Playing in the clay!

Graphic created especially for this blog by
Judith Parsons Art 2016

This week was a magnificent week. I felt like a little girl again! Art makes you strong!! 

I worked with clay, sculpting and fitting puzzle pieces together. I am learning the nuances of the feminine clay body. I am learning to appreciate its plastic shapeable medium. I am also appreciating how long I can work in my studio.

I love carving into the clay. It is glorious the way the tools sink into the surface. The bevel line runs away in my imagination. That very simple process puts me in a trance. The clay that is being removed swirls up and around-- dancing with the freedom of being its own shape. The process of carving and pulling a small concave line into the surface is delicious.

It is mesmerizing to work with clay. Honestly, I am stunned when I look at the clock and 10 hours have flown by!!!

THIS

is

passion.

(Smiling)

When I first returned to college, I would hobble home. My back would be on the edge of spasms. And I would collapse upon a heating pad and pray the pain would go away so I could get up and do it all over again the next day.

I am so thrilled now, as an older woman my back has become stronger. I can stand at my art for the entire day and walk home strong. Ten or twelve hours at the clay has changed me. And for that I am grateful. Becoming lost in the playing with the clay is what passionate living is about!

I should have taken photographs. My phone plays music and I get lost in the mud. I smile and think back on playing in the ditch behind my house. There were pockets of plastic clay in the wall of the ditch. I recall digging out the plastic smooth porcelain gray mud and building rough elementary pinch pots. I didn’t know anything about clay or how to build a bowl. 

It just felt right. 

Today was perfect! I created many pieces of the puzzle. (smiling sigh) Life is what you make it!

Go to the hobby craft store and find some “sculpty” clay…or even some air dry clay. And purchase a rolling pin, (that you use exclusively for clay-you really don't want clay mixed in with your food) and an "exacto" blade. Maybe even a little rubber pad to cut upon. Roll out the clay, cut out your favorite shape. Keep cutting out small shapes…and them place them into some other shape. 

Just play. Give yourself permission to play.

It is an amazing HAPPY place to go…to the child you were…and still are.

Social Butterfly -Eric

Eric Miguel created this incredible illustration.

Eric forgive me...for putting your name across the art, however, I felt of all the illustrations, this one might be used- screen captured by fellow artist.

Not meaning to plagiarize, but, well you know these days...the children have no sense of what original art is ...or copyright issues. Those issues are for another blog. I didn't mean to get off on the wrong foot. Let me start over.

Eric Miguel is an incredible artist. I know a few of you out there wanting to publish a book.
(Waving at Lisa) You need to talk with Eric...let him do the cover at least. Hire the real man for the job. Sure. I can putz around and create something. YET, this man, can make magic!!!

Eric has captured San Francisco buses. Even the homeless person has a cell phone!

I try not to have my phone in hand, usually because I am loaded down with groceries or laundry or even art material.  I stand there holding upon one of those poles trying not to step on anyones toes. And everyone under 60 years old is on their cell phone.

I have noticed Candy Crush is alive and well. People are playing away and more often than not they jump up and their stop begging the bus driver to open the back door, so they can get out.

There is a Muni saying, that is played over the bus intercom:"Keep you phone down and your head up while traveling on Muni." No one pays attention to the recording, their heads are down, keeping up with friends half way around the world.

Look up Eric's web site. Check out his work!

http://emiguel.ca/home/13b/

http://emiguel.ca/home/13b/

Review 3: Hanging On To The Past/Eric Miguel

Original art by Eric Miguel!!!
Hanging On To The  Past!

 Eric Miguel’s :

“Hanging on to the past”

We all know the cliche. We have all done it. We hold upon past dreams and past memories refusing to let go. One might stay in a relationship that is stagnating and slowly dying. The person might have passed from this realm and yet the memories of a perfect past love become our cage.

The two main characters are the man holding the flowers and a skeleton wearing a dress. The man is holding the skeletons hand and the skeleton is looking downward, toward her feet. Even in this deadly zombie state she is defeated and not able to make eye contact with the man who refuses to let go of her love.

It is an interesting scenario an invisible cage, ensnared in the past and trapped in past memories. Even though the couple sit upon a park public park bench, free in the idea of being outdoors, the man is lost in his past. The people walking by are obviously disturbed by the scene. THEY can see the skeleton, that the man can not see. Their expressions are captured wonderfully. The illustration captures how life keeps going on, the people walking to places they need to be. While this man holds on to the dead past.

The background is well done, the iron fence with the fleur-de-lis caps suggest a jail. Then the birch trees beyond that add interesting shapes. Figurative legs perhaps. I love the birch tree, the way it peels its layered bark. The tree represents life, we change we grow, we shed our layers from the past.

As I grow and mature I am learning more about energy. I know it takes a certain amount of energy to forge ahead into new areas, or to invite new people into my life. There is always a give and take of energy. Sometimes all we can do is hold on to the past. The skeleton comforts us until we are ready to move on.

Well done Eric! You have taken a difficult cliche and handled it masterfully! You are something special!!

Do yourself a favor and check out his web site! http://emiguel.ca/home/12h/
click here!

The Ball Is In Your Court. Art Review part 2.

One-of-a-kind art by
One-of-a-kind artist Eric Miguel!

Continued Art Review. 

Eric Miguel Artist. 

“The Ball Is In Your Court.”

We all know the saying: “The Ball Is In Your Court.”  The saying usually is attached to couples who are learning how to relate to one another. The “ball” part is the action one has taken, then the reaction is what the other person in the relationship is going to do. They have the ball so-to-speak. It is up to that person to decide to play the game, (continue the building and growing of the relationship) or to not play.

Most of us have been in this situation. We really aren't sure if we should risk the next move. Do we take the chance, jump in full-force, be courageous and see what happens? Are you slow to respond, afraid that the other person is just tooooo much to handle? Do you put the ball on the chair and chicken out, taking the safe way out? There really is no right answer. Each situation or each game plays out according to the players.

Eric has executed the play of this illustration with superb characters set inside of a high-school gym. The high gloss reflective floor with the painted lines is the first clue that the relationship is a young one. I love the glossy reflections, subtle yet exquisitely done. The reflections have just the right amount of opacity.

The balloons and the crepe paper decorations also hint at the location and the age of the two main characters in the illustration. The man holding the basketball is lit with a spot-light effect. Producing the perfect eye pulling perspective. His eye-brows are raised and he looks like he is either sighing or saying “Whew”. His eyes are focused on the female figure which we only glimpse a small portion of.

There is enough of the female shown to speculate about her character. Long tapered fingers with lovely long blue painted fingernails. She isn’t just any ordinary woman who paints her fingernails the usual red or pink, no, she is complicated with her choice of blue. 

Her fingers hold the chain of a necklace. The pendant on the necklace is superb, it is a basket ball net. The shadow reinforces the multi-faceted complicated relationship with its diamond type shadow. Again, an excellent thought out illustration. The setting, the basket ball court, the ball held by the male figure and the female figure holding the pendant out all convey the ball and game reference.

A lovely illustration Eric. The woman is mysterious. I love that you only showed her hand. And the clasp connecting the pendant to the chain looks sort of like a fish hook too. You got to love all the subtle playful puzzle pieces.

Do yourself a favor and hire Eric as your next illustrator…the ball is in your court.

http://emiguel.ca/home/2b/

Shattered Dreams/Eric Miguel

Original incredible art by Eric Miguel!!!
Check out his art!!!
http://emiguel.ca/home/2b/

THIS is Eric Miguel’s art. THIS is my first review of an artist. And for the next few days I am going to share with you his art and what this incredible illustration is about.

Eric took common every day sayings and gave them life. He took words that we use, that have become cliches and dressed them with his imagination. He brought: “Shattered Dreams” to life.

The young man is in bed, he can’t sleep. The tragic look of horror is evident as the pieces of reflective mirror show all his fears. The issues of work, the love relationship, the car accident,  and finally to commit to marriage or to keep dating--all haunt him.

This sharp razor pieces of glass lay close to his head, each piece waiting to make him bleed.

It makes one think about the whole issue of “shattered dreams”. 

(sighing)

I love clever well thought out art. This is fabulous art. Created totally from Eric’s imagination. The mirror glass well done- the way light reflects off glass. The expression on the mans face is perfect. I can not look at it- without raising an eye brow. It makes me change my facial expression. And even as I type this, I can’t help but laugh at how his art is making my facial expression change.

Well done Eric!

Please go take look at his work. “Balls in your court” is tomorrow’s illustration.
http://emiguel.ca/home/1s/

Wooohoooooo!! YOUR art is incredible!!

Know. No. The Zombie

Original graphic created by Judith Parsons Art 2016
The art was specifically created for this blog.

Living with addicted folks or people with bi-polar issues is an interesting place to be. I know half of you reading this are bi-polar and the other half of you reading this is trying to figure out how to live with your bi-polar friend. Or we are living with the zombie, the one walking around in a drunken fog. The zombie has one foot in the fog and one foot on the moon. The zombie never ready to own her reality.

To KNOW how to live with people like this is acquired over time. These half souls not living in this realm—living in their head. Interesting isn’t it? The thoughts, the scenes you have seen a million times and played out a ka-trillion times.

The screaming and hating of the situation. 

Trying to figure out how to maneuver through the crazy moments. How to love through the messy parts. 

Trying to love your way through the episodes of life.

We learn to walk quietly on egg shells. We shed our boisterous tough outer layer. And try like hell to grow a crab shell shield between the new moons.

We learn to walk slowly into a room, to listen to the conversation that is being said. One must gauge the atmosphere before walking in the room. One must be very aware and “KNOW” at all times.

This knowing is not a tense, stressful knowing. It is a knowing after years of dealing with a partner who flies off the handle at the blink of an eye. It is a knowing that comes with years and years of scars. The scars have covered the new born innocent epidermis. It is what protects you now.

To know. No. To know.

The question is always flying around your head. How can I escape? 

Can I just make a break for it? Can I get in my car and drive as fast and as far away as I can. 

You are tired of taking responsibility for this disturbed soul.

The truths you carry are mountains high. I got it. I can see from the eagle’s perspective, you carrying the heavy load of another. When might you place your burden down. Will there ever be a time? 

I just want to hug you and stroke your back and tell you you are doing great. You really are. Keep up the good work. Keep loving when you are dying inside.  Keep loving the zombie, even when it is yourself.

I know. No. I know.

trusting

Original one of a kind illustration
by Judith Parsons (Jp Parsons) 2016

I went to the water to heal. I try very hard to let the ebb and flow of life move through me, I take it in stride. I go to where the world is quiet, where bubbles caress me and take me deeper into myself.

If you are a water person, then you know what I mean when I speak about the way the water heals the soul. You then also know the way the bubbles pull you inside them, where you can breathe under water.

I had a friend, she told me a story about a large bubble of air underwater. She was asked to step into the bubble and breathe. To trust the air, under water. She trusted and she gulped in air. That story stuck with me. I wonder if she ever gets into the water these days.

There are energies swirling around us, like water, wanting us to be strong and place our positiveness into their emptiness. If we invert the analogy of gulping air from a bubble, if we are placing positive energy into the water, it connects and spins and swirls into the whole.

We are connected like that. We slide into one another and and morph and change. There is a great saying, “if it is meant for you—then it will not pass you by.”  There are people and experiences that change us. We flow, we rise like the tides and we crawl upon the sandy surface.

Tonight I was back into the water with an adult that is learning to swim. He is learning how to trust in his buoyancy. Most of us take that trust for granted. Most of us are taught young how to swim and we never question floating. 

It is an interesting phenomenon, teaching someone to trust in something that is so foreign and so unreal to them. That person is trusting fully in the instructor. The innocent, unknowing one is trusting totally in the knowledge of the instructor. 

I asked my fearful student if he would try a new technique.  When he turned to take a breath, to allow his  shoulder to keep turning over, so he would be upon his back. To then lift his chin, raise his chest and start moving his arms so he was buoyant upon his back. 

He DID it! 

He was able to figure out how to turn on his back and rest, so he could rest in the knowing…he could relax and always know if he was tired in the water he had a way to rest.  He didn’t need to be upon the shore. He just needed to trust in his own abilities.

Life makes us stronger, we swim and keep swimming. It is what we do. Then we rest upon our backs or rest upon the shore. We pant and laugh upon our backs —as the sun shines upon our faces and we smile.

We got this. We are ALL so connected!

Wooohooooooo!!

Swimming…soaring…shining beside you all!