Symbolic Moments

I have been reading the story of Diana Nyad and her quest to conquer the waters between Cuba and Florida. She tried it when she was 28 and had to give up, so she is trying again today. What makes this absolutely stunning? She is 60 and needs to see if she can do it. I cannot imagine the physical endurance and fitness this must take... some days every joint in my 52 year old body just aches.

She is hoping the this quest will be seen as a symbolic moment - nothing earth-shattering or politically moving. Just a event or accomplishment for human beings in both countries to appreciate - "a human moment between the two countries."

Life is full of these sorts of moments - some large and some small. Swimming the shark-infested waters of the Atlantic Ocean is a rather large "moment". My moments are much smaller, as I am sure most of us feel. As a matter of fact, I cannot think of anything symbolic or monumental that I have done in the last few weeks.

I have been feeling very disconnected and without purpose. We had a really lovely vacation trip to Bermuda and NYC, but I couldn't enjoy myself 100% - worried about money and feeling guilty about spending so much. So, it was not what I imagined it would be - my head was completely to blame, as it really was a great trip!!

It could be the really poor attempt Mother Nature has made to send a little summer sunshine and heat our way. We've had a few days in the last two weeks, but for the second year we have not needed fans to cool down.

It could be that my kids have been gone for three weeks - summer visitation with their dad - it's the first time they have been gone that long and NOT traveling. Weird to know that they are 10 minutes away and not at home. Today they left for another week on a church youth group mission trip to Leavenworth - which they go on every year and LOVE!! They'll be home for about a week and a half then they are off to dad's again and traveling to Canada for a family wedding. Then school starts and the madness begins. My son will be a senior and in about three months he will be 18 and I just keep wondering how that happened so quickly!

the kids and gang departing today

I am tired of my job... and while I do appreciate that I have one (so many don't) I just hoped that I'd be further along the road to doing something different. Life is full of adjustments and I find myself working my way through many this year.

I recognize that I am being a bit pathetic here. I think I need an Oprah intervention, you know "write 5 things you are grateful for each day". I really do have so much to be grateful for -

1 lovely home
2 a healthy family
3 kids who still talk to me and tell me "things"
4 a job
5 my creativity
6 my growing business through Etsy
7 sunshine
8 my friends and my First Friday night time with them
9 a juicy nectarine
10 the laughter of my children and the joy they bring me

Now, that's better!!

On the art front... here is the additional layering I've done on that larger piece I am trying out

before

and after

all for today my dears

Art Card Sale

I don't know if you all remember, but last year I took a class on how to turn your art into notecards - it was a gift from my girlfriends. So, I made a bunch of cards right away - then I gave some as Christmas gifts to family and friends. Listed a few in my etsy shop - I didn't sell any there. So for the last few months I have been sitting on them - not having the courage to peddle them to local card shops... that old inner critic at work :-)

This one could be for Bon Voyage or just dreaming of a trip

My version of a Father's Day card

Well, I bit the bullet!!! On Monday I whipped up a little flyer, saved it in PDF format and then set out an email invite to an open house/art card sale at my house on Saturday. I was pretty freaked out about hitting the send button - had to close my eyes and just do it.

The response has been pretty positive so far - many are out of town, but want to come to the next sale. Quite a few have promised to come and see what I've got. My friend Mary has offered to connect me with a friend of hers who has opened a new art studio in town - she is looking for art teachers and someone to share the studio space with. That could be really cool!

Anyway, I am nervous and excited - but I can't wait for Saturday!!

All for tonight my lovelies,
kso xoxoxoxo

New Art Attempt

This weekend has been very relaxing... three days of minimum work, no transporting kids, no cooking for kids - just me, myself and I. Spent the whole day yesterday working on my store and had one of my best sales days so far - very exciting!! Taking photos, uploading, packaging, and shipping - it's all very satisfying. I was hard at it until about 10pm and then I had to force myself to stop. Lots of new travel ephemera and a new batch of photo grab bags - check them out :-)

1965 Brochure for the Trans-Canada Highway - lovely

TWA City Map from the 1960's - very colorful inside with cool stewardess graphic images

Early 1900's authentic French Post card with a pretty long note on the back from an aunt to her nieces.

Today, I will be mowing the lawns today, going to get my passport photos taken downtown and then I'll be back to the business of art. Then a little creativity will continue... as in making some actual art. I am also finally trying to do some larger art pieces - just playing around at this point. Scraps, gesso, acrylic paint. I have been looking through my art journals for inspiration - this is what I have so far -

These are 12" x 12" plywood panels

I either painted with acrylic paint or gesso to start
Then I added a few scraps of papers. I will continue to add layers until I am satisfied :-)

I hope that you all have a lovely, creative day also my lovelies... kso xoxoxoxo

Gathering or Purging

Which is it?

I have been a gatherer most of my life. I am the great saver - of just about everything!! We moved on average every 18 months when I was growing up and that usually meant getting rid of things so we could travel lightly and cheaply. It got old and by the time I was sixteen I was done – I wanted to live with a different family and stay put. Over the years, I developed a simple way to get through it - I collected bits and pieces that could be kept in a compact shoe box - thus the ephemera addiction!!

When I discovered art journaling a few years ago I thought "Yeah!! Now I have a justification for saving things". The main problem with this is that you have to be very organized and/or you really should use it right away. Otherwise, you get overwhelmed by all the crap! I have reached that point and really need to let things go.

I have resolved to purge for the rest of the year. It's not a revolutionary idea for me – I’ve done it before. I have reached that stage in my life when I am no longer creating a home for my children to grow up in. They are each spending less time at home – school, friends, first loves and time with dad – it all adds up to more free time for me. I’m now preparing for the day when they will be leaving forever to make their own homes. I am thinking of downsizing and possibly traveling more, so I need to lighten my life and eliminate some of the clutter.

My son will be graduating high school next year and will most likely stick around and go to community college – he may or may not stay at home – he’s undecided. He is more relaxed in his approach to life - he really lives in the moment. He is a home body - and while he loved his trip to Peru last month, he missed his love and the cold, grey and dreary climate of Seattle.

My daughter - on the other hand - hates Seattle and can't wait to get to NYC. Her goal is film school - more specifically the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television. She is anxious to be gone and away from the drama that has been created by dad (and mom) battling in court, the weather, boring high school and she wants to be on her way.

Anyway, I appear to have more time to figure out what I want to do when I “grow up” and I do believe it will be traveling. I imagine working for a few months each year and then traveling for a few – nice dream eh? Or maybe just a little place to land for three quarters of the year – kind of cottage by the sea? I tease my son that all I really want is a little shed in his back yard – “You’ll never even know I’m there.” Then I can leave on a whim and have someplace to visit. Anyway, wanting to travel means not really needing much. I’ll do a little bit each week and eventually I’ll get there…

I have put a few things in my shop this past week – collage packs, vintage photos, british magazine pages, yearbooks from the 1940’s. I’ll keep purging and maybe someone else will treasure them or make something new with them – either way it’s time to move it all along to someone else.

Collage Packs

British Mags

Black and White Photo Packs - great price!!

The flowers are beginning to bloom, inspite of the crappy weather. It's getting a bit aggravating - one nice day out of seven. And it's almost June and the heat is still needing to be turned on - I see $$$$ floating away. It should be warm enough to forego paying to stay warm - where is the sun???? I am going to get back into posting more frequently - as things have settled down a bit here on the home front. I will also get back to posting art again, so stay tuned.

All for today, my lovelies,

kso

xoxoxoxo

Art Reception a Great Success

Well, I am feeling a bit less pressure today :-)

The big student art show that I work on every year is almost done - we had our big artist reception last night. Met many of the artists this year - so many of them showed up to meet the public. It was a lot of fun - and plenty of great art. Many who came to view could not believe that it was all created by 15 - 18 year old students... I felt the same way.

And then there is always that urban experience that happens in the city - the local skate boarder boys and the homeless contingent dropped in and devoured the food and drink offered to the art show patrons. Great juxtopostion of culture and grunge :-)

The evening was filled with live music provided by the BHS Jazz Combo - they performed to rousing applause and gave the whole art show a very coooool vibe! Five boys and one girl - fabulous musicians!!

We had a special room for veiwing student produced films. Five films which were really intriguing and thoughtful. Matt Lawrence who is the head of this department is a wonderful teacher - positive, engaged and enthusiastic. He has sent many students to NYU Film School and his students continue to win national awards for their films. My daughter is in his program and loves it - NYU is her new goal!!

The films were -

HENRY by Amelia Elizalde, Levi Friedman, Sean Hendricks, Sheridan Koehler - about our local Ballard artist who paints murals on just about any open, used space. Playful works of art that our local Seattle Times art critic hates!! The film was a contrast of interviews between her and Henry.


BURSTING by Misko Crkon, Alex Johnston-Thomas, William Westgaard - a techno visual music video. Reminded me of a 1970's drug induced experience - really cool!


WITHOUT OUR CARS by Sydney Jarol, Dylan Miller, Ryan Zemke - about the bike community in Seattle and the movement to get people out of their cars.


REAL WORLD by Matt Law-Phipps, Tony Meyer, Ryan Zemke - a dramatic story about why it's important to get an education and enter the real world. You really cannot get a job when all you do it play with your Legos, video games and hang out with your friends :-)


REVERIE PORTAL by David Moore, Kenji Takada-Dill, Blair Scott - my fave!! An abstract film that follows a boy and a girl throught the woods to a door and heartbreak. The filming was beautiful with many interesting angles, shots and movement!


Last week a couple of us Art Boosters were interviewed by the Ballard News Tribune and I was quoted - kind of cool!!


Today it is once again raining - blah... it just doesn't seem to ever stop!! I
am going to hole up in my house and work in my journal - I have lots of
catching up to do.

All for today my lovelies,
kim
xoxoxoxo

The Last Few Weeks...

This is what I have been working on - the Student Art Show for Ballard High School. It's sponsored by the Seattle Public Library and takes place in conjunction with the Ballard ArtWalk that takes place on the second Saturday of the month. Every May, for the past five years, we have partnered with them to showcase the artwork of our local high school students.

This year 55 students contributed ceramics, photography, fine art, jewelry and video shorts to the show. That means there are over 250 pieces of some form of art to display.

We are having a reception this Saturday evening - live music, food and drink, a "Showing" of the films and lots of fabulous art to view.

So, in preparation I've been picking up, cataloging, tagging, pricing, transporting, setting up and then standing back and admiring all this artistic glory!! I had many helpers, for which I am truly grateful!!

It is a mammoth job. I will relax a bit on Sunday. But for now here's a small look at what these kids came up with this year...

On the art/business front I am continuing to purge things that I will never be able to use in my lifetime. I am selling little packets of vintage photos in my etsy shop

25 random photos for $3.75 plus shipping - that works out to 15 cents a photo - a bargain!! I went through this phase a couple of years ago and bought way too many - time to move them on to another who will actually do something creative with them. Take a peek :-)

All for today my lovelies,
kso
xoxoxoxo

A Lovely Dream: The Poodle and the Baby Head

Suzi Blu is having a give away if you post this button. And since she is the reason I became an art journalist I thought I would put it up today. I think is was about 4 or 5 years ago I stumbled onto her and the rest, as they say is history. She inspired me to start making art just for myself - that, and I love her art. I love her quirky, honest spirit!! I have a Suzi painting hanging over my bed - it was my birthday present to myself for my 50th :-))

So go check her out, grab the badge and link to her blog by tomorrow night and you might be the winner!!

all for tonight my lovelies,
kso
xoxoxoxo