Saturday, December 21, 2013

Christmas Time At The Cabbage 2013

The Cabbage Christmas Tree 2013

The perfectionist within me always seems determined to not let me relax this time of year.  No matter how much I get done, she keeps finding one more thing for me to do.  Fortunately, she is no longer the boss of me and I can ignore her and officially declare all of my holiday preparations done.  I am now free to spend the rest of the year with my muse, my cats and my Hippie and I plan on enjoying every stress free moment of it.

So once again, from our home to yours, Hippie and I wish you a wonderful holiday season and a spectacular new year.


Butterflies, Birds and Baubles

Our Festively Green Dining Room

Tiny Dancer

A Place For Artful Ornaments

Sunshine and Joy

Peace, Love and Sparkly Stuff

Christmas Chalkboard Mural

Click here if you missed my Christmas Time At The Cabbage post in 2012.


Art Fairy Initial: V Christmas Ornament
Art Fairy Initial: V Christmas Ornament by Victoriart
Create your own custom Christmas ornaments online at Zazzle.



Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Hiatus


A few days after my last post on setting limits, something began troubling me. I began to wonder why, of all the things in the world I could have set limits on, I chose to start with books. Books, which have been my teachers, my life coaches, my best friends since the minute I learned how to read. Why should these steadfast companions be the first to go? Was I going about this setting limits thing all wrong? Shouldn't I be limiting the things that burdened me and not the things I enjoyed?

The truth is that when I don't have the proper time to do the things I love to do, they do become burdensome. They start to feel like more of an obligation, something I “should” do instead of wanting to. I couldn't let books become that to me and that is why I had to temporarily let them go.

I was still startled by that conclusion when my mind began wondering what else I normally enjoy that was starting to feel like a burden. I tried to stop it, I really did. I didn't want to know what my next sacrifice would be but my mind has a mind of it's own and just kept on without me.

Sadly, what it found was that keeping up with my blogging duties is starting to feel like too much for me as well. So much of the life I share here gets put on hold during this busy season that I find this particular blog very daunting. It seems to be demanding me to share experiences that I have yet to have or fully process and I feel it would be better to take a break than to do that.

Fortunately, this busy season will not last forever and I am learning that one of the wonderful things about setting your own limits is that they can always be changed or adjusted. The time will come soon enough when I will want to restrict other activities to once again make time for reading and for writing this blog. I'm sure by then I will have gained even more appreciation and enthusiasm for them and will enjoy them even more because of it.

I hope to have something to post here by late December if not before. In the meantime, I know I will be posting about my shops and all the great holiday savings deals coming up on my promo blog. It would also be a great time for you to look through my past posts and catch up on anything you missed or reread a post you liked. Perhaps you missed one of my 30 Days of Holiday Cards posts or maybe you want to check out my home gallery, my art studiomy chalkboard murals or visit some good fairies in my garden.

You can also find out what I'm up to by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful Holiday season.

Peace, Love and Art,

Victoria

Artistic Grunge Custom
Artistic Grunge Custom by kchippie
View Frame Dry Erase Boards online at zazzle

Time To Create Art Round Wallclock
Time To Create Art Round Wallclock by Victoriart
Browse more Abstract Wall Clocks at Zazzle


Thursday, October 31, 2013

Setting Limits


I did something kind of shocking this week (at least it was to me). I returned a stack of unread books to the library instead of renewing them. Also, I finished reading one book and did not start reading another. It's true, for the first time I can remember there is nothing on my currently reading shelf on Goodreads and no stack of books on my nightstand. I even put my Kindle away in a drawer.

Another thing I did that was out of character for me was to delete some classic movies from my DVR without watching them first. I almost couldn't believe I was doing it myself! What was happening to me? Had an alien taken over my body? Was I a victim of some secret government mind control experiment? Or is there an even scarier truth behind these actions?

Could it be that I am actually learning to set limits for myself? I thought that day would never come but I think it's true.

I have always been aware and even admitted here that I have had difficulty setting limits. The funny thing is that it is only now that I'm beginning to overcome this difficulty that I have any insight into it. The way I see it now, I had a very valid, logical reason for not setting a lot of limits in the past and that is this: I wasn't sure what I wanted.

As a person who wasn't sure what she wanted I think I was perfectly justified in my pursuit of more possibilities than I could possibly realize. I think it was my sacred duty to bite off more than I could chew. I even think it was not only advisable but necessary that I so often traveled from one extreme to another.

However, now I believe I have explored enough terrain that I feel comfortable choosing one path over another. I think I have seen enough of the big picture that I am able to decide which details I want to focus in on.

This doesn't mean that I will never read a book or watch a movie or try something new ever again. It just means that I finally feel that what I am doing right here and right now is enough. It means that, at least for now, I am ready to stop exploring and start getting somewhere.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Postcards From Victorialand

Having a wonderful time, wish you were here!

A message from my muse

Various paintings in various stages of completion

Words to live by


Between paintings

Another message from my muse

Art journal page for Brene Brown's Gifts Of Imperfection E-course

Musical Inspiration

Truth


Art Fairies At Work Pendant Lamps
Art Fairies At Work Pendant Lamps by Victoriart
Browse Inspiration Lamp-In-A-Box Lamp online at Zazzle.com

Thursday, October 10, 2013

My Magic Super Power

I just realized it's been two weeks since I wrote a post for this blog. I did write a post for my promo blog last week though. In it I talked about two of my friends who have magical, creative powers. And this week I wrote a post for The Mermaid Muse Blog about The Magic Mermaid Muse and how she is meant to remind us of the magic we have within us. I was also busy working on the Art Is Magic design you see above.

Are you sensing a theme here? Yes, me too. I suppose you could say it's just because Halloween is right around the corner or it's just a coincidence, but I don't think so. I think my bewitching muse is once again conspiring to remind me of something that I already know but somehow manage to keep forgetting and that is this:

Creativity is my magic super power.

It seems like an audacious thing to say but it's true. I'm very clear about this when I'm painting. There is something that happens then that lifts me out of my own limited thinking. When I encounter a problem or an obstacle on the canvas, I am always confident I will work my way through it. I have a deep conviction that if I just keep trying different things I will find something that works. I stay true to my vision but also remain flexible enough to welcome surprises. I will look at what I'm doing from many different perspectives, I will trust my instincts and, if nothing else works, I'm not afraid to start over. 

After I leave my art studio, however, I turn back into my mild mannered self; a girl with doubts and insecurities and problems that sometimes feel too big for me. Yet even then, creativity will eventually swoop in to save me. It just always takes so darn long for me to remember that I can use my magic super power for other things besides art.

Maybe if I start carrying a paint brush around like it's my magic wand or wear my artist's apron everywhere like a super hero wears their cape, I will remember to use my magic super power more often. Would that be too weird? Maybe so. Maybe instead I could just spend more time in front of my easel, more time getting to know that woman I become when I'm painting so I can learn how to be more like her when I'm not.

Is creativity your magic super power or do you have a different one? Do you forget to use yours too? Please feel free to comment.



Rainbows In Progress Lunchboxes
Rainbows In Progress Lunchboxes by time2see
Browse lunch boxes online at zazzle.com


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Back To The Drawing Board


The current chalkboard mural in my living room allows me to enjoy some autumn foliage when I'm inside.

The only formal art training I can claim is a drawing class I took for part of a semester when I was around twelve years old.  I remember being very excited about my first assignment.  I worked really hard on my drawing and was really proud to turn it into the teacher.  Imagine my shock and disappointment when I learned the grade I received on it was a D.

I wish I had that drawing now but I threw it away and didn't tell a soul about it. Instead I silently observed everything that happened in class and figured out that the teacher only gave the As out to the meticulous students who could draw straight lines without a ruler (and no extra credit for creativity).  I was able to conform to these standards enough to get a passing grade but I no longer enjoyed the class and by the end of it I had decided that drawing just wasn't for me.

Of course I eventually grew up and realized that I don't need anyone's grade of approval to do the things I enjoy.   I learned to create art my way and not to worry about conforming to someone else's standards or expectations.  Still, I have always been just a little more comfortable holding a painting utensil than I am holding a drawing utensil.

This fact made facing a chalkboard the size of a small billboard a little daunting at first but it has proved to be a really good challenge for me.  It has made me, both literally and figuratively, reach a little higher and dream a little bigger than I may have otherwise.  

So here's a look back at my first year of chalkboard murals.  I'm giving every one of them an A+ for being some of the best art teachers I have ever had.


My first chalkboard mural was a celebration of Classic Rock.  

My second chalkboard mural was for Thanksgiving

A Birthday Mural For Hippie

I managed to find a little time each day to draw a snowflake or two for this winter holiday chalkboard mural.


So far the prediction of this New Year's Eve chalkboard mural is holding true.

I'm convinced this Baltimore Ravens chalkboard mural somehow contributed to their Super Bowl win.


This spring flower themed chalkboard mural lasted through the spring and summer gardening seasons.

And then I took a little break before getting to the autumn chalkboard mural at the top of this post.

Click here to see more of my chalkboard murals.


http://www.ibelieveinartshop.com