Seeing from the Inside Out

I don’t know where to start writing today. There’s just so much out there right now, my mind and inbox overflows. And one thing I don’t 

want to do is add more fuel to the fire or try to wash it all away. It’s maddening and overwhelming and sad. 

I’m aware. I’m not sticking my head in the sand. I’m just trying to find my own balance. And the only thing that balances it all out for me right now is beauty and art. So I take my walks around the lake and listen to the geese. Watch the ducks swim past me. And, if I’m lucky snatch a glimpse of a heron. 

At home, I crochet because the movement of my fingers in and around yarn soothes my soul. Right now, I’m crocheting red ‘resistance’ hats. Learning to make a tassel was a new process but I did figure it out, finally. The next hat will be better. 

And I doodle and paint and play with clay. This week, when it all got too much, I took out my black pen and let it swirl up, down and around. Then I got out my watercolor pencils and colored the sections in like a coloring book. Another day, I brushed water into each section. Another day, I went over my black lines with more black. It’s nothing. It’s just a doodle. But it gave my mind and soul a safe place to meander for a while. 

Another day, I took out some clay pieces that needed the next step: color. I made these pieces in the last 6 months or so with no agenda in mind. I’ve never made anything like this before. They’re not functional clay pieces. They have no fancy titles or artsy ideas. Maybe I could call them clay doodles? I don’t know. What I do know is they needed color but I wasn’t sure which colors. Again, I had no plan. I just got out my colored underglazes and started painting. 

They will need a clear glaze and firing to be finished. But that’s ok, I think the slow process isn’t just important to the clay.

 It’s important for me, for my mind and my body and my soul. 

To quiet. To rest. To see from the inside out for a change. 

Hot Fun in the Summertime

 

It’s hot here in Oregon right now. This is not just uncomfortable for me, but it’s definitely not the right weather for working in clay. So, what do I do while waiting for the rain or cooler weather?

That’s a good question and I have my own answers. 

Paint. 

I have a shelf of newly made pieces waiting to be bisque fired. Before I do that, I paint on colorful underglazes to add detail and texture. Here are a few I got done this week. 

Because I don’t have air conditioning, I just do a few pieces at a time until it gets too hot. Then I stop. 

Watercolor fun. 

I’m very lucky to have such adorable and amazing grandkiddos who like to come over and play. Sometimes, we go to the park or play outside. But with the weather this week, we found ways to play inside. 

I learned to paint in watercolor when I was 16 and now I’m passing this on to my granddaughter, Meyer. We had a great time doing the wet into wet. Adding salt was a surprise to her and a delight for me. 

Baking. 

Yes, you read that right. Hot weather and baking don’t usually go together, but I love to bake. So when my daughter-in-law asked me to make my delicious shortbread into hearts for Meyer’s sleep ‘under’ party, I was happy to help. 

I’ll admit it took a little time to figure out how to cut out my buttery shortbread into enough big hearts for all the girls but it all worked out great. 

Reading and crochet. 

My other hot weather past times go back to my childhood in hot, humid Ohio. As a girl, I spent many a summer on my neighbors covered back patio reading Nancy Drew and learning to embroider. Now I crochet. A lot. 

So, while I sit in the ‘cool cave’, I read silly mysteries and crochet for my grandkids. Right now, I’m working on a polar bear security blanket for the baby. Do I have a pattern? Nope. I’m just  figuring it out as I go which for me is the fun of it. Right now, it just looks like a small blanket but that will change. 

Too hot to work with clay

What do I do?

Play like I did 

Back in the day

Kid fun in a new grown up way

Creative Resting

 I’ll admit it, I’m not good at taking time off. I know resting and relaxing are important and healthy but sitting around for hours and hours at a time is just impossible for me. But after spending the last three months getting ready for my first virtual Ceramics Showcase, I know I need a few days off. 

The problem for me is how to take time off and not feel I’m falling behind. Because as a self-employed person, there is always something that needs to be done. Some of the things I love to do and some not. Either way, it’s my job to get it done. 

My lists have lists, if you know what I mean. But maybe I could take a few days and make another kind of list. 

So what is resting, relaxing and re-energizing for me right now?

Arranging flowers is one of my favorite things to do and this year, my yard is just bursting with lilacs. I love how they smell, the shades of purple to pink to white. So I spent some lovely hours clipping, selecting vases and arranging them around my house. 

Walking in the woods is a huge retreat for me. Hearing the geese honking. Watching an egret fly. Leaning against my favorite cedar tree. And marveling at a mischievous otter float around the lake on his back. I wish I managed to get a picture of the playful otter, but he was just out of camera range. I think trying to stay out of the way of the angry mama geese on their nests. 

Staring out the window and seeing faces in the trees. Reading a fun novel. It could be a ‘beach’ read, romance, fantasy or historical novel. Right now, I’ll admit to being sucked into the Bridgerton books from the new TV series. 

New colors, brushes and equipment. Oh my!

I couldn’t help myself. New colors of underglazes looked so pretty. A few new goat hair brushes. And kiln stilts that I just needed to glaze my new butterflies. 

I can’t wait to try them all. I see new little heart magnets in every hue. Newly glazed butterflies shining in the sun in pretty flowerpots. 

As I sit here on the window seat, looking over the hills with the sun shining, I realize I can be creative and rest at the same time. At least for a few hours anyway.