More Christmas Mixed Media Collage Art

I can't believe October is almost over.

I'm on a Christmas roll over here.

Here are some colorful Christmas trees on wood.

Mixed Media Collage prints in the shop!

Celebrate new prints in the shop with a sale!

Buy 2, get 1 free.
Help me get to 500.
seriously exciting.

This is my favorite.

It has a great story behind it.

Thank you Cassie Ray!

Here are some of the others.

There is something so satisfying about picking up prints.

 Finished. Cross it off the list. Now let's brew some coffee & get ready for Queen Bee.

Let a joy keep you.

I have been stumbling into my studio in the wee hours

of the night in between feedings.

In the midst of exhaustion.

Because I find that I must create. I must. 

It's like breathing now. And I get antsy and depressed and feel icky without it.

And while I have no time or energy to create,

my muse is on overdrive,

filling up my head and heart with ideas and experiments to try.  

And so, against my better judgement,

I go in and tear up little pieces of paper

and lay them side by side and glue them together

and paint on them, then write on them,

then cover them up and start all over.

My little man who doesn't sleep or pee pee in the potty
who can throw a knock down, drag out tantrum in a single bound
who gets up at around 2 or 3 am every night to crawl in bed with us.
Last night at around 2 or 3 I was playing in the studio, which is right next to his bedroom,
 and he stumbled in and sat on my lap for a while I cut and glued and painted and cut and glued.

Then, he grabbed a piece of paper and tore up a little piece of yellow paper.
With such certainty and confidence he said,
"Momma, this piece goes here."

Then I gave him his own paper to make his own art
and over and over he repeated:
"This is my art. This is your art."
Sometimes he'd even throw in,
"Oh momma, I like that piece. That looks really nice."
"This is my art. This is your art."
And yes, I'm paying for it this morning.
but it was worth it.

Uncle.

Okay, um, this is hard. I said it. It's just hard.

One month old and a three year old who won't sleep and refuses to pee pee in the potty.

(We've only had 3 accidents today. good times.)

I keep telling myself I need to lower my expectations. drastically.

And then I think maybe I can take a shower or brush my teeth.

or maybe even ***here's where it gets exciting***

empty the dishwasher.

then all hell breaks loose and I go back to reminding myself to lower my expectations again.

all I really have to do is survive the 9 hours until daddy comes home.

I do find that Jack (my 3 year old) needs me more than he ever has.

That I need to sit down for extended periods of time and engage with him.

You be the mommy bird, I'll be the big boy bird.  

You be the mommy firefighter, I'll be the big boy firefighter.

and on and on and on. all day.
Reminds me of this great post.

And I need to be present for him and for me. 

I know this is a season of survival,

but I also know that it is a season to savor.

That it will be gone faster than I want it to be.
And my laundry will still be dirty.
But  it's  still hard.

Shop Update: New Dr. Suess Mixed Media Collages

These fun, new colorful prints of my mixed media collage

are now available in my shop!

Climb the Mountains

John Muir Quote

I've always loved these quotes by Dr. Seuss and I finally created

two new mixed media collages to go with them.

There is no one alive who is youer than you.

Dr. Seuss

I think I'll hang them side by side in the boys' room.

They are available in the shop as individual 8 x10 fine art prints, or as a set of 2.

Your mountain is waiting

Dr.Seuss

The original collages are available here too.

Your mountain is waiting!

So be on your way.

Gussy Link-up: Sunshine

Oops... I just noticed I wrote 2 days. Oh well.

See my post about perfectionism below...

Have a bright, bright sunshiney day... or uh 2 days.

In the Studio: Getting Unstuck

I was ready to burn these canvases.

ready to throw them out the window.

I could not get them right.

I started to play

not worrying, just having fun with
color and paper.
and this turned in to this...

which turned into this...

which turned into this...

 it is well with my soul.

my cup overflows.

after letting it sit and sit and taunt me.

it all fell together.

easily.

where did it come from?
i have no idea.

the best kind of creating.

it's just it's own thing.

It's a constant battle to suspend judgement
and just go with whatever feels right
to take risks and not just do
what is comfortable.


And I have to say,
I love working in a space that is
organized and makes sense.
It was so worth the time it took to my studio to this place.
It makes me happy just to be in here.

Sunday Scripture: Psalm 37

Happy Sunday!

The best way out is always through: Lessons from a Bear Hunt

We love this book.

Over and over and over again.

There's profound wisdom that lies hidden in it's pages.

Listen carefully:

Can't go over it.

Can't go under it.

We have to go through it.

The best way out is always through.
Robert Frost

I am an expert procrastinator.

Expert avoider of all things not-so-fun.

Show me something I don't want to do

and I'll show you 1,037 other things that must be done instead.

This was my mantra in college.

Mostly for writing papers.

I finally came to the conclusion (my senior year)

that the only way to finish a

paper/project/whatever

was to start.

Brilliant.

I know.

Can't go over it.
Can't go under it.
We have to go through it.

And I haven't been challenged

in the way that this artistic journey

challenges me since college.

Little mountains to climb, everywhere I turn:
taking decent photos of artwork
learning photoshop
learning blogger
learning etsy
packaging
publishing
marketing
shipping
printing
taxes
sales
mountains everywhere.

 And I have to climb each and every one in order
to do what I really want to do :
Stay home (part time) with my babies & paint.

And they are a gift
(these ugly mountains)

because every single time I come through

even the smallest of challenges

I'm so stinkin' proud of myself.

I did that. I can do the next thing.

yay me.
The best way out is always through.

Robert Frost
So what is your mountain today?

What do you need to get through to get where you want to go?

Does life imitate art or does art imitate life?

There comes a time in some painting (relationships)

when you just have to walk away.

leave it alone.

stop manipulating.

overworking

forcing.
fixing.

remind yourself again and again

that you've done the very best you can do.

that's all you can do.

it's time to move on.

to let go.
to surrender.

Um, sound familiar?

I told you it picked me.

I know you know what I mean.

I know you've been there.

And sometimes,

remarkably,

when you get

a little perspective,

a little space,

it comes to you
so easy
without force.

all of the pieces magically
fall together.

and sometimes.

it just doesn't.

ever.
come together.

and it's painful

and it's beyond your control.

and you still have to walk away and move on.

because that's how life is sometimes.

These are all bits and pieces
of paintings that I can't seem
to make work.
So I'm moving on.
Painting over them.
Making room for new things.

Play time.

I finally got a few hours in the studio to play

and I am a new woman.

It's been so long since I've really played.

really explored. really had fun.

really not cared about the outcome

just enjoyed the process of creating.

(Here are the crazy canvases I started with.)

Fall was hard.

I went back to work full time.

I got pregnant in September, which is a  blessing,

but I went into about a 3 month coma after that.

School. home. eat. asleep by 7:00
couldn't even make it to Jeopardy.

This was about all I could manage for 

October, November, December 

(I added a layer of paint.)

In January I came back to life

but spent every waking moment finishing this big commission

and other projects I had promised since way before my coma.

(Then some paper.)

I'm not complaining (I think)

because I'm so thankful for the work.

but that's what it was:

more work.

a labor of love,

but labor nonetheless.

so now that I am (almost) caught up with my promises 

(I have 5 baby gifts & a birthday gift to go)

I spent some time doing what I do best:

playing.

Never underestimate the value of play.

Mystele has so many wonderful things to say about this,

but it really takes me to this place

where there's no have tos

just pure fun.

(I wasn't sure where to go next, so I stopped. for now.)

I'm trying really hard to work quickly & intuitively.
To hold it loosely in my hands.
To let myself experiment.
To not overthink.
And it's fun.