Decisions

Last week we explored the first inkling of a love for art. Have you figured out what yours was? If you have, would love to hear about it.
One decision in my life has always brought me to a point where I wonder if I should have taken the other turn at the fork in the road.
During high school, the art room was one of my favorite places to hang out. Our teacher had an open mind about art and no one had to fit into a box. She accepted whatever form of art spoke to you and helped you on the path to exploring it. I think of her often and a smile comes to my heart.
I loved "playing" with oil paints and could get lost in my painting often being surprised when the bell rang which was a signal to move to the next class. Oh how I wanted to just stay there and paint the day away. I remember one painting I completed and when it was done, my art teacher said it was "meltidelicious." Now, I am sure that Webster never heard of that word (mores the pity) but to me that was the greatest complement. With pride, I gave that painting to my parents, only to find out later that they had sold it. Mores the pity again!!
Which leads me to the decision I did make that often leaves me wondering if it
was the right one. After starting college, I realized that this type of education was not for me; but not really being prepared for the work world I then found myself in, I knew I needed some sort of further education. Throughout high school I never took any "practical" classes, just classes to further myself for college, and back in the 60's the "jobs" for women consisted largely of either factory work or secretarial work. So, enrolling in Prospect Hall (which was a secretarial school for young ladies) when Layton School of Art was right across the street, seemed like the best solution. Prospect Hall was a refined school that taught proper workplace dress, attitude and manners, along with typing, Gregg shorthand, filing, etc. When I think of that, I can't help but think that a lot of youth could benefit from those classes in this present time.
Looking back, I can't help but wonder how my life would have been different had I enrolled in Layton School of Art instead of the one I did choose. Do you have one of those moments? Do you wonder about decisions made?
On the other hand, looking back, If I had made that decision, I probably wouldn't have what I have now. My greatest treasure in life is being called Mom by three wonderful children and there is nothing I would change about that, so perhaps, rather than wonder if I made the right decision, I should be thankful that indeed I did make the right one.
Do you have some questions about decisions you have made?


Stay tuned


Lyndson
contributing Artist
Seranya Studios Art Boutique

Where Did It Come From

Did you ever wonder where your artistic talent came from? do you just have a 7th sense of art? Could it be inherited, or could it be acquired? These are all great questions and I am sure there are as many answers to that question as their are artists to answer them.
I always wondered why I loved anything artistic. Were my parents artistic? Was it a part of my childhood? The answer to both of those questions is no, it was not. Being adopted, I always "assumed" that my biological parents must have been artistic and I inherited it from them because my adopted parents were not inclined in that direction at all. 
Looking back, my favorite class in grade school was penmanship, and let me tell you this goes way back. When I was in grade school, there wasn't any kindergarten, you started out in 1st grade when you were five and had three grades in one room.(Gosh, that is only a stones throw away from walking to school five miles, uphill both ways in a blizzard.) I loved making those sweeping letters and "creating" a page full of perfect letters that made up the alphabet. Oh how I hated it when the pen would drip and a "splotch" appeared on that perfect paper because that ruined my creation. Yes, we had pens that you had to fill up with ink from an ink bottle that sat in that perfect little circle on your desk.
While the other classes were in session I was busy spending my time creating my alphabet Picasso. Sad that this has become a lost art.
For the rest of my grade school experience, art was not a part of the curriculum and I didn't get to revisit it until High school.
(We will delve into that story next week) After dabbling in several mediums and enjoying them all, other interests took hold and the years went by without really digging deep into any form of Artistic endeavor.
In later life while searching for my birth family, I found a person with a name I was looking for who was a professor of art at a prestigious college.  My heart skipped a beat as I surely thought, this is where I must have gotten my love of art, only to be disappointed when I found out it was the wrong person with the "right" name. Back to square one.
Through the years, the question has always been with me but I find it less and less intimidating as to where it came from and more and more thankful that it is part of my makeup.
What is your first recollection of being artistic? Do you feel that it was inherited, or encouraged as a young person? What steps did you take to your current situation?


Stay tuned as we research this----


Lyndson
Contributing Artist, Seranya Studios Art Boutique

Cherish the Quiet

As I was sitting here with my fingers posed over the keyboard, my mind went blank and neither my fingers nor my mind would work. Then, a little voice in the back of my head heard a message that one of the artists said at our meeting last Saturday morning at Seranya Studios Art Boutique. "Let is come to you." Such simple words and yet so profound.
So many times one forces themselves to move forward, or backward, either revisiting a prior passion in art or pursuing a new passion, but maybe it would be better to quiet one's mind and just let the thought come when it is ready. When one is always busy, busy, busy, doing what one thinks they need to do, one can not be quiet enough to hear what he or she should do. Ahhh, in theory, it sounds so right to just let it comes to you. But in reality, can one just sit and be quiet and wait for  an inspiration to come?
I am finding that is not in the cards for me. I have picked up my knitting needles and have been knitting "mindlessly." Knitting scarves or cowls that are simple gives my hands something to do while letting my mind rest, allowing it time to have an inspiration step in. I wonder how many scarves and cowls I will have knit before this happens.
There are so many opportunities to learn new things and take new classes at Seranya during these winter months in Wisconsin. There has to be something to get our minds off of the snow and cold and  move us forward towards spring. For all of you local peeps their class schedule would be a great thing to check out. For those of you who are further out, perhaps someone in your area offers new, exciting things to learn.
How do you prepare for your next adventure? We would love to hear about it. By sharing, you could give another artist just that right road to take. Meanwhile, I will be knitting yet another cowl--is this number four or is it ten? -----  I think I lost track.
Stay tuned


Lynda Richardson
Contributing artist, Seranya Studios Art Boutique

New Year, New Beginnings, New Art

A fresh start to another year. How fantastic, but somehow the older I get, the faster those new starts come around. Turning over the last page of the old year and onto the new year gives a person pause to think about what one accomplished in the old and what they wish to accomplish in the new. This allows us to look at it as new beginnings. This past year has brought a huge adjustment to my life and so I not only have a personal new beginning to think about, but also an artistic new beginning.
I find so many times that it takes longer to "think" through the process than to actually live the process. Perhaps that is where "living in the moment" enters. What accomplishments did you see in the year gone by? Are you happy at the place you arrived, or are you more like me and wonder where all the time went and what do I have to show for it?
I so feel like I would like a whole new outlook and new adventure in art, but at this point, can not figure out what direction that should take. Perhaps once again, "living in the moment" will allow that mystery to be solved.
In looking over the class schedule for the winter months at Seranya Studio Art Boutique, everything piques my interest. (If you haven't checked it out yet, it might be a good idea to do so.) Do I dare dabble in all of them and see where it all shakes out? Maybe starting with one or two classes would be the answer to weed out the prospects. In writing this I couldn't help but think, now, what a dilemma that is--gosh, it is like being a kid in the candy store not sure if I want the butterfinger or milky way bar.  Tough decisions.
By now I hope that you caught the "Around the Corner" segment by John McGivern on Milwaukee PBS.  What a great segment showing all the wonderful opportunities in Plymouth.
Would love to hear from you what the new year holds in store for your adventures. Meanwhile, I have to go back and study this class list.....how can I possibly fit all of this in.


Stay tuned.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED ARTFUL NEW YEAR

This wonderful time of the year is here again. Hopefully, if you aren't finished, you are wrapping it all up for plans for Christmas. Remember, those of you who waited until the last minute that many of the stores are open late on Tuesday the 23rd in Plymouth, WI. Seranya Studios Art Boutique has that "perfect" gift for that hard to buy for person. What could be better than a piece of art for Christmas.
Yours truly is going to take a couple of weeks off during this blessed time to try to spend time with family and friends. I will return the first week of the new year. Gosh, doesn't it seem like we just started writing 2014 and soon it will be 2015?
Have a very Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring everything you are dreaming of--perhaps that new tool that you need for your creative life will appear under the tree this year.
Until then--------------keep those creative vibes going.


Stay tuned.

Finished or just starting?

For so many years at the beginning of each new year I think, this year is going to be different. I am not going to rush around at the middle of December finishing up all the artwork that I plan to give as gifts. I will be sure to do one a month and then as Christmas draws near there won't be this mad rush to complete the thought-out gifts I had planned for family and friends.
Now, in theory doesn't this seem like the perfect solution? If one starts in January and does just one per month you would have twelve lovely gifts to present when Christmas rolls around. Ah, but just theory it is. Never once have I achieved this goal. When my kids were little December found me up half the night finishing the knitting of Barbie doll clothes and putting the finishing touch on that mouse I crocheted for my son.
This year (as in every other year) I promised myself it would be different. I did complete four items that I wanted to give as gifts last month and as things happened in my life this year, am so thankful that I did, but-------------those were the only four gifts that I completed.
Now as the middle of December is here I find myself with that familiar frantic panic of activity trying to accomplish the impossible. Not wanting to be part of the mad rush in the stores leads to panic thinking I might have to go out and actually purchase a gift? Horror of horror's.
Ah, the light bulb just went on--why don't I hurry on over to Seranya Studio Art Boutique in Plymouth and select the perfect piece of art for everyone on my list?
The few that I absolutely have to give a piece of "my art" to will inspire me once again burn the midnight oil in the frantic race to the finish.
Perhaps this is all a part of Christmas that makes it Christmas to me.
How do you approach your gift giving?


Stay tuned

Art as a Gift

What lovelier gift could you present to someone than a piece of Art.  Everyone that I know, would love a gift that was once in someone's imagination, then brought to life by the artist's own hands.
That brings me to a thought of all the artists out there that besides getting all their pieces finished for the gifts they want to give, are also busy finishing up all the commissioned work that others gave to them for their presents for others. That makes a very stressful time of the year for all the working a artists.
If you haven't already commissioned an artist to do something for you, I would suggest that for this year go to a studio and purchase something that they have already accomplished and think about that commissioned piece for next year. Seranya Studios Art Boutique would be the perfect place to find that one of a kind piece of art for that special person in your life. In fact, their grand Candle-lit Christmas open house is tonight (Friday, Dec. 5th) from 4PM to 8PM and again tomorrow from 10AM to 4PM. You are sure to find that "just right" gift as there are many artists displaying and selling their work there.
Even though, I for one, can not believe we are into December already this year, doesn't change the fact that indeed we are. Take a little "time" to also make this time special for you.
Recharge your own batteries, take a deep breath, and even though you perhaps might not feel like it, partake in some of the festivities in your home town. That just  might be the piece of the pie that makes the spirit bright.
Happy Artful shopping.


Stay tuned.