Unexpected Days to Ponder

I cannot say that I grasp it at all.  This is a year of the unexpected and a lot has been changed quickly.  So much is a blur to me.  One day meshes with the other six in the week and I cannot clearly remember one from the others.  The way we have all had to rethink life and change our way of living without much opportunity to prepare is incredible.






I have seen all the preparedness public announcements and always wondered 1) the chances of that much emergency planning being necessary and 2) what could possibly happen to require it.  Here we are.  It's the Covid-19 Pandemic...I was first aware that this could be a major problem back in February.  Next, I was aware of the serious impact on the U.S. in March and now I am here in April, thinking of how I could possibly begin to express my take on it.  I can't most likely because we are all still in the thick of it, adjusting to so much and not knowing the outcome.

This is the facemask instructions and pattern with video tutorial that I followed: LINK HERE  It does not have a pocket for filter but could be easily modified for that option.

The month of March was expected to be my transition back into full time nannying.  By now, I should be working long days and eating too many french fries.  I was hit with shock as the plans to watch children for ten days did not happen as we had planned.  A cruise cancelled.  A snowstorm hit here locally.  Cabin fever set in as we were housebound for the weekend...which felt like forever to all of us.  Then came the national news and the task force recommendations, leading to our schools being changed to online distance learning by that Tuesday.  I just wanted to be home.  I remember feeling overwhelmed by all that I couldn't control.

Let me add a sidenote here:  I may not have lasted in Girl Scouts past a year or so...but I am the one always determined to be prepared for any unforeseen problem or disastrous event.  Why am I carrying around a purse packed to weigh 10 pounds...kidding, not kidding.  Because I will have the most practical and useful rarely necessary stuff right there with me.  I kid you not.  It's embarrassing but honest.  That's me.  Laugh if you like, I won't mind...it wouldn't be the first time.  BUT when it comes down to who can survive, and help a neighbor out, I'm the one that can probably bail you out.  That's when you won't be laughing, huh.

There was a time just a few years ago when I was more than stocked for flour and sugar.  I wasn't trying to prepare for a pandemic.  I was being wise with my grocery funds.  Money was so much tighter then and I figured out that buying sugar and flour in bulk at Sam's Club is really smart.  And I cooked and baked more back then.  I have these large white buckets that once stored my flour and sugar...and they are empty.  So I have been hard on myself that I ever let that extra supply go by the wayside.  It's okay, I have coped with the anxiety over this one and can say I am not one of those hoarders clearing the grocery store shelves.  I have managed to restock flour and sugar.  Not those quantities but enough for what we need a week or two at a time.  We are doing well...not going hungry.

It rattled me a bit that this situation is very much out of my control.  I didn't make it back to making art very easily.  I needed to take time to just slow down and be serious with selfcare.  I had my ups and downs through each day.  I was honest with my husband about how I felt and he was a great encourager and support.  I found ways to focus on small projects that kept me busy and distracted.

One of my distractions has been learning how to make sourdough bread.  My first sourdough starter was a fail.  First, because I used bleached flour (that's what I had here in the house) and second, because my husband preheated the oven where the starter was being kept warm by the oven light.  My second attempt at sourdough starter (with unbleached flour, once it was available) was a success and after a week of daily attention, I have baked my first sourdough boule and we are all hooked on it now.  My second one will be baked up today.  It's given me a distraction and I love learning new things.

The sourdough starter instructions I chose to use are by Vaishali at Holy Cow! Vegan: LINK HERE.

I used the recipe, No-Knead Sourdough Bread at King Arthur Flour website is LINKED HERE.

Once I was able to better cope with the sadness and anxiety of these current circumstances, I found my way back out to the art room.  I am making more art again.  It's artwork that I feel personally drawn to painting, even if it only hangs on our walls here at home.  I did manage to create my list of 2020 art goals and decide on a word for 2020.  I think those were created in February or early March, pre pandemic.  I will share those in an upcoming post.

Take care, and I will do the same.  Stay at home.  Wash your hands.  Don't touch your face.  Practice the social distancing.  Take joy in the simple things.  Look for the lovely.  Read the Bible, spend time with God.  Pray.

Christy

-She must make art.

Taking Time To Stretch In The Art Room

What I should be doing every day.

It's one of my biggest challenges.  Stretching and taking care of my body is definitely important.  Too much sitting and concentrating takes a toll on my body.  Lost in thought, intently focused on a painting, I don't want to stop for anything.  Is there any chance you know where I am coming from?  Why do we do this to ourselves?

Today, it might be a good idea to focus on how you and I can take better care of ourselves with some body stretching breaks.  I've got some tips.  Let's talk about taking time to stretch in the art studio.

To be honest with you, I am needing to take my own advice.

Where are you affected most?

When I am working at the art table, my neck and shoulders can become tight and sore.  Whether I sit or stand to paint with watercolors, my focus is on the painting in progress.  I get in the zone.  I don't want to quit.  At the end of the day, I am feeling it physically.  So where is a good place to begin?

Let's think about the areas of the body most affected by the creative work.

Hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, upper back...and on from there.

Once you know your target areas that need some TLC with stretching, you can begin looking for stretches.  I did a Google search for stretches for neck, shoulders, low back, and hips.

Here are a few for starters:

6 Stretches to Relieve a Tight, Sore Neck from Self.com.
16 Simple Stretches for Tight Shoulders from Greatist.com.
Hand, Wrist, Neck, & Shoulder Stretches & Exercises for Artists with Ask Dr. Jo on YouTube.
12 Hand Stretches For Artists: Hand and Wrist Pain

What will work best for you?

Think about what method or plan would work best in your daily art practice.  I created several pages for myself by copying and pasting into Publisher.  I selected the poses or stretches that appeal to me.  This gave me my own cheat sheet of stretches and yoga poses as a reference when I take a stretch break.

You can create a Pinterest board to save your own favorite websites for stretching and yoga poses.  YouTube is a great source for stretching and yoga videos; make yourself a playlist just for this purpose.

How can you focus on follow through?

For me, the best way to be sure I stretch is setting a timer.  A timer app set for 30 minutes helps me to work without having to watch the clock.  When the timer goes off, I take 5 or 10 minutes to do some stretching.  With a printed copy of the stretches I am using, I can do a few stretches per break.  If I choose a video instead, then I can stretch along with the video for 10 minutes and then pause it until the next break.

On YouTube, Yoga With Adriene is my favorite account to follow along in relaxing yoga sessions.  She has a large collection of yoga videos to choose from for all ability levels, target areas of the body, length of sessions, and many different purposes.  She has yoga for neck and shoulders, yoga at your desk, and yoga for your lunch break.

Also on YouTube, search for DoYogaWithMe.  Yoga for hands, arms and shoulders would be a great regular routine to follow.

Consider what gear might help with fitness.

Over the years, I have purchased the gear that helps me keep my body stretched and feeling better.  The exercise ball is helpful for stretching out my back after too much sitting.  The green curved foam form helps stretch the low back.  I use the rolled towel to give my neck a bit of traction as I lay on the floor.  The curved black S Backnobber, the two small Yoga Massage Balls, and the blue hard plastic tool all help with knots in the muscles.  (The last of those three came from a dollar store!)  The purple strap helps with many stretches.  The two black rollers on the left help with rolling out deep tissues.  I have a yoga mat and yoga blocks which I forgot to include in the photo.  It's worth investing in the tools that make stretching more effective especially if it becomes a daily routine.

A word of caution.

If you are currently experiencing pain and discomfort, ignore all this and go see a doctor.  I have injured my wrists and hands in the past.  I made sure to see a doctor, benefited from physical therapy, and I have stretchy wrist braces to help when I am sore.  Be cautious when you stretch.  It should not be painful.  Don't push through and ignore the pain.  Take extra care to be sure you are not doing more damage to your body.  In the long run, a break from art for self care is just smart.  You would not want to be taking risks that would cost you the ability to be creative for a long period of time.

There's art to make so the body needs to last.

There is no way our bodies will be able to continue supporting the creative pursuits unless we make it a goal to care for our bodies at all times.  I didn't really consider this when I was younger.  Now, I understand that my body can't take the abuse for long without feeling it.  I find that extended time at the computer affects my hands and wrists most noticeably.  The rest of me feels the strain, too.  This is a hard task for me to develop a better habit of caring for my body.  I have not mastered it and realize it's going to be an ongoing process to continue improving each day.

Do you have insight or tips to add?  What steps have you taken to help take care of yourself so you can be able to continue your creative pursuits?  Please comment below so we can all make this a better daily habit!

Take care and I'll be back with another post related to being a creative adventurer!

P.S.  I am done with the nannying season for another year and that means more time for creating and selling artwork.  There are more than 30 smaller pieces that need to be finished up.  For several, it means deciding what size will be best and cropping the artwork.  I have miniatures, 3 1/2" x 5", 4" x 6", and 5" x 7" in the stack.  I will try to share more in the next week.  If you haven't visited my website yet, I would love for you to see so go check it out next!

-Christy

She must make art.

A note from the artist.

It's Thursday.  What's Up?

Well, life is interrupting my artistic schedule for a while.  That's just how it goes sometimes.  Our home has been full of activity, projects, Olympics and other random-spur-of-the-moment things.  I'm so ready to get back to the cherry blossom paintings!  My art room has been the focus of some renovations that will make creating here a more happy experience.  I'm working on some great opportunities for presenting my artwork at a local fair.  It's going to be a busy 4-5 weeks along with preparing my daughter and son for back-to-school at the same time.

There's plenty of artwork-related rambling and photo sharing here, so go explore a little bit!  You might find a post you'll enjoy while I try to catch up behind the scenes.

Thanks for dropping by and come again often!  I'll have more stories, tips, and artwork progressions to bring to you.  Watercolor paintings are coming along nicely and it's difficult to set them aside but that's the way life is right now!  The summer is drawing to a close soon so I'm taking time to be with my family and enjoy some downtime.  I'll be back with an update in two weeks!

-Christy

She must make art.

How Escaping to Nature Can Be a Reset Button.

Water in nature is fascinating.  

Water has a soothing effect, therapeutic and calming to my spirit.  Whether a trickling stream, a rushing river, a delicate waterfall, an expansive lake or a mighty ocean...water just soothes.  Life is busy for all of  us.    We make weekends our time to spend together as a family.  Short little trips are usually our favorite.  The local reservoirs are all low at this time of year.  We readied to spend a day on the water.  The kayaks were loaded in the bed of the pickup truck.  A picnic lunch of sandwich fixins' and chips and Oreo cookies was ready to go.  Our day of adventure required us to improvise as we went along.  We hit the road!  We listened to music and talked as we traveled that day.  When we arrived in Glacier National Park along the banks of Lake McDonald... what is it about God's creation, nature, and our being drawn to these places?  We just soaked it up!  The time spent on the water helped make it a fantastic day that helped us all reconnect with one another.

A nature inspired artist - that's me.  I watch to study, to understand, to remember how it captivates me.  I take it in so I can take it with me...whether the memory, the photo, the watercolor sketch.

Sometimes we all need to hit the reset button.

The kids (okay, teens) head directly to the water, both wading in and then kayaking for a while.  Then my husband takes a turn, heading out with paddle in hands, while our kids swim alongside the kayak.  I watched from shore, enjoying the moments as an onlooker.  I quietly take it all in, everything around me.  I love seeing how they interact with one another.

Artist in the Garden, May 2016

This was the ideal day for planting!  With plenty of sunshine, I got outside just after 9 a.m. and began the garden work.  It's more therapy than work.  My aching back is now arguing that it still qualifies as work.  Two raised beds, a planting guide in grid form, and a wide variety of seed packets were all ready to go!  We began gardening this way in 2010 and it's an easy, low maintenance way to keep a garden.

A perfect day for planting! Studio plans on hold. Seeds are in the ground!!! #artistonpause #plantingseeds #squarefootgardening #best therapy #sunfilledday

A photo posted by Christy Sheeler (@christysheeler.artist) on May 4, 2016 at 2:46pm PDT

There are quite a few plants already doing well in the soil.  I was pleased to see the beautiful red tulips.  The bulbs have been there for many years, planted before we moved here in 2000.  They are determined to come up and show their faces every year!

The bunching green onions are from seed planted last year.  Soon, they'll have blossoms and then seed.  Last year, I tried the onion bulbs for $1.49/bag.  I had no idea they could be so easy to grow!  We enjoyed small onions all summer long.

The Johnny Jump-Ups are popping up from where they self-sowed last year.  There are several rogue mint plants.  Though I transplanted the main mint plant to an herb bed last year, there continue to be  a few more popping up in the garden bed.

Johnny Jump-Up and rogue mint leaves. They greeted me as I began sowing seeds. #squarefootgardening #artistinthegarden #purpleviolas #gardentherapy

A photo posted by Christy Sheeler (@christysheeler.artist) on May 4, 2016 at 3:47pm PDT