Spring is Coming

Sometimes we need to be reminded that there are many beautiful things in the world.

Shadow Thoughts

I'm starting to think I should have had that 12 Seeds Project that I seem to have abandoned be a photography project or at least had a photo plus poetry option.

I think that may have worked better for me. I don't know what is up with me and art these last few years but I really haven't been feeling it in the same way.

I'd rather play with words and photos. Those were two early loves to be honest. Maybe that is where my focus should be right now.

I love the camera. I love taking pictures. It really centers me, where painting often stresses me out.

Writing is touch and go. Sometimes I'm angsty about it and sometimes it has me flying so high it's hard to come down.

Photography is like meditation but better.
<3

Sometimes

Sometimes all I want to do is read and read and read.
To fill myself up with story.
To escape the real and fill myself up with the unreal.
Sometimes.

Up To

 I seem to be letting art slide lately. I just haven't been feeling it (again). I'm focusing on my writing and my photography at the moment. I love taking pictures. It's the one constant in my creative life. I love my camera. I also love tea!

January's Seed: Winter

2 paintings and a poem...


12x12
acrylics
12 seeds Project




15x20
watercolors
colored pencils
white gouache

________________________________________________
 --Demeter's Winter--


Sheltered
Failed to protect,
her forever.

shame, loss, grief.

Dark skies, cold air.
Fields lie fallow.
Winter comes,
again.

Missing her daughter,
her girl.
Missing what they once were,
together.

Girl no more.
Woman and Queen.
Her daughter,
Persephone.

retreat, mourn, wait.

Longing for spring
her return.
Flowers will bloom,
again.



art and words © 2013 Poppy Arakelian

The 12 Seeds Project

 I haven't written about the 12 Seeds Project here yet...

At the beginning of the year my husband and I decided to do a joint art project that ties in our spirituality. I've been calling it our joint art/spirit project but then we named it Twelve Seeds.

Each month there is a theme that will inspire us to do a finished piece of art of at least 8x8 inches in the medium(s) of our choosing with an optional bit of writing a bit of poetry in the theme as well.

We're trying to inspire each other.

I may also tie in extra art work and writing with the themes as well. We'll see. I like the idea of themes :) I'm not sure if I'm going to make art quilts or paint or something. I may mix it up or I may stay with the same thing for each of the months. I'm not sure yet.

The Twelve Themes:

January--Winter
February--Shadows
March--Storms
April--Seeds
May--Crossroads
June--Growth
July--Stars
August--Sun
September--Trees
October--Bones
November--Roots
December--Joy

8x8 inches min.
Finished Piece
Any Medium
+Poetry

Snow!

a few hours later... I didn't do a check in for Creative Every Day this week. I'm bored with it to be honest. I'm being creative. I've been more creative this month than most of last year in general. I like the idea of the Creative Every Day thing but I'm just not feeling the need to really be a part of it and do check-ins and what not.

More Progress Made

Time to Paint

in progress painting (upside down) I spent some time painting today. I worked on this painting and my other "winter" themed painting. The other one is done in acrylics and I think it is done. I'll take another look at it in the morning and see if I still think so then. I just started the above painting today. I'm planning on doing two paintings for each 12 seeds project monthly theme. One in acrylics and one in watercolors.

work in progress

I've been busy working on a painting this week as well as doing some sketching and as always taking lots of photos.

Fun with Watercolors...

Background painting for an art journal page.

Winter Returns

Looks Like Spring

Very warm and sunny this afternoon. Not like winter at all. Also the the snow is all gone from the backyard now...

The squirrels have been going crazy the last couple days and digging all around the place...

Creative Every Day Check-In

I've been taking pictures daily and keeping up with this year's round of self-portrait Sunday.

I've also been working on being more creative with my cooking. I also finished the art journal page that I started last week.

 I've done some writing. Most of this was of the non-fiction variety but I've also dipped a little into the fiction pool.

All in all I think that it has been a pretty creative week.

Still Melting

Melting

Things are melting a bit here in Massachusetts. We're seeing 40 degree weather and it's kind of nice but I looked at the upcoming weather predictions and it looks like much of the rest of the month may be like this. To be honest I enjoy it but it doesn't bode well with the whole climate change thing. Last winter was unseasonably warm and severely lacking snow. It doesn't look like this winter will be quite as bad but it is starting to look like it won't be like the New England winters from several years ago either. I guess time will tell.

In Progress

Creative Every Day Check In #1 Plus More Photos

Mostly this week I've been taking daily photographs. Other than that I've done a little baking, a bit of playing around in an art journal and a little writing. Not a bad start to the new year. Slow and steady and all that. Here are three new photos that I took today...


 

Winter Photos

Happy 2013!

It's been cold and we have snow and ice here in New England. Much different from the last winter we had. We hardly had any snow all season that time around and it never stuck around very long the few times we did get some. I think this year will be more like the usual kind of winter one associates with this area. So we are now two days into 2013 and I have plans for a creative year here. I signed up for this...

I also have plans for daily photography fun, weekly self-portraits, and a few other art projects on the burner. 2012 was a year of treading water. There was little creativity besides taking pictures, but that's okay. That was what I needed to keep afloat last year but this year I want to make things. I want to do art and I want to string words together.
Beginnings are fun!

Happy New Year everyone!