I am nearly done with this painting. Just needs a bit more shadow and other little fudging. I have had some delays finishing it, but now am on it again. This painting seems to express the dilemma of the feminine principle going through a rebirth in the world. She wants her male counterpart to participate, but is having some trouble getting that point across…
Another update on my painting, “Legs Like Vines.” A bad headache the other day (from an egg I hadn’t boiled quite enough–I have histamine sensitivity) slowed me down.
But late tonight I was back at it again. There is more to do with it of course. But am sharing my process. I am not one of those really quick painters. Am a perfectionist more or less in this area of my life. Plus all those intricate patterns take time to get right! I use the principle of spontaneity and structure working together to create tensions and harmonies.
On yet another level, this painting is starting to make even more sense to me considering the fact I discovered very recently that I need to take a lot more silica than I thought I’d ever need in order to be OK. My legs etc. have truly in their way been like vines.
I laugh since what else can one do. There are both positives and negatives to being what is considered to be too flexible. The big problem for some of us is that we have a hard time making enough collagen. This eventually starts to become a real negative, especially as one gets older. And yes, more silica is needed to make the collagen.
Now even my eyes are improving, as well as my hair, teeth, nails, nerves, joints etc. I am even having less jerking at night. And overall fewer headaches. I am now able to exercise more regularly without hurting myself. Have less reflux etc. Amazing! Its only been two months since I started taking the food grade diatomaceous earth. Literally a dirt cheap source of silica!! and healing…
With everything improving, who knows where I will be at in a year. Though one thing is for sure, more than likely I’ll be painting up a storm!!
For more info on this condition, I suggest you look up Ehrlos Danlos Syndrome. If you think you might have it, please consider joining some of the EDS support groups on Facebook. The Cusack Family Protocol is the best!
Its been a rainy Thanksgiving so far. Plenty of chance for me to work on my painting! Though today I was able to go out for a walk before it started raining again. I wore my poncho just in case!
This painting is changing before my eyes. I am really uncertain what I will call it. How the pillow or rock/Mayan Calendar (!!) turns out will affect it quite a bit, of that I am certain.
I still have to work on the male figure quite a bit, it needs the definition shadows bring. I also need to finish the edging around the carpet.
And yes I do like the carpet. The rectangles and triangles are subtle but effective. They echo the Calendar symbology nicely.
This piece is kind of blowing my mind, such as it is. Not at all what I expected! But that is the fun of painting for me–I let my unconscious come through and have free reign.
I had a dream last night that suggested I put in roots around in the blue area, but today am uncertain that would be right for this painting. Maybe the next one? Might be too busy and unnecessary. However I will play around with it and see if it could work or not…
A friend of mine asked to see what my art studio looks like these days. So tonight after I was done painting for the day I decided why not?
You can see the painting I am working on now on the easel, and my other painting I still need to finish sitting on the floor on the right.
Yes I am one of those messy artists. Nothing to be done about it! Though I want to build some more storage so I will have room to work on some clay too.
I just got started putting the color in. Thought I’d do something a little different, more like what I sometimes did working on clay. Let design have it’s say more and keep it playful.
As you can see, I am not done!
I have not worked on the bodies or pillow (except for the sketched in underpainting) or even finished the background. I like the bold design and colors so far however.
I may or may not put any actual leaves into the painting. I’ll be playing around with that concept in my head whether or not I try it.
As you likely can see, the painting is in my studio in the unheated garage next to my kilns. I was working there late tonight all bundled up. The weather is starting to get chillier. Nevertheless, the act of painting seems to keep me warm!! I even took off my coat and hat! Though this time my second sweater stayed on…
Well am getting close. I like how the carpet came out, though I need to add in some shadows. More to do with the book and of course the dog — though it just might become a cat!!
I had some excitement today–finally got most of my studio together! Am looking for just a couple more things (my paint pallets and some of my paints etc.) and I should be back at it likely sometime tomorrow. Tonight sitting there, I was feeling a rush of bliss! Fortunately my friend Graeme was able to capture this wonderful moment with my phone camera.
This after having had a very painful couple of days. I made myself a new table and then tried to move my heavy studio furniture around by myself the other day. Moving the furniture was a big mistake for me. I was in intense pain the last two days. I just am not strong enough to move things like that likely due to my old injury to my L-5 vertebrae and sacrum as a kid. Plus EDS (Ehrlos Danlos Syndrome) as it turns out. It makes me super flexible, but not as strong as I might otherwise be due to having weak joints.
After joining a couple of EDS groups on FB, I have just been learning however how to increase my collagen, which should gradually help strengthen my joints a lot. And some of it is working already, since normally my neck would have been out too, but it wasn’t!! Taking diatomaceous earth and d-ribose appear to be godsends for me.
The other good news here is that I went to see a new chiropractor today who was able to adjust me better than any other chiro I have seen. Turns out she has 5 other EDS patients. So she knows gentle is the way to go.
The fact I am still very flexible at age 67 is why I am usually able to adjust myself using yoga, or my sacro-wedgy, or get Chris to pull on my leg. But it does not always work since sometimes something gets stuck, mainly I think due to that pesky childhood injury.
My plan is to slowly get stronger again. I go for walks almost daily. And do yoga at least every other day. Next I need to use my modified pilates chair again to create more strength. The nice thing is that these days I can do modified push ups and crunches too, when I haven’t gone and hurt myself over again, that is! To be an artist, I have learned, its important to be strong. It just won’t do to have joints etc. that don’t work. Thankfully through persistence and figuring out that I need more silica, plus of course, avoid things like gluten and, in my case, also high histamine, it has really paid off, and will likely just keep getting better.
My artwork, as you might be able to tell, has a style that exaggerates but really expresses this EDS condition. I think of how we are often like mermaids and mermen, lol!! It is kind of amazing that I created this style without knowing I had EDS. It just came out of my being. Although of course I discovered my body was super flexible since I can’t remember when.
Now finally after a year of getting our house ready to move, selling it, finding another and moving into it in another state, I can express that flexible sensitivity I have again in my new art studio. I believe I have earned it!!
I am very much looking forward to completing my painting of the “Music Genie”–inspired by my husband (Chris) playing music. Its the painting you can see me sitting next to in the pix above. More on that and lots of other art projects as I go along, eh?
This will be one of my first projects I get back to when my studio is done (which should be soon!!): the painting “Music Genie.” I had to quit working on it in order to focus on fixing up our old house to sell and then our move north. The painting was inspired by my boyfriend (now husband). I had made a pen and ink drawing (please see below) and then later decided to make a painting from it. Its all about music and the altered state it inspires. The Genie emanates from out of the music, which really makes sense given my husband’s trance like state when it comes to composing music.
Yes I am now thinking I should call the type of art I do “Magical Realism.” I have long felt a kinship with the art in Mexico and South America for starters, although as said, I also have many other influences too. Feedback on this? Is “Ancient/Modern/Surrealist” better??
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