PHOTO WALK: ROUND inspired by Elise Blaha Cripe.

PHOTO WALK CHALLENGE: round

So, you know, I am doing the photo a day challenge for May designed by Australian blogger Chantelle Ellem aka FATMUMSLIM.  It's been fun because I have made my own rules for when I take the photos and if I take them at all.  Most of the photos have been shots from my archives that fit the prompts, but that I digitally enhanced with photoshop.  

I decided that would be the best use of time and talent for this month's challenge because I am desperate to learn that program and any practice I can get which seems to be even the slightest bit productive will win me over anytime.  

*Desperate*, I tell you.

BUT....I still find myself feeling guilty about NOT posting the photos each day on twitter or my facebook page, and I don't like that feeling, don't like that feeling, DON'T. LIKE. THAT. FEELING. Like, AT ALL.

So...the other day, I was reading blogs and over at Elise Blaha's blog, she posted about a new segment she's introduced called PHOTO WALK, where she takes her camera on a walk and, with a theme in mind, shoots things that fit the theme.  Brilliant!

I love it so much because THIS is exactly how I usually take pictures.  I fixate on one or two things and snap oodles of shots of just those things.  Elise has been doing this, without trying it seems, for awhile.  She often has grids of repetitive photos to share on her blog and they always turn out looking tres cool.

Now here's the really cool part: this week, she invited her readers to play along.  So, we can take her prompts or think up our own and get out walking with our cameras!  Yay! So fun.  I decided to start with her theme of ROUND, but have already come up with some others that I want to try: leaves, purple, two-tone, diamond, triangle, tree flowers, dots, up, down and that's it for now.

Hey!  If you would like to jump on this super fun photo challenge, let's do it!  Link up in the comments section to share, if you like, just do it to improve your shot techniques and share in private.  Let me know if you are interested and maybe we can have a chat about each other's techniques!  I am always up for learning more from others.

PHOTO WALK CHALLENGE 1: ROUND

Victoria Day Weekend.

The long weekend has come and gone, and back to the grind we go.
For my family, the long weekend meant one very Happy Birthday party for a little Miss Seven Year Old (who, all of a sudden is so grown up she does not need anyone to read with her or lay for five minutes with her at bedtime!).
Me and eight little girls enjoyed a quick afternoon of  clay sculpture making and snacking at the 4Cats Art Studio in downtown Duncan and it was a blast!
Sunday, I was feeling out of sorts with a funny cold virus that is attacking only my throat.  My voice is raspy and heavy like an old smoker's might be and my body was tired beyond imagining.
Monday I slept in slightly and awoke feeling more energetic than on Sunday so I took to the garden with a vengeance and cleaned up all the overgrowth from the winter.  Feels so good to have a tidy yard, a newly 7 year old girl and a home that's gearing up for summer.  Now if I can only kick this weird virus, everything would be Golden!

Baby girl.

Today I am full on enthralled in the making of a Happy Birthday family celebration for my sweet little baby girl...who is SEVEN TODAY!

I will be posting a heart-wrenching letter to my growing daughter coming soon, but for now I want to just say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL.

MAMA LOVES YA!

the weekend

The weekend was lovely and full of activity, but really quite wonderful nonetheless.

On Saturday we took the girl to the fun fair at her school and despite it being SO HOT (not complaining), it was a great time and the girl had oodles of fun...and candy.

Afterward we headed to Nanaimo to buy books and art supplies and although that doesn't sound exciting, it was nice family time driving the island highway together.

Sunday was great!  Woke up to a beautiful day complete with breakfast in bed (twice--once my husband, then my son!) and I stayed there until 10 am.  Later we went to my sister's for lunch and had a lovely visit with my mom, sister and grandma and had fun with the kids.

For dinner we came home to a meal of fresh-from-the-ocean cod with veggies and I didn't have to clean up! Yay!

All in all a spectacular, simple day full, full, full of lovin.
I'm so lucky.

a mother's love

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.

 She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, 

never. 

A mother is something absolutely new." 

-Rajneesh

And then she realized that all this hullabaloo about celebrating one day based on becoming a mother was really just that: hullabaloo.
Because at that moment, as she held her small child who was falling swiftly into the clutches of slumber, she knew that it is the child who must be celebrated.
For she would have never known these joys (such as the sounds falling asleep make, and the comfort of warm, living, breathing smallness curled into her arms), nor those discomforts (such as frustration over piercing cries and defiant will) if this child hadn't come to being, hadn't chosen her to be its mother.
And she wondered then, would she ever be enough?  
Hugging the sleeping seven-year-old, a flash of realization came: this small one was slipping ever so softly from her own clutches and into the world of independence and individuality and what had she done to make sure this young one would be ready?
What had she done and was her own heart ready?  Was it able to forge past the searing pain of worry and longing (longing to hold on, to have just one more year, one more hug, one more bedtime story)?
Had she done her part to form her?  To guide her?  To show her the beauty of the world.  To instill wonder, and impart wisdom?
And then she knew.
This small wonder came pre-rigged for amazing things.  Her internal magic had been formed on the tips of the stars, far before her life began.
And all that she was meant to do was give to her one thing.
A mother's love.
The rest would fall delicately (and sometimes painfully) into place.


(c) freebird art 2012


I send out a wish to all mothers--maternal, biological, 


chosen, designed and otherwise--for peace of mind and a heart full 


of love.  You are blessed with the task of mothering and so chosen 


because you were up to the task.  Always remember this: the spirits 


of your children aligned up with yours in a pact designed before 


you came to this plane.  This is part of your life's work to discover 


who you are, so be thankful for those sweet spirits that are 


working to help you as you guide them through this world. 

Grass. Barn.

Help!!

Okay, you guys.  This morning as I styled my hair and prepared to drive my daughter to school I started to formulate a blog post in my mind that posed the question: "How do I start?"

My query concerns taking the leap from private artist into marketing artist, and I want to gauge my audience (that's you) on the ways to get over the hurdle that stands in the way of exposing my creations and work.

"Where do I begin?"

 I think most of my dilemma lies in these two words: I'm afraid.

Afraid to show the world the things I create.  Afraid to form my heart and soul into a sellable comodity whereby people can peruse my mind and like or dislike what it has offered into the world.

How do I go about getting my work into the marketplace and develop a brand around myself?  How do I make it work?  How do I put it out there and benefit financially so I can make this my life's work?

How?

So, I wanted to ask if you had any insight on this.  Some words of encouragement, advice, or personal experiences you could share to help me figure this out.  To help me break out of this place of fear and frozen action into bravery and fluidity.

Then, I opened my email and I found this video from Danielle LaPorte.  

If this isn't the Universe showing me the way, I can't understand what is.
(But, please, any insight from all of you readers out there would be so very appreciated.  If you have a minute, could you send me some warm vibes and positive advice?  Thanks!!)