Art and More Art

Yesterday I got up early to get ready for the cleaning fairy!  I know you are thinking I am totally spoiled.  Think maybe you are right!  I did to give up my monthly massage to keep my house clean, it was a choice because I don't really have extra money to do both.   It has been so worth it, my house has fewer cobwebs, the floor is swept in every room and the kitchen is mopped.  Oh, I could do these things and I do, just not all in the same day, so it never really looks like it happened at all.   I love that my girls were sweet enough to bring the cleaning fairy into my life for my birthday and Mothers day presents. 

The coolest part of all this.....   I left her cleaning house and went to my first art class of the entire summer!  I didn't know how much I missed my classes.  I have this wonderful artist friend that holds these classes in her home.  The space is well lit and she is full of helpful suggestions.  I must admit I'm not her typical student.  I am a gourd artist, my art is carved and painted on a thee dimensional canvas. 

I have never taken "art" classes beyond elementary school, when everyone created the same paper colored thing to hang on the windows.  I have taken some gourd classes to learn weaving and some carving.  I disliked the idea of using a stencil to apply artwork to a gourd, something in me wanted to free hand my work, I think it's my "I can do it my way" kind of thing!   My drawings in the beginning were very primitive and have been perfected into a style I'm happy with.   My painting leans toward that same style of drawing, less realistic and more primitive.

Yesterday I was the only student in art class.  I requested some help in changing up my heavy handed way with color and moved into the more acrylic watercolor style.   Oh, it was so much fun to see things in the thin watered paint.  Rubbing out, adding color, blending and basically allowing the water to carry the color into the background.  All of these terms are mine, probably not art terms, so forgive me.  I know there are many of you that have studied art and are so talented, I'm still learning and experimenting.  My teacher is very good for me, guiding me and suggesting this or that and I try to listen, there is some part of me that she just allows to be me and happily lets me keep my style.  It is her aim not to change me but teach me how to apply techniques to my own style. 

She is such a gift to me.  I have used many of her teachings when I do my artwork on a gourd now.  If you could see my first attempts at gourd art and compare it to work I do now.  I wonder why people every encouraged me by purchasing some of my early gourds!  If they had not, would I still be doing gourd work today?   Would I ever have taken an art class?  Was all of this part of the Divine plan for me?  I think so.

While I was art class, my house was being cleaned and my printer was finishing the printing of some new Art greeting cards.  I am excited to add these cards to my line of other cards and will be taking them with me to a show this weekend at Sunwatch Indian Village in Dayton, Ohio.  This event is the Sunwatch Flute and Art Gathering.  I hope you'll stop by and see my new cards and just say "Hello".  It's going to be a wonderful weekend of Native American Flute music, art and wonderful people!