Halloween Art

Just had to show you the pumpkins my 13 year old carved. There is an art to this- even if you are following a pattern!

The patterns were in an old folder; you tape it to the pumpkin and poke a bunch of holes around the design- then remove the paper pattern and set to cutting all the little pieces out.

It's weird- this child has very little patience for much, but for the past three years, pumpkins have commanded her full attention- and certainly command the attention of the adults taking their kids from door to door!

If you click on them, you can see a larger photo of them.

This is pumpkin number two- Heidi didn't want to carve hers, and Chloe didn't have a lot of time, so she chose an "easier" design... wouldn't have been easier for me, but compared to the first one she did this weekend, I guess it is easier...

Where does she get the patience?!?

I wouldn't even have considered it... and it even has a hanging spider.

She actually spent more time on these pumpkins than on her costume- because it isn't cool to have mom's help any more... but she was happy with how she dressed- and even more so because she was able to wear her footie pajamas underneath! lol

I had to cut her little friend off (she was dressed as a voodoo doll and looked great) because I don't publish other peoples' kids' photos without permission. You know.

Hope you all had a happy Halloween!

How do I know?

I don't have photos to post this time, because this is not about something I have completed or something I am physically working on. This is about something I am wondering about.

The biggest thing art has done for me, is bring me self-awareness. I don't even know how to fully describe it- it's like being awakened after a long, deep sleep.

Since moving here, I have been awake, aware- but I always have this feeling there is more. The problem is, I spent the first 40 years of my life ignoring my inner voice, not trusting myself or my judgement, not believing that I have anything worth saying.

That has changed since I married my husband and moved here to be with him. I have been here, in the US, in this marriage, in our home, for over two years now and I feel gloriously excited, because I know I am on the right path for me. I do have something to say, and I have so many ways to say it. I want to trust myself, if I can only figure out how to know when to really listen!

But how do I know when my inner voice is telling me I need to do something specific because it is where I NEED to be, and not just something that I WANT to do because now I can?

How do I learn to listen and really understand that voice, that intuition, the one that really knows what road is mine right now?

What approach do I take? Do what is calling to me and trust/hope that it is right? Do nothing because I can rationalize myself out of it, or find a reason why I can't do it? I am just afraid of wasting time on the wrong thing. I have already spent a lifetime doing that! lol

Maybe it's best to take that leap of faith and do what feels right. What is the worst that can happen? I learn something? I find the right road while I am on an interim one? Neither of those things sound very negative, do they?

Maybe if I can bring myself to be more open about learning- not only techniques, but about ME and what makes me tick, I will be able to create what a friend of mine calls Soul-Work, and I will be better equipped to deal with the emotional issues that need to be addressed in this household.

Okay- so when I look at it THAT way- what wouldn't I do to get there?

What's new and link to a giveaway!

Good morning Fellow Artistes!

I have been a bad blogger! My excuse is that my luncheon last week took up a lot of my time- and this week, I have been working away at a little Halloween scrapbook for my swap through Scrapzville.

Felicia at Scrapzville is an absolute wonder- if you like making mini albums, you will LOVE what she does and should go visit her blog to see her talent in action!

Last night was the meeting of a little art group I belong to. We started it about a year and a half ago, and there were about a half dozen of us coming regularly. Then we added some new people and lost most of the original members, so we still really don't have any kind of a mission statement or specific purpose.

Each of us is at a different place in our artistic journey, and many of our goals are different. But we always enjoy being together, so we keep going. Personally, though I don't have the time to commit to my creative side, (nor the talent to pull it off yet!), my art is very important to me. I NEED to always be making something, and it is is inspiring to surround myself with people who are like-minded.

We meet once a month and bring either works in progress for feedback, or work we have completed to show everyone.

I brought my Italy panels with me last night to show and get this: my husband was actually worried that I was taking them down for good! lol  He really likes them and was happy to know they were just leaving temporarily. It feels pretty great to have made something to hang in our home that he likes as well as I do!

Here is how they look on the wall- you can click on the photo to see it larger.

I have to tell you about a necklace that my friend was wearing to our meeting last night- she bought it at a little shop and it was made by a local artist. It says on the front: May I be excused? and on the back: Thank you.

How simple- and how funny! How many times a day, especially with two teenaged girls at home, do I ask myself that very question?! I think I need one of those to wear EVERY DAY. lol I bet everyone could think of a time that being excused from something would be just great!

And last, but certainly not least, you should go over to Artsy Butterfly- Cathy is having her very first giveaway, a couple of photo prints. The shots are both taken at night, and are simply stunning! Of course, I love photography and have never been able to take good night shots. I suppose I had better get going and take a course on how to use my camera properly!

You should make some time to look through Cathy's blog while you are there. She is a talented photographer with a great sense of humor, you will enjoy looking. And she has an Etsy shop in case you see something you can't live without!

So, at the advice of one of my fellow bloggers, Connie, at Dirty Footprints Studio- TURN OFF THE COMPUTER- GO MAKE ART!!! And that's just what I am going to do! Have a good day all!