Bye Bye Arachnophobia

Fear is a funny thing, it can really change how we process everything.
When I was younger a fear/phobia I had was of spiders, absolutely terrified.  It is understandable given I was bitten by a brown recluse at 8 years old and black widows were a common sight, as were scorpions when we were living in Las Vegas.  Still I needed to get over it.
When I was bitten I remember a red, itchy, painful line traveling up my arm that I ran to show my mom.  She was and is an excitable woman so her yelling that I stormed in, interrupting her was expected.  Instead she very calmly and sweetly advised we head to the car to go for a ride and have it looked at; that scared me.  When we got to the hospital I was surrounded by doctors who were also doing their best to keep me calm, military doctors weren't known for bedside manner so the nervousness increased.  After a few days I was released, fear remained for nearly 25 years.... being afraid of spiders and liking camping don't make for the best combo so I strove to overcome it.  Healing finally came when I decided to make spider drawings, jewelry, scupltures and animations, finding beauty and cuteness in them.....
Fear can transform into beauty and joy when filtered through art.... I highly recommend it :)

Mm mm Borscht!

Four Eyes Nerds are In

Day 14 of doodled painted cups, bottles and glasses for the 30 paintings and 366 drawings in as many days challenge . 

SoIve been wearing glasses since I was 5 ½ years old which was far less fun and ‘in’ than it is now. 

Over the summer I  while waiting in line at Coney Islands naathans I complimented someone on their cool specs, turns out the were not prescription, she bought them for style    ?!HUH!?   Yes I am having fun with all the numerous varieties afforded now, especially when using lower prices online…. Still, if I didn’t have to wear specs I could find many other ways that are smudge free to shift my look.  Would you wear non-perscription glasses for style?

A Flask of Water

Day 13 of doodled painted cups, bottles and glasses for the 30 paintings  and 366 drawings in as many days challenge . 

This one features my most used bottle at present, the knobby plastic, flask-like water container that nestles into my portable Holbein watercolor set.  The highlights magazine like style is still emerging through my pen bringing out new color combinations and characters that make me smile.  What’s funny is I keep waiting to get back to the studio to paint and forgetting the contained and portable part like when on a cell phone and pacing in a contained area as though there is an actual coiled cord still attached.

 Today is day 15 and I think I will schlep myself and the girls to find the subject of the 15^th painting in this series; yesterday I painted three of my favorite glasses, stayed tuned J

Where and what do you like to paint?

Day 12's Doodle of 30 Went to the Dawgs

Day 12 of 30 paintings in 30 days with the theme of cups and glasses that chose me when I decided on the 2^nd to join the 30/30 painting challenge that I had just found on facebook…. I am caught up with the paintings, I am a day or two behind with the posting, sometimes it takes me that long to decide it doesn’t completely suck and settle into the next piece.

This one from the 12th of January, ‘the girls’ water bowl.  For those of you humans with dogs to hold your leash, you know this is a symbol of not yet had coffee droopy eyed morning scuffling around the block, a warm lap mate for that must read and eyes rolling from dogless friends when you skip out to go walk the pup.  There are definitely times I wish they were toilet trained when I have to put all my favorite clothes on at once to walk through the snow leaving yellow spots at 2 am and when I scoot past my landlord during 20 below winds biting down an answer reminicent of Al Jaffee’s Snappy Answers to stupid questions when he asks “isn’t it aweful cold to go walking. 

Theyre expensive little pee factories that are my best friends and favorite way keep warm while I sleep compansions.  Cheers to Sadie and Bessie!

Strolling and Mindless Doodles

Hello and welcome to another glimpse inside my head:

As often happens, there are layers of my current journey that are fantastic and magical while others are reminiscent of the bog of eternal stench.  Im learning to enjoy the up swings and pockets of distress while destenching the other bits.  Part of what I really dig about southern Brooklyn is the proximity Coney Island where a stroll along the boardwalk as the sunset dissolves angst barriers transforming stress, allowing for solutions.

As the weather cools down and the days are shorter playing with new recipes is an indoor activity that makes my life feel more homey.  , Thanks to youtube I learned how to make noodles, for the first time I made my own pasta!  Fresh tastes soooo much better!  It didn't seem like flour, egg and olive oil would taste any better if mixed on my counter,,,, well it did, bunches!  For days I made  several meals from this new discovery and started experimenting including a desert pasta.  This one is cinnamon noodles with an apple, carrot,  ginger cream sauce..... it was yummy!  If you want the recipe I made up lemme know in the comments and I will share.

The table underneath is a find that I painted ;   one of my favorite ways to acquire furniture is repurposing a piece someone else discarded.  A great thing about a free canvas is the pressure to make the most out of the expensive materials and create masterpiece is gone, much like drawing on note book paper,  fun, stream of consciousness doodles emerge.  The ones that fall out are usually more appealing to me that the ones I am determined with be cool, like this one, friends that are part of Fort Vine.  They are based in Harlem which is a haul from southern Bk without the train schedule having a schedule, which thankfully it did not in either direction though the N line was utilizing the D train.  This will likely only be relatable if you have spent allot of time on nyc subways.... the cars for each train line differ including seat configuration, ad types, the stop board, if there is one, that sort of thing.  It feels foreign and can be out of sorting when you step into a car from another line.
So I did all that and got to Tsion Cafe late because for some reason I have to do allot of stuff as I prep to leave as though time will pause while I do random bits of 'this can actually wait'.  I got there psyched to draw them, arriving for a few songs of their last set. I got a quick

doodle of Trevor before they ended, adding Nyna at home.  Unlike my mindless doodles there is something less free about it to me.Any time I am attached to it being really cool it feels less so than when I let go and let it fall out.  Does creativity feel the same for you>>?  Its not the worst Ive ever doodled but his face is so serious, a state Ive never seen it in for real....
So it again comes down to learning and going with my wiring to achieve the best results.
And now I am going with my dogs plumbing at doing a 2_30ish am pee walk before we bed.
Happy creatng, dreaming and being to y'all!
XO
CM

Walking and Inspiration

Where do you like to wander to think, breathe, take the dogs to pee, gain inspiration, doodle....?

Beaches and cemeteries are frequent go to spots for me, yes cemeteries, why do people squinch thier noses at that?  I love looking at all the carvings, differences in stone over the years, that people are next to eachother in their afterlife that weren't living at the same time and all in the newer section where I often go they have faces lasered on.  How people choose the pictures is a pondering of mine, some are so stern, goofy, stoic, cartoonish......sometimes all at the name time.  It's a writers paradise, so many stories in various shapes and languages.... Why wouldn't one want to explore these peaceful structural parks?

When wandered onto this scene for a moment I thought the bird was part of the tribute I later discovered is from a father to his son, a teenager who died in battle a century-ish ago.

The feathered guardian kept us company while we imagined through this section.  Such a layered break in our  day.

Where do you like to wander?