Warm Spring Rain and New Colors

Hey there and happy Spring to you! That, of course, is assuming you are in the same time zone as me and altitude as me, or at least something kinda like it....... I lived in NYS for over 30 years and thought I had winter down until I did it smack in the Green Mountains and realized how a high of -13 feels while buried up to my *** in snow.

Well its now mid April, the thaw has happened and crocus are springing through the well hydrated earth.... I'm aiming not to get too cocky about it since I hear it can snow through May in these parts., sounds kinda uncivilized to me, however the landscape round here is breath taking. There are seemingly unlimited trails to explore.  Bessie and I found some along the rocky, rushing river and enjoyed calmness and sand.  

The other day was one of the warmest so far this year and also raining cats and dogs.... cats and dogs sound like fun but my terrier wasn't one of the dogs that wanted to be out there so we sat inside and I doodled up a couple of coloring pages.

The freshness of spring sprung up under my pen with lots of signs of new life within doodled shapes and characters a plenty, some obvious, others hidden amongst the bits. (Typical Chelle style if I ever could be deemed typical) When I do art pieces people often comment on the colors I choose  asking how I do it.  I'm going to dip my brush into the tutorial pot aiming to explain how I colored the Fish Eggs/Eggy Fish maybe birds in my newly drawn springtime coloring pages .  If you want them want to do your own the way I did, with your own colors or both you get them in my etsy shop,

You are of course welcome to use my techniques to the letter, or take off with different mediums fueled by imagination.  

As you may have noticed in the starter pic, I colored the Eggy Fish Birds a couple of times and cut a pair out that I am going to animate then maybe papermache them into something. If you choose to upload these, super please post images to my pages so I can see how you put your own sensibilities into the characters :)   

This time, in this go round I used Permanent Marker, water colors, ink pen and colored pencil.

To start I did a light go over of pale-ish blue colored pencil on the beaks and a tail. Then added yellow and multi colored  to the beak in layers with the blue until I liked the effect. I then darkened washed out lines with an ink pen.

The onto the Egg Bird on the right, I added a wash of yellow watercolor with an amaaazing water brush I was turned onto by the uber talented Gregory Benton.  Then added a slight wash of red to the toucas.

Then onto yet another colorful implement, a permanent marker which I used for Sir Eggy's body for a deep tone and the tail of his Lady Pal.

And There you have it!  

Did you color them and use the same or different colors, did you cut them out and glue them to stuff?  I so want to see!  Please post on my facebook and/or tag me on instagram

Whether you use my pages, your own or someone elses, coloring is a great way to destress, enjoy playing and have a fun souvenir at the end.

Have requests for what you want to see?  Please say so in the comments, I love a challenge!

XOX Chelle Mayer aka peacefulshades

Destination

NOUN

destinations (plural noun)

1. the place to which someone or something is going or being sent.

   "a popular destination for golfers"

   synonyms:

   journey's end · end of the line · landing place · point of disembarkation ·
   

   terminus · station · stop · stopping place · port of call · goal · target · objective · end · purpose

ADJECTIVE

1. being a place that people will make a special trip to visit.

   "a destination restaurant"

Does one have to know the destination to go somewhere?  Lately I have come to believe an adventure does not need to be mapped out. 

Last week I had to go an hour to get fuel for my van which takes Compressed Natural Gas aka CNG.  On the way back I decided to go from Saratoga across through Manchester.  Coming across the NYS Border into Vermont.  

 

Got turned around and a bit lost, whatever that means...... How can one be lost while wandering without a defined path?  Yes, I did have an end destination though no demands on when I get there which gave me the option to "hike my own hike.   Being turned around can be un-nerving with CNG since cng stations few and often far in between and running out means being town on a flatbed since it can not be put in a can..  Since I had just come from fueling I felt more comfortable simply exploring the dirt road.

 

 In my puruising of the spaces where New York and Vermont meet we came across several covered bridges which I just love, feels .like going back in time and the craftsmenship is such that is not seen as much these days.

Old barns are also intriguing to me and were plentiful that day, the beauty in the old wood structure that harkens to a day when life was a homestead, cell phones didn't exist and people worked on land they treated with respect.   Imagining the stories of a simpler time inspires me to not get caught up in the minutia of our new realities and instead enjoy the land we were blessed with.

Chilly and Creating

Been drawing allot to weather the cold and creating pieces from those drawings.  Mostly the subject has been perforance artists....excited to where the style will take me and where I will live next!

I Want to Play

To be an adult or not today...

Ok, so technically Im an adult everyday, that's what the numbers say.  

There's really cool art stuff going on in the far rockaways tonight with people I really dig aaaaaaand I am sniffly and worn out by a draconian day yesterday... 

I am pouty and on the inside stomping my feet because i know it isn't fair to the cool peops that will be there to be meeting my germies.

Plan:

Eat raw ginger, garlic soup, cayenne lemon water, read, draw and rest so I am over this ooziness for a cool arty get together tomorrow.

Crossed fingers that I wake up peppy, booger free and ready to explore new foods and peops over the next few days for all the yea for NYC happenings that are going on.

PS XO 

aka

Chelle

Gems and Fresh Eyes

my kid drove down to visit me

it was so fun to see NYC through fresh eyes 

 I get to rediscover the gems easy to overlook when rushing by.  Im grateful for the gifts layered into life's process and I am so proud of my kids.

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?

Gifts of Process

Hello and how do you do, how does so much time pass?

I just (finally) finished an animation diy cooking video

I have been working on for way longer than I believed it would take.  Finishing was a bit anti-climatic, as though I thought there would be fireworks and a parade... whoooooo hoooopty dooooooo its done!
Nope, didnt happen, though it does feel good to have finished it.... Id like to get to posting one a week.

There has been allot of changes this year, most I didn't choose, they got dumped on me like the ice water challenge with no warning.... It's been hard and sometimes it seems the pain will suffocate me, then I force myself to make something and am reminded agony squeezed through creativity can sparkle beautifully.  

Art is an a magical, healing filter to process what feels like the end of it all, realizing there's way more beauty inside than we can see in process sometimes.  Diving into the zone of creating allows all of this to happen within a safe, surreal, beautiful world of own making.

Along with the incredible gifts, its true, being an artist is rarely a sound economic choice, artists lives are often far richer than the accompanying pockets much of the time. It's hard for sure though I don't want to sell those gifts of process for trinkets, not again anyway.

Show and Tell time :)...... what do you do to find peace In your process making music out of the noise?

Talk soon

xox peacefulshades 

Strange Loves

Finding Whimsy in the Mundane

Allot has been going on in my scribbled world, some amazing, some terrifying with balances out to the customary response of 'fine' when asked how I am.
Fortunately I have the ability to scribble down things that make me smile and add silliness to hum drum, I wish I had an assistant to do this, tasks.

This  doodle is the result of me fixing my clogged bathroom sink.  Procrastination meant I didn't use the sink for a few days plus a few more days, clogged it up more with my baking soda vinegar remedy that would have worked if used earlier, then finally stuck my head, hands and tools under to take it apart and fix it for real.  Thinking it wise to measure the probably will crack someday rubber ring to get replacements I did two scribble transfers of the black washers then put the under the sink back together.  Pacing about on random other tasks the measurements turned into eyes before I made it to the hardware store  then of courts flowers and spiders were a logical next step :).
I love that my artists life lets me find whimsy in necessary tasks!
How bout you. how do you make the tedious fun?

Color and Spring go together

Boing spring came in today!! So nice, even after all this time in the Northeast, since 1984, I still feel like winter is never going to end when the snow is falling come March and it's 40° in April. Though it's very depressing to not believe spring is coming it's a bright warm gift when it does!

 Much of  today was outside coloring with the dogs.  Fortunately for me that's considered work ha ha because I have a new coloring book that I just self published, working to get it out more so sitting outside coloring means I can post pictures which means that I'm working which means I get to color in the sun and not feel guilty about it yea!!!  

One thing I do like about winter is the bare tree fingers that are leafless.... The in between of New York April has it warm enough to enjoy the branches before the beautiful buds burst forth.

How do you celebrate the onset of spring?

Off to slumber.

Ttfn, Chelle/peacefulshades 

Hybernation

Oh my good grief it has been crazy amount of cold!  All I really want to do is stay in drinking hot chocolate and draw.

The trains close to me are al caught outside, which I think is most awesome until this weather hits, its far less fun drawing while waiting when my hands drip icicles.

Once I get on its nice with the usual spattering of characters that I get to doodle during the  commute to...... 

This how I make the most of it when Id rather hibernate with my dogs till spring hits.

Catching Up

Helloooooo
Well the posts that went up in my head did not make it online, funny how that happens.  Tho sometimes i wish it happened automatically the rest of me realizes that technology is close enough and automatic uploads from my brain are not really whats in anyones interest.... really.  It an artists brain that goes 34567890 miles a minute in 56789 different directions and yes, usually all at once...  its like techno on steroids...   eeeeeek wtf and ugh

ok, so whats been happening>?  a bunch

moved to Brooklyn, some of you know that
been making lots of art, not getting into the city as much as I thought I would, also not done un packing and still have annoying bits of loos ends to tie up as well....
Being at near the bottom of NYC allows me the luxury of going to the shore allot

and I really like all the pieces of shell allot that accompany the lack of constant machine sweeping of the beach that goes with tourist season.... which is now over for the year. 

Over all things are good and I like what my new surroundings are doing to my art and stuff...... oh yeah and my hair is purple now.... probably oughta take a snap of that, ya?  Will put it on my list.Glad I hopped on to say hi~... going to hop into bed and dream of water colors and glitter till the morning when I get to play with them again.

More soon 

XOX  CM

Exquisite Corpsing

This one is brought to you by Maria, Chelle, pups and a Indian take out.

Top o' the mornin' to ya