2009 November

Gratitude and apologies~

November 24, 2009

I am both giddy and humbled by all of the encouraging feedback I received about my art. Many, many thanks to you all! You’ve inspired me to create even more and I hope to have more ready to show y’all soon.

One minute I’m doing my happy dance and in the next, I’m biting my nails or pulling my hair. It’s delightful!

I think I may have inadvertantly insulted the Hubs, though. Unintentional though it may have been, it was done and I want to come clean.

The Hubs has always supported me in all my artistic ventures. He gets me supplies, offers encouragement, a listening ear when I need to “talk out” my ideas, a gentle (but firm) shove when I need some get up and go…..and love. Unconditional, precious and uplifting love. So when I started sharing with him some of the wonderful comments you all sent, he was just as thrilled as I was. However, he couldn’t understand why I didn’t truly believe him when he said much the same things as y’all did.

Oh.

I realized that I had, in my insecurity, done something to hurt him. My biggest fan.

Hubby, I hear you first and I hear you the loudest. I’m sorry for letting my insecurity get in the way of accepting your honest support.

I’ll make it up to you later………..

Filed Under apologies, being creative, being thankful, Good Hubby, insecurity 2 Comments

I’m taking the plunge….

November 21, 2009

I’ve decided to take a leap of faith and share some of my art experiments with you. Art, as with many things is a journey and I feel that part of that journey (for me) should include being brave enough to share my pieces.

So, I’m sharing with y’all. Be kind and remember I’m still learning….

All of these pieces were made on old hard back book covers, an idea I gleaned from Kelly Rae Roberts (thank you, ma’am). I used a white gel pen for the curlies around the edges and the bird is drawn on a piece of notecard paper that was sandpapered and then adhered with acrylic medium.

One of my first experiments and one of my more personal. I cut out the phrase, “I want to share my heart and see joy bloom” from an old book.

The woman’s skirt is a collage of papers that I painted and aged. Phrases like, “blessed journey”, “beautiful courage”, “passionate spirit” and “warm laugh” surround the word Mom on the woman’s skirts….that’s how I remember my Mom and I wanted to include her in my art.

This one says, “Even with imperfect wings~ We Fly.” The Hubs likes this one.
That glare you see is from the pearlizing mist that I sprayed on it. I like the glow it gives off.

I believe that this one is one of Dad’s favorites as he loves butterflies! (That strip of blue at the top of the picture is part of another painting that this one was leaning against…Oops!)

Filed Under Art, Art by Anna K. being fearless, Kelly Rae Roberts, Momma 9 Comments

An artist who gives flying lessons…

November 16, 2009

I recently made a discovery. It wasn’t earth shattering and won’t be in any history books, but it was a momentous occasion for me. I, in one of my web surfing sessions, stumbled across the artist, Kelly Rae Roberts. She does whimsical and encouraging mixed-media works of art like this:

When I found out that she had a book published, I was so excited that I gushed about it to the Hubs. I thought he was listening with half an ear at the time, but he must’ve been paying more attention than I realized because he turned right around and ordered it for me from Amazon. It’s titled Taking Flight~ Inspiration + Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings. In it she tells her story about being almost thirty and knowing that she wanted to do more with herself (um, I can identify). She talks about being nervous about experimenting with her art again after having set it to the side for so many years. She’s not formally trained, but she created because it gave her joy (um, again, I can identify).

I may never sell a single piece that I create, but I’m already having so much fun creating and painting again. Even the Bubs has noticed how much fun I have when I’m painting/drawing and now he’s excited about expressing himself on paper. We ooh and ahh over one another’s creations and those moments are so very precious to me!

I don’t have any pics of my “creations” to share with you, as yet, since the workmen are laying tile in the kitchen today and I can’t get to my little studio. I’m working on finding my own aesthetic and experimenting with different techniques. The best fun, though, is when my guys just hang out in the studio with me and watch what I’m doing or ask me questions. I like that they feel included in what I’m doing….they should since they are at the heart of almost everything I do!

Filed Under Art, being creative, Joy, Kelly Rae Roberts, Taking Flight book 1 Comment