Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Artsy” and a page for you.

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Not many people know that I started college with a full-tuition scholarship in… Biology.  Because I teach and am public about my art,  the assumption is that I studied art formally in a collegiate environment.  I did, but only for two semesters {which means a grand total of 2 drawing classes, a painting class and a color theory class}  I gave up my scholarship to study art and then gave up studying art to go in another direction all together…  Mostly, I’ve taught myself through books and doing and taking an occasional community college course.  It can seem, when you meet me now, that I’ve always been comfortable in my artistic skin – but the truth is, artistic labels often feel foreign to me.  “Artsy” and “creative” still jangle against my bones a little.  Like ill-fitting clothes from someone else’s closet.

I am not a Label.

Labels are not the whole picture.   Artists, I want to scream, are more than flaky-outside-the-box-thinkers; they are problem solvers, scientists, philosophers and dreamers – an infinite list of roles and gifts.  And, they are sharing their discoveries with you in a way that allows you to taste, hear and see life more fully.  Most of the artists I know are not just consumed with self-expression and although their work is a testament to skill, planning and technique, they want more than attention and credit.

Most artists want to cause movement.

The push and pull is right there in that perfectly lit photograph.  And in the raw, modern piece full of statement and anger.  It’s in an epic painting or well-crafted song; even daily doodles and writings hold your invitation to ask or feel or take action.

To that end, I have a series of pages that I’ll be sharing over the next little while.  Pages for you, not me.  To inspire and invite you into story, life & action.  Print it out, hang it up, fill it out or make-your-own-version-in-your-own-color-scheme.  It’s for you.

~betsy

p.s.  Feel free to share your pages/responses via comment, email or links.

Purple Butterfly Story

While I am sharing this page gratis or free of charge, please respect my other works by not sharing or copying them without permission.  All works on this site are protected by federal copyright law.

Art is life is Art: Deadlines, coffee makers & other reasons

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It’s official.  Summer is really over.  The air was crispy this morning, the chrysanthemums are out and school has officially started.  We started classes last week and even I made lesson plans this past weekend.  Things are getting busy around here too.  There are wild thyme creative workshops, a studio refurbish in process and the Littles want to learn to draw – which means more movement – which means more structure.  Not a bad thing – just a change thing.  When there’s more on the calendar, creativity happens differently. {Did I mention that I actually made lesson plans?}

I recently commented on a 30-day project from my friend Dan {at A Big Creative Yes}.  He listed his creative product for the day, which included an impressive 750 word list, each word associated to the word before it.  In describing the process he said:  “I wanted to write sentences, and as I was writing, little potential avenues for poems were appearing and I chose to ignore them.”

I replied:  “What a classic example of the tension between the discipline parts of art vs. the “inspiration”. I know that sometimes I choose to stay in an exercise and sometimes I follow the “avenues” that come up. I’m learning to pay attention to which mode serves best in the moment – not always easy for me to discern. Sometimes it’s an external factor like a deadline or client expectation that makes the determination and other times an internal insight.”

I’m feeling the shift that comes with the school year.  Summer is just more free.  There’s more time and more ability to be reactive to the creative process.  {and lots of sunlight for inspiration and energy.}  The autumn brings different light, fabulous in its own way.  {but there’s less of it, which matters in my world…}   Autumn has its own pace – with less space for the creative process.  I have to MAKE room.  I find myself wondering:

Do I shoot {write-draw-paint} from the inside —-> out OR the outside —–> in?

It’s both I think, but in Autumn/Winter because of the nature of the beast, I use more structure.  So, calendars & deadlines here I come!

Speaking of structure, I entered this photo:

" Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos." ~Don Kardong

into this contest:  Summer Photo Contest at Parenting by Dummies This is a fun, fun blog with great photos and sass.

{You should check it out AND vote for this photo of The Girl - I’m being shameless because there is a nice coffee maker involved…}

P.S.  Thank you Seven Clown Circus for the selection

Father’s Day 2010: Daddy’s huge arms

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Father's Day picture close

Got a call from Joshua in the middle of the night.  All is well, but there for a while we thought he was having an allergic reaction to some meds he was taking.  After the small adrenaline rush was over and I was tucking back into bed, I realized that it was the wee hours of the morning on Father’s Day.  I poked R awake to wish him a Happy Father’s Day because he’s that kind of father.

* The kind of father you can wake up in the middle of the night from the other side of the world because you don’t feel quite right.

* The kind of father who makes sure that things are full.  {like mom’s fuel tank, The Girl’s pocketbook and everyone’s sense of self}

* The kind of father who admits {and explains} personal errors and shares hard-earned wisdom.

* The kind of father who understands how important one-on-one is when there are five.

* The kind of father who is makes sure that the horse, dogs, cat {and chickens} are always fed and cared for.

* The kind of father who drives “the worse” car so that everyone else can have the best.

* The kind of father who models the kind of love that calls for laying down your life.

* The kind of father whose biceps are huge and whose heart is even huger.

Father's Day picture

1996 Family portrait by Joshua Garmon {age 7}