A photo montage

There are too many new changes,

and not enough energy to write about them all,

so I will explain as best as I can in pictures:

this is still one of my favorite things to do

my page for a collaborative book, hidden in the background is a mantra:
"the loving are the daring"

Xander will always pose for the camera now...here he is showing what a hot day it was

Theo is camera shy, this is a favorite place for him to nap we call it the bucket

 

You have to use WHOLE eggs in matzo ball soup or it will look like this
*sigh*

I went to printers fair and drooled over letterpresses



I won an award

 

I got to burp my niece, see how scared I look.
She was kind enough to spit up on me just so I could get over my fear of being spit up on.
Reminder to not sweat the small stuff

I am still doing yoga, I can almost do floor bow like this...
except this isn't me and my boobies are bigger

Stepping out...

image via etsy

I met with a local painter I admire the other day...it was something we had been wanting to do for a while and the time finally lined up.

***

I know the painter I met with, in a casual sort of way.

You know when you are familiar with someone because you frequent their stall at farmers market, say hello and how do you do. The person you always seem to get at the coffee shop.

You know them but haven't had a meal with them kind of know.

She is someone like that.

She is amazingly talented, and making it as an artist and designer.

In all fairness she also knows me about as well too.

We are far more familiar with each others work then each other.

We agreed to meet at a coffeeshop in the town between my home and work...she told me the name,

I knew the place and agreed.

I arrived a little early because I wanted to seem cool and relaxed by the time she arrived, and so I ordered a chai, opened my current list book (book I am making to-do lists in) and relaxed.

Taking in the scene:

Be cool, you are cool enough to be here

Boy, there are a lot of yoga people here, everyone looks like models

I don't feel so cool right now

That table is talking codes and meta links, I kind of know what they are saying

Hummm that one looks like Justin Timber...

ohh I know this song, I like this album.

OK I am cool enough again

I feel like I am looking for a blind date, looking up at everyone that enters this place...

focus on your list

Sipping chai...mmmm

Wow there are a lot of laptops in here

Ohhh check out that guys mood medallion, it is huge but not overly sooo

I should try their chocolate chai next time....

What time is it?

*

Then the text came : looking forward to meeting with you today

I texted back I was waiting for her.

She said I am here where are you?

I, it turns out, was at the wrong coffee shop.

I was at the original location, she was at the newest.

I blew it!

I told her I would be there in a moment.

I gulped the top third of my chai, leaving the rest to be thrown down the drain and

my calm eroded as I walk/ran to the car three blocks away and drove to the correct location.

By the time I arrived, I was a half hour late!

ugh

Comfort zone shattered- check

I am never that late person, but today I was.

She was gracious and we ended up talking for an hour and a half.

I got to learn about her process and her other businesses, she has two others besides her painting.

It is funny to hear highly productive people say how they wish they were more organized or better at scheduling. We talked about personal goals, exchanged website inspiration and simply shared some time. We giggled with guilt at how unusual it feels to meet someone in the morning at a coffee shop, on a studio day and wondered if it fed the stereotype of what people think artists do all day.

We both then commiserated on how much work we actually do to get our work seen.

She had multiple client meetings so we visited as long as we could.

It was a good morning, didn't start out as calm as I had hoped but it ended that way.

I also know a little more about her making our next chat that much easier.

Things learned:

Triple check addresses of agreed meeting places

Be kind to yourself when things go wackadoodle, it isn't always bad

Try a chocolate chai, if you are gonna spend $5 on a drink make it a splurge

You are doing just fine...keep on keeping on

What's in a name

OK so for the last two days I have had a series of images ready to leave and enter a competition, except I can not fill out the form because they are not named yet.

Naming my work is one of the most stressful time consuming parts of art making for me.

Sometimes, I get lucky and the name comes to me while I am making it,

or at least a working name...

but these two have so far eluded me.

I use to name everything "untitled" because the stress of finding a name

was overwhelming,

As you can imagine that too created a problem:

"which untitled piece were you referring to?"

I have found that over time my work is coming from a deeper and more raw place...

so it seems like I need to label these little bits and parts that bubble to the surface.

Hence today's dilemma

So to try and jostle an idea to come forward, I do other things...often that cost me money!

It seems the act of spending money makes me flee indoors

and into the studio re-pledging myself

to focus on my art and path and dreams.

I am still not sure why this is the case, but I have currently:

re-newed my passport

gotten new business cards

and

 lace for a petticoat I hope to sew, in my "free time"

I am still listening for the names

Let the Circus Begin

tickets anyone?

So a few hours less of sleep a night...

a few less healthy meals...

a few more freaky nightmares...

a few more anxiety attacks.

and the days keep dissappearing on the calendar...

bringing me that much closer to the opening of my show.

I stuffed envelopes today, for the top 50 for galleries and press members...like mini press kits of sorts. I am trying to hit all the buttons, be the squeeky wheel, the friendly reminder,

the little bird that whispers in your ear.