A post on grief

When people think of the words grief and grieving, I think we all immediately think of the person who is sad and crying. But grief is more than that. Grief is remembering and not always in a sad way. It's the double-take you make when you see someone that looks just like them. It's the picture that pops up in your Facebook feed or that you come across in an album. It's the song that you remember listening to together. It's the last movie you saw either with the person or right before they left. Maybe it's something that happened right afterward that resonated with you so every time you hear it or see it, you think of them. It's the dream they creep into to let you know they are okay. It's the moment you make yourself vulnerable to a good cry which floods other memories until you can't remember why you started crying in the first place.

Grief is that place your loved one is now. However it wants to show itself. Happy, sad, or just a neutral memory. Invite it in. Spend some time with it, and then let it go until it's time again. As time goes on, you can let the memories come back without breaking apart each time. I think we try to protect ourselves and push memories away because they make us sad, but eventually they won't be sad memories any longer. They are all valid memories and grief doesn't have to be a sad word.

Art swap project

Latest ArtOMat submission

Seriously lacking in content...like things, not satisfaction

Life gets away from you and you realize that you haven't posted anything in your blog for too many years. Everyone has this problem, right? I've been busy with life and crafting and arting. Most of my activities have been on Facebook, so find more updates over there by searching for XieArt. I'm also on Instagram as Xiemoon.

Right now I'm on a jewelry kick. All kinds, but mostly earrings. I've been experimenting a bit with resin and making mermaid charms. I think I almost have it, but playing is kinda fun. The downfall to using resin is waiting! I'm not terribly patient when it comes to crafts, so I find it particularly challenging to keep my hands off for the full 24 hours while it sets in the mold. GAH! This is the only time in life, also, that glitter is my friend. :) Bracelets and pendants are making their way into my jewelry scene as well as I'm prepping for a craft show in December.

Anyway, just wanted to update on my shenanigans as of late. I'll post some pictures soon. (Sorry if you also follow me on Facebook because a lot of the pictures will be duplicates.)

My art desk

This was a particularly productive weekend of painting. On Labor Day, I didn't even put makeup on because I was so focused on completing some projects that I've had "in the wings" as they say. I have had a few people ask me to do some things for them that I just haven't had the time to get to...and maybe my motivation or inspiration hasn't been at full blast...so I did it. I got 23 Art-o-mat paintings prepped, 3 Frozen blocks nearly completed and 3 started, and another painting started that someone asked me to do. OH, and that funky painting in the background? The one with the different colored squares? That's the one I painted over and did the palette painting on that you'll see in a post somewhere below.

 

This was a good and satisfying day! I made a mess in the process, but I was on a roll. I find that I don't like to waste paint...a clump that has dried up on my plate almost makes me want to weep. I think that's the starving artist in me...but that was a bit of a catalyst for me in getting all this done. As you can see, blue and green were the strong colors of the day.

Latest experimentation with a palette knife

8"X10", Acrylic

I'm loading all these pictures at once today, so they are a bit out of order...but this was a painting I had done that I just wasn't happy with. Didn't know what to do with. An experiment gone wrong. I kept the canvas in front of my work space in the hopes that some day the lightbulb would go on and I would proclaim "YES! THAT is what I wanted it to be!". Months have gone by and this stupid thing was staring me in the face. Then I daydreamed. I've been thinking of ways to use a palette knife to create a piece of work. Wasn't sure how I wanted to do it and I kept having visions of a flower - and using really THICK globs of paint, but it just seemed daunting. Didn't quite make sense...but it wouldn't leave my head. Then, it happened. I had that moment. I was driving home - which is when I tend to daydream about stuff (dangerous I know, but I pass by some wall art on my way home every day and I can't help but dream about projects). It hit me that I needed to try this. And I had the perfect canvas to do it with! I immediately started on it when I walked through the door. I have to say I'm quite pleased with it. I experimented with the colors and for awhile it was very dark with the blues. I experimented with scraping paint from my plate and applying it to the canvas. I experimented with putting paint directly on the canvas. I experimented with the colors I used (yellow and orange are very weak colors). Success! And it was liberating to do in the process. I'm definitely going to try this again.

Aaannnddd more mini paintings

This is the latest batch ready to be sent off to Art-o-mat. A cool thing happened about a month or so ago. I troll Instagram and one of the hashtags I like to look for is #artomat. Well, one day I was flipping through the pictures and I saw a post from someone of a painting they had gotten from an Art-o-mat machine - AND IT WAS MINE!! I was sooooo excited!

A piece I did for Yellow Springs Art Council

4'X4' panel, Acrylic

This is possibly one of the first "Call for Artists" I have answered and by far the most out of the box for me. I have been focusing on little art for awhile and big pieces are a little intimidating. I did the fence mural for Erma's House a few years ago, so I knew I could do it, but not something I seek out. I'm not even sure why this one stuck out to me, but I answered it. Yellow Springs Art Council was looking for artists to design and paint 4'X4' panels to hang on a fence to hide some construction that was going on while building a new hotel in downtown Yellow Springs. This is a very artsy community and they didn't want the piles of dirt and the dirt movers to stick out like a sore thumb, so they covered the surrounding area with art. I did this entire painting in just a few weeks and super coated it with varnish, so I think it may live in perpetuity...at least that's my hope. It really just needed to last until construction is complete...but I don't have anywhere in my house where this huge monster can go, so I'm hoping (if it's not hanging on anyone else's fence once the project is over) it will hang on my fence...or my Florida room...or somewhere. I'm happy with the way this turned out.

 

A piece I did for a friend

Acrylic and indelible marker

 

My technique for this painting was a lot of swirls with the brush. It was whimsical and fun to do and it has some depth to it...possibly satisfying my desire to slather paint all over a canvas. I also incorporated a little zentangling to give it a little more oomph. Again, thinking outside the box and I think this one was fairly successful!

I was so excited to be a featured artist on artomat.org's site!

More mini paintings...I can't keep track of the number!

Last year, I submitted a prototype for Art-o-mat, which was accepted. I painted 50 of these little paintings for the initial order which got distributed to 5 Art-o-mat's around the country. Months went by and I didn't hear anything...then one day I got a check. And my spirits lifted! Then I got another check and a notice that all 50 had sold out! Around April/May, I sent another 50, and just a few weeks ago, I got another check and a notice that they were out again! So, I've prepped 50 more and I have canvases to do...oh, I don't know...another 300 or so. I'm ready and super excited!

Picasso dog project

Playing around with trees - this one I get lots of good feedback about

This is a finished piece that I donated for an auction

Cow tipping - I call shenanigans...

Just had another person claim to be part of cow-tipping. I'm not a believer. I find it ridiculous actually. So many people have crazy stories of late night cow-tipping, usually sneaking up on an unsuspecting sleeping cow and seemingly effortlessly tip the cow over. Sometimes it involves alcohol (the humans, not the cows).
You must think me extremely gullible to believe that a 1000 pound animal, that generally sleeps laying down, allowed you to put your hands on it long enough to knock it over. And that a 170-200 pound person with little muscle is capable of doing that. Not to mention, usually where there is one there is a herd. I call shenanigans and resent you for thinking I'd believe it.
I suppose it's plausible that you can knock a cow over, under the right circumstances. Perhaps you have several beefy, athletic-types helping, but late-night and drunk? Or maybe you just had the damn thing tied up. Plus, did you consider that 1000 pounds falling on it's side wouldn't cause some kind of injury? You're a jerk to boot.
So many times I've heard this stupid story and actually got into a bit of an argument with a cocky guy about how ridiculous it was. Since it takes so much effort for me to NOT roll my eyes when someone is making up their story, I generally lose the energy it takes to argue about it further - because that's how they choose to remember it. I walk away with a little less respect for the storyteller.

I'm Teaching??

What was I thinking?  As a person who does not go out of the way to meet/talk/interact with people...this prospect of teaching a bunch of kids art projects is quite daunting. I'll admit, I may be intimidated by 7 to 12 year olds. What if they hate what we're doing? What if I am suddenly stricken with a case of amnesia overnight and completely forget what project we're doing? What if I become mute and am instantly transported to the front of a classroom clad in my pajamas and I haven't even brushed my teeth yet?  Ok, so I suppose those last two might be a stretch of the imagination...but not completely impossible!  Anyway, I know once I get through tomorrow everything will be fine and I won't even be able to imagine what I was worried about.
My thought is to start of with an easy-ish project. Pinterest has been my inspiration. :)  I'm having them create 2 pieces of art on paper, then weave them together. It's been a challenge to come up with 35 minute projects for 3 classes over a 6-10 week span. I believe it can be done even if we have to do it over multiple weeks. Greg and Addison have been my guinea pigs, so I'm getting a better idea of what will work for the masses and what won't.
Wish me luck!!