Coffee And Paint Drips Blog - Page 16 of 79

Doing, to Move On

In this new year of goals and objectives, I may be changing it up some. Maybe not completely. Not in my work, but in my approach to work.

In earlier posts I told you how I don’t do resolutions. I feel better about meeting a goal, but I ran across something someone else wrote and it changed my thinking. That person discussed setting aside resolutions, goals, etc, for Doing.

“Doing” makes sense.

In Progress Work ©Dora Sislian Themelis

Now, I could be a big Not Doing person when I’m on a roll. I’m sure you must have guessed that by now, how I let Mr. Resistance take up residence here and mess up my mojo.

It’s been a dilemma lately. My flow gets disrupted by whatever and I’m doomed.

So, when I read that Doing might be better than a goal it felt right. Doing, instead of Goals. Doing connotes Action in my mind. Maybe Action is also a good word.

In that context, here is my first “Action” in this year of “Doing”. I may have decided I can no longer continue on this watercolor painting I stopped working when the hurricane hit Long Island. It’s a possibility that I’ve been holding off because, in my mind, it’s done.

Although, if I look at it too much longer I might want to add some brush strokes, but then again, maybe I’m over it.

Doing has to also mean Move On.

Thought for Thursday

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.“~Winston Churchill

The Last Minute Holiday Shopping Event

At the last minute I decided to throw my hat in the ring and participate in this holiday shopping event in Long Island City, NY. LIC is a neighborhood that is evolving and becoming very chic with trendy restaurants and shops, a stone’s throw from Manhattan, but in the borough of Queens. The Museum of Modern Art re-located in the area a few years ago while the Manhattan location was under renovation, bringing awareness and people.

I liked the idea of showing my work in an art gallery space, and thought this would be a good opportunity. It was a nice event, with lovely co-vendors, organizer, and shoppers. People admired my handmade work and paintings, and I was lucky to sell a few pieces.

Ten10 Studios Carriage House, LIC, NY

My table of items

Close up of my items for sale

Another view of my table

The studio space

The highlight of the day for me was when a group of young brothers came to shop for Christmas gifts. One of them wanted to buy my watercolor painting of tomatoes for his grandmother. When he asked his mother for the money, she said to try finding something a little less expensive. Okay.

He then chose a colorful painting of a coffee pot, pepper, and sea shell. Imagine that? What boy decides to buy art as a Christmas gift? I was impressed.

Knitting Until I’m Dizzy

Even though I haven’t returned to the painting I was working on when the hurricane hit, I have been very busy. So busy that I think I’m giving my hands carpal tunnel syndrome.

I have been knitting my brains out.

Knitting WIPs (Works In Progress)

Knitting Christmas gifts. Knitting to sell at the holiday shopping event. Knitting the Christmas gift after Christmas. Knitting items to sell at the next shopping event in February. Knitting, Knitting, Knitting!

I’d really like to show you the finished products, but Artist ADD me forgot to take photos of the items before gifting/selling them.

Here’s what you see in this photo of some WIP on the needles and yarn of items already finished: Luscious purple yarn on the needles is a big rib chunky cowl thing I dreamed up. It’s similar to the reddish knit above it, but bigger and with sparkly sequins. I gave a couple as gifts to family members and sold quite a few too. It’s a great look with a hint of glam.
Chocolate brown yarn with multi-colored flecks is a crochet work, an afghan I promised Son #2. With no time to finish it by Christmas, I just gave him a gift bag with the yarn in it. Of course, he looked at me as if I had two heads when he opened his “gift”.
The two balls of yarn on the lower left are samples of big rib cowls already knit, and waiting for their turn on the needles.

There you have it.

My habit is to paint/jewelry/house stuff during the working day, and knit at night in my cozy corner in the living room while The Mr. flips channels on the television. Perfect.

I have to learn to put away the knitting during the day. Just get it out of my sight because I could be lured to knit when I have other work to do. Not good. I could lose hours of precious painting time that way.

And it seems as if I already have.

Thought for Thursday

“If you’ve heard this story before, don’t stop me because I’d like to hear it again.”~Groucho Marx

A New Year

The new year has begun. The excitement of Christmas has passed. The baking, cooking, wrapping, decorating, celebrating, all finished. The anticipation of the new year’s start is over, as well as the very first day of 2013. Hopes and wishes for good health and happiness extended to family and friends.

I’m not one to make resolutions like many people like to do at the new year. However, I do enjoy making lists of goals to accomplish.

A New Year ©Dora Sislian Themelis

Resolutions.

The word feels like a defeat from the start. We resolve to…something. As if we were delinquent, not up to par, and we need to get a slap on the wrist by resolving our bad behavior?

I’ll pass on the resolution to be a better person thing.

I want to DO better. Meet a challenge. Cross items off a list. Feel a sense of accomplishment.

Goals are upward moving. So I’m making a list of goals to meet in the year ahead. The list evolves as I move along in time. Here’s a start:

Walk every day
Start, and finish things
Schedule each day and block out hours of activity
Make better use of computer: web site, email list, contacts, etc
Continue working on art making
Participate in more events to show my work
Relax
Connect, network, smile
Expect abundance and be grateful

It’s a beginning. As I said, the list can, and will, change.

Last year, some goals I planned to meet ended up being abandoned. Others I decided not to act on at all. A few I met with flying colors.

I have no expectations other than to review the list each day, each week, each month, and revise, cut, add, change.

Things are going well so far. Today I walked.

It’s a start.

Happy New Year!

A New Year

Christmas Eve

Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday!

Thought for Thursday

Lucy Van Pelt: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that.
Charlie Brown: What is it you want?
Lucy Van Pelt: Real estate.

A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965

Shopping Events

Another shopping event over, with one more this coming Saturday, and I’m done for now. After the holidays are over I’ll get back to painting. I know, I still haven’t shown you the last painting. It’s just not going to happen right now. There is too much to do.

My table at the Federation of Hellenic Society Shopping Event

It was a pretty quiet event, for the most part, but I do enjoy meeting and talking to the other artists and vendors. Everyone was in different stages of show exposure, newbies and veterans, all sharing their work. I like that part, talking shop.

This event was postponed from November to now because of the hurricane. I participated in this event back in May and met with some of the same artists.

Artwork did not move this time around, but some of my knitting did. Another artist had to have one of the blue sequined, big rib cowls and wouldn’t let it go for fear someone else would grab it. That was fun. I like it when there’s a little action going on. Maybe people have already finished their Christmas shopping.

It’s fine. It’s good experience for me. Next week is the last shopping event on my agenda before the holidays. Until then I’ll be too busy to relax.