“No matter how carefully you stored the lights last year, they will be snarled again this Christmas.” ~Robert Kirby
Thought for Thursday
Coffee And Paint Drips Blog
Knitting. No, Not Painting
It’s about time I showed you what I’ve been up to lately. I know, I know, I should show you the last painting I was working on when Hurricane Sandy stopped me cold, but I don’t feel like it.
That doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy in the creative department. No. Believe me when I tell you I have been wandering around the studio eyeballing that painting. I’m just giving in to Resistance for the time being, and I think it’s a healthy move. Why push it?
Just leaving it alone for now and getting my fill of color and productivity by knitting. Besides, there are a couple of holiday shopping events on the calendar and I want to have some pretty things to bring besides my paintings.
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| Hand Knits @Dora Sislian Themelis |
Nice, thick, plush and cozy big knit stitch cowl/neck warmers up top and baby/toddler hats on the bottom of the photo, are keeping me busy. One of the cowls came up short after I knit it up so I had to rip back, and I’ll get to it later.
Thought for Thursday
“Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it.”~ Irving Berlin
A Holiday Shopping Event
The holiday shopping event was interesting. It was organized by a women’s imaging office in my area and if you can think of the warren of rooms in a medical office with a reception/waiting room and narrow hallways with little consultation rooms, that’s where this took place.
I might have been the only person with really handmade items. Other vendors had plenty of merchandise to offer, mostly mass produced jewelry and accessory items.
My corner was next to a couple of book authors in the consultation room.
Eventually I filled the wall with artwork next to my table. Otherwise it would have been hard to show paintings sitting flat. Anyway, I did the best I could with the space I had.
The people were lovely, giving great comments and compliments on my work. Most of them asked if the paintings were made by hand. Huh?
I’m not sure if they thought they were photos or what, but they were surprised to learn that, yes, I actually used a brush and paint to make the work. Oy.
And I actually used needles and yarn to make the knit items. And I actually used tools to string or wire the jewelry. Geez.
Yeah, I did make all that.
Thought for Thursday
“Don’t be distracted by criticism.Remember-the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.” ~Zig Ziglar
The Storm, The Debris, and No Art
Feel like seeing some photos of the destruction after our lovely friend ‘Sandy’ came to visit us on Long Island? Just my backyard..don’t worry, nothing wild in the pictures. Only electric workers trying to reconnect our house to the world and tree debris. I didn’t take many photos at all, like other times we’ve had crazy weather.
This is what I was working on when we were so rudely interrupted by the hurricane and then the blizzard. I added more color to develop the background, but haven’t felt like getting back to it to even photograph it.
If I can kick myself into gear, maybe I’ll show how it looks.
Maybe. Excuse me, Mr. Resistance is knocking, again.
Thought for Thursday on Wednesday
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” ~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
I hope everyone in the US enjoys a warm and happy Thanksgiving Day this Thursday.
Storm
When there’s so much going on I lose my appetite, and not just for food. Even when the power came back I just didn’t feel like running to post photos. I didn’t even take many photos. Just wasn’t feeling it.
Paint? Nothing. Who feels like painting?
We were prepared to be homebound for a few days because of the approaching hurricane. Okay. I’ve been through storms that left us without power for a couple of days in the past. We had food, my stove works with gas, we had hot water, and a fireplace. Batteries, candles, flashlights, gas in the cars.
But nothing prepared anyone for the resulting aftermath of this storm. No power, television, internet, telephone, cell phones were dropping calls. And we were lucky compare to people living on the Long Island coast. Some of them have lost everything, homeless.
Then the blizzard came. We finally had lights, and then we didn’t again.
Right now I can hear chain saws trying to cut up my neighbor’s huge white oak that landed into the next guy’s yard. Four days and it’s still not done. Our tree fell and took down the utility pole, the wires to the house, the back neighbor’s trees and branches of other trees. Those roots left a huge crater, and took out some of my beloved azaleas.
Normal is going to have to take a while.
Thought for Thursday
“If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes.” ~ Pablo Picasso
Yes, wouldn’t that be something? Happy birthday Pablo Picasso!
Resistance is Really Not Out to Get Me
Resistance Is Impersonal
Resistance is not out to get you personally. It doesn’t know who you are and doesn’t care. Resistance is a force of nature. It acts objectively. Though it feels malevolent, Resistance in fact, operates with the indifference of rain and transits the heavens by the same laws as the stars. When we marshal our forces to combat Resistance, we must remember this.
Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
How lovely to be acquainted with Mr. Resistance and know, for a fact, that it isn’t out to get me. Personally. Oh, how nice.
Well it seems like it is, you know, evil. That’s just my opinion. So it’s nice to know it doesn’t know who I am, nor does he care. Ooh, even better. I’d like “him” to leave then. Now.
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| Session 3 |
Resistance is annoying, but what can I do about it? Just move on. Admit to falling through the rabbit hole once again, and get on with it.
After all, it’s nothing personal. Just business.