Rainy Day Stuff

Two days ago I thought the weather would never stop pouring rain. Wednesday it cleared for a bit enough to watch a squirrel leap for a huge acorn in the neighboring Bur Oak. I had no idea the fascination it held for me either. Watching him hurry down the fence and into my yard made me even more happy the adventure was unfolding here.
Curiosity got the better of me quickly so my dog and I ran out to see the new acquisition we had literally dropped in our grass. The squirrel in his haste cracked the acorn shelled it and took the nut with him.
I gathered all the parts to the shell to my studio where I could try to recreate what nature had so beautifully rendered for all to see and use. This acorn is one of those fringey kind with bumps all over it's exterior at least 2 inches in height it is one of the biggest ones I've ever seen. It broke in so few nice sized pieces I thought it would be a piece of cake. How silly we mere mortals can be. Naturally not the shell pieces are too moist to accept glues and as it dries it shrinks.

Clearly nature does not need human interference so I'll wait maybe tackle it again but in the mean time I'll keep looking up in these gorgeous trees to see the beauty of the reproduction of nature at it's best.
The impetus for this experiment for me is the ideas I gleaned from it will help me produce an art piece for an up coming show at Paseo. The container show, get it? It doesn't matter how literal this has been when I create the end result it will be my interpretation: a container of a kind that will always remind of this strange little occasion with the squirrel and the acorn.

Later on, yesterday, still rainy, overcast and then clearing again; a squirrel, it looked like the same squirrel? Since he'd been there before, he jumped straight into the oak and brought down, in five more trips acorn after acorn. After being scared out of our yard he decided to crack the acorn on the fence and take the nut to his nearby home.

During the squirrel's preoccupation with his food for the winter shopping, a beautiful black cat stealthily came upon the scene, watching the squirrels progress from another fence. The squirrel, gone on a delivery run, was away long enough for the cat to slip ever closer to the target tree. Lili and I watched with the fascination of theater-goers at the drama in the back yard. I began writing a mystery story involving a thief and an observer, it could be quite a story.

The relating of this adventurous tale is to emphasize that an artist never really knows where the spark of creativity comes from, if we are wise, we don't question it, we do't belabor it we Just Do It!!!!!

A cup Of Tea

I chose this title because I love a really good cup of tea, green usually but flavors are fun to try. The more unusual the better some days. Walking up the stairs or down the hall I'm switching on the gear that turns my attention to painting and the process. I've switched to my subconscience by now and am ready to set the brushes or cnavases into the steps of the "process". I enter my studio almost without thinking with a cup in my hand maybe the phone in the other and I'm ready for the day. It's synonymous with comfort in the studio, not sounds but nature or cars coming through the window panes, sunlight or the lack thereof. The stage is set the approach is almost always the same the studio size has changed over the years first starting with my dad's desk or my mom's dining table or the good old floor. Graduating in size was truly only to allow for materials and "stuff" required to perform art. Whatever the media the materials have to be ready and waiting for me to come through the door with my cuppa. Process is all there is when it involves creativity, leave your misgivings your doubts your insecurities outside the studio. Allow in only your comfort tools, like my cuppa tea.
Here in my new studio and new location I'm finding new comfort tools to allow into the space. My computer is one to allow me to talk to you; another is a good book to take my mind off my challenge at the end of my brush; finally daylight we need real daylight or I do to see nature in some amount albeit small glympses. Nature is one of my touchstones I must see it sometime from my studio. To be shut off from it would surely kill any desire to paint or create anything, for nature is the ultimate creator always evolving to create again. What a force to reckon with, the power alone is awe inspiring.
My tea leaves are but a tiny source to give comfort from our glorious nature. We take our little comforts from even smaller wonders.
Be sure to write anything you wish about your art or your creative experiences, we are, afterall united in our love of art.