Wheels and Winds

Annie

I'm in Toronto. Steve drove me here today as he has a doctor's appointment at the Rehabilitation Hospital. I'm surrounded by people in wheelchairs and I'm definitely a minority here. I am sure this place is comforting for him as he is not the odd man out here, the ONE in the chair. There are many young men his age wheeling through the corridors. I have to admit, I am slightly uncomfortable as I type this, remembering a very painful time in my life... remembering a time where all I did was wait and look at the people as they walked and wheeled by. I have to stop myself from looking up every time I see wheels go by thinking it's him. Focus Danielle, focus.

Josephine

On another note, I have been TOTALLY obsessed with the Royal Wedding. I have been watching all of the pre-shows, documentaries and lifetime specials. I LOVE the artistry and pageantry of it all. The history, the tradition, the tiaras. I just can't help myself. I'm having Steve PVR it while I'm away. I hope to watch some of it in Hampton Virginia.

Steve and I are going to spend some time together in Toronto before I fly out tomorrow morning for ART and SOUL . I'm taking two of Misty Mawn's classes: Cover to cover (how to make an art book) and the two day mixed media class. I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it.

I will post about it when I get back. I have a newsletter going out later today (I can't believe it's the end of the month already). I have two more new paintings to show you there! Hint*** It's a NEW Mother and Daughter painting and my FIRST Mother and Son painting. I hope to all have these new paintings and prints in the shop by tonight!

I hope you are happy wherever you are. I left the rain back home and traded it in for the strong winds. Let them take me safely to Hampton and back. Take care my dear friends. xox

My Happy List

Things I’m grateful for...

1. Voting. I voted yesterday in our federal election. I so appreciate my democratic rights.
2. Paint on my fingers.
3. Home cooked meals with the ones I love.
4. Robins
5. Naps
6. Brainstorming
7. My short hair. I totally LOVE this new haircut.
8. Double digits in the weather forecast.
9. “The King’s Speech”. I finally watched it. It was so beautiful.
10. Being 3 days away from seeing my Bestie Mindy and meeting the great Misty Mawn at ART and SOUL!!!

I am finding my groove again now that I have a new schedule. I am breathing more and sighing less. I'm the one skipping down the street in the sunshine! What is making you skip down the street these days?

Spring CLEANing!

Well, it may not look like Spring around here

with another 14cm of snow falling from the sky.

But I have been in total

Spring Cleaning Mode!

This is what my kitchen looked like the morning

Annemarie came over to organize my paper world...

I was full of anxiety as I let it ALL out...

wanting her to see the reality of my paper trail, bins, bags and piles...

I really wanted to have a clear division for my business and home paper work.

As much as I have tried to stay on top of it in the past,

so many things have remained homeless... I wanted a solid system that worked.

I showed her pictures of how I wanted things to look like

and how I would like to organize things in my perfect world...

I also showed her this picture of a console table I have been on the hunt for...

Wouldn't this lovely piece of furniture solve so many problems?




After three solid hours of sorting and purging
and giving every single thing that was left a category and a home,
I was completely exhausted...
but so content.

NO MORE collecting papers to shred and storing them in the closet...
They will be shredded daily now!





This basket now sits on my file cabinet in my kitchen.
It houses all of my important things I need in and out of the home.
My agenda book, brainstorm journal, address book,
tape measurer, business cards and iphone...
I LOVE having this zone now because
I always know where to find these important things.
(My camera also sits here...it's turquoise too)



In the first drawer of the file cabinet is everything I need
for my administration and correspondence.
I know it looks so simple
but you have no idea how much I love to open this drawer...LOL!







Here is the aftermath of the paper storm.
The front folders are ACTION oriented
and the back folders are items that can be filed away for the present year.

Sweet Annemarie has offered to type the names of all my folder categories
to have it all look neat, tidy and streamlined.


After reaching success with my paperwork,
I wanted every space to feel this good.
So I headed to the studio...




I removed my bins of beads and put them in my closet.
I placed my finished original works in this shelving unit from IKEA.
It has glass doors and keeps my paintings free of dust
and safe before they go off to somebody's loving home.





I also reorganized my drawer units (also from IKEA)
to fit my finished art quilts so they too can be safely tucked away.







I didn't stop there...
I reorganized my shelves that stock my art canvases and boards
as well as my shipping supplies.


It has been a busy week!
I also finished marking my final exams so I am now FREE!

I am looking so forward to spending Easter weekend with my family.


My Sweetie Steve is now a
University Graduate

with a degree in Physical and Health Education.

He won the

top student award

in his program and Owen and I are SO proud!

I have also been painting. I have a few new ones waiting to be shared....
BUT, this weekend is all about family, good food, red wine and lots of rest.

Happy long weekend. Peace and love from my heart to yours.

PS. Sorry for the wonky spacing... Blogger grrr...

A NEW Technique

I just want to send out a heartfelt thank-you for the abundance of kindness, support and LOVE you offered me in my last post. It is so comforting to know that in the midst of darkness, I will not be alone. I will carry your words with me and trust they will help to carry me through into the light. Thank-you all so much. It means more than you know... xoxox

On another note, I have been filling my days with ART, sewing and organizing. My professional organizer spent three hours with me last week helping me dig out of a paper mountain. I promise to post about that soon, but first I wanted to show you what I made on Saturday.

I went to a local ART class. It was given by local artist Brigitte Bere and it was a wax resist class using oil pastels. She is such a kind and generous teacher. If you are local, be sure to check out her work. She is splendid! ( no website unfortunately :( )

It was so much fun to learn something new and PLAY again...

Acrylic inks were also used in this technique.
It was a perfect way to spend a cold and snowy day...(YES, snow).

After the painting technique it was time to scratch away into your painting.
This was so much fun!!!

I only wish there were more local classes
that interested me and that were available...

I also wanted to let you know that five new art quilts
have been added to the shop!



Have a great week. Happy creating! ♥ xo

The Status of my Book

Photo can be purchased here...

♥ ♥ ♥ skippydesigns ♥ ♥ ♥

Many of you know that I completed the first draft of a book.

A collection of short stories.

Twelve short stories that have helped me to articulate my pain

and and give voice to my journey.

This has been a long process. One that I was unable to start and finish all at once. After completing all twelve stories, I found an editor to help me. Anne started the process of reading my words and we almost got three stories into it until I decided to take a step back. I was feeling completely overwhelmed with my teaching obligations, the editing of my book, my art business and all of my other very important responsibilities. We met and decided it would be best to put the book off until I completed my teaching contract.

Well since that meeting, I have gone back and forth quite a bit trying to decide where to go from here... The words have made it out of my broken heart and unto the page. I did it. Maybe that's all I need to do. Maybe this book was always supposed to be just for me, to help me heal and move on. Maybe I just want to close this chapter and look into the sunshine, God knows there have been enough rainy days... The truth is, after meeting with Anne and listening to her feedback, she has asked me to go...

even deeper...

here, here and here...

Deeper?

Where it's hard to even breathe when I go there?

Yes.

There.

Exactly there...

"That's where I want you to take me".

And that's where I have been for a while...

Stuck.

Stuck deciding in between taking my twelves stories and filing them away with a pretty vintage turquoise ribbon slightly tear stained,
accepting them and moving on from this very difficult period in my life.....

OR
digging in some more, where it hurts.
Still.
Turning over those heavy stones and looking into the face of the pain head on.

I read Brene Brown's book "The Gifts of Imperfection" (An ABSOLUTE MUST READ!) in February. I couldn't even write about it then because this book rocked me to the core. There were so many AHA moments that made me realize that I had been holding back... teetering on the safe side of the dark cliff of pain. What this book made me realize is that the only way to truly rid myself of all this stuff is to set it free on the page and to share my story with others, including the parts that are hard to look at and sit in. By sharing and telling it, I will OWN it. By owning it, I will accept it. By accepting it, I will be able to let it go. By letting it go, I will heal my heart. The cracks will start to fill with the good stuff and I then I will be able to wrap my stories with the vintage turquoise ribbon and tuck them inside a drawer. Then I will be able to face the sunshine feeling ALL of its magnificent rays and beauty because I will no longer be wearing the protective seal. I will be exposed again. According to Brene's book, when you numb the pain, you also numb the good. I want to be able to feel it ALL again. I no longer want to live with a layer of pain under my skin. It's time I set it free.

So, I have decided that
I'm going in, under, inside
where it hurts the most.

Wish me luck.
It's not going to be easy.
Deep breath. Here I go.
"I'm gonna getter done!"

Doilies & Hankies & Lace Oh My + A GIFT

When I'm not painting these days, I'm sewing and loving it!

I don't consider myself a girlie girl by any means

but I am completely enamored with lace and frills... Totally.

From the very beginning I have been painting lace collars on my girlies...

Doilies and hankies and lace oh my...

This is my latest infatuation...I LOVE the vintage look and feel
of these textured and intricate little beauties...

To think that so many talented women before I was born

sat and crocheted these works of art just makes me swoon...

Maybe it goes hand in hand with my love for 19th century fiction
and the style and grace these women possessed.
I just cannot help myself and I am totally rocking the vintage
with my art quilts!

Here is my beloved sewing machine.
It's about five years old now and I am infatuated...I really am.

Here is a corner on my sewing table that houses embellishments and ribbon.

I am also obsessed with ribbon....

Buttons...old and new...

It's like candy for me...

Here is another art quilt I worked on today.

Vintage hankie and doilie with new fabric.
I think it measures about 8 by 8 inches.

Here is a seek peak of another one...
SO much texture and stitched loveliness in this one...

Pink... trying not to fight the pink anymore...

And finally a corner of another art quilt.
I never introduced Charlotte before,
but she is an avid reader and she is especially fond
of Austen, Woolf and the Bronte sisters...

These will be in the shop soon along with five others I have yet to introduce...
______________________________________________________

Before I sign out, I have to share a link with you
that hit me in the gut when I read it...
for real.
Yesterday, I received a gift.
A gift that I never had received before.
It was a total surprise...
and it made me unravel...
slightly.
I learned that I still need to practice accepting
kindness and LOVE from others...
I am quite comfortable giving it...but not so comfortable receiving it...
Thank-you dearest Tracy...
You have given me more than you know.
I am deeply humbled and grateful
that you opened your heart in such a way...

Please visit Tracy. She is a beautiful soulful woman.
She makes you want to dig deeper inside yourself and inside your heart.
I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Processing the Creative Chatter

I've been doing alot of thinking these days. Now that my days belong to me again it seems like my brain is in overdrive... I feel like a little bird that has just been released from her cage on a beautiful spring day ready to spread her wings again and to fly to the top of the grassy hills.

It's thrilling to have this time all to myself. I feel like I will never be able to part with it again... I let the guilt creep in for just a minute and then I karate chopped it away. THIS is what I am meant to do. To CREATE. I will no longer feel guilt for the insane JOY this brings me.

My creativity is going full speed, so I have been trying to take many pauses to process all these ideas and directions. I need to remember to continue to balance my day and to not work like a mad woman all the time. I am open to receiving gentle nudges from the Universe to get my butt off the chair to take a walk, to go for a run, to feel the sun on my face. I need to remember that I don't have to get it all done in one day, one week, one year. I have MY WHOLE LIFE to create and that I should breathe and practice balance.

I have been saying NO again. They have become gentler and kinder. No, not now, not at this time, no thank-you. These No's allow me to be who I want to be and creativity IS the key to how I balance myself and my world. This has NEVER been more clear. This little word is becoming much easier to say and I am so grateful for that.

Here is the evolution of a painting. The print will be in the shop on Monday. I painted her for a special someone in blogworld, who shall remain nameless at least until she receives it.

It's called
Brave Girl

2.

3.

4.

This person has become someone I care about very much.
She is a shining light in this world.

One more thing... I created THREE new blog buttons on the top left side of my blog and changed my original blog button too to my absolute favorite painting so far...


Please feel free to take them and put them on your own blog. I just ask that you link it back to this URL as an exchange of energy. I LOVE making these and will probably change them often enough, so if there's a phrase that strikes you make sure to take it because it won't be there forever! Thank-you kindly and enjoy!!!

Jumping In!

Remember this post?

It was soooooo challenging for me to sit in front of the lens. So much so, that when this class hit my radar last week, I decided to jump in with both feet! I am looking forward to growing and stretching with the help of the ultra talented Vivienne McMaster.

This class will help me get comfortable with my camera for starters,
since I consider photography to be my weakest link....

EVEN BETTER....

This course is:
"an invitation to explore visual voice
through self-portraiture.
An adventure into documenting your life
and telling your stories....
It is also a playful adventure into redefining
our relationship to beauty
and letting ourselves wade into or dive
into the art of self-portraiture".
Vivienne McMaster

Michele and Cathy...
you mentioned you may take this class as well...
(Major squeal!)

Who else is with me? Let's do this!

Let's all be BRAVE!

Visit Vivienne's website for more info!

On another note, I have been making up for lost time in the studio this week.
Here is my latest group of paintings that will be in the shop on Monday.

Also, I introduced 5 by 7 prints in my shop last night.
Eleven NEW prints now available!

I know I don't have to tell you just how fab my first week back in my studio was...

However, just when I thought I had it all together and Owen was going to be a rock star with his book report presentation... a book that we searched high and low for at the public library. A book that totally interested him... A book he read and I read together and separately. Being so "on it" I read the info sheet again last night because I am such a responsible parent and realized there is NO book report... he's supposed to present a photo this time. A photo!@#*&
So sorry buddy. Mama will get it right next time.

My mama wings just withered...
they're still hanging by my side hoping all goes well today.

xox