Crafty Garden Mom: February 2014

2/27/14

Thursday Thoughts: It Was Only a Matter of Time....

I went to the opthamologist yesterday
was told I need readers.
the SOB actually smiled as he told me that
He says my reading 200+ books a year
not withstanding
it was only a "matter of time"
then he pointed to this massive eyeball diagram
on the wall and proceeded to give me
the layman's explanation of why
my eyesight is slowly going to
go to shit from here on out
I only heard 2% of what he said
and only saw a fuzzy bit of the big eyeball
because of the dilation drops
No matter
he'd lost me at "this happens at about 40"
yadda-yadda
blah-blah-blah
Now I'll say not much has
bothered me about
turning 40
since it happened 5 months ago
but this...
this hit me in the
vanity button we all have
I've got nothing against glasses
the husband wears them everyday
and if you've been wearing them for
most of your life
especially before your 20s
I don't think this is
a big deal
at all
But being told your age
means something fundamental
like BEING ABLE TO SEE
is now changed forever
is a bit
disconcerting?
disheartening?
embarrassing?
weird?
I can only imagine
what else is in store
for my body
as time marches on.
Scratch that
I can imagine
and I've decided
to ignore those thoughts
for now
But it is
no wonder
I was getting headaches
and earaches
and had a non-stop eye strain
because it's amazing what
these little glasses
and a 1.25 lens can do
So
OK, I'll add this
little accessory to
my wardrobe
and life
from here on out
I just think
like a lot
of things you aren't told
about motherhood
that the things you have to
add as you age
should come with a
better warning than
It was only a matter of time
Dammit!

My very first pair of "readers." Oy.

CGM

2/21/14

CGM Podcast #60: It's The Terrible Three's

Listen to the episode here

Show Notes

Life Update:

Life with a Three Year Old....pray for us!
So far 7 is a good number for Sam

WIPs and FOs

Spectra scarf still in progress
Mini quilt made from The Art Society February project

Lots of sketches and book pages (see previous post).
Low volume scrappy quilt

Book Reviews (I FORGOT a classic movie review, sorry!!)

David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Thanks for listening!

CGM

2/18/14

Bookpage Sketches.

I've always been a doodler when it comes to keeping my hands busy, but in the last few months I've been drawing with more intent and focus on the finished piece. Some of my sketches are, well...really bad. Like, I'm not sure I'm ready to put this barely passable stick figure "out there" yet, bad. Others are somewhat better, and I'm willing to share (see image at left), but what's been making my sketching projects more fun is using different surfaces while doing it.

You'd think a hardcore bookophile like me would be hesitant or horrified to tear pages out of a book to use in my art. But I feel quite the opposite when I do this. I've always been a staunch believer in writing/the written word as an art, and one thing artists should always do is embrace and use the materials at hand. While I certainly wouldn't tear pages out of my favorite books or something worth a lot of money, repurposing books found in thrift stores or garage sales, is a great way to merge to arts together.

To prep the book pages for watercolor or acrylic paints, I painted a light coat of gesso on each page. Then once dry, I used a charcoal pencil to sketch. I only allow myself 10-15 minutes on each page. I am trying to teach myself to better focus in short bursts of time on just what's in front of me, but at the same time, allow my creativity to flow. This has been harder than I initially thought.

Drawing and painting doesn't always come naturally to me. Over the years I have in turn been madly happy with what I'm creating, or madly frustrated to the point of giving it up for a long time (years!). I've always turned back to easier (to me) crafts like sewing, knitting, or something else where there is more assembly in the process vs. just a blank page and a writing instrument in your hand. I find comfort in these crafts and will never give them up. But my "words" for 2014 are Change and Push and I'm determined to do both in my drawing: change the way I think about my ability to draw. Push myself to learn more and draw more...good, bad, ugly, or beautiful.

I'm pleased with the start!

CGM

2/6/14

Art Journal: She Dances In Moonlight

This spread is my "inner goddess" expressing herself on the page. We were challenged to create texture with book pages in the background, but I wanted to use some of the new (to me) Tim Holtz tissue paper I bought recently (SUPER cute packaging, it comes in a roll just like aluminum foil! Here's the link where I bought it.) with a music sheet print.

After painting the background with blue and raw umber acrylic glaze and using a liberal amount of baby wipes to draw up the excess, I drew a large tree with the branches stretching across the page. I added in the moon using iridescent white paint, then re-drew the branches on top.

The page still needed "something" so I sketched a silhouette of a woman dancing, and just colored it in with black acrylic paint. I plan to add the caption "She dances in the moonlight" on the left side of the page to finish it off...maybe add in a little shading around the tree. What I'm learning is that these pages are not always finished when you think they are...at least not for me. It's very hard for me to just STOP with it, I want to keep going!

But time to move on to the next project...too many to count right now! Hope you're having a crafty week too.

CGM

2/4/14

What We're Reading This Month

Like last year, February will be filled with several romance reads for me. Samantha (age 7) is all over the place these days, and gets bored with a series rather fast. So, at bedtime, she is reading 15-20 minutes on her own, then I am reading to her from a favorite picture book. Maddy is all about Minnie Mouse and Doc McStuffins, and I picked up a few $3.99 readers recently. She loves them!

Me: