Coffee And Paint Drips Blog - Page 49 of 79

I Will Beat the Crazymaker

Have I mentioned that I have a stalker? What’s up with that? People turn into some kind of crazy here and there.

Friendships are strange. It’s nice to have friends, but not when they become out of control monster-like. Think of the Hulk. He’s such a nice guy, right? Then something clicks inside his head and he turns into this wild, green monstrosity. There’s no putting that thing back in his box. Nope.

When I was reading The Artist’s Way trying to reign in Mr. Resistance, I read about the Crazymaker. Everyone has one of those people in their life now and then. They make it hard for us to do our own stuff by distracting us with their stuff. The bad thing about it is that sometimes you don’t know you have a Crazymaker on your hands until they jump out of the box like the Hulk!

I made my peace with my Crazymaker, in my head. I ignored. It worked, for a while.

Now they’re circling in the waters like a shark trying to fool it’s prey. I think I’m the prey. I will try to ignore, again. But the thing is this: they know what they’re doing. They make it hard to ignore.

People around me tell me things related to the Crazymaker. These managers of mayhem are smart. They know how to worm themselves in my direction, by using others I’m close to or friendly with.

Lately it’s been by cyberspying. That’s my definition because I can’t think of anything else to call it that will convey my meaning. Sly and calculating, they are. But guess what? I catch the drift. I’m not a fool. I’m outside because I identified the Crazymaker for who they are and I slowly stepped back. Anyone remember that skit from the ’60’s with actors I can’t think of right now, “Slowly I turn, step by step…”

That’s me, backing out of the driveway! But wait! Who’s that shadowy figure trying to get my attention? Nah, not fooling me. Still I ignore. How long will they lurk?

Anyway, I painted a twenty minute piece the end of last week which helped me drive thoughts of that Crazymaker out of my head. Now that I’ve committed myself to the 100 Paintings Challenge, twenty minutes of work is going to help me keep going. Quick and done!

Broken Shell (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

That will show the Crazymaker and Mr. Resistance who’s boss! Nyah-ha-ha-ha!

Photo for Friday

It’s cold outside, but in my head I am at this beach, sitting in the hot sand and soaking up the sun. There are only a few beach goers and they’re not sitting anywhere near me. The heat is on and things are fine.

Yeah, I can dream up a good one every once in a while. Brrrrrrr!

Thought for Thursday

“Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.” ~Alice, Alice in Wonderland

I’m In

I did it. I took the plunge. I made the commitment. Got on the band wagon. I took the first step of a long journey. Can’t think of any other analogies to convey what I’ve decided to take on with all the other stuff I do.

For a year or so I’ve been trying to beat Mr. Resistance at his game. I read The Artist’s Way, The War of Art, Walking in This World, looking for ways to get around the blahs of going to the studio to paint. Reading The Artist’s Way was my jump off point. The tasks were do-able most of the time. The most beneficial step forward was the daily writing of Morning Pages. Thank goodness for those Pages! The constant blabbing going on in my head has moved to the written page, leaving my brain pretty clear and babble free.

The thing is I wanted to be painting on a regular schedule. In the past year I have moved well along, but, alas, no schedule. I thought that, maybe, I’m not a good schedule person-type. I thought, maybe, I’m not organized enough to make myself walk down the steps to my studio area, in my house, at a set time each day to work. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to act as if I have a job in an office, to which I had to show up every day and get paid at the end of the week. Where was the payment, the cash, the moola? Not in my basement studio it seems. And not anywhere else either. It just wasn’t happening on that regular basis I was looking for.

It was happening alright, just not how I expected it. Yes, I painted some solid work. Yes, I learned things about watercolors and materials. I learned how to find inspiration, when to give myself a break, how to lighten up and when. Live life, ignore some stupid stuff, much of it my own, pay attention to nice stuff, smile and move on. Yes, learning lots of stuff. Good stuff and not so good stuff.

I knew that spending a small amount of time in the studio looking through my things, sorting, cleaning, could lead to doing. For fifteen minutes I could do something and it worked, for a while. Planning to show up for fifteen minutes would turn into a new project. Process, process, process.

One day while floating around the internet I stumbled onto The Twenty Minute Challenge blog by Teri Casper, and things suddenly started to happen. I learned that I couldn’t fool around all day long with watercolors because I wasn’t getting what I thought I wanted with all the water, the sloshing paint, the fuzzy-ness developing on my paper. But in twenty minutes I could have a finished painting! What a concept! Smack me in the head!

Those quick paintings I did on the beach in October were finished works. Why couldn’t I do the same thing here? Well, it worked and I did it.

Fast forward through to the present. Through Teri’s challenge I found the 100 Paintings Challenge. Sounded daunting, but other artists were working through it, why not I? (I, me, which one is it? Forget it.)

If I had found out about this idea months ago I’d have plenty of work under my belt by now. The thing is, I don’t think I would have had the guts to do it. Don’t think I have the guts right now, just that I’m afraid if I don’t jump in with both feet Mr. Resistance will grab me from behind and beat me up. So I threw down the gauntlet and said YES, before I backed out. Remember- YES is the operative word?

Here I am, making a commitment to do 100 paintings in the year ahead. I said yes so it’s done. The wonderful, kind Laure, administrator of The 100 Painting Challenge was lovely with her encouragement, as was Teri and the other artists over there. Laure asked me if I wanted to begin right away or wait. I replied that I needed to begin as soon as possible to keep the momentum going. I even had the latest painting ready to go.

What’s Left of Fall (c)2011Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor 140lb Arches cold press paper

This still life started out as a twenty minute loosely painted work. I knew I would go back to it to define the areas needing work and decided to make this #1 of the challenge.

I did it. I’m ready. I made the commitment and I’m peeking around the corner for Mr. Resistance. If he shows up I’m going to deck him!

Photos for Friday

While quite obviously this snowstorm was one big kick in the butt, certain aspects of it were very beautiful. If I didn’t have to go out and shovel, it would have been spectacular, but such was not the case.
Trying to throw the snow up over the mountain we had to make to get out of our house was no fun.

As Gorgeous said, Feel the burn! Yeah, I was feeling it alright. I had a full body workout without the gym equipment. Just me against my snow shovel with Mother Nature as the personal trainer.

For a moment the sun poked itself through the clouds to shine with great warmth on my face. As if to say, Don’t worry, I’m still here.

I will be waiting.

Thought for Thursday

“Weather is a great metaphor for life – sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and there’s nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.”

~Terri Guillemets

Word for Wednesday is..

Yikes!

Is Winter Over Yet?

It’s too cold out to paint the landscape. I’m just not into snow. We have had so much snow in NY so far this winter. It has to stop. Now. Man, it’s cold out.

Painting the landscape has it’s own challenges. Just leave me alone about snow. All that whiteness and sparkle is too distracting. I’m having enough distractions in real life. The weather is forecasting more snow this week. Um, no thank you, I’ll pass.

Cold weather under 32F is too cold for me. I’m the person who needs temperatures in the upper 80’s to be comfortable. And no, I don’t want to move somewhere warm. Those places have other things I like less. Florida has big bugs. California is sliding into the Pacific Ocean with every earthquake. Arizona has coyotes and gangs. I like Las Vegas, Nevada, but I’d probably lose my shirt if I lived there.

I like my New York weather. Soon enough springtime weather will be here and then we’re on our way to heat and humidity! I can’t wait.

Luckily I held on to these vestiges of summer and fall. Shells, beach pebbles, and autumn leaves. The wackiness of life, and people, and junk go to the outer edges of my thoughts when I look at these things. I can forget, for a few moments, and drift away to the last time I sat on the beach to paint the broken shells with my apple.

Okay, so I’m really at the dining room table! For 20 minutes I can make believe I’m walking in the warm sun on a late September day. Twenty minutes of daydreaming can work. Another 20 and maybe I can be done with this. I wish I could be done with winter the same way.

Photo for Friday

Snow, Again 7A.M. today

Thought for Thursday

“Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent.” ~Ambrose Bierce