A Painting a Day....

"Simply be present with your own shifting energies and with the unpredictability of life as it unfolds." 
~Pema Chodron

A painting a day....morning self portrait

September was my last writing....a lot has happened in that small span of time. My residency is quickly coming to an end and the new year is coming sooner than I had anticipated.  In the midst of research towards my next step I had put myself in detention. Basically, I told myself no making until all the paperwork and research was done! That lasted maybe a week...and now, I'm full speed ahead with a new line of work.

I'm not exactly sure how it happened...but I do know that I have reconnected with my love of drawing and painting the figure. I set a goal for myself to try and do a painting a day...and wow, has it influenced my work and my days immensely! It has been hard to find models in this small town, so I turned to painting myself and some of the people around me. 

                      The Work: It's like looking at clouds....so much seeing, imagination, intuition, and spontaneity. 

Creating the fluid watercolor designs of my sketchbook on my pots, then just going with it! At moments I feel like I'm experiencing an identity crisis as I recognize the strong contrast of this latest work with my past work...but my friend Carolanne reassured me with great words, "You are just exploring!  You are backpacking through the pottery forest. That's what an artist does! Take this opportunity to try everything - go everywhere!"

I look back and I remember about 3 years ago working with Linda Arbuckle during a workshop and asking her and myself a lot of questions...."why so much color, so much design, so many lines and figures in my sketchbook and none of that on my pots?" (Actually, I wrote about it at the time on my site.)
Maybe, I wasn't ready...that's where I was at the time, this is where I am at the moment, and we will see where I go.