Hurrah! The Benefits of Yoga

Yesterday.....I did 2 handstands, a backbend AND I got carded! Yes, its all true. Ask my husband, he was there. At least for the carding! All I'm gonna say about the carding is double 21, add a couple years and you'll see why I am celebrating being carded.

So in reality, am actually celebrating more than that. Yesterday was the culmination of my first five day Anusara Teacher Training. To borrow a line from my teacher, "it was the right time, the right place and the right people." It was a beautiful 5 days and incredible to see the evolution of how we all came together to "own the seat" of the Teacher, under the guidance of our Teachers; Behnje and Rick.

So in Yogic fashion, I offer my sincere thanks to Rebecca, Aaron, Susan, Lisa, and Jaala for all the love, support and humor.
And to Behnje and Rick......you know.

All to the Good

Lots of recent developments for a cold and snowy February. First of all, one of the paintings from my AIR has been selected for the GAAA 2008 Manitou Music Festival Poster. The painting is of the Kelder house farm and was donated to the GAAA as a token of my deep appreciation for the support of the Art Association during my AIR. I was completely surprised and honored to find that it will be joining a great lineage of previous Music Festival Posters. Will post the image when it is available.

Also on tap, the date of August 8-14, 2008 has been finalized for a one person show (me!) at the Center Gallery in Glen Arbor MI. Much thanks to Beth, Allison and Cherie for the opportunity.

In other show news, a show is in the works this summer also at Tvedten Fine Art in Harbor Springs, MI. This is a wonderful gallery that I've been affiliated with for many years now.

Last, but not least. Next week I continue with the Yoga as I am moving into the first part of the Anusara Yoga Teacher training with my teacher, Behnje at From the Heart. If the 108 hour Immersion was any indicator, the Teacher training will be amazing.

Lots to look forward to and be thankful for - even if it is only 10 degrees out!

To my good friend Sue

Yes its true. I have a hard time resisting a good cat picture. Who doesn't enjoy a cat picture every once in a while? Just as long as it doesn't become a problem.

Just for the record......I do not do pet portraits.

Art & Yoga

I just spent the majority of the weekend at a yoga workshop with Anusara teacher Moses Brown. It was a great workshop, we laughed, we cried (o.k so we didn't really cry) but we did do ALOT of yoga. And it was FUN! That Moses, he is a funny guy. A real yogic comedian. There were times when we were laughing so hard that I could barely stay upright. That tends to be a problem when you run the risk of taking your entire row out if you take a header.

Moses Brown on yoga......"Its simple, but not easy". So true. Really, I can't tell you how many times that someone new to yoga thinks its going to be just a "little stretch" and they come up to me afterward and remark how hard it was. It really doesn't get easier, though it might get more easeful, because there's always more. Painting can be alot like that.

Sand and Surface

Canvas vs. Board......Board. At least right now.

Early on

This particular painting was generated early on during my residency. As I look back over the body of work from this time, its interesting to see the shift that started to happen. I think it can be best said in two words; Clarity and Conviction. Having the luxury of time to devote solely to one purpose really helped me to refine and define what Painting means to me. It gave me the space to step out of Professional-Illustrator-Head where creating art is about the finish/outcome, rather than process. I mean why does anyone create art for the first time anyway? Because its FUN. Sometimes though when you draw for hire, the deadlines, the desire to give the client what they want, and the next project looming (or lack of!) can get in the way of the FUN.

Out of the 15 or so canvases I completed, only 5 or 6 are what I would consider successful. But the true measure of that time and space I feel is only just now starting to manifest. In the words of Patanjali's Yoga sutras, "No effort in Yoga is ever wasted." I think that applies to painting as well.

Way Back When

About a year ago when I started this blog, I posted the underpainting of this piece under "I am Jinxed." It really didn't take me a year to complete, only a year to post. This one is a pastel, done on a Wallis sanded paper. Am considering tackling this in oils, just to see if I can loosen it up some. The finish on this ended up being a little fussy.

Happy New Year!

O.k., so I'm not big on making resolutions, but setting an intention is a whole 'nother thing. So with that said, it's my intention to get outside and paint more this year. I already have a couple of painting trips planned, as well as attending a workshop or two. A couple of workshops worth checking out.....Stuart Shils at Three Pines Studios in Cross Village and the Parke-Kooyman Workshop at Camp Tosebo in September. Workshops are really valuable for not only the exchange of information, but for the immersion experience as well.

He's a Fabu-Lab!

From Wilco Road

Just a quick sketch in oils. This was done from a photo earlier this year.

Prior to my Artist in Residency, I'd been primarily a studio artist. For me, illustration pretty much happens alone in my studio. Its a pretty solitary gig, unless you count the four-legged supervisors. So I had sort of naturally gravitated towards working in the studio when doing fine art as well. The temperature, the lighting, music, its all consistent. But having the opportunity to spend a large chunk of time outdoors working in nature is well, amazing. It really makes you focus on the essence of the subject, as your subject matter is constantly in a state of change. It becomes very apparent that nothing remains the same, unlike working from a photograph.

Kelderhouse

Kelderhouse