t h i s w e e k o n I G MCC
I thought I would start a new weekly post. Really it is a rundown of what I did that week and my Instagram pictures are the guide. My kids are off school next week so I kind of buckled down and worked in overdrive this week.
Two weeks ago I had an open studio and my studio was pretty much cleared out of projects. For some reason the furniture angels (my pickers and friends) found me a months worth of projects (about 20) to work on. Some are slam dunk painters and some I will spend time rebuilding before I can prep for paint. They are all gorgeous and inspiring. And when I have pretty pieces in my studio - I get to work. I don't sit on projects. I never have. Ever. It is not how I work. I buy it, I paint it. Year 7 and it is the way I groove artistically. So I painted a lot this week. And I sent some pictures to long time clients looking for specific pieces that might work for a custom paint job.
(I don't normally custom paint. I like to pick the projects. For some reason I have been doing a lot of it lately and it has been fun~!)
I spent Sunday with Camden going to
Vashon to pick up pieces. It was grey, cold and rainy but we still had a
good time. On the way home we drove though the 5 mile drive at Point
Defiance. I haven't done this 30 years. It was breathtaking. The moss on
the trees looked magical. I need to get there and shoot a picture for
you.
I started off the week just looking at what I had in studio and jumping in. I have been painting more than I have room for in the shop or in my studio so I haven't totally figured out the solution to this yet but it will come. It always does. I had an idea just today that I will put away and see what becomes of it.
Tuesday rolled in and I started getting anxiety. I hate it, I have never had anxiety before in my life until the last few years. I just plug through it. It usually teaches me something. I still hate it though.
Wednesday I shared a picture of my first shop 5 years ago this week. It seems like forever ago. I also know I am a really different person than that lady that walked into that first shop- that was handed to her. It is sad, inspiring, sometimes embarrassing to think back to that time and fast forward now. I think if I had to do it over again I wouldn't have been open and inclusive. I would have been stronger on my own and a bit more selfish (I know this sounds weird but it makes sense to me). I was a lot more naive, I was probably a lot more competitive. I am neither naive or competitive now, at all. I could get carried away in the drama of things around me. Which really isn't in my nature. Time humbles you a bit and I think it strengthens you. But in someways it makes me think 1000 times more about every decision I now make and ask myself is this going to be what I want - not only in the end, but in the middle.
Last night the family went to Cirque de Soleil and we had a really great time. We took the train up to meet Saint (Coop loved this and I didn't have to drive in rush hour traffic up to Seattle). I saw Camden light up during the performances and it is cool to see a 14 year old excited about something.
Today I dropped of a piece at Clementine and then I went thrifting. Saint was home to get the kids from school, so I could take my time. I haven't had a day of thrifting in a very very long time. I can't even tell you the last time I did. And I had a blast, by myself- in the junk. And I found a truck load of treasures to add to my stuffed studio.
So even with a week of hard work, looking forward, a step back of anxiety, a couple moments of self doubt, a few more of keep plugging through, I ended with a full studio of projects to paint and paint.
And I think that is a sign to keep chugging along.
