New Action Words

If you’ve followed my blog for a while you probably know I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. I try my best not to set myself up to fail if I can avoid it, and that’s just what I’d be doing with a resolution! BUT, I do choose a word or two to focus on during the new year. Although they might sound a bit counter-productive they related to different aspects of my work & life and both rang true with me very quickly for a change.

Firstly, in regards to my art, my word is “Experiment”. Of course I had to create an image to keep my word in mind:

I’ve spent several years trying to define myself as an artist, with a style or medium or something easily identifiable but for the life of me once I’ve found something I enjoy I work it for a while and then I’m ready for a new challenge. What once excited me and I was happy creating now brings less joy. I’m very glad that I followed the path but I’m ready to choose a new one! So instead of listening to the “shoulds” of the art world I’m going to embrace what comes naturally to me and experiment with what inspires me without placing any restrictions on it. It’ll be a surprise to both of us what I end up doing!

My second word is aimed more at my art BUSINESS (and to a certain extent, my personal life as well), and it is “Focus”. I am so easily distracted (see above) and always seem to be looking five items down the line instead of completing what needs to be done at the moment. Creatively, that’s probably okay. As far as marketing, promoting, applications, paperwork, blogging, website updates and running a business, well…not so much! Often it seems I’ve lost hours (if not an entire day) without accomplishing the items that I set out to do. Add that to my tendency to procrastinate and I feel like I spend a lot of time putting out fires of my own creation. I distract myself AWAY from creating art on many occasions! So, in order to really fulfill the creative part of my life I’m going to do my best to focus when I’m working on the non-creative so I can get it out of the way and get back to what I was put here to do! 

Do you have any goal, focus words or resolutions for 2015? I’d love to hear about them!

Lynne

Weapons of Hair Destruction?

If you’ll recall my word for this year is “EXPLORE“! I feel like so far I’m doing more planning to explore than actually exploring, but I suppose it takes both!

Although it wasn’t intended as one of my explorations, a recent even with my hair ended up being just that. I’m a short hair gal, have been for many years, after going from past-the-waist length tresses to cropped I’ve not looked back. The drawback for me having short hair is that it grows. FAST. Like, having it cut every three weeks fast. Sometimes the timing of having it cut vs. travel, special events and schedule doesn’t work out well at all. Cut it too early and it’s unruly when I need it to look great. Wait too long and the next cut comes at a time that doesn’t work in my plans. There are much worse problems in life but this is just the background to my adventure. It had gotten to the unruly stage but also would end up being unruly again at a time I needed it to look nice. What’s a gal to do? I’m too cheap to get it cut twice in two weeks. Since, on occasion, I had trimmed a bit off the edges and I routinely cut my husband & grandson’s hair (although that’s primarily with a “buzzer”) I got the inspiration that I could just do a little bit of trimming myself and then go in a week or so and let them sort out the mess, if I were to make one. (I bet I just made hair stylists everywhere cringe, didn’t I?) Out came the scissors, comb, trimmer and my “how bad could it possible end up” attitude.

hair cutting in process…

I trimmed the edges with a fair amount of success. (Although doing so “blind” in the back was a bit of a challenge, but I don’t see that part of my head anyway, right?) Well that brought up my confidence level a bit more so I thought I’d just snip around on the top & sides as well. So I snipped this direction and that, trying my best to imitate the stylists moves. Then I snipped a bit more here & there. Then I cleaned up a mount of hair that was forming on the sink, floor and all over my body (those capes are a great invention, aren’t they?). Enough. Well, maybe a bit more here & there. And, really, if I’ve gone this far I should probably trim up the top part of the back of my head. Blindly. Snip, snip, snip.  More clean up. Hmmmm. Not quite even. Snip, snip, snip. Enough! No really STOP. So I finally did, cleaning up for the third time in the process.

I bet your are expecting to hear how terrible it looked but, miraculously, it looks pretty dang good! Well, I can’t vouch for the back of my head but the rest I’m satisfied with and it will get me through for another week or so. Of course wearing a “messy” hairdo probably helped a lot!

home made hair cut

Will I do it again? HECK NO! That was a messy, stressful, time consuming event I don’t care to repeat. But I’m glad I gave it a whirl, even if it was just to show myself a) that I could do it, b) I don’t want to do it again and, lastly, c) why the whole scissors/hair/kindergardener events happen. 🙂

Now the next hurdle is getting it cut “proper” – I can only guess what my stylist will say but I’m thinking it’ll be something like “what happened to your hair?!?” Shhhhh….don’t tell!

Lynne

Saturday Open Studio! February 25th, 2012

student artwork, watercolor class 1/11/12

I’ve been having a lot of fun with the “Open Studio” classes this year but thus far they’ve all been weekday/daytime. Obviously that doesn’t work for everyone! So I’m adding one Saturday a month to the schedule. This coming Saturday, February 25th, will be the first session. It runs from 9:30 to noon and we’ll be playing with watercolors! Using a variety of techniques and surfaces we’ll playfully explore this fun media. This is an encore of the class held in January – click here to read the recap.

The cost for the class is $30 and includes all the materials. If you’d like to pre-pay for three classes you can do so at a discounted rate of $75 for all three. Please  email (info@lynnemedsker.com) to reserve your place as class size is limited! Future “Open Studio” classes include:

Wednesday, Feb. 29th – “Yupo Play” – watercolor on this fabulous paper can take you to places you’d never imagine!

Wednesday, March 14th – “Wall Sculpture” part 1 – the beginning of a two-part class, we’ll use wood, metal and other materials to create an abstract wall sculpture. The second part of this class will be held on Wednesday, March 28th.

Saturday, March 24th – “Creative Collage” – an encore of the February 1st class, you’ll design and create an 8×10 collage on a ready-to-hang wood panel. You can view images and a recap of that class by clicking here.

Wednesday, March 28th – “Wall Sculpture” part 2 – Continuing from the March 14th class we will complete the assembly and final details on our mixed media wall sculptures.

Wednesday, April 11th – “Art from Nature” celebrating Earth Day 2012 a little early (April 22nd is the date) we will create mixed media art that includes natural elements (rocks, wood, etc.) Feel free to bring your own “treasures” to include in your art!

Wednesday, April 25th – “Recycled Journals” – continuing to celebrate the earth we will create small, decorative journals from recycled materials!

Saturday, April 28th – “Art from Nature” an encore of the the April 11th class, we may even hold this class outdoors if weather permits!

ALSO! Don’t forget about the upcoming “design your own” metal sculpture workshop coming the first weekend of March. Read all the details here!

Can’t wait to see you at one, three, or all these events!

Lynne