Goal Number 3 Completed and New and old Friends Met

Okay, so for those of you who have been reading my blog as of late, I am focusing on facing my fears and meeting new goals.  As I have said, my life has changed greatly in the last year.  I could have crumbled and let it ruin me, or I could have learned and grown from it and make life amazing!  I am working on the latter.  I must say, God works in mysterious ways and can bring beauty out of tough times.

So back to the goal.  Goal number 3 was camping completely on my own!  I decided not to let the fact that I am single with few friends in my area rule my world and keep me from doing the things that I love.  Instead, I got up off of my butt and proved to myself that it's okay to go camping alone.  In fact, it's pretty darn fun!  Not only that, but sometimes you get a few surprises - like a restoration in your faith that there are still really good and really friendly people out there.  That's what happened to me.

On Friday I drove down to Turkey Run Campground, Inc. in Parke County.  Turkey Run is my favorite place to go hiking and camping.  I just wish it weren't so far away!  Anyway, the manager of the campground came and talked to me as I was setting up my camp.  Jill was a fabulous hostess!  She was friendly and personable, and made sure that I was doing well all weekend.  It's awesome how she is working on restoring the campground!  She has done a beautiful job so far!  I enjoyed Jill's personality as well as her attention to her guests.  She is a great lady!

My campsite - isn't it cute?!

 

 

The next people I met - two guys and a girl - I met when I was having trouble making my campfire.  Now, I have never made a campfire on my own before.  Next time I will take lighter fluid along with my newspaper.  Anyway, Michael, Jay, and Kelsey were kind enough to help me build a fire.  Little did I know how much they would help to restore my faith in the kindness of others.  Later they invited me to come and hang out with them.  I accepted and we talked for quite some time.  The rest of the group came late, and I retired shortly after they got there.  In the morning I met the rest of the crew - Lacey, Tank, Anna, Whitney, and Shelby.  Saturday afternoon and evening they were wonderful enough to ask me to join them for volleyball, dinner, and all around fun!  The thing about this group though...not only did they help and invite me, but they helped and invited anyone who needed it.  All of them were so friendly and amazing.  I believe that God put them in my life to help remind me that even though I have not encountered the nicest people in the last year, good friendly people are still out there.  They still exist.  They are still amazing.  They helped make this weekend serendipitous!

 

The Bloomington Illinois Crew



 

Finally, not only did I make new friends (who I hope to see again), but I reconnected with one from college.  Kim lives near  Turkey Run.  We don't get to see one another often, but she is one of my most favorite people.  Kimmie and I share a lot of the same positive attributes.  I love her so much.  She and her daughter Addie met me for a hike.  She helped remind me that even though my family and close friends are wonderful and here for me, that positivity is the way to go!  When life gets us down, we always try to steer towards the positive sides of life.  Kim has been there for some of the toughest times in my life, and I am so grateful to have her.  The best thing is that whenever Kimmie and I do get together - no matter whether we haven't seen each other in months or years - it seems like no time has passed between us.  We are kindred spirits, and I love her!

 

Kim and I

 

Addie and I



 

The point of this post is not just to celebrate meeting my third goal - camping by myself - but to celebrate the serendipitous moments in life that truly remind us what life is all about.  I am a truly blessed person, and this weekend has restored more of my positivity.  I am grateful for the friends - new and old - that I came into contact with this weekend.  It was just what I needed . . . funny how life does that!



Meeting Two Goals!!!!

 

Well, so far this summer I have already met two of my personal goals!  The first was a creative goal.  For decades (geez I sound old!) I had been able to draw people fairly well.  Shading was one of my favorite things to do when it came to drawing.  The same still exists in both drawing and now painting.  For the past couple of years I had wanted to challenge myself by painting a portrait.  Fear had always gotten in the way of me actually putting this into practice.  Finally I mustered up the courage.  I posted the painting in my last blog if you would like to see it.  I am pleasantly surprised by the outcome of my efforts.  Of course I have room to grow when it comes to painting people, but I do love my first attempt!

Goal #2
Riding a bicycle has been a huge deal for me as of the last year (thanks to a friend who is a bicycle riding enthusiast and a great inspiration when it comes to riding).  Before today, 14 miles was the farthest ride I have ever completed.  I had decided a while ago that I wanted to be able to ride to the Starbucks in Dunlap, enjoy a beverage, and ride home.  Today I accomplished that goal!!!!  Ava was spending the day with her grandmother, and the weather was beautiful.  There was a bit too much wind for my taste, and I was very slow on the way there.  I did, however, shave ten minutes off of my time on the way back.  Could have been the caffeine though.  :)  My legs were also not used to some of the hills, and I did have to walk my bike part way up a couple of them.  But I was not worried about the speed, or making it completely up all of the hills.  I just wanted to get to starbucks and back.  My goal was completed today!  I was so excited!  Although I have been rather whooped the rest of the day, and my legs and butt are aching like crazy, just reaching that goal made me so happy.  One more step in proving to myself that I can do anything that I set my mind to.

Goal #3

I plan on reaching goal number three this weekend.  You will have to stay tuned to see if I complete it.  My next post will be posted on Monday evening.  Hope to see you all there!  Until then, have a fabulous time!

It's been quite a while since I have posted a blog.  There has been a lot going on in my life, and I have had to completely start over in some ways.  In fact, I am still in the process.  So I would like to take this time to completely revamp my whole purpose for this blog.  Yes, it will still follow my creative journey as that is still ongoing (thank goodness!).  Actually, I have been doing a great amount of creating.  But I would like to create my life in a new way.  My life has taken a strange turn in the past year, and I have had to make many changes.  I am still adjusting to this new way of life.  It has been difficult in many ways, but I am getting there.  Overall, I think it will be a blessing.  Life is supposed to bring surprises and changes, and we can either go with them or fight them.  I choose to go with them and blaze my own new trail.  :)

So, I will be sharing my art - as always.  I will share my processes and my ideas.  Sometimes I will post videos as to how I do things. 

I will also be following my travels.  This is what I am calling my "Summer of Solitude."  I have never traveled alone, but it has been something that I have always wanted to try.  Granted, I do not have a lot of money, and I will not be travelling very far.  But I bought a tent, and I plan on exploring new places to inspire me.

I will also be including stream of consciousness writing on life in general - observations, thoughts, questions, experiences...

I hope you will all join me and share in my journey.  I plan on posting at least once weekly, and perhaps more than that.  Feel free to share your experiences, thoughts, ideas, etc.  All are welcome. 

To kick off my new start, here is my most recent painting.  I was afraid to paint a picture of anyone, but I knew I had to face my fears.  So here's to facing my fears!

Been a while

Sorry it has taken me so long to add another post.  I wanted to be more consistent, but I also wanted to get a certain project finished before I posted again.  Needless to say, it is going to take much longer than I anticipated, so I am going to show you a sneak peek today!  It's the whole reason that I have been waiting to post!  However, until I show you what it is, I wanted to share what I have been doing in my spare time.  This past weekend I went to visit my best friend, and earlier last week my husband, daughter and I went to the zoo.  I have some great pictures and thoughts to share, so hang on and have fun reading!

Scott and I decided to stay home during his week of vacation instead of going on a trip.  It was a nice break for him, and it was fabulous to have him home.  However, we did decide that we wanted to do a family day trip, so we took Ava to a zoo that is a couple hours away from our home.  It was so much fun!  Ava and I got to feed the giraffe's, and I got the closest to a live lion that I ever have.  We also visited work camps (simulated) of African safari's.  The day was a total blast, and we were all exhausted by the time we got home.

Ava and Scott in a Safari tent

Ava and I feeding the giraffes

I'm a Leo, so it was awesome to be so close to an actual lion!  He was gorgeous!

For the past four days, Ava and I have driven to the other end of the state to visit with Betsy (best friend since sixth grade) and her family.  We had such a relaxing and nice time!  Ava and I were so sad to leave, but we missed home as well.  Just sitting with Betsy in the evenings made me realize the evolution of friendship.  She and I have bee through so much in the twenty-some years we have been friends.  But now it comes to being comfortable in our skin and our lives and learning about being an adult.  We laughed (so much) and talked about everything (which we usually do).  We vented and told jokes, as well as enjoyed all of the kids.  I am so thankful for her friendship.  I don't think anyone quite gets me like she does.  :)



Betsy and I on pride rock

Okay, now for the project I have been working on all summer so far.  It is a very involved project.  I am making my first sculpture!  It's a wire tree with canvas, hand-painted leaves, and a log base.  The structure of the trunk and branches was really fun to do!  It took a couple of hours, but was completely enjoyable.  The leaves are what have been taking forever.  I made what seemed like a bazillion of them, but after attaching many of them I realized that I don't even have half of what they need!  Each leaf is hand painted and hand shaded.  They take forever.  Plus, I figured putting the leaves on the tree was going to be the simplest part and not take very long at all.  Boy, was I wrong!  Not only do I need to attach it with metal glue, I also need to put a stitch in each leaf to keep them from moving around while they dry.  This project is taking quite some time, but I am completely enjoying the process.  Check out what I have so far and let me know what you think!

Me working on the tree.  If you look closely, you can see the base of the tree, and a couple of leaves that have been added.

The structure of the tree.

Next time I will post better pictures of my progress, and keep you updated.

Hope all is well wherever you are, and that your creative passion is bursting forth to the world!  Peace ~S.



Going Back to Childhood

I had a very blessed childhood.  No, we didn't have lots of money, and no, we didn't take lots of vacations, but it was a happy and healthy childhood.  I did the simple things.  We lived in a neighborhood and played with the other neighborhood kids.  It was safer then, and we would roam the neighborhood, playing hide-n-seek, tag, kick ball, baseball, ghost ghost in the graveyard.  We spent most of our time outside playing.  Catching salamanders and frogs was one of the highlights, as was splashing in puddles when it rained. 

Even though we do not live in a neighborhood, and my daughter is an only child, I try to give her as much of that fun as possible.  I am her playmate a lot of the times, but we also have friends over for her to play with.  We go camping with my husbands parents or by ourselves, and we have family gatherings with my parents and sister's where we play baseball and things like that.  I feel like she is getting a good, well-rounded childhood.  During this summer we have spent a lot of time outside.  A bird built a nest in Ava's bird feeder and we have watched the birds hatch.  They are not growing very fast, but we are keeping tabs on their progress.  We also have senor and senorita frog who live in our window well, and do every year.  The other day, Ava had her best friend Chloe spend the night, and the next day it poured for a while.  In our backyard, there are some low areas where water gathers.  The girls started running through one of the puddles.  At first I was a bit upset because Chloe's mother was going to come and get her, but then I realized that Ava had never had the joy of just running through puddles, so I let them continue for a while.  Chloe's mom is pretty laid back, so I wasn't really worried.

I also realized that the fun of being a teenager comes back around as you get older!  My parents, who I thought while I was growing up had no life, now stay up later than us and hang out with their friends more.  I am to the point where I don't really go out or stay up late.  It's funny.  Anyway, my mom and her best friend Rita got to feel like teenagers today.  My little sister and I went with them to take pictures of Peter Reckell (Bo Brady from Days of Our Lives).  It was great!  My mom has watched that show for years!  I remember it being on when I was little.  I watched it for a while but don't any longer.  Anyway, she was so spazzy and antsy right before it was her turn.  It was hilarious!  I thought about how many times as a child she let us go and do things like that, and now her turn is back around.  It was so fun to watch!  I love my mom, and have realized that I am much more like her than I ever realized.  I tried so hard not to be like her growing up, but I'm so glad I am.  It's an honor to look like her and to be like her.  She's a great mom!

My mom and Peter Reckell (Bo Brady).  She's so cute!

Life is truly good!  It's the simple things that make life worth it.  That's why chronicling life is go important.  The following is one of a series of three pictures I am doing.  My friend Bryan has left his job at the school where I work to go to the Administration Building.  As a gift, I am doing a series of three pictures of his daughter.  I have completed  one using pointillism, and one in graphite pencil.  The following is the beginning of the colored pencil one.  I'll share all three when I am completely finished.  This is the first time I have ever done a series like this.  It has been really fun! 

I hope you all look fondly upon your childhood, and are making great childhoods for your children (if you have any).  May your days be blessed with the simplicity that counts in life.  And don't forget to look for the simple things and cherish them!  See you next time!  Peace! ~S~





Beauty of Life

Well howdy everyone!  Happy Father's Day to those of you who are fathers.  Okay, so some of you are dying to find out who would win the print of Dearest Heart.  And the winner is....Shondra Brown!  Thank you to everyone who responded either on my blog, twitter, or facebook.  I appreciate the support.  Stay tuned for future giveaways.  Congratulations Shondra!

Now, I'd like to share a project with you that I have been working on.  It's my first 3D painting, and I was so excited as I watched it come alive!  Quite some time ago I painted this canvas red, and I had initially envisioned a flower on it, but not the one I ended up painting.  I had envisioned trying a more traditional painting, not mixed media.

Then, one night I was journalling about my Life is Music and Music is Life paintings when the idea for the Musical Flower came into my head.  I wanted to do something that stood off of the canvas more, but the petals had to be fairly sturdy.  I couldn't just use regular painted paper.  I was afraid that the paper would droop and not hold its shape well.  I also wanted it to be fairly sturdy so that I could make it stand up well.  So I chose antique music sheets for the petal.  I put a couple of layers of gloss on it before painting each petal with acrylics and using the paint and colored pencils to add shading.



After the painting and shading, I added another layer of gloss.  The petals underneath did really well.  But they did not need to stand up off of the canvas.  While the top petals were thick and sturdy, I couldn't get them to stand up as well as I wanted them to.  So I attached each petal to a small piece of wire with metal glue.  This type of glue dries fairly quickly, but does not completely set for 24 hours.  I let each petal dry so the glue was no longer sticky, but not completely set either.  Then I bent and positioned each petal carefully.  I did ruin one petal that was no longer usable by trying to pose it before the glue was completely dry (but not set).  Once the petals were in place - again using metal glue, I sewed them onto the canvas at the base for extra support.

Next was the center of the flower.  I wanted the center to stand out, but not be the focal point.  I found a white and brown streaked button and added a few layers of yellow acrylic wash to it.  I also used acrylics to shade it.  Then I sewed it in the center.

This also added more support for the petals.  Once the center was painted, I added a couple layers of gloss.  Then I took my acrylic paint, darkened it, and added the shading around the flower's center.

After the flower was assembled, I took a shipping tag, stained it with ink, applied the words I had ready, and added embellishments with colored pencil.  I believe God has truly given us a beautiful piece of art in the world, and I find awe in it every day.

The last thing I added were the ribbons.  The green symbolizes the earth, and the white brings out the petals more.

This project was so fun to watch come to life!  I would say that my first 3D painting was a success, and that there may be more to come!  Stay tuned, because in keeping with the nature theme, I am making a mixed-media sculpture that I would LOVE to share with you all!  Until then - have a blessed time!  Peace ~S

Revamping the Old

Do you ever get the feeling that something is not finished, but you cannot quite put your finger on it?  That's what happened with my "Dearest Heart" creation.  It hung on my bedroom wall, waiting for more.  Months and months went by before I realized that I needed to add the red tissue paper to make the words stand out,  and the wire wind behind her wings.  It was amazing to go back to one of my favorite pieces and add to it.  I knew it wasn't finished, but I had to be patient and wait for the clarity of what needed to be done.  I am still not quite sure that it is a finished piece though.  It needs to hang on my wall for longer before I can determine that.  But that's what creations are.  The begin as a seed and grow into a creation that was only a sketch before.  It's an amazing process to be a part of.  I pray that everyone has something like that in their lives.

Dearest Heart

So please leave me a message and let me know if you think this piece is complete or not.  Leave ideas, comments, thoughts, and you could win a 5X7 matted print of the piece!  Every entry's name will be put into a drawing.  The winner will be selected on Saturday June 18, 2011.  Good luck!  It's my first giveaway, and I am so excited!!!

What is the Best Part of Creating - Process or Product?

Happy summer!  I am finally on summer break (second week in), and I have been creating like crazy!  Doing art every night has been so relaxing and amazing!  My inspiration antennae is up and running at full strength!  Before and during my creating process I have been journalling.  I journal every night about whatever is in my head.  The last part of the entry always ends up being about whatever project or projects I am working on, and new ones that pop into my head.  During several of these journal entries, I have contemplated an important question that I had never really given much thought to before; Which do I enjoy more-the process of creating, or the outcome of a piece?  For me, I have found, that it depends on the day.  However, I do lean more one way than the other.

Do I love the pieces that I create?  Yes!  Have I learned to be more fearless and forgiving with myself as I create?  Yes!  Do I enjoy trying out new techniques and products?  Yes!  But it has taken me quite some time to get to this point.  We are our own worst critic.  We tend to cut ourselves down and look for errors and mess ups.  I have switched my focus.  I pay more attention to the process than I used to.  Never before have I sketched out ideas and thought through the materials I am using and the look and feel of those materials.  This, however, has become my greatest ally.    This has also brought my focus more to the creation of pieces and not so much on whether they come out perfectly.  I enjoy the process of making art much more now.  I worry less about whether or not my skill is perfect, and more in the curiosity of  "what would happen if I did this?".  Each night when I journal, I think about how I can continue with the piece that I am working on.  I think about the stage I am in, the parts that make the piece a whole, and whether my plan is what I really want to do.  Sometimes I contemplate what materials I could use to present certain parts of the piece.  Sometimes I contemplate how best to place objects or focal points.  This has opened up my inspiration and creativity more than anything.  I look at other artist's creations, make notes in magazines about things I want to try, or like.  All of this "research" plus the slowing down of journalling through a piece has made me so much more confident in my creations; and it has made me love the outcomes! 

I should state that the sketches that I make for my creations are not the end all be all.  They are guides.  They are the baby bird that needs to grow.  And grow they do!  My end piece, while the integrity of the design is in tact as thought of in the sketch, it has morphed and grown into a more beautiful reality.  So, I guess you would have to say that I love the process for watching my ideas grow and morph into their full potential!  In the words of Life is Good (www.lifeisgood.com), "Do What You Like, Like What You Do!"

The following are twin paintings that were born one right after the other.  I planned them, thought them through, and enjoyed every moment of their birth.  I hope you enjoy them as well!  ~Peace~ S.

Remembering Friends

Hello everyone!  It's been a while since I have posted anything.  Sorry about that, but you know me.  As always, I need to work on that.  Summer break is in three and a half weeks, so hopefully I can become more organized and get a post in every few days.  That would be nice because I miss doing it.  I can't believe that summer break is almost here!  The school year went so fast.  My sweet little girl, who is growing so incredibly fast, is going to be done with first grade!  Snif snif!  She's already 4 ft. 2 in. - just a foot and and inch shorter than me!  Was I that tall when I was her age?  Maybe Scott was.  I know I was pretty short.  Anyway, it's time to start planning my summer days.  I know I want to spend much time in my flower and vegetable gardens as well as flower gardens.  Art will be a daily occurance.  I need to reopen my Etsy shop and possibly create a web site.  That would be amazing!  I hope you are all enjoying the slow transition to spring.  It's been pretty grey and chilly here, but the warmth will be here soon!

Anyway, the title of this entry is remembering friends.  I have started a new project (just one of a few), and it will ultimately end up in the hands of my best friend.  Also, I gifted a present that I made for a friend who just finished her chemo treatments for breast cancer.  Friends, new and old, are fabulous parts of our lives, and they should be cherished and celebrated.  I am lucky that my two best friends from my school days still hang out with me four times a year.  Even though we live indifferent parts of the state, we still make time for one another.  Besides texting and talking on the phone, we make sure to have a ball every time to get together.  I know that I don't talk to anyone, or share things with anyone like I do them.  They are amazing, and I am so grateful to have them.  Betsy is one of my oldest friends.  She and I have been close since sixth grade.  We have shared so many crazy memories.  We roomed with one another for two years in college, were bridesmaids with one another, and probably know one another better than almost anyone.  She has been there for me when I needed her, and has brought me so joy.  We laugh and laugh and laugh whenever we get together.  I laugh harder with her than anyone else.  It's amazing.  So, I decided to create an art journal for her.  Within this art journal will be mementos, memories, trivia games, other games, photos, and art, art, and more art!  Below are a couple of the pictures I have created so far.

Hilarious moment!

I love flowers!

Jumble

Then I also gifted the paintings I made for a friend of mine who was undergoing chemo for breast cancer.  I would like to keep her name private.  She is an honorary sister along with my other sisters.  We all love her.  During her chemo, I regretably did not keep close contact with her.  She is closer to my older sister.  However, I did talk to her a couple of times.  But she was always in my heart and prayers.  I thought of her often, and that is what inspired me to create the following paintings.  She is an amazing woman who takes everything with grace, has a positive attitude like nobody I have ever met, and creates joy in the lives of those she knows.  So I created these paintings as a reminder of her joy, and the positivity which she bestows on others.  I think I have already posted these, but I iwll post them again for context.  So far she is tumor free, and will have a double mastectomy later this month.

So, the point of this entry is to remind you to cherish and enjoy those who have been there for you, whether they are new or old.  Thank them for their love and support.  Let them know how much they mean to you.  You never know when they may not be there.  Enjoy life!

Until next time, may there be peace and happiness in your life ~S.



Art Journaling

Happy Thursday everyone!  It's not even seven in the morning, and I am blogging!  We have a two-hour-delay at school this morning, so I thought I would get some blogging done.  It's a pretty good morning, but I can't have any coffee because we have no milk.  I'll have to make some when I get to school.  But I didn't write to tell you about my delay or my lack of caffeine.  I am writing because I want to share some of the work I have been doing in my artistic journal.  Be warned that most of these pages are no where near finished.  I have recently given myself the grace to start pages and not have to finish them right then.  It's actually very freeing.  I have found that by doing this, I can switch topics and subjects and add as I feel necessary, or as the spirit moves me.  So let me know what you think.

I needed to start my new journal with a representation of myself.  It had been so long since I had drawn myself anyway.  But I was pleased with the turn out.

These two are part of my proverbial garden.  They are flowers of my own design.  I have been fascinated by flowers for years.  Each spring I tend my flower gardens and cultivate them carefully.  Maybe this summer I will not only draw flowers of my own design, but will choose to draw real ones from my actual garden.

This one is titled jumble.   I love to just doodle lines and see what comes of them.  Plus, it's very theraputic when I've had a stressful day.

Personal motivation is very important to me because I need to push myself forward.  If I don't, who will?  I shared this one with my students.

My daughter was recently sick with the flu.  I did this page about her.  I call her my bird, and I use her image in much of my artwork.  She inspires me.

Another motivational technique.  I need to be more bold in my life and stand up for myself and my beliefs.

These are some of the things that are important to me in my life.

I know, I have been busy.  But here they are.  Don't worry, I still have other things to show you and discuss -I've been adding a few new forms of media to my artwork.  I have two finished pieces and one in the works.  Maybe it will be finished by the next blog.  We will see!  Excitement, excitement!  Leave a comment and let me know what you are thinking, or if you have been inspired.  May you have a peaceful day ~Peace~S.

Renewal

Hello everyone!  It's been a while, but I'm back!  My computer had issues and had to be put out of it's misery; so now I have a beautiful new little laptop named Betty.  She's very pretty.  I am enjoying setting her up and taking her for a spin.

As for my creative side, there have been new developments here as well.  I have been working almost daily for about a week, and I have two finished paintings and many pages started in my artistic journal.  I am looking forward to sharing these all with you.  Once I have gotten back to journalling in the mornings and evenings, it has really helped to push my creative side again.  She just needs some opening up and regular practice to keep going!  We've been ill here as well.  A few weeks ago I had the respiratory flu that is going around, and now my little bird has it (daughter - Ava).  She is getting over it, but now she has a dreaded cough that has turned into bronchitis.  Stinky!  This has not been the healthiest of winters for the Steele's.  But we are on the mend.

Since I am not completely set up with my computer, I am not capable of scanning new artwork in.  The printer will be set up by tomorrow, so stay tuned to see new work!  I hope you are all doing well and have stayed healthy this winter!  See you soon!  ~Peace~Stephanie

Creative Soul Day #14-22

Good evening!  Sorry it's been so long between posts, but I have been working on some things that I want to share.  I have some items that were inspired by recent events, some inspired by submission guidelines, and one inspired by my daughter's artistic freedom.  It has been an amazing week and a half!  First, I'd like to share with you the importance of friendship.  This past weekend I spent a ladies night in Chicago with my two best friends.  They rock!  There is nothing that compares to having two friends that know you almost better than you know yourself.  They are two fabulous women who help me de-stress whenever I need it.  Even though our adult lives have become hectic, and we live in three different parts of the state, we have been friends since middle school (and Betsy and Jen have been since elementary school!).  These two ladies are such an inspiration to me in how they live their lives.  I talk to no one, and laugh with no one like I do with them.  Check out a couple of pictures from our fun night!

The following piece was inspired by the events of that weekend.  I started it on the train on the way to the city.  Traveling by myself for part of the time allowed me to journal about our friendship and the night to come.  Having a city backdrop for the background seemed fitting.  The rough pen sketch just makes me thing of the edge of a city.  The picture in the middle was from our hotel.  A patron at the pub offered to take it for us.  How nice!  The Christmas lights around us are not only for the season, but for our sparkly personalities as well!  The words at the bottom commemorate the city and year.  We have gotten together three times this year, and our goal is to get together once each season next year.  My life would be awful without them!  Thanks ladies, for always being there to talk about anything and everything!

This next picture was inspired by my daughter.  We were out to breakfast when she gave me the assignment to just draw something while she did the same.  Unfortunately I did not keep hers to post with mine.  I will do that next time.  But I love drawing with her.  Her uninhibited drawing is so freeing to me.  We just play with no worries of critics or anything. We draw for one another, and for ourselves, and then we share with each other.  I will include hers the next time we do this.

Oh, and I almost forgot!  I finished my fearless picture as well.  Let me know what you think.  I am not quite sure it's finished.  i think it still needs something.  Any suggestions?

Stay tuned!  My next entry will be a page inspired by one of my favorite books!  I'm also going to be playing with some new media.  There will be some tutorials on how to make felt flower barretts as well as fabric flower brooches.  So much happening!  Don't miss out!  Plus, there will be a givieaway with the next post, be the first to check it out!  Peace to all!  ~S~

Creative Soul Day #13

Look!  Two days in a row!  What a fabulous day as well.  My friend Laura came over this morning and we talked artist and soul speak for a few hours while we created.  She worked on a watercolor of a butterfly wing on special paper that she created.  It was coming along beautifully.  I can't wait to see it when it is finished.  We also came up with some creative projects to do with our Monday night crazies group.  :)  Hopefully everyone else likes the ideas as well.  Our Monday night groups are amazing.  We are all women who share food, creativity, and a zest for life.  They are a beautiful group.  Anyway, it has been a brilliant day from then on.

So I have started a new piece of art for a submission to one of the Sommerset Magazines.  I may need to do a series of works before I turn it in, but it is due in just a couple of weeks, so I am not sure how many pieces I will be able to come up with.  The one above is just the beginning of a piece that I am working on.  I have some other pieces to it, but they have not been adhered, and I do not want to spoil the surprise of a finished piece.  So you will have to wait until tomorrow to see more of what will be included in this "Fearless" piece.  That seems to be my theme in the past couple of journal pages that I have completed.  I think that I am calling for myself to be more fearless in all aspects of my life.  My fearlessness began in college when I decided that I needed to speak more in classes if I was going to become a teacher.  That worked for me.  Then it surfaced again two years ago when I began this creative journey that just keeps getting better every day.  I wonder what my fearless nature is calling me to add to its repertoire.  It will reveal itself to me, as God wills it to be.  As soon as I know, you all will know as well.

Good night everyone!  Sleep well, and have imaginative dreams.  ~Peace~ S.

Creative Soul Day #9, 10, 11, & 12

Okay, so I totally stink at posting every day.  I have been trying, but obviously not diligently enough.  So I will work on that.  I have, however, been working on art every day.  Today all I did was mat the picture I am about  to show you, but I am going to do some art journaling after I get finished here.  I just wanted to make sure that I got my post out today.  So I will continue to do art every day, but I'm not sure it will get posted every day, although I will do my best.  One thing that I have noticed though, is that I am a slow artist.  I am just a slow person overall.  I have been ever since I was little.  And for those of you reading, I don't mean I'm slow in the head (although some would argue otherwise).  I'm a slow walker, a slow cleaner, a slow eater, and a slow artist.  It drives my husband crazy sometimes!  My daughter also inherited that trait from me.  You would think that since I am the same way, I should be patient when Ava is that way.  I try, believe me I do, but I now understand my husband's frustration when you are trying to get somewhere by a certain time, and someone doesn't have any sense of urgency.  It can be infuriating.  But I try to be patient with her.  Anyway, back to me being a slow artist.  What takes my friends an hour to do, can take me two or three.  Plus, I don't usually have two or three hours to do art all in one chunk.  So the painting I am about to show you took me quite some time to finish.  Keep in mind that I have not worked with watercolors for long, nor have I worked with painting portraits for very long.  The piece I am about to show you was given as a gift to my brother-in-law.  He's a big hunter, and he is really tough to buy for.  So I thought this would make a nice gift for him.  He doesn't have any paintings of himself as a hunter.  So this is what I have been finishing up for the last few days - working a little bit here and there.  I'm happy to say he seemed to genuinely like it.

I'm also very excited about tomorrow morning because my friend Laura is coming over to do art for a couple of hours.  Whenever she comes, I do get to sit for a couple of hours and work on art.  So tomorrow night I should have more to show you.  It's also my older sister's birthday - Happy Birthday Michele!  I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving, and are thankful for many things.  I know that I am very thankful for my family, as well as for my friends - new and old.  Life is good, even when it's tough.  See you all tomorrow!  Have a magnificant day, and treat one another well.  ~Peace~ S.

Creative Soul Day #8

I did it!  I finished my journal page!  And you thought I wouldn't get it done (or maybe that was me).  Anyway, it's finished.  Check it out below and let me know what you think.  Facing my fears is a big thing for me, and has been since I was at IUSB.  Personal challenges have helped me accomplish goals that I never really thought I could come close to accomplishing before.  Since then, I have become a teacher, a mother, and have embraced my Soul as the creative being it is!  Life is grand.  But I'm not sure that I would be in this place if I hadn't faced my fears.  I no longer try to be who everyone else wants me to be.  I am me; and yes, I still get self-conscious from time to time - worrying what others think of me - but I have not let that run my life anymore.  I am who I am, and I am proud of and embrace that person.  Life would not have been so good if I hadn't.  When you focus your energy on letting your fears take over, you never get where you are supposed to be.  Don't worry about what others think.  Enjoy who you are; who you were made to be.  This page is to remind us of all of that.  So if you  want to order a print of this just so you can look at it daily to reach your goal, please let me know!  Just remember that when you go to bed tonight, it won't be everyone else who has to think about how you lived your day - it will be you.  Live it to the fullest, and enjoy it by letting you be you!

Sleep well everyone!  Stay tuned for more tomorrow.  What will I come up with?  We shall see!  Until then, good night! ~Peace~ S.

Creative Soul Day #7

Okay, I skipped Friday,  I know!  But I have a really cute excuse!  It is small and furry, and completely cuddly!  She is the newest member of our family, and her name is Lola.  She is a seven week old Shih-tzu and Australian Shepard mix.  I brought her home on Friday night, and haven't done much art since then.  But I have done a little.

Check out my artistic journal page.  I have made a little progress.  I also tried to post this all last night, but it wouldn't work for some reason, so this is for day seven, but I will still post day 8 today as well.  I pledge that I will be finished with my journal page today, plus start my two paintings from my earlier sketches.  I am also going to meet some women who are associated with the National Women's Caucus for Art.  I am thinking of joining and enjoying being associated with a group of women artists.  Plus they have opportunities for getting your art into exhibits.  Today we are meeting at a museum to talk about surface tensions.  It should be pretty interesting.  I'll tell you all about it in my later post. 

Have a great day everyone!  ~Peace~ S.

Creative Soul Day #5

Good evening everyone!  It's been a nice day, followed by a very busy evening.  I've been puppy shopping.  My daughter and I went to pick up a collar, leash, bowls, and toys for our new puppy, Lola.  We will be picking her up tomorrow.  So we did not get home until late.  But we are very excited to be adding to our family (although my husband is not so much).

I did have time to start an artistic journal page today.  Mind you, it is only started.  But I have much more to write.  Lately I have let myself become intimidated by people and circumstances that I thought were beyond my control.  But really, what I need to do is stand up and face my fears.  I have a fear of confrontation, as well as a fear that I am not as "worthy" as I know I am.  My fears are mainly irrational, and as an artist there is always the fear of not being good enough.  I am usually comfortable with myself, but I have low points where I let  my fears get the best of me.  Usually I just write about it to work things out in my head.  But this time I am artistically dealing with it.  Let me know what you think of the piece!

Good night everyone!  May you find happiness in just being.  ~Peace~ S.

Creative Soul Day #4

Okay, I completely finished my piece that I had slowly been working on.  I'm happy with it, and I think that I will make it into a mixed-media painting.   I'm actually excited to get started!  Just recently I found out that a friend of mine is sick, and I'm not talking flu.  She is such a strong lady, and I was thinking of her when I made this drawing.  I may even do the paintings and give them to her as a gift.  Hopefully it will bring her peace and positivity.  She is going to need it.  If you pray, please say a prayer for her and her family.  Thank you.

Okay.  Now I am posting the pictures and going to see my husband.  He has been sick, and I fell asleep so early last night, that I feel I haven't really seen him for days!  Good night to you all!  As always, let me know what you think!  Hope to hear from you soon!  ~Peace~ S.

Creative Soul Day #3

Sorry I missed last night's post guys!  But I have a good excuse.  I fell asleep with my daughter as she was not feeling well last night.  So I am posting this morning to show you all that I did not forget about you, and that I did do a little work on my piece yesterday.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Also, as I am home with an ill child today, I should be able to get some more work finished to show you all tonight.  I'll see you then!  ~Peace~ S.

Creative Soul Day #2

Hello everyone!  It's been a great day, and I have gotten a lot of things accomplished that I needed to.  The day is winding down, and I wanted to make sure that I gave you guys an update before I went to bed.  I got a sketch going tonight, but it's not finished.  I plan on working a little bit before going to bed, but I had to get on here first.  This is a sketch for my sketchbook that I am submitting to the Sketchbook Project.  I have a lot more to do to it, and I may end up turning it into an actual painting.  We'll see.

Okay, well I'm  going to get back to work, and watch Rules of Engagement.  Stay tuned to see more of the sketch tomorrow.  Log on and tell me what you think so far.  Look forward to hearing from you! ~Peace~S.