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This time of year is hectic for many of us.  We all want to be able to provide all the little surprises for our loved ones that our particular holiday brings.  For many of us it’s Christmas and Santa, and all the magic that comes with it.  My thoughts go to my grandchildren, and how I can make it extra special without going over the top!  In the past, my own children have had many magic moments in anticipation of Santa, and all that goes with him.  We visit him, we write to him, and eagerly await Christmas morning to see what he brought that is magically placed under the tree.   They didn’t always get what they wanted, but it was always a surprise, and regardless of the money we were able to spend, they were never disappointed with the outcome.   I’m sure this year will not be an exception!

As we approach the holidays, I’m finding my thoughts are no longer about art, but with the surprises that will be under the tree for my children, and my grandchildren.   There is also a small handful  of girlfriends that I exchange with, all artists, and with those kind of gifts comes a certain kind of pressure to create something special, but small.  At this time of year instead of laying awake, my mind racing with thoughts of solving some problem with a painting, I’m laying awake thinking of something special to make for a friend, or what to purchase for an active 3 1/2-year-old grandson.   This just isn’t normal for me!

As much as I think there will be time to create, I don’t seem to have the time or energy right now to go into my studio, or even look at a painting.   Sunday I tried, playing with a new tool to carve into gesso board.   All this time my heart wasn’t really into creating,  I found myself getting tired, and not having any interest in being there!  Maybe it’s the holidays, or just maybe it’s the cold weather, or both, but there isn’t any wind left in my sails for creating art right now!  This just isn’t normal for me!

A few years back I was taking a mixed media art class, and at the end of the class we decided to draw names and send a piece of art we had created to that person.  This was to be done anonymously, and until we had all opened up our  piece of art in class, we wouldn’t know who had sent it!  It was tons of fun, and some of the art that was created was truly amazing, and was all over the map in terms of the mediums.  For this project, I decided to create a small art quilt, about 10″ x 13″.  Creating a quilt of any size was something I had never done before, and had always wanted to do!  It came out amazingly well for a first time, and it was totally appreciated.  Today it hangs on a small branch, on the wall of one of my dearest  art friends, and makes me feel happy, and proud that I tried something different, and that it turned out so well!  All the finished art quilt pictures are of that quilt.

The two other  pictures are of  small art quilts I’ve been working on for quite a while. One will be  a close replica of the first quilt, created for the mail art project  I was telling you about, the tree of life was meant to be a family tree with small pictures of the grandchildren.  The quilt is intricate with a good deal of detail, and I need to be in just the right mood to work on it.   They take a lot of fine dexterity that I don’t really have any longer, so I can only do a little at a time,  that is why you will see some pins still holding parts together.  This might be a good winter project to finish while sitting in the evening, being forced to watch football by the fire!  This just isn’t normal for me!   I’m kidding, we have three TV’s, so I’m hardly forced to watch much of anything!