I left the house last night, and it was glorious!
The Art House Studio (located in Cambridge, Ontario) hosts a bi-weekly drop in art journaling evening, and I attended last night. AND I got to meet one of my sheroes of the mighty pen, Melanie Leavey of The Drafty Garret. I doodled and noodled and flung paint around and collaged, and she made the most adorable little creature/face/being I’ve ever seen. Karen was in fine form, making a portrait with Pan Pastels, and the other ladies in attendance shared laughter and focused, serene quiet, and chocolate covered sponge toffee.
It was bliss. BLISS.
And I’m determined to make it a regular occurrence because this leaving the house thing? This arting in the company of others thing? It’s really, really good for me.
It’s good for my muse, too!
This beauty was drawn in graphite over a paper and paint background, outlined sketchily in black pen (Sigma Micron), painted with Golden Fluid Acrylics and a little Spectrum Noir (hair/eyes), and then I doodled the frack out of it all with Molotow markers, Aquamarkers, and more Pigma Micron.
It was the first spread in a new Dylusions journal and guess what?
I sold it to someone who wanted it, lock stock and barrel with the journal itself an envelope of scrap papers and alpha stickers included.
What a feeling!
***
Julia Cameron talks a lot about The Artist Date in her 12 week recovery program for artists called The Artist’s Way. Before I was a mixed media addict, I was a poet and a writer, and I have been working TAW since the late 1990′s in an on and off way. Morning Pages come and go as a practice and I revisit the entire program once every few years. The Artist Date is a ‘required practice’ but I’ve never really done it. I am practically agoraphobic (or is that lazy?) about leaving the house unless it’s absolutely necessary or I’m in the company of my Manfingy, so these forays into the world alone generally don’t work for me.
What I learned last night is that I can tweak them. I can do the dates *my way* and that includes nights like last night ~ warmly and safely hunkered down with other artists of like mind (all addicted to mixed media and art journaling), quietly working or raucously talking about working, sharing humour and experience and tips and product finds. I can do that and IT COUNTS because the purpose of an artist date is to break us out of our usual routine.
In time, nights at The Art House Studio might become a part of my usual routine, at which point I might need to do something in addition to that, but for now? WIN! BOUNCE! SQUEE!
It helps that the studio is pretty much exactly halfway between The Little House That Could and The Drafty Garret! Mel and I plan to meet up again and again and again now that we know it’s so darned easy!
***
In Other News
I have resurrected my monthly missive. This is a free monthly letter from me in which I go all muse-y and wax poetic about intentional creativity, art journaling as a spiritual practice, soulful art that digs deep, and whatever else suits my fancy schmancy. I will also give you a heads up about where I’m teaching, and there will be perks, too, like advance notice and discounts on upcoming classes.
These letters are not intended for the faint of heart. I will write honestly and tenderly, but you should know that I swear sometimes, I’m a mystic and I’m down with the woo woo, and when stuff comes up related to abuse recovery or alcoholism, I will pull no punches. If you love what I write here on the blog, though, you already know all that and nothing I write will come as a shock to you. Just please know that replies to these letters that in any way judge or chastise me for sharing or swearing will be noted, and then ignored.
Still want a little love & glitter? Here you go.
And FINALLY: I love you. Madly. Deeply. You’re the reason I get up out of bed every morning.
xo
Effy
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oh, you.
i could’ve totally written this…the amazingly liberating power of “out”….and what it meant to say “yes” to that… that i need it, that i deserve it….*sniffle*.
first we take Cambridge…then we take Berlin….or maybe Guelph. xo
Very well written, lovely Effy. Congrats on your success! You may have convinced me that I should make the 90 minute drive to Cambridge next month. ;)
Effy, so glad to meet a sister curser :) My mom tried to beat the “fuck” out of me when I was a kid (and wash it out with soap and garlic), but, alas, she was unsuccessful. She was going to be a nun (but she asked too may questions: the kicked her out) and she taught English, so she found swearing offensive on multiple levels. Funny, as soon as she found out she had cancer 7 years ago, she started cursing more than I ever did. Guess she realized the freedom of expression she’d been missing all those years. It’s so refreshing to hear people just… swear! You know their not holding anything back. And there is that little shock you get when you hear it or say it that really gets your attention :) Not every-other-word, but the well positioned curse, as Sponge Bob says, really spices up a sentence. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say on any and all topics! I Love being in your company, even if it is cyber.
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love the painting you made.
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I love the art you made from leaving the house. Her face is gorgeous. With the same exceptions of going out only when I need to do so, or with my husband (who also has a lovely endearment nickname that has been his since our first love letter to one another online), I am a stay at home everything. I was very active in our local art community in my 20s, with artist and musician friends, out at gallery openings, shows, gigs, festivals, etc 4 out of 7 nights a week. At first my excuse was that my children were too young and I didn’t have a sitter. Over the years, as they’ve gotten older, I’ve decided that I like staying home… even though I know that’s the fear talking. This is my year to overcome that again though and find some of my own tribe locally. I love hearing about your breakthroughs and challenges… your willingness to dig and overcome them is inspiring. And it’s ALL good, so thank you for sharing it ;D <3
I keep starting and stopping the Artist Way! It’s one of my things I was supposed to be doing for Self this year. Love your missives! I felt similarly about taking an “artist’s date” when I went cross country to Cali in late January. Don’t often venture out alone and I took a HUGE step by going to the retreat. And — I liked it! The freedom of doing for Self by myself was great! I think you’ve just encouraged me to try and at least do the artist’s date part of The Artist’s Way on a regular basis. <3
Love the art journal page…she is gooorrgeous. I must ask though….what is chocolate covered sponge toffee? sounds heavenly!