Award Time

I received this lovely award from the beautiful, smart and funny Dawn.

I am to tell you all why I blog and then pass it on to one blogger. I started to blog because it seemed fun and I wanted in on some of the action. I found a bunch of lovely, diverse people, mostly women, but a few good men and I fell in love with all of them and if I had more time, I would fall in love with more of you. We support one another in a beautiful way and I love the fact that we come from all over the world and so many different backgrounds. I love it here in blogland and I don't think I could do what I am doing today without you coming along with me.

You all help me be brave. Now picking just one blogger to pass this award to is so hard, but I will, I pick M.Kate, she has been here from the near beginning and has always left an uplifting comment and she has given me gifts and cards :-). I love you M.Kate. I love all the rest of you too! XOXO

Tagged!

The beautiful, talented editing queen, Erin Davis tagged me! I love these questions. Here are my answers and at the end I will tag some of you.
1: What is your current obsession?
Well, you all know it is making ceramics! Right now though I am into painting and I have too many obsessions to name, but two new ones are Alice Neel the artist and Emily Dickinson the poet.
2: Which item of clothing do you wear most? Anything casual, jeans, yoga pants, my favorites are my Life is Good t-shirts and my hoodies.
3: What's for dinner?
A huge salad! Then something yummy for a treat after.
4: Last thing you bought?
Groceries!
5: What are you listening to?
My cats meowing and talking to me, like they always do.
6: If you were a god or goddess, who would you be?
No Gods for me, but I would not mind being a saint, and my favorite saint is Saint Francis of Assisi.
7: Favourite guilty pleasure?
Watching movies and I also love "The Dog Whisper" on DVD and of course "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
8: Reading right now?
This weeks issue of the New Yorker, I read it cover to cover :-).
9: Okay...what were you thinking about just then?
How much I love the New Yorker :-).
10: Who's your hero/heroine?
I have way too many, but the ones that come to mind this second are the Dalai Lama and Albert Einstein and I love Kathrine Hepburn.
12: Funniest thing you saw in your life?
The Seinfeld episode of them waiting to have dinner in the Chinese restaurant.
13: Favourite film?
"Wings of Desire" , I have seen this film about 30 times, so far.
14: Share some wisdom?
Love your life, just as it is and always trust that whatever is happening is for your best.
Be as happy as you can, and stay in the now and keep your heart open with love.
15: If you were a tree, what tree would you be and why?
My answer is the same as Erin's, I would be a Maple tree! Because I love all things maple and
what a beautiful tree!
16: Fictitious characters who made a lasting impression on you?
Most of the characters in most of Shakespeare's plays, I won't name them as that would take way too long!
17: 4 words to describe you?
Creative, kindhearted, obsessive, passionate. That about sums me up :-).
Okay, now I tag:
Dawn
Emom
Jan
Sizzle
Yoli
Some of you I know are too busy and some of you have already been tagged, but if I did not name you and you want to do the tag, do it! If I tagged you and you don't want to do it, then don't :-).
Happy Thursday! XOXO

Just in time...

Well, some jobs came in. Short, time wise, but intense physically, so I may go missing for a few days this week. I am so thankful for the work. I would rather sell paintings, but spirit knows what it is doing, so I won't complain :-). I am getting the hang of this new life of living by the seat of my pants and I am developing quiet a taste for it :-). Much more exciting way to live than 9-5. There are many more important things than security, which is false anyway. In other news, my friend L had a wonderful show yesterday, many important people came and many pieces were sold! I love it when my friends are a success. Congrats L! Today, is another 24 hours in which I can do what I want, so I think I will go for a run, lay low and read, work on Erin's painting and watch an art video on Alice Neel, now she was my kind of painter! I am always so inspired by artists who are true to themselves, and she was an original. What are you up to today?
Have a wonderful Monday! XOXO

Toads and poems

Happy Saturday. I thought I would share with you photos I took of this wonderful Horn Toad while I was on a run (yes, I take my camera with me while I run :-). I have so many projects going that it is hard for me to choose what to do, but today I will be working on the painting for poet Erin Davis, who is editing my book. I will share it after she receives it as I would not want to spoil the surprise for her. I am also working on a few other paintings. I am excited as my good friend L is having a show tomorrow of his wonderful photographs and I can't wait until he sells some! Good luck L! I will be there with bells on :-). In other news I have had little work and no art sales and I am attempting to stay calm and trust that all is well, I KNOW the Universe will pull a rabbit out of it's hat :-). It helps me to write that :-). I want to share a poem that Erin shared with me yesterday, it moved me greatly:

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune--without the words,

And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me. --Emily Dickinson

Have a wonderful day! XOXO

New Bowls

Well, here they are. They did not turn out perfect (darn glazes), but I think they are still cute and I like them a lot. Because they are imperfect I won't put them on the Etsy site, but if any of you want one, you can make me an offer or a trade plus shipping and I would be happy to consider it. If nothing else I will give them as gifts or use them myself :-). I have had a fun couple days. I went out to visit my sculpture friend J and I got my hair cut. Now it is time to get some more art done. Let's see, more ceramics or work on the paintings? Not sure which is calling me, or perhaps both are. I hope you are having a good week. XOXO

P.S. Bowls are 31/2"x6", all handbuilt.

The Crown of Love

This is a painting I did a few years ago. A part of me misses doing the whimsical stuff, and I may do a few sometimes, as it can get a bit boring doing just the serious abstract work. I think it is also time to start letting go of some of my work that I have hung onto, so I am putting this on my Etsy site later today. Go there to see close up photos of this piece. I am off to work with a new claybody, a low fire porcelain. It has proven to be very difficult, but that won't stop me :-).
I get bowls back from the firing place tomorrow, I can't wait to show you (if they turned out!).
Happy Tuesday everyone and let me know what you think of this mixed media painting.
XOXO

Blogger Love

This beautiful card came from my good blogging friend M.Kate. It came last week,
all the way from Malaysia, but I could not get a good photo of it until yesterday.
One of the things I love most about blogging, are the friends you make, in far away
places that you would never meet in day to day life. M.Kate, is one of the sweetest
bloggers ever! What do you like best about blogging? XOXO

It's a Wonderful Life.

It is Saturday, a lovely sunny day. I can do anything I want in the next 24 hours. What a gift that is! So, what do I choose? As I laid in bed this morning doing my meditation, I kept asking myself this question. This is what I came up with:
I choose to be joyous today, as it is a choice and one we don't exercise enough. I choose to read my book one more time before sending it off to the wonderful poet, Erin Davis, to edit :-).
Then I think a large, healthy, yummy breakfast is in order. Since I have run the last 6 days straight, I choose to be lazy today and not run, sometimes you have to be lazy :-).
I am not sure what comes next, but I think I will probably work on the two paintings I started this week, I may even finish one, or I have new clay to play with and I am itching to get my hands into it. I also have family and friends to call and a zillion books to read!
Everyday, we are blessed with another 24 hours, is a day to celebrate. We can't know when our time is up and life is so short. Choose joy and love today, choose to be happy.
Have a wonderful Saturday, and let me know what delicious things you chose today. XOXO

Ravens

I took these photos at my friend J's house. Though common, Ravens are my most favorite bird.

That is all for today :-).

XOXO

More on Trust

I feel as if I am on a special journey here and I love that I get to take you along with me, and at the same time I feel as if there may not be a journey if I did not have you to share it with.
It seems as if this blog make things more possible, because I write it and share it, it has to come true. Does that make any sense and do any of you feel the same way?
The adventure I have started is one of trust and being brave. I am finally learning to trust myself and to trust spirit. Some friends and family support this adventure and some are really afraid that I will end up on the street. Living with trust from day to day, without a job or money coming in on a daily basis, is scary. It is probably the scariest thing I have ever done.
I am hearing many stories of others who live this way, and guess what, they are not homeless, they are thriving and living the life of their dreams. These stories of success make me bolder and braver.
To have confidence in my art, to know that spirit is calling the shots and going ahead of me and creating miracles and meetings and helping me make my way, that is the way to success.
I told you all that I got a new gallery, but I never told you the story as to how it happened, and I think I should, it will help you see what I keep babbling about :-).
For a while now I have been visiting a friend's mom in a nursing home (G), now G has a roommate (E), E has a son (B). The son and I were talking one day and I mentioned my paintings, he just happened to own a gallery(I had no idea he owned a gallery). I took pieces down for him to see and B and his wife loved them.
That is how spirit works, no fuss, no muss. No striving or pounding on doors.
Where all this will lead, only spirit knows, but I am going to continue to float down this river and see what happens. I am so glad you are here to go with me :-).
Happy Monday! XOXO

YES

First, Happy Mother's Day! To my mom and to all the mom's out there in blog land :-).
Mom, I hope you are feeling better today, wish I was there. Love you.

What I am saying yes to today:

A run first thing. It is beautiful here in Taos, today.

Starting two new paintings, bowls are ready to be fired, time for paint!

Pouring over new ceramic magazines, brought to me from my friend J.

Dreaming of Paris and San Francisco.

Dreaming of porcelain, next ceramic project will be in porcelain :-). Yummy.

Later, reading and watching "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on DVD.
What are you all saying yes to, today?
XOXO

A little bit about handbuilt ceramics.

I have been thinking about clay and glaze and lilacs. There are several lilac trees in the yard next door and I just filled my house with them. The smell is so wonderful, I can't get enough :-).
I finished glazing two bowls and while I did that this week I thought a lot about why I prefer hand built over wheel thrown ceramics. I like the quirky way hand built ceramics look, slightly off, not perfect, lots of personality. There are some potters out there who make their hand built work look perfect, and I wonder why they do it. If I wanted perfect I would buy something made from a factory. I adore all the hand built work I see that is odd, or lopsided. I love seeing the hand of the artist in the piece. That is why I decided to make hand built ceramics. Yes, it takes a lot longer than wheel thrown, but I think the difference is worth it. No offense to wheel thrown pottery, it takes a lot of skill and many wheel thrown ceramics are lovely, I just prefer things that are a bit off :-). Any potters out there? What kind of pottery do you all like?
Happy Friday. XOXO

Another award!

How fun is this?
I received this award
from lovely Jan over
at "Awake is Good"
I am to name 7 of my
favorite things and
name 7 other creative
bloggers.
Here is my list of
favorite things:

1. My animal boys. Max, Zeus, Spike and Mr. B, they are sweet and handsome and the loves of my life.
2. Art in all it's forms and all it's mediums.
3. Books, good, poetic, interesting books.
4. Movies, again, only good movies, I hate wasting 2 hours on a bad film.
5. Nature: oceans, forest, flowers, trees, all of it inspires.
6. Spending time with my posse, three men I love like brothers.
7. Last, but never least, making art! Painting, collage, ceramics, drawing and now writing. It all feeds my soul and I will do it even if I never make another penny from it. I do it because it is my bliss and joy.
Now for the awards:
1. Studio lolo, I have just recently found her, and love her work.
2. Sukipoet, I have followed this lovely woman for sometime now.
3.Erin Davis, this wonderful writer is a treasure!
4.Lisa, another soulful artist.
5.Paula Snyder, an artist that is also New Mexico, she does very happy work.
6.Melanie, This woman is a wonder and has many creative projects going at one time!
7.Xue, Another amazing craft person.
Happy Wednesday! XOXO

Trust

This photo has nothing to do with the post today, I just thought it was time for a cat photo and Max (pictured) is in my lap as I speak. He is making it very hard to type :-). As I have no job or real money coming in (yet) I have been thinking a lot about trust and security. I have come to the conclusion that security is an illusion and thinking because you have money or a husband or a job that you are secure is a false belief. To put security in money or another person, just sets you up to fall because one thing we all have to learn sooner or later is that the only security is in source, some call it God, but I prefer source or spirit. I have always believed this, but now, as I have nothing else, I must trust this knowledge and let my life flow in the direction that spirit is pulling me. The funny thing is, that when I am easy and not afraid, when I am in joy and going with the flow, money is coming in, just when I need it. I get a call for a small job, or my tax refund arrives. I am hoping that this will also translate into selling a painting someday soon :-), but I am not going to tell spirit how to do it's job. All I have to do is show up with my heart open and be willing to trust that all is well and that I am always taken care of. This does not work if one gets fearful or in despair, so keeping a light heart is essential, which is sometimes hard to do when you are faced with the unknown. I am doing pretty good today :-). Living life in this way is free and easy and like floating down a river on a sunny day. I highly recommend it. Happy Monday. XOXO

What I've been up to...

It has been a busy week. I have had a few small jobs, and I finished the book! For real.
I can't resist reading it through just one more time, but it is done and now I have to find someone or a couple people to edit it for me. I am putting it out there to all of you, if you would like the job of editing my book, I can't pay you, but I will give you a painting, a new one that I will do with you in mind, who ever you may be :-). This offer goes out to all my non-blogging friends as well. Please email me if this is something you would be interested in doing. The title is "Trust Where You are". Thank you all for voting on the title, it was a huge help.

I am hoping to do some painting this next week, my heart has been with ceramics for a month, but I am beginning to miss the paint. I do have three bowls to finish, but after that I am spending some time painting.

I am off to make a yummy breakfast and tie up some odds and ends and then I am dressing up for an art show. This one will prove to be an exciting show because two stars of movies and TV will be attending, I am not telling who, but their names both begin with D. If you guess correctly who they are I will send you a surprise. The only hint is that they are long time friends of one another and they are older men. Just leave your answer in the comment section.
Have a wonderful weekend! XOXO