"Art(ist")

                                                                     

                                                                                   

                                                                              Art(ist)

    When I began thinking about the letter "A" for the first day of our blogging challenge - I could not help, but think of myself and my relationship with art. I wanted to start off by writing, "I am an artist..." Then I thought to myself, but Am I? I could say that I am a non-professional artist, because that is what I usually say. I love art and I have always loved to draw. I have never earned money from any form of art I have created.  So, I went to Safari and looked up the definition for the word artist. It was time to refer to myself in the proper manner, so I can claim it from here on out. 

artist:  * a person who produces paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby.

            * a person who practices any of the various creative arts, such as a sculptor, novelist, poet or 

              filmmaker.

             * a person who creates art: a person who is skilled at drawing, painting, etc...

    Okay, I'm convinced and give myself permission to refer to call myself an artist. Since I was old enough to hold a color crayon and a number 2 pencil, I have loved to draw. I'm going to date myself, but when I was nine or ten, I had a 'magic slate' (for those of you who know what that is). It is a slat tablet with a red plastic pencil. It was magic because you draw on the top sheet and lift up the sheet beneath it, along with the top, and it would erase the drawing. One summer afternoon, I asked my best friend to sit down so I could draw her profile view. We sat on the gold carpet in my family room. My mother would always doodle profiles of girl's faces. She just did; henceforth, I drew my friend's profile. I captured the characteristics of her face. The measurements of her facial features were pretty much spot on too. I realized that day that I could draw faces. Today, we call it life drawing. But, I drew anything and had stacks of  binder paper and color books. 

     What does my art practice look like today? I never really got a chance to develop it, but I did take some life drawing and composition classes in junior college. I raised a large family in my early twenties, while my art remained on the back burner (always lit). So where am I going with this - well, last November I had foot surgery. I had a bunionectomy and osteotomy on both feet at the same time. With a long recovery ahead of me on my bed with my feet up, I packed a bag of drawing supplies and put it at the side of my bed. This consisted of drawing pens, markers, gel pens, color pencils, calligraphy workbooks and blank sketch books. This was going to be my recovery pass time and a golden opportunity to study and draw. I was confined at last and could not deny my yearnings to engage in art any longer! 

                                                                                    

                                                   (Koi water colors), pocket field sketch box)                                

    Where this has led me today is on a sketching journal journey and getting my feet wet in water colors. I follow a wonderful young artist named Becky Cao. Her YouTube videos are informative as well as meditative. She connects her journal drawing and painting to slowing down and being in the moment. She draws the same sunset outside her window quite frequently and claims it never looks the same. 

                                                                                    

      Journal drawing is like keeping a diary, but in sketching form. It's about capturing a memory or two from your day and drawing them, with a little notation next to it about the experience or simply naming what you've drawn. Then, bring it to life with watercolor. This was very intimidating for me as I had never used this medium. Becky coached and eased me into it. She emphasized the idea that the intention for creating your page is not to make it perfect, but to put your personal impression on the journal of what you are seeing AND feeling at that moment. My goal is to fill all the pages of this journal and many more. My kids might like having them someday.

    Here are a few pages from my sketch journal, a little rough - but one cannot improve without trying and practice. I plan on revisiting portrait drawing too. 

                                                                    

                                     (initial sketch with water resistant ink pen, before watercolor)                                                                                                                                                                               

    What I appreciate most about making art a part of my life again, is that it has put me in touch with that inner part of myself, I'll call my soul - which I believe, is all that I am.

       

A - Z Blog Reflection

 

                                                  Moon Reflection at Capitola Beach

    My first thought upon reflecting on completing this challenge was..."I did it!" I haven't blogged since 2014. I knew coming into this, I wasn't blog savvy - but I wanted to write. I love the creative process of blogging.

    How did it feel? Well, it felt like a duck to water as far as putting my thoughts on my blog, but I really need to study some YouTube videos on setting up my blog and making the most out of my layout. It was a lot of fun. I'm in school full time too with a family, so it was a "challenge." I wish I had more time to read more blogs because I enjoyed each and every one that I did read. We're all so different and it comes through in our writing.

    Thanks to each and every one of you that stopped by to check out my blog page. You got to learn a little about myself and my life here in Santa Cruz County.

     I wish you all well and a fantastic summer. It was a pleasure 💙

            Linda

Z is for Zeus! 🐾

                    I saved the best blog for last...this my friends, is my grandpup Zeus 🤎                                                                       

                               

                                                                    "I'm bored..."

                                                              "I'm a handsome boy"

                                                                "I'm a lucky grandpup"

                                                                       Baby Zeus 😂

    Zeus is a very special member of our family. Presently, he is at 150 lbs. He is a Rottweiler/Bullmastiff breed. He basically looks like a giant Rottweiler and is one big hung of love. Can I repeat that? He is one big hunk of love! Zeus is the sweetest dog I have ever known. He is also the best guard dog I have ever known. His bark is one that if. you were a prowler around our home and you heard Zeus bark - you would immediately head in the opposite direction. He can sense any movement outside the home during the night. It's interesting how when we would go to bed, he would assume two different positions in the house and go into guard dog and protector of the home mode. We raised him a good deal of his life. He presently lives with my son, whom he adores, in Monterey. They are the best of buds and go on many adventures together. 

    Quite often, we look at Zeus, shake our head and say "Zeus - you're such a goober..." truly one of a kind and a star wherever he goes. When we walk him at the beach, were told quite often that he looks like a bear. He really does! Many dog walkers with their little pooches see us approaching and will literally cross the street. Little do they know, Zeus would love to introduce himself and politely say, "Hi, I'm Zeus. What's your name?" 

    We're about due for a visit with the big guy. I hope it's soon, this blog is making me miss him so! 

Y is for yarn

 

    In an earlier blog, I wrote about my collection of pens and pencils. Well, I also love to buy yarn. The yarn store nearest me is Beveryly's Fabrics. They do sell fabric, but they sell lots of yarn too. Currently, I am working on some blankets for our new home; specifically, throw blankets for the my son's beds and one for the sofa. The color scheme in our house is mostly natural tones, as you can see by my yarn.    

I learned how to crochet when I was very young. After school, I would stop at my grandma's house before walking home. She would always make me a bowl of chicken with rice soup and sometimes I would get a crochet lesson. She used to crochet doilies with a very small sized crochet hook and medium weight thread. She must have had amazing eyesight now that I think about it. I used yarn and she used thread. She didn't hold her crochet hook in the traditional fashion and neither do I. I've tried to hold it the way it is shown in all the "how to crochet books" and videos, but I just can't do it. I hold my hook the way my grandma showed me.

    I have made hats, scarves and baby booties, but blankets are my favorite. I have read that crocheting is a form of meditation and I truly believe it. Crocheting forces me to be still, focus and breathe. I find that it's a great way to relax. 

    I enjoy crocheting gifts for others. This is a baby blanket I was working on in an airport waiting for our flight. It was for a teacher at my son's school who was expecting. 

    I have been to some amazing yarn stores! There is a quaint one in Carmel, Ca that sells very high end yarn. I bought some hairy yarn at this store and made some fabulous scarves for Christmas presents. My next favorite yarn store I've been to is in Cambria, south of Big Sur, Ca. I'm sure there will be many more yarn stores to discover in my future 💚

    What can I say, I love my hobbies!

X is for xu

        The letter "x" challenge took an unexpected twist for me today... I am a nightly "words with friends" player. I currently have about 15 games going. It's a great way to unwind at the end of a long day with something I love to associate with - words! I have often been using the word "xu" when I am in a predicament with my letter x sitting in my letter bank. I use it all the time! To think that all these times I have used this precious little word to get me out of a bind and land my x on a triple letter square (24 points), and I knew nothing about what this word meant. Today, I was going to find out. 

    Okay, so some of you smarty pants out there may already have known what the word "xu" meant, well I didn't.

    Xu is a coin formerly minted by South Vietnam equivalent to one cent (now little seen or used), forming a hundredth of a dong. 

   The dong is the currency of Vietnam

                  And there you have it - this blog has been brought to you by the "letter "x"

        

W is for Winter time

     Because of Covid, we didn’t do any traveling, but we are fortunate to have a home in Incline Village, Nevada - so that's where we went when we felt the need to “get away.” My husband is an expert skier so winter time means many ski days for him. I enjoy skiing too, but not at his level. I’m a content little intermediate skier. I just enjoy the view on the way down the mountain.

     I appreciate the cozy winter days spent in Lake Tahoe this year.

                                      Northstar Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe in the distance

                                                               home away from home

                                              My husband - he helicopter skis too 🚁

        

V is for vaccine

    Who would have thought that I would be getting vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus because of a global pandemic. I remember when the first cases were reported in the United States. Never, did I think the next 12 months would be that of quarantine, face masks and hand sanitizer. 

    Where I live in Santa Cruz County, we are in the red tier and headed for the orange (fingers crossed). Thankfully, my family has remained healthy. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones to the virus and who have suffered with the illness. Some are dealing with the long term respiratory damage and other side affects from contracting the virus.

    This day and age of technology through Zoom and email has allowed many to continue working from home. I have never spent so much time at home and quite frankly am loving it. We were starting to travel a bit pre-pandemic and though traveling is fun, I don’t miss the hustle and bustle of it. I’m a home body at heart. 

    Life as we knew it before Corona is presenting itself again.

    Hopefully, our take away from this human experience is gratitude.