THE ARTISTS ADVENTURE

Gate On Rio Grande Paula - 2008

The artist ran away from her day job
and along the winding road
it came to be that she
encountered a wall with a gate

She wondered what could be
beyond that gate
it seemed formidable
so whatever was on the other
side must be of great value

Would it be
fortune?

Would it be fame?

Stardust from heaven
instead of rain?

And then she saw the lock
and all hopes
were dashed.

That night she dreamt
she could click her heels
and float over the wall,
but just when the other side
came into view
she awoke.

Fortunes don't live behind
a wall waiting to be discovered.

Fame isn't all it's cracked up
to be and in reality
who needs fame anyway, you
just end up on the front of
scandal magazines.

And as my friend Annie
reminded me,
we are all made of
stardust.

GOLDEN PAINT DEMO

Artisan's Art Supply Demo Room

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Paula ~ 2008

This past Saturday I attended a Golden Paint/Product
demo at my local Artisans Art Supply store.
Nancy Reyner is a local (Santa Fe) artist who also does these demos for Golden.
Nancy is an amazing artist
she oozes creativity
and at this demo she was a great inspiration for me.
I love painting with acrylics and in particular
their line of heavy body matte paints.
They give the look of tempera or gouache
which I am partial to.

I was particularly encouraged that
I actually
understood most of what
Nancy talked about !!!

Sometimes we don't give ourselves the credit we are due.
~doesn't matter what area of life ~
you are a smart and creative individual
and I encourage you to give yourself a
BIG pat on the back !!!!!!


Go ahead,
Live large,
Even if it is small (believe me, it's still large),
What little positive affirmation
will you bestow upon your soul
today?

4803 - New Mexico

Paula ~ 2008

I love the tiles surrounding this address.
Here in New Mexico many folks have an address set up like this.
It always presents such a mystery to me ~ what is behind those walls??????
A wonderful garden with large trees?
A big weed patch?
Plain old gravel?

What does your imagination tell you about what might be behind these walls?
Where does your creativity take you?
Do you have a vivid imagination?
How does that develop or do we have plenty of it
as kids
and then it fades as we get older,
or it is always there,
we just teach ourselves to ignore it?

Let's play a game !
What is behind this wall !!!!!!!!!!!!!
There will be no winner of course,
because even I don't know what is there,
but it would be fun to play.
What is your guess?
Where does your imagination take you?

THE ARTIST'S GARDEN

Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Paula - 2008

Here it is in summer.
Simply beautiful.
Surely a garden fit for an old master artist,
don't you think?
I don't know who's garden this is
but I do love it.

Some of you may remember this beautiful
Canyon Road, New Mexico
garden scene from a few months ago.

Below is the view from MY patio.
Not quite as shady, secluded, cool and inviting.
My yard is fairly new and a fair number of the plantings are
still babies so I'll post again later in the summer
so you can all see how it is coming.
I love my yard.

My Garden

Paula - 2008

WHO ARE YOU ????

North Valley Residence, New Mexico
Paula - 2008
click to enlarge

Out driving around on my lunch hour.
I love to just drive around and take photos
when something just catches my eye.

These folks have a wonderful plaque of
Our Lady of Guadalupe
next to their front door.
I'm impressed that they boldly proclaim their love for
"our lady".
These folks have their heart in the right place.

Other folks put little ceramic pigs in their front yards,
funky fountains,
whirllybird garden decorations,
flags, etc.

What does your home say about you
when someone passes by?

WHO ARE YOU????

A BUCKET FULL OF FORTUNATE

A Bucket Full of Fortunate
(click to enlarge)
Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Paula ~ 2008

How great to sit on your porch.
Rocking away next to your bucket of "Fortune".
The world passes you by.
Not noticing.
You have a bucket full of fortune.

I have a bucket full of fortune.

Do you?

NEW ART - SANTA FE EGGPLANTS

Santa Fe Eggplants

14 x 18 acrylic on canvas
click image to enlarge

So ................... this is waaaaaaaaaaaaay
off the beaten path for anything I've ever done.

I really enjoyed the process.

Looking for some feedback here, positive and constructive ~

RED HOT POKERS !!!!

A driveway along Rio Grande Blvd.
Albuquerque, NM
Paula's photo - 2007

Some folks here call these fire lilies. I've always known them as Red Hot Pokers. I planted a few last year and then promptly drowned them. This year I started over with three and so far they are looking mighty fine. We'll see.

I always make a point of going down this street to admire this driveway lined with such a fabulous display.

I've been vacationing this week. Well sort of. I took the week off from work and have been enjoying my garden, hanging out at home, puttering about.......my favorite pass time.

Made my first ever abstract painting. My husband isn't wild about it. He wouldn't say he didn't like it, but hey, I can tell. I happen to think it is pretty cool and I felt a lot of satisfaction while making it. Somehow I just felt settled and comfortable when working on it. I'll post it in a day or two for you all to comment on.

Oh and after what must be 2-3 years, I dug out the bag of gourds I've been hoarding. I hope you'll like what I did with them !!!! Stop by tomorrow !!! I'll show you !

acrylic and pen on bristol

4 x 6 postcard - 2007

Sometimes you've just got to fly.

I can't imagine a world without birds, can you? I live in a very arid part of the country however my immediate neighborhood is a bit of an oasis and the birds are abundant.

Once again this year we have a Barn Swallow couple getting things ready for their new family. Hummingbirds are checking out the yard and sipping at the feeder since there aren't an abundance of flowers just yet. The Rosy Finch guys sit on top of the hummingbird feeder, looking perplexed and asking one another how to get to that juicy red nectar.

Summer is upon us. 91 degrees here today.

Get out and get some fresh air and sunshine !!!

MY STUDIO IS IN FULL BLOOM !!

African Violets next to my studio worktable.
Paula ~ New Mexico ~ May 2008

They say it is good to have fresh flowers and/or plants near your workspace. At least I think I heard that some where once......hmmmmmmmm.

Well anyway, 31 years ago I had beautiful African Violets in my new little baby boy's bedroom. That was where the light was best and I was happiest.

I'd not had them again until just this past year.
Why did I wait so long? A very long story.

These are simply beautiful and bring me such joy when I'm at my work table. Just outside the window is what promises to be a bumper crop of Roma tomatoes........hopefully destined to be the best pizza sauce to ever occupy my happy little freezer. I make killer pizza and we love that sauce.

Guess I'm having a bit of a rambling sort of day. It is Friday and I'm thrilled the weekend is here.

We've had a couple of cool rainy days. Just before it rained I'd been out in the garden feeding all my little flower babies. With sunny days this weekend, I'm guessing my garden is going to kick into full speed ahead growing. Thrilling !!!!!!!!

I've more new art to post so check back next week for that.

In the meantime, drop me a comment. I'd love to hear about what's going on in your neck of the woods.

MORE ON "THE ROAD"

Paula's Photo
New Mexico - 2008

I'm 55 years old. More and more these days I find myself reflecting on "the road". What lies in store for me over the coming years. I don't feel older but I sure see it staring back at me in the bathroom mirror. I'm not prepared for retirement. Don't want to end up a "bag lady" out on the street collecting odds and ends, living moment to moment. In the end we all arrive at the same gateway. I guess it's not so much how we got there that matters, but I sure do think about it alot more than I did in previous years.

CROSSES ON THE ROAD OF LIFE

CROSSES ON THE ROAD OF LIFE
Mail art send to Randi Fuerhelm-Watts
4x6 - acrylic and ink on card stock

Imagine yourself floating above the ground.
On a cloudless clear blue-sky kind of day.

Below all you see are green fields,
they stretch on forever.

Breaking the green like a parting of the seas
is a long stretch of highway
and
all around stand crosses.
Like those little mileage dots on the road map.

The crosses are markers on your road of life.

Crosses you bear.
Crosses marking the spot of great personal discovery.
Crosses honoring special moments,
deep agony, joy, pain, sorrow and ecstasy.

Make today the day you acknowledge and honor your crosses.
They all played a part in what got
you to this moment.

Honor yourself today.

ELEMENTS OF LOVE - ll

ANOTHER WORK IN PROGRESS


PEEK # 1 ~ ~ ~
PEEK # 2 ~ TAKING SHAPE

PEEK # 3 ~ GETTING THERE

STILL NOT SURE THIS IS COMPLETE !
STAY TUNED FOR MORE.........

THE ART OF EVERYDAY LIFE

I took this photo along a back road in northern New Mexico. I think near Penasco. It strikes me as wonderful that someone who built this rather ordinary barn would take the time to insert a wagon wheel up near the roof. I think it is lovely if not a bit quirky actually. Imagine the time and trouble it took to get that wheel inserted way up there!!!

Art as a valuable component of life isn't all that unusual ~ if you seize the opportunity to embrace it.

Look around. Where is there art in your life? Allow the door to open, step into those new ruby red slippers and await the wonder that art and life delivers to your awareness each and every moment. Take a moment to tell me about it.....I love hearing from you, sweet blog friends.

Have a great day.

THE ART OF BIRDS INFLIGHT

A happy bird today.

The birds are back. Just like clockwork, the days have warmed, the trees are greening and every morning I have a serenade of birds.

We live in a very arid part of the country. The American Southwest is known for it's hight desert horizons and blazing sunsets. And yes it is beautiful in that way. I love it. However our little neighborhood is like an oasis. Lots of vegetation and trees so the birds are naturally attracted to the area.

Sometime I wish I could freeze them in flight so I can get a better look at how to draw them. Yeah, I know, I could get a book with lots of pictures of birds but somehow there isn't as much joy in that idea. So I'll keep sitting out on my back patio, enjoying the birds.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Recently I did a day on Canyon Road in Santa Fe. Living so close to one of the great art centers in the world just begs a visit on an occasional basis. I had a great time.

In one of the first stops I saw a beautiful painting. One lonely tree with a serene far-off horizon. I thought it was so lovely. By the end of the day, any many galleries later, there was more than a pattern arising. If I saw one "serene lonely tree" painting, I must have seen 50 !!!!!! So much for the ideal of artists not ripping off one another's ideas !

So that said, I decided it was time for me to do the tree thing as well (click on the photo to get a larger image). Mine is kind of tongue-in-cheek and to quote that guy "Bob Ross" that one tree needed A LITTLE FRIEND !!!! My husband gets up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and turns on PBS to watch Bob Ross. Surely you know that guy. My husband is forever imitating Bob Ross by referring to something that needs a little friend. According to my husband, Bob Ross says that a lot.

So anyway, here is my tongue-in-cheek "lonely tree" painting with a couple of little friends. It is a work in progress, not finished yet. I have no idea where this will go. Got any ideas to pass on??????? Sometimes my ideas need "little friends" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'D RATHER BE IN THE STUDIO

I think the title of this book says it all. Of course, I'd rather be in the studio.

I just got this book a few days ago. Being an artist with not much marketing experience (because I haven't bothered), this has helped me to realize that I need to get more proactive about my business.

I'm currently getting the finishing touches on a web page (thanks to dear sweet husband). I've settled on a coordinated design for my business cards and will soon have those ready to go as well. I'm needing some postcards. I would like to avoid the printer route since I don't have a lot in the way of funds to have a run printed. The postcards I find at Office Depot are really inferior quality. I have a really great printer and know they will print nicely if only I can come up with the paper stock. Anyone out there have a resource?

Oh yeah, back to the book. What I particularly like about this book is Alyson's general guidelines for the artist's statement. I've been avoiding that activity and I know I need to do it. I will use the prompts in this book. They will get me off my flabby backside and get writing.

I also like the Conversations Exercise found on page 46. "In a nutshell, the Conversations exercise provides a format for you to engage in a discussion about your art with someone (anyone!). " This really got me to thinking about my art. I'm excited to give this a whirl. I'm wondering SAN and ANNIE ~ maybe you two would be willing participants (I'll write more about this exercise later).

Well...........the day job beckons, so I'm outta here. Have a great day, everyone ! And don't forget to leave a comment !!!!!!! I get lonesome when I don't hear from you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Artist book-a-holic

Do you acquire a lot of books? I call myself a book-a-holic. If you looked at my shelves you wouldn't think that. I've managed to keep the acquisitions at bay. One good way to do that is by using the local library. What a great way to practice abundance!!!! You can pick up a ton of books and it won't cost you a thing!!! Once I donated, oh probably 500 books to the Taos library. For the rest of the time that I lived in that charming community, I'd go to the library and see my donations on the shelves. They've since moved into a new and spiffy location and I've moved away, but back then it was kind of fun.

I love books of most kinds. Presently I'm picking up more and more books related to art. I love to learn about the lives of the great masters, techniques, styles, creativity and art marketing. Sometimes it is refreshing to step back from whatever I'm up-to-my-elbows in and just page through a book. If it doesn't have pictures then my attention span will diminish quickly. I'm a picture kind of gal. Check back soon and I'll clue you in to some of my current faves from the art book shelf.

In the meantime, get out there and have some fun. It's Spring and I don't know about you but it is a beautiful day here in New Mexico !!

ARE ARTISTS MORE HAPPY IN SPRING????

Paula's photo of a garden along
Canyon Road, Santa Fe New Mexico

Everyone one I know.
Everywhere I go.
I hear people going on and on about Spring !

You'd think it was some big, wild and crazy happening !!!

Well folks, NEWS FLASH!!!!! It is!


Imagine the delight in the artist's
mind as images begin
to take on new color,
new vibrancy,
new life.

Moments forever marked
on canvas.

Oil, acrylic, pastel.
It matters not.

Inspiration has found a new birth,
and it be SPRING.

PAINTING, LAYERS OF PAPER, MORE PAINT, MORE PAPER, WHERE DOES IT ALL END????

I think I may put those wings back into it though.
I liked them.

I'm sure you've never put yourself through this,
have you?????