I Love My Rose Colored Glasses

Posted on by LisaDeWilde

      I have dreamed of houses since I was little.  Tiny, cozy spaces hold magic for me.  My best friend had a delapidated playhouse in her side yard when we were nine, handed down from her older siblings. 
 
     It is amazing how we can see things with such different eyes.  This dirty old playhouse had a broken and peeling linoleum floor with a small dusty black  piano.  There was a little table and two chairs and I remember a few small plastic dishes. 
 
     I remember sitting and watching how the sunlight streamed in the dirty window.  The specks of dust danced in the lazy afternoon sun.  This tiny forgotten house held such magic and I wished it was mine.  
At my house in the side yard we put an old vinyl red stool and another box for a chair and odds and ends to create a clubhouse of our own, which was a nice private place to be silly and tell stories and just dream.  
 
     One day after school we went over into her yard and I was horrified to find it … missing!   I couldn’t believe it.  What could possibly have happened?  Confused, my friend explained that she had traded it for a bicycle.  A bike!  Now I already had a bike and never yearned for one.  
 
     I had discovered a sacred space that held magic, but all the details existed in my imagination.  She didn’t share this vision with me at all and this was such a sad surprise to me.   It only lived in my head and it held no other value to her than something to barter with to get her own treasure. 
 
     I find it interesting that every person paints such different images in their minds, attaching very personal emotions that draw us close.  I still wish I had a tiny house,  a small personal space to dream in and maybe create magic and ideas… 
 
     Was there a space that felt magical and sacred that you had as a child?   What did you remember feeling in that space?

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I Planted a Garden of Abundance

     I had a wonderful friend suggest to me a few years ago to consider planting some money in my garden to grow.   Sort of like garden feng shui, I think… and my wealth sector lies under my roses, irises, sedums, shasta daisies, peonies, dicentra, violas and candytuft.  And a nice fluffy load of compost, that the neighbors can smell, but alas I cannot.  It is sort of funny, but my sense of smell went pretty dormant about 23 years ago when I was pregnant with my son.  I guess it is pretty strong (from what I hear!)  So manure and compost are extremely exciting to me… rich foods to feed my wonderful live canvas.  I also save banana peels to feed to my roses and dig them into the holes, which I am led to believe are quite delicious snacks for them… and full of potassium.    I enjoy nurturing it and all through winter I fill notebooks with new ideas and dream of it at night.
 
     So I often thought about planting a bit of money in this sacred magical space that is my garden, but I was never really quite ready to do it.  It seems so simple, but I knew what it meant and it was powerful.  I had to do it when I felt truly ready to follow all the abundance I was asking for.  My garden is very personal to me and is alive, evolving and constantly changing.   It is a reflection of my inner self, of dreams and it is like a glass half full, always hoping and optimistic.  For five years I lived away from this garden and it was difficult.  I would come to tend and weed it like crazy for two weeks and then go away, but sadly I would miss the spectacular show.   Over and over I repeated this pattern and my heart suffered from the disconnection.   I also did lots of work that was not art related, which is interesting to note as well, where my heart was disconnected somewhat as well.
 
     I won’t reveal whether I finally screwed up enough courage to take the leap or not, but let’s just say that at this point in my life I am welcoming abundance with open arms… with friends, positivity, vibrant ideas, belief in myself, a beautiful blooming garden filled with birds, bugs and butterflies and most of all to doing my art all the time, to have the spigot of ideas always flowing.  And I expect to  continue to enjoy smiling and laughing and enjoy contentment.  And  money, let’s not forget money…
 
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#art #gardening #artist #seattle #plants #flowers #garden

How Pinterest Affects the Artist Mind

This summer I was listening to the radio one morning and a lady mentions Pinterest, which I hadn’t heard of before.  She said she tried it and it didn’t sound like much to me, honestly.  Talking about collecting ideas for her new house.  Images of beige carpeting and blah furniture popped up in my head.  She was fun to listen to, but she didn’t sound that creative to me, so I listened, sort of.  She was having some trouble navigating the system.  So I forgot about it.
 
UNTIL a couple weeks later I remembered and logged into Pinterest.  Hmmm, it looked pretty interesting to me.   Request an invite.  Done!  I waited a couple days and my interest turned to anxiety… Where is MY invite?  Must have been lots of people requesting invites.  Finally on a Friday,  I am IN!   I bumbled along as I learned to pin my images and name my boards with funny titles just for my amusement.   God I am clever. 
 
 Five hours later… I reluctantly got up from my computer to get something to eat.  It was a long day that turned into a longer weekend of absolute bliss.  It was this amazing euphoric high, like waking up on Easter morning to a gorgeous basket filled with foil wrapped goodies, jellybeans, chocolate bunny, peeps, designer shoes, DIY ideas and of course, silly cat photos.   On and on it went and by Monday morning I felt exhausted but so excited to get back on Pinterest and get more images.  More, more, MORE!!!  Oh my god, all kinds of cool stuff and the stream appeared to have no end. 
 
I must share that I scared off a more than a few people with my rabid enthusiasm for what I had discovered.   As my eyes filled with fire, explaining the magical treasures that awaited them, I could see my crazy reflected in their eyes.  I had trouble understanding why everyone didn’t want to jump in the deep end and start swimming in this fabulous lake I had found.   I tried to explain that it was like going out on stepping stones on the open ocean and just getting farther and farther out, not knowing what you will find.  Exhilarating.   AND when my head fills with ideas I always become hyper creative, which for me is the happiest state to be in.
 
Now as I write this I am happy to announce that  I have 66 organized boards of things that inspire me in so many different ways on my Personal Pinterest account.   I feel an extreme sense of relief that my love for Pinterest is calmed down and I am a lot less nutsy about it.   Almost normal, I would say.  It is pretty fun to find an image and know right away which board it belongs in.  This system was MADE for creative visual people to devour.  I think there must actually be sugar in it because it is so addictive.  Now I can actually play on Pinterest and stop… although sometimes I say okay, I will stop in 15 minutes.  8:15 comes and goes, alright at 8:30, well okay… 8:45, which can also turn into I will log off at 11:45.  And I am then able to log off.  So let’s say, some days are better than others.   (Like the days I am collecting amazing ideas and colors and crazy cool stuff… and monkeys, lots of monkeys).image

Pinterest Link

Image Credit: http://bit.ly/14aCjbU

Today I make something for ME!

I had such a wonderful Sunday!   Instead of hopping right on the computer to check email this morning… I consciously chose not to. 
 
I have been wanting to work on getting my bedroom in  order for a couple months now ever since I moved back to my house in Seattle.   I have sorted lots of things from the attic to go to Goodwill, reorganized, busied myself with  projects, lots of networking, meetings and the holidays.  Lots to do and I was feeling overwhelmed by my cluttered space!
 
So today I pulled out my paints, boxes of ribbons and trims and played for hours.  I have collected so many over the years it is so much fun to see , touch them and match them with different projects.  It is so funny that it is my job to create such whimsical vibrant murals and painted furniture for OTHER people.  Sometimes I just keep running ahead and forget to create for myself. 
 
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I love interesting boxes of all shapes and sizes.   I really love to find them when they are pretty worn and quite ugly…they are screaming to be made over.   So I have had a stash of a couple shelves, and boxes I have wanted to repaint and work on that I got to pull out.   I love eclectic, bohemian style that has layered pattern and colors within a specific palette, which in this case is burgundy, fuchsia, gold, pink, orange and bits of green and turquoise.  The surface of my bed was completely covered in ribbons and trims, my  table filled with paints.  I played with a favorite old IKEA box  that I had painted lilac and pink about 10 years ago.   I loved doing it so much it reminds me how much I love to paint furniture…
 
Well, tomorrow I am off to Goodwill to dump old stuff  and go in and shop for more stuff I can transform.  It is a wonderful cycle.   I wonder what treasure I will discover?

Kate’s Official Portrait

       I love to collect portrait images on my Pinterest boards.  There are so many interesting ways to compose the subject within the space that can create different moods.  I love all the inventive ideas to imagine posing the subject.   Dark, heavily shadowed lighting, soft sunlight through a window, subjects closely cropped into the picture plane or far away have differing results.  Some portraits suggest hints of detail that “feel” like the person, with deliberate lines to softly describe a personality.   I absolutely love historical portraits with all the satins and jewels and glittering costumes of their day.  
 
     It seems that Kate Middleton’s official portrait has caused quite a stir in Great Britain.  I had seen a photo of the quiet portrait in the newspaper and was unsure what I really thought about it.  It certainly did look like her, but I was unsure the mood captured who she appears to be as a person.  She seems very open, vibrant, sincere and fun loving.  
 
      I just found an interesting BBC article online and saw the picture again.  There is a close-up cropped view of the portrait that glows of her sparkling blue eyes and luminous skin, but the full portrait I feel dilutes this image.  The dark background is moody and interesting, but the blouse she is wearing is dull navy and looks like she may have borrowed it from the queen.  Now I love the queen, but her style describes who she is in a different way, right?   
 
      One time I excitedly discovered some navy patent square toed pumps from my mom’s closet that I felt looked cool and retro for a family party.  I felt so good until I overheard my older cousin (who I am NOT close to) remark rudely…”did she borrow those from her mom?”.  Yes, yes I did, actually.  Thank you for letting me know I did not carry off the attempt successfully.  (I hope she reads this)
 
     As an American,   I must say all the glittering ancestral portraits in Europe fascinate me with their finely honed details.   On a wonderful trip to Eastern Europe two years ago we happened upon Lobkovicz Castle, in Prague.  There was a huge room filled with ancestral portraits of their family a treasure trove of people from the past  peering  across the room toward the others.  I must admit I absolutely love all the fancy pomp and circumstance.  All that fine pretty detail trumps the mountain of technology we are inundated with today.
 
     So I guess I would have liked to see more.  More vibrancy, more of a feeling of glittering royalty, something almost playful but serene.   Considering the historical significance of this depiction and imagining the countless royal portraits it is following… what do you think about Kate’s official portrait?

Kate’s Official Portrait

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Martinelli Mural: Final

    The mural will be finished tomorrow.  This was an unpredictable ride, having everything planned and researched, showed up on time ready to go, but the plan exploded, turning into something else with different elements but the same theme of nature.  
 
     The new mural is filled with native birds and little creatures, belted kingfisher, blue heron, night heron, iridescent beetles, frog, western tanagers, pair of mallard ducks in a scene focused on the lake.  It is anchored on  by a willow tree on one side and large tulie reeds flanking the other.   Tomorrow I will finish up detail work.
 
     As I was painting today I was thinking about how sometimes you just need to completely switch directions and go with the flow for projects, finding new solutions.  I like to feel organized and I often paint in my sleep when I am in the middle of a project.  It consumes me and I need to be hyper-focused and on task till it is completed.   I have to say that this week I have felt more emotionally exhausted at the end of each working day, reworking and allowing for complete change to my original plan.  I like to know what the plan is and control all that I do in support of the creative flow and a feeling of calm.
 
     So as I am painting quietly, I remember how many times (more than I can count) people have confided in me how all artists are flakes.   As if they are letting me in on some secret information.  Yes, really, right to my face.  Each time I am shocked at such candor and I feel the need to defend myself as an artist, set myself apart from such a blanket statement.  But today, I thought that I really don’t need to say anything, just continue doing what I do, the way that I do it best.  It may apply to some artists, but there are also many to whom it does not and people are busily buying what they produce.
 
     Producing art is something all consuming and it requires you to put yourself into it completely.  I have found that I really enjoy working on several projects at one time.  I am happiest and most creative when I create.  A LOT.  The more I create the more ideas hatch that I want to do.  It could be gardening, baking, trying a new recipe, redecorating a space, dancing, painting, dreaming of ideas, redecorating rooms…  Believing in ideas is a magical thing that helps to create new ideas and often I just need to know my idea is alive and valid.  
 
     Today was a good productive day and later tonight I will reward myself with pulling out my notebook and playing with an idea that has been dancing around in my head.

Martinelli Nature Mural

First Day of Martinelli Mural

Posted on by LisaDeWilde

     I flew from Seattle for a mural in Watsonville, California to begin a mural this week at 9:00am   I am excited to finally start.  We have been going back and forth to nail down this window for a while now, having decided on our mural plan.  
 
     This is a very family focused space for the Martinelli family.   Yes, the apple juice Martinelli family.
 
     So I start  showing my reference photos and we are  discussing the mural plan, which is a nature mural inset  in a nook of the family room.   I was all set to begin painting when Megan calls her husband to ask about the type of owl native to the area…. which sparked an entire new mural plan, changing everything.  Completely.
 
      Sometimes this happens.  One thing or idea sparks moving in an entirely new direction.   I like to go with the flow and develop ideas to see what happens, just like I do with my personal projects at home.  I kind of like creative surprises because they push you into exploring new ideas and possibilities.
 
      She got off the phone and asked if I wanted to take kyaks out onto the lake outside the house to photograph that scenery for the mural setting.   At first I thought she was kidding, but I hesitantly said yes.
 
      We walked down to the dock, slipped into our kayaks and paddled out.  It turned out to be so much fun and such a surprising way to spend the morning!   I have kayaked twice before and tried to keep up while I pulled my camera out to shoot pictures while simultaneously drifting to one side, missing capturing some herons flying from a tree.  Over and over I put the camera away safe, paddled and struggled to pull it out in time with my cold wet hands.
 
     After I finally got the hang of it I got some really beautiful shots of the tulie grasses and trees and saw how the landscape changed as we came around along the shore.  I had seen this lake from the opposite shore before, but this was an interesting view to really notice the coots and  mallards paddling along and all of the night herons perched in the open winter framework of the willows.   There was a commotion with the herons and then a big red tailed hawk rose from the tulies and settled into a tree, just about 15 feet from me.
 
      By the time we reached the dock about an hour later I was pretty wet because every time I lifted the paddle up, all the water funnelled down onto my lap. I was so happy, I said yes.
 
      Tomorrow at 9:00am I will again show up ready to paint, but this afternoon I am collecting my reference and reworking the details for a mural that will blur the edges of the walls and bring nature inside.   I am so excited for tomorrow!   Often I notice myself saying yes to new experiences lately after moving back to my Seattle home and it turns out to be so much more fun than saying no.image

Paddling through the Lake

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