Creative hibernation

It's been awhile. Art hasn't really been happening much in my life, but as the fall turns into winter months, I am hoping to take the few quiet moments I have and create a bit more. Here are some samples of what I have been up to... 

playing catch-up

Right now, I am playing catch-up. In work, at home, and anywhere else I can list. So, this will be a quick post with a few of the past challenges that I haven't shared yet.

Mooka Challenge

15 Minutes of Fame

Eggzzzellent

And that's that. As always, if you want to know more about these Challenges I keep posting about, please see Laura Harms' blog, where she posts a new challenge every week. Today marks the 20th challenge and it is so interesting to see how similar yet different people interpret each challenge she puts forth. It's a bit like life...it's all in the interpretation.

sharing the love...and art

This past week, I went out of town to visit my aunt in Maryland. She is pretty much my mother, as I lost my mother when I was young. My aunt now has Early Alzheimer's and Brian and I had planned to go as a family, but the high energy and noise level of little boys isn't very conducive to the confusion that comes with this disease. So, Brian suggested I go by myself. It was a quiet trip for the most part, as I went for walks with my aunt and helped her with things in the kitchen. We spent time talking, looking at old family pictures and just being together. It was also a lot greener there, as they are south from Michigan and their spring is about 2-3 weeks ahead of ours. It was refreshing to see all the flowering trees in full bloom there and I couldn't resist taking pictures. I don't know if I will ever be able to take such a trip again, but I'm very glad I went and spent that time with her.

One day, we went to the nearby azalea garden by Brighton Dam and it was fabulous. Azaleas of all different colors...just rows and rows of them. I got a few good shots and am sharing them below.

Paved with petals

Secret garden 

Collecting Nectar

On Saturday night, I also got to see old friends of mine who I knew when I lived out there. We were all nannies together and have known each other for years and years. One of them, Micki, had shown an interest in the Zentangles that I have been doing since November. She has always been artistic and is really talented in pressed flower art and wins ribbons frequently. So, after dinner, we camped out at the restaurant and I gave her a quick lesson on Zentangle. She has already posted some of her work on Facebook and I can see she will do fabulous pieces. She took to it like a fish in water.

It is exciting to share this art form and to see others get so interested and ignited with enthusiasm. I hope that my friend Kip's new studio space, Small but Mighty Arts brings about more of that. We all need a little art in our lives and the peace that doing creative things brings me really is essential for me.

Due to the trip, etc, I am behind on doing the diva's challenges once again. But, that's okay. May is a busy month with holidays, birthdays, events and assorted other things, so I will get them done when I can. Most likely in increments, as I do most things.

emerging green

Today, my family took our first hike of the season and it was wonderful. It was cloudy as we started out, but as we hiked through the woods behind our house, the sun came out and kept us warm. Calder insisted on being in the lead and I lagged behind, taking shots of this or that along the path. Brian and the boys would scout out things ahead and point them out to me as I caught up. A "new" kind of flower, some deer prints. Here are a few of the shots I took along the way. It was wonderful to see spring green emerging and some of the woodsy flowers coming up for air. A perfect way to be with my family this afternoon.

unfurling

our path

waiting branches

the cooperative one

forsythia

why linaee

So, why the name linaee designs? Way back when, I took graphic design, design and advertising classes in college. I loved it, but knew that the market was very competitive and ended up with a major in college that encompassed many different mediums...all of which communicate. Eventually, I made up business cards and with them came the name linaee designs. linaee is my mother's name, Elaine, rearranged. I always wanted to use it as a middle name for my daughter. But I figured my two boys wouldn't appreciate that middle name as much. So, there it is.

This week, I have been working on a Zentangle Inspired Art piece closely related to spring and Easter. Thank you to Laura Harms at i am the diva czt blog for the Challenge. This is Challenge #18. It isn't anything like a contest at all, so don't worry about pressure. But, it is immensely invigorating and amazing to see the vast variety of work that is submitted from one idea. Please let me know if you decide to participate.

I am also working on adding a Challenge page so that I have all of my Challenges in one place. So, stay tuned...oh, and are you now wondering what Zentangle Inspired Art is? Take a look at Penny Raile's blog for a good explanation.

my former life

In my former life, before I had kids, I was artsy. Artsy Fartsy, some might go so far to say. I dabbled in many different art forms, and felt at home doing most of them. I tried hard to break away from my perfectionist persona and just let it flow. Whether painting, drawing, writing poetry, making greeting cards, creating collage or altered books, I was at peace when I did these things. I was in the zone.

After years of devoting much of my time and energy to my family, I am excited to be dabbling again. A few years ago, a Friend from my Quaker Meeting came back from Friends General Conference and she had attended a session on SoulCollage. She shared some of her completed cards and I was intrigued. She allowed me to borrow her book and I began to do it. I shared it with a small group of women soon after.  Then serendipity stepped in and I found out that some of the women at work also had been doing SoulCollage. And, I began doing some of my favorite art pieces I have ever made. Small in scale, yet beyond my expectations.

Recently, in November 2010, my dear friend Kip introduced me to Zentangle. I was hooked immediately. While SoulCollage takes a lot of supplies, time and space, Zentangle is portable in the little mini kit that she supplied when I took her class. It also introduced me to a new way of being. A way to quiet my mind when I had been having some issue with doing just that as of recent. And, it brought easy access of art back into my life. Priceless.

Kip is now on the eve (practically) of her newest venture. She is opening an art studio called, Small but Mighty Arts. Thank you, Kip, and I can't wait to see what happens next...