artist within

There's an artist hiding within me and I've always known it. In kindergarten a picture of a bunny was sent to the state fair by my teacher, and it won a ribbon. I remember seeing it behind a glass case at school and being sad that the eyes weren't the same size. Oh, did I mention this artist within has a perfectionist nature that's out? In 4th grade a scratch painting of a bug went to state fair, again sent not by me but by my teacher. I won another ribbon and a few dollars this time. The same scenario went down in 5th grade for a collage fish. I won 2 other art competitions in elementary school. 1 through Red Owl where my Grandpa worked and the second from NW Bell where my mom worked. That one landed my in a safety calendar. Don't leave toys at the bottom of stairs! Someone could fall and get hurt. Wisdom beyond my years, I know.

Well, I'm not sure what happened in Jr. High and High school. I never pursued drawing or painting. I did take lots of pottery, which I still love. I took 1 art class in college for my El. Ed. degree and it was torturous. I was nervous and convinced incapable of producing anything that even remotely resembled art. Where did this hesitancy come from?

Today, I just LOVE the process of creating. It lights me up and gets me excited unlike anything else. I like to explore all sorts of mediums so am really a master of none of them, YET. :)

This past spring/summer, I did some contract writing for a Nature Center out of San Diego, CA. Most of the money went to pay off important things which will only digress if gone into detail, but a portion I reserved for an art class. The class was in La Conner, WA at a wonderful studio called HUTCH studio. There, I took a whirligig class. Pictured is my first whirligig. I loved the process and the outcome. It is quirky and blows beautifully in the wind. It graces my fence post and I can't wait to make more! I will note this was really my first experience with a drill. I was a virgin driller. It wasn't always pretty and I learned how to patch metal. Patching metal also is not pretty.

As I've gotten older, I'm more cautious and self conscious to go for it in art and life sometimes. I think back to cliff jumping in Duluth, MN and shiver wondering how and why I ever did that. Yet, there's a part of me that desperately wants to go for life like that again. The truth is life can be so routine sometimes and that can be well... boring. I desperately desire to return a sense of adventure to this 35 year olds grind. So, I am going to make a plan to do that. Not sure what that means, but I KNOW this will be the winter to try some snowboarding. :) Anyone want to join me?