Untitled doily, pen, 2010

please excuse the imperfect scan. and while you're at it, please excuse the imperfect life. there. i said it. i'm hanging out in 'retirement village' this week where the only ambition is in a hot cup of coffee on the lanai. lovely, but the contrast to my reality really made me toss and turn last night. i must be nuts. or ambitious. today's magic: working on capturing the light and pattern i see in the palm fronds (images to follow when i return to my scanner).

respect the inspiration

Untitled nest, pen, 2011

i always notice birds on a wire. especially driving on major highways because the surroundings are sparse and the line of the wire is crisp in front of the gray of the sky. i follow that line and then the most precise dot appears. sometimes, there are multiple dots. then, i wonder why birds sit so evenly spaced along the wire. and i'm never interested in knowing the true answer. today's magic: understanding that asking questions promotes having to hear answers. sometimes, answers kill the moment.

starting to wonder what i'm getting at here. what do i mean by 'magic'? i don't think it's truly about creating magical moments. its about art, inspiration. and follow-through. i've been missing the follow-through. thought i was satisfied for the time being just noticing the world around me. 'i am an artist,' i would say, 'most importantly, its a way of seeing the world. that's enough to hold me over while i take care of business.' meanwhile, ignoring the subtle pain, dare i say suffering, of disrespecting the inspiration. so subtle i only know it by the dull pressure in my gut most days. see birds-on-wire, draw birds-on-wire. better to follow-through than to be reminded of not respecting the inspiration every time i drive by a bird on the wire.

Untitled weed, pen, 2011

stitch witchery

Untitled, thread, dye-painted organza, 2011

its a tough winter, but then i think of laura ingalls, and world events, and it puts it all in perspective. i'm revisiting some grad school ideas, and supplies, searching for my way back to an inspired and fearlessly creative life. today's magic: have sewing machine, favorite thread, painted organza that's been waiting ten years to be worked...will create.  

not so sketchy

Sketch Vertical, pen, 2011

black line. because i've been doing it all my life. i used to trace my coloring book pages in black marker before coloring in the shapes. i like contrast. i like tone, and gradation. it's my foundation. today's magic: cherishing the child's instincts.

update: turning the dreaded icicles into ice sculpture. following the child's instincts.

and 1 and 2 and...

Wait, pen, 2011

ok. now its getting personal. snow = ice dams on my roof = water in the house = guys coming to remove ice on monday. amazing what a phone call to a lovely homeowner's insurance rep can do for one's emotional state. and draw it out, and 3 and 4 and... today's magic: focus on action. i'm really good at process.

oh, thank god

Everyone Has One, pen, 2010

day 14 from "& In One Another" 60 day drawing project

today i woke up excited. i have creative thoughts. ideas for the work. doesn't take much i've learned. just pen to paper, a little research, pen to paper again, so on. accepting the process. actually, loving the process. i'm paying student loans for life for that knowledge. priceless. today's magic: feelin' the scale tip towards the thrill of the draw. can't wait to sit down with it tonight.

workin' it still

Hole in the Head 2, pen, 2006

you would not believe this day. i worked it. 7:15am. no complaints. but with every g*d%mn shovelful i couldn't stop thinking about how much single motherhood has taught me about myself, more than any other endeavor i could imagine. and if there's anything i haven't fully learned yet, it's certainly on my to do list. today's magic: the beauty of the snow despite its get-in-the-way-break-my-back-kinda-way-of showing-up-at-the-worst-times AND Peter Gabriel/In Your Eyes, Rolling Stones/Beast of Burden, Bob Dylan/Like a Rolling Stone, REM/Man on the Moon, and yes i love Marc Cohn/Walking in Memphis...all on the radio for the morning commute.