Patience in healing - and literally waiting for paint to dry!

Wed-nes-day...

There is no glory in star or blossom till looked upon by a loving eye; There is no fragrance in April breezes till breathed with joy as they wander by.

William C. Bryant

I think we can safely say we are done with snow...?

(and that amyoes.com now has a writing section?  sorry, shameless plug.)

So time to explore the beautiful world we've got and take in those trees, shall we?

Studio...

But first, the studio - although this place is especially dangerous for me when it gets nice out - can't forget to get out too!

This was the next beautiful tree picture I wanted to feature on one of my backgrounds...in spackle of course.

So using my abstract background I painted yesterday, this is what I "spackled..." - dried by tomorrow!

This was a background I had started yesterday...

So I gessoed a magazine image and painted over it with my usual Amy-non-technique thingies...

This is what I've done so far - I am learning not to push myself to finish a whole painting in an entire session - although I'm not the best with patience, I do find that letting works "sit" for a bit does spawn some more sophisticated ideas!

Then I did a bit more work on these two trees...again, trying to practice the "patience" thing and not rush to get paintings done - besides, I'm running out of room to store all of these pieces!!!


And...last and QUITE the opposite of least, I did a bit of a tribute for me and Brandon - you know, us being married in about two months and all....

"Our Souls Are One and the Same"

I go to nature to be  soothed and healed, and to have my senses
      put in order.                                                                                 - John Burroughs

Speaking of weddings...

As we Skyped with our wonderful rabbi last night and got to show her our glorious custom made ketubah by the amazing paper-cutting and mixed media artist Debra Band , I knew my grandmother and grandfather were watching over us.

Wrapping up school...

I can't believe I am half-way through my college career - yes I'm 28, late-bloomer, but hooray for Hampshire and what an amazing year!  I spent last night trying to select ten pieces of my work that really show who I have become as an artist - TEN?  sheesh.  I am terrible with limitations...

(of course, leave it to Engineer Brandon to help me arrange my work in a cosine wave to make my work more "visually appealing..."

 If you're interested, here's me super-quickly running through the pieces that I feel best exemplify my work as an artist.   I wanted to show my evolution from whimsical abstract painting to a transition into more three-dimensional sculpture - which I hope is what the next year's art world has in store for me!

Art Sneak Peak HERE

Oh and in making that little playlist, I figured out how to get all of my original songs on YouTue on one playlist - so if you want to hear me strum around a bit and sing about my thoughts...well - just listen to this playlist!

Listen to Original Songs...HERE!

Where I am now.
Honestly, I did not expect this little weekend stint in the hospital, and I definitely was not ready for such a setback.  My body is miraculous, and the little quirks give it the Amy Uniqueness factor I suppose.  I am so frustrated that I don't look and feel my best now, but I know my heart is here.  I've got my family, my self, my blessings - blessings can't be taken away because there are always some to count somewhere...

Listen, it's really not easy to always stay optimistic.  But I don't really call myself an optimist. I just try to be present - here with the good, and here with the bad.  I would love to feel sorry for myself, but I don't know what I would be sorry for.  I have such an amazing springboard of support, and I know that I am always down deep in there.  Even when things don't work out exactly how I want them to at the exact moment I'd like them too.

Like my art, everything needs patience.  And I think that is the hardest thing for me to live with - I don't think I'm alone in this either!  I want to wake up feeling my 1000%, but the body and life is not like that.  And as much as I'd love to cram another 5 paintings into a frame and call it a day, some of those paintings I started, and are in the middle of...well, they just need more time.  Time to look at, be present for, just sit with, take care of, love, acknowledge, and just let rest for a bit.

So that's what I'm trying to do now.  I am trying to rest and be okay with all of the circumstances I have right now.  And as my favorite quote says - "It'll all be okay in the end and if it's it's not okay its not the end."  And man, I HATE endings!  Spring - SPRING is all about new beginnings...

So here's to a season of new beginnings, even if we are starting from scratch.  Even if we have to sit over a canvas for a bit and rest and heal - everything heals with time.  It's just that time takes...time.

But trees are always partying 24-7...and you've always got YOU.

 Before I go...
It's nice out, a nice time to travel (and honeymoon!) so why don't you check out these best chocolate lovers trips in America?
As well as these 40 Special Hotel Rooms You'll Want To Live In So Badly

 Nature never hurries. Atom by atom, little by little she
     achieves her work.                                                                  - Ralph Waldo Emerson