Nurturing Creativity-Part I

Nurturing creativity is a big job but I am up for it! For me, it's not as simple as walking into the studio and picking up a paint brush. My whole life needs to be about living full out passionately and creatively as a way to feed my heart and soul.  Hopefully, that focus translates to what I create in my studio.

Thinking back on the past few days of what fed my creativity I noticed these are some of the things that brought inspiration to me:


Dancing. There is always dancing before dipping my brush into paint.  I also had a ton of fun dancing and drumming this weekend at our Co-housing Community's Annual Feast Day.

Doodling and sketching. I think I have always had a writing instrument in my hand since birth. It helps the old ADD situation to scribble while attempting to concentrate!

 
Life Drawing Group is a a new found lifeline.for me. It's so very different from the work I do professionally. It truly creates new openings in my brain that make things flow a bit easier when I hit that canvas with cold wax! I LOVE it!

The Artist's Way. Huge topic but something that has helped me uncover my creativity and feeds my spirituality beyond measure. I have participated in many groups, facilitated some and even attended one led my Julia Cameron herself.  The entire process is a lifestyle for me that I recommend to anyone wanting to know themselves better.

Nature is critical in nourishing my creativity. I mean, I paint trees. I owe it to them to be out there with them showing them my gratitude. Plus, it's clearly fall in Santa Fe and that makes my heart sing!

Meditation happens almost every morning of my life and keeps me on the sane side of the scale so I can get crazy with paint after I've had coffee!

Photography- nothing fancy here. But, taking pics of ordinary things gives me moments of focus and appreciation for the beautiful things surrounding me.  

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it" Alice Walker

Who knows I might even be inspired to paint something purple!

Thanks for stopping by. I'll post Part II on what helps me stay inspired later.

My website has some new paintings and  news of upcoming events. I hope you will visit me there and sign up for my newsletter. http://lisaadamsreed.com/

On this beautiful fall day that's HOW I SEE IT!  What inspires you??

What the heck is cold wax?

When I say I am an artist working in Cold Wax and oil, the next comment is often "Oh, Encaustic!" Many people know about or have heard of Encaustic painting which is a totally different ball game using heated beeswax. Hot vs. cold---get it?  I thought I'd share a resource that explains what cold wax is, how it works, resources and artists (including moi of course, go see!) who work largely in this, my personal favorite yummy medium-Cold Wax. All you ever wanted to know about cold wax and the artists who love it>  COLD WAX PAINTING. 

Don't you just want to get your hands in it? Psssst...SECRET: I reach into the gallon jug of Cold Wax with my hand and slop it right onto my palette-by the handful! It's a messy business I tell you. I love the super creamy, almost sensual, feel of it. Plus, I paint with my heart and soul and I suppose that begins with my fingertips. When you come to my studio, you WILL touch it, too. It's my way of entertaining my guests and sharing my passion. Stop on by when you're in Santa Fe or just look in on my website. Bunches of new things on the horizon so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss all the important stuff i.e shenanigans. http://lisaadamsreed.com/
 

Blog CPR

Wow!  I haven't posted a thing to this blog since May 2011. So many reasons I suppose- busy family, work, enjoying all that life in Santa Fe has to offer..yada yada.  I simply gave up a daily sketching practice. My art went an entirely different direction. Since I went through that little vision loss incident a few years ago, I always felt there was something new out there for me to create. I knew there was a medium, yet untried, that would make my heart skip a beat. And, I experimented with many things. I found the medium I loved in something I had never even heard of until a year or so ago. Cold Wax! It's the yummiest. Mixed with oil paint, it goes on like creamy canned frosting. More on the process later.

I've been into this stuff like a crazy woman, painting like a maniac. My dear friends Jilly and Danny and Ralph http://www.posterboyz.com/ gifted me with a website for my recent birthday to spur me on and nudge me to sell my creations. It's been such a delightful reinforcement to have people buying my paintings right out of the gate. My heart is in my art and it brings me great joy when people enjoy it and are willing to pay for it!

So, if you've hung around this long to share my journey, I'll be extra tickled if you go check out my new website. And, if we're not already friends on facebook, we should be. That's How I See It :)

Come see me. I hope you like :)
http://www.lisaadamsreed.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LisaReedSF
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.adams.reed

21 Days of Gratitude

My "High Five" for this day is rolled into one. See how bad I am at following directions?! I know my instructor understands me!

I did this little ink and watercolor sketch of where I work. It's Santa Fe Dry Goods on the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am grateful for it for many reasons. Here are five of them:

1)It's the best place to work in Santa Fe
2)I am happy to be making money
3)I enjoy building teams
4)I love my boss
5)It's cool working on the Plaza
And, that's the way I see it!

Sketchbook Challenge

I have been encouraged by some friends to join them in the Sketchbook Challenge I recycled an old yoga sketch I did, since yoga is something I am so passionate about.

I had a mission to find THE BEST YOGA in SANTA FE! Tough job but somebody had to do it! Actually, it turned out to be quite an undertaking since there are probably twenty fantastic choices very close to home. After taking multiple classes in seven studios with many teachers, I found the most wonderful teacher Sean Tebor and now I can't break myself away to attend all the other (also excellent) classes.  classes are currently held at the Aspen Ballet Santa Fe Studio while his new studio is being completed. My friend, Jill, and I are so mesmerized by his language, his descriptions, poetry, analogies & his good looks. Oh AND his massive expertise!Yet, we are pure mush when it's all over and can't recall what he said! During my rating process of all the studios, I started writing a few suggested names for his classes....


Sean Tebor’s Magical Mystery Tour *****

Sean Tebor’s Journey to the Center of You *****

Sean Tebor’s Two Hour Thanksgiving I’d Rather Do 28 Downward Dogs Than Eat Pumpkin Pie *****

Sean Tebor’s Yoga is my Drug Of Choice *****

Sean Tebor’s You could be at home and you Chose to attempt Half Moon Pose *****

Sean Tebor’s-Yeah this is gonna get Crazy yoga *****

Sean Tebor's Learn the form, but seek the formless Yoga...*****

Sean Tebor's You are feeling drunk by now Yoga *****


I totally digressed! Back to sketching! I have a goal to gain proficiency in PhotoShop. I have owned it for years and never touched it. So, I took the little yoga sketch I did ages ago and played with her. She enters the yoga studio unaware, unenlightened and not even awake. Her Chakras beginning to show signs of life as she focuses on prana and enjoys well directed asanas. She ends with a deep Savasana and finally is alive, enlightened and aglow by the end of the practice. That's the original sketch in the lower right and she is peeking through as the background, too.  Ahhhh....Yoga, I love you so.

Barachiel

I have been intrigued by these wonderful statues carved from dead cottonwood trees. They are on what is becoming a regular walk route for us here in Santa Fe. It’s along the Santa Fe River on the way to Canyon Road. I have photographed them and painted one of them. Decided to incorporate the face of the one I painted into this mixed media piece. I don’t know a thing about arch angels so I started researching them to find out who this angel Baraciel was. I found that this is “my angel”, coordinating to the day I was born, on a Saturday in November, a Scorpio. So, I added the Scorpion symbol in the lower left on the painting. I also added some words to the piece having to do with what this angel is about. You probably can’t see them but here is what they say if you look up close.
"Distributor of the blessings of God … for good deeds, entreats the mercy of God for people..."
If you want to read more about the carvings and the artist that created these go here>>
http://joselucero.com/outdoor.html

This type of expression, abstract/mixed media is foreign to me. But, I am trying all sorts of new things to find a new way of making art. Most of all I enjoyed the freedom, the story and the symbolism of the process. I am working on creating something totally different every day!

When Pigs Fly

According to Wikipedia:
"When pigs fly" is an adynaton, a way of saying that something will never happen. The phrase is often used for humorous effect, to scoff at over-ambition. There are numerous variations on the theme; when an individual with a reputation for failure finally succeeds, onlookers may sarcastically claim to see a flying pig. ("Hey look! A flying pig!")

We have hung this grinning, flying pig in our home for many years. He is now hanging in our Santa Fe Casita courtyard, making me smile and validating what some see as impossibilities. Make pigs fly!

Daily Creations

Since I declared so publicly my plan to create something new (hopefully daily) I thought I had better document when I actually do get my hands dirty. Our Casita requires creativity just to find a place to put things. I got some cheapo shelves at Goodwill and am playing around with turning them into something interesting. Here is the beginning of that process. After a few layers, I'll post the end result. I've started on some other white (shabby chic looking furniture) that I brought from Texas. We will see if I can turn it into something more Casita like. If not, it is going to Goodwill! I am getting very good at saying "Adios" to things that just don't suit me anymore.

Blog Reborn in Santa Fe

My poor neglected blog. There were a couple of years that I was passionate about daily sketching, posting the inane drawings, photos and goings-on of my daily life. I learned so much from the process and from the many artists that I was dedicated to following. I made friends with many with whom I still stay in touch. Thank you for reaching out, wondering if I had fallen off the planet when my postings ceased. Most know that my creative side was diverted in a very big way to my now dearly departed Mecca on Main. The website is now down, too, but some of the photos that document that very impactful part of my life are on Face Book. I am Lisa Adams Reed over there, if you have not already “friended me”. Mecca was an artist’s collective with art studios, gallery, an event place, a café. We also offered art and yoga classes. It was an all encompassing and life altering experience for me and for many others. I could digress into that rich chapter and probably will refer to Mecca along the way on this blog. For now, my point of this post is to say, I am going to breathe some life back into “How I See It”. I’ve been loving Face book, but find I need a place that is bigger and can expand into other things.

My new posts will be flavored differently. For one thing, I have pretty much given up the sketching that I was enjoying so very much. It began when I was all consumed with Mecca. THAT was my creative outlet and took up every waking moment (and my dream life, too!) Then, a few months after we opened Mecca, I woke up with no sight in my right eye. They said it was permanent blindness caused by a stroke. Docs don’t know it all, so I thanked them for their opinions and went about the business of healing. I did regain some peripheral sight and THAT matters since it helps me with balance and other important things like that. I rarely fall down—and that’s a good thing! Nevertheless, I have allowed the incident to limit me and my ability to put pen and paint on paper. I know I can get more vision back and with practice can create something with the one good eye I have. So, you will see some of my attempts to express myself creatively on this blog. One thing I already know is that the blogging world is one of kindness and encouragement. If you know me, you know I am sensitive and critical of my own stuff, so I thank you in advance for not being too hard on me as I get rolling again!

This chapter will pick up in Santa Fe New Mexico where Charles and I moved on August 28, 2010. My journaling will include much more than any art I might create. It will be about my authentic journey through this world and some of the things that I am passionate about. Those things will always morph from one idea to the next. If I have a fear, it is that I will miss an opportunity to experience something new. It is a pretty bad case of ADD which I happen to enjoy quite a lot! Some think I should not start something unless I have finished the last thing. Don’t look for some magnificent completed project from me. My daddy said it’s the journey that is fun and that is where we learn. The finished product isn’t the point. Worrying about uncompleted projects immobilizes people. I just want to try lots and lots of things. I may not end up loving them all or committing to any of them. But, I sure don’t want to miss a chance to give something a whirl.

Some of the things I want to get onto paper (blog) with words, photos, or with paint or pencil are below and not in order of priority:

My favorite things
Things I want to do/try/see
Immersion into New Mexico
Good times with from family and Friends
Hiking/camping
Small Space Living
3x3s (stay tuned if you don't know what this is)
Playing with mixed media and collage
Furniture painting
Sketching-keep your fingers crossed :0
BIG Abstracts
Photography
Yoga
Artist's Way
Books I like
Marketing ideas for small businesses
Cooking and Eating for Energy/Vitality/Longevity
Adventures of Yao and Mo-the Wonder Dogs
Spirituality/Reiki/Meditation/Prayer
The most intriguing people I come across

p.s. Thanks, Anna! If you had not asked me to create something for your dorm room, I would still be making excuses! Give me a chance to get my creative legs under me and I will send you something created especially for you, from my heart. Aunt Lisa

Santa Fe O'Keefe

Santa Fe OKeefe, originally uploaded by Lisalou's Grace Art.

The museum was closed for renovations when we visited---yeah really, it was---didn't they know we were coming?! But we were able to visit an exhibit about Ms. Okeefe and watch a video. Here is a sketch of the enthralled viewers. I had to post this one, because my friend, Diana--with the spikey hair on the right looks so cute!

Santa Fe-Canyon Road

This tree was so perfectly trimmed, the trunk looked like a plaster sculpture. After all, it was the grand art street--Canyon Road!

St. Michael's Santa Fe

This sketch had to sit with me awhile! I hated it before Martha gave me a few ideas about how to improve upon it. Isn't it nice when someone cares enough to give critiscim? The end result is that the painting was saved from the recycling bin!

There is something to sketch on every corner in Santa Fe! This is around the corner from Canyon Road.

More from Ghost Ranch

I decided to honor this beautiful place again http://www.ghostranch.org/ , by painting from a photo I took there. Georgia O'Keefe spent many years painting there, being inspired by it's beauty. Who wouldn't be?! I have a goal to attend one of the many workshops offered at this awesome place.

The colors and light in New Mexico are so often indescribable. Capturing it can make a painting look almost fake. Nothing could be that filled with ethereal color! The color of the landscape when I took this was cast with purples of all kinds. The sky, the tree, the mountain--all had a fog of lavenders and plums cast upon them. Still takes my breath away to think of it.

Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

I got to spend one night at Ghost Ranch on my recent vacation. I expected to sketch non-stop since I was alone and staying in a stripped down dorm room with no laptop, tv or radio. But, it was the night IKE came through the Houston area and I kept going back and forth to my car to listen to the radio and driving up the road to get cell coverage. I was a little distracted by checking on my kids and other loved ones there, so my creative juices took a back seat.

I usually stick to my little sketch books doing quick ink and washes. But, I did give a full size watercolor a shot that one afternoon. This is the one of the views I saw at Ghost Ranch. Next time, I will be there taking a week long watercolor class. At least, that's the way I see it!

What happens in Santa Fe stays...:-)

So, a few of us members of the Berkeley Bad Girls Book Club took a trip to Santa Fe. If you haven't followed along--the Bad Girls Book Club is bad only because we either haven't read the book or we don't show up! I don't even live in the same state with them anymore so my excuses are always valid (now!)

We had a night on the town in New Mexico and after a margarita or three, I did some real fast sketches of the band---yeah...that's right-- on cocktail napkins. The last one, of the Sax player on his break, is clearly at the end of the evening when I sketched his demeaner more rock starish than the more-than-middle-aged dude he was. And, I mean nothing by that---I even have some best friends his age (!)

You will have to wait for Martha's real deal sketches of that night. Guaranteed- hers are far more art worthy than mine! Yet, I wiped up on Scrabble later that night. See what I mean about us not being all that BAD??

Here's to the BADS that were there and those who had FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) YOU DID and we talked about you, too! See you next time??

That's the way I see it!


Lisa

An "artist" painting an artist painting an artist

Sitting on a bench in the Santa Fe Plaza provided all the subjects I needed. There was a colorful character posing for a REAL artist. I did a quick sketch of the guy. When I returned to the house we were renting, the owner stopped by and saw what I was painting. He saw this sketch and said, " Oh, that's Don!" He told me that Don is an old prospector from Idaho, who has been in the area for years. Well, Don lit up the Plaza that day and I just had to record the moment.

I also wanted to give a shout out to the very talented Mike Mahon www.mmahon.com . It was pure joy spending some time watching you and your delightful model.

La Fonda Santa Fe

Then, I went crazy and juicy on this familiar place!

St Francis Santa Fe

I sat on a bench and sketched a morsel of this wonderful building....

Sante Fe--vacation

The last phase of my vacation was meeting my Berkeley Bad Girls in Santa Fe for more fun and games! Here is where we stayed or How I see See It! http://www.colorfulsantafe.com/

Stairway to Heaven

Simply a stairway to the meditation loft in the Sunset Room at Crystal Mesa Farm. Try it, you will like it!