Wonderful Book

Just finished State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Loved it! Her characters are wonderful especially Dr. Singh. The narrative, although vivid, is almost dreamlike and very compelling as Dr. Singh is drawn into a very personal journey.

My Year of Living Artistically

2013 is my Year of Living Artistically; that is to say, my year to live in an artful manner. This is a year about art in any and all of its manifestations. This is a year about reflection, experience, discovery and exploration. It is a year for me to do anything and nothing; to empty out and create space, a space to be filled slowly and deliberately by my true interests and passions. Defining myself from the inside out rather than imposing expectations from outside. Time to observe and take notice of all the small things that catch my eye or touch my soul in some way and watch as a more complete picture reveals itself.

I have often seen my life as a collage—a collection of overlapping experiences that have a variety of textures and sensibilities; and, with a designer’s eye, I have collected and saved scraps and mementos from many of these experiences. It is now time for me to see how all these pieces fit together as an expression of myself and of my life. It is also a time for me to dive into creating art, using many of the things I’ve collected; to free myself and discover a truer sense of self.

I started the year by clearing out and cleaning out my studio; a room full of creativity and creative potential that has gone largely untapped as I have focused on earning money. I am going through all my scraps and collections of things, reorganizing and reacquainting myself with all the cool stuff I’ve accumulated. It is proving to be quite the task, very stimulating on many levels. Everything I touch has a memory attached to it, whether casual or deep; it has been a bit overwhelming at times. I am about three-quarters of the way through, hoping to be finished by the end of this month (maybe a few days into February…). The energy in my studio space is already feeling recharged and revitalized—almost ready for me.

The posts on this blog will be clues to who I am, who I’ve been all along and who I will be as I move into this next phase of my life. There will be no particular rhyme or reason for any of them other than that they will be things that I am drawn to at that particular time--a way to organize my creative thoughts or just what I find appealing in the moment; or what I am doing on a particular afternoon. And hopefully at the end of the year, I will be able to look back at the collection of entries, the collage of my experiences and my creative exploits, and see a clearer, truer image of my life and purpose.

Many thanks and much love to my husband Doug Warner and my dear friend and creative muse Lucie Duclos for all their encouragement, support and guidance.

Off I go!

My first chef d'oeuvre

A good start to My Year of Living Artistically.

Paris Windows

One of the colorful, fun window displays in Paris 2010.