Back to Pastels

My muse has been prodding me to start painting in pastels again. So I listened. (I have posted a new pastel painting for your viewing pleasure.) "Topsail Sunset II" reminds me why I love that little island, and why I love to paint.

The economy has not slowed down the making of art among artists. I find this time valuable to build a body of work, as I explore other avenues for my work. In October, I am going to exhibit a body of work called "At Water's Edge". The coastal areas are a favorite theme of mine. I just love how the land and water interact, and how the environment changes the lighting and atmosphere.

I am still struggling with a block. This is the first time I have been blocked in two years. Last time it happened, I ended up in the psychiatric hospital with a severe bipolar episode. The block may have been caused by the mood swing. In this current block, my mood is once again unstable. So I am working on my coping skills, and doing mickey mouse work to stay busy.

I have joined another art league, and have booked a restaurant and coffee shop to show my work in 2011. As I venture out to new venues, I find my muse is pleased, and the dreaded block is occasionally lifting. I just have to wait it out. There is no other way around it!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Managing

I spent many years as a manager for a large company, including having to manage myself when my boss was preoccupied with various "things".

Those experiences helped me to learn to do the tasks that I do best, and leave the rest to the folks who reported to me,

In making art, we have to do it all - shop, keep records, pay taxes, update websites, advertise, and make art - paint, frame, fix, and hang.

I have embraced being the manager of myself. After all, who knows me better? I do solicit lots of consultations from willing artists, and it is nice to have such a collegial atmosphere to keep me going.

I find that while I am framing, or cleaning, or working on advertising, my subconscious works on the next painting; or figures out what to change on a piece on my easel. And I have also found that when I get lazy - not wanting to organize my studio, for example - I set a small goal, with painting as a reward. Otherwise, my husband would have no clean underwear!

Sometimes I wish I had an agent. But if I did, I would never have learned as much as I have. And, I would miss out on so many life lessons.

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Lucy

Dick and I got a new puppy this past weekend. We needed a canine friend after Dakota departed this earth. Lucy is quite a handful! She is a wheaten terrier, and right now, a furball baby.

Lucy has taught me many things in the past 36 hours - that I can get by with a lot less sleep; that my eyeglasses are tougher than I thought; that puppies are eating/sleeping/pooping machines! I never meant for "Lucy" to rhyme with "poopy", but there you have it.

She is also helping me to fill my well. The grass in our yard has come to life. Lucy lives so "in the moment" that it is teaching me to do the same. I have to! Ironically, I couldn't keep up with her if I didn't live in the moment!

Soon (hopefully), Lucy will be a great studio mate. But for now, she is like a little duck, following me around, crying when I disappear, and hopping all over the place when I magically return. As soon as she stays still for more than a millisecond, I will include a photo. May take a while! Cathy

Electric Cars

For some reason, I have been feeling really, really guilty about my carbon footprint - especially driving my car. Of course, everyone is feeling the pain of high fuel prices, and everything is going up in price. I can't think of one thing that has not gone up in price - except at the local produce stand, where time seems to stand still. What a relief it is to walk in to the open air and dirt floor, buy some corn and cherries, pick up a half dozen sunflowers, and still get change for a ten. Okay, the other thing that has not gone up in price is my artwork. Since the public has little income to dispose of, my artwork prices have actually come down a bit. Just a little bit, don't get too excited!

I started to research electric cars today. We get our electric from a nuclear power plant. So an electric car makes a lot of sense, from a green standpoint, as well as from a cost standpoint. I found one car, a nice looking sedan, that will go fast, and take car of most of my commutes, and daily run-arounds. It re-charges on a 220V circuit - just like our dryer! Pretty amazing when you think about it.

Dick and I just got back from our annual summer trip to Ithaca, NY, where we hang out with some family and friends, and pretty eat ourselves into a happy stupor. This trip was full of little kid activities - picking up shells from Lake Cayuga, swinging on a tree swing, picking up railroad spikes off the train tracks, and exploring an ancient gorge up the road. the weather was cool, the nights chilly, and the flowers and wildlife were just amazing. It was a much needed break from the frenetic pace of metro life. Sleeping, eating, and playing for five days is the best prescription for what ails you!

Then came the 200 mile drive back. My nine year old car, bless its heart, just guzzles gas now, and I am thinking the next car will be electric. Hopefully, a model will come out in time so that we can keep this gasoline car for long trips, and as a second, hopefully seldom used vehicle.

So tomorrow, after doing loads of laundry, and grocery store shopping, I am looking forward to getting back to my studio, with fresh ideas, and a new perspective. And I hope I have more paintings to post, and ideas to share. Summer is such a slow time for shoppers, and the rising fuel costs are not helping the situation. So with a selection of small stuff for tight pockets, I hope to make some art that folks still feel like they can afford. While sleeping and eating are good for the soul, so is art. Art helps to dust off the pollution that we find ourselves in. Art gives us hope for the future, that we will still find beauty in our minds and souls. When that electric car becomes available, it will be like a piece of artwork for me - a breathe of fresh air.