2013 One Little Word

Song - While My Guitar Gently Weeps by George Harrison

Wishing you A Very Happy 2013!

I still have a house full of "Christmas" because I am painting like crazy to get some new pieces ready for a show going up next week at the Lafayette Gallery "Tokens of Affection"!

It feels so wonderful to be painting again!!  Yippee!

Here is one of Sergio Romo on the final game of the Division Championship.  I still need to work on the rain, the shadow color under his arm and the background crowd a little but I just love the energy in this painting!

The GIANTS have clinched the NL Championship

I will show it to you when it's finished!



If you have never heard of "One Little Word", check it out on Ali Edwards site or on Big Picture Classes.

 

In 2010 I chose the word "intention" for me to use for the upcoming New Year. It turned out to be a great word as I would pause and set an intention (or game plan) before moving forward.  

Last year it was "balance" which ended up being too general of a word for me. 

During the last month,  I have been "feeling out words" for 2013.

I have narrowed it down to several which each has a pull for me.

Grace

Inspire

Lighten

Mindful

Purposeful

Serenity

 

 

 

But one word that is sticking with me is "Simplify".  As my life gets more and more complicated, simplifying feels like breathing room. 

A concious effort must be made to simplify anything - paperwork, household possesions, shopping, eating....every thing that piles up!

According to the dictionary -

: to make simple or simpler: as

a: to reduce to basic essentials
b: to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline <was urged to simplify management procedures>
c: to make more intelligible : clarify
 

 

‘In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.’ ~Henry David Thoreau

RedOrangeYellow

My garden is a riot of color right now. Fall has finally come to my little neck of the world.


I just completed a month long photography class with Tracey Clark - "Picture Fall" at http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/ and do you think I could find one leaf changing color in October?
I think I submitted several Oak leaves turning from green to a drab brown.....does that count? 

I did enjoy that beautiful light that magically appears in the Fall...... along with those wonderful long shadows! 

And now our trees are all in full color and the morning air is crisp.

 

 

 The songbirds are waiting in line at the feeders. 

 

 

A little Chickadee patiently waiting for his turn at one of the feeders.

 

                                                           I love this time of year.  Sigh.....

 

 

“Every challenge is a sign that soul is seeking to make its presence more active in your life.”

– The Soul Journey

November yipes!

A few photo's from my Big Picture Class - Picture Fall with Tracey Clark

 

 

 

 

 

How to Be Dangerous by Jen Lemen

1. State your truth. Say as boldly and as clearly exactly what you see. Don’t candy coat. Be outrageously plain whether the truth reveals your joy, your passion or your pain. Say the thing that everyone knows no one should say. Say it anyway.

2. Let your body lead the way. Most of us lead from our heads. When you go from your gut you get a totally different course of action and direction.

3. Act boldly, with feeling. Don’t intellectualize or theorize on your next move. Tune into your gut and go. You can’t know what’s going to happen and it never turns out how you think it will, so you really have nothing to lose. Your body has a wisdom all its own.

4. Allow yourself ridiculous joy. Don’t hold back from where your heart is leaning. Put all your energy into the place where you are being drawn. Take your joy more seriously than your suffering. No one does this and if you do, breakthroughs are fast and furious.

5. Make friends with fear. Fear is part of the deal. Get used to it. Only dead people are not afraid and we all know how much we’re all looking forward to being dead. Fear can be a sign that you are getting very close to the truth and the truth absolutely will set you free. Free is fantastic, don’t kid yourself. You want it & it will bring a much needed relief to the people around you.

6. Follow your instincts. Obey your intuition. We are taught early on to disregard our intuition because it cannot be verified in a way that squares with other kinds of knowledge. But lose access to this more intrinsic, animal part of you and lose your ability to find your way in all those instances that you really need to rely on your deepest truth–in the dark, in danger, in love, in finding the way back home.

7. Listen to the oldest parts of you. The child in you, the adolescent…the parts of you that never got to be safe, that never got to have the comfort or opportunity or kindness that they so desperately needed. Promise the oldest pieces of you that it’s not too late, that you won’t ignore them now. Then take what they ask seriously.

8. Pursue your healing with abandon. Your psyche will be relentless in orchestrating the exact circumstances, people and places you need to put your soul in order. When you consciously choose to yield to this process, you will scare the shit out of everyone around you because from the outside it will look you’re losing your mind. You’re not. You will find the wholeness you seek.

9. Reveal what is hidden. Hide what is obvious. When you turn things on their side, speak to the deepest realities, while skirting over the superficial surface of things, you enter a new world. This is rare and risky behavior. Employ with extreme caution.

10. Love with your whole heart. Starting with yourself. Hold nothing back. Because in the end, no one will love you more than you love yourself. Because in the end, you’ll be so disappointed that you didn’t let yourself love and be loved more. Love this way because the people around you need it more than you can fathom.

11. Ask for what you want. Say what you need. This is one of the most dangerous things you can ever do, but you’ll find out really quickly where you are and who you are dealing with. Hard knowledge, but often necessary. Go ahead, push the edge.

I’m still in my little cave over here, drilling down for the essence of things. It’s not really that much fun, but your notes, songs and kind words have been so good. Thank you for that… I’d much rather be drinking whiskey, shooting the shit and twirling my hair, but for the moment the Universe has this cowgirl in a headlock til she wakes up and smells the coffee. Don’t you hate that?

Hope all’s well in your part of the world…that you can feel exactly when it’s time to be dangerous and when the best thing you can do is be safe. Blessings… -- Jen Lemen "How to be Dangerous"

Capturing Images

Original photo

Photography and Photoshop have been an incredible creative outlet for me recently.  I had someone ask me if it's the same as a darkroom.  I have to say no....and yes, but different. My older brother had a darkroom for awhile in my father's workshop and I remember how much I loved developing black and white photos. You can do that and so much more in Photoshop.  It is a digital program and you have the ability to manipulate your photos in so many ways. I am still a beginner with it and don't know how to work with all of the features but I'm having fun!

On Monday of this week I had an assignment with my online Big Picture class - Picture Color and it was to "tweak" a photo to look vintage. I have to say that there are so many women in this class that are professional photographers and so many gifted women (hundreds) that take incredible photo's.  I was delighted when my photo of an old Nomad, Bel Air car was chosen by the teacher, Tracey Clark to be posted on Shutter Sisters, an incredible online site that features great photography.  Check it out!

www.bigpictureclasses.com

www.traceyclark.com
http://shuttersisters.com/picturecolor

"There was a time in my life when I thought I had everything - millions of dollars, mansions, cars, nice clothes, beautiful women, and every other materialistic thing you can imagine. Now I struggle for peace." - Richard Pryor

Color Your World

A class

On

Color

Is

Starting soon

Big Picture Classes

And Tracey Clark

I am

Excited.

To say the least!

Reds and Yellows

Green and blue

Orange and purple

Whites

Browns

And

Colors

Between

Oh my!

They have been my

Love,,,

Since

Painting

Became

My life.

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere 

and don't notice it." --Alice Walker

Varied Life Mysteries

There are lot's of mysteries in this world of ours. Picture Inspiration is a class I am taking through Big Picture and this weeks assignment was discovering some of the mysteries in nature and photographing them.  Most people put sweet photo's of baby birds, flowers, butterflies and newborn babies.  I on the other hand just went to the Giant's game on Sunday for Mother's Day.  I am amazed at what torture (Giant pun intended) athlete's put their bodies through.  And one closing pitcher is a real mystery to me!

Brian Wilson

Of course I had to submit a "pretty" picture too......

Do you know what it is?




(Hint - both photo's have beards)
Enjoy your week! 

       " Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." ~ Mary Oliver

Picture Inspiration

I have been taking several photography classes online at http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/ but due to my recent trip, I have been unable to submit my weekly assignments.  Today I got a little more organized and just finished downloading 5 weeks worth of assignments!  Phew.....feels good!

Week 5  - Infinity

                                              

Week 6 - Seeing double

 

Week 7 - Shape of Suprise

                                                                                                            
                                                           

Week 8 - Random

                       

Week 9 - Observation

 

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness. I am off traveling and photographing the world and sending prejudice far, far away. ~ Mark Twain

I N T E N T I O N

I have been away for awhile from my blogging as I have been taking painting workshops & traveling,



Tomales



 ...throwing special birthday parties for those I love.....



Calvin's place

and taking so many online classes that I can barely keep up with them (but wow they are so much fun!). Mostly it is because the "camera GOT me"!!  I received a new DSLR for Christmas from Mr. B and I have been exploring all of the joys of photography. 

 

Me and my new obsession



I am taking 3 online photo classes http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/ and one in a local camera shop.  I am also enrolled in Ali Edwards class "One Little Word" where you choose a word that you would like to explore for an entire year.  It is very inspiring to be around all of these incredibly creative people! And I almost forgot, I am taking a "texture" class from Kim Klassen which is teaching me all about Photoshop and texturing my photos. http://www.kimklassencafe.com/ 

My word for the year is "INTENTION" and for me it is about putting more thought and effort into each and every day, as well as setting goals and coming up with a gentle way of attaining them.



"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."  --Anais Nin

Briones Park

I am taking a month long camera class ( http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/ ) and our assignment today was "Looking Out".  Getting outside, no matter how cold, rainy or snowy it might be and enjoy nature.  I was busy framing paintings for a new show so I procrastinated on my assignment but by late afternoon, I realized that the weather was not going to change and I had better get out there before dark!  I drove out to Briones because I love the wide open spaces there.  The trees were covered with moss and fog was creeping over the hills.  I was happy to be outside!

Briones Regional Park - Lafayette

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
we must carry it within us or find it not."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson