Leonids Meteor
stock photo
I happened to wake up at 4 a.m. & looked out the window & saw the meteors. How inspiring! Unless we are star gazers, we don't usually see the awe-inspiring spectacle of the stars and planets in the clear night sky. They are a hidden gem of nature to us. How wonderful to be able to open one's eyes and see the hidden things all around us: the sparkle of the sun on a patch of snow that we usually walk right by, our minds on our errands or a problem, the raven strutting across the yard, or the laugh of a friend. I'm glad I looked out the window. I could have jumped right back under the duvet as it was quite chilly, but I would have missed the sight that will be an inspiration for a painting! We must remember to put the looking for hidden gems in our daily planner next to the errands & appointments!
"Winter Medley," ink & acrylic on wood
Judith, Oct. 09
In my on-line art marketing class today, I will learn about bragging rights! Ouch, I was carefully taught as a child not to brag! Yet, I will learn to tout my work more. Here goes ~ I was accepted by Art-O-Mat to be one of their artists. My goal now is to paint 50 original paintings in a short order of time! Do go to their web site http://www.artomat.org/ & see where there is an art machine near you. It's so much fun (now I'm bragging about them!). Remember those old cigarette vending machines, those of you old enough? They are outlawed now, but the chap who owns Art-O-Mat has bought them up & has converted them to vending art, each piece original, for $5 each. Now, you can't say art is too expensive to collect!
The piece above that got me in was inspired by my beautiful Taos Mountain and my gorgeous, giant blue spruce tree in the unusual early snow storm here. Now, we have Indian Summer & I found some blue bird feathers on the mesa yesterday. How will I incorporate those into my art? The art muse will tell me in time. Also, just started A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book. Amazing writing! May your creative week be so inspiring.
"Misty Meadow," ink on paper
4x6", '09 by Judith
There's a book being passed around among a few of us at the book shop, Translate This Darkness, The Life of Christiana Morgan, The Veiled Woman in Jung's Circle, by Claire Douglas, Princeton Univ. Press, 1993. It's in my hands now & is creating a stir within me, questioning where I am in life. Christiana was the same age as my grandmothers. Yet, in spite of "the subtle footbinding of her talents" by her family and society, she paved the way for women to become more, just like her contemporary Georgia O'Keefe in art. Yet, she could only break-out so far, and only with the help of others. I wonder how far my generation has really come in spite of women's lib? I'm not sure. I was never a strident feminist, yet I'm glad I can be more than my generation dictated, which wasn't much at all. And, where do we go from here? I don't have what it takes to act like a man, like women lawyers & politicians seem to have to do. How can one stay a sensitive, creative woman in this world & yet make her mark? That goes for all the sensitive, creative men too by the way. I suspect we each have to create our own unique self and hope it takes us as far as we dream. I'll let you know if I ever have an answer. In the meantime, create and develop your talents each day, without fail, especially in the middle of broad existential doubts and questionings!
It is Indian Summer here in Taos after last week's snow! Gorgeous and inspiring.
Be inspired!
