Bodies in motion...

...stay in motion.

This is what went through my mind the other day when, as I was running with my little sidekick in her jogging stroller a neighbor said, "You have so much energy!" I laughed (a sort of panting, half laugh), but the fact of the matter is that I exercise in order to have energy. It's a vicious cycle, but the less I exercise, the less I feel like exercising, so the less I exercise, so the less I feel like exercising, etc.  I'm sure you all know what I mean. As I ran along thinking this it occurred to me that creativity is the same way. If I'm creating, I'm constantly inspired and ideas seem to flow. If, however, I sit around waiting for inspiration it never comes and my well runs dry.  

In painting, as in exercising, there are days when I feel like I just don't have it in me. However, I've realized I very rarely feel better because I "rested." Instead I usually feel annoyed with myself, short-tempered, off-center. So, on the days when painting seems like a monumental task (because anything you're committed to will, at times, be hard work), I tell myself I'm just going to "show up." I savor the ritual of laying out my paints on my palette; I dab at my colors, mixing, experimenting; I touch up just this tiny section. Usually, by this point, either I'm feeling better and back in my element, or I've uncovered the real source of my resistance ("I hate this subject," or, "I'm bored with this size," or often, "I'm scared I won't be able to pull this off."). 

You're allowed to walk. You're allowed to take it easy. You're allowed to have off days. The important thing is to keep moving. 

I was rewarded by a beautiful sunset at the end of my run.

*Note: I'm in the process of changing blogs. Please follow me at erinhardin.wordpress.com. Thanks!

The Next Right Thing

When my husband and I were just a guy and a girl who kind of liked each other but weren't dating, we went running together a lot. These were our "dates." I remember one time when I was just about dying for the timer on his watch to go off, signaling the end of our run.
"How much longer do we have to go?" I wheezed.
"Ten minutes," Josh answered, looking at his watch.
Ten minutes! I couldn't go ten more minutes! Overwhelmed by the thought of such an insurmountable amount of time, I stopped. Sure I probably could have gone a little longer, but not ten whole minutes longer, so why bother? Thirty seconds later his alarm went off.
He had been attempting to motivate me to keep going by implying that we hadn't been running nearly as long as it had seemed. However, that's just not how my mind works. I'm not one of those that can look toward the summit as motivation to get up the mountain. I have to focus on this step, then the next, then the next, each in its own turn.

I've discovered this applies not just in running, but in other aspects of my life. Kitchen's a mess? Just do the dishes in the sink. Then just put away the clean dishes, clear off just this area of the counter, etc.  I find it especially applicable to art where every creation is, in some way shape or form, unchartered territory. This painting is too huge and I have a deadline? Don't focus on the deadline. Just paint in this moment, just work on this square inch. I have a show coming up and I'll never get enough work finished? Just focus on this step. Go to the art supply store, sit at your easel, paint, clean your brushes, block off your painting time for tomorrow, and so forth. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way and several other books on creativity calls this doing, "the next right thing." Last week when I wanted to cry constantly for the loss of my pet, "the next right thing" kept me moving through that initial pain to bittersweet acceptance and peace. From exercise, to art, to life and loss, taking one more right step will see you through. What is the next right thing that will take you one step further up your mountain?

My current "mountain." I feel like I'll never get this pine cone right!

Anyone have any overwhelming projects looming on the horizon? How do you handle them? Any tricks to share? I'd love to hear from you!

To see my last painting of a pine cone (which I also moaned over until the last coat, when I ended up loving it), click here.

Pockets of Joy

The Shagster- Best Dog Ever

My dog died... I had three dogs, but this was THE dog. When we got him 9 years ago as a young rescue dog I had just gotten married, just graduated from college, my husband and I had opposite schedules, and my friends had moved away. He was my only friend for a while there, and remained throughout his life my constant companion. He wasn't just a good dog. He was a dog that loved you back.

I heard a quote by Edwin Markham when I was in high school, "Only the soul that knows the mighty grief can know the mighty rapture. Sorrows come to stretch out spaces in the heart for joy." I always assumed that meant that in comparison to the bad time, the good times seem really good. While that may be true, I think that there is more to it than that.

I've spent the last week heartbroken, with red, swollen eyes. Calling friends and family members crying or looking for distraction. No one ever told me to get over it. No one ever told me, "he was just a dog." No. Instead, people who love me have shown that if it's a big deal to me, it's a big deal to them. They have cried with me. They have provided company and distraction. They have gone above and beyond for me. So this morning I realized, yes... I'm sadder than I was before Shag died. But strangely, I'm also happier. There are pockets of joy found in the love of my friends, the joy Shag brought me, the beauty of the day, the smile of my child that are so intense that I think I could not have felt the good without the bad.

The Magic Math (incredibly talented and quirky Birmingham band) is right. Their song "Living is a Miracle" is guaranteed to make you smile. Check it out (above).

"Life I love you, all is groovy..."

"Rough"
Watercolor on paper

"Slow down, you move to fast;
You got to make the mornin' last
Just kickin' down, the cobblestones.
Lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy."

-59th Street Bridge Song
Simon and Garfunkel

Exploration

Just a Spoonful of Moss

Sorry I've been M.I.A. I've been off exploring exotic and far off places. Like, for example, my backyard. Hanging out with a toddler is great for training the eye and soul to notice and delight in little things. On our explorations we picked up dozens of acorns, some with "hats" some without. To most of us, one or two of these treasures would have sufficed, but not so for my 14 month-old. She had to have as many as she could hold in her tiny hands and when one would slip out and roll away, she'd chase it down crying, "Oh no!" My favorite discovery was this cheap, cafeteria style spoon partly buried in the dirt with moss growing in the bowl. We live in an older house and finds like this always lead me to wonder how they got there. A little boy digging in the dirt? A family picnic in the yard? What do you think? Any ideas?

Sweet Little Feet

Sweet Little Feet

There is no making a 1 year-old sit still for a portrait, however I did manage to catch her little crossed feet at she sat in her high chair. Ah, the magic of graham crackers to keep a toddler still!

What's catching my attention

I'm sure my neighbors (and my dogs) thought I was nuts yesterday when I stopped every 1 1/2 feet to pick up fall leaves.

But how could I resist? They're all different! When such beauty is throwing itself at your feet, you have to accept.












And enjoy.

The art of lying fallow

Whew! Y'all. This last month has been crazy! Good crazy, but still, crazy! With the Eclectic Art Social Club show at Parkside October 19th, my daughter's (kind of big) first birthday party October 28th, and Moss Rock Festival this past weekend (which I realize I didn't even TELL y'all about!), I feel like I've hardly caught my breath. Throw in normal, everyday life and needless to say, things like home-cooked meals have taken a backseat.
I'm aware that not everyone feels this way, but I actually like to cook. Especially if I can take the time. So that's what I'm doing- taking some time. Slowing down. Getting my house back in order. Spending time with my husband, baby, and dogs. And making chili.
I have some new projects on the horizon. Ideas are simmering in the back of my head for new subjects, new techniques, new formats and I know I'll be back in my studio in just a couple of days. But for the time being, like my tiny summer herb garden, I'm lying fallow and regaining my strength.

Because of a ducky...

So this morning I was cleaning the bathtub and I noticed my baby's rubber ducky sitting on the side of the tub. Inspiration struck. I would write a song about a rubber ducky! Just kidding. But, I would take some PICTURES of a rubber ducky! So I got the tub as clean and shiny as I could manage and started my bath toy photo shoot. I was having so much fun I decided to move the party to the sink, which meant I needed the sink clean and shiny. Then I moved on to the kitchen sink. When it was all said and done I had cleaned two bathrooms and the kitchen, all for the sake of pictures of a rubber ducky. Hey! Whatever works! It may be silly way to clean, but it was definitely a lot more fun!

The capacity for delight

Sometimes the most random things catch my eye...like a canister of cheerios (always handy to have close by for a snacky 9-month-old).

Ooh, sparkly and shiny. Plus that turquoise makes me happy!

 "The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention."  Julia Cameron

Life's much more fun when you can notice the little things.

I like how the edge of the platter echoes the weave of  basket

Now you try! Anything "silly" inspire you lately?

Lovely

My parents were visiting and look what my dad found in the yard- a perfect, tiny little egg. Isn't it lovely? I don't use that word often, but it just seems like the best word for it. Who knows, maybe you'll see it in a painting by yours truly sometime soon...

Shiny things

Here's a quick study of the little nesting metal canisters I unearthed in my messy studio

Emerging talent

My eight-month-old Fiona's first masterpiece. She kept wanting to eat the crayon, but who can question the eccentricities of an artistic genius? *wink*

Golden Girls rock

I have this sort of high-minded belief that you shouldn't buy art to fit a particular space or because the color-theme matches your couch. It seems like if you only obtain things you love, they all seem to work together somehow. However, I've amended this creed somewhat and have come to realize that sometimes the perfect piece for a room can make the entire room a work of art. 

This is my bathroom: 

Note the pink tile. It's not 50's bubblegum pink. It's more of an 80's mauve. The walls were previously a pinkish beige, which was fine with the previous owner's decor, but didn't really suit us.  When it came time to paint, let me tell you, we struggled to find a paint color that we liked with the mauve that didn't make it look like it belonged on the set of Golden Girls (click on the link to see a blogger who was totally inspired by the idea of modernizing the Golden Girls' style). Come to think of it, their couch was about the same color as these tiles. 

Then, I found these:

and inspiration struck. I would do a painting of river rocks for the bathroom, bringing in the pinkish color of the tile and paint the walls a beautiful river rock greenish grey! Perfect. So and painted the walls greenish grey, and I painted this:

And it sold before I even got to try it out in my own home! Not that I'm complaining at all. It sold to Energen, Birmingham's Natural Gas corporation, for their collection of Alabama artists.  I've painted a couple of smaller ones, too, but none have made it to their pre-conceived spot. Again, not complaining! So, I started a new one. I gave you a sneak preview of it here. Here it is now:

Stay tuned for more progress. 

The moral of this story? Inspiration can come from anywhere. Even pink tiles.

How about all of you out there in computer land. Ever been inspired by anything totally weird and random (a la doorknobs and faucets)? Tell me about it! Send me pictures and let me know if you would like me to share them on this blog. 

Stu Stu Studio

Yes, the subject was a Phil Collins reference. Sorry. I think I've gotten a little loopy being pretty much housebound with a sick baby (she's much much better, by the way). In addition making me loopy and forcing me to make bad '80's music puns, being home so much lately has made me practically wild to fix things up around the house. Namely- my studio. Check out my Pinterest page for studios I'm really coveting. See you over there!

Everyday beauty

I wrote a couple of posts ago about doing little things to improve your state of mind and the beauty of your surroundings, so I thought I'd share a few pics of my most recent good-mood inducing project. Herb basket!

And having it right by the door means I (hopefully) won't forget to water it! 

...and the art of life

I live in an older house. Not so much older in the "charming details" sense, but older in the "this house has had several owners and every one of them has done things differently," sense. We're slowly (very slowly) but surely adding touches and changing things to make it our own. It's amazing how satisfying the tiniest changes can be! So since this blog is not only about "A Life of Art," but also, "The Art of Life," I've decided to share a few little glimpses into our home. 

Perhaps my favorite, shall we say quirk, about our house was the florescent office light on the bedroom ceiling. 

Forgive the awkwardness of this photo. I took this before we even bought the house and way before I had this blog. What you can't see in the photo is that there is another, regular light fixture about 10" away from this one. Kinda random, huh? So, we took the florescent light down and this is what we found-

                                                                       

Popcorn ceiling under that one strip of the ceiling. Wild! I'm sorry to admit we actually went to sleep staring at this view for the better part of a year thinking that removing the popcorn was going to be a HUGE deal. Luckily, we were wrong! All it took was a spray bottle of vinegar and warm water, some plastic sheeting to protect the floor, and a rag. Seriously! It's messy, but easy. I hear it's not always this easy to remove popcorn (sometimes called acoustic) ceilings, so we really lucked out. My father-in-law came to help us with some home improvement projects and at the end of a couple of days we had this:

A fresh paint job, new light fixture and a beautifully smooth ceiling. You can't even tell there was ever popcorn there. It makes me happy every time I go into our room. I swear I even have sweeter dreams. Next step- crown molding!

What have y'all crossed off your to-do list? Any tiny changes that have made a big difference in your state-of-mind?