ORIGINAL BLISS

A Poking in the Empty Spot

The theme of the weekend has been "spending time together". Since getting off work Friday night all through Saturday, Saturday evening and today it has been all about gathering with friends and family and being together.

Friday night - an evening "choir practice" with co-workers. Saturday, shopping and errand with family. Saturday evening, wine tasting with my Dad and his high school buddies. Sunday, a long walk with the hubby and a group-effort home cleaning.

Lots of laughter and sharing.

It feels good. Even just doing the mundane together... with people you love... is fun.

I have noticed a growing need within myself for more "community".

I left organized religion - church - several years ago, because even in "new age" church there is hypocrisy.  I expect humans to make major dumbass mistakes, but to preach to others not to make them, then make them yourself and not take responsibility for them was a MAJOR dealbreaker for me. 

But I miss having a common purpose with others - working together for a common good.

This weekend of working and playing together has poked at an empty spot within me. 

Something for me to ponder....

My "Happy Elephant" Image within and Image Collage is for the prompt from last week. I arbitrarily chose an elephant. When I am in the process of collaging I am drawn to images and called to place them in certain spots, but don't really know why until later.

I didn't know why at the time, but after writing my post today I realize "Why the Elephant"...

Elephant females spend their entire lives in tight-knit family groups made up of mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. I lived my childhood and adolescence in a tight knit matriarchal family group and it is something I have missed for several years.

Other symbols in this collage that stand out to me now is the 3 of die and the female with the open heart chakra sitting in the belly of the beast.  I do feel like this open-hearted woman sitting within the belly of the beast, especially in my career space. I also feel like the matriarch of my little herd of three daughters.

Here are some other Image Within an Image Collages and links to the artist's site. I hope they inspire you to try it YOURSELF!!!

 

Tree of Lost Dreams - Susan Bee 

Debi - The Star Box

 

"Lucky" by MICHEL KECK

Has a whole series of fabulous dog collages available for purchase at Modern Dog Art by Michel Keck

 

Prompt for May 31, 2009

I SPY

Before going out into the world; on a walk, bike ride, running errands....

set an INTENTION TO PAY ATTENTION

Tell yourself - I will really notice the little things and find a treasure.

When you see something on the ground - pick it up

If something catches your eye and inspires you, take a snapshot.

You will be amazed at what inspiring nuggets are revealed to you.

Use that inspiring nugget to Un-Blank your page.

Maybe it's the color, or the pattern, or the design. Maybe you use the nugget itself in the page.

Your soul will show you!

Namaste,

C H E Z

In Memorium

Today is the day we honor and remember our slain defenders.

Today, Jeff and I stayed in bed well past noon.
Talking and planning.
Laughing and dreaming...
ever grateful that my soldier was alive and well
and home
while others are still in foreign lands...
in harm's way.

There are several things that inspired my Soul Journal page today.
First, my husband's service in Iraq.
Jeff did a lot of heroic things during his tour in 2005. His combat stories - of course.
His putting shoes on children... (photo and article)
But the fact that when he came upon injustice and cruelty, he did not stand by and allow it to happen. He took action and told somebody. It was a decision with severe repercussions and it put his life at risk. But it was absolutely the right - heroic - thing to do.

I am most proud of him for that.

As synchronicity would have it, I happened upon this poem this morning that put words to my feelings about this day.
If You See Something Say Something

Last, I used the "Un-blank the Page" prompt I suggested last week. I found a face, gessoed and altered it, added doodles and words and VOILA!

 

Here are some images using the Magazine Portrait prompt from last week to inspire you to try it YOURSELF!!!

 

Kerri Possen

 

Joyful Ploys 

 

My Little Bit

Prompt for May 24, 2009

IMAGES WITHIN AN IMAGE COLLAGE

Find a simple symbol that is speaking to you. A tree, a heart, the sun, the moon, a bird, a fish or another animal. Some symbol that you have been drawn to for a a while.

Prepare your page with a background color and let it dry.

Go through your magazines and cut colors, words, and images that you are drawn to. Do this quickly. Don't think too much about it. 10 minutes or LESS!

Paste or glue down your images and words in a way that creates the symbol you have chosen.

Namaste,

C H E Z

Market Day!

"Market to market to buy a fat pig, home again home again, jiggity jig."

So..... Jeff and I were up at 0500 this morning getting ready for our first Farmer's Market. We've never done this before, the whole find your plot, set up, deal with wind, cold and heat thing before!

In many ways it was stressful. But mostly it was fun.

 

We met a lot of COOL people, and we people-watched which was --- in-ter-esting.

We were blessed with about 15 kids in the tent at once, trying to touch --- well, squeeze and poke --- all my fine art pieces. Thank goodness the Phyllis was there! She was a big help teaching them how to appreciate art with their eyeballs, not their fingertips!

Now we are home. Just the Jeff and Me. New product is on the ETSY and the couch beckons!

Un-Blank the Page

In the workshops I teach, I always ask "What stops us from creating?"

What are our blocks?

Being creative and expressive is a natural state - a state of PLAY. So what makes it so HARD?

"I don't have time."
"I can't draw."
"I can't write."
"I don't have ephemera, and I don't know what that is."
"I'll wreck the page... I'll ruin it... It won't be pretty."

But the biggest block for "non" artists (which are fictional, by the way) and people brave and truthful enough to call themselves "artists" is:

Click Here

In it's natural state, The Blank Page appears quite harmless, almost peaceful.

How can something so neutral cause such fear and trembling to render the creative spirit mute and incapacitated?

In my workshops, the first step is always UN-BLANK THE PAGE!
Write on it.
Scribble or doodle in pencil.
Paint a color wash on it.
Cut and paste some ephemera or gift wrap on it.

Whatever you do... UN-blank it.
It disarms it.

For some of you (alright, maybe many of you) your blanknophobia is so persistent, abnormal, and irrational that you need a little shove onto the paper.

I get it.
I need that too - all the time.
SO!

I have decided to post a Page Prompt once a week on the blog.
There are many prompt sites and many inspiring blogs in the blogosphere. Each week... on a day off... as I am a full-time working mother of 4... I will post a prompt that will help you un-blank your page.

These will be visual prompts rather than writing prompts. Our brains lean to the left - where language resides. It is easier for us to find something to say in writing than it is in image. My theory is once you get your creative on the paper, you'll know what - or what not - to write.

 

May 17,2009

MAGAZINE PORTRAIT

Troll through your favorite magazine and find a face that grabs your attention.

Color your page with a color or gesso.

Using gel or matte medium, paste your image onto the page.

ALTER the face - using gesso, acrylic, or collage a face using other face parts, like a Mr. Potato Head.

Continue playing until your soul says "Done"

If you create a altered magazine portrait and would like to share, please share a link to your image in the comment field.

Namaste,

C H E Z

Seven Souls a'Speaking

 

"Super WOman" by Cindy

Today was a glorious day.

Beautiful weather and the company of seven fabulous women who reclaimed their inner artist!

It was a pleasure sharing journaling techniques and ideas with them and watching how in just 4 short hours, they could move from unsure of themselves to totally impressed by themselves! Shelby, Delilah, Renea, Natalie, Cindy, and Kathy, thank you so much for sharing your Saturday, talents and enthusiasm with me.

Kelli - thank you for opening your spectacular home to us for the morning. It provided a perfect, inspiring setting!

ENJOY!

"Full Heart and a New Bike" by Delilah



"Puppy Love" by Natalie



"Kismet" by Kathy



"Guess" by Renea



"Treasure" by Shelby



"Pleasure" by Kelli


And last but never least... Our two Artistas-In-Waiting!


Olivia the Firecracker


Isabella the Elf

Namaste,

C H E Z

Life is a Zit!

Have you ever had a zit?

You know, the huge cyclopes kind -in the middle of your forehead - that doesn't have a head on it so it just keeps engorging - and throbs - and gets all red and angry?

This has been my life:
A raging boil filled with a laundry list of festering issues that cannot find relief.

Hopefully, you are not eating breakfast right now... because that is one unappetizing image!

Some of you may be thinking I am exaggerating or being melodramatic.

Those of you who know me in real-life (rather than blog-life) KNOW: The past year and a half I have been walking around with a Category 4 hurricane over my head. Seriously, I either really pissed the Universe off in a past life or THERE IS A PURPOSE in all the catastrophe.

Well, the zit that is called my life finally got a head on it.

Jeff was told last Thursday that he is being laid-off July 1st.

Like the Tower card in the tarot deck, everything that we've built is starting to really crumble.

AND I AM FEELING NOTHING BUT JOY!

Really!
I have felt light and enthusiastic all week.
Fear that has been paralyzing and suffocating me - lifted - and I feel a strange freedom.

I know the Shannanism is gross - but isn't it true: nothing is better than a zit with a head on it.
It could get really ugly and messy, but relief is on the way!

Namaste,

C H E Z

Working My Fingers to the Bone

I am a maniac around the studio these days off! I am preparing for me "Letting the Soul Speak" Journal Workshop in Livermore next Saturday. Finishing my Powerpoint, loading it to the iPod, gathering "goodies" for "goodie gifts" for attendees, and making my list of things to bring!

I am prepping the page we will create together that morning. I am calling it "Manifest!" It will be created the way the piece above was created, with writing and layers, tinted gesso and image transfers, ephemera and cutting, and sewing back together again! Very fun!

If you have thought about coming but haven't paid yet. You can pay me at the workshop, just RSVP with me so I have a head count and can't close the reservation list! MUAH!

I am really excited.

ALSO, I was asked to participate in the Stockton Farmer's Market and Art Walk. So I have been really really busy creating adorable and interesting recycled paper earrings, framing art, packaging art prints, pricing inventory, creating my banner and tent, figuring out merchandising, reordering business cards, and making charm necklaces with my art.

I am super excited. I love the energy of the market place, the friendly people, being outdoors, aroma of food and coffee and fresh flowers.

My first morning at the Farmer's Market will be Friday, May 22nd... if you live in the Central Valley try to stop by!

Going to take a break from all the work so go see Star Trek!!!!!!! Veeerrrryyyyy Excited!!!!!

Namaste,

C H E Z

Can You Handle This?

Anyone ever hear this one?

"God will not give you more than you can handle."

Who came up with that crap?

Actually, it was Saul.
You all know him as Paul. But I still call him by his given name, Saul, as I have always been a little suspicious of people who work under an alias.
Starting off as a tax collector, falling off your ass, changing your name, and becoming a preacher.... hmmmmmmmm...
sounds a little shyster to me.

This comes from Saul's first letter to the Corinthians:

"God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with your testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

I completely disagree with the first part of Saul's platitude.
God doesn't test us.
And God doesn't protect us from being over-tested.
So how do you know you have finally been tested beyond your strength?
Do you curl up into the fetal position and spontaneously combust?

Indeed, people are tested beyond their strength much lately.
Haven't we been witness to this?

What I do agree with... though it pains me to admit to agreeing with Saul...
there is a way out that I am better able to endure it.

HUMOR!
Thank you, God, that I can see the absurdity that burdens me and that I can laugh in it!
LOVE!
Thank you, God, that I can kiss and hug and cherish my family!

MARGARITAS!
Thank you, God for the succulent agave that when mixed with tangy, lemony, limey goodness makes my burdens feel lighter!

;-)

Cheers!

C H E Z

My FAVORITE BLOGGER in the blogosphere, Genie Sea at Reality Insanity bestowed this lovely award upon my humble little Original Bliss. Thank you, God, for awesome women, like Genie, who fearlessly share there gifts freely with the universe! Her art is awesome. Her writing glorious. Not only do I love to read her blog... I love to read her comments on other blogs. She has a magical way of making people feel special.