Blog

  • Art, COVID-19, our household

    New Zealand is now Alert level 2 with COVID-19. No community outbreaks yet but think it’s getting close if the overseas experience is anything to go by. People who are wilfully ignoring the protocols are endangering others. It’s not cute or funny or brave – it’s dangerous and should be criminal.

    Tony is in the danger category – diabetic, over 70 etc so is choosing to self-isolate. Me going to work does put him at risk but we’re doing all we can to minimise it. Things like me washing my hands in the washhouse before coming inside.

    I’m limiting the news I watch to the essentials for work and trying to make social media a safe place while sharing what I need to. It’s a fine line, because I don’t want to feel overwhelmed but do need to be well informed for my work.

    So I have been doing plenty of art, partly because I’m not sleeping well. Penny and I are into our second month of Dr Vuong’s Leap Year Challenge and I’m learning so much. I’m recording some of it in my Dylusions journals because the mix of thinking and art helps embed it for me.

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  • Back on line & some art

    I’ve had terrible internet problems for the last 10 days, just as we upgraded our printer and pc (we lease them for the newspaper so have to change every 3 years) and it’s been a *nightmare*. It seems to be fixed, thank goodness. It’s even used up a lot of my art time, which is never good for my temperament 😉

    So now I am back to creating art, including journal pages to help me remember everything I am learning as part of Dr Duc Vuong’s Leap Year Challenge.

    I’m teaching a Dylusions art class in Greymouth in early April and have been busy putting class packs together – I’m excited about it and hope others are too.  Bookings can be made through Left Bank Art Gallery.

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  • Where has the time gone?

    I normally blog regularly but February was super busy. Work, LIANZA including time in Wellington, Dr V’s Leap Year WLS Challenge, and so on. I enjoy being busy, and me being bored is never good, but this was a bit hectic really. March is a quieter month, kind of, then April goes warp speed again. All good really.

    What have I been doing? LIANZA work, which I love. I met up with Just H and Polly F at Waitohi, the stunning new library in Johnsonville. A visited the art at Te Papa and had some time at Zealandia where I saw Kaka, Tuatara and Takahe – both experiences were truly incredible.

    The Dr V Challenge was hard work, habit changing, and incredibly well worth it. My AP (Accountability Partner) Penny K and I have signed up to do it all again in March, to cement the learnings and learn even more new skills.

    And art, always art. It grounds me, heals me, keep me sane in the busy times.

    Here’s some photos from the last few weeks. Enjoy.

     

     

  • A little art time

    I haven’t posted for a fortnight because I’ve been busy with other things, although still doing my art. I’m doing Dr Duc Vuong’s Leap Year Challenge. He’s an international weight loss surgeon but this is about ‘whole of life’ improvement.

    It’s very challenging, including timewise, and I’m learning so much. He has an ‘accept no excuses, cut the bullshit’ approach. I have to speak with my Accountability Partner every day – thanks Penny! I’m documenting some of that learning in my art journals, aside from taking notes.

    I’m also preparing to teach some more art classes in Greymouth in early April, so am sitting in the evenings cutting out over 350 stamped images for the class packs. I just shouted myself a new pair of Tim Holtz Tonic scissors 😉

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  • #cjs20 day 27

    Today’s artist was Autour de Mwa – I hadn’t seen his work before and love it. Very layered but also very clean. There’s a couple of techniques I hadn’t tried & I’m pleased with my final layout.

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