Leaf Printing with Kaisa Hart

So far I am loving the Mindful Art Community Hosted by Kaisa Hart! It is exactly what I’ve been needing to free up my art. Since I focused solely on portraits and creating fantasy characters in my visual art about eight years ago, I had forgotten how freeing abstract art can be! Yes, I’m still into portraiture, but more than that, I’ve felt a little stifled because I keep wanting to try Intuitive Art, but I haven’t understood how to get into it. I’ve tried different classes over the years, but nothing really hooked me and felt right.

Then comes the Mindful Art Community with Kaisa Hart! This month was the first month I really got into the activities for the class. We did leave printing, to celebrate fall! Believe me, if you know how much I love trees and plants, you would know that I’ve been swooning! I really recommend her group if you need to loosen up your art. It is super affordable too, so you don’t wind up having to spend too much just to dabble.

Here are a few of the leaf prints I’ve done! Come join in the fun!

A Lesson about Hoarding and the Price of Shopping Too Much

Many years ago, I didn’t have much. In fact I only had what could fit in a suitcase or two. Over the years I started shopping for different reasons. At first it was to build a wardrobe. I bought two shirts every other week! That was the extent of it. Or I bought a little make up.

Ever since I got sick I have needed less stuff, but I keep shopping like I need all that shit anyway! My house has become overrun with bins full of stuff. My sewing room is filled with floor to ceiling bins and random debris, now. In my defense, a lot of the bins are fabric and sewing stuff that I don’t have the heart to throw away or donate.

I am literally weak under the tidal wave of too much stuff! I cannot figure out what to declutter, and it feels wasteful to throw things away. I don’t necessarily keep trash. But I over buy art supplies, books, make up and clothes. I get on these little kicks where I will buy shoes for a month, then switch to clothes, or books. I have a stockpile of books and cannot figure out how to store them.

SERENITY NOW! I”ve been experimenting with doing way less budget, and I will continue to try and declutter. Shopping too much is like spending on fool’s gold, you will never get that money back again and the things you buy are hardly worth the headache to store, clean and deal with too much stuff.

Thank you for reading my story about too much stuff! What is your relationship with stuff? Do you have enough?

Don't Let Art and Craft Sales Ruin your Vision!

Lately I’ve been seeing a bunch of old pics of my art. I have one of those photo memory squares on my computer backdrop! I keep seeing all these memories from years past, and I keep remembering all these times where I was gaga over the top inspired by an idea! I would get an idea, dabble and play a little, and then try to sell it. If it sold I made more and if it didn’t, I would shun the idea instead of exploring it further.

Don’t let sales dictate what you create! Oh if there was one message I could impart on my younger creative self, it would be don’t sell too early or too fast. Let an idea simmer and really sink in and explore your visions with lots of projects before you try to cash in. Art and creativity are too spiritual, and your vision is too close to heart to put a price tag on it!

For this skirt, I was all excited to try some hand stitching and couture sewing! Who knows what direction that idea would have taken my art had i explored it further? I will never know!

World of What If with Alisa Burke

Alisa Burke is teaching a class right now called “A World of What If”!!!! I’m having a blast creating my cast of characters for my imaginary world! Come join in on the fun!

Dream it

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Dream it 〰️

Fall's Here! A list of my favorite fall memories

Now it’s fall, and all I can say is bring on the pumpkin spiiiiiice! LOLOL! Fall is one of my favorite holidays of all time. First of all, I have not had to go to dinners with family over fall for many years. Fall to me brings up memories of dreaming of sewing costumes, making homemade decorations for my house, painting pumpkins for the schtoop.

Here is a list of some of my favorite fall memories! Now that I’m kind of stuck at home because of my condition, I find myself reminiscing a lot about the past. Without further ado…come with me as I stroll down memory lane.

1. I got married in October! My husband and I got married at the courthouse in our little college town. His parents were there, and they were running so late we almost missed our time slot at the courthouse! It was raining out that day, and someone told me that was good luck. All I know is, my husband and I have been together almost thirty years now since we first started dating! And our love grows stronger with each year.

2. I adopted Miso and Tuna in fall! Well…I should say Miso and Tuna adopted Jason and me. My two black cats fill this house with joy. They have a time share snuggling my husband right now. Usually one of the cats is bugging him while he gets his work done.

3. I remember going to DeMoss Pumpkin farm so many years, to choose the holiday pumpkins. The farm has a barn set up in the country outside of town, and they feature every imaginable thing that makes fall fall! Cider, pie, squash and pumpkins, gourds, etc. There is hay everywhere! One time Old Man DeMoss tricked me into buying a squash, he told me it was spaghetti squash, so I brought it home and cooked it. Turns out it was a pile of mush. LOL! He got me that time!

4. I remember going to a Black Family Farm rave, way back just after college. Honestly, it was so fun, I don’t remember much at all! LOLOLOLOL! What I do know is that the person who brought me there almost left without me to go back to the city. Shame shame!

5. I remember so many festive holidays with family and friends! Those were days I tended to take for granted. I’m grateful for those times more than most people know! My Mother in Law has always set the Thanksgiving table so gorgeously! She is wonderful at interior decorating, and each season when I would go to her house, I used to enjoy seeing all her wonderful displays. Now that I’m sick, I don’t get to go places like I used to. My Grandma used to bake a mean pumpkin pie! We would all get in the car and go to visit my grandparents every Thanksgiving.

6. I remember my favorite childhood costume, the pumpkin costume my Grandma made. I was still trying to wear that costume long after it fit. And the puzzle costume my friend’s mom made. So many fabulous memories! Trick or treating with my sisters. It was a blast!

   I’ve drawn it, I’ve written about it, I’ve spent time enjoying all those memories. I”m memory keeping and finding a bunch of goodness I don’t want to forget about as I enter my final days. It is good to have so many good memories! I feel like the Universe just gave me a big ole’ hug! I praise God for all my happy days of old!