Tag Archives: thoughts

In The Beginning…

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Huntington Woods

Huntington Woods

Mount Carmel Hospital, Detroit Michigan…May 23, 1943..

Wow a bouncing baby girl! Of course, I really wasn’t bouncing at the time, that came later, but a baby girl, I definitely was! Mother told me that we were in the hospital for two weeks.

Can you believe that, two weeks! Today, if you get to stay over night, you’re lucky. Being a nurse myself, I’ve seen new mothers kicked out of the hospital when they were too young to even have a child, didn’t know how to care for it, and needed some extra time with the nurses to help them get comfortable with the care and feeding of an infant.

But not us, we got an entire two weeks. Little did Mother know that would be the last time she ever had a spa day!  Especially since as the years went by, I was lucky enough to have three more siblings to share Mother, and Dad’s time with!

My parents built a home in Royal Oaks, in Huntington Woods, the suburbs of Detroit. I recall my Mother telling me it was just off of Woodward Rd, or maybe it was Two Mile Road. Either way I’m sure it doesn’t look, feel, or smell the same today. That was more than a half century ago, as I recall (and I’m told), things have changed in the little neighborhood in the suburbs of Detroit, and probably not for the better either!

We had a sweet little home, I remember it well. Ok, I remember the outside really well because I still have a picture. Lately I’ve been going through all the old pictures with nothing on the back to tell me who, what, or where they were taken. I wish my Mother would have written all those facts down, it would have been so much easier,   on me! I have all these pictures of ancient relatives who don’t have any names on the back of their photos, and wouldn’t it have been nice to know who they were?

For a while I actually belonged to a Genealogy Club, trying to learn how to research, and find my (dead relatives) heritage. That’s a lot more difficult than one might think. My heritage is English, Irish, and Scotch, two-thirds of them came to Canada on a boat.  It could have even been a rowboat, or a blow up boat for all I know. The records are difficult to find, even with help! Eventually, it took up so much time researching dead relatives, that I had to decide if I wanted to sit in front of a computer getting a bubble-butt, or did I want to paint. I decided to paint instead, and leave the research to a time when I couldn’t paint, or see to paint. The irony is, if I can’t see to paint, I can’t see to research!   And, I think I still have a bubble-butt….. from blogging! I’ll tell you though, it certainly is fun when you can find a lost, and forgotten relative that you knew was there, but had never been able to locate before!

That happened when I found my great-uncles in Nova-Scocia. I knew they had been there on the family farm, I knew they were siblings of my grandmother. I had visited the farm with my parents when I was a baby, and I had also visited with my Dad in the summer when we were in Michigan with family. Upon finding my uncles, you would have thought Readers Digest had knocked on my front door with a check (hopefully for me) for $10,000,000. Can you imagine?

Ok, Ok enough of the genealogy stuff!  And dreaming!

Later I’ll tell you a little more. Stick with me, the best is yet to come…..

Time Out for Art

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Collage by Sage Emery

Collage by Sage Emery

Last year my granddaughter Sage, who was seven at the time, created this Halloween collage.  I love the way she tore papers, glued them onto a canvas, and stenciled over the papers.  All this time without even realizing it, she was checking for balance, and she put a great deal of thought into her design.   I think it turned out pretty good for a seven-year old.

Today,  I asked her what her plans were for a free day, and she replied since it was cold out, she thought she’d do some sketching!   That’s my girl!!!

My inspiration in part comes from Zebra Designs & Destinations, I’m going to show her this blog in hope she will find some kind of inspiration also, check them out, it’s a pretty interesting blog!

Time Out for Art!

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Today being Thursday, it’s once again Time Out for Art Day!  I thought I’d throw in a little abstract painting I did a couple of years ago.   Maybe I’m trying to inspire myself to keep painting, or maybe it’s an attempt to get some of you to paint abstractly.  Abstract painting is  fun, and it finds its own way….

Sunshine of the Lake

Sunshine of the Lake

Time Out for Art has been inspired by Zebra Designs & Destinations, I know you’ll find them as inspiring as I do!

Ramblings of an Overheated Artist?

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Sometimes on FB there will be surveys about things like, if you were a car, what would you be or, if you were an animal what kind would you be. One very early morning when I was feeling particularly fabulous, I started thinking about describing myself, all I’d been through in my life, and the resilience I have.
I’m strong, determined,  I don’t have to be right, but I’m not always wrong either. I have a sixth sense about me –  I know when I’m not being told the truth, I can feel it. I’ve lived long enough to have wisdom, some of it from learning experiences, some of it I just know!  I don’t do the FB thing very often, actually I really don’t care if they think I’m a fast car, or a lion, or what my color is!

Soooooo

That being said, I was thinking how I would describe myself, and this is what I came up with…..

I’m an Oak Tree!  A mature, sturdy, mighty oak!  I stand tall, yet I can bend, I am filled with wisdom, and the owl that lives in my branches provides me with whatever information  I don’t know!  You can’t have it any better than that!  I haven’t any idea what kind of owl would be living in my branches, but I do know we’re best friends!

I don’t know what the owl would have to say about that, I really haven’t taken the time to talk to him lately.  If truth be told, I haven’t seen him lately.  He’s tricky, and only comes out at night, probably after I’m in bed.  He also may be preoccupied with a lady owl.  What she-owl wouldn’t want to stay in a mighty oak with her dream he-owl?  I have chimes playing all night long, and they can hunt, and return to the safety of my branches.

Did I hear you say I was crazy?

Maybe!  I prefer to call it creative.  By the way this was not my intention to write anything remotely like this, but its way too hot to do much of anything else, even painting!  Maybe especially painting!

Back to the Owls!

Before my very eyes, and ears I think I have an Owl family in my branches.  There is a lot of rustling going on during the day, and this I know from going out to water plants, and check on my Matilija Poppy.  This is only about the sixth poppy I’ve tried to grow–without any success!  This time my son-in-law John  is nurturing it!  Good thing, because as I said, I’ve killed the previous five.  At least the leaves are still green, and in this 100+ degree weather too.  That’s another story though.

The good thing is that a few doors down for our home, there are abundant critters, so the owls will have plenty to keep their tummys full, and plenty to feed the little owlets after all that kissing stops!

 

You remember this…..

Mr. & Mrs. Owl sitting in a tree

k-i-s-s-i-n-g…..

first comes love, then comes marriage,

then come the owlets in a

Baby Carriage!

Ok Back to the Owls!

I’m not sure owls even have baby carriages, after all how would they push them, and how on earth could they keep them on even the sturdiest of my limbs?   If they pushed the carriages off the limbs  would it be accidental or would they really be trying to encourage the owlets to fly?   I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

Back to the Owls!

Now I’m positive it’s the heat!

I know it sounds like I’ve been smoking something, but you’re wrong!  I don’t smoke, and I told you it was the heat!

Any questions or comments, I’m more than happy to answer them for you.  You might have some additional thoughts on the subject as well.  If so, please comment, or email me!  I’d love to hear what you have to say….

Maybe you’re advice would to have those little buggies outfitted with magnets so they would stay on the branches, you know much like a San Francisco trolley.  Either way, the owls need your help, maybe I need your help as well.

Go ahead let me know what you think,  I can take it!

 

 

More Fun Stuff About Me!

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More Fun Stuff About Me!
 Cow

Cow

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week or so ago I posted a little about myself.  I reminisced, I laughed, I shared, and then I’d had enough, it was over!  Today I’m going to tell you a little more…

Well…

By now, you’ve probably guessed that I like to do a little of everything – being a Mixed Media artist and all.  You would be absolutely right!  I can get sidetracked so fast it makes even my head spin! My head spins a lot, not just from Mixed Media, but all the thoughts and ideas that run through at all hours of the day and night.  There aren’t any of my art friends that sleep well, we all wake up with ideas, and all night “the process” runs through our heads, along with solutions to anything we’ve been working on.  Sometimes I get up in the morning exhausted from working things out all night long.  Sound familiar?

Here it goes…..

Simple Journal

Simple Journal

I have boxes of old jewelry, bolts, washers, cardboard, metal, and more just sitting around (boxes neatly stacked) waiting for me to get inspiration.  When I do, maybe I’ll glue things down, or maybe I’ll sew it all together – who knows?  It’s all good, and that comes under the “Mixed Media” heading.

A friend of mine once said to me,  “Karen, if you don’t call yourself a Mixed Media artist, you wouldn’t have to save all that stuff.  Then you wouldn’t have all those  boxes!”  How true that is, but don’t we have to create what our heart is happiest creating?  I know my friend is happiest painting watercolors, and many of my friends do work in that medium.  At one time in my life, I did too.  But many of us have moved to something else we can learn to express ourselves with.  It’s all good as long as it makes us happy!  In the name of Mixed Media, I’ve created some amazing things.

Everything here is Mixed Media, and for me, it’s pretty interesting.  I have many journals with decorated covers.  All because I can’t seem to leave a surface bare even if it’s on a journal.  Maybe its just a great excuse to create one more little piece of the Karen puzzle!  Maybe I’m just trying to use up the über amounts of art supplies I have bought over the years, making myself feel like it has been money well spent.  Who knows, but it makes me happy!  Isn’t that all that counts?

Has anyone told you not to create like you do, and to do something else?  Do you follow their suggestions?  Do you think constructive criticism is constructive, or just plain criticism?

Your thoughts are important, please share them.

 

Time To Create Again!

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Anyone who knows me, knows I haven’t been very productive in quite a while.  I’ve tried, but somehow I just haven’t been able to find inspiration…until now!

A couple of months ago, I signed up to be part of the Sketchbook Project!

For the last few summers I have watched each year as this project unfolds, and in the back of my mind, thinking one year I would join in.  This was that year!  Of course, I needed another project, but what better time to start an art project than when you’re  busy, right?  My thinking was that it is only 32 pages, and certainly a little project like that would be a snap for me!  The other thing is, we are all busy all the time anyway, so why wait?

After getting back into our home since having bamboo floors laid in the entire house (studio included), I think I’m ready to start thinking about putting pen to paper, and leaving my mark on whatever community it will be going to.  That’s not to say that everything is perfect in our home.  After all, some of the paintings still remain stacked in the corner waiting to find their rightful place on the wall.  The livingroom looks new, and fresh.   I’ve changed things around, replaced some things, and gotten rid of others.  It feels like a new home to me, and now I’m ready to get back to sketching, and painting!

It’s interesting how something like this can give us an entire new outlook on just about everything, and I find myself energized, and inspired!

Who knows how long it will take me to complete this sketchbook.  The project needs to be mailed back by January 15, 2014, so I really do have plenty of time.  Anything goes this time, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do, anything, whatever feels right!  Poetry, sketches, collage, ink, pen, you name it.

In the next few weeks, or maybe I should say, next couple of months, I’ll be posting the pages I work on, and you can tell me what you think.  Make suggestions,  I’m always open for comments, in fact I love getting comments, it keeps me motivated!

Sketchbook Project

Sketchbook Project

This little Sketchbook will be going to the Central Part of the Mid-West!

This little Sketchbook will be going to the Central Part of the Mid-West!

So for now,…..  Start a project, and share it with me!   I’ll be back!