bye & thank you

I am leaving the blog world for a while. I don't like this feeling of being a part of it, but not really being there... It seems like everyone is growing and moving forward, and I'm unsuccessfully fighting to stay in place. I tried for the last year and a half to organize my life so that I can sneak in art in the work/family filled days, but it's just not happening. I was getting more and more frustrated and finally realized that I should embrace what life's giving me at this point and not fight it.

I am stepping out.

Love you all and wish you only good, happy things.
xoxoxo
Zorana

Enjoying the company

When I page through my journals most of the time I remember where I was/what was I feeling/thinking when I painted something. So, what will I remember about this page? That my 14-year old girl decided to spend an hour and a half watching me paint and not on her computer. Totaly unexpected for a Friday afternoon... She chatted away while I painted, giving coments from time to time (like - you gave her a mustache, she's starting to look cute etc.). When I said I don't know what to do with her hair (I left that for almost the end), Hana jumped in, took my brush and painted the hair without thinking twice. After she saw me strugling with the eyelashes, she did the same thing... I was amazed with the no-thinking way she just jumped into my painting. She wasn't second-guessing herself or overthinking it... just plunged into the paint and adding what she wanted. Needless to say - I love her additions and I love the time we spent together. That's what I'll think of when I see this page in years to come. Have a happy weekend!

An unexpected gift

Isn't it wonderful when you open your mailbox and find an unexpected gift happily looking at you? Something so different from the regular junk mail and bills... I took one glance at this amazing box and recognized Fiona's fine work. As you see, I couldn't wait to open it... (the photo came later).
I always admired journals made from many different papers and always wanted one for myself, but never made it. Could you imagine my surprise when I saw exactly what I wanted in the box? Every page different, on every page something to look at, different texture, color, a drawing, envelope, poem, handwriting... just beautiful! It feels like it doesn't need anything added... like it is a finished book with enough interesting things to make you want to open it again and again.My daughter rolled her eyes when she saw the cover. She said "Even your blog friends know that you are obsessed with your garden..." I had to laugh at that. What a perfect cover! Thank you Fiona! I don't know how I deserved this, but I'm very grateful and it made me very happy.
And about my obsession with the garden.... true.... very true.... I could spend hours just looking at it (and thankfully not having to do anything except water it and love it). The only art I managed in last who knows how many days was this cross-eyed girly and her radishes.

An ode to my glorious radishes... the first thing I grew from seed! To me it's pretty magical and amazing (not to mention crunchy and tasty).

Another weekend zoomed by.... too fast, as usual. The weather was amazing. No art... just playing in the garden, enjoying flowers, the colors of spring, planting a new baby tree (kumquat) and stressing out about taxes. Several salads and green smoothies have been enjoyed from the little garden already... I want to change my profession - I spent half of my life working in front of the computer; not I want to be a farmer. Have a happy week! xo

Thinking about you

What I found out while I painted this: if you use a pencil that is not EXTRA SOFT over your painting on plaster - it makes white lines, not black. It scratches easily, which is a cool effect when you want it, but not when you want dark black lines.

Listen

Journal page (painted over plaster tape).

Online class

I'm taking an online class at Nancy's Art Dolls and thought that some of you might want to join me. Don't let this weird photo scare you... It's just my first attempt after watching only one video (there are many more videos at this time). The funny creature in the front and green-eyed head in the back are Hana's sclupted heads. She found it interesting to watch me and asked if she can try to. We laughed a lot at each other's "head" because they looked like Yoda, or a surprised bald man or just something silly. It was funny, so expect pictures of many more weird looking characters.