The Perfection of Imperfection

The other day, I actually got to our local farmer's market right at 11:00AM, when it opens.  It was my first time to be there for the opening bell.  I'm ususally a late comer, like about 30 minutes before closing which doesn't always equate to the pick of the litter.  I found on this day, the benefit of being early to the market is that my favorite stall, Five Acre Farm from Whidby Island has fresh eggs.  The real, happy chicken, happy egg kinda eggs.  So, I happily put one dozen eggs in my way cool go to market basket

Living in the city in an urban life, I see eggs usually just one way.  I see them the way they come in the supermarket.  I have been programed that a dozen eggs is perfectly shaped and sized and graded and boxed and sold in a mass produced way.  When I arrived home, I opened the box of eggs from the Farmer's Market. What struck me was the beauty and the perfection of imperfection. This dozen eggs was totally imperfect compared to what I would find in the supermarket. They were different shapes and sizes and different colors. Some had perfect texture and some didn't. There was no grading system like Grade A or extra large - nothing the same as what has been programed into my mind regarding eggs, except they were recognizably eggs.

This gave my a bit of a pause.  It occured to me that maybe I had forgotten the beauty of the imperfect?  So, in what other things imperfect am I missing the perfect?  people/family, art, myself, my life.. its really an endless list. All of these are perfect in their own unique imperfect way - just like my dozen of farm fresh eggs.  Something to think about, anyway.

Brave, Bravo and Being an Artist

Mystic Tree
encaustic and paper on birch 9x12
Still playing, still experimenting and cut lots of little leaves out of book pages

Have you ever thought of the difference between BRAVE and BRAVO.  one letter, really.  When we stand and clap and shout Bravo!, aren't we in a sense recognizing a brave act by the person we are celebrating?  Brave acts come in many packages and when we look at it in that sense - it takes a brave act to be on stage, to perform our best, to be an athlete or an artist. 
So, what exactly is being brave?  What is a brave act?  I think if we give this some thought, we may come up with all kinds of definitions and examples.  But, what if we look at the brave acts that we each accomplished on our own - just today.  Being brave is anything that we accomplish that falls outside of our own comfort zone.  Just showing up and being in your studio is a brave act.  Why?  Well, because you are allowing yourself to create - good or bad, experimenting and playing and by calling yourself an Artist.  Count your braves today.  Count all of them as big or as small as they may be and in all aspects of your day.  Yes, it takes a brave act to stand up and show off your creative talent and not let it hide away.  It is brave to be an artist.  It is brave to be a Mom.  It is brave to face a challenge.  Now, give yourself a standing ovation - BRAVO!  and repeat.... every day.

BRAVO!  Brave acts, well done!

Commitments, Style and Inspiration

Style Statement
encaustic on birch 10x10

Way back in March,  I committed to doing a painting for an upcoming raffle.  The raffle is just a couple of weeks away and I decided that I needed to get on it, after all, I had committed a painting.  There's still a little tidy up work to do on this pair, but for the most part they are done.  I've been wanting to experiemnt with incorporating the style of one of my favorite artists - Wayne Thiebaud.  He often uses a plain off white background and that awesome blue for shadows.
I'm actually glad that I waited to do this because I have used some of the techniques that I have been playing with over the past week or so.  The background is done with tinted off-white shellac over the off-white background.  I just painted it on leaving lots of brush strokes horizontally.  I wanted kind of a striated line.  Its a shame that encaustics don't photo better because the background, while subtle, is pretty good.  I did start with a bright orange layer, then the off white, then the shellac, then clear wax to get what I was looking for.  I also used the exacto knife and black oil paint for outlining, like in the zentangles from last week.  I did have to tighten up a bit as all the play was really wigging out my inner critic, who has been howling with all this playtime.  I've delegated her to take a seat in the back of the bus with fear and doubt.   The three of them can keep each other company in the back seat, while I do the driving. 

I am still working on playing in the studio.  I've also been digging into books for inspiration.  In keeping with my thoughts on loosening up and stretching my wings to try new things... I signed up for an online painting class with Flora Bowley called Bloom True.  Its going to be a stretch for me, a biiiiiiiiiiiggggg stretch,  but in a good way I think.  I'm deciding whether to try it in wax or actually go for it with acrylic paints.  I have time to mull that over as class doesn't start until September 3.
Its Friday.  Its Party Time. 

Creative Inspiration:: Collecting Books

I seem to be collecting books lately.  I really don't know why.  All of them, I have been drawn to and had to buy.  Some, I haven't yet opened since they arrived in my home.  Others, are partially read and some, I'm not really sure why I bought them in the first place, other than I just liked them.  Do you collect books?  I find great inspiration in books.  I'm a slow reader.  I am one of those people who has to read every word.  Therefore it takes me a while to read a book.  I also like to read a book in its entirety.  However, these books I am finding that a read some, take what I need and then let it sit for a while.  I may or may not come back to it.  But aren't they pretty?

One of my favorite places to stumble upon interesting books is Anthropologie.  Seems I come home with one whenever I go there.  I've found some of my favorites at Anthropologie.  Ones that when I open the pages, inspiration just flows.  I now own two books by Sabrina Ward Harrison.  The first one is The True and the Questions. 

The second is And the Story is Happening.  I actually have no intention of using these books as they were intended.  Both are designed to be used for journaling.  I just love looking at them.  For some reason I'm drawn to that way she paints her background work for these journaling pages. 

Twyla - well, we all should read this book.  Its been on my list for quite a while and I found it in a local bookstore.  I'm halfway through it.  All good stuff and I love the design work of the inside of this book.  If I ever write a book, I will use this design as inspiration.

This one I haven't read yet.  But, how could I pass up a title like this.  The contributers to this book are all amazing women.  The photography is brilliant.  I'm super excited to dive into this one.

I like Danny Gregory.  His story is inspiring and his drawings are fun.  He has a lot of good stuff to say in this book and good lessons on drawing.

Finally, if you know Susannah... well, you just have to have this book.  Susannah teaches the amazing Unravelling courses.  She is a brillant Polaroid photographer and writer.  I've just read little bits so far and already I love it. 
So, what books are on your nightstand?