Saturday, we were having one of those days.

 If you are a parent to more than one child, you will totally understand! It was the kind of day where when you want to leave the house promptly, but you literally can't seem to do it without a minor war breaking out at home, with annoying whining and complete resistance coming from both children. 

So, managing to get out the door, with everyone's scooter and shoes was victory enough. We knew we were headed to Manhattan, but didn't know where we were headed exactly. 

Although, we did have it in our minds to leave room for a bit of spontaneity to happen in the day. 

Good thing because the F train for Manhattan never came. 

The Coney Island F train did 3 times, so we changed directions and jumped on! 

And so became our Saturday Coney Island Impromptu visit.

Walking all the way from the Coney Island Aquarium stop to the end of the Boardwalk where Terry's active Park's project is being constructed, it was really fun to see his team's work in action.  Then we headed back all the way to the new pier near the baseball stadium, all the while letting our nearly grown children go off on their scooters way ahead of us, trusting that we would find them eventually. 

This is another victory for us. 

As we walked along the (in need of many repairs) wooden boardwalk, T reminded me again that all that wood came from the rain forest and the people in the neighborhoods are demanding it be wood again. ( Which makes me so frustrated! I can definitely see why they would love the wood, but Let's save the rainforest folks!!) back to as we walked...we saw people dancing, riding scary rides, really owning those two piece bathing suits no matter what their body type, people playing music, cutting mangos, people singing, fishing, swimming, sunbathing, people sitting in bars, restaurants, and lots of people eating hotdogs and french fries at Nathan's. Life was happening here folks.  ( I just said Folks twice in one paragraph. ugh).

Yes, each time I go to Coney Island, I see so many humans appearing to be having the times of their lives. 

And yet, I personally struggle at this big place because I am definitely a more "less crowded spaces" kind of gal, and this place continues to remind me about the parts of me I am not crazy about like:

1. that I am not in Kansas anymore. ( not that I ever was in Kansas, more like NC or TN) 

2. I was brought up in a way too homogenized environment. 

3. I need to travel and get out more. 

4. I am unfortunately to my surprise closed minded.  ( working on this) 

My favorite parts of the trip were the concrete walls painted by the new popup Smorgesburg near the entrance to the park, a medium size Blue Moon, MY KIDS having fun even after their great rejection!!, and smelling the salty air. I was thankful for a bite of ice cream and seeing the ocean. 

If you are in NYC for the Summer, you definitely need to take a trip on the Q or F to Coney Island. It is a one of a kind experience.  

From the blog  Tilly and the Buttons : 

"I love this quote by George Bernard Shaw: 

“This is the true joy in life — being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one… being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it over to future generations.” 

Summer in Brooklyn

Now that Summer is in full swing, and we have a groove, I promise to post more frequently. 

So, if you want to follow this blog please know that this is what I will be committed to sharing!

• Information that will Inspire others to pursue a creative story of their own.
• To pursue a life of Worship, and diving into faith and Art.
• I try always to inform you about the places I am discovering here in NYC,
• I hope to discover kindred spirits, and potentially start a place where kindred spirits can meet and plan getting together eventually.

So as we pursue our creative stories:

Personally, in my "fantasy land," my kids would be on board and like little puppies wagging their tales at my feet enthusiastically waiting for our next creative adventure.

The reality is FAR FAR from this picture. It is a fight to get their attention, and to get my children interested in anything other than screen time!!!!!

When you see my kids involved, remember, it wasn't easy.

One week where my two tween/teens were agreeable to leaving the house was when our friends from Knoxville TN came to visit. 

We managed to visit Governor's island [and rode one of those ridiculous car bikes which turned out to be hilarious and fun], we went to Roosevelt Island (Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park [which is worth the walk in the heat] , The Reliquary Museum, the crowd line (high line)  [which is an amazing example of Landscape Architecture and how a bit of planning creates a new place that is way too freaking crowded and popular because it is so amazing].

We visited the whisper wall at Grand Central Station and the mini Transit museum,  Of Course FAO Schwarz [before the high rents in Manhattan closed down the most amazing toy stores in the USA]. We also cruised down 5th ave, window gazed and then also managed to go to the Brooklyn Flea, Artists and Fleas and Smorsgasburg,  Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, make it to The Natural History Museum [which is in need of some TLC for sure. dust specifically], The Shake Shack [ #shakeshackcreativecommunity ]twice, China Town, Little Italy for some gelato, Soho, Chelsea Piers to eat at a restaurant that is on a boat called the Frying Pan [which would have been great in the evening because of the hot sun, and finally Chelsea Market, etc, etc...  I think we wore our friends completely out!! 

Brooklyn in the Summer is full of life, heat, surprise nice summer breezes and so much to do. Its really enough to make your head spin!! 

Sometimes here in NYC the breeze is just perfect and on this Saturday, it was amazing. I stayed on the blanket in the park for a few hours until my rear end was more than numb. While we were sitting there enjoying the breeze and hearing the birds and leaves on the trees move in the wind. I asked myself how I could pursue creativity in that moment.

First I sat silently, then I sketched, then I decided to take advantage of the most unfortunate side of Prospect Park which is the little pieces of garbage people mindlessly leave behind, and make some "found" art right in the grass. I don't like touching garbage with my bare hands, so this was hard for me.

This month, I have sketched, and drawn, and painted once, but if I could just find a perfect studio space, it would be so different!! Everywhere I walk, whether I am walking to help a friend, or to the bank, or run a normal errand, I pray that God will open my eyes and I would see the creative details all around me and not be callus to them in the least.  Finally, I would like to encourage you to see music as often as you can. This U2 concert made us very happy!!! So creative!!! And of course, Bono's voice could melt anyone.

These are some resources for things to do here in the city...


http://www.theskint.com/

http://www.timeout.com/

http://www.nycgovparks.org/

www.mommypoppins.com

http://bricartsmedia.org

One last thing, I had a job in Brooklyn, so sweet! More Please !!!

This morning I just let go of all other things which is really hard for me to do. I begged God for more trust and more faith because sometimes I feel like I am hanging on by a thread. I long for just sitting before him and knowing him more,  long of hearing his voice. So I told Him that.  Later this morning nothing could stop this. It just came out, and it is so much closer to what I want to be creating and what I know is in there. My heart is joyful. Jesus does resurrect the dead places in my soul. 

joy in work

Do you feel it? that pull for something good? have you questioned it? Every day when you wake up do you know that you are doing what you need to be doing? Is it work from your deep heart convictions? listen to it today, ask that place in you, what would I do if I didn't have to worry about money? What would I offer the world? How can I make a difference?

Today I make a difference by asking sisters to dance together, giggle together and laugh. Tomorrow I might be called to something else, but for now, I find joy in my work, in capturing the moments like these.

I can breathe in New Hampshire

New Hampshire. 

The first thing I noticed was air flow in and out of my lungs, then the stress release form being away from the elbow to elbow daily life of NYC with living day to day with walls of people. Second, no smell of human urine. Yes, this did cross my mind. In the midst of the beauty, I wanted all my stress and worries to fall away from my heart here. the gorgeous open space, the green grass, the fresh air!!

Full honesty? The truth really is that I will never ever find complete peace in a place on earth and shouldn't even look for it here. Doesn't mean I can't really enjoy something this amazing and find rest. There are places all over the world that will help you relax.

Always seeing great beauty gives the body a good rest. This weekend, as I gazed up and down from the peak of a mountain, as I was feeling the power and strength of just the wind on a normal day there, it brought to mind how tiny and fragile we really all are, how God made man so capable to do great things, be extremely strong and do so much here on earth and yet he didn't make us infallible or omnipotent or omnipresent or indestructible.

Thankful today for 1 Peter to remind my heart of where my peace  really comes from and to teach me wisdom once again (because I need that every day). I read that this morning. "God Cares." We can cast all our anxieties on him because he cares. The very being who made all this, these huge mountains and all the beauty it brings us, cares deeply for all of us. This is good news to me today.

Process : photo transfer

Happy Memorial Weekend!! 

It was cloudy; I was rushed. This process takes time and space & I don't feel like I have at the moment!!

Instead of spending another minute wishing I was making art, fail or succeed, I'm pressing through. 

Like I said in my last two posts, I'm choosing to "show up" each day by carving out space in my life to make art and pursue creativity. Hoping to discover new processes, share them with you here (photos and video) and we can learn together. My goal is to inspire, to grow as an artist and to be generous with all that I know. 

Currently, It is a goal of mine to begin to understand all processes of photo transfer, and what the results are from each way that process can be done. 

So I dove in. 

The carcinogenic chemical xylene was the first method I chose to try. 

Through research I discovered this was the absolute best method used to transfer images. 

So I suited up for the job, with chemical gloves and a chemical fume safe mask that I bought at Home Depot. 

Many posts on other blogs about this  process suggest that you get a blender pen from the art store.    

http://www.amazon.com/Chartpak-Ad-Markers-Colorless-Blender/dp/B0026HC7GU 

They aren't really pricy, but they have very little xylene in them and dry out extremely fast. So the  quart of xylene from Home Depot cost only $7 and it's enough for 1000's of transfers!!! I'm always looking for a deal, and believe me this mama is thrifty!!! 

So you will need a cheap paint brush, a small glass jar and one of these. I also opened every window in the house and put two fans in the windows blowing fresh air into the room. Believe me, you don't want want to breathe this stuff!! 

I started out with my own photography 

And processed it in Photoshop. In PS you must flip image horizontally and save as a copy. And since my own laser printer is forever running out of ink, and ink is pricier per ounce than gold, I took a usb stick to Fed Ex office and printed out some nice but affordable color copies. 

I wanted to try several different surfaces with the xylene. 1st was a painted board. I took the painted board and sanded it smooth. 

Then I placed the laser printed color copy face down onto the surface holding it in place with my hand ( which is covered with chemical glove). Then I pour a very small amount of xylene in a glass jar and use a small soft brush to brush over the back side of the image. After that I use one of these scrapers or a credit card to gently rub over the back side of the image. 

Once the image dries, and xylene evaporates, you can gently pull off the paper and reveal the transferred image! 

So back to the painted board photo transfer...the results were so disappointing!!! I was saddened to find out that this will not work. Although I could try prints from a different printer and see what happens . 

I actually liked what it did to the print but the image didn't transfer hardly at all. (Sad face). 

Next I tried canvas. Same process as before, and after the painted board I had a feeling it wouldn't work. 

I was right.  A bit better than the painted (gessoed) board. 

Next I tried a pressed cardboard board. Again, I started to have doubts that it works on much. And it didn't work either. (Picture to come later) 

Next, I tried my journal. Inside is a nicer acid free graph paper ( purchased at Barnes and Noble) 

The results were great!!! I was happy I finally got something to work. Still really disappointed about the first three, but I'll figure out ways around it I am sure!! 

Original pic was : 

Second pic : 

Third I tried was : 

Original pic: 

Fourth pic... I got carried away!!! Couldn't stop! This time i photocopied one of my paintings and transferred that... 

I really liked it!! 

At this point I'm sure if I pulled off my gas mask I would have had cancer in two minutes, so remember how toxic this stuff is and don't pull off your mask just because you're done. Air out the house first! 

Okay, so I tried one more:  

Looking forward to making more!!! 

Next I tried the Mod Podge process. Stay tuned for my results!