Happy Thanksgiving

Not very busy today at work, and I took a few digital shots this morning- so I might as well blog. A silly self-portrait included. I taught Silver Run this morning. We have Artful Giving at the RRCA right now, as well as the NJ Chapter of American Artists Professional League, so I had the kids create embellished self portraits as possible holiday gifts this lesson. Mine is an example that I whipped out yesterday at work. Fun class, but my back has been acting up again, so I was stiff. "Quiet" the principle said.

I only had one day off last week and I think I'm just tired. I need my next three days off.

Not much else to say. I haven't been sketching or painting (I will), not with my work schedule. Co-worker ended his jury duty, but we had to decorate here, and my boss had a car accident- so I ended up with more hours. Have quite a bit of the holiday spirit though. Lovely working with tempered soft Christmas music all day, and Artful Giving is quite cheerful.

Making pumpkin vegetable soup for Thanksgiving, in keeping with my health awareness, with vanilla yogurt parfaits for dessert. Crock pot simmered all day soup, yum-yum.

Fall Series

Short post, I have brussel sprouts cooking. I had three days off so I sketched out the new series, eight canvases.............................................

Inner peace and a cappucino

My co-worker has jury duty this week so my days are changed- I have today and tomorrow off. I so needed it. It was emotional heavy-duty dealing with people- those who came to view Chun-Yan's work after reading the paper, and the artists mourning at the RRCA. I was completley exhausted by the end of work yesterday.
Just returned from a walk around the river with a cappuccino. The river was silver high tide, so beautiful in the dusk. I feel so lucky to be so near this landscape and if I hadn't so much to do today (laundry, cleaning) I would've gone out with my french easel. I was able to cross the new river bridge today, it's been closed as they were putting in handicap ramps. Nice. I am inspired, a tragedy has occurred, but I am inspired for knowing Kim and all her beauty- art and personality. And I was filled with a sense of peace walking.
Tomorrow is a full studio/painting day. Took me awhile to get to this point. Everything is in place- home, diet, exercise, papers, computer files. Going to work on the series, maybe sketch out three each fall and winter. Or more. Just immerse myself.
In January I am taking an adult workshop at the RRCA for watercolor. Maybe I'll be able to do something with my Sunday studies.......and I think I will begin again my work in digital art. I don't know about buying a Wacom as I planned, after purchasing Chun-Yan's painting. We'll see........
Some folks in this town have a really funny sense of humor. The bronze statue of Capt. Buck down at the river sports a striped wool scarf and a knitted purple leg warmer on his left leg. The leg warmer would have had to been sewn on. I keep forgetting my camera to take a pic of this......

"Wildflowers"

She didn't get away. I did. This is my third day working after the news of Chun-Yan Hilyard's death- at the moment I'm quite unsteady. A RRCA Board Member just left- there has been much talk among all of us about this- he was shook to the core with the news. As we talk we are struck with the horror of it, as it sinks in. The loss, the absolute loss. Working here I've been a shoulder to hear memories, sadness, disbelief. Quite a few people have come in to view Kim's work after reading the paper, including a co-worker of the husband. Some have been quite angry.

Seven of Kim's work have sold- I bought one myself this morning (a trust fund is being set up for the children). "Wildflowers". I feel a kinship with Chun-Yan/Kim- all my horrors of a violent marriage have resurfaced like bad gas. Any mistreatment. Wildflowers- as we should be.

It's a beautiful painting- plein air- and braver than I have yet to be.

"She was an artist's artist - another female artist commented.

She was planning on leaving him in January..........I hesitate to bring up my past marriage in a public blog but silence kills. We are so silent, it's so wrong. Some have said she was quiet about the abuse because of Chinese tradition. As I agreed with one female viewer- the mouth taped shut is just all too common with all of us.

I will hang this tribute in my home with honor and dignity and hopefully her spirit will be with me as I paint.......

A Tragic Loss

We lost one of our finest artists this week to a senseless murder. Chun-Yan Hilyard was strangled by her husband Tuesday morning during an argument, then he dumped her body by a bridge not three miles from their house in Egg Harbor Township. Wednesday he reported her missing. And had the gal to go by the O.C. Center to demand the location of her paintings- not if anyone had seen her. Thursday a jogger found her body and not much later the police had the husband in cuffs. We're all stunned in the community. She was loving, giving, her art warm and ecstatic- impressionistic- and she was a rising star. They are holding a memorial at the Ocean City Art Center tonight. Her work is currently on exhibition there as well as here at theRRCA this month. She was just in here Sunday talking with me. She amazed me with her personal warmth and generosity of spirit.
Pointless violence snuffing out beauty that could not be contained.
She was a member of the RRCA, the Noyes Museum, the Ocean City Art Center and showed with a gallery in Stone Harbor. 45 with a 10 y/0 son and twin boys, younger.

Her website is- www.chun-yanart.com

Electric

By the way, some (John Sarno, Andrew Weil, etc.) call this type of back pain I think I had- TMS- Tension Myositis Syndrome. Sarno states that "most back pain is the result of the mind's interference with normal functioning of nerves and blood circulation to muscles" and I believe it because every time I got upset a localized knot of pain would surface. And the more I payed attention to it the more it would hurt. The more I wrapped my head around that knot, the tighter it got. Yoga and riding the reclining bike would erase the knot.
I rode my bike to Pathmark this morning for some healthier groceries I can't get at the local walkable mart, some would say that is far- it's enjoyable but it's also a chore. The traffic scares me. I recently told my mother that riding my bike for far errands was getting old- she said "But it keeps you trim". BUT. It's getting old. I'm 48. This morning I thought I'm not Wonderwoman, and I don't want to be. I'm way far beyond ever wanting to be Wonderwoman again.
My neighbor bought an electric bike this week. Hmmmmmm. Now, I've never thought about that possibility...........and I'm thinking.
I think partly why my back seized up was because I couldn't do it all and I was trying to with working. All anyone cared about was if I was producing more paintings for the series. I've half a mind right now to keep it to myself if I do continue the series and just "be" a Sunday Painter with my little watercolors for awhile. Sorry.
An electric bike. Hmmmmmm.........

Courtesy:)

I went out to eat tonight, all by my little lonesome, and an Andrew Weil book. Eh. It was a toss up, I could've- probably should've sweated at the gym. But I worked on the computer all day and have been cleaning- cooped up- and decided to relax tonight. Bubble bath next. I feel STUFFED- too stuffed- the new Chinese buffet in town, and with all the nutrition books I've been reading, half of me was wondering what preservatives and additives I was pouring down my throat. And I just made out a grocery list this morning for unprocessed foods, low fat, whole grain. So- it is out of my system- I wanted to try the new restaurant and go out alone. Doubt I'll repeat soon.

Reading "Spontaneous Healing", after "Healthy Aging, Natural Health- Natural Medicine", and a book on the glycemic index. I stopped eating candy, dropped seven lbs. so far and my back is no longer in pain. I don't expect the pain to return.

My fortune read "A little courtesy goes a long way" but when you are in doubled over pain at the end of each work day........Funny I still made it to the gym. They have a reclining bike and after sweating it out, the pain would disappear. Or was that stress? Yogic breathing when the pain hit would lessen it too. I don't know when it left completely. Just that it's been gone for quite a few days now.

Last week I only had one day off, this week I've had my three, next week I don't know as my co-worker returns to jury duty. So I've spent these days organizing- so I can return to work on art. Tomorrow my photos files.

Two more watercolor sketches. Don't know if I'll keep posting them as they come, but at least I've been getting some painting time in. I do have six blank canvases on my wall and some new fall photos developed into prints.....

Bubble bath with the Bach!

Oh, that was an error, the highlights in the last post, if it e-mailed that way.....