Masks

Fire Mask, watercolor and ink

This is from my sketchbook, a few days ago, with minimal photoshop manipulation to make it darker/brighter.   I am really liking it- the colors, the movement and pattern.  It would make an interesting quilt/embroidery thing- I don't really work with traditional fibers anymore though outside of showing the kids how to do stuff.  Sometimes I worry that all of my art begins to look alike- which I know is my style- but I keep returning to the same themes, colors, images.  And black ink- always black ink- and LC got me hooked on the new crystal bic pens that are super dark.  They are lovely and smooth to draw with, the ink is very black, but they run out rather quick and you have to be careful because the ink takes a while to set and dry.  Usually that means it ends up all over the side of my hands, on my fingers and face...sometimes the drawing smears but I'm champ at working around that. 

So yesterday I took one of my weird naps (I am the *only* person who naps with the ac on, the fan on high and the electric blanket on high.  perfect mixture of cool and warm and I can sleep forever- I drempt of blue and white puppies, little pitbulls, so cute.  They were white with bluegray brindle spots...I miss Mother Time).  And I did rest- napped and drew and watched tv with the man and played the stupid facebook game that I am addicted to (Gardens of Time).  Thing about that game it is a hidden picture puzzle- which I've loved ever since Highlights magazine days- and you get to create a garden with plants, decorations and buildings from various points in time.  This is fun because it lets me be kinda creative, reviews art history (they don't always tell you *where* the objects are from) and satisfies my need to acquire things and make them aesthetically pleasing.  Other than that, I did virtual high school stuff for an hour or so, went to the grocery for a massive shopping for the month.....did the dishes. That's it.  Lazy day.

Today I am a bit unmotivated because I am slightly cranky still, but what to do? It is what it is-  so the best course is grace in action.  I always stall like this before tackling projects that I know I will enjoy, but that I dread at the same time.  And I have to work on the school/county web page, write my exams, write my ap summer stuff, set up the ap class online, register at ecu for fall, check the bank crap, deal with more financial aid forms (they never, ever end.  I think everyone who uses financial aid in college should get a bonus degree in form-filling-out), and I want to clean off the porch, clean the house - am tired of it looking like wtw.  Tomorrow we are planning to set up and sell, then go out to the farm for lunch. mmmmm.......hopefully there will be pickled beets or potato salad..... Anyway, I 'm not complaining about everything I have to do, but listing makes me feel better about it.  Grace in action- take a deep breath, plunge in and just start swimming.  Hope for the best and you never know- it just might happen.