Day 21 Joy

Today's joy is color! (and new art supplies!)
I've been wanting to try pan pastels, so I got some. They are so pretty and handle so well. Oils will always be my love number one but these might become a solid second.



I can't believe there is only one more week in Soul Coaching...it's been so extremely relevant and insightful, once again.

Day 20 Joy

Today's joy is friendship. I am the kind of person who has a few close friends rather than a wide circle of acquaintances.

I always appreciate and value friendship very deeply...especially because I spent many school years without many friends.

My friends rock and I am so blessed to have them in my life.

Day 19 Joy

Today's joy is giving- specifically, giving blood.
Needles scare me very very much but I still do it because it's so important.

Please give blood!!

It's somwhow fitting that the focus in Soul Coaching today is about facing our own death, and the blood drive at work was today. I hope my blood helps someone.

And even though my blood type is B Negative, I really advocate being a positive person, even when I don't particularly feel like it. This Be Positive junk is hard work- but worth it.

This joy journal has been really helpful the past few weeks, because I have been feeling blah, have had some rough days, and overall have not been feeling particularly joyful- but this is helping me balance my perspective.

Day 18 Joy

Today's joy is winter. I love winter.

Day 17 Joy

Free Food! It's hard not to feel joyful about free food.

My co-worker and I nabbed an whole entire Bella Vita pizza that was left over from a meeting.

Best of all I didn't even have to go to the meeting!

Day 16 Joy

I am NOT feeling very joyful today, it's been a rough day.
But every day, no matter how crappy offers joy somewhere, I guess it's a matter of looking for it even if you do feel shitty.

So, um, I'm looking around and back through my day.

Well, i'm pretty healthy so I'm going to feel grateful and joyful about that.
Because I'll happily keep my shitty day rather than exchange it for being sick or in the hospital.

Day 15 Joy

Joy is oil paint, fresh air, gardens, and wonderful trees! Combine it all and you get plein air painting.

I got 2 paintings done today in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.

Day 14 Joy

Today's joy is a tranquil quiet evening.

Day 13 Joy

Today's joy is the smell and feel of clean laundry.

Day 12 Joy

Today's joy is the start of a three day weekend.

Though to be honest, while I am making a big effort to focus on the positive, I do not feel joyful today. I have to work all weekend. No other details, since this is not the place to vent about my job.

Though I am grateful to have my job, no question.

Day 11 Joy

I didn't get qa chance to post yesterday, so I am doing it today. Joy for day 11 is having good co-workers. It makes such a difference when the people around you are friendly and capable.

Happy Delurking Day!!

Delurking Day is here!!

Day 10 Joy

My joy today is the gratitude I feel for being an artistic person. There are so many people who go through life, just going through the motions of everyday existence with no creativity. And then there are a lot of people who wish they were artistic but think they can't be for some reason. (Which isn't true- anyone can do it!)

Having any form of art in one's life is a great gift- a lifetime journey of development, something that is your unique addition to the beauty of the world. Because there's so much crap everywhere, we need balance.

I can't wait to go out painting on Monday! :)

Day 9 Joy

Today's joy is a wonderful relaxing hot bath with almond-scented bubbles and a large salt rock. And candles, of course.

Day 8 Joy

My joyful experience today is the feeling of sticking to goals and accomplishing what I said I would do.

Day 7 Joy

Today I took Daya to the Museum of Natural History because she asked to go. Near the end of the day, we went to the hall of ocean life. Downstairs is a huge area where a giant model of a whale hangs from the ceiling, and a big movie screen plays images of underwater fish, waves, and the beach. It's really relaxing. Daya and I sat together watching the fish and waves.

And...!!! someone had their dog in the museum! Not a seeing eye dog, a smallish shaggy dog. The family pet. I had no idea you could do that. This wasn't the kind of dog that could be carried around in a bag...it was too big for that.

I love the museum of Nat History. We go a lot, and I renewed my membership just so I don't have to wait in the admission line. Sounds sad I know, but it really is worth it.

Day 6 Joy

Today's joy is the scent of lavender.

Day 5 Joy

There are any things to feel joyful about today. First was an early snowfall (it didn't stick). Then the postman delivered a book I have been eagerly awating, just in time for my morning commute. It is a signed copy of Eyvind Earle's autobiography! With illustrations!!

Then I got free lunch again, at a nice restaurant.

But best of all- below freezing temps outside, Daya was asleep before 9pm, and I get to enjoy my homemade-from-scratch Mexican corn tortilla soup.

It is, in a single word, WONDERFUL.

If you were here I'd gladly share.

Day 4 Joy

Today's joy is a warm purring kitty cat.

Day 3 Joy

joy is dark chocolate. :)

Day 2 Joy

I have 2 things for today: unexpected free lunch, and a finished painting.

8x10 oil on panel

Day 1 Joy

Today is Day 1 of Soul Coaching. Part of the program is keeping a daily Joy Journal, because what we focus on expands.

My joy for today is freshly baked whole wheat bread. I made it late last night, and it was perfect for lunch today. (And tomorrow!) This is a bread I will make often- it is 100% whole wheat, yet is very light and moist. Plus, it fragrances my whole apartment while it bakes, and makes me feel healthy.

Jan 2010

Well, 2010 is finally here. I wish you all a peaceful and joy-filled year.

My intentions are mostly artistic, and once again I intend to drink a lot of tea. :D

Last year I started the year off with Denise Linn's Soul Coaching program, and I'm doing it again this year, officially starting tomorrow but I did the prep work today.
I got so much out of Soul Coaching last year, and am really looking forward to the positive changes and insights it brings this year.

There are two journals kept during the 28 days of the program- a process journal and a joy journal. The joy journal I have decided to keep here.

The Vasari Paint Angel visited and brought some very nice paint...I had to try it out, so set up a little still life and did a quickie painting, maybe 2 1/2 hours. The candle was a little tough, since I am used to working with (mostly) single pigment paints and the paint set I got were all blends of greys.

8 x 10
oil on panel

Bronx Peacock

This guy lives in the Bronx Zoo and acts like he owns the world.

12 x 16
Oil on Canvas

Le Chat Blanc and More Plein Air

Here is a plein air from last Friday in Central Park. Standing in front of a waterfall for three hours is a profoundly enjoyable experience. Plein air painting is difficult- completely different from painting in the studio. I feel like I'm still very much finding my way with it and trying to figure out what the heck I am doing, but the journey sure is fun.

9 x 12 oil on panel



This is Le chat Blanc, a cat painted for the Fort Collins Cat rescue, to be sold at silent auction to raise funds for shelter kitties.

More Xanthophyll

Another nice day at the park looking at yellow leaves.
9 x 12
Oil on panel

Subway

Like everything about NYC, the subway is a love-hate relationship. But overall, it is a very easy means of transportation. Navigating the subway system is far easier than navigating the streets with a car, IMHO. Everything is labeled, there are only two directions, and there are maps everywhere. So I generally don't understand why visitors take cabs because they aren't sure of the subway.

Except the other day, I paused to re-think that perspective. I went uptown to go paint in the park. To get there , I had to take the A/C uptown.



The train came and I got on it. Except this was the train that arrived. And it really wasn't an E train rerouted on another track. It was a substitute C train pretending to be an E train.



Except when inside the train, passengers were advised it was a Coney Island bound F train that was currently in Brooklyn.



So, way to go MTA.

I am a local so I didn't get lost. The crazy train took me all the way up to the park where I had a peaceful afternoon painting.

Xanthophyll: An Autumn plein Air
9x12 Oil on Panel

Alumna

I went to Pratt today, for the first time in years. The last time I was over there was three years ago, and I didn't go on the campus. A lot has changed. It was surreal and a little disorienting, but also nice to see how they have fixed up the campus since I graduated. Ten years ago. I feel old.

The walkways are actually paved now! The library is air conditioned! But the pratt book/art supply store is all the way across the street from the main campus in a whole new building. I don't see how that is possibly convenient, especially if you have a 9am drawing class and you need more newsprint.

Starting Ballet

Daya started ballet class, so I did a little portrait.

12 x 16
Oil on Canvas

Lady Maxwell is finished

There are no words to accurately say how sick I am of this painting. Thank goodness it's done. I'm so tired of it I don't even want to hang it up.

Lady Maxwell (after Bouguereau)
16 x 20
Oil on panel

Gnarly Carrots

A quick study, about an hour and a half. Tomorrow the carrots and onion get cooked with lentils.

8x10
oil on panel

Lady M Grisaille

This is from the August project over in the oils forum at Wet Canvas. When I started I chose to do a grisaille (tonal underpainting) and glaze the color over.

The underpainting took more than 30 hours and I am sick of looking at it. All that work and she looks strung out on too much absinthe. Hopefully when I start the color layers I'll get my interest back and it won't be the awful greueling work it turned into.

By the way you can blame Lady M for my lack of participation in Cactus Monday.

Lady Maxwell (after William Bouguereau)
16x20
Oil on panel

Deux Soeurs

Deux Soeurs (Two sisters)
A little study after Bouguereau...the September MIO over at WetCanvas.
8x10
Oil on Panel