Creative Guidance

Commissions, for me, are always a bit precarious.  I really enjoy them, but they have a whole different set of ideas to untangle than a painting I do entirely for myself.  I’m forced to think about the person receiving the painting and try to find some connection emotionally to the subject matter at hand.  In some cases, I can ask questions of the person(s) asking for the commission work.  In other cases, like this one, the person asking me to paint the subject was giving it as a gift to his wife, to whom the subject matter was very dear.  For most of us, a simple structure, such as this not-in-use roadside stop would not be terribly inspiring.  But to one who grew up spending her summers with her grandmother in the Eastern part of North Carolina, rocking on her grandmother’s porch and helping out in the store, the building holds years of sweet memories.  Yikes.  How does one paint that?

Creative guidance is not just needed, it is an absolute necessity!  I began work on this painting with fairly little information.  I knew that this was her grandmother’s store, that she had wonderful memories of it, that the house in the background was probably significant, but not sure.  I did not know whether the Amoco sign on the front was part of her memories, or a later addition still hanging on the facade of the unused building.  There were bars on the windows in the photo…were they there when she was a little girl visiting her grandma?  There was nothing but a rusty barrel sitting by the front door in the photo…what else might have been there??  Rocking chairs? A bench? Pots of flowers?  Gas pumps?  Well, I could only take artistic license so far.  I made some decisions, somehow they just “felt right”, and I went with it.

The painting gets framed and given.  I, in some senses, hold my breath hoping that all goes well when it is given to her on Christmas morning.  I don’t realize until later, upon hearing from her, just how much I had been guided in my choices.  The home in the background was actually her grandmother’s home, and the rocking chairs were the very ones on which she whiled away the summer’s evenings.  Her uncle now lives in that home.  The amoco sign?  It was the defining piece about that roadside store.

I’m grateful for the creative guidance I received.  Even more grateful to have been asked to be a small part of bringing joy to someone at Christmas; of memorialising sweet memories of days gone by.

Adorn the Cat!

When you’ve trimmed the tree, bedecked the halls, festooned the mantel, placed Christmas finery on every flat surface and hung it from every rafter, the only thing left to adorn is…the cat!  Well, if you have one, that is.  Our cat, Lucy, is a Christmas cat.  Santa brought her to our children 3 Christmases ago and we fell in love.  She thinks she’s human and loves to be petted and held.  So I made a Christmasy collar for her (and one or two for other occasions).  I thought I’d give you the pattern here, it’s such a simple little thing.

You’ll need:  One 13mm jingle bell, Small amount of Nylon Crochet Thread, or Mason Line (a plastic twine I found at Lowe’s Hardware), one small button (I prefer the kind that has the hole under the button, but those that have holes actually seen from the top of the button would be fine), size G hook, and one yarn needle.  **Choose colors you fancy for the season or “just ’cause”.

Note before we begin:  My cat is, I think, an average size cat, so the amount of chains here work beautifully for her…however, your cat may be larger or smaller, so adjust the number of chains, and then adjust where you place the jingle bell along the collar.  I’ve chosen to place the bell in such a way as to have the button showing on the side of her neck when the jingle bell is hanging right underneath her neck.  You may want the button on the very top of her neck…doesn’t matter, make it how you like.  You might also like to add several jingle bells!

With your G hook and chosen thread, ch 40, dc in the 3rd chain from hook and in each ch across stopping at ch 26 to add jingle bell (*see note below), then dc to end.  Fasten off, leaving long end for sewing on button (**see note below).  Secure the ends together (***see note below) and weave in ends if needed.

*Adding Jingle Bell: on the 26th dc, do not complete the last step of this dc.  Pull the first lp off your hook, leaving the second one on the hook.

Pinch the first lp together, push it through the jingle bell hole, then catch the lp with your hook once again and complete this dc (wrap and pull through both lps).  Continue with pattern as written.

**Sewing on the button:  Weave the long end and shorter end to where you want the button to be.  Then, using long end, secure the button. Tie ends together in a knot.

***Securing the ends:  (Here’s where sparks may fly:)   Both the nylon thread and the plastic twine are slippery and do not stay secured very well.  I don’t want my cat to be able to wrench it off or have the button get loose.  So I use a bit of flame from a candle lighter to “melt” the nylon or plastic right at the knot.  This works like a charm because the threads melt into each other and all you have to do is snip off the loose ends.  You could weave them in a bit more if you like to, but it isn’t necessary.

You do not need a button hole…the space in between each double crochet makes a perfect button hole.  Just choose a button that will fit snuggly in between the stitches.  I just used buttons from my stash (which is in desperate need of refreshment), so be creative with the buttons…they can be so pretty!  Lucy is now making the sweetest sounding jingle wherever she goes…and the red on her dark fur is stunning, don’t you think?

A very Merry Christmas to you all…and your cats!

P.S.  I realize this is a total break with my usual drawings…holiday festivities, setting up a fish tank for the “new” goldfish since Lucy ate the last two out of the bowl, have kept me from being able to draw the last few days.  I will be back at it after Christmas!  Can’t wait!  Besides, I’m not sure I could’ve made the drawing as cute as she really is:)

It Came Upon a Daily Walk

It came upon a daily walk
That glorious time of morn;
When stress and fears get chased away,
My footfalls on sidewalks so worn.

And through the wandering paths I trod
My feeble knees do awake;
The cares of life, they seem to fade
As dawn begins to break.

(Refrain)
For soft and low the Voice begins,
My marching orders I hear…
Of things to make, and of peace and grace;
A Joy for the day has drawn near.

More often than not, my walks are magical.  Not because of anything extraordinary that I’m doing…just walking…maybe breaking into a little jog here and there.  But wheels start turning, creative pistons firing and all I have to do is go along for the ride.  It also feels something like, as I walk, there’s a sloughing off of whatever besets me: worries, cares, fears, stresses, etc.  Some may even wonder if I have an ipod or phone, ’cause I talk while I walk.  No ipod though.  I don’t want any  music impeding what I might receive that day.  “Receive” is really what’s happening.  Many times I don’t feel like I should take any credit for some of the creative things I make, write, or do…because, they are truly gifts, and I’ve just “caught” them and passed them along.  And so I pass along this little jingle, reworking a favorite Christmas tune. It arrived on my morning walk.

Julia Cameron writes of this very phenomenon in her book, Walking in this World.  She also speaks of other creative-brain activities like, baking, mending, sorting, rearranging, tossing stuff out, etc.  I love how grounded these activities are…so normal, so everyday, so hum-drum.  No bravado, no loftiness here, just plain ole everyday stuff.  But WOW, what little gems we receive while doing them.

Now, you may say, “surely you didn’t just “receive” the ability to draw or knit while you were out on a walk one day?” Of course not.  I pursued those skills and am constantly learning more about them.  Anyone can learn these skills!  Anyone can, if they want to, learn to draw, paint, knit, crochet, play an instrument, throw pottery, make jewelry, etc.  Learning a skill is NOT a magical thing that “happens” to you on a daily walk.  But ideas are.  Thoughts, connections between life and art, words, ideas and possiblities can all come to us, if we listen for it.  I’ve often thought that the phrase “visions of sugarplums danced in their heads” is exactly what goes on inside my head…especially on a walk.

The Comfort of Yarn

When we were told we would probably be staying a night or two at Brenner’s for our daughter to be cared for her newly diagnosed diabetes AND for our training in caring for her, I tossed into my purse a zip-lock bag of two balls of Noro Matsuri yarn, some crochet hooks, and a pair of scissors.  As I put them in, I knew I would probably not get a chance to actually crochet a design I’ve had banging around in my head.  But I wanted to take it, to have it on hand.  When we got settled into our room, I placed the bag on a shelf near where I would be sleeping.  I could see those happy balls of yarn from just about any spot in the spacious “homey” room, and that was really all I needed…just to see the yarn.

It’s amazing how comforting yarn can be.  Somehow, just seeing the colors sitting there brought comfort…  the bright vivid colors, the soft squooshiness, the promise of a beautiful scarf, the anticipation of creativity, the hope of life opening up again to allow for time to crochet, a reminder that my life is not ONLY finger pricks, insulin shots, sugar levels, ketones, carb counting, etc.  I do often carry around my sketchbook and pen.  Yet it doesn’t quite hold the same kind of comfort.  The sketchbook in and of itself does not have that warm, home & hearth kind of feeling about it.

An artist friend left a comment on the “When Life Happens” post that she didn’t think she could concentrate so well while facing so much.  Yes, that is a challenge.  But it is also a comfort.  To engage in creative endeavors while going through difficult times, functions somewhat like a tether.  Your life feels like it is whirling out of control.  And so it is.  But drawing, knitting, crocheting, grounds you, reminds you that at the very least, some things do not have to change.  When concentration is difficult, choosing to create in ways that are “second nature”, or very simple, are helpful.  It may merely be placing the creative project or the supplies close by that will offer some comfort as you whirl around in the unknowns.

The Kindness of Others

An artist friend (whom I have never met) left a comment on my last post that has been so encouraging to me.  She writes, “Moments fill our lives like the colorful dots in a Seurat painting. When we pay attention, really pay attention, the art of living becomes something truly remarkable to see.”  I have been so touched by this and other’s sweet notes (which you can read here), along with the love and kindnesses of folks who live near me.  From the gentle care of Dr. Albright at Forsyth Pediatrics, to the marvelous doctors and nurses at Brenner’s Children’s Hospital, to the many thoughts & prayers from family, friends, and our church family, to our neighbor Joann, and my amazing parents who dropped their life in Boone to come stay in our home caring for our other children…we have been showered with kindness.  Each and every one of you are a colorful dot in the painting of my life.  Though I won’t know what that painting will look like until the other side of eternity, I know it will be beautiful, because of YOU.  Thank you from my  heart.

When Life Happens…

My knee-jerk reaction when difficult things come crashing into my life is to view them as interruptions,  aberrations, abnormalities, unwanted guests, separate from the life I’m supposed to be living.  This reaction was very prevalent on Monday as I sat in the pediatricians office with my sweet 7 year old girl waiting for a urine test to come back.  I had actually called and made this appointment.  Certain things about my girl had been bothering me for a couple of months.  I had these nagging thoughts that something was not quite right, but could come up with seemingly reasonable explanations for each of them.  My growing suspicions kept bringing one thought to mind…juvenile diabetes.  Due to heightened symptoms in the last week, I got online to find out what the signs of juvenile diabetes were, and there in the top 3, were all the things I had been seeing in my child.  I immediately made the appointment.

I was prepared, somewhat, for the doctor to say that yes, her sugar levels and ketones were high and yes we need to tend to this.  I was not prepared for him to say that we needed to go to Brenner’s Children’s Hospital ASAP.  I told him we had so many other appointments that afternoon having to do with our other children’s needs.  He very kindly said that he thought others would understand us cancelling these appointments due to our child being diagnosed with diabetes.  He also said, again very gently…she needed insulin yesterday.  Life interrupted.  Life rended in two.  Life, as I had known it, halts.

There was a brief moment- as I sat in the ER at Brenner’s, after hearing the confirmation of this diagnosis, just how high her blood sugars were, and what needs to happen next- the thought came into my mind to gather up my Maddie and walk right out the doors of that hospital and return to our life as it had been.  Of course, I did not do this.  Something kept me in my seat.  Somehow I knew that no matter how difficult and painful the coming days would be, that this would be what would restore my child’s health and keep her from further damage and even worse pain.  The “difficult thing” was exactly what she needed to survive, to really live, to flourish.

What I’m realizing anew, as I have many times in the past, is that THIS IS LIFE.  This is not an interruption or aberration to a life we think we were meant to live.  THIS IS IT!  Though I am NOT saying that this is what life was MEANT to be like, I am saying that it is in these difficult patches that life can be rich, full of love and meaning and learning.  The rest of life becomes a sort of theatrical backdrop to what is really happening on stage.  I do not want to only hang out in the scenery…I want to engage on the stage of life, whatever comes my way.

I’m sounding a bit like I’m preaching.  And to be honest, I am.  I need to do this.  You must not think that tears have not been shed, or that I stoicly push myself to “look on the bright side” of things.  Even as I type, my eyes well up, my mind replays the memories of how Maddie cries sometimes when she gets her shots, the feeling of being overwhelmed looms large.  I need to live one moment at a time, one finger prick and one insulin shot at a time.  We’ve been watching Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (several times in the hospital and again last night)…the song “put one foot in front of the other” has been running in my head these last few days.  It’s a good thing to remember.

When life happens, it’s good to also remember:  The “difficult thing” is exactly what I need to survive, to really live, to flourish.

Days like Today

Dark, dreary, 40 degrees and raining…perhaps days like today are when I need color the most.  Especially in winter when the trees are bare and the only hint of color is any green that might be hanging on for dear life in the grass.  Splooshing color around on the page is a bit like taking vitamin D for seasonal affective disorder.  I’m also crocheting a vest (you’ll be able to make it too as soon as I write the pattern:) out of some glorious Noro yarn…luscious colors running through my fingers as my eyes feast on it.  I’ve always felt that those who make that line of yarns (Noro) must be artists…every colorway is a painting in itself.  If you’re feeling the dark and dreary fingers of winter trying to wrap themselves around your head… grab your paints, your yarns, your colorful fabrics, and MAKE something!  It really will help!

A Close-up View

Pretending to be a camera zooming in on details…I’m showing you the lovelies of Simplicity Shawl. When I draw or paint, I love to zoom in and crop the edges of an image as I’m sketching. This gives the sketch or painting a bit of an abstracted look…one might first wonder “what is it?” and then the realization comes upon closer look. Zooming in also gives you the opportunity to not be so literal, if you like. The objects you draw do not have to be “proportional” or in correct perspective…they can just exist as shapes: fun, lovely, created shapes.

Simplicity Shawl itself, is a fun, lovely, created shape. The pattern allows you to choose whether you make it into a triangle or into an upside-down trapezoid. The rosette clasp continues the shape fun with layering simple crocheted motifs to make something that looks like a flower. To further the shape-play, you can be creative with how you wear it: secure it in the center front, or off to the side, knotted or tied in any fashion, or wrapped around your waist. The v-stitch used in the shawl works up so quickly, it makes a perfect gift for someone on your list.

Try looking at your world by zooming in and seeing the shapes…you’ll find inspiration for drawings, paintings, fiber work or whatever your creative penchant may be!

Yarn Confection

Every time I go to Harris Teeter, I see these plastic ice cream “cups” in the frozen section. And each time, I’m dying to buy one to make a yarn-ice-cream-confection. I’ve been looking for an excuse to give this as a gift to one of my yarn friends…and recently, I had the perfect excuse, or reason, rather:) I gave my friend a ball of fun yarn that has several different strands of color and texture, along with a size H crochet hook…you can never have too many H hooks…mine get lost all the time (where they go, I have no idea!). Of course, the ball of yarn is the “ice cream” and the hook (or knitting needles) is the “straw”. Wrap it in cellophane , attach a card and voila! The perfect gift for a “yarnie”. You could also stick a rolled-up pattern down in the yarn as the straw. So much fun!