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.