New Blog; New Beginnings
Nearly three years have passed since I last wrote a blog post. Setting up this new blog, I never expected to encounter such a seemingly insurmountable obstacle right off the bat. . . naming the blog. Having tried nearly 28 creative names and finding them all unavailable, this was the first one to stick. So, this is it, and here it goes . . .
The arts have always been a part of my life, thanks mostly to my father who insisted that I play the violin in elementary school and encouraged me to always give school projects some sort of artistic flair. I guess a part of that mentorship was due to his background in music and art. As a gifted artist, sculptor, and industrial designer, he was an amazing role model and our house always had a plethora of varied art supplies. My journey towards art, however, has been a delayed one.
Having abandoned my music major in college, I turned to education. The last couple of years of my 35-year career in public education, I discovered jewelry as a creative outlet and a means of relieving stress. That last year of teaching, my students would ask, “Are we ever going to get our essays back?” Truth be told, grading papers and giving feedback on projects (hundreds of them!) began to take a back seat to jewelry making. It was at that point that I knew retirement was calling me.
Moving to the Oregon Coast, nature inspired me endlessly. I devoted the same tireless energy to making jewelry as I did my job, but with gigantic benefits . . . on my own time schedule, no staff meetings (!), no pressure, endless creative possibility. Having amassed an enormous amount of inventory, it was necessary to think with a business-minded view. I schlepped my stuff to artsy stores and spent quite a few years selling jewelry on commission in several great shops. (I still have one shop selling my pieces.) However, as life progresses, things change.
After five years on the rural coast enduring the lonely, remote, and often brutal winters, we headed inland towards life in the Willamette Valley. Then life changed . . . a traumatic election, a county in crisis, a global pandemic, health issues. It became a major daily struggle to stay grounded, centered, and positive. Meditation, cycling, and nature walks helped for a while, and then they weren’t enough. I’d like to think that Dad was looking down on me and cheering when I picked up a Micron pen to draw Zentangle-inspired art, a paint brush to try my hand at watercolor, and a long-ignored box of his art supplies stashed in the garage. What followed was the endless acquisition of MORE art supplies, countless explorations in varied mediums, inspiring art challenges and virtual retreats, and a profound sense of perspective. Surviving the current state of world events with a sense of positive calm, I owe art, friendship, my garden, writing, and my sweet cat massive gratitude. Welcome to New Perspective Through Art. . . a new beginning that melds my love of art, writing, and photography.
(mostly jewelry-focused but shifts to some drawing in last posts)
And, of course . . .
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