A Bowl of Cherries

life can be if you let it be

I am loving this season as it brings more fresh produce to our table to remind us of the bounty each new season brings . Life is a bowl of cherries ..Or a nice steamy hot cup of rich coffee ahhh (I just purchased a cheap little frother which has transformed my home coffee experience ) Celebrating and treasuring small moments in my day keeps me in a positive state of mind .

What could be better?

Attending a rainy afternoon Art event in a small town nearby yesterday offered a little bit of reprieve from my art making/business at home . I try to make a point of attending as many outdoor art events as possible in summer as there is always something lovely and new that I take away from the experience. Viewing other artist’s work , and conversing with artisans and vendors can be quite affirming and interesting.

Initially I regretted driving when the rain started to come down in torrents and my windshield wipers were working overtime. This was an outdoor event..So not so pleasant in the rain.. There was a lovely devil may care spirit in the air when I arrived so equipped with an umbrella I strolled around to take in the art and music. The outdoor artists bravely creating and showing their wares under sagging, dripping tents.

It brought back a little nostalgia for me as I stopped by to view a children’s open air puppet show . Under the trees and a little tent there was a sheltered and inviting performance happening. The audience was enthralled with it’s magic simplicity and charm .

When my daughter was young I created a little puppet theatre troupe (of one and later 2 when I cajoled my partner to be my official co puppeteer !)

I called it Paper Moon Puppet theatre and I offered old fashioned fairy tales with hand made portable theatre and paper mache hand and rod puppets. My soundtrack was created on a cassette recorder and I also used an small keyboard which provided short tunes and sound effects! (very low tech!) I spent months constructing the puppets complete with sparkly costumes and the scripts designed for short little attention spans. I had an Elvis Rudolph Christmas performance as well as a Mexican version of Rumplestiltskin. I marketed my shows through a community newspaper and had business cards printed at a local print shop. Performing in libraries and children’s birthday parties brought much joy .. with face painting,balloon animals and sing a longs all part of the package ! (How did I ever…??) Bringing the fun aspect into my creative output kept me excited and satisfied the artist in me. As a single mom with a three year old child it also helped us to bond in new ways !

Reflecting on our own unique life accomplishments -however tiny- helps to remind us of who we were..and that the possibilities that still exist. We are often only restricted by our own confidence and imaginations. (regarding my puppeteer period I was very limited by my lack of transportation and relied heavily on the goodness of family and others!)

Taking up observational sketching this past year has been a new passion -and I can see my improvement over time . Keeping a sketchbook is also new to me -and I have learned to make peace with my experimenting !

I am starting to see how elements of my sketching and illustration practise have surfaced in my mixed media paintings

A couple of new mixed media works..

Teaching ourselves new skills and trying something out of your comfort zone keeps us vital and our creative output abundant. One thing connects with another it seems!

Have you ever tried an online drawing session?

Beth Spencer

is offering a free Zoom drawing session of vintage toys July 15th (you only have to RSVP )

introvert drawing club

You can try this project if you are a little stuck or seeking something new to try on my companion page “Artist Jet Pack “ a collage concertina book project

I continue to offer my mixed media video classes online free of charge via my youtube channel if you wish to take a look..

my mixed media class videos

Another artist who offers user friendly sketchbook and drawing tutorials :

Koosje Koene

If any of you have thoughts about other online art opportunities please do share !

As we all live in different parts of the globe online seems to be our best collective opportunity to participate :-

Now back to that bowl of cherries..!

Cheers

Heather