Two works from my college days, back in the mid 1970's. I can see areas I need to improve on...like the hair in the lower pen and ink. And, evening out the shading in the upper pencil drawing. I was in my early 20's when I drew these. So very long ago.

It use to come so "naturally". It use to be so easy and just seemed to flow out the end of the pencils and pens. Now, I seem to struggle with every dot, every line, every idea. How did I lose that freedom of expression over the years? 

Instead of following my passion for art and striving to make a living creating. I chose a guaranteed paycheck and a life of living up to other's expectations and standards. I sacrificed some of who I was to please others. I put my artistic passions on the shelf and tried to become a "normal" person. I had a break down. I then realized that I sacrificed way too much of myself for others.

Now, I am on a journey to rediscover myself and my art passions. Perhaps, by finding these old works, I will find the passion that was shelved for too many years.

Big Squishy Hugs and Never Let Go of Your Dreams and Passions

Oh! A big fat mess in my house. You may have to turn your head sideways a bit...but, here are some before and barely after photos of my sorting and organizing my art and craft supplies. You can see how much I have and how much more I have to sort through. I have filled up our big recycle bin once. I have a large container and 2 kitchen garbage bags filled with items for a garage sale. If those items do not sale...they will be taken directly to a donation site. I am finding treasures that I'd forgotten I ever had. 

Soon, I'm hoping to get more stuff moved to the upstairs bedroom and turn it into my art studio space. There are 2 rooms upstairs...a small room that will be my "creative space". The larger room will be the storage area with shelves organized with boxes and small containers of ephemera. I have some shelving upstairs already that are industrial strength so I can put reams of paper on them. 

After I get all that in order. I need to figure out what to do with the items I've made, continue to make. Do I try to sell on ebay and etsy? Do I try to find a shop that will sell them on commission? 

So, I'm off to work on a crocheted blanket!

Big Squishy Hugs!

Accomplished something anyway.....

The frog prince was never completed. He lacks color in his life and a pond to rest his regal behind in. Sadness.

I got some items together for a swap today. It's to pack up some ephemera items to send to your partner(s) and in return you will receive some ephemera from them. My 8 year old granddaughter joined in on the fun and got out her little box of beads and treasures. She added quite a bit to the baggies. I think she just wants to make more room in her treasure box for the next time we go to the Gem and Bead Fair in Portland. I then went through several stacks of papers and boxes of stuff and continued to add more and more. It's a lot more than we are required to send, but, I have a house filled with arts and crafts supplies and I really need to get rid of some of it. So, they will receive a medium post office flat rate box filled with fun. They can choose to use it, or send it off to some one else if it's not their style.

I finished a collage swap project for the "Place I Love". Used some photos I took on several visits to the Oregon coast. Wrote about how being at the beach makes me feel, I took some glue and squiggled it across the page and then added a mixture of sand, glitter, broken shells, and beads to finish it off. It looks more like a photo album page than a collage. I really don't do collage. Collage art and I don't really get along very well. HA HA! I tend to make a mess of things and over work my collage art. Kind of the same thing I do with oils and watercolor paintings....I work those into a lovely picture of mud cakes.

So, that was my day.

A vintage photo I found on the internet a very long time ago. I wonder what she was thinking. She looks lost in thought and a bit sad. Perhaps she was just tired from having to hold still while the photo shoot was going on.

I'm time and a bit in the blue today. I have projects to work on and I'm at a stand still moment. Not sure what direction to go in, but know I need to get moving soon.

Need to stop procrastinating. Need to get my house a bit more organized so I can find what I need, when I need it.

What a boring little blip for today.

Have a great week and Big Squishy Hugs!