The Monster in the Room

This could  make me a snob, but I have a particular loathing for gimmicks.  If you want me to shun a new movie, a product, or brand, just show me a bunch of cheesy, gimmicky advertising for it.  Corny product lines designed to maximize profits on the latest thing (action figures, bed sheets, auto ornaments - barf) are the worst!  Top it off by having the general public think it is the coolest thing since sliced bread, and it really doesn't stand a chance with me.

I'm not saying I never come around, but if and when I do, I do so grudgingly.  I was probably one of the last earthlings to see a Shrek movie, and, though it had its funny moments, after seeing one, I'm good.  So when they started hyping up the new android cell phones (and couldn't seem to give it a rest), I was saying "here we go...", and defiantly declaring my loyalty to my (not so old) faithful Blackberry.  Thus far, I had been able to accomplish everything I needed to with the apps on that phone.  My yearly credit towards a new phone had become available from my service provider, but, nope, I was sticking to my guns, no matter how much people I knew raved about their insanely capable, super smart android smart phones.  I did finally begin considering some of the newer options for future reference, but I was not going to be one of the masses programmed to run out and plunk down their hard earned moulah to snag the next big thing.  Then the unthinkable happened.  One night (not so old) Betsy gave up the ghost.  I managed to shrug it off - it said "service required" on the screen- I would take it to my provider's service outlet and have them fix 'er up and it would be fine.  Not so much.  Went to pick up my device from the service outlet, and the representative said it seemed to be working again.  But by the time I got home, I realized that it must have just been a temporary return from the great beyond, because it was kaput again. :o(  All that rep gave me was a goofy come on and a phone that still didn't work.  So I resigned myself to deciding on a new device, all the time grumbling that "big brother" musta zapped my phone so I would have to concede and get on board.   I chose a phone and used the upgrade credit I had been trying to save for later.  I've been gradually getting accustomed to it, but I refuse to be an android head, running around, obsessed with my phone and showing everyone what it can do.  It may have finally won me over the other day, though.  I had a customer in another state who had ordered a piece of jewelry and couldn't figure out, despite the instructions I sent, how to make a small adjustment to the piece to personalize it.  I was at a loss, until it occurred to me to use my phone to make a short tutorial video, then upload it so she could see it.  It worked like a charm.  The video helped, the customer was pleased, and I was pretty impressed with this device.

grrrr!!!

It had helped me provide great customer service, on top of helping me do regular administrative stuff for my business.  But we'll see.  I can still be a skeptic can't I, lol! ;o)  Ha, once it makes 3 wishes come true, then I'll really be impressed... let's see, extra money, Mr. Amazing, new levels of artistic success... hey wait, I did see some interesting apps available for download...

defeated purpose

Today in my usual chasing my own tail/knocking down walls/attempting to build Rome, I began to think my success at becoming more disciplined, focused, and calculating in getting more work done faster worked against me.  Where do I get off thinking I'm some sort of robot that can just punch things out like an assembly line?
The air was not right in the studio from the start, but I couldn't stop wrestling with it for some reason. I can joke about it now, but I was in a frustrating place, because I went in there first thing with a must do list of things I expected to finish today, once and for all, no exceptions!  But the paint, paper, glue, canvas, lighting, etc. had a different plan. I'm usually pretty balanced about these things, and when I have a day where stuff just refuses to work right, I put it all down, go off and do something else. But I think I rolled in with the wrong attitude in the first place, and that set the tone for little things to go wrong, left and right, as though something were testing me, saying, "ha- who do you think you are- you can only control so much!".

I think the issue is, that in a need for control, I am a chronic list maker. I frequently make lists, both mental lists and on paper because I want to feel that I am accomplishing things and making progress in my personal life, my creative work, and in business. I am at the point where I get a high when I can check things off, lol. It started out as a great way to get goals on track. Lists of small, doable steps are great for getting things done. But this constructive practice may just be backfiring on me. It's bad, because the more I get done, the more I need to get more done (twisted, right?). I'm like some B movie monster that's consuming cities, growing bigger, only to consume more! The point is not to make a list for the day, then have a cow when you can't check anything off! I gave myself a headache because some paint didn't dry right? What is that?!?!
Dear Me: Let it go- go watch a movie or read a book and go to bed!  Tomorrow is another day!

Wordless Wednesday

Thursday Happiness

Okay, on a routine cruise through the grocery store this afternoon, my eye landed on something intriguing in the produce dept. You don't wanna shop the produce department with me because I'll always find something new and odd to examine and try, lol. In a basket displaying only about 8, were these giant citrus of some sort. Sorta grapefruit-like, with the typical speckled citrus fruit skin, but closer to cantaloupe size.  Upon closer perusal I learned that the yellow green globes were called red pummelos.  I had to have one. But just to lower the risk of wasting my $2.50, I googled the exotic things while I waited in the checkout. Satisfied that they were a safe bet, I went through with it. I brought the over-sized fruit home, sliced it open for a snack, and was pleased to find the description right on.  It was like a sweet, less bitter/acidic version of a grapefruit, and it was very refreshing. I knew I'd gotten my money's worth for another reason, though- that strange piece of fruit turned into gold! Okay, not really. But looking at the newly sliced fruit, I saw a new painting. The first still life I've done in a while, but I'm excited!  Hey, it's the little things for me, cuz they add up ;o). Anyway, the unveiling  will happen soon, hopefully. Once I've found time around the 500 other projects already going, lol.

New Days

With the beginning of a new year, I look forward to clearing out old and making room for new.  It's one of my favorite ways to set the tone for a new year, and an exercise that is less painful and more cathartic than a hard and fast list of resolutions.  This new year's it sort of began involuntarily in my world, as old stuff pooped out on me and had to be replaced (my cell phone for one), and has picked up speed as I've examined different areas of my life and surroundings where tweaks were necessary.  I make it a sort of fluid, organic process, quietly going down a mental "fix, clean, ditch, donate, and/or replace" list.  I look at stuff in my home, work, social, emotional, and spiritual realms, including the people in those areas with a critical eye (considering what's helpful or a positive presence, and what's not so much), make quick, confident decisions and move on.  It feels great, and gets me on track for making my year ahead the best it can be!  The old adage, "out with the old and in with the new" could never ring truer for me, and I'm looking forward to some great new things this year...

A Gift Makes a Gift

My website is undergoing renovation, but folks who stop by can see a few new things, including a short project demo for a piece I recently completed.  A link on the homepage will take you there:  www.reneezanceart.com.

the finished piece

The piece was a little gift I designed and made for my mother, in remembrance of my grandmother.  Nana passed away several years ago, but she loved hummingbirds, and at her funeral, and in encounters since then, my mom has seen real hummingbirds.  She'll go outside or look out of a window and see them sometimes.  I've often told her that Nana was sending her love, and one day the idea came to me to create this ornament as a constant reminder.

The demo shows the steps I used to make the ornament for those curious about my process.  It was a very enjoyable project, and the bonus was that mom loved it.  I invite you to take a look!

A First

my 30 minute centerpiece

I enjoy the holidays.  Now that I'm grown up the main reason is good times with family and friends.  I could kinda take or leave all the trimmings, including the whole gift business, though. It's fun for me to give- I think I'm good at picking stuff out for my loved ones.  But being grilled about what I want and having to act thrilled or surprised makes me a touch uncomfortable (call me crazy).
This year I distractedly threw up some decoration here and there between other tasks just to say I did.  It was nice, and I really enjoyed the family dinners, a party here and there, etc..  But I don't think I've ever been so glad to see all the whozits and whatzits and trappings of the holidays disappear when it was all over!  It probably sounds awful, but I was so ready to be done with the holidays and start fresh!  Yay, new year!  I don't wanna see another ornament or pine needle for, well, at LEAST 11 months.  Lol.  Happy fresh New Year!

The Road's Envy

As I sat in my studio painting today, I listened to cars passing on the road below my window.  The sound they made passing sounded like the road could have been yawning in its mundane role, just lying there, as I reveled in the thrill and fulfillment of mine, constantly creating.  Made me think that if it could, the road might just envy me...

WHY

is it SO friggin' cold in the southeast?!?!?!  I can't say I don't like snow.  But I don't like cold.  Cold wind cutting through my pantlegs and whipping around my neck makes me cranky.  I've learned, even since I left behind my childhood in the colder northern states, to be prepared and bundled up well so it wouldn't matter what shenanigans the weather got up to.  But sometimes I'm still caught off guard.

I scoffed when they predicted a light "dusting" of snow on Christmas day (in metro Atlanta??).  Then I found myself opening the door after Christmas dinner to see flakes drifting through the sky.

  

In short, the weather has been up and down here, with more chilly lows than I've been accustomed to in recent years.  Cold fingers have to work harder to be creative :o(.  So I've unearthed my old fashioned hand warmer and several space heaters to use in addition to the usual layers.  Think I'm ready to brave this odd cold spell.  Wish me warmth!

p.s. Merry Christmas/ Happy Hanukkah/ Happy Kwanzaa/ Happy New Year!

A Sweet, Simple Joy

Okay, I just had to write this to share something that has been a profound part of my life, initially afforded to me at a very young age by my very wise mother.  Years ago, when my brother and I were kids, we had a beloved ritual with my mother that still affects me to this day.  Every so often, she would drive us to the huge public library, and allow us time to pick out arms full of books.  This was often followed by a trip to the grocery store, where she would get the groceries for the week, to include treats such as licorice for us.  We would then go home and disappear into our rooms, to chew on sweets while we were absorbed for hours in whatever adventure could be found in the pages of our borrowed books.

To this day, there is a
special joy for me in the
free knowledge, adventure, inspiration, opportunities, and ideas that can be found at my local libraries.  Yes, the internet is a great place to do some research, and ebooks are a fine idea in some instances, but there's still something about curling up with a great book with actual pages.  A story that you cannot put down to eat or sleep.  Or a how-to that helps you teach yourself to do something new and fun or useful.  Or try something historical with amazing facts you never knew.

People seem to gravitate to coffee shops for a quiet place to read, work, or study, but the library is the originator of the quiet space, perfect for these activities.  The last bastion of respect enough for one's neighbors to be quiiiiiieeeet (no coffee shop music or posers).  You can't even get that in church anymore, because people seem to constantly forget to put their mobile devices on silent.

Because of my love for books and libraries, one of my dreams was always to have a big, beautiful library of my own, in my home, full of lots of beautiful books, especially plenty of art books.  I imagined that by the time I was a wrinkled little old lady, my library would be massive, and would be turned into a public library (with lots of reading nooks and art on the walls, of course) named after me once I was gone.  I hit Ikea a few years ago and started on that dream.  It's evolved beautifully and I enjoy it.  I still, however, love to go to the public library, and hope others do, too.   

Gimme a Moment

Okay, I must just take a couple of seconds to take issue with a phrase that's been in rotation since who knows when.  The other day I was talking to someone who threw it out and it struck a chord in me.  She said "I just have an hour to kill, so... yada yada yada".  Okay, anyone who knows me knows how ruthlessly I try to guard my time.

I can't stand waste in any arena of my life.  Don't like wasted money, food, supplies, energy, etc., but most of it I can get back or comp out on the other end somehow.  But since a day or an hour is a commodity that one cannot ever get back, why try to kill it, so to speak?!  I agree with whomever said that time is our most valuable commodity, because once lost, it can never be regained.  Don't get me wrong, I realize that the way I say it seems too literal for everyday application, and that one can save time here and there, but the concept of trying to rid oneself of a segment of time seems ludicrous to me, since I'm one of the freaks who'd love to get a 36 hour day once in a while.  Just saying.

Identity Crisis

Okay, gotta get something off my creative chest.  I mean, it's an innocent enough question, but it's a bit of a thorn in the side of someone like me who is trying to use her work to relate to various subjects and hopes to prompt thought, imagination, and creativity on the part of whomever her audience may be.  It is, I think, a result of societal conditioning, which demands we look for ways to define, understand, and relate to other people.  But I will admit to some teeth gritting when folks look at those of my paintings which happen to feature people and ask, "so who is that?".  I guess it gives me the impression that they are focusing more on insignificant aspects than on the emotion or idea I'm trying to express.  I feel like an artistic ogre because I expect folks to understand that, with

the prayer - work in progress   

the exception of special portraits, most of the faces in my paintings are just faces I created from my own imagination to express something in the painting.  I should remind myself that people who do not create and may

muses: #'s 1, 2, & 3, work in progress

not relate to my motivation to do so, may also have a very "black and white" approach to understanding the work.

Sister's Selah - work in progress

 Anyway, for anyone who ever wonders, most of the people in my work are, yes, figments of my imagination, sometimes influenced by features and mannerisms of real people I meet or know, but mostly made up to suit the sentiment in the painting or the conversation I'm attempting to start with audiences through my work.
Okay, now that that's off my chest, it's back to the dungeon for this ogre (or orgrette, whatever) - more figments to paint...