Connect / Out of the Box

last week

Sunflowers Out of the Box

It's been an amazing week with so much creative inspiration and seren-dipitous activity.  First, as I showed you before, I am taking the free online Recycled Journal Pages class with Pam Carriker.  Her idea of using photo copied images from your old paintings jumped me into salvaging an old painting.  I actually put that improved painting into a frame, but had forgotten to sign it, so I took it all out again and while signing, decided to do some Zentangle doodling in the squares...something else I've been experimenting with after reading blogs from other Journal-istas.  This also led to outlining the flowers with the brown marker, which gave definition and depth to the flowers. (Click on the image to see it larger.) You may disagree, but I think Sunflowers Out of the Box is much better than it was last week! 

Then, also from exploring other artist's blogs, I found a great one called 37 Days, by Patti Digh, from North Carolina, who has a new book, Life is a Verb.  The next day, I saw on Facebook that she was doing a workshop in Nebraska!  I commented on it, and the day after that I got a message from the local organizer telling me of another workshop in March!  The world gets smaller...

Then, on Tuesday, I read an email from Ariane Goodwin, who was giving a free registration for smARTist Telesummit 2011, to the artist who comes up with the longest qualified list of phrases referring to art, artistic endeavors, or creativity – but were used in a more every day sort of way.  My mother helped me, and we won!  (Thanks Mom, and Ariane!)  So, I'm also spending the next few weeks immersed in information from fabulous artists and business coaches.  This is already influencing the way I'm painting and thinking of what's next.... 

And, since I'm going to visit my daughter in North Carolina in February, I wanted to include an art class with the trip.  I found Joe DiGiorgio, teaching a class at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh, and signed up....  I've already finished a painting inspired by one of his online videos.  Can't wait to connect with more artists!  

I've come up with my focus word for the year:  Connect...with artists, buyers, family, self.

2011 is definitely off to a great art-focused start.  It's only three weeks until the Governor's Mansion show goes up.  Yikes!  Time to connect with my lists and PR folder.