Yes, but is it art?

I'm limiting my computer time for a little while. I'm trying to enjoy the summer weather, because in British Columbia, you must absorb and store as much sun in your system as you can to prepare you for the 289 freakin' straight days of rain that begin in the fall. I'll be back more frequently to the blog world soon.

I've also been working on a lot of small format art pieces. Whenever I immerse myself intensely in art, I annoy myself by asking the same question, why does the art I admire and want to talk about, not the art I want to make or to own? I think I'm finally getting over myself and lightening up. And in that lighter tone, here's a hilarious scene from Absolutely Fabulous, when Edina (Jennifer Saunders) decides she needs to leave a legacy by investing in 'Art' after her father dies.

On Aging

My skin care routine consists of soap and whatever else I nab from hotel rooms. The extras don't happen very often as I don't go anywhere. So I'm coveting these from my last hotel stay. They look almost identical don't they? I've just discovered I've accidentally been putting hair conditioner on my face this past week, which would explain the weird breakout I have on my cheeks. Why bring up this mildly embarrassing piece of trivia? Because I can. Because at 41, I just don't care.

Here is my pseudo-scientific theory of aging. Since most physical aspects of aging suck - the sags, wrinkles, weight gain, aches, pains, etc., mother nature has left us one aging grace - mild oblivion. I'm convinced some of the brain cells that die off with age are the ones responsible for excessive self-consciousness and anxiety. We mellow. Which explains why parents are an embarrassment to their teenage children and are usually fine with being told so and old people talk excessively to cashiers. You just don't give a sh*t what people think of you so much anymore.

At 21, I wanted to do great things, change the world and I passionately hated and loved everything. I thought I would die of a broken heart because of a rocky relationship. I believed I was so utterly unique and unusual that there could be no one on the planet who could truly understand me.

Now I know, everyone questions themselves at times, life is never certain and even though the degrees vary, everyone feels the same emotions. A friend said to me, 'everyone is just assembling'. We piece a life together from fragments that fit us comfortably. Some seem to do it easier than others, some struggle a bit more, but it's all just one beautiful, crazy journey and when you age, it gets easier to settle in for the ride.

In the words of Jack Handy, ""If you ever go temporarily insane, don't shoot somebody, like a lot of people do. Instead, try to get some weeding done, because you'd really be surprised."

Yep, that's mellowing.

Using Mistakes

"Old World Dreams"

Ellen Sereda

Yesterday, I was working on a new drawing that was wasn't going well. As it was ink on bristol, I couldn't fix it, so I cut out the part I liked, the crow, and made it into something new. I also was going insane with all the fussy realism and I wanted to loosen up. I slathered some ivory paint on a wood panel and scratched out the first image that came in my mind, a loose interpretation of Tallinn, Estonia. I had a dream I went back there and it was magical. I love doing stream of consciousnesses artwork, it feels so liberating.

Traveling Sketchbook

"Homecoming"

Ellen Sereda

Dinah has arranged a sketchbook exchange, and here's my 1st sketch on it's way to Brigette in Australia. A crow, of course, but look a snail too, I do like my references to be close by. I was going to draw a slug, but they grow jumbo size here in BC and frankly, I find them scary.

Cleaning and Dumb Blondes

A 1950's prediction of cleaning made simple in the year 2000. If you take away the tiny girdled waist, coiffed hair and replace the pleasant expression with one of manic fury, that's me!

I hosed out my polypropylene rug yesterday and am cleaning and organizing terminator style. I'm doing it all not because I love the joyful upkeep of my house but when finely tuned systems are in place, like using my kids as free labour, uh...I mean, delegating more age appropriate responsibilities to my children, I can do more art. I'm determined to fit at least 4 hours of studio time in a day this summer (broken up time it'll have to be). I think that's realistic, but anyone out there with advice for balancing the creative with the domestic, please speak up!

Here are more retro images of domestic bliss. I was too young for this ad, but I do have a faint memory of going to the grocery store and seeing coloured toilet paper.

And remember when luxury was a good slab of meat?

Things have changed, although now that my daughters are entering an age when being pretty = popular, I need to remind them that they are more important things,like brains. Check out these dumb blond commercials.