Change of Direction: Balloon Amidst Clouds

Balloon Amidst Clouds
16x20 Water Soluble Oil on Stretched Canvas
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Having been lucky enough to get a solo show, the race is on! It's time to hit the studio and hit it hard!

It is amazing how motivated one becomes when a deadline looms close by. It also gives one the nerve to try different things, new ideas. It forces that change in direction that one often needs.

That being said, it is a small local venue, designed to showcase "emerging" artists. Since it's been a slow, but steady process of building the portfolio, a small venue is just right... for now!

So, here is the newest  addition, Balloon Amidst Clouds! Step 1 to the final:

Think it's time to change the calendar, though!

Organizing to Do



Step 1: The Sketch
Where to Next?

A fellow creative soul, as well as a dear friend, and I managed to exchange a couple of emails that somewhat constituted a conversation.  With our equally crazy schedules, it has become a rarity, indeed.

In her part of the initial conversation, she was able to take a break from her thriving craft business. Instead of pushing ahead with marketing tedium, she was taking the available time to reorganize her art studio and areas.

While in several ways this may seem as if it is procrastination, I can appreciate the need to regroup. It may not seem to be working towards a successful art business, the need to step back and look at your surroundings. But, it is actually crucial at times.

Often, it seems that when we just roll with the tide of life, we flounder, unable find a focus. When we stop, look and evaluate the direction of the tide, we can remind ourselves of where it is exactly we meant to go in the first place.

I’ve found myself doing a tremendous amount of reevaluating where I want to go with my art, and with Mike’s photography. In the rush to get our name out to the local circuit of craft outlets and art groups, I found myself  being approached to do things that were, honestly, not what I enjoyed doing.  It was not what I wanted Bronson Hill Arts to become.

I enjoyed trying new crafts and mediums, techniques and designs. But I  feel  as though  I have been sidetracked in developing the type of artwork for which  I am passionate.

So, yes, here’s to “procrastinating” enough to redirect and refocus.

It’s not only a necessity: it’s a wonderful thing to give one’s self.

Step 2: Watercolor Colorization 

 

Chaos

Grey Gold

 A theme often touched upon in this blog is learning to accept giving ourselves some slack in our lives. When there are so many details in your world that seem to need tending, a loss of enjoyment of your life can follow.

So, while allowing the little things slide so as indulge ourselves in the bigger and better aspects of our lives is tricky, learning to deal with the onslaught of chaos is an entirely different situation. And, much more difficult to tame.

Chaos can be induced by something as minor as a head cold, or as major as losing a job. The hassle of rearranging a week of activities and obligations can be overwhelming; fortunately, the possible off-putting of events for a week can help us to avoid having to do too much maneuvering immediately. Chaos can be ignored sometimes and, often, we are better to just do so.

But, when it is something as encompassing as loss of a job, a career, an income, the chaos that ensues can be overwhelming. A reevaluation of an entire lifestyle doesn’t come simply, nor is it something that can be pushed away in the hope that delay will make the chaos disappear.

The idea of just offering it up to the Universe begs the issue of bringing our lives back into a livable state. The tricky part of chaos descending is that it is like a violent, churning ocean storm in which you are caught without a usable vessel: you are not only treading water to stay afloat, but know that you need to be swimming toward shore before the waves overtake you. The shore is order, land under our feet the necessary control. The Universe may wash you onto the sand, but without your contribution of effort, the odds decrease significantly.

There are times when it seems like an entire front of chaos blows across your shoreline, tossing a new storm over your haven constantly, ripping the plywood you’ve just affixed for safety, off, in a single puff.

Other Side of the Door

Yep.

Been that way for a while now. Still have no system to bring chaos into line; still dealing with each crisis, unexpected expense, loss, illness, etc., at a time. Sometimes it’s relatively clear what needs to be done to move out of the storm. Other times, there is no obvious solution; or worse, any solution that you can implement as others hold the power, if you will.

Maybe it is as straightforward as letting the Universe decide for you. Maybe it is forgiving yourself for not having the ability to solve a situation brought about by chaos. Maybe it just is what it is and it’s okay to accept that. Maybe it is taking a lot of deep breaths, closing your eyes, opening them again and refocusing your energies.

It seems to most likely be the last one. And, that’s okay if that's what it has to be.

Expanse at Sunset
 

 

Accomplishment

Crossing
6x6 Water Soluble Oils on Stretched Canvas
©BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

It’s been an interesting first quarter this year. Work issues, kid issues, art business issues, house issues, etc..

All the issues have been creating challenges and opportunities, equally.

My “free” time (yes, the time for which you don’t get paid) has increased quite a lot. It’s been nicely liberating, yet, overwhelming, too.

I’ve been able to dive into all the projects around the house and in the studio that I’ve wanted to do for the last 2 years.

Rearranging, painting, planning for new carpeting in a some rooms. Cleaning and purging the other rooms. Three new paintings in as many months. Pulling prints and pieces together for various charity auctions. Developing both the website for Bronson Hill Arts as well as trying to keep up BHA’s Facebook page. Researching other online options, too. Preparing for the spring onslaught outside of the house. And, a few dozen more projects to touch on as each one is, ahem, completed.

And, all of this is being done simultaneously. Needless to say, my home is a mess and I’m tired. I think I’m wearing my husband out as well!

When this surge started, it seemed as if it was going to be so easy; all this extra time. And, really, how much time does it take to sort and dispose of the excess collection of gadgets, utensils, pans, dishes, and cleaning products in the kitchen. Well, so far, it’s been about 7 hours. Still have about 3 more hours of sorting plus another 4 or more to truly clean the cabinetry and flooring.

That’s one room. Add another five rooms currently in turmoil to that list.

But it’s slowly coming back together.

The shifting of furniture and things from room-to-room is beginning to appear logical. The rooms look and feel better as the superfluous junk is chucked. The website is starting to look like, well, a real website and the FB page is really starting to reach people and galleries. The response to the auction and show prints as been very positive.

It’s tough to tear the everyday fabric of life into so many bits and then reattach them again. That’s the challenge.

But, once the patchwork starts to take on a pattern, it’s nice to know that you’ve utilized the opportunities to the fullest. Accomplishment can never be overrated.