Self Portrait Friday

When I pulled this picture up on the computer, Jacob was standing by and watching me. He looked at this picture and the others I had taken and said two things, " you need to get someone else to take pictures of you " and your hair is so light that you look like a blonde ". I just had to laugh at both comments and then really take a closer look at the pictures. He is right of course, that as hard as I am on myself, I am even harder when I take pictures of myself. I am surprised to see myself aging and aged. In my mind, I am much younger and everyone around me has changed but I remain the same as I looked in 1974! Jacob is right about the hair. I look at the picture and see the gray, he sees something mightily different, a blonde me. I always wanted gray hair. Indeed, I looked forward to gray hair when I was a kid and what is the first thing I did as I began to turn gray? Fall to societal pressures and color my hair!

If I have learned or rather am in the process of learning anything about myself, it is acceptance of the gray. Not all aging, just the gray!

Sweet Few Days

It has been a few very creative days in the studio earlier this week. I moved from painting, to resin work, to jewelry making to charm making. I feel energetic, creative, things were just moving along nicely and I felt for a brief moment that yes, I was living the artist's life!

I am struggling to stay awake so for tonight I am saying, sweet dreams!

Chickens

Yup. I like chickens. I have drawn them and immortalized them in my silver work. I have inked ( non toxic ) and printed their walking feet. I like their feathers, the noise they make, really it is a conversation, and with a last name like VenarCHICK; how can I help myself!? Happy Tuesday!

Self Portrait Friday

This is once again Self Portrait Friday and this week's piece is again a drawing. The exaggeration of features in this quick drawing of myself represents what I see first when I see me. Eyes, glasses, mouth, teeth. Is it me? Or is it me as the pen and paper see me? This is an interesting exploration of self. I am beginning to like the self portrait exercise!



I find I am really looking forward to these self portraits and think that they are causing me to have an acceptance of myself, an appreciation for my days and rewarding myself with some degree of kindness. MAybe we all are too hard on ourselves.

New Dawning

Birds have been calling to me from singing outside my bedroom window early in the morning before the day's light has even begun to break to the fat red breasted robins rustling my grass for insects. Their songs make me smile and bring peace deep into my soul. I love their song and think what hidden messages of beauty and romance and trust and nature must be in their lilting notes. Is it any wonder that tonight's drawing is of a bird, sort of a crow, sort of a starling but deep in his breast is song.

Self Portrait Friday

This week's self portrait is a drawing from my journal. I tend to still draw myself as I think I am, and that is about 34. I like my neck all long and thin but it is not. I still find it interesting to do these self portraits and it is a learning/ acceptance kind of experience. I am not now the way I was but I am now the way I am.

I had the nicest evening last night when Pamela Armas ( Treasures of the Gypsy ) Karen and Mary came for a visit in my studio and we laughed and talked and ate great snacks and were all so happy that Art Fest brought them to town and that great things happen when creative people gather! The other great part of the evening was when Lita called and said she was coming by for a visit! I have not seen her since August and I so love her company! really, I felt surrounded by love, creativity and appreciation! I thoroughly basked in the evening's light!


p.s. Did I take a single picture? Of course not! Argh!