With aging comes new perspective. Follow me with my daily journey and life as an artist and crafter.
This is my first post. A little about me. I am a senior citizen and at 68 while my body may be aging, I still love to try new things and experience all that life has to offer. My loves in life are my family, photography, art, crafts, camping, music and any other mischief I can get into at my age and get away with it.
I am a nut for cloud formations. As an artist I try to make anything look good. Being artistic brings out something in me that nothing else does. This is just the beginning so I hope you will keep coming back to see what I am into.
My sister and I departed early Friday morning enroute to Dix Park in Raleigh. This was not just any location. This location had a notorious history. This was the site of the first psychiatric hospital in North Carolina. It opened its doors in 1856 with Dorothea Dix at the helm.
I remember in college taking a tour through this facility with my pychology class. As soon as you walked through the doors and down the long hallway there were loud voices and sometimes even screams. We had heard over the years rumors of experimental treatments and abuse. This was a place right out of a horror movie. Even the short time our class was there you you never for a moment felt comfortable there.
If you walk out into one of the fields you can see the remains of the graveyard. Another creepy place as there are only scattered stones remaining. Most of the stones are from the 1800’s and,assumed to be, former patients.
The facility finally closed in 2012 putting an end to the dismal past. For three years only the hauntings remained. In 2015 the City of Raleigh purchased the property from the state with dreams of a new beginning hence creating Dix Park.
The city now has positive plans for Dix Park including its newist family, a troll family. Thomas Dambo the brilliant recycle art activist creates large scale wooden trolls. Now in black in white you can meet this frolicy family of trolls.
Dix
Dix proudly leads you into the forest.
Mother Strong Tail
Mother Strong Tail may be sleeping but her ears are open and her tail keeps her little one close by.
Dax
Dax is the one who runs off to play. If you tell him stay he says “no way”.
Dux
Dux is the quiet one all timid and shy that here you see he hids his eyes.
Daddy Bird Eye
Here sits Daddy Bird Eye with a limb in tow.
Don’t mess with his family or his temper he’ll show.
This whimsical family has turned this dismal place into a small piece of heaven. Thousands have already visited this unique family. Just look at this view. No longer a place of horror, you can sit on this hill and look at this skyline.
I have always been one who did not like looking at myself. Somehow as I have grown more artistic and have met other artists I realize that it is not an uncommon trait.
One of the things that was required of the artists in the master class series I have been watching was a self-portrait. It was not just a physical representation of themselves but also represented their artistic style.
Facing yourself in a portrait forces you to face your flaws and imperfections. By doing a self-portrait I had to acknowledge every wrinkle and layer of fat and you know how painful that can be.
Now that I have done it I get why it is important. I can’t fully understand or capture others until I can face my own imperfections.
Here is my self-portrait.
Not too bad for a 74-year-old I guess. I’m not perfect nor have I been or ever will be but Jesus loves me so I’m okay with who I am.
A new year is a chance to regroup, restart, and reignite passion for life. Have a great year.
Now that Christmas is behind us I’m looking forward to what I can create in the new year. I like to try my hand at different things. While I primarily concentrate on southwest art and landscapes I want to learn different techniques and venture into portraits.
How do you begin a new year of painting? I’ve been watching the Master Class Portrait videos and have been amazed by watching other artists. The techniques were varied and so were the results. One guy actually dripped wax on his canvas and painted the wax.
I like to sketch, sometimes just roughly and others I add colored pencils so I can see before I paint what kind of image I am going to have. It gives me a chance to play with the colors or toy with different techniques.
Color is everything.
In the new year, I want to explore all I can, try new things, and see where life leads me.
It has been my experience so far that the last strokes on a painting can make or break it!
This painting was actually done as what I refer to as a waste canvas, you know when you use leftover paint to create another painting. It had actually been sitting in my barn for over a year. I pulled it out tonight with the intention of painting over it.
Sometimes just relooking at a piece can be a game-changer. What just looked like a bunch of strokes before tonight was given life. Just creating an open eye made all the difference.
Delilah Duck
She’s not perfect. She’s not even pretty, but she is unique.
Never throw out a canvas. A second look and a few extra strokes might be your next sale.
Yes, it’s almost 3 AM and if I’m not creating art I’m thinking about it. If I’m asked to paint something that I may deem more difficult than normal I use visualization to make it happen.
Rather than risk a total failure if I am struggling with a painting I just have to stop and sit with my eyes closed and try to visualize what the object or person looks like. Not just a flat image but try to see the full 3D image. The mind can do it if you allow it to. Clarity in how an image looks can make the difference between a good painting and a great painting.
Typically I paint from photos but if I am sketching something freehand visualization helps a lot. Details can make all the difference. The one stroke that you miss can make a difference.
I am the world’s worst at finishing a painting too quickly. When I slow myself down and see the finished product in my mind I am much more successful at completing something saleable.
Take your time, see your success. It is reachable.
If you are a FB friend you have probably already seen this but I wanted to share with those who haven’t.
This tree is a very inexpensive gadget that is attached to my computer. The tree itself has no meaning but the star and the lights do. The star led humble shepherds to a manger bed and three wise men who had a lot to fear but risked it all to appear there. The lights like the colors of the rainbow remind us of God’s forgiveness. Jesus is the light of the world and as we celebrate his birth we need to remember this simple tree and what it means to forgive.
God bless each and every one of you. Be safe but enjoy life to its fullest!
Everyone has their own early morning routine. Mine is undoubtedly different from most people.
I get up anywhere from 5 – 7, go to my kitchen and grab a small pot and put on my stove. In this pot I put 2 cups of water to boil. When the water comes to a full boil I add 7 – 10 whole cloves and one teaspoon of honey. I let this boil for another minute and remove to steep for at least another 4 minutes. I know you are dying to know why! I have had IBS for more than twenty years which has been dormant for the last ten. Unfortunately I had been misbehaving and overeating which has triggered a flare-up. After seeing a few videos on clove water I decided to do my own research. What I found was pretty amazing. There are reports the use of clove water can help heal everything from minor stomach irritations, parasites (yes, humans get them from bad meat and dogs)Â to cancer. Well I am here to tell you it definitely helps IBS. I am on day 5 of the 14 day protocol and am already feeling a lot better.
I started using spices for healing about three months ago. Since adding the spices to my diet I have noted my age spots are getting lighter, my hair is softer, I am more alert, the benefits are just amazing.
When I eat breakfast I add 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric, black powder, ginger, garlic and cinnamon. These all contain healing properties like antioxidants that promote wellness. A few of them are a little pricey but cost far less than a doctor’s visit.
Do your own research and start your own journey down the path to better health.
With Thanksgiving past us, I have been frantically trying to tidy up my craft room. I am bad about starting a project getting bored with it and then starting another one. This week I have gone back and finished two projects.
Project 1 – Incomplete Wall Hanging
Reversible
I had already quilted this but needed to hem it all around and add tabs for hanging.
Project 2 – Table Centerpiece – Quilted
Respect For Farmers
This piece I had already quilted except for the border and the edge needed hemming.
While neither of these was a difficult project they were worth the time to finish.
You will be able to find these completed projects on my Marketplace page on Facebook.
Today like most days I am thankful that God has allowed me to open my eyes to this crazy world. While each day brings new challenges, it is so important that we don’t contribute to or fall prey to the negativity of our surroundings. We still live in a beautiful world.
Today and every day I am so thankful that I have a warm and loving relationship with my heavenly Father who sustains me through all things.
I am thankful for a loving husband. We all know how husbands are. He’s hardly perfect but he has walked this journey with me for the last 38 years. So far I haven’t killed him yet!
I am equally thankful for my two sisters who have always been there for me even on some very tough days. The rest of my family may be small but they are all loved.
I am thankful for my newfound friend and fellow artist, Maner Noble who has opened up a whole new world and opportunity to me. Her passion for art is only matched by her passion for life.
Today I am not feasting but will be doing other things to stay busy. If you are traveling today please be safe. As you sit down at the table today put Christ first. Allow Him to sit at the head of your table and your lives.
Lastly the feeling of love you get today needs to be shared every day. We ARE our brother’s keeper and the world definitely needs more love.
Through My Eyes 