sitting here chatting with pals, sipping some tazo calm that b made for me and thinking of all the goodness my life holds. so here we go................
1. my new etsy shop.kellybarton.etsy. please stop by and check it out. i will be keeping the happygirl shop through the end of the year too! we would love to see you there. best part. there will be plenty of holiday sales, new baubles, orginals and cards. perfect holiday gifts! also....a giveaway, very soon!
2. my new little art studio, here in town at the athens of indiana art and studios. i am so happy to be part of some amazing local artists. if you are a local, please stop by and support our local arts. art saves!
3. the support i receive, the cheers i hear and the love i feel . thank you
4. watching miss clancy finish the 500 free tonight and see her beat her old time.
5. the to do list, although full. seeing all that i have ticked off since october. if feels so good to be moving again
the wayfarer . canon beach . love . . . . . . . . . . I give thanks for arriving Safely in a new dawn, For the gift of eyes To see the world, The gift of mind To feel at home In my life, The waves of possibility Breaking on the shore of dawn, The harvest of the past That awaits my hunger, And all the furtherings This new day will bring. {john o'donohue, on waking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
reflecting on the past year, even on those bumpy days that sadness and anger swirled around me. i see the hope and blessings that greet me each day.
.three healthy . funny . gorgeous little beings who are mine
.a partner in crime who is secure enough to be married to me
.a warm home with the studio on top
.my tribe who sends me energy . friendship . love from afar
.a community of friends that we love and gather with here
.parents that pretty much hung the moon, siblings to match. nieces and nephews that make me laugh and who tell me.... aunt kelly did you make that, who wear my baubles and nephews who curl their noses when they see me, like i am the old auntie with too much lipstick, ready to smooch their cheeks.
.my nutty girl mind that pushes me forward with my brushes and bag of color
.and you. yep you whoever is reading this, visiting this blog and supporting me. my art . my vision . my life
this i know to be true, even on the hairiest of days, life is filled with some good stuff.
today i will sit with bryce and my girl cheri' and soak it all up.
my your day be filled with warm laughter, the nourishment you crave and love. and if you sit alone today. know you aren't alone. i am here sending a little lite and a few giggles your way.
yesterday bryce and i packed up the car full of my pieces of art and headed downtown to our new art gallery and studios. i am honored to be the november featured artist. when nina first asked me i of course said i would do it. then reality set in and the demons got the best of me. i had numerous paintings sitting on the studio floor to be finished, a week long art retreat in october and a holiday show the day before i was to hang my art. yup...once again, kelly chose to bite off the biggest piece of sweetness only to get a slap of reality. time and creative minds don't always add up. but last week i came home from squam by the sea, and for the first time of three years of retreats....i felt renewed. i mean don't get me wrong i always feel renewed after each retreat. the problems lies in coming home and crashing. by the grace of the universe - this time - i was able to find my mojo.
so yesterday as marlene and nina hung my artwork. marlene the ever so sassy designer, walked around with her hand on her chin...something was missing. we had removed the primary color blocked rug, major clash. she just wasn't quite feeling it. i sat back and let her do her work. never once worried. because i trusted her creativity. all the while...poor bryce, already out of his athletic element, was figgiting. he made lists on his cell phone for me, he answered text and he stood there wide eyed watching marlene think.
ah-ha! my unfinished dress form. she said, "don't finish it just yet. lets use it - to show your process. i wanted to cry...happy tears. because so often people ask me what my process is and i have a hard time explaining. but the dress form - i can be used as a creative visual in the little room that holds my artwork.
so again...i left feeling renewed. i had new energy, new ideas and the best part of the day. nina and marlene asked me to paint my "featured artist" board. of course. i knew what i would do with it.
today i am in the studio....finishing my board before i have to work at the course. my heart and mind are full of what my path is filled with. this time, not worrying about leaving the bread crumbs pointing towards home. in this moment, i have a clear view, no longer lost. ............................
support your local arts . support arts . because art saves!
athens of indiana arts studios & gallery crawfordsville, in a project for the arts made possible by Crawfordsville Main Street.
