I Live Here

WHEW! On Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. I finished my last painting for my July show titled, " I Live Here". It features different images from life here in Alaska. After many starts and stops and frustration I finally brought it all together with not much time to spare.

I was feeling free and easy on Wednesday. After having a schedule that required me to be easel focused I decided to take my puppy for a nice walk. Ahhhhh, great way to clear the mind and celebrate 8 fresh paintings.

Off we went with a spring in my step. My step soon became a shuffling moon walk of sorts when I came upon a moose cow with a baby. A moose mom is deadlier than a bear so we about faced and headed a different way. Ahhh 'I Live Here' you know, just a beautiful reminder of this great state.

Plan B came screeching to a halt when a moose mom with twins poked her head out of the woods. Poked her clearly crabby head out of the brush. Even Ginzee slinked away, that moose had a fierce stink eye! Heh, heh 'I Live Here' you know. Moose everywhere. Just a slight inconvenience, no big deal.

Plan C was in full motion when we came upon a black bear. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I LIVE HERE YA KNOW! I stood weighing my options and best route of survival. Still wanting to "Live Here" by the end of the day. I mean, how much wildlife can you pack in a 2 mile span?

We took our chances with our route back home. I was twitchy,the dog was twitchy. Ginzee would flinch, then I would flinch, then she would flinch from my flinching. We were a twitching mess when we finally hit the relative safety of our yard.

Alaska is amazing everyday. True, I was a bit fussed when I got back home but not everyone gets to see that much wildlife on a simple dog walk. That is why when ever a tourist says, "Where are you from?" I smile and answer, " I live here".

Was it Worth It?

In 1994 I was standing on the bow of a small expedition style boat. The sun was beaming down as the boat cruised through the waters of Baja. I was teary with joy as I watched a huge pod of dolphins playing in the bow wake of the boat. It was amazing and I couldn't believe I was there absorbing it all. At that moment I watched one of my earrings flip out of my ear and drop into the water. I gasped in horror.

Those earrings were given to me by Steve when we were dating. It was one of those big events for me. An unexpected gift that couldn't be more my taste, my style, it was like I realized he really 'got me'.

The woman next to me heard the gasp and saw the earring. We were silent for a moment, forgetting the dolphin show. She looked at me and said, " Was it worth it?" Yeah, it was REALLY worth it.

The above photo is me, about 3 days later,petting a baby grey whale in the middle of Bahia Magdalena at about 6 in the morning. There is no civilization around and the quiet is blissful. The earring had been long forgotten. I rank this in the top 10 amazing moments of my life.

I find myself asking, "Is it worth it?" a lot as I make decisions for art show and projects. Recently I did a 'mini show'. It was only on display for two weeks. I made $50. When I added up my time and my gas it was WELL over $50. It wasn't not worth it. It's a frustrating gamble.

As I prepare for my next book, my next show, my next project I hope it is worth it. Sadly, when you start the journey you don't know what will be the end result. But it's hard to say no to a new adventure. Who knows, you may pet a baby whale in the wilds of Baja.

Visions of Beauty

Like every teenager, my mother did things I thought were horrifyingly embarrassing. My mom's hair has a natural curl. Many days we would be traveling here and there. Mom always kept a Velcro curler in the car's console. Growing up in Michigan meant dealing with the summer humidity. Mom always wanted her bangs to be curl free. Here was her solution.

She would put on her seat belt and then using the rear view mirror carefully place her bangs onto the curler. Then she would say, " Now Gina Lynn, remind me to take this out when we get out of the car." As if I would WANT her to leave to car in that condition. You know people can see you at the stop signs! We lived in a very small town everyone knew our car. And sometimes after looking at her in the curler for so long I wouldn't see it any more and she would get out of the car with it in! I vowed then and there that I would NEVER have my appearance be an embarrassment.

When I hit thirty my hair too developed a curl. But no worry, I let my bangs curl wild and free. No curlers for me. No public humiliation moments. Then the Fed Ex guy showed up.

I was in the zone. Paint brushes flying, music pounding when I heard someone walking up the steps. Without a thought I gave a big smile and opened the door. Being the friendly, chatty person I am I proceeded with some witty banter before he hustled on. As I turned to place the package down I caught my reflected in the glass.

I was wearing both my sunglasses and my painting reader glasses on my head. I had two pieces of hair perfectly sticking straight up above the glasses. I had paint on my face and a ratty, very used kleenex sticking out of my chest pocket. I was the mad scientist of the art world! What happened? Where did I lose control? I could hear my mom crackling in my head, getting me back for all those eye rolls of my teenage hood.

Okay, okay so maybe she's right. But at least there wasn't a curler in sight!

Top Secret

Whew, I finally got on my way with my July show titled " I Live Here". I decided to do some Alaska images, the cool things about living in this amazing state.

My sketch book went through a lot of erasing, crumpling and scribbling before I found what I wanted to do. Sadly, I do not have a sketch book that you want to show around. You honestly might think I kindergartner got a hold of it. No, I am not joking.

Have you ever seen the sketches of Degas? Many of them are now on display at museums. I stood in the Chicago Art Institute once studying one of his sketches. Of course it was brilliant, because it's Degas but how would he feel? If he could travel in time and suddenly be present in front of his sketches hung on the wall would he be horrified? Would he think, " Who found that? Who FRAMED that?" I know that is how I would feel.

I have seen other artists sketch books and felt many of the 'loose sketches' were fabulous art already. Mine....not so much. I have even taken on line journaling/sketches classes trying to improve. Then I think who has time to journal and sketch, I have art to create!

So let me just let the world know, if I become wildly famous one hundred years from now, PLEASE don't hang my sketches for the world to see. I would hate to be shown up by kindergartners.

Report Cards

My report cards were always the same. "Gina is a joy to have in class but she talks to much and disturbs others students from their work". Was it my fault I was a fast worker, leaving time in every class for socializing? Hmmm, I bet that would probably be my report card even now!

I liked school and I even liked most my teachers. Even if their reports made my mom give me the scowling, disappointed face. Now, when I visit schools to talk about my book, "If We Hopped on Our Bike..." I see myself in every class. I have visited 6th grade down to pre-school and there I am every time. The eager hand in the air, asking questions when the speaker is in the middle of a sentence ( sigh....I still do that). Some kids raise their hands only to be struck with shyness the moment my attention turns to them. Yeah, I NEVER had that problem. When I ask for a volunteer there is a mini version of me snapping her arm out of the socket to get picked. How some things never change.

I had a great time visiting Scenic Park schools. The above picture shows the awesome art they created for me as a thank you. All the students traced their hands with their names on a giant thank you card. I even got a group hug before I left. It was great.

I hope to visit more schools next season. I always enjoy myself, always learn something and always leave with better ideas of how my next presentation should be. The best part? I am always expected to talk in class.

Stuck

I feel like this puppy. Stuck. I have a show in a few months. I had several ideas I was anxious to work on. They all seem to be reluctant to become brilliant. I have tweaked and sketched and consulted and whimpered and begged.....but nothing.

Artist block isn't new to me. I have experienced it before and probably under the same deadline situation. But now it seems worse! I go to bed every night hoping I will be struck instead of stuck. I am trying to keep the panic at bay while I gather my creative cells and throw them a party. But now they all seem to be hung over and disinterested in my plight! How dare they, I even gave them cheese doodles.

During these times my studio changes from being a haven to a torture chamber. Every tool seems to be rolling their eyes at me. "PLLLLeeeease, that's the best you can do?" Didn't they use to love me?

I will carry on. Hunched and pathetic I will endure the insults while waiting for my creative cells to get their act together. Until then, more cheese doodles.

Wild Ride

Have you ever seen the Blue Man Group? I have been thinking for a few days what I should say about the concert we went to on Tuesday. On the way home I asked my husband how he would explain the show. He was a little speechless as well.

I guess I would call it a great, funny rock/percussion concert that was amazingly creative. During the segment shown above, they take a canvas and place it over the drum as it is being played. The splashing colors create an original piece of art. They do this again with dye filled marshmallows spitting the color out of their mouth and onto a canvas.

Later in the evening they take someone from the audience, dress them in a full jumpsuit, paint them, hang them from their ankles and swing them into a canvas. No, I am not kidding. Oh, they did put a helmet on them. You know, safety first.

The really cool thing is that the art was given to people in the audience. Think of how much people who had seen the show would pay for a piece of the art. But they all make it part of the fun. And it was really, really fun.

If you get a chance to see them perform you are in for an amazing ride. I came home feeling creatively recharged. Hmmm, if I only I had a jump suit, a helmet, a pulley and......hey Steve?