I've been very lazy about my daily routine for the last two weeks (probably closer to 3 if I'm being completely honest). So easy to dilly dally reading blogs or writing or surfing the 'net until I've run out of time. I do have a schedule, loose as it is. Yoga at 8:30 or 8:40, coffee at 9, breakfast at 10. Have to do my yoga routine before I eat and too often I look up and it's 9 o'clock. Oh well, too late now (yes I know there's a whole hour between 9 and 10 but that's devoted to coffee). So tonight was the first yoga class since the Monday before Christmas. O. M. G. Even the easy stuff was hard. Well maybe not hard but required more effort than usual. I fully expect to be sore tomorrow (surprisingly I wasn't).
It's so easy to fall into the lost days (basically the last two weeks of the year), doing nothing, being lazy. Takes a little effort to extract myself, start tending to things that need tending, get my butt off the couch, out from under the blanket because now winter is finally upon us...cold, warm, cold, warm, cold, warm...that's how it goes for the next two months. Monday it was in the 40˚s, today, Wednesday, it got up to 76˚. I had yet to make it over to the shop. Stretched out the holiday weekend thru Monday because it was cold. Tuesday it warmed up and was actually really nice out. Still didn't make it over to the shop but I did do my yoga (yay me!) and finally put the shower caddy up in the bathroom and did the weekly grocery shopping and took the dog for a long walk and sorted the accumulated recycling into the boxes in the garage and dumped the kitchen waste on the compost pile and cut back the freeze damaged pink and white butterfly ginger and fixed dinner. Speaking of freeze damaged plants, the big angel trumpet lost all its foliage and developing flowers but the branches still seem firm but I probably lost the porterweed as I forgot to cover it again for the third night. I had uncovered it to see how it was doing after the night in the 20˚s.
I did get over to the shop today and started doing the finish work on the luna moth. I'm not that happy with it but Marc will tell you I say that about every piece and he's probably mostly right. I tend to be very critical of my own work. Besides the major flaw, it didn't cast that well. The edges of everything are choppy and uneven. I'm not sure why. And I needed more color in the moth and maybe less in the background. Good news is it fits perfectly in the stand.
So end of day routine, close up the shop, walk the dog, get ready for yoga. We had eight people show up tonight which is unusual for a Wednesday. Monday usually has a bigger turnout but it is January and new year's resolutions and all to get in shape and work off that holiday food. By March that will have all fallen by the wayside.
Another prism of light cast by the morning sun.
"morning sun" what is that?
ReplyDeleteYou know , even your flawed work is one of the best things ever seen! Your work is magic.
Now that all the leaves have fallen it blinds me in the morning. Have to wear my ball cap to read and write blogs.
DeleteThanks. I'll like it better when I'm not nose to nose with it while I do the finish work.
I love that rainbow. And yes, an artist rarely approves of her own work. It's an act of humility to exhibit.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, on occasion, I do a piece that I have no complaints about. Those are the best.
DeleteEveryone I know is saying how hard they're finding it to get unstuck and back in the routine, post-holiday. It's sure true for me. I did have some things that had to be dealt with, like a trip in to Houston to visit the eye doc today, but now that all those chores are done, maybe I can get settled a bit. This up and down weather isn't helping. Cold or hot, it would be great to be able to get dressed in the morning and not have to change clothes three times in the course of the day. The fact that the moth fits in its stand is a good thing -- I'm liking the colors of the moth and the leaves more than I was.
ReplyDeleteIt needed some bold color to counteract the pale colors of the moth. I've finally gotten back into my work routine but the warmer days have helped.
DeleteI am glad you are critical of your work. The mark of a real artist, I think. It does look beautiful, and I am sorry about the edges.
ReplyDeleteI little grinding with the diamond bits has mitigated the problem somewhat. But still, I always see what I should have done differently.
DeleteThe moth pleases me which, of course, is meaningless.
ReplyDeleteEllen, I'm feeling so lazy too! I look around at all that needs to be done and I just want to cry.
I'll like it better I'm sure after I get all the finish work done and quit looking at it so closely.
DeleteIf I made a list of everything that needed doing it would be a mile long. I just try to whittle it away.
Love that morning sunlight on your counter. I think the Luna moth is beautiful. I would love to see a photo of your favorite piece of art that you created. I only started reading your blog when you were working on this piece. What's the one piece you love the most? Do you have one?
ReplyDeleteI have several. I'll do a post with my favorites. I'll be OK with the Luna mother once I stop looking at it so closely and the finish work is done.
DeleteI think the luna moth is lovely and I don't see the flaws that you are mentioning... I like Robin Andrea's suggestion - what is your favorite piece that you have made?
ReplyDeleteWell, admittedly, I can't see them from a distance or in a picture either. It's just in my face while I do the finish work.
DeleteYou may see flaws in that moth piece, but to my eye, it is a beauty. Perhaps in time the imperfect edges may be part of its charm.
ReplyDeleteI've ground them down some, smoothed them out. I think once the finish work is done my main objection is that the color in the moth isn't as dense as I would like.
DeleteWell, for what it's worth, that moth looks terrific to me! I seem to recall you thinking you'd lost that porterweed before...it might surprise you again. (Here's hoping!)
ReplyDeleteI went and checked on it and the stems are still green.
DeleteYour comment on The New Dharma Bums touched my heart and it resonated. I get frustrated at my closed heart but don't know quite how to reopen it fully.
ReplyDeleteLove the prism and one would be hard pressed to kill and Angels Trumpet. I know, I've tried when I owned a yard with a few too many of those guys.
Happy Thursdayl
Thanks. It's not that my heart is closed, just a little protected. It was all so long ago now but I have no intention of enduring that again. And thanks for the visit!
DeleteI don't see any flaws in that gorgeous artwork. I realise you have some more work to do but even so.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you will know when you get there.
I should employ the 5' rule which I always insisted my customers do when I was doing the etched glass. If you can't see it from 5' away then it's not a problem. The finish work can solve a lot of problems, just not color density. Anyway, I'm almost done with it and once in the stand and not in my face it will be fine.
DeleteThe sun cast a rainbow through the beveled edge of the front door at the old house, and the cats used to attempt to catch it.
ReplyDeleteI think that streak was caused by a glass thing hanging outside the window. I really like when the faceted ball hanging in the window throws prism all over the wall, floor, and ceiling.
DeleteI didn't really have "lost weeks" - I mean, we were off work three days for Christmas & one for New Year's, but we did still have two straight three day work-weeks. HOWEVER, I have been "lost" just the same. Very unproductive, even at work. I blame all the socializing. I need a solid month of no social obligations. Ha!
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth the moth piece is gorgeous to me.
I see absolutely nothing with 'losing weeks' in winter. It's so unpleasant out that I hardly go into the garden to look around much less to work.
ReplyDeleteI feel I am entitled to laze if I want to. Resting up in winter does you good.