The park in July

To come to terms with the heat of the Texas, I have been sneaking away during my lunch hour and going to a park nearby.  The first day I went, there was only one other car parked in the parking lot which belonged to a young mother that left a few minutes after I arrived. It was was little eerie knowing that I was totally alone in the park, in the mddle of the day.  I sat at a picnic table beneath a large oak tree that provides plenty of shade and decided to paint a small water color of the trees and the grass. (I always carry around my sketchbook and a small set of traveling paints). I didn't finish the painting that day, but I went back to the park a couple of days later and finished. I decided to write a quote on the back by Andy Warhol "Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." Then I signed and dated the front. As I walked towrds my car I casually set it on a differnet picnic table and put a rock on in it so it wouldn't blow away. I left it there. Maybe when someone finds it, they will either appreciate it or throw it away.

Today I went back to the park, the painting from the day before was gone. I sat down at the same picnic table under the tree. This time I painted some flowers that were a bright orange. They were from a flowering ivy that had wrapped itself up the large oak tree and the flowers were protected by the shade of the leaves. When I finished this little painting, the quote I wrote on the back was from Dalai Lama " There are only two day out of the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow. So today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live."  I signed and dated the front, and again, casually placed it on a picnic table and put a rock on it as I walked towards my car.  I guess I should take pictures of the little paintings before I leave them there.

It's interesting that while I am painting in the park I don't feel the heat. Also the other days that I had gone to the park, bedsides that first day, there were people there having lunch, and kids were playing on the playground. It was actually nice to be outside.

On another note, for the last month I have been working on my new website. I had taken the old one down a few years back feeling that it was stagnant and I wasn't producing enough art at the time to keep it fresh.  Now that I am working on more art I felt it was time to to create a new website. So check it out dritaharris.com .

Good read!

Ever since I can remember, I always loved going to the library. The nice thing nowadays is that the library is open seven days a week minus a few holidays. So on Sunday afternoon I decided to go to the neighborhood library and just browse with nothing specific in mind. I came up on a cute and quirky little book by Summer Pierre titled "The artist in the office".  It was a quick fun read that inspired me enough to actually create some lists that it recommened, and spend some time during my work day doing something creative (during my lunch hour of course ;) ).

I am still thinking about getting a small group of like minded people for a monthly creative session. My problem, I am a little lazy to get it together. Hopefully I can get past it it and just put it out there and see what happens.

One step at a time

I mentioned in previous posts how hard summer is for me. The weekends away from my job are the hardest. Not because I love my day job, but it keeps my mind off the misery I feel when I am at home and it's so hot and humid outside.I was considering counseling, but I decided to try and help myself.

After an absolutely miserable, horrible day on Sunday, I went and bought a calendar book. I am a list maker, so I decided to write down what my task or goal would be for the next day. I wrote one thing for Monday, "go to the gym". Per the Seasonal Affective Disorder site, exercise will make a person feel better. I don't remember the last time I went to the gym, but I went and walked fast on the treadmill. I listened to heavy metal and I sweated. My mind did feel a bit better by the time I was done. Last night I wrote two things down on my list for today,  print a picture and write my artist statement. I have been carrying around transparent paper for a couple of weeks without printing anything on it. It's for a project that I have in mind and it needed to be printed on a laser printer. I finally printed it today, so I felt like I accomplished something. I am still working on the artist statement.... For tomorrows list, my calendar has "go to the gym",  I just have to get out of the house and move my body so my mind won't suffer. All I can do is take it one step at a time.

Crow~ Sgraffito July Challenge #1

About 9 tonight, I decided to participate in Kelly Crosser Alge's  July Sgraffito challenge. One challenge per week. At first I wasn't going to participate because of how I was feeling, but I changed my mind tonight and did a quick little drawing on the leftover 4"x 4" glass I had from the January challenge.  I'm a few days late for the first week, but I got into my studio and did it. That's what counts tonight. Thank you Kelly for taking time out yet again, to challenge us.  I appreciate your positive energy and your selflessness.

Crow 4"x 4"

It's not just me....

After 22 years of living in Texas, and never getting used to the heat with high humidity, my mood declines every summer. After my creative burst Friday morning, I fell into a deep depression.  To me the heat was too oppressive to go outside. I didn't budge from the house all weekend. My husband kept trying to coax me into my studio. He tried to get me to go to the park. I couldn't budge. By Monday morning, before work, I broke down in tears wondering what was wrong with me, and why after all these years, can't I get used to this climate. Why do I go through this depression every summer? I HATE it.  It's very ironic that my favorite time of the year was summertime, until I moved to Texas. I always knew that people suffered from depression living in places like Alaska where its dark 24 hours a day during winter, but I had no idea that it happens to  people in in hot, humid climates. Nor did I know there was a label for it. I googled to see what would pop up for summertime depression and behold SAD was right there.  When I read the article about Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) I finally felt I had an answer and finally didn't feel like I was the only one that goes through this. Now that I know I am not crazy, I need to figure out a plan to be able to leave my home at least in the summer months, if not move altogether from here.

Well today's post is way more personal than just sharing about an art project, but maybe, if someone out there feels the way I do, I want them to know they are not alone.    

I will get through this,like I do every summer......

It's a hot sun

It's noon on Friday...

Wow, two posts in one day, I broke my own record!

Had to share my sunset painting. It hasn't even dried completely and I've hung it on my wall! I'm excited that I started and finished within a couple of hours. The inspiration for this painting came from a home that's for sale in Freeland, Washington (my dream home) located on Whidbey Island. Even though the sunset from their living room is so much better in real life (or in pictures) I decided to bring my version of it into my house. (remember, I live in suburban sprawl, all I see is houses and roof tops...)

Friday....

My alarm went off this morning as usual, but I didn't have to go to work today. I had to decide if I wanted to roll over and sleep in or get up and decide what I'm going to do today.  I tried to stretch a bit this morning but my cat's took over the yoga mat.  I easily gave up so I moved on to Facebook, and to the blog to catch up on my fellow bloggers posts.

I have several things in mind for today, but I need to decide which one art piece I really want to work on. A colorful "blank" canvas is waiting for me on my easel, then I still have a multitude of ideas for glass projects.  I also put together a canvas that is 18"x 36".  This one is going to be for a sunset that I would like to keep in my room.  I guess just by writing this post, I'll be painting this morning while my cats relax on the mat.