opportunities

to renew your spirit

you won't be disappointed

I am sure there is a poem brewing

in here somewhere!

Beauty is all around . . . just listen . . .  just see

Fun with Zentangle and Doodles

I have been intrigued with Zentangle for quite some time now.  I have read every book there is on the technique and have so enjoyed the process of it all. Zentangle is a form of intuitive and meditative drawing, repeating of shapes into a design.  It is a great release, it is relaxing and a great way to stretch the imagination.  None of my designs carry a theme, I just find myself in a zen zone and draw for hours.  I find myself totally into the creative moment and enjoy the relaxation that this art brings me.

I have been "doodling" for quite some time.  In fact, I have quite a passion for this art technique.  I nicknamed my drawings "Donna Doodles" because my co-workers came up with that name for me and it has stuck with me.  I am always doodling on employees birthday card envelopes or notes!  I always like to keep a journal and a Pitt Artist Pen with me in case I find myself with a few minutes to spare.  I find the process so calming and enjoy drawing pages and pages of designs.  There are times I will watercolor my completed pages or use colored pencils to fill in my designs. The possibilities are endless for this escape!  I see it as a way to stretch my creative wings.  I usually do a small meditative drawing while thinking of a poem to write, or contemplating a writing prompt.  I find it helps me along the way.

Zentangle was originally developed by two people, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas many years ago, you can find their website here.  Since then there has become a Zentangle revolution!  There are actually certified Zentangle instructors around the count "Zentangle Untangled" by Kass Hall is a must for every library.  It is a book filled with inspiration, you won't be able to put it down and her website will keep you coming back for more!  You know that I LOVE Alisa Burke and she has an awesome Doodle Delight e-course available, I strongly urge you to check her out if you are even thinking about beginning this adventure.  She has a way of presenting it in such an easy way.  I just decided that it would be fun to share some of my designs with you here . . .

So when I am not in the studio creating a collage or watercolor painting, or writing over at my poetry blog 100poemsjourney, you will usually find me at my local coffee shop doodling away.  I am having so much fun with this.   I encourage you to grab a small sketch journal, buy yourself a great art pen and have a try at it.  You will find it relaxing, rewarding, grounding and so meditative.  Letting your mind go, playing and engaging in this art form is truly captivating! I love it because it is portable, it doesn't require a lot of supplies and you can take it with you where ever you go!  I'd love to hear if you have had any experience with Zentangle drawing you would like to share with me. 

I leave you with my heart as I always do, this time created in a Zentangle!

(This project is not yet completed as you can see)

I wish you joy, love and all things creative

Donna Lee

In July . . .

My sunrise morning video

I created this video on my last trip to the Outer Banks,

playing with my I Phone and the video feature.

I am not an expert video girl

I can tell you that right now!

I had so much fun

rising early,

determined not to miss

a single moment of the sun rising

over the horizon 

right before my eyes. 

So I decided to create a video 

of the waves coming ashore

the beauty of that morning,

I will never forget.

It's a little meditation for me.

Why is it we get so busy in our

day to day lives,

that we don't take the time

to enjoy the free gift of nature?

It is right there for the taking!

I was just reading Liz Lamoreux's

blog post this morning entitled

"In July, I will . . ."

and she asked us to comment

to her prompt.

I left her a comment but 

I also decided to put my comments 

on

my blog today, 

cause it really got

me to thinking!

(I love that when a subject comes for your blog 

to write about, cause it is hard to always come up 

with something 

that you truly want to write about!)

I love Liz and all that she has to offer,

I encourage you to head over to her blog,

she will inspire you

way past what you expect!

So here goes . . .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In July I want to:

 read The Shoemaker's Wife

write more poetry

continue to take my morning walks

enjoy my last month of being "54"

relax more

take long summer naps
practice more yoga

visit the farmers markets once a week
eat all the fresh veggie yumminess

watch old movies on a hot summer day

make my homemade limeade

keep eating my kids yummy gelato

play with my grand~doggies

go to the ocean as much as I can

paint on the beach

relax with my family

take lots of photographs

dream more

love more

find my gentle side again

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Gift Beyond Measure

I received a text this week from a friend of mine,

it said "Sam has a little something he would like to give you . . . can you drop by this weekend for a couple of moments?"

Of course I replied "sure" with curiosity written in my response!

So on a beautiful Saturday morning,

I woke up to no electricity

which means NO COFFEE FOR ME,

so off to Barnes and Noble

with my laptop in hand,

I knew I could get some writing done,

recharge my Macbook

and of course look around

the Poetry section!

Somehow I always find myself there!

I have also been looking for a good book

on Grammar and found

Woe is I

by 

Patricia O'Conner

I always excelled in English

and felt like I was pretty good at writing;

but there are times with my poetry,

I question where the grammar rules

apply or don't apply!

So that was my purchase for the day.

Back to the beginning of the story,

remember Sam had something for me?

On the way to the bookstore

I stopped by to see my friends,

Chuck and Sam.

It was a lovely visit, as it always is

and the birds outside their windows

were breathtaking!

We talked of knitting, good things, bird feeders

 and writing poetry.

Sam then lead me into the dining room,

 there was something tucked under a towel sitting on the table.

When I uncovered it I saw there was 

a vintage Remington typewriter

that he had used at work for

over forty years.

There in the typewriter was a typed message for me

and I was so overwhelmed with emotion,

I couldn't speak!

I had shared with them a few weeks before

about Maya Stein's type-rider adventure

{oh my gosh . . . he remembered that}

Sam knew I was a writer,

that I loved Poetry

and that his typewriter

would be going to a 

place it would be loved.

So here is the message that was sitting in my new baby!

What a gift I will treasure

for always.

I received this gift of a typewriter

on 

National Typewriter Day

and didn't even know the significance of the day

until I read a post on Facebook

about a friend ignoring her typewriter

on National Typewriter Day

that evening.

That made this gift, on that particular day,

even more significant to me!!

At the end of our visit, I was handed

a small brown envelope and told to 

read it at a relaxed time,

when I opened it later that evening

tucked inside was a book of

Sam's own poetry published in the

early eighties.

My day just kept getting better and better.

I am not sure yet which gift I loved more,

the typewriter or the gift of words!

When someone pays it forward

in such an incredible way

it makes you feel like everything

else in the world will be okay.

Thank you Sammie!

The poems and words that will come

from this typewriter

will be 

 rooted deeply

and always

from my heart.

For whatever reason

I keep being called into the

wonderful world of poetry.

Please join me over at my

100 poems journey blog

 when you get a chance!

The link is at the top left of my blog!

May you reach out this week

and touch someone with a small gift

of love 

somehow

some way!

Donna Lee

The Art of Saying Nothing