Loads of changes, new beginnings and the party never ends....

I have no idea where to start.  I've moved three times at least since the last posting.  Life had change exponentially and now I'm focused on pottery and ceramics.  I still have my manuscripts and paints etc but I simply don't have brain space for these things on a daily basis -

Somehow pottery affords me head space.  We knew?  So here I sit prepping for a firing.  I've learned a bit from some local pottery classes, learned extensively from research  on the net and at the library and after three years- my throwing is acceptable.  Experiments abound - my latest run is about 28 cups being used for throwing/finish practice - extended into glaze tests and glazing practice.

Recently I found a potters group on Periscope and I'm very excited.  I've been searching for a potters community with live people.  I'm on several online groups but you don't see them or hear their voices.  Mostly you don't get too chat - not that periscope is fantastic for this but I'm getting there.

I tried to upload the photos for the new firing but alas - I'm too rusty on blog-ville.

Come join me on Twitter and periscope.#pottersofperiscope. Or FB  I'm not the best social media princess - it's all a learning curve....every moment

Thursday Progress

Acrylic Underpainting - Melissa Mead 2012

This is a portion of something I'm in progress with....

Thursdays Progress

This is a sketch in Planning for a current project.  Pencil on Paper

Still some tweaking here and there and the fight with the hand (because I wasn't LOOKING).  I love posting here as I see mistakes more clearly.  I am really excited about seeing this in oils...

SARK TUESDAY: Willingness

On Forrestry Side of the Grabouw Country Club Dam 2012

SARK:  Willingness is the ability to move without proof.  Willingness is the cupcake for yet another FUNdraiser.

MMinP:  For this to make the most sense please read this... From Facebook:

Earth. We are one.

Sunday

There should have been a story about a professor - a mayonnaise jar, golfballs, pebbles, sand and beer.  My most FAVORITE part is that the golf balls represent your most important things like family AND YOUR PASSIONS.  Your passions aren't relegated to the pebbles or even down to the sand (these being those things that you must fit into your life like doing the grocery shopping and paying bills).  The other best thing is the reminder that there's always time for getting together with friends....

My personal story on this is that I am WILLING to keep moving forward with my art even though I have no proof it's going anywhere or that I'm creating anything...  I think about it everyday.  I make plans for it everyday in many ways.  I even get pencil to paper often.  At the moment I am willing to leave this "as is" while supporting my husband moving through his rehab and getting stronger everyday and before we know it life will be into another semblance of moving forward.  Then the paint will begin to flow again!

I'm no longer willing to do the cupcakes though....not even painted ones.

What are you willing to do for your creative dreams?

SARK TUESDAY: Surprises

Snail trails in a tidal pool: Melissa Mead Photograph 2012

SARK:  Creative dreams LOVE surprises!  We can become so accustomed to our routines that we forget about the JOY of surprises or the unexpected.  What new surprises can you arrange for?

MMinP:  I've had a few surprises in the past few weeks.  They've upset the holy cods waddle out of my routines.  The first surprise was my husband's accident.  He injured his knee while playing soccer and needed to have surgery to reconstruct the damaged ligament.  The next thing was a change to our homeschooling plans - meaning that some weeks I may only have two days to work instead of three.  AND of course there was the school break thrown in for good measure! That wasn't a surprise but it JOYOUSLY changed our routines.

I like surprises in my creative process - as in starting a painting/drawing with a solid idea and having it evolve to a totally unexpected completion.  I like that.  I like the surprises of meeting someone and finding they like stuff that I like.  Otherwise - I don't really like surprises.  I like to know what I'm eating, where I'm going and what I'll be doing next Tuesday.  My husband likes to offer me food thinking I'll taste it without asking.  I ALWAYS ask.  He eats things like tongue, kidneys, giblets etc. (no thanks :).  Don't get me wrong - I like change.  Change is good - surprises...well....they upset my gyroscope.

Please bear with me while I reset my gyroscope for the next quarter.  My husband should be back on track in the next few weeks.  I know I missed last week - my apologies - but really, between the sniffles and doctors appointments and the usual things in life, blogging was just not going to happen.  SURPRISE :D

Thursday Progress

Mixed Media Quilted Giraffe - Melissa Mead 2012

This quilted giraffe was a card for my mom.  She likes giraffes and she's a quilting fanatic.  She took part in:  Quilts That Helped Us Heal a 9/11 initiative.  I put the two loves together and tried for a painted version based on some ideas from the quilts she's made for my family.  Luckily she loved it.

SARK TUESDAY: Acknowledging

Z's creative dreaming moment.  Melissa Mead - Photograph 2012

SARK:  The process of living our creative dreams is AS important (or more) than the progress.  We often become overly focused on the outcomes and conclusions.  Acknowledging your process is a power-full way to support your creative dream-living; it gives weight and wonder to your work.

MMinP:  I asked for a card that would give me insight into balance.  As family life hits a high and creative has to swing low for the balance I am concerned about keeping up with my blog/painting/illustration/learning etc.

I don't know what I'm worried about though....we have found a great balance and already I have been given the time to work in my studio to make up for what was missed last week.  If I could make one positive, affirming statement to acknowledge my creative dream life it would be:  There is time for all that I make time for - I chose to make studio time and family time.

My creative dream is "in Progress"...it IS the combination of family and creative endeavors.  Or...Creative endeavors combine family..... hmmmm

What is your positive, affirming statement?  -Play with it....

Thursdays Progress

Pen sketch of Lily  Melissa Mead 2012

I made this little sketch of my collie dog while she slept on the floor near me.  I've always want to sketch my collie dogs.  There's a famous artist who painted his dog sleeping - its a very abstract oil painting - I loved it the moment I saw it.  I saw the painting several years ago I can't remember either where I saw it or the name of the artist...pity.

I really have been enjoying my creations - much of the angst I used to feel is mostly subsided and I can just get on with getting on - instead of procrastinating from fear! (as per the SARK TUESDAY: Procrastination),  Every time I see this little sketch I want to take my doggies out for a walk!  Maybe soon I will get her Momma sketched.....

SARK TUESDAY: Procrastination

Completion of Winter Sports, (best in sport medals):  Photograph by Melissa Mead 2012

SARK:  Many of us use time to procrastinate instead of experiencing completion.  The favorite word of procrastination is "LATER".  Shift to saying "NOW" more often.

MMinP:  Well now I think it's important to look at the story behind the procrastination.  Is it because you are actually trying to get too much done and it's your subconscious saying...whoa - give me a break.  Is it fear of completing a task that will get you closer to the dreams you dream?

This is close to my heart because as a mother of young children I always felt that I wasn't getting anything done and when I did have a moment I'd be so dazed and dumbfounded that I'd waste that time.  Was I wasting it?  I actually needed the break.  Now that my kids are a little older (still quite young though) I have more moments of time for me.  I find many opportunities to procrastinate.  And I indulge often.  What I miss most at the end of the day/week is that feeling of completion.

Perhaps, procrastination is a signal to self that we need to think a little deeper about what's important to accomplish and also take seriously our need for time out.  Time out is a time to create dreams and allow the dust to settle from our endeavors.  Completion makes new roads to the destination of our dreams.

Procrastination is only a bad thing when it's a habit that we forget we can actually change.  Balance is everything.

Thursday Progress

Illustration for IF: Suspend.  Mixed Media: Melissa Mead

Illustration Friday had the topic Suspend. This illustration is my very own from beginning to end.   Thank you Pia Drent for your help in refining the idea.