Category Archives: Art Groups

What You Lookin’ At?

Passing Storm, Mingus Mountain. SMD © 2019

The news is out. Leslie Saeta has officially decided to stop hosting the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Or perhaps It’s just September that is canceled. Christiane Drieling told me, and I do not want to misquote. Christiane has the awesome idea of hosting an informal challenge on Facebook. Yay!

Are you interested? Do you know artists who have participated before, and might like to again? Please help us spread the word. I will post the link as soon as Christiane creates the page. Ginny Butcher has decided to participate as well. Let’s’ keep the momentum going!

If 30 is too much, how about doing one a week? If you have never participated before, you can click on the link above to see the outline Leslie used. (Maybe I shouldn’t be posting that.) And maybe we will change it up a little. Stay tuned 😉

More good news. I am doing MUCH better! I haven’t had any problems since my last post. Eleven days. Woo-Whoo! Very relieved about that.

I am able to sip slightly larger sips. And take ever so slightly larger bites. Still doing the chew, chew, chew. Making sure my soft foods are completely broken up before I swallow. And it is such a relief to be able to take in more water. I am still not hitting the 64 oz. mark. Inching closer. But I do not feel water-deprived anymore. Ahh.

Not sure I have mentioned it before, but I drink water consistently throughout the day. I have a 32 oz. bottle, and prior to surgery, I think I drank 5 or six of those a day. Now I can barely do one and a half. And my skin is missing it! So dry!

So good news all around! Getting the vitamins down much more easily, water and food. Whew! I think it may have been your encouraging words! Thank you all so much! You had me in tears 🙂

There is nothing better than a friend,
unless it is a friend with chocolate.
Linda Grayson

Couldn’t resist. Honestly, though, I am craving salad. Lettuce. A nice crunchy salad. Toast. Mmm, avocado toast with a poached egg. OK. I’m stopping.

Maybe I was hungry when I took the photo below, but I see a fish cloud. I messed up and cut off the tail. All the other photos I took came out blurry. (I was sitting at a red light.)

Do you see what I see? Ha-ha-ha.

I will leave you with this little bird. I was standing at the window, checking out Mingus. And he flew up on the ledge and started checking things out too. The berries, and plants of course. I turned slowly and started taking pictures of him. For a long time, he did not notice. But then he saw me. And then he was gone.

What you lookin' at? SMD © 2019 — What you lookin’ at? SMD © 2019

Oh, one more thing. I have finally decided what to use for my annual postcard. I will get them ordered, and have them mailed out hopefully by the middle of next month. I have had the stamps since before the surgery! Ha-ha-ha. 🙂

The site switch over is complete! Thank you, Randy, for all your hard work, in spite of a broken wrist! But I can see things are missing here. Hate that. So now I have work to do. As expected. Notice the empty bottom of this post. All the like and share buttons are missing, and the links to similar posts. I know why that happens now. Thanks to a Youtube video. Still, it is aggravating. So off to work I go. And I also hope to prep some pieces before the first. Fingers crossed.

See you in September!

Soul Art 2019

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Soul Art Day ( June 5th) with Laura Hollick is a day of creativity and connection. The insights from taking part in the process usually last long after the art has been created. This is from Laura:

Soul Art is a unique creative practice that uses art and creative expression to commune with spirit to awaken deep healing, soul-empowered insights, transformations, and high-vibe visions for your life and career. This is our annual event where thousands of people gather online from around the world to create art together for the day. as you’re journeying through your Soul Art process, know that you are held in the collective vortex of our Global Creative Soul Art Family. There is something deeply profound that happens when we collectively connect in this way. Even though we are each on our own journeys, our collective intention to create art on this day amplifies everyone’s creative power.

Creativity, Connection, Curiosity, Kindness, Respect, Joy.

Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body.
– Thich Nhat Hanh

The day starts with a video from Laura. Guiding you through the Soul Art worksheets. This is your journey, where you find your intention and action. There are five steps in this process. Intention, Bodymapping, Creative Expression, Insight, and Spirit action.

To warm up, I made marks on a 4 x 6 piece of paper. I used new paint markers. I am not familiar with them, so it was one small step out of my comfort zone. I planned on doing more of these, but I quickly felt limited by the small size.

I mindlessly filled the paper with marks. When there was no more white to fill, I rotated the paper several times. Is it just me, or does that look like a fish?

A fish can symbolize fertility, feelings, creativity, rebirth, good luck, transformation, health, abundance, serenity, intelligence, happiness, strength, and endurance. Connecting us with the water element, it represents the deeper awareness of the unconsciousness or higher self. How serendipitous.

Angels are all around us, all the time, in the very air we breathe.
– Elias Freeman

I laid out my palette on a butcher tray. Along with what you see, I included white, two blues and green. But this turned into an analogous theme. For my first layer, I took a comb with paint and just made a mess on the clean white sheet. Gone with the “paper is precious”.

Body mapping is often done with the artist, laying down, and having a friend outline their body. For my map, I used a watercolor pencil. I drew my lungs, esophagus, and stomach. The parts that need healing. These layers are under what is seen.

Throughout the day, Laura and her guest artists broadcast their progress in the studio. Watching them work, and listening to the meditative music, lulled me into a relaxed state. Standing, I painted until the sheet was filled.

My only goal for the day was to participate. To put a brush in my hands. I didn’t really think about what I was going to paint. When we post our piece in the Soul Art Gallery, Laura asks us several questions. My reply regarding insight was this:

“It has happened before. I am not sure the insight has revealed itself to me just yet. I have the painting propped up in full view. I’ll see what it reveals. I feel more myself, more whole, having spent the day creating. This piece is about flow. Free flowing, exchange. Breath. Breathing. Taking nourishment in. Energetic movement (while painting). Release. Repair. Prayer. Connection. Healing. Freedom. Independence.”

Inhale the future, exhale the past.
– Author Unknown

Here’s a look at previous Soul Art pieces.

Awesome News!

My surgery is set for July 11th. 8 am. I have one more appointment with the surgeon and a class before then. This first surgery is to repair my esophagus. The procedure is basically the surgery that people have to lose weight. Bariatric. The class is on what to eat and what not to eat prior to surgery. I will have a second class after surgery as well.

I really like the surgeon. She explained everything very well. The image below shows a dilated and narrowing esophagus. In addition to that, my stomach stays open. The little flap doesn’t close normally. Because of this, I have GERD. And that is what has damaged my lungs. My surgery is more about removing the damaged part of the esophagus. The stomach will be brought up and reattached to it.

Next month is going to be a very good month indeed!

Wonky Little Watercolor Cactus

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Desert Bloom 2. 4 x 6 in. watercolor & gesso on paper. © 2019 Sheila Delgado.

Last of the bunch. I have a couple others, but I think they are paint-overs. This card was sent out in the Pals-Poist exchange. It traveled a whole hour and a half up the road to Flagstaff, to my good friend Christine Brooks. Christine and I still have not met. Mostly due to busy schedules. But one day soon, right Christine? 🙂

In return, I received this lovely card. Even in winter, beauty is all around. Christine sent it in a protective sleeve, the marks rub right off. I love how the leaves look like a frilly, royal collar (a ruff). And the snow cap looks like a Beret. Ok, I know I am mixing my styles there. And centuries. 😉

I love it Christine! I hope you had a hot cup of cocoa waiting after your walk in the cold. Burr!

Pals Poist Postcard by Christine Brooks.

I re-discovered a long lost favorite artist. Birgit O’Connor. Her watercolors are jaw-dropping! I love her flowers. And her stones look like a photograph. Her paintings are huge! Treat yourself to some of her videos on YouTube.

Surprise!

Some times good things come in the mail. Unexpected, good things.

Unexpected. Multiple good things.

Nelvia McGrath and I were having a conversation about watercolor paper. If you follow her blog, you know she has been experimenting with watercolors in a class she is taking. If you don’t follow her, you can take a peek. A link to her blog is to the right, in the blogs I follow. Well, we decided to share some paper with each other. And I sent off some Bee paper, some Arches. And some of the cheap postcards I thought were such a great deal. I wanted her to see the difference between good and bad paper. Salvaged the cards though, used gesso to cover the paper. The wonky cactus is an example.

Papers to play with. Yupo, Artagain, Duralar, watercolor paper.

Well, a couple of weeks passed, and I had just about forgotten. I knew Nelvia was busy. (You know how forgetful I am. Ughh.) And what do ya’ know! A BIG box came, with my name on it. Not only were there papers in it, but sharpies, colored pencils, pencils, erasers, a paint marker, a mechanical pencil, a brush pen, and some command strips. WOW! Mixed media here I come!