Lots of glass balls in the air.

I am so sorry I have not been in. I feel I have had a lot of balls in the air to keep moving. They have felt like they have been made of fragile glass. This has made it a feel rather full on. They are not feeling as if they need to be handled with so much care now. I think I can relax a bit and enjoy being so busy instead of being rather under pressure which has stopped me enjoying them as they spin around in the air, up and down. I have several places that would like my works. Works from various areas of my life as an artist. I want to see them glisten as the light catches them. I have found help from my stresses from reaching out and telling people what I am thinking. There has been some great ideas and solutions from so many lovely people. Thank-you to those of you who know who you are. It has taken me by surprise how helpful it has been to talk out loud and be given such remedies. I would love to add some pics and more info for you all but I must keep moving. Balls only stay up by themselves for so long.

Some blue.

The sky was having a bit of a time making up its mind whether to be blue or grey today.
I made a new business card just for fun. Playing with a couple of new texts. Nothing amazing just to inform. Getting the hang of the new CS5. Gosh.
A bowl of yogurt, berries and my own home grown banana. Followed by a cup of British tea and I was off to the nursing home. I had my back pack on as I was going on my electric scooter. Well I was until I got into the garage and saw the pot ! Hmmmm How was I going to get that on with me. There was not a way. I had to go in the car.
You see today we were decorating the hats for the ladies for the Tuesday celebrations of Melbourne Cup Day. It is a big horse race here. They say it is the race that stops a nation. Now Bert. He is a gentleman. They do not wear flowery hats . This was a great opportunity for him to finish off the mosaic plant pot for me. He loves mosaicing.  He was most happy to tile away while we made hats.
The ladies chose what they wanted and off I went with the glue gun and a bit of help. Yes I burnt myself. Oh I didn't say it was a HOT glue gun did I. hahahaaa so much fun. Owwwwey.
Here are some of their hats.

Not bad for old hats and supplies they had in the cupboard. Remember there is no money for craft so it is tight. I am looking forward to Chrissy. I love the idea of getting to use some of the things I have been saving for a rainy day.
What do you think ? I am thinking millenary course next. Hahaha just to add an other feather in my "hat"

Clay.

I am looking at a blog from a person in the Stephanie Levy course. The owner of the blog is Rae Padulo from Mudstar Ceramics in NJ USA. She has looked at objects around her and interpreted them into her clay. Objects like hydrangeas, and blueberries. Two of my favourite things. I am in ore of her eye, her work and her talent.
I am so inspired to look with different eyes at the things in my mind and all around me with eyes that have been quite asleep for a while. Thank-you Rae.

Ideas for Chrissy.

Do you need some help with special gifts or cards. Try this site for starters.

http://driftwoodandroses.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/christmas-cards-giveaway/

A new challenge.

a new challenge.

Looks like a good GF site.

Give Away.

My amazing friend is having a give away of a great new art magazine. No catches other than go to the mags blog and say hi.
Please go to Liza's page and have a look. You will be happy you did.

Butterflies.

Got to sneak some time in with my e-course this morning.
Since Si and I decided to pretend we are living with daylight saving and get up at 5 am we have slept in till 6.30 hahahaa.
Spent a lovely morning painting cut out wooden butterflies with my friends at the Nursing Home. They lots track of their time. One of my dreams. Had three people today. They were so engrossed  in their work I got to paint a couple too. We didnt finish. More to do next week.
Stopped off at the market. I was brave and got plain yoghurt ! I am on a berry and yogurt for morning tea thingy now. I think Liza from down south had a bit to do with that. You should see her art if you think her food looks good. Bumped into a new friend. Stopped off at the art shop and got a pen that Liza had been telling me about. Dont know when or where I will use it. But with this new course it will come in handy I am sure.
I actually got some paint on some paper late in the afternoon yesterday and finished off the leafs of the journal prototype. Now for the covers.

Twitter.

I still have a Twitter account. After all these years.
https://twitter.com/#!/HelenANaylor
How amazing.

Weekend.

We had a great weekend. Did some gardening and went to an 80th Birthday party. I decided to be brave and make an omlette to eat for me. I have not eatern them and other forms of eggs since my brother, one Sunday, cracked and egg, he linked to practice doing them one handedly. I think he should have been a chef ! A chick, dead of cousre, came out. Yuky or what ? I could only do pancakes from them on in. Over 25 years ago. Now we have three great girls in our garden laying eggs for us I had to do some-thing with them.

What are you doing. We can smell our eggs ? You better not be eating them !

Every-thing ready in my bowels.

Cooking away. Oh my goodness I did it !

There it is on one of my own plates. It was so yummy too.












The party on Saturday night was great fun. A little cold. Caught up with lots of people. Here we are with the guest of honour. 80 and just bought himself a Pit Special aerobatic plane. We can only hope.

The 36.

I was looking for blogs by woman animators in the hope of finding an e-course like this one and the last one when I came over this. Just click and go read it. You will have to slow yourself down from reading this account. Dont look at any-thing else on the blog until you read this account of the bus trip. It is so amazing.
The 36.
Incase the link does not work here is the url, type it in and go.
http://stretchingmybrain.blogspot.com/2010/12/36.html
When you are done and only when you have read it then look at the blog.
Prepared to be amazed.

Monday.

I am sitting at my desk again. Not with the same joyous abandonment that I experienced on my last list. This morning had a hick up. However with a bit a readjustment (gave in) I found my way here to read todays class notes. A few days ago notes, to tell the truth. Time zones and weekends, well you know how it goes. I started reading Stephanie's words. It seems she was talking to me. Then I got to a part that said

Sorry I went to gym thinking I will copy paste the words and do the link to her course when I get back. I am back but I cant find it. It was really good to. I will find it one day, so until then you shall all just have to wonder what pearl of wisdom shone in my eyes. Making be think the below ..........

Which made me think oh I bet there will be women out there with blogs about their animation and they will be inspiring and may-be do e-courses too. So I googled and got mislead to what I thought was a woman's blog but it was a Brit male. Ian Lumsden's blog.
Here I found a video posted on his site
Plato

«Plato» - Léonard Cohen (EnsAD 2010) by ensadanim
In Ian's words.
The fabulously named Léonard Cohen and his equally fabulously entitled creation, Plato. Here a figure struggles to get the shape just right. Time and again the object is discarded until, as an apple falling from a tree - or was that another Eureka moment and a different Brit or Greek - a solution is found.
Hmmmm makes you think ............
The character is drawing and drawing never happy with what to us looks like a nice square when he gets what he wants. So keep trying every-one no matter what it is, keep on at it. As Stephanie said 
"Give yourself a chance, many chances, as long as it takes." 


Off to gym will continue soon.

Oh my goodness what a day.

All I wanted was to get lost in a project, to sit at my desks or any-where quite frankly, to be consumed in what I was doing.

Well today I put the lappy on my desk. My make do space until the studio is repaired and remodelled, instead of on my lap in the window seat looking out into the world to the south. This window looks the north, Hey not that I have looked out till just them. Hmmmmm ............ thinking hmmmmmm.

Well I am doing another e-course. This time with Stephanie Levy. 

I am truly loving it. I started to read. Needing to do some writing I opened the jotter I got for my birthday, went to the back and started writing the answers to the questions. Then there was a paragraph that I had to write out and then more tasks. The Winsor and Newton water colour pans were there, also a birthday gift. Never used them like this before. I must say much easier than screwing off and on lids and wasting paint when you don't use what you squeeze out. Humm I needed to write there were the chunky coloured pencils that I got but never used and more items. As I started the new days work and interview by British photographer Susannah Conway I got lost in her and had to send her to a friend which lead me to doing a bit of chatting to some of the lovely arty ladies, including the lovely Stephanie. Oh my, a strange feeling came from my insides. Food. It was past lunch time. I quick lunch, let the chickens out and Louie out. Who is calling me right now, along with the kettle ! So here I have been caught up in an arty world. While the wild howls outside, winter is back, chickens scratch in my garden and I am at my desk, doodling and chatting. I have done nothing else. I was going out to run errands. I wonder  if they were important !

Following Me.

If you come and see my little blog which is a little slow and wonder how to follow me, just go right up to the very top of the page, in the blue bar is the world "Follow" right there on the left, just click it and your little picture will be on my little blog for all to see. It will inspire me to write a little bit more on this little blog of mine.
I had a very relaxing day today with friends. Found some hearts and signs to photograph. Some beautiful coffee and gluten free cake with gluten free chips and gluten free berry bliss ice-cream to top it off. Shall post the pics another day as I find myself very tired at the end of this day that I have enjoyed.

Oh dear they are not so good. You would never guess I took them at Movie World. Didnt take any pic of the food hahahaaa.

33 Ways.

Some of you may have seen this. I just needed to put it on my blog so I would be reminded.

1. Make lists.
2. Carry a notebook everywhere.
3. Try free writing.
4. Get away from the computer.
5. Be otherworldly.
6. Quit beating yourself up.
7. Take breaks.
8. Sing in the shower.
9. Drink coffee/tea.
10. Know your roots.
11. Listen to new music.
12. Be open.
13. Surround yourself with creative people.
14. Get feedback.
15. Collaborate.
16. Don’t give up.
17. Practice, practice, practice.
18. Allow yourself to make mistakes.
19. Go somewhere new.
20. Watch foreign films.
21. Count your blessings.
22. Get lots of rest.
23. Take risks.
24. Break the rules.
25. Do more of what makes you happy.
26. Don’t force it.
27. Read a page of the dictionary.
28. Create a framework.
29. Stop trying to be someone else’s perfect.
30. Got an idea? Write it down.
31. Clean your workspace.
32. Have fun.
33. Finish something.

Etsy.

Started the long trip of opening an Etsy shop. You can see side bar on Art Conglomeration. This seems to be the link !
http://www.etsy.com/people/ArtConglomeration

I dont know if this is what it will look like for ever. I have looked around for changing the URL but not seem any-thing yet. I know it is there as other "Flyers" have got simple URL's

Been making some glass beads. That was so much fun to get into my poor old studio and make some-thing. Even if I was in the door way. Started having the dirt moved around the door area. It is a start and it was very hot on the weekend.

Getting some direction for life from Mr C. Have to start setting Animation goals.

The first is to find a competition or a few to enter.

- Zagreb.
- do some-thing for Swell next year.
- get some-thing up on YouTube.

Set the dates working backwards from those dates to make it happen including repairing the studio.

Document the process here on my blog so I can be accountable if any-one ever reads me !

I am worried as I am not making a good start.

P-ARTS

I am rather into the
Reduce,
Reuse,
Recycle.
Plus I am sentimental !
My 21st record player really needed to go due to the record part no longer works properly. So sad. A friend is using box frames for her art. I got the idea I could take the front off my beloved record player and mount it in one of her frames. In the other I could use the turn table, needle and maybe I would find some-thing interestingly beautiful inside for an arrangement in an other fame. Of course I am unable to butcher my memories at this point in life. However it got me thinking.... hmmmmm...... those lovely thingies inside the electronics that I cant throw out, my first modem, computer, mobile phone, etc. I could pull them apart and mount them, antiques hahahaa. Not wanting to waste them, gosh I am hopeless I really am. I think it comes back to my mother grrrr don't waste it she was always saying. So I looked around my world. I have access to aircraft scrap. Yes I know, a strange thing but more interesting I suspect than old technology that I cant part with ! I got radio navigation systems first. Took to pulling them apart with many tools. To reveal the most loveliest of thingies inside. Oh instant art. Too yummy to do 100% what I had envisioned. I think " keep it simple" So with the engaging of my dremel, which I have been itching to use since it's arrival under the tree a few Chrissys ago, started making the bigger parts more manageable and getting the smaller bits off the not so exciting looking boards. I love using the soldering iron. Heat up the solder to release the bits from their boards.
After playing with some arrangements and less is more and girl-friends owing and arring I got some together. Feeling quite happy with myself. My partner doesnt think they are saleable in their present form but show promise. The girls were racking their brains for names. We settled on P-ARTS. I like them. See what you think ?

Lovely comments.

Loving talking to the ladies on our Flying FB page. Thanks for the comments on my FB title ladies you are all so special for your ideas making me feel a million dollars.

Some of my pottery.

I was lucky to find really lovely Indian sari printing blocks that worked well in my clay. I used different pigments to wash into the imprints and then wipe back the tops to almost clean. Then only clear glazing the tops, leaving the backs raw.                             

 I enjoy rolling the clay, allowing it to form the plate itself. I find I control so much in my life that I want the clay to take me instead. This does not always happen. It does with the plates and I have enjoyed making them for that reason. 

 

 With these ones I have used antique printing blocks which I love to hold in my hands. The fabric pigments from their intended use are impregnated into the wood. 

So many ideas.

I have lots of ideas wurling around in my head. Usually at the wrong time. I try to write them down in a book I have only for ideas. I let a page open of its own will and write the idea and sketch it there in the place the book choose. I look at it from time to time and think owh yes I must do that, the book is closed and I dont do any-thing. I am hoping this course will help me. I do pottery classes once a week to make sure I do keep art in my life. I hear about writers looking at a white page and not being able to write, writers block. Well it is like my will is a white page. I have will block. I have every-thing here to create lots of thingies. I am most happy when I am creating some-thing arty so I know I am to continue being arty. I hope that one day I will just change. I know it needs to be through an action I take but I am lost on my own journey. To wake up one morning and be inspired to make arty thingies, to be lost in a project so much that I forget to eat lunch. This is what I long for.

Down.

I am having troubles getting going. I feel very lonely. I am not lonely physically but I feel alone. I feel bad for even writing this.

Today and yesterday.

Went to a great art gallery last night called 19 Karen for an exhibition of many artists. We got there late and stayed there late. Came home with some amazing pieces from all over the world. The owners came with a large piece from New York that would not fit into our car, this morning. Found out we had so much in common with them. Terri and David such lovely people. Inspired me to add my P-Arts work on my website (that I do not tend to). Took a while to remember how to add and update my site. It felt great to be active. Who knows, here I am with a blog, may-be an Esty shop soon.

Gosh this is a little tricky.

Hmmmmm thought I was making a new post but I was not I was making a comment ! Things to learn here.

My First Words.

I am doing an e-course