Quiet Solitude

It’s overcast and chilly outside today. I spent the morning in the studio working on a painting and decided to call it quits around noon. I made spaghetti sauce, a vegetable soup and was just wondering what to conquer next when I decided not to conquer anything at all.

I made a cup of tea, picked up my knitting, lit the candles in the living room and settled into an afternoon of complete silence. No music, no phone, just the warmth of the tea, the flickering dance of the candles and the soothing rhythmic motion of the knitting needles.

When I push ahead and ignore the craving for solitude and quiet, I (and those close to me) eventually pay the price. I'm much wiser to give myself permission to enjoy an hour of alone time when I need it and return to my tasks refreshed.

Quiet and solitude: good for the mind and for the soul.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a refreshing day,

Sandra

Spring Decluttering

"In our rich consumers' civilization we spin cocoons around ourselves and get possessed by our possessions."
Max Lerner

First let me say, "Thank-you" to everyone who came out a couple of Saturdays ago to support La Maison des Arts Rive Sud small format exhibition. At the end of the day I was happy to return home with considerably fewer paintings than I had arrived with. That's a great feeling, not only because people liked my work enough to want to bring it home, but also because there is just a little bit more room in the studio.

You see, with the arrival of spring, with the opening of windows and feeling the fresh air circulating about the house, I get this overwhelming urge to declutter. What drawers are hiding old receipts, elastics, paper clips, wine corks and miscellaneous gizmos? What books can I pass on to others? What clothes need mending or haven't been worn for (another) winter season?

A lot of us like the idea of a minimalist home, or at least of an uncluttered home but we are stymied for a couple of reasons. The task seems so daunting that it is difficult to begin and/or we have attached sentimental feelings on to a lot of our junk (sorry but a lot of it is really just junk: faded, worn, stained, broken) I have things that I keep for sentimental reasons too, just not a lot of them. I have a couple of pieces of artwork from each of my daughters when they were little, my two favourites are framed; two little clay masterpieces round out my "kid art" collection.

When I jettison no longer needed items I feel liberated, lighter, and free. One thing I've noticed is that thinking about a serene, uncluttered home is a start but it will never happen until I get off my butt and start tossing things. It’s not easy to begin but the result is always worth the effort.

My cousin, Deb, has a great technique. She gets out a big garbage bag and determines to declutter until the bag is full. She does this regularly and her home feels and looks serene. So far I've filled a bag and a half.

If you need de-cluttering inspiration look at photos of rooms that are clutter-free. Imagine how wonderful it would feel to own only what you need (okay and maybe a few items that you love just because they are beautiful). Imagine yourself unencumbered by possessions both those you thought were a good idea at one time and those that you inherited. The memories are not in the items, they are in your mind and in your heart. So open the windows take a deep breath and liberate yourself and your home.

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Have a liberated day,

Sandra








 

Small Format Painting Exhibit

When: Saturday, March 17th 2012
Time: 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm
What: Small Format Painting Exhibition
Who:  La Maison des Arts Rive-Sud

Maximum size of paintings is 16" x 12" maximum price for student's work is $50. and for teachers $75.

Meet me tomorrow from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm at Les Jardins Interieur, 1705 Victoria Ave, Saint Lambert.

Small format paintings stacked and ready to go

Some of the small format paintings I'm taking to the show



Thanks for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Hope to see you tomorrow,

Sandra

Mixed-Media Figurative Painting

In my last post I wrote that I had been struggling with a figurative painting and that I had decided to let it sit for a while in the studio until I had some fresh ideas.

"Life Patterns"  18" x 36"
Mixed Media with Pattern Pieces
s. kingallikas

When I finally went back to it, I decided to begin from scratch and repainted a light coloured background over the previous work. I collaged some clothing pattern pieces onto this background and then with a diluted raw sienna, "re-drew" the figure; an ancient sculpture of a woman's torso.

It was interesting how the pattern piece for the bodice nearly lined up with the painted figure. With a few highlights and some additional fine lines that mimic the pattern pieces I felt the work was complete.

Detail of Painting "Life Patterns"
s. kingallikas

Grace getting in on the picture

I had an emotional moment when I stood back and realized that this piece contained much symbolism that spoke about issues so close to my heart. This painting speaks of transformation. The pattern pieces represent the patterns that we are often pushed into following for our lives. Well meaning teachers, family, friends commend us for following pre-established paths for living our lives "within the lines". The torn pattern pieces speak of a breaking of the rules, breaking free of the patterns that do not fit who we really are; how we try to find what is unique and authentic in ourselves and the struggle to piece together a life that is genuine, a mending of our hearts and souls to create a masterpiece that is uniquely us. I love the transparent unfinished quality of the work for we are all works in progress, incomplete, hopefully having a transparency or honesty that admits we don't have all the answers but that like others we are working our way along the path.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life Today.

Wishing you a wonderful day,

Sandra

Landscape Painting

I've had a fun week of painting.  I'm struggling at the  moment with a figurative painting that just needs to "rest" until I can come back to it feeling refreshed.  In the meantime I decided to just "play" with a large canvas (40" x 30") that already had a lot of history. 

I wanted to do something wild, abstract, playful. In the end it seems that "wild" just isn't in my nature!  I am pleased however with the resulting mixed media landscape.  My eye enjoys travelling around the painting exploring how the lights and darks are playing off one another and solving the mystery in the foreground.

Landscape #1201
Mixed Media on 40" x 30" Canvas

Next week I will re-visit my figurative painting challenge and with a little inspiration maybe I'll be able to find solutions to what is currently not working. 

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Wishing you a day full of inspiration,

Sandra

Tiny Practices

I don't know about you but sometimes I come across an idea that gives me pause to think. A topic that gets a lot of attention these days is that of instant gratification and how we in the developed world are so accustomed to having quick access to information, responses and material goods that we have diminished our ability to wait.



I'm like that. When I first began writing this blog I had just upgraded to high-speed internet from dial-up. Good-bye Dial-up. My expectations quickly adjusted and now I would be hard pressed to be satisfied with dial-up service. Likewise, it was less than 18 months ago that my husband bought me my first digital camera. I sometimes wonder now how I waited weeks (months sometimes) to have my photos developed.



To counter that tendency I like to find tiny ways to delay gratification. It is helpful to remind myself that most of the world doesn't enjoy even a small fraction of the luxury that I do (housing, food, clean water). About a month ago one of the drain pipes from our kitchen sink developed a leak; we decided we'd fix it the following weekend. As an interim solution we would use our dish basin as usual and just empty it into the laundry room sink. It’s surprising but I'm in no hurry to have that drain pipe fixed, I guess I've just grooved a routine and it seems automatic now. It’s a tiny thing but it is a reminder that many people the world over are hauling water every day in buckets.

I usually make my own whole grain bread and on Monday realized that I'd forgotten to buy more yeast. There was enough to make one small loaf. I knew that loaf would last only a few days but decided to wait until next shopping day to buy more yeast. I have to say I miss the bread more than the kitchen sink. There really isn't a substitute for bread, I checked my muffin, loaf and pancake recipes and they have much more fat and sugar than bread does. So I'm waiting for grocery day. What a small thing, I'm not going hungry and my cupboards are full of food. I think the waiting is good for me, so much of the world goes without, and many people are forced to wait with no certainty of when or where the next meal is coming from. May my tiny practices serve to make me more mindful and generous.

Wishing you a mindful day,

Sandra

Athena Fountain Inspired Painting

This is the third painting in a series that was inspired by ancient statues.  Having two figures made this composition more challenging than the previous paintings.  It was interesting to be self-aware and notice how I was trying to avoid working on the sketching part of the process.  I managed to find chores and make phone calls and then a cup of tea..... anything to avoid beginning.  Recognizing when procrastination is the result of fear can be the key to overcoming it.  I told myself, "Just do a little, put on the collage." 

When that dried I talked myself into "Just put on the background." 

With that done I went to my painting group Tuesday and with no way to avoid it, began to measure and sketch.  Slowly this week I walked myself through to completion.

Athena Fountain
24" x 24 "
Mixed Media

It was a good example of how my thinking can really limit me.  And a reminder that I would be wise to regularly examine the self-limiting inner dialogue that runs willy-nilly through my mind.

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May you have an inspirational day,

Sandra