Thursday, July 3, 2014

Decked Out

Before: Our Deck in April 2014

 It was love at first sight.  The moment I set eyes on my deck I knew it was the one; the one place where I would spend all my leisure time every Spring, Summer and Fall.  Yes, I had big plans for us: tea in the morning, reading in the afternoon, wine in the evening, holiday parties and weekend cookouts... this deck and I were going to have some fabulous times together!

 Unfortunately, not many of these plans came to fruition.  I did enjoy my deck when I had the time but that was an all too rare occurrence.

 So this year I decided I was going to make the time so my deck and I could reach the potential I saw for us at the start.  Of course that meant a bit of a makeover was in order.  Not much was needed to turn this space into my dream oasis, just some color, pattern, light and a few accessories.  And now I'm happy to report that my deck and I have been spending lots of quality time together.

 Here's some photos of my newly decked out deck:
After: My Outdoor Oasis in July 2014
Evening Oasis

Dining Area

Dining Area In Evening
Buffet and Lounge Area

Lounging Area In Evening

Accessories that I designed myself
A few more favorite details

Note: This was #10 of my Top Ten Posts of 2014. Click here for an update with more photos.
Purple Patina: Mosaic Pillow
Purple Patina: Mosaic Pillow by Cabagelow
Look at other Boho Pillows at zazzle.com








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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Chaos and Calm

"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."
- Stephen Sondheim

Chaos In Progress

A musician I used to know once told me that for him playing the guitar was like meditating. I wanted to reply that it was the same for me and painting but I realized that wasn't entirely accurate. The truth is that painting, for me, is more like an exorcism!

More Chaos

Things get a little chaotic in the studio sometimes when I am painting. I take a lot of my emotions out on my poor canvases. The other night I even flung one of my paintings in progress across the room, by accident, of course.

Chaos and Calm - Acrylic on 11x14 Canvas

However, there is always a calm after the storm - a point where the colors of whatever I'm feeling begin to take shape on the canvas and start to make sense. It's then that I can get down to the more quiet, focused work that is in fact meditative for me. Though I have to admit that sometimes I enjoy the chaotic part just a tiny bit more.






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Friday, June 6, 2014

Top Eleven Pins

It's always amazing when I see that someone has pinned or repinned something from this blog on Pinterest. It makes me feel a little less alone in this vast universe to know that someone else shares my tastes or is inspired in even the smallest way by something I did. That just makes me smile.

 I felt I could use a couple of extra smiles today so I decided to make a list of my top eleven pins from pinterest.  I hope you find it "pinteresting"!

 #11 From Gardening With Claude and Frank




#10 From Chasing Butterflies
#9 From Art Quote: Trust




#8 From The Cabbage Gallery


#7 From Once Upon A Time In My Garden


#6 From Garden In Progress: June and July


#5 From Creative Organization




 #4 From Bathroom Metamorphosis



#3 From My Perfectly Imperfect Art Studio


#2 From The Cabbage Gallery




#1 From Christmas Time At The Cabbage




Click here to see more pins from this blog.
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Monday, June 2, 2014

Garden Views: Spring

"All gardening is landscape painting." -William Kent

 Working for my muse has not involved a lot of painting, drawing or designing lately. Instead I have been spending most of my time digging, planting, pulling weeds, cursing, pulling more weeds, pruning, trimming, mulching and watering - then resting, admiring and daydreaming - before getting back to digging, planting, etc. This exhausting, often frustrating, sometimes tedious but extremely rewarding creative process is also known as gardening and I think I might be addicted to it.

 I hope you enjoy these photos of the labor of love that is my garden:
View from the garden entrance.

View from the back of the garden.

Every day is a party in my garden. :)

The Good Fairy Garden

This Saint Francis Statue is a new addition to the garden
Rambling Red Roses




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Monday, April 21, 2014

Trust The Process


I love it when I get something right on the first try but that only happens when I have no idea what I'm doing. Lucky mistakes, happy accidents – these are my saving graces, my spirit guides, my breakthroughs. Without them everything is too predictable. With them there are doors that open and clouds that part until my way becomes clear.

Practicing hand lettering

In the meantime, I practice, I play and I struggle. The struggle used to annoy me but now I choose to be comforted by it. I choose to remember that on the other side of every struggle I have ever had, there has been a breakthrough.

Playing with markers and glitter pens

It could happen at any time, in a moment of inspiration or a flash of frustration, and then everything will click into place.

Until then, I just need to keep going and trust the process.







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Monday, April 7, 2014

Art Studio Redo

It has been a long and at times frustrating process but I think I now have the functional and fun art studio space that I always dreamed of. It is the perfect place for me to create and imagine and dream and create some more.  I couldn't be happier.


Before: Closet to the left of the entry took up a lot of space.


After: No more closet, allowing for more light and space.


Before: Again the closet and it's rainbow walls.

After: The New Victorialand with chalkboard wall, work table and sink.

It took me months to find this table but I think it was worth the search.

The biggest change and challenge of this project was adding this sink.  I'm so thrilled to have it!

The cork wall was a fun project.  I'm sure I will be filling it up in no time.

Hippie added casters to my easel so I can work anywhere in the room.

My cat Poe is happy to have her chair back.  Pink is her color.
Note: This was my most popular post of 2014.  Click here to read more about my art studio redo!



Create Art Every Day Tee Shirt
Create Art Every Day Tee Shirt by Victoriart
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Thursday, March 13, 2014

Enough

I have been trying to write this blog post for awhile now. I wanted to tell you about this revelation I had recently that working for my muse is about so much more than producing art; that my muse doesn't just demand paintings from me but also expects me to take advantage of the beauty around and within me every moment of every day and in everything I do.  Does this sound familiar?  No wonder, as I have had this same revelation many times before. It seems this journey I am on keeps leading me out to the wilderness and then taking me back home to the same realizations again and again. I suppose this is how all well worn paths are made.

Still, I can't help but ask myself, why am I so forgetful? Why do these simple truths keep eluding me? The answer is I don't forget, I doubt.  And the truth doesn't elude me, I elude it.  I elude the truth when I listen to other peoples' advice or opinions instead of my own inner voice. I elude the truth when I listen to that ever present mantra of my ego (aka the anti-muse): Not Enough.

Yes, somehow the notion of Not Enough validation, approval, recognition, support, organization, salty snacks, glitter glue or any number of things I don't really need becomes a reason to doubt everything I know and not move forward. How ridiculous is that?

Fortunately I have my muse to nag me and lead me back to the task in front of me. Only then, as I stand fully in the moment I'm in and do the work I really want to do, do I remember that everything I am and everything I have is exactly enough.

That's a nice truth to come home to. Hopefully, I can stay in it a little longer this time.

 Note: Thank you readers for making this my fourth most popular post of 2014.  Click here to read more of my thoughts on being Enough.




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