Coffee And Paint Drips Blog - Page 54 of 79

Thought for Thursday

“Great art picks up where nature ends.” ~Marc Chagall, artist

Why do I always have to encounter problems at the computer? Huh? Why me? I’m going along my merry way, checking my pages, shop, blogs, surfing around reading interesting things, and when I’m ready to write up my blog post BAM! I can’t upload photos. Nope. Not happening. Why why why?!

(Stomping my feet and holding my breath).

It’s okay, what can I do about it? Absolutely nothing. Just like the weather, all you can do is talk about it. So that’s what I’m going to do, because I can’t upload to this blog now. Lovely Blogger is disabling uploads for two hours due to maintenance issues. It’s supposed to begin at 5PM Pacific Daylight Time. What’s that got to do with little old me here in New York? Am I wrong, but isn’t it 5PM here before it becomes 5PM over there on the west coast? Huh? Is it me? What?

Besides the weather turning cloudy and cold, my day was pretty quiet. Couple of small things on the list. Like yesterday, I decided to add ‘Paint for 20 minutes’ at the end of the list and that’s what I wanted to do. It felt so good yesterday I thought about painting all day today.

Again, I had a plan and followed through. Pretty good for me! Had my leaves, my rocks, added my apple and set the timer for 20 minutes. When I was done I took a couple of photos to upload here. No luck. Server rejected. Waaaahhhhh! I tried again, and again the same notification. Now, I think I’m in time before the maintenance thing begins, but no, it won’t work. Blah.

Just take my word for it, my little watercolor painting came out nicely. I feel good about it, but I can’t show it to you. One more time for good measure….nope, no good.

I’m sorry. I was so happy I painted something and finished it. Maybe I gave myself the evil eye, a jinx, a canary? I will try again tomorrow. Get back to you then…

Twenty Minutes to Success

Time is such an important commodity that it’s a terrible thing to waste. How can you get back wasted time? You don’t. That’s it, done, finished, kaput. Once it’s gone, there’s no running after it to stuff it back into the clock. Maybe we don’t want to call it “wasting time.” I call it daydreaming. I think daydreaming is useful, and we can say it is time well spent. I do alot of running around in my head, painting, redecorating, organizing, gardening. I try to think things through to completion in my mind and decide how I like the outcome. Much of that thinking seems like wasting time, but it’s work! Many times I can’t see the end result. Then it’s wasted time.

Today I was impressed with myself because all the little things on the to-do list were done. I’ve been working on it. Another week and my new job begins. All that thinking-things time must become useful-doing-and-accomplishing-tasks time. Babies need attention and thinking isn’t going to help when they need a diaper change! So yes, I’m working on it.

Today I planned the route of all my stops and crossed each item off today’s short list as I finished. Last on the list was this entry:

“Paint for twenty minutes.”

That’s exactly what I did, too. Why waste time thinking about it, just get it together and Do It! The important part of it was that I had the idea and a plan. The tools and subject were in my head (thinking again).

I read a blog called The Twenty Minute Challenge by artist Teri Casper. Some of my blog/artist friends were posting there and I decided to take a look. Talk about not wasting time! This idea of spending only twenty minutes on a painting resonated with me. After the times I spent at the beach this summer and painting a quick painting, I came to realize two things:

I very much enjoy painting from life rather than from a photo.
I think I painted a better work in a short amount of time.

As I said I had a plan. A task in The Artist’s Way was to take a walk and collect different leaves representing a sense of abundance and fulfillment. The theme at The Twenty Minute Challenge was Autumn. I added two plus two together and got a painting out of it! The rocks were out, I found the leaves I had pressed in the Morning Pages notebook, took out the trusty travel watercolor set and went at it. And twenty, perfect minutes later I had painted a small still life and was happy about it too.

Decorating Old With New

Sometimes I jump start my creativity by cleaning up my art space. The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, suggested re-arranging a room to spark ideas. Doing something methodical like vacuuming a carpet, or mopping the kitchen floor can release pent up energy and while doing the repetitive motions the brain can trail off and daydream. Why not? Works for me!

As you can see by my photo I’ve been very busy redecorating. It’s kind of freeing in a way, my brain can get away of thinking about the art process, how/what/where/ to paint, or not, and the guilt with not.

So maybe after it’s all said and done I’ll feel like getting back to that painting I’ve left behind for the moment? Not sure. But looking at fabric, colors, shapes that are pleasing to me has had it’s wanted effect.

This was such an enjoyable project! Where and what is this? Well! I have set up my sons’ crib, which I kept, in his old bedroom. On a shopping trip to the baby store with Gorgeous we picked out this bumpers and sheets set that blends nicely with the existing furniture in that room. And, it’s not Pepto Bismol pink! Comfortable colors and shapes on this set make it a cozy haven. I know my granddaughter won’t have a clue, but it’s comfy to me!

I’m ready to receive my precious one. And I had better get organized or I’ll find myself scrambling!

Thought for Thursday

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” ~ Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher

Time Out From Busy

Did I say busy? Yes, really busy doing all sort of things on the never ending to-do list. Trying to cross things off the short list takes forever. What about the long list? Fuggetabottit! That’s NY-ese for forget it. Not going to bother. The long list can take a long hike off a short pier. And in these times, the long list is never going to see the light of day if this keeps up.

The short daily list is about all I can focus on. However, there are alot of things on this “short” list. I know I complain all the time about no time, but what else can I do? Who cares if I have lots of things, everyone has things!

Today I had to double track because with all the things I had going on yesterday, I left some important things off and they just had to be done today, like hitting this blog. Mind you, there are plenty of things, but Surprise! they’re not going to get done because, well, I think I might want to ignore them. So there. Hah!

Besides the usual errands, I need to arrange Son #1’s old bedroom to accommodate his new baby’s crib! Now THAT I don’t mind doing, it’s a fun thing! I get to purchase new baby bedding and such, for when Gorgeous goes back to work and I get to babysit. Fun! So you know the to-do list is getting shuffled around to accommodate the fun stuff. Who needs to make doctor appointments and other phone calls, fix the light in the studio, call the dishwasher repair guy, organize the computer desk, shred old papers, etc. Who really cares about those things? I’m hunting around baby items!

Ok, so not to look like I’m a complete jerk, leaving important things off the list of to-do’s I found time to paint yesterday afternoon. The opening in the day was there, the rocks and broken shell waiting patiently, arranged as they were on the dining room table, yes-not in the studio. Out popped the travel watercolor set and a half hour of freedom!

I think I’m on to something with this “no time” business. Things seem to get done and I find a small window of opportunity to paint. This must be an omen, or a directive: have still life items strewn around, the small travel paints and paper pad out and available. Is the small set with mini brushes and paper less intimidating? Maybe. The long to-do list certainly is intimidating and possibly costly. All the better to ignore it, my dear.

Always Busy Doing Something

When I was a kid I was always busy doing some thing. I could amuse myself quite well. Being the first born and alone, until my sister came along by the time I was five, I had drawings to do, daydreams to have, a special imaginary friend, and a grandmother with her own creative and imaginative spirit.

My grandmother lived with us. She would draw pictures, make her own dolls, sew and knit clothes, and tell me the stories of her life. We were a lot alike that way. She taught me how to use a tiny crochet hook to make lace doilies with french crochet threads I can barely see with glasses now. She told us stories of when she was young in Greece, how they made their own toys. Her brothers and sisters were older and she had to amuse herself, too. Later, when she came here to the U.S., in the middle of the Great Depression she had to make do with what she had. Many times a dress she knit that she no longer favored ended up being reknit into a sweater, and later on, a blanket! She’d just rip it out, untangle the skeins and knit a new item. Talk about reuse, repurpose and recycle.

I always have many projects going on at once. This time I finished a couple of things! The new baby was welcomed with two handknit blankets. The teal item I showed you here a little while ago was a pretty, knit lap sized baby blanket with a wavy border all around it. The second was a crocheted afghan in a fun shell pattern, large enough for when she gets older and has a big bed. Covering all the bases here! The fact that I finished two items was an accomplishment.

Above are my projects at the moment. Three pairs of socks, one of which is just for me. I think I deserve a pair of handknit socks, too. The pastel thing is a baby sweater I started when I first picked up knitting after years of not knitting. I chose a baby sweater because I thought it was a nice small item that I wouldn’t have to really size to a regular body. I had knit scarves before, and crocheted plenty of blankets and doilies, but not a garment.

What did I learn from knitting a baby sweater? I learned that the yarn is thinner and so it takes longer to knit! Great. And, since I hadn’t finished putting it together, needing to knit another sleeve, I realized my gauge was off anyway and ripped the whole thing out. I took it apart and reknit the front, the back, the little pocket and the one sleeve. Now that I have a baby to give it to I would like it to look right. When gauge is off baby, it’s not going to fit anything, anyone, even a baby!

See those rocks on the side up there? I took them from the beach when we went on our excursion to Greenport, NY. My plan is to throw them together with the sea shells from Pt. Lookout beach near my home and paint them. Next up, quick still life. Umm, I’m ignoring the hydrangea for now. Doing alot of that lately. Yes, I’m busy.

Need to Schedule Time

Taking my time doing things here today. Had a list and needed to stick to it. Posting here early, which I really would rather do, just was impossible given the length of the list. To-do lists are never popular things around here. Rarely do I cross off everything needing attention. As time goes on, I’m going to have to stick to the list as my services will be needed “elsewhere”. How exciting! I can’t wait!

So I must be prepared and organized every day. Don’t laugh. I’m trying to keep it together so my things get done daily. And maybe now is a good time to develop that schedule I’ve been thinking of making. Time for everything and everything in it’s time.

But the sun was out today again, and the warmth felt really comforting on my face, if not just a little windy. You know how I feel about a warm sunny day? The one thing I had left off the list for today was to paint that hydrangea painting and get it over with. Finish it and move on.

When I returned home, having done the required things, I noticed the Montauk daisies in the front garden. They were twinkling in the sunlight. Wednesday I took photographs of them and wished it was warm enough, and dry enough, to sit out and paint them. After putting away my things I thought I would take a walk outside and think about what I could do. No, it was just too cool with the wind to stay out long. However, idea! Get the photo out and paint from the camera. Just a quick sketch, twenty minutes maybe, at the kitchen table, without my reading glasses on so the photo is sort of fuzzy. And away I went!

It was a nice idea and by using the small watercolor pad I use for the beach trips, I could get away from the hydrangea and just doodle in color on something new.

Thought for Thursday

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”~Winnie the Pooh

Thankful for a Sunny Day

What a relief the sun came out today! I was really worried winter was here already. Thank goodness for autumn, at least it’s a warning that the cold weather will be here so get it together! If it wasn’t so wet and soggy in the grass I’d go sit out there and paint.

The white Montauk daisies in the front garden are blooming nice and big among the lavender asters and pink Knock-out roses. I usually don’t cut down the liatris, echinacea or black eyed Susan’s so the birds have seeds to peck at. The purple chrysanthemums are starting to show off now too. I’ve noticed that people buy new chrysanthemums every fall, plant them, only to pull them out of the ground before winter sets in. Why is that? I plant these and every year they come up prettier than the year before. They’re perennials for goodness sakes!

People are weird, and don’t we know it?