Perfecting Art

Perfecting the process of art.

Ta-dah! A new illustration created. I drew the graphic over a photograph using the Adobe software Illustrator.

This semester I am taking a digital laser class and am totally heads over heels about it. I will be creating art using this design. I am proud of this design. 

I have grown up with the Adobe products. I worked right out of high-school doing paste up at the Savannah morning new and evening press. When they still used wax to paste copied images upon the compositions.

I have had an incredible journey as an artist, designing ads for people all over the United States. Then to teach art to young fabulous students and now back in college to finish my graduate degree in sculpture.

Life is what you make it. Are you worth going back to college? YES! 

Are you worth investing loans into your future? YES! 

Are you scared? Yes, and I was scared too. It took me a while to get the lay of the land here in San Francisco. It took me a while to find the perfect place to live.

Soon I will be finishing up my Masters in Fine Art. By December, I will be finished with all my course work. I have learned the process of perfecting my art, it is never perfect. It is all an illusion, the notion of perfection. However, it sure is fun being able to take the time to try—to reach toward the heavens.

The Transamerica building reaches toward the heavens, it is a glorious specimen of architectural achievement. May we all keep reaching and becoming more.

The Pupil on Valentines

Original art by Judith Parsons Art 2016

The pupil. It has two meanings. The black center of the iris, where light enters the eye. And another meaning, the student, one who has been taught by a distinguished or famous person.

I am neither distinguished or famous. Maybe I will be after this blog. (Insert smile here.) However, this image was created when my beloved took the photograph of the sun setting at the end of her driveway.

You get one exquisite facet of the photograph, the silhouette of the trees, the mountain in the distant and the glorious horizon. If you look closely, you will see the female abstract shape in the tree. The hourglass shape is definite, she reaches her arms toward the heavens. SHE is all of us, as we wish to remain grounded, yet ache and desire the divine, which transcends this realm.

On Valentine’s Day, I wish for you this experience. To “see” through the eye of the younger student. I wish for you to transcend this realm and breathe in the sunset. Let the warmth of its golden light caress you, like that proverbial warmth of a blanket just out of the dryer. May you feel the love and see it in all.

Wishing you Dear friends Love on this Valentines Day.

Some Valentine Sweets Please

Valentine art created by Judith Parsons 2016
Created using illustrator and photoshop

Valentine’s Day Sneaks up.

It surprises me that Valentine’s day is here. I see her bouncingly skipping up to me like a puppy and I can not help but grin. All of a sudden I turn and “She” is standing there with a grin upon her face. 

"She" makes me smile.

At Valentine’s I made sure my children sweet little gifts to give out to every kid in their class. I grin at how protective I was of my children. I didn’t want their bag to have only one or two sweets in it. I wanted them to have a whole bag filled to the rim with Love.

When I was in elementary school, a few teachers would let us decorate a bag and hang it for that special Valentine sweet treat day. It was a little embarrassing, as my family didn’t have money to spend on treats. The best we could do was cut out red paper hearts, or color lined paper and scribble a Valentine note upon it. It was awkward, horrible in fact. Mainly because, it was a commercial rich person’s holiday.

I vowed my children would have REAL valentines to hand out to their friends. They would have real friends, with real sweet treats in their Valentine bags.

When my children were little I made sure to let them pick one decoration for the house. There was a dancing gorilla that sang in an Italian voice, something about a “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…thats amore.”

It was CHEESY and silly and goofy. It was a tradition to pull that goofy thing out. (sighing) I don’t know what happened to it. I will blame it upon hurricane Katrina. Nodding, yep. Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

May you have some goofy tradition that you do, every Valentine’s. I really can imagine you running wild with this one. Enjoy your wildness!! Throw the old stuffy stoic shell out the window!!

YOU only live once. Happy Valentines Sweet Loves! Give out a little sweetness…in whatever form you choose.

(hugging you tight) Thank you for your Love.

The New and Improved Trinity

Book binding and print making in Florence.

Architecture

The word made flesh. 

The process of creating art where the masters created art. 

Creating a book, learning to do block printing and binding a book is a part of my whole graduate experience.

The car horn awakens me

To you

The comfy chairs sit around the camp fire

of our souls

The book: "Word becomes flesh"

Sits upon a pedestal

You stand place your hand upon the book

Then transform

Into the priestess poetress

You have your champagne flute in hand

You raise your glass

You crock a finger at me

I stand

place hand upon the book

and transform

I have a glass of champagne in hand

I am fit and strong

I am wearing a gown from medieval times

You: "He wanted you to write a few words on why you wanted 

to go to Florence Italy to take the book binding and print making class."

We shall start here....

Let the spirit move you Dear.

BecomingMaster of the clay

Pottery and graphics created by Judith Parsons

It has been a while since I have sat in front of a blob of clay and willed it to become something other than what it is. It has been 30 years since I have taken a college course in pottery on the wheel. And it is incredible to be young again.

If you want to become stronger, do yourself a favor and take a pottery class upon the wheel. I had forgotten exactly how much of your body you use to wedge clay, and to center a ball of clay upon the wheel. My forearms and hands are “wooooohooooing” because I am using them again. My core muscles are admittedly a little tired.

The counter clockwise spinning of the wheel is mesmerizing. The hands in the water and the continual wetting of the clay is sensual. There is an incredible richness to the process, it is zen and it is grounded living at its best. THIS is living! THIS is what life should be, making something out of nothing.

It is in the process of the making and creating where the artist unfurls her wings and soars. It is magic to watch Cheryl Coon center, open the clay, and pull the walls up. She is the queen Goddess of pottery upon the wheel and I am in awe of her abilities.

It has been a while. Oh yes, it started coming back to me after ten hours at the wheel I was thrilled to produce 6 inch tall cylinders. Simple shapes, that took me back to my 21 year old self. I could see myself, the young me, at Armstrong state college. I could see the yellow plastic over-all pants I wore. My older hands over-lapping my younger hands.

Cheryl’s lovely wise words: “The clay doesn’t like to be bullied.” Center yourself Judith. Become grounded with the clay. There is no rush. “Slow yourself down, breathe and become the master of the clay.”

Thank you Cheryl for a fabulous re-introduction into clay. THIS semester is going to rock and roll!

Wooohoooooooo!!!

Why?

The gears are turning and I am trying to wrap my head around something. There is smoke coming from ears, the gears are churning and burning and I just want to stand up and own something.

(Pulling soap box out, and standing upon it)

I have said some pretty stupid things in my life. Most of the time I was unaware. I was not empathetic or compassionate. I would like to think as I have aged, I have become more aware.

I would like to think the people that I surround myself with are also trying to be empathetic and aware. Maybe it was the star alignment, maybe it was something I said earlier…that I wasn’t aware of, so I got a little of the tit-for-tat back in my face.

But generally, overall…I have learned to pause, gulp some air. And not respond. I could have really lost my mind. So instead of saying anything really hurtful. I just gulped it down. 

And now, I keep thinking “why?”…Why?…Why?

What purpose does it serve to be mean?

Sighing. 

Oh, own it.

Don’t hide behind some lame excuse.

(Stepping off soap box, turning on my heel and walking away.)

I need some time to let the gears cool off.

A, E, I-o-U

Original art by an original artist. Judith Parsons 2016

We learn lessons from people that stick with us. They linger upon the peripheral of our minds and dry like old paint. Flaking off the wall of gray matter upon the floor of our soul.

The floor of my soul has always been water. That little red flake of paint, a small boat that swirls about. The vowel lesson, an old lesson from and old friend. I taught the “A,e,i-o-u” lesson to my fifth graders. Appreciate one another, empathize with one another and I owe you the best I can be as a teacher…as you own yourself the best you can be as my student.

I wave at her energy long gone- years ago she skipped along my journey as I quested to find the real me. Thank you old friend. This lesson stayed with me. While we both took what we needed from that time. We keep moving.

I am learning the "between space." That place of struggle between the yin and the yang, that line is a very fine place to stand. It is a place of aware duality. To know, to learn and to keep moving upward. That swirl becomes 3 parts with me standing upon that middle space. One foot in the white and one foot in the dark side.

When I was a young girl, our family visited my grandmother. There was a quote upon her refrigerator about algae and not stagnating. She was a smart woman. The refrigerator was the one place we all visited regularly. It was always steamy hot in Florida. I remember discussing the word stagnate, learning its meaning and knowing I would never allow myself to gather the green algae.

I would learn to move and keep moving. Little did I know then that I would marry a military man and the word “move” would become my middle name. I am still moving, a nomad these days. Not sure in a year where I will be. I have much to complete in a year. It will all come to-get-her. I am looking toward creating an art/healing school. Perhaps you can stop in, when it is done. Get an art lesson, or a Reiki treatment. Or just have a meal with candle light.

I wave to you, nomad brother and sisters, I see you. I understand your travels. Can any one really “know” another person? I mean, really know them? The knowing of seeing their fears, their sad tired hearts? 

I will not go off on the whole relationship issue of why do we think we need another. It is nice to know someone, who knows our routines. Someone who knows our family. It is nice to have a lap to rest your head upon. Someone to appreciate us and to empathize with us.

We do owe ourselves the best we can be. So when we fall short, the other yang soul can pull us into their arms and soothe us. May you have some arms to fall into.

A,E, I owe you. A rolling stone...and all that...