"Bubbles" - acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 24" x 24" x 1.5". Ready to hang. Click here to purchase this piece on Artfinder. All week, while other paintings have come and gone in the studio, Bubbles and I have been spending time together. Perhaps I didn't really want to finish this painting, because I enjoy his company so much. He is such a gentleman - so polite and kind. With adorable ears and a muzzle that begs to be petted. What I know about Bubbles (the real donkey, not my whimsical depiction) I learned from John Mulvihill, his current owner. Bubbles was sorely neglected when John came across him. Hair wild and matted, undernourished, belly filled with worms. He was for sale for the small sum of 30 euros (about $33), which was less than it would cost to make him well again.
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Yesterday evening, as I hauled the bucket of duck food out to the lake, a squadron of newly flying ducks came catapulting through the air toward me, each wanting to be first to the food. None of them graceful, they landed like cannonballs in the lake at my feet, some head first, covering me in a tidal wave of lake scum and algae. I was a mess. But I was laughing uncontrollably as I headed for the shower, feeling the whimsical magic of the messiness of the moment, delighted.
Life is messy. Beautifully, uncontrollably messy. "Melvin" - acrylic on cradled wood, 6" x 12" x 1.5". Ready to hang. Click here to purchase this piece on Artfinder.
Still obsessed with cows after the lovely herds in Ireland. Melvin was one of the bulls who posed for me at Ballybunion, gazing at me intensely for 30 minutes, the sounds of his chewing and the sounds of my pencil scratching on paper filling the silence. I think we made a heart connection. He may have been thinking "why doesn't she give me some food?", but either way it was a quirky and wonderful moment. Yesterday was glorious. I never left the house. Spent the entire day in my paint pajamas (yes, I have those) and got things done. There was painting (of course!) and then there was the business of art. There is a lot of behind the scenes activity in being an artist. I wish I could say it was 100% creating and painting, but it's more like 60/40. Even though (most) artists are reclusive introverts, we must swashbuckle out in the world and make sure our art is visible. When it sells, we can eat and buy more art supplies! So after the painting is done, it must be photographed, inventoried, listed online, sent out to juried competitions, displayed in shows and (hopefully) packaged and shipped to a sweet collector who connected with the piece. The process of applying to a season of shows alone takes days. Right now, I am applying for events all the way up to February, and the calendar is getting full! Hooray! For some artists, the business of art is a frustrating piece which is dreaded and avoided. I am one of the super lucky ones. Since much of my background is business, finance and entrepreneurship, I find this part of art invigorating and fun. Yep, fun! It is the best of two worlds - creating art and running a micro-business. I am also a very good employee, and the bossy part of me appreciates that. :) So why would I blog about this part of art? Just to say this: we often romanticize art and artists, imagining lazy, blissful days of painting and daydreaming and nothing else. It isn't really like that at all. There is a whole other side to art which requires the skills of a CEO - marketing, finance, management, human resources, production, inventory and even janitorial services! Like the wizard behind the curtain, artists create a world so that you see the art and the emotion behind it, without the messy parts. And speaking of messy parts, I think Melvin just left a cow patty in the studio...now where is that bucket and mop?
As ducks float in groups, they always manage to maintain an easy space between them. Keeping a space between yourself and others while maintaining a sense of community is one of the messages of the duck. Create a sacred sanctuary (or "nest") in your home. The duck tells you to spend time being prepared, as those who prepare reap the rewards.
Now I haven't heard any of the ducks outside my back door giving advice yet, but as I watch them floating gracefully together, never bumping or being awkward, I can see the message clearly. Maybe today they will get a little extra treat for being so incredibly wise. There is something about the thirty paintings in thirty days challenge that gives me insomnia. It is the only time of year when I paint in the early hours of the morning, before any human should be awake. Any other time I am a complete sleep hoarder, early to bed and nine hours a night or I am a zombie. But here I am, 3 am, in the studio wondering why oh why I am doing this again? On the bright side, by 6 am I had painted, shipped the prior day's art sales, paid bills, updated my calendar and made breakfast.
Of course this got me to wondering...I've been out of touch with the cycles of the world around me, wrapped up in my own travel and adventure. Yesterday was discombobulated, with every little thing more difficult than necessary. Even my husband commented on how odd the day seemed. So when I looked up "Mercury Retrograde 2016", it was no surprise (and a huge AHA!) that it began last week and is now in full swing. That explains quite a few things. The retrograde is the time to re-think, re-plan, re-assess, re-organize. It isn't the time to start anything new. Which might explain why some of the experimental art projects I've been playing with are not going so well. Instead of scrapping them, I will spend the month planning, gathering supplies and laying out the steps. I've also begun to plan the installation of my studio make-over, but have moved the date to October. I will continue de-cluttering and re-painting the room until then. And as I run through this concept of working on things already in place, planning for new things, organizing what I already have, I feel a huge sense of relief. There is something wonderful about taking the time to sort out what's already present in our daily lives instead of chasing the new stuff. If I hadn't had insomnia and been seeking answers, I wouldn't have known it was time to re-think my approach to this month. Hmmmm. Apparently the universe is actually working with me by waking me up this morning, and was not actually slapping me in the face. A little perspective shift and the whole day looks rosy. Thanks, universe! To read more about the current mercury retrograde, click here.
"Greta and Gus" - mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas, 30" x 40" (private commission)
Oh my. Re-entry into life after lovely Listowel is not easy! Shifting time zones is a challenge, of course, but the real struggle is going from the pastoral, easy going, sweet, humorous and polite Irish small town to the fast lane of life, hectic and not NEARLY as polite life in south Florida. When I was boarding the plane at Shannon Airport, everyone queued up as their row was called, quietly, leaving plenty of room for others. Many remained seated until they were called, even if the line was empty. So relaxing! At JFK, the queue for boarding was packed right up to the attendant at the desk before pre-boarding was even called, with people shoving, bumping bags, jostling for position and acting like it was the line for the last milkshake on earth. I was weary just watching it. At the arrival lane outside Fort Lauderdale, the honking, flashing headlights, yelling, exhaust and crush of humanity had me feeling quite lost and sad for a few moments. So I decided not to do much for a couple of days except catch up with myself, binge on the Winegum stash I brought home from Listowel and listen to Mickey MacConnell cds. I am like a lovesick girl when it comes to Listowel. But I see those who went before me re-entering their lives with grace and ease, so I know it can be done. I've enjoyed being a hermit in my own house, listening to the quiet of an empty nest and relishing the fact that food doesn't disappear overnight while I'm asleep. :) My hubby bought us a tv subscription to watch the Gaelic Football finals in a couple of weeks (what a thoughtful guy!) and a big vase of flowers as a welcome home. Awwwwww! Our muscovy flock expanded by another dozen ducklings while I was gone, and the garden turned into a jungle which is calling me to tame it. Maybe next week. But after two days, I jumped back into my studio, which now has a lovely solar tube streaming sunlight into the room all day. Yahoo! First up was a commission I received before my trip. This is a really large painting for me (30" x 40"), and it was BIG FUN! I'm crazy about Gus the zebra and his puff-haired friend. He is a good warm-up for Bubbles the donkey, who is tapping my shoulder and asking to be painted. Soon, donkey, soon! |
AuthorLola Jovan |