Cath Sheard Art

Author: Catherine Barker-Sheard

  • Love is love

    I talked with a friend today about love and friendship, and responded to a FaceBook post about gay and lesbian love. My comment, as always; love is love.

    I sometimes comment to my staff that there’s infinite variety in the human condition. We don’t all share the same taste in music, shoes or tattoos, thank goodness. And we don’t all want the same things in a partner or lover – thank goodness again!

    Tonight I talked to my brother-in-law about a past unrequited love, and the way his feelings for the person have changed over time. Sometimes passion is fleeting – burning bright then burning out – other passions transcend time and what life throws at us along the way.

    Time and life’s challenges change us too. We age, get sick, need something different from our partners than when we were younger. That’s just life it’s ok. It’s still love.

    You love a man? Great. A woman? Nice. A man *and* a woman? Good on you! If we spent more time loving others and less time worrying about what others do, the world might be a safer and happier place. Love is love.

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  • A balancing act

    Recently someone contacted me regarding the local newspaper and I felt the need to explain I have little spare time (not that they had pressured me at all – the need was in my own head). That said, my life is a bit of a juggling act, and I’m fortunate to have the support I need to keep the balance. Tony has always supported me to do my art and be involved in the wider library profession, and my family and friends support me in myriad ways.

    What’s going on in my life? Here’s a snapshot of most, but not all, the things:

    • I work fulltime as Libraries & Cultural Services Manager at STDC; I manage 7 libraries, the museum and an arts position
    • I’m Chair of the Professional Registration Board with LIANZA, which means I’m also ex officio to the LIANZA Council
    • I’m 3/4 of the way through the Papa Reo course with Te Wananga o Aotearoa
    • I mentor a couple of librarians around the country
    • I have a month long art exhibition coming up October with the lovely and talented Dimmie
    • I travel for work, and art, fairly regularly
    • I teach art classes locally, and am teaching in the South Island in July
    • Tony and I publish the local monthly newspaper
    • I have some ongoing health issues, and am waiting on a 3rd MRI (2nd on my spine)
    • I’m a food addict and, following weight loss surgery, need to make sure I do the right things every single day
    • Tony has some serious ongoing health issues which are increasingly restrictive
    • Tony has PoA for his cousin who has dementia, and I support him in this

    Don’t get me wrong – Tony and I have a good life; we’re fortunate and this busyness is my (our) choosing. But the health issues are an unwelcome complication that mean I make sure we both get enough rest, and there’s “uh oh” flexi-time built into our schedules. Taking anything else on just isn’t a goer for now.

    Tony & I 20190504

  • Wishing

    I’ve got a friend who constantly wishes their live was different, but can’t quite take the steps needed to make the changes they want. They tried to change their life more than a year ago but didn’t fully commit to it, so of course it didn’t work out. I firmly believe the Universe can only act when we are 100% committed in words and actions. If we’re unclear, the Universe can’t act. So often, the things we want are quite ordinary and well within our grasp if only we’d step out in a mindset of trust.

    This page was done in my Dina Wakley mixed media journal. Supplies: Golden fluid acrylics (Teal, Paynes Grey, Indian yellow, Alizarin crimson), Derwent Artbar, Stampendous Aged Embossing powder, Tim Holtz stencil, Ranger Distress collage medium, Pitt Big Brush pen (walnut), Tim Holtz collage words and figures.

    our wishes 20190609.jpg

  • Hidden

    Years ago we did some training at work that included Johari’s Window. I won’t go into all the details, except to say it struck a chord and has stayed with me. I’m fairly open on social media but that doesn’t mean I share everything, just that I choose to share more than some might. Yet there *is* a hidden part – parts of me that I know and others don’t (or only a few people know).

    Why don’t I share everything, given I share most things? Same reasons as for others, no doubt. Fear of judgement, of being made to feel wrong, that people won’t like or approve of the hidden parts of me. And, in today’s world of strong judgment via social media, fear of starting a “Twitter pile on”.

    This is the last page in my small Dylusions journal; I have had such a great time filling it up. It’s ok, though, because I have lovely new one waiting in the cupboard!

    Stamps: Dy’s alphabet, Heads n Tails. Stencils: Diamonds in the rough, Sugar lumps, Blocks. Paints: Polished jade, Lemon zest, Periwinkle blue. Other: Ranger Distress collage medium, Archival ink, Distress ink, white gel pen, clear alphabet stamps, Pitt Big Brush marker, black Uni pen.
    hidden 20190609.jpg

  • Exercise your art muscles

    ‘Use it or lose it’ is as true for art muscles as any other, although actually I don’t think we lose our art capacity, we just get rusty and uncertain. Simple quick exercises are a good way to stay in touch with your sense of colour, pattern, design, negative space and so on.

    Every week I do the #ColourMePositive challenge on Facebook. The moderator provides a prompt and people share what they’ve created. For me it’s a quick way to warm up my art muscles. This isn’t art with a capital A, it’s more like warming up exercises before going for a run. I decided to (sort of) record my process today.

    I used Distress paints for the bottom layer, Dylusions paints for the stencilling with Tim Holtz stencils, Distress ink to colour the edges of the word strips and  Tombow Mono glue to glue the words down. I’m working on the Tim Holtz glass media mat; it’s on my desk all the time and I love it.

    It was almost finished when I realised, matching my mood, it was a bit dark and dreary considering the quote is about sunshine. I used Dylusions Pure Sunshine paint with Tim’s sun rays stencil, then went back over the orange with Atelier Rich Gold for some bling.

     

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