Classwork from Experimental Watercolor with Alex Shur

I took 3 classes this year. The first was Experimental Watercolor with Alex Shur. Alex has a very interesting approach to watercolor painting. Whereas most of the time when we’re doing watercolor we decide upon our shapes and our subject, Alex creates backgrounds on quarter-parent sheets of watercolor paper. After they dry, she looks for objects in the backgrounds. It’s a very intuitive way of working. I have to admit that it took a bit for me to be able to get into that mode of searching for shapes in clouds, but once I did, I found quite a few things in the backgrounds. I still have to finish some of them, adding in some details and some white gouache or china white watercolor, but I like where this is going. Some of the images are really small. Others are larger, like 1/8 of the parent sheet of paper. It was a good exercise to get me out of the comfort zone I’ve been in lately with determining my painting subject before starting. I think it will be an exercise I use going forward.

Classwork from The Land of Odds with Katie Kendrick

The second class I took was with Katie Kendrick. Katie is a giving and loving soul. I’ve taken classes with her in the past. I mostly took the class because it was a different subject (not a face-painting class) and I just needed a dose of Katie! We brought to class five or six paintings from an artist who inspires us and used those as jumping off points. For me, it was Chagall’s paintings. In particular, I was drawn to his paintings of couples who appear to be flying or floating. I also like that he has more than one subject in his paintings. He seems to have things that appear unrelated, but are related to each other in the painting. I often paint just one main subject and then go back and finish off the background. So, like Alex’s class, this one was a good stretch for me. It was forcing me to embrace a less-detailed method of painting.

Classwork from The Land of Odds with Katie Kendrick

My third and final class was with the fabulous Judy Wise. Judy has so much expertise to share and there is always something to be learned in her classes. Judy is dynamic and giving as an instructor and a person. Her art has always fascinated me and I have some of her prints up in my studio. She shared with us how to get a multi-layered encaustic (wax) painting while using collage and acrylic painting techniques under the beeswax layer.

Classwork from Captured in Wax with Judy Wise

One distinct thing about Judy’s encaustic work is the black halo that is around the artwork and she was willing to share that technique with us. It was a fun class. I haven’t done collage in a while, so again, this stretched me as I created the main figure for my painting. She is made up of collage elements and paint – a combination to make her all mine. I’m not sure yet if she’s done, but she’s certainly on her way!

After Art Unraveled, Joanne and I went to Sedona for four days. I’ll post about that next!

In Flight - WIP

Last week, I returned to a canvas that I started back in December. It sat for a while. I just really doodled with the color. I wasn’t sure where it was going and I was working completely intuitively. Unfortunately, for all the time it sat there, I cannot find a photo of it before I revisited it. So, you’ll just have to believe me when I say it changed significantly. Like I often do, I worked intuitively, with an idea in mind, but not making myself focus on that. If something else developed then I’d help that to happen. And that is what happened in this case.

What did it turn into? Well, to me, it looks like someone flying over the darkness. It was over a desert at one point. I’m not sure it’s done yet. I think the face needs some detail, but maybe not. I’m planning to let it sit for a few weeks to see what I think when I step away from it for a while.

Como sketch based on a photo from our trip to Italy

And, while I was working through all the photos to create the posts about Italy, I thought it was time to use those photos for my art. I started to sketch from the photos. I created the sketch to the right from one of the photos. It’s done with watercolor and pen and ink. I tried out some new things, since that’s what I do in my journals. It was good practice for what I decided to do next.

Yesterday, I met Dave for lunch at his office. I think I’ve mentioned before that the majority of my art goes into his office or into our home’s decor. In this case, I had visited him and he needed something with more color. This time, he didn’t want medical art, just something with color. I love it when he asks for things like that. It gives me a chance to just do whatever! I immediately came home and pulled out two 10″ x 10″ canvases.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - first day

I planned to just use my acrylic paints but I had no direction from there. I decided to try something different for me. Using photos as inspiration, I started sketching out an image of a Menaggio alleyway. The way the buildings were all connected and created the streets in Menaggio was charming. So, I started with a rough sketch that ended as you see on the left. I let it sit and moved on to the next canvas.

Verrano Ferry Station - Day 1

I sketched an awning that is the entrance to the Verrano ferry station. I didn’t want it to be literal, but I wanted to start with the idea of it. I created some buildings behind it based upon the different buildings I saw when we were there. It ended like the image to the right last night.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - second day

So, this morning, I was all excited to get back to work on these canvases. I started with the Mennaggio alleyway and grabbed a black watercolor pencil to create some detail, including the delineation between buildings, adding a door and adding in some windows. I’m not sure about the placement of the door. I might need to push it back further into the painting for balance, but we’ll see. It’s not finished yet, but it’s done for today. I’ll likely pick it up tomorrow again for the third pass.

Verrano Ferry Station - day 2

In between allowing the layers on this to dry, I worked on the Verrano painting. It has changed drastically since yesterday. I lightened the center building, added more depth to the awning and changed some of the colors there. I even added some definition in the trees and balanced out the blue that is on the left with some blue tone in the building on the right. Like the other one, it’s not done yet. I still need to add in some details and it will be going through a third pass, as well.

I’m really enjoying these paintings. I’m trying hard to keep a balance between the inspiration and some abstraction. It’s a change for me from completely abstract or drawing from life – sort of a hybrid, but I’m glad I’m trying it.

More tomorrow!

Car and truck in front of us in our traffic jam on the Autostrade from Florence to Milan

Before we get to Milan itself, we have to talk about the drive from Florence. It was supposed to be three hours. But we got into a traffic jam. on the Autostrade on the way there. It took an hour for us to get through it. While we sat there, I did what I always do when we have time. I drew! I don’t often try to draw cars and trucks, since they’re so complicated and I have trouble getting the parts to fit together on paper, but I was really with this one!  I was, however, much happier when we started moving and heading to Milan.

First two levels of the Duomo, Milan, Italy

We got lost on our drive into Milan, but we finally found our hotel. We stayed at a very trendy hotel, Hotel Straf. The first thing we noticed was the crowd of people outside the hotel – on cusions and ottomans that were on the sidewalk and in the street that was closed off to traffic. I was concerned.

We were tired, we wanted a cozy hotel room where we could sleep and relax. We found this hotel as we find most of our hotels, through the Frommer’s guides. It was listed as a “find”. Well, it was, um, different. Very dark and sparse – in the lobby, the doors, the walls, the furniture were all black. If I hadn’t seen someone go in to the elevator, I would not have known it was there!

Corner of the Breakfast Room, Hotel Straf, Milan, Italy

When we got to our floor, there were no doorknobs. There were instructions on the key envelope describing how to open the doors. Not homey at all! We were tired and hungry. Luckily, there was room service, which we called as soon as our luggage arrived.

This was the art in our room at the Hotel Straf

The room’s decor was quite sparse, too. Concrete floors and walls, black furniture (if you want to call a slab of wood furniture), and a large painting in black and off-white.

The next morning, we went for breakfast downstairs in the hotel. There was, well, some interesting techno music playing very loudly. The room was sparse – incredibly sparse.

Milan's Duomo with its Gothic feel

The techno music was jarring. It was an interesting way to start off the morning, even if it’s not our choice of how to do so. We shall never forget Hotel Straf for its trendiness and sparse industrial feel.

Center door to Milan's Duomo

We walked around Milan, exploring. Near our hotel was the Duomo, another amazing structure. I, of course, had to draw it and did! We were across the Piazza Duomo at a cafe when I drew this. It was interesting to draw it from so far away, with so much detail I inevitably missed. But I got a feel for it. As we got closer, though, I realized just how much artistry went into this structure – sculptures, frescoes, niches… Every time I looked at it up close, I noticed something else I hadn’t before.

Piazza Del Duomo, Milan, Italy

There was, however, quite a bit of incongruity in this part of Milan. There, next to the Duomo was a huge screen. On the screen, advertisements flashed. It seemed so out of place and I didn’t quite know how to talk about it. So, instead, I took the photo to the left.

Modern Sculpture next to Duomo, Milan, Italy

And you may see below it and to the left in the corner there is a red statue. It is outside of one of the museums, there was a large red modern sculpture that interested me. As we got closer, I saw that it was not just a red sculpture; it was also interactive with very dark music and dark text all over it. As we got closer, I noticed that there were steps leading into the sculpture so you could walk through it. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but its incongruity next to the Duomo was intriguing.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Historic Centre

We walked around the shopping area near the Duomo and just did some window shopping. There was nothing we couldn’t live without, with the exception of a new artist’s journal from the Fabriano Boutique. Otherwise, we just enjoyed our one full day in the city by walking around. We had a flight the next morning out of Malpensa and needed to go back to the room to pack. We decided to grab dinner at a little restaurant a few blocks from the Duomo, where the menu looked good. The restaurant was the Royal Cafe, and the food was excellent! A great way to spend our last evening.

Street View from the Royal Cafe, Milan

You can see some photos of our trip that I’ve not highlighed in the past few posts by going to my flickr set. Thanks for joining us on our trip!

View from our hotel room in Piazza della Signoria

Goodness! It appears to be taking me longer to tell you about my trip than it did to actually take it!

So here we go!

Onward to Firenze (Florence)! The drive to Florence was uneventful, which we like. The drive was beautiful. We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast, Residenza d’Epoca in the Piazza della Signoria. Each room has its own decor and flavor based on an artist. We stayed in the Leonardo room, overlooking the Piazza. What a fabulous view! (see right) Just behind those statues is the Uffizi.

Carousel at Piazza Della Republica Firenze, Italy

We walked around Florence, to the markets and ended up in the Piazza della Republica for our daily gelato and espresso. We went to Gilis - a cafe that has been in Florence since 1733 – and we lucked out. They also had sorbet, which meant I could enjoy some cool refreshment, too! While we sat there, among all the grey Parisian-style buildings, was a colorful carousel. It just begged to be drawn! So I drew it and the building behind it. With more time to sit, I decided I needed to draw some more, and so I drew a window from across the Piazza from the cafe. The architecture is so staid and yet there is so much life in the streets – street vendors, people talking on cell phones and rushing to meetings, and tourists taking photos and looking at menus.

Window at the Piazza della Republica, Firenze, Italy

Ponte Vecchio, Firenze, Italy

We, of course, walked over the Ponte Vecchio, which was right near our hotel. What a crazy place! People everywhere! We looked at a lot of the fabulous jewelry there, but didn’t buy anything.

We decided that there was so much to see that we needed to get some tours in. We took the most amazing tours with Artviva.

We highly recommend them.

Lamp Post in Firenze, Piazza della Republica

We took two tours with them, The David Tour and the Original Florence Walk. Seeing Michelangelo’s David in person is a breathtaking experience. I can’t even begin to explain how amazing the sculpture is in person. And our tour guide for this tour is, himself, a marble sculptor, so we had his fabulous perspective. We learned all about the history of the statue, of Michelangeo’s life and how he came to create the David.

Duomo tower in Florence

The next morning, our last in Florence, we took the three-hour Original Florence Walk. I was concerned, since it was toward the end of our trip and it was a lot of walking, but it was so fascinating that I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. Our tour guide had a great social history perspective and clearly had studied art history, as well. The tour was incredibly interesting and exhausting! Afterwards, we went to lunch.

Reflection of the Palazzo Vecchio in a window across the Piazza della Signoria

I did a lot of drawing and we really enjoyed our time in Florence. After lunch, we headed out on our trip to Milan. More on that tomorrow!

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

Venice, known as the City of Love. Also known as the reason we went to Italy in the first place: Dave was invited to speak at a European neurology conference. We were forewarned that the canals were less than pleasant; however, they dreged the canals a few years ago and we noticed no major smell. That was a huge relief!

On to the fun part!

Just one of the many ornate windows at the Basilica San Marco

The conference put us up at the Hotel Carlton Grand Canal. It’s across the canal from the train station.

Boats docked across the Grand Canal in Venice, italy

It was a great location and there was a lovely bistro right near our hotel that had good food at very reasonable prices. The drawing to the left was done while we were sitting at that bistro. So many small boats were tethered to the posts in the canal. It really is amazing to see a city that has absolutely no form of transportation other than boats and walking. It really has such a different feel to it. The streets are made for walking (even if the walking is uneven on the stone and brick paths), the bridges are wide and the steps on those bridges are not steep. It’s really not the type of place you want to visit with a wheelchair, though. Especially if you don’t plan to ride boats everywhere. But there were a few bridges that had ramps in addition to the steps.

Gondola Station, Venice, Italy

We did lots of walking. I was really glad I had my quad cane with me. Between that and Dave’s arm, I was able to get around pretty well.

The food in Venice was good everywhere. There was nothing we didn’t enjoy. I ate a lot of seafood while we were there, fresh caught from the Adriatic. The food was easy to eat, even with my allergies. There was something on every menu that I could eat. What a relief!

Door of a building near the Jewish Ghetto across the canal from where we sat.

We wandered through many of the streets of Venice, window shopping and choosing the right pieces of Murano glass to take home. The streets of Venice are small and the buildings are cramped together. Then, all of a sudden you walk into this area that could fit several football fields in it and it’s the Piazza San Marco. Amazing. The sculptures, frescoes, and architecture… The money and time that went into this is incredible.

Next, follow us on our trip to our next destination, Firenze!

Verona, Italy

“Two households both alike in dignity, In fair Verona where we lay our scene.” – Shakespeare

Drawing of the view from our table at Alle Fogge in Verona, Italy

Seriously, could an English & American Literature major miss the opportunity to visit the setting of Shakespeare’s greatest known tragic love story, Romeo & Juliet? Certainly not this one! Verona is such a beautiful city. We really enjoyed our day there.

Juliet's Balcony, Verona, Italy.

We stayed at the Due Torri Baglioni Hotel. It’s a beautiful hotel. The rooms were lovely, and it’s located in the Piazza St. Anastasia, right next to a lovely Basiclica St. Anastasia. We stopped a few blocks down the street from it to have lunch on Alle Fosse.

From there, we walked through Verona and really enjoyed the size of the city. It’s a small enough city that we could cover most of it in a day and still relax and enjoy it. We walked to the Piazza Bra, where there is an original Coliseum still standing and still in use. They were preparing for what looked like a production of Antony & Cleopatra.

Festival in the Piazza Bra, Verona, Italy

Lamp Post, Verona, Italy

At the Piazza, we sat and went for coffee and gelato (Dave, of course, had the gelato!) while I drew a picture of one of the tents in the festival that was going on in the Piazza. There were, for the most part, food tents. From our seat at the cafe, I could see this cheese tent (left) that I just had to draw. And then I noticed this fabulous lamp post and, of course, I needed to draw that, as well. I love that all the lamp posts that used to run by gas or candle are now retro-fitted to be electric. It adds such a flavor to the cities.

Verona's Coliseum preparing for a new production. Verona, Italy

That evening, we had reservations at one of the smallest restaurants we’ve ever been to, Arche. It’s family-owned and run, since it opened in 1879! Rather than having a wait staff that takes the orders, Chef Giancarlo Gioco comes out to meet each guest and discuss the menu. Their specialty is seafood and the fod was cooked completely without anything I was allergic to. The meal was, by far, the very best we had in our entire time in Italy – and that’s saying something, since all the food was great!

We left the next morning for Venice. I’ll be telling you all about that in the next installment of our trip!

Menaggio, Italy

We had a fantastic vacation in Italy. We got back last week, and I’ve been slowly coming out of the jet lag and I just had a treatment on Monday. Now, however, I’m feeling much stronger and I’m ready to tell you all about my trip and to share photos and drawings. There’s so much to share that I’ll be sharing in several segments over the next week or so.

Menaggio, Italy - View from Grand Hotel Menaggio

We arrived in Milan at 6pm local time. Knowing how tired we’d be, we stayed overnight at an airport hotel. It’s a good thing we did. We were completely exhausted an hour later and almost fell asleep at dinner!

Wall along the lake at Grand Hotel Menaggio

The next morning, we had breakfast and left for Lake Como. It was about a two-hour drive, and after we got out of Milan, it was a pretty drive. I started taking photos from the car once we got to the Lake Como region. If there’s a traffic light or we slow down at all, I’ve got my camera out. It makes Dave laugh, but at least he doesn’t have to stop every five minutes for me to capture the photos!

Via Della Rose, Menaggio, Italy

We got to our hotel near lunchtime. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Menaggio, which was lovely. The rooms were so pretty and we had a lovely hotel staff that was so very accommodating – just what you want in a hotel staff, right? Each day, Dave and I would take a walk to the Piazza at Mennaggio. We passed the building I drew on the Via Della Rose every day, so I just had to draw it! Menaggio is a small town that has a lovely square thatn is edged by with gelato stands and cafès. While Dave had his daily gelato, I had my expresso and drew. There was always something to draw!

Clock in the Piazza Menaggio

The Piazza’s clock was so interesting to me. I actually didn’t even notice it for the first day! But once I did, I was enchanted and I knew I needed to draw it along with the person sitting on the bench behind it.

Our second day in the Lake Como region, we decided to take a drive down to Tremezzo. Villa Carlotta is there. It’s a late 17th Century villa built with gardens, fountains and sculptures.

Villa Carlotta Botanical Gardens - Cactus

Villa Carlotta Botanical Gardens - Bell Tower and Dome

Inside the villa are priceless paintings and sculptures. Outside is a fabulous botanical garden. We were surprised to see a cactus garden as part of the gardens. The juxtaposition of the cactus with the heavily wooded areas was quite surprising. I didn’t ever think that cactus would grow that far north unless it was kept inside. Shows what I know about horticulture! But we had such lovely weather and so we sat on a bench that overlooked the lake from the top level of the villa. From there, I just had to find something to draw. There was a cool domed building just below us and I drew that (right). I think it was the ticket office and gift shop of the Villa and Gardens.

Bellagio's small streets - large enough for a car and for shoppers to squeeze against the walls to allow the cars to pass

Our last day in the Como region, we decided we really wanted to see Bellagio. It’s one of the main tourist attractions in the region and we had heard so many cool things about it. It would have been a two-hour drive on windy roads that would have gotten me sick. So, we made the decision to brave the ferry. Now, for those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that I get seasick on land with no provocation, so going on the boat was a huge leap of faith. We figured, though, that we’d be in Bellagio and take the first ferry back, if necessary. No such back-up plan was necessary. I was fine on the trip from Menaggio to Bellagio. No problem at all! And so worth the risk!

Verrano, Italy from the Ferry

We had a fabulous day in Bellagio. We walked up and down the very steep streets and did some window shopping. I took a ton of photos, and then we went to lunch. We found a nice little restaurant on the lake and enjoyed people-watching while we ate. After lunch we went back up the hill to see what we had missed.
We returned on the ferry to Menaggio for our final evening. Unfortunately, I did get vertigo from the trip back to Menaggio, but a short nap helped me get past that. I was even up to drawing. We sat out on our balcony and I drew the wall surrounding the balcony. It’s one of my favorite drawings from Menaggio. I was fine for dinner and the next morning’s adventures.

More on our trip tomorrow! In the meantime, you can see more of my photos from this portion of the trip here; my drawings from this portion here.

Yesterday I had my treatment. We had to move my treatment up because my vertigo has been hitting with a vengeance. I’m doing better – though I do have the lovely side-effects of the medication: nausea, fatigue… Lovely, eh?

And so today, while dealing with these lovely side-effects, I have the added stress of the election.  I have been impatiently watching the news, changing the channel when it gets too upsetting. And, no the returns have not come out yet. The upsetting part is that in this great nation, the nation that is the beacon for democracy, we have people who are kept from their given right to vote. I suspect I’ll stay up as long as I can to find out about the outcome. Though, honestly, with all the problems out there, it could be a few days. I’m trying to keep myself grounded.

And, as usual, to keep myself grounded, I am sitting in the studio. I have spent some time today going through magazines that have piled up – recycled some to a friend; others I’ll see if another friend wants. If not, to Freecyle they go… I’ve also done some journaling. There is very little to show but this past week’s CreativeTherapy result:

Catalyst 34 - A Song That Brings Back Memories

As long as I can remember, listening to music has been a part of my life. It was hard to pick just one to focus on, but as I went through iTunes to find a song that made me smile with a memory, I came across Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot”. It’s an odd song for a memory, but really, it brings back memories for me.

When I was growing up, I had a close friend, Jeanmarie, who lived around the corner from me. Late in junior high school, we started an annual tradition. The night before the first day of school each year, we would walk for about a mile to a playground, talking about the year ahead, our nerves and anxiety about the first day of school, teachers, etc. Jean Marie was the first one who taught me how to wear make-up. Jean Marie and I were huge Pat Benatar fans and we went to her concert together in the early 80s. We had such a great friendship and a lovely tradition. This song brings back the memory of that annual walk and daily connections at the bus stop.

Art Every Day Month

I’ve joined two challenges this week, as well:

Art Every Day Month – sponsored by the fabulous Leah. The idea is for us to add creativity and art to our lives every day. Admittedly, with the vertigo and treatment I’ve been a bit lax in my art. However, I have spent some time reading, doodling in my journal, and catching up on blogs. All, I think, are creative endeavors.

and

Embrace the Face

Embrace the Face, which I found through a few blogs I follow. If nothing else, it will force me to get out my paints and paint at least one face each month. That will be good practice. This month’s topic is “lace” and I’ve drawn the basic image. I’m going to set up my palate in a moment… Painting grounds me in a way that nothing else does, so I’m off to be “in the moment” with my brushes and my paints.

Have a great Election Day!

Sedona Morning - Pen and Ink with watercolor on 140# CP Watercolor Paper

Ah, really, there is nothing like the feeling of driving into Sedona. There is something about seeing those majestic red rock formations that just forces me to relax. It is one of the reasons I wanted to spend my birthday weekend up there. Another reason is that I am always inspired by the beauty of Sedona to pull out my sketchbook and try to capture these fabulous formations. In short, it was a fabulous weekend.

Dave and I did a lot of relaxing, driving around, nice dinners, and napping. The weather during the day was in the mid to upper 80s and so we even sat by the pool a few days. In the mornings and evenings, though, it was heavenly.

Pen and Ink Drawing of the View from the Pool at Amara Resort & Spa

Each day we went to our favorite Sedona breakfast place, The Coffee Pot. Their menu is huge – 101 omelettes! There is always something good to eat there and, of course, plenty of coffee flows through the breakfast. We then would go for a drive around town, looking for some great views for me to photograph or draw; dreaming of what it would be like to own a home up there and to be able to escape the city more often… Ah, dreaming…

Each day after breakfast, we chose a different activity, depending upon what we felt like doing. Friday, we drove around then went for coffee, where I drew while Dave read the newspaper. From there, we decided to walk around town and window shop. Friday evening, we had a lovely dinner at Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante. It was a lovely evening.

View from Sedona Community Center Park Bench

The second day, we started to wander a different way and we ended up on the road to Flagstaff. So, we took it as a sign that Saturday was to be our day in Flagstaff. That, however, turned out to be poor timing. While we had a lovely time, it turned out that this was the date of the Northern Arizona University Homecoming celebration. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen drunk college kids at 10 am. The bars were hopping, the students were plastered, and we were feeling very old! We walked around a bit, but got out of there before the parade started – just in the nick of time!

Saturday evening, we had dinner reservations at Yavapai restaurant at the Enchantment Resort. The food was phenomenal. They handled my many allergies with aplomb and the atmosphere was fabulous. Unfortunately, we got there after sunset, so I did not get to see what I’m told is an amazing view. I suppose this means we’ll need to go back again soon!

Pen & Ink with Watercolor Drawing of View from Sedona Community Center Bench

Sunday we decided to pick up a copy of the New York Times to read during breakfast. After eating, we found a place to sit and enjoy the weather. We sat outside at the Sedona Community Center, which is a huge complex of picnic areas, soccer fields, playgrounds, baseball diamonds, etc. As in most places in Sedona, there was an amazing view, so I enjoyed the view by drawing and painting while Dave caught up on the news. We went to Tlaquepaque, which is an area filled with restaurants and galleries. We had a nice and relaxing lunch at Rene, a restaurant in the Tlaquepaque area. We were both tired, so we sat and read for a while and then had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Hundred Rox. The food, again, was fabluous.

On Monday, we woke ready to head home. As much as I enjoy a weekend away, there truly is nothing better than being back in my own bed! We had breakfast, sat outside for one final drawing (which is not yet finished, but I’ll post it later in the week) and then we checked out of the hotel. We came home to catch up and enjoy the rest of the day in our home.

All in all, it was a fabulous way to spend my birthday. I came home to 10 phone messages from friends and family and many emails and e-cards wishing me a happy birthday. I feel so blessed to have all of these people in my life. Mostly, though, I’m so blessed to have felt well enough to enjoy every moment of the weekend with Dave and without my cane.

Last week I had my treatment. It was a difficult one. I’m just starting to feel better, but I’m still quite fatigued and having some of the negative effects of it.

Catalyst 30 - The decision to go to Brandeis University has shaped my life.

CreativeTherapy Catalyst 30: What’s a decision you made that ended up determining the direction of your life? (Or at least had a strong effect on how your life turned out.)

This one was easy for me to choose. The decision I made that shaped the rest of my life happened 23 years ago. I decided to leave Florida and attend Brandeis University, in Waltham, MA. I had only seen pictures of Brandeis. I had never been on campus, and I had an alumni interview in Miami. The day I arrived at Brandeis was the first time I had actually seen it. It was magical. From the beginning, the first thing I saw was the Usen Castle. It is a remnant of Middlesex college, which the property originally came from. Another important symbol for me at Brandeis was the Chapel Pond. It is a reflection pond, surrounded by three chapels. They were constructed so that at no time does one chapel overshadow another. The chapels are a symbol of the unity of all religions and tolerance. For me, they were a place of peace. I would often sit on the wall around the reflection pool and write or think.

Attending Brandeis really did shape the rest of my life. I met some of my best friends there. I felt safe, I grew as a person, and I found my voice through writing. It was because of my decision to go to Brandeis and to be involved in campus activities that I landed my first job out of college, I had the skills to get a second job, and I met my husband. The greatest joys of my life are the result of this decision.

Technique Highlight: Pen and ink with watercolor washes on 90# watercolor paper.

Catalyst 31 - Book that impacted my life

Catalyst 31: What novel or book impacted your life and why?

I don’t remember how old I was when I first read Death Be Not Proud. The book is filled with wisdom about living your life with courage and with purpose, taking every advantage you can in the limited time we all have. It’s part of how I personally have lived my life with chronic illness.

Technique Highlight: Background: 140# CP Watercolor paper sprayed with Color Mists. Scrapbook paper cut up and doodled on; text written by hand of a quote from John Gunther’s book, Death Be Not Proud.

There’s more to share, but I’ll save it for tomorrow. Have a great week!