Tired

This was my try at a self-portrait. Of course she looks prettier and younger than I do, I just can't paint more mature faces. Maybe I'll learn one day.
I guess I win the award for the most boring blog in cyber-space. I have a really good excuse... I have been working 10-12 hour days for the last month... including weekends. Not one single free day. Wake up at 5 a.m. and try to function to midnight... I work in the digital department of a print house, and we are printing ballots for the upcoming election. I guess the election would not happen if I stopped working for half a day... (yeah, right). It is exhausting and it will last 2-3 more weeks.
I feel bad for not replying to comments and emails. I even have some new readers (HI!) that I'm completely neglecting. But I just don't have a choice at this moment. It is eating my every moment... even the little time I spend at home (awake) I am not able to decompress. I did steal half an hour last night in my (still unpacked) studio to make this journal entry.
I am dreaming color and journals and canvases and other fun stuff, but will have to wait before it can become more than a dream.
Untill then - thank you for the good thoughts, emails and comments. I promise that I'll be back to blog reading and writing when I reconect to my regular life.
Much love,
Z.

This and that...

I have been searching for the perfect time to write a blog post, and in that searching and waiting days have passed, things have happened and if I don't post something now (even if it's not the perfect time) I don't when I will. So this is what I've been up to:
I planted a herb garden. And some other things. I LOVE working in the garden. I scream and jump every time I see a worm... but it doesn't matter. Soon I will have a real garden where kale will grow all winter long for my green smoothies. My dh is going to build me a pretty square foot garden so I can play as much as I want.
I visited a hair salon, so I finally look presentable. Honestly, my hair was so bad... I looked like a scary witch.
I received a complimentary copy of this book:
because one of my journal pages is published in it. For some reason they chose one of my most depressing, sad, weird pages... It's funny looking at my face in a book. I didn't have the chance to read the whole thing, but it looks like eye candy for journal lovers.
I was inspired (as always) by Sharon and Jesse Reno, so I started a huge canvas with tons of color as background. I mounted it on the wall of my studio. My hope is that I will play often on that canvas, using any left-over color, drawing and doodling and writing and experimenting... I hope that it will change and get layers and layers and that this first one will not even show. It was fun to paint with my hands (and hard to clean them) on such a big surface.
Speaking of my studio.... I have new, pretty green boxes on my shelves... They are still waiting for me to organize a ton of "stuff". I unpacked some things (books - they are easy), but so much is still in boxes in the garage...
I painted a little, collaged and sketched too.... but not enough. I'll show more when I have something finished.
The boy didn't get chosen for the team.... He said he gave a 100%... and as much as he is disappointed, he said that when one page is finished, there is always something new waiting on the next page. So he is cooling off and enjoying the weather in Santa Cruz. Thank you for all good wishes.
So, that's about it..... What I have not written about is that I'm very busy at work and that the next month is going to be pretty crazy. It's good to be busy and it's also good to laugh and be silly. And I've been doing that too.
WOW! This was long..... If you made it this far, I'm sending you big cyber hugs. xo

Hair, heat, computer, ZNE

I have several things for show & tell, but the computer is so slow that I don't know if I'll be patient enough for it. It is a hot, hot, hot, hot, hot day.... something we are not very much used to in North CA. Maybe my comp. needs to take a shower (bad idea).
I went to the mall yesterday with Hana. That's a big deal, because I don't like shopping and go only when she really needs something. As we were walking out, a guy selling hair extensions called her and her face lit up. I said that I will never buy the extensions, but he wanted to demo anyway... and I decided to let her have her fun. To make the story shorter - the extensions are made from human hair and look unbelievably real. She loved them. I refused to buy them. I don't want my 13-y old to be a complete fake... so we had a long talk about it and I think she understood. Anyway, I was inspired to paint a long haired girl, and I wanted to paint the whole figure.... but I started with one huge eye and then there was only room for the face. sigh. Good thing I didn't go for real likeness (I wish I could do that), because I would have failed miserably. I used the page to journal about our day and talk.
Last Sunday I had a rare opportunity to meet some web-known friends. I couldn't afford to go to ZNE ConvenZioNE, but I also couldn't miss the opportunity to visit the free vending day... Several years ago we had a tight nit group on eBay and were communicating daily. I have art from all of these ladies in my home, and they have mine too. It felt like we were old friends, although we met that day.
You can see Lani, JoAnna, Chel, Connie...... and you can't see Kris (because we forgot to take a photo). They all said that they had a great time, so I hope to join them next year. BTW - I was asked to teach next year... and I have no idea what or would anyone take my class. We'll see. I'll be happy to go and take a class and have some artful fun.
I've had it with the slow computer, so I'll continue tomorrow. Time to snack on some watermelon and cool down. xo

New page in my journal

My bird

Hello! Hi! Good evening! I wanted to show you something that I started two days ago, but I am in a different mood now, so it will wait. This is a photo my dh took half an hour ago... and I think it shows how I feel. Happy and sad at the same time, very emotional and sentimental. Our son just left the nest... We (and he) didn't expect it to be today, but life has a way with interfering with the best laid plans. He will soon start his junior year in UC Santa Cruz... which is super good. It was his first choice college and he is more than happy to be there. And so are we... I'm not worried too much (or at least I'm trying not to be) because he explained more than once that I raised him well and that he'll be fine. And I know that it's true and that it is time. It's all good. But I can't help but feel 'different' too... because no matter how often he comes back, I am aware that it will not be the same.
Wish him luck please. He's going to try out for the water polo team. I know that he will succeed but a little good luck always helps.

Time to play....

I wanted to do my homework and practice drawing eyes SuziBlu style... I really did... but things quickly changed. First I made the most ridiculously sad face:
Then this alien looking creature:
Then Hana wanted to show me that the face should be rounder... and messed up an eye (which she fixed with an eye-patch):
Things got out of control. It helped that I received a perfect play-notebook from a dear friend:
And that I bought new color pencils today (after promising to myself that I will not buy any art supplies for a thousand years):
I had fun and just made crazy shapes, trying to use all colors available.
Did I mention that I love SuziBlu's class? Her videos are fun and informative and her pdf's are so good that I would love to have them printed as a book. She inspires creativity and fun and playfulness and I think that's exactly what I need now. Not to take myself seriously (and think about - why do I have a studio and what am I supposed to do now... be a 'real' artist or something). I felt like a 5 year old and I hope to repeat it soon.
Colorful kisses xoxoxoxoxo!

A list of 5 random things

1. I signed up for Suzi Blue's mixed media class! I know that it will be fun and informative, highly motivational and great.


2. I also joined the 100 day rawfu challenge. Today is day 12 that I've been eating only living, uncooked vegan food and I feel great.
3. I'm playing daily with these beauties... hoping that I'll be able to keep them alive and thriving.
4. I'm having a crush on Jaques. Yes, I named my new refrigerator. What a treat to finally be able to have a place for fresh produce. Apartment refrigerators are so small...
Actually, I'm having a huge crush on the whole kitchen. I cooked a lot my whole life and never had a kitchen like this. It's not finished... the window needs help and some other things... but it's almost there.
5. My art room is in a non-art mess right now. It is my next project - to clean it up and start unpacking my supplies. Many of my boxes are labeled "my studio mess" "more stuff" etc., but there is one box that I'm looking forward to open. This is what I wrote on it:
Can't wait for the creative frenzy part! Suzi Blue's classes start next week, which gives me enough time to prepare a table where I can play. Will you join me?