Wednesday, December 10, 2014

TANGLED UP IN THE TREE OF LIFE

Tangled up in the tree of life
I subscribe to the magazine WHERE WOMEN CREATE Business.  I love to read the articles that are submitted.  The most recent post is about what goal would we like to achieve by the end of the year.  Wow.  Like so many others, I have a list.

It would be wonderful if I could get my webpage finished by January first.  I look at the webpages of others and wonder how in the world did they find the time (and money) to create a web presence.   Then there is the question of what to put on it. I guess I have my work cut out for me if I am ever to get it done by January 1.  In the meantime, I am going to go to my studio and play.  I will touch base again.  BTW, what goals would you like to accomplish by the end of the year?

Friday, December 5, 2014

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED

There is a wonderful fiber artist that I admire.  She does beautiful felt creations and has a line of wonderfully whimsical coats and sweaters out of recycled wool.  Her shop is on etsy where you will find her under katwise.  She is also on facebook.

The interesting thing about about her, and probably why I like her so much is that she is very colorful; her life, her work, her house, everything. But the most fascinating experience I had happened when I went to Providence to become certified as a Zentangle Teacher.  It was day two of the four day certification class and we had taken a break for lunch.  As I entered the dining area I spied this wonderful black and white sweater coat creation and I immediately spun around.  There was no doubt at all in my mind.  It was a Katwise creation.  I always wanted to see one up close and I couldn't believe that I was getting my chance.  The owner was also there to become a CZT and she confirmed that it was indeed a Katwise!  It might sound silly (except for those of us who have a love affair with fiber) but I felt (no pun intended) that becoming a CZT was what I was supposed to be doing and that I was with people of like minds. This is where I belonged.

Zentangle has helped bring me back into the studio in a way that I not been before.  I have overcome my creative block and I am playing again.  Creating art and creative people make me grin from ear to ear.  It is such a beautiful side of human nature don't you think?  I am just in love with it all.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

A TIME FOR HEALING

PANACEA GODDESS OF HEALING
Lately, my drawing meditations have been about women and healing.  It seems to me that there is so much illness going on.  Serious illness.  Not just in the body but also in the mind.

I, for example, suffer from acute anxiety disorder.  I am not sure why or when it began exactly.  I know so many people that suffer from the same thing with panic attacks being the worst. It just seems that we are either angry, anxious, or fearful.

There is also the matter of the body.  Right now Cancer is on my mind.  I can't imagine its purpose or why God would even allow it.  Now, walking along on a sunny day, crossing the street and getting hit by a car......that I can understand.  It is easy to get the lesson here.....watch where the hell you are going when you cross the street or BAM....you are going to get run over.  I just don't get the lesson Cancer has to offer.
In any case, I am grateful that I have my studio. This is where I can create my reactions to life by drawing, sewing, quilting, meditation, and any other way that helps me stay focused and in the moment.  Oh, by the way, the Zentangle above is my rendition of Panacea.  I thought it was interesting that in my meditation I saw her as older, wiser, and with a smile.  She comforts me.  I hope you feel the same.

Tell me, how do you interpret your life?  In what ways do you find yourself being in the moment?


Friday, October 24, 2014

STAND STILL

Tich Nhat Han is a wonderful Vietnamese author who has written many books like "The Miracle of Mindfulness" and "Peace In Every Step".  I was introduced to his wonderful work and Eastern Philosophy while in graduate school.  Being in the moment is a deeply embedded concept in Eastern philosophy and one that I try to practice all the time.  It helps to focus the mind and sharpen the senses.  It calms the nerves as well.  Lately though, I feel as if I have been standing still too long: that movement is needed in order for me to continue on this journey of mine.

Movement.  Such an underrated phenomenon.  Movement is good for me.  Standing still is good for me.  I wonder if I could do both at the same time.  Movement is what will help the creative process.  Standing Still will help me pay attention.  Well, I guess I should move and do some creating.  It is a very good day for it.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Gathering for a Zentangle class
I haven't had a chance to blog much more than once a month because we have been traveling so much. But that is not to say that I haven't had much to blog about because I have.  We worked up at the cabin, I gave Zentangle classes and I spent time at Kripalu in Massachusetts. The summer has taken us all over including a trip to North Carolina for my mom's birthday.  We had a great time especially since we were traveling with my sister and her husband along with our brother and his girlfriend.


"hippy" bar
We took a break in the middle of the festivities to walk to beach and explore the area where we had rented a wonderful beach house.  One of our finds was a  lovely "hippy" bar that we really enjoyed.  And it was right behind the beach house.  They only serve beer and wine which was fine with us.  It was nice taking time out just to hang with our favorite people.  It was clear that the owner was a collector of very odd things which gave us so much to look at.

Hangin' with my two favorite women.
It was so good to spend time at this place and be with family.  I wished I could have taken this place with us.  Despite our fun, however, it was good come home.  I missed my studio and my sewing machines.  No matter where I go I know that there truly is no place like home.

Monday, September 8, 2014

ZENTANGLE AT KRIPALU

Zentangles from the retreat
I knew that a weekend at a Zentangle meditation retreat was going to be fabulous and I was not disappointed.  Not only did we have lots of fun but Kripalu was the perfect place to have it. New information and techniques were given and I found my self really inspired and wanting more.  The end of the weekend came far to quickly for all of us.  It was as if we had just touched the tip of the iceberg of infinite possibilities.

Another example of the beautiful work by participants is below.  There were 88 of us and every tangle was as beautiful as the one placed beside it on the table.  It was truly inspirational.



Wednesday, August 27, 2014

THE QUEST FOR A GOOD PRINTER

Laser or Inkjet
My darn printer died.  Well, not exactly; it half died.  The printer head is so messed up that when I tried to work on it I got ink all over my hand.  Uggghhhhh.  It still prints in black though which is good for my reports.  but it doesn't help me with my artwork.

Sometimes I get this creative streak where I want to make my own fabric design.  Color is important to me.  Whats more is color that doesn't bleed is especially important to me.  So I am doing a bit of research.

I am tired of the cost for ink with inkjets.  Laser printers seem to last so much longer.  I was surprised as to the improvements they have made with the inkjets.  I am even more impressed with the Laser print quality.  Does anyone care to share what they think?

Sunday, August 17, 2014

MONKEY WRENCH

Latest quilt:  Monkey Wrench
The studio is quite busy these days.  Joanne and I went to the corn festival yesterday.  It was a great festival and as always I just love being in Hurley, the town with the most stone houses in the area.  I wasn't able to take any pictures this time but the day could not have been better. We will definitely go back next year.

Well, I have got to get back to the studio and do some quilting.


Sunday, July 20, 2014

CABIN LIFE

    This past week was amazing, long, short, happy, loud, quiet, drunk, sober, creative, stuck, imaginative, dancing, singing, hammering, more hammering, more hammering, generator, peace, more hammering........and finally some sleep.  Jay and I had a project that we could not do ourselves so we called in the young bloods and together we gave Chico's Cabin a face lift.


     The cabin is in  the Catskill Mountains in a place called Devil's Kitchen.  It is off the grid.....a place lost in time but not in spirit.  The cabin whispers about a time when men got together and did some real bonding in the woods.  A primal place in the arms of mother nature who watches over us in quiet solace but then reminds us in her booming voice lest we forget her desires for this special place.

    There are many stories about Chico's Cabin but my favorite is about the family who became lost on the mountaintop in bad weather. They came upon the cabin, and seeing no other way, broke into get shelter from the storm.  When Chico returned to the Cabin he found a note from the family complete with their phone number so they could pay him for the provisions they used and any damage that was done as a result of their breaking in.  Chico called them just to tell them that he was very glad that they found the cabin where they found safety.  For Chico, that was payment enough.

      So it is here that we came together to preserve and honor those men who built the cabin.......Chico's Cabin.  A week of hard work, good food, wonderful song and lots of love.  It was not a week for quilting, or drawing zentangles.  Instead, it was a week of group meditation.

      Jay and I want to thank our very special family and friends who spent a relentless week to help preserve Chico's dream place.  For those of you who are wondering, Chico is Jay's father. Thank you Grant, Julian, Nate, Mika, Chrisanna, Becka, Jake, and Lexie.  We are one step closer to bringing the mountain song back to the camp.  We are humbled by your love for us.


Friday, July 11, 2014

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!


A Selfie!!!!!

It is such a beautiful day today.  Tomorrow we head for the camp!!!!!  And today is my birthday.  

There are many things happening in the studio lately.  I am working on a quilt, actually several and hopefully I will be able to quilt it on the long arm if it co-operates with me.  It is beginning to get a bit hectic as I try to downsize the studio because we are (hopefully) going to be moving in the next couple of months.  Creative Meditations will be moving along with us.  Make sure you check out the dates for my next Zentangle class.  Visit www.zentangle .com for more information.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

HELLO JUNE, GOODBYE JUNE....

Today I am feeling a bit nostalgic so I am going psychedelic today.  No, I am not revisiting my childhood.....just trying to slow down time a bit.  June just flew by and I didn't get a chance to blog.

Jay and I are looking for a new home and ours has been up for sale for almost three months.  I crave a more simple life where one can just "do your own thing" without the hassle of crazy neighbors.  You would think that with all that technology has given us the nuts in this world would stay occupied and never come out of their houses.  Well...enough about that.

I am working on scheduling my next Zentangle class.  It looks like it will be at the end of July.  As soon as I know I will post it on Facebook and here.  In the meantime, my sewing machine is waiting for me so I had better get moving before the storm rolls in.

Monday, June 9, 2014

FUNNY DOG

Hi everyone.  I only have a minute before I go back into the studio but I thought I would let you know that the Zentangle class went really well.  Thank you to everyone who attended and a big Thank you to my sister Pam whose help was wonderful.

What does this have to do with my dog Gibbs?  Well, I was pretty mellow the night I got back from class and this is a video of Gibbs taking my socks off.  He loves doing it especially since it usually involves treats.  Hope you all can view it.  I will let everyone know when the next class is.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

THE ART OF ZENTANGLE: NEXT SCHEDULED CLASS

I will be giving my next Zentangle class on Saturday, June 7, 2014 at Daly's Coffee Bar located in Windham, NY.  The class will be from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm and the cost is $35 dollars which includes all materials needed.  No artistic ability is needed so come join us for an evening of learning how to meditate through a simple drawing technique.  Send me an email letting me know that you would like to join us.  Preregistration is required.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

SOMERS QUILT SHOW


I had the pleasure of attending the Somers Quilt show for the first time.  The quilts were so amazing.  I loved them all!  The Crazy Quilt to the right was beautifully done and the bead work was stunning.

There were many traditional quilts as well with quilting so impeccable one could get lost just in the design itself.  The picture of this quilt to the left does the quilt little justice.  The quilt colors were vibrant and luscious.   

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

IT'S COMPLICATED

It's Complicated
      I have been indoors quite a bit lately because the weather has been so darn awful.  But it has also allowed me the much needed time to work in my studio creating all sorts of things.  Like the Zendalla to the left.  I became so involved that I lost all track of time and my spirit just soared.  When  I was finished I was amazed at how complicated I had made it.  It became clear that I wasn't done until I was done!

         Lately that is how my life has been.  Work has taken a bizarre turn which made me question my abilities as well as how effective I have been at it.  Somehow though, when I was finished with my piece I smiled realizing that once again I proved myself wrong.  I am capable and I am creative.  And that inner voice is getting stronger every day.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

ZENTANGLE CLASS AT THE END OF MAY

I will be giving another Zentangle class at the end of May.  As I write this I am still negotiating where I will be giving the class.  Since Zentangle has come into my life so much has changed for me. It has become my favorite form of meditation.  The peace, the quiet, the creating speaks to me in such a deep way.  It allows me the freedom of how not to think with an intense, dedicated concentration.  It is beyond a shadow of a doubt, a beautiful meditation and grounding experience for me.  It also helps to open u my creative juices in other forms of my artwork.  I know that if you participate in a class you will find it a wonderful amazing experience.  For those who don't live in the Catskill Mountains you can find a CZT at www.zentangle.com.  I will be posting the time and place in a future post.  Until then.....try to enjoy the day.



Wednesday, March 19, 2014

OH WHITE COULD BE BEAUTIFUL......

I don't know about anyone else......Actually, I do because everywhere I go the topic of conversation is the long damn winter and where the hey is spring!!!!!  Remember the cabin?  I long for the day when we can open it and spend long lazy weekends up there.  So simple and I am sooo craving simple.

Right about now I am singing a Melany tune in my head...in it there is a line "oh white could be beautiful but mostly it's not".......It is a vegetarian song really but honestly, have you looked outside lately?  The snow is anything but white.  It is dirty, crusty, depressingly gray.  The road is so sanded and salted that I hate to to drive by anyone who is taking a walk on these warmer days because I leave them in a dust bowl unless I go one mile an hour past them.  And then I get dirty (no pun intended) looks because the impression is that I am scrutinizing who it is when really all I am doing is cringing because I am still leaving them in a dust bowl.  Oh well. ........I have had enough of this and if I could I would knock knock knock on heavens door  (another song?) and when God opened it I would whine like only a child can.  Please, please, please, I want spring!!!! Give me spring!!!! No!  I don't want any more snow!!!  I want spring and I want it NOW!!!!!! Wwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaa..........and I would stomp my feet and clench my fists and hold my breath until I got spring!!!  I swear I would.  Even God wouldn't be able to stand it.

But alas, all I can do is bide my time like everyone else and wait and hope and pray that the weather guy is so wrong and that it isn't going to snow and that we are going to have warmer temps to help the grass grow.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

MARCH COMES IN LIKE A LION

Newest Zentangle
March 1st.  I am sitting in my office contemplating the day and if I can believe my rhododendrons right outside my window it doesn't look very cold out there.  I am excited that it is March.  A new month "marching" closer to spring.  The sun is shining and I may go to Woodstock today 'cause I have the fever.

I am back to quilting again.  It has been awhile.  In fact, I have begun to work on several UFO's that should have been finished quite some time ago. But for some unknown reason I have the energy now.  February was tough and all I wanted to do was sleep which has made me feel incredibly lazy.  This week I will go  back to my quilting group and see what has been going on with them.

I haven't forgotten my promise to let you know when I am teaching a Zentangle (r) class.  As soon as I work out the final details I will post here.  Right now I am going to read some of my favorite art blogs.


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

NANGLE TANGLES

No mistakes
Anyone who is a CZT or has taken a class with one knows that there are no mistakes when creating a tangle.  The Zentangle (R) on the left is one such non-mistake.  I had started this a couple of weeks ago and decided to put it down because I was not happy with what I was putting down on paper.  It was one of those moments that didn't feel very "Zen" like.  After awhile I realized that I had fallen into the very trap many fall into.......and that is having a preconceived notion of what I am going to draw.  That is the complete opposite of the Zentangle (R) method.  The process is designed to be free of judgement and the only intent is the focus and the flow.

With that in mind I picked up the tile again and quietly began to create.  The meditative process came more easily this time where time stood still yet my pen did not.  I like it but I am not sure of the artistic twist I added.  But isn't that what experimenting is about?  It won't be long before I take some of this process to the sewing machine where I can add tangles in one form or another.  

Stay tuned for the announcement of my new class list.  Once I secure the venue I will be posting the dates for the classes here.  

Friday, January 31, 2014

THIS MONTH HAS BEEN A RUSH!!!!!

The month of January has taken me all over the place.  I have been to Atlantic City and back, then to New Hampshire and back with lots of small trips in between.  Wow!!!! What a rush.  I returned from New Hampshire late afternoon yesterday, had dinner, tried to read a little, watch TV a little and by 7:30 pm I was done.  Then I woke up at 2:30 am and started cleaning the house.  I am so overtired that I couldn't even take a nap.

Even though the NH trip was work related it was a nice break from the crazy neighbor situation.  The warmer weather is also a big help to giving me the motivation I need to clean and get things done.  And it is tax time.....my favorite time of year.

Despite all of this however, I have found time to knit, draw and tangle.  My newest tangles are all about trees.  I love trees and when I was a child you were most likely to find me in any one of the trees close to the house.  I wonder if that is why I like that show about adult tree houses.  I would live in one in a heartbeat.  This is a sample of what I have to share today......


It won't be long before the trees are in full bloom.
Until then I will draw my own and plant them all around me.
Perhaps I will even make an art quilt with them.


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