Decemberland

Green Springs, Ashland, OR

Gleaning color from the winter

It's bleak outside, but I'm collecting color indoors.

One of the most prized ornaments, from my mom

And thanks to Amy, I can see the top of the mountain from my bed.

Creative Arts Highlight: Amy Komar, artist

Amy is an artist living in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska. She has had galleries in Arizona, Germany, Texas, and of course, Alaska. I have never met Amy in person, but I feel a connection with her because her art speaks to me in a very moving way.

Amy, Artist in the Arctic

Amy is so creative and fluid, with all sorts of delicious ideas always spinning around. Her creations are uplifting and reflective, and full of life and color. I am always excited to see what she will come up with next.

Here is one of the first paintings I saw that really just grabbed me:

Year of the Dragon
www.amykomar.com

And she has an etsy shop that is full of these little gems:

Shaman Stick/Painted Beaver Stick


Her stones have been gathered locally and from all over the world, and I know that she gives careful consideration when choosing each one.


Painted stones

...and there are also her trademark painted birch hearts

http://www.artistinthearctic.etsy.com/

And get this; Amy has a special discount code just for you guys! The code is: KATIEDFAN for 10% off in her etsy store :) So take a stroll through her store and see if anything speaks your name.

In addition to being a painter, she is also a photographer. You can check our her blog, which is full of beautiful photographs, here:

http://www.artistinthearctic.blogspot.com

(Subscribe! You won't be disappointed!)

Settling in

I know winter just started, but with the recent clouds and dark, it already feels like it's going to be a long one. So I am looking for color wherever I can find it. And using the cold as a good excuse to use my oven regularly for banana bread and cookies. :)

Washcloths knitted by my grandmother.

Color therapy ;)

Aloe vera plant, which I just used today for a burn.

Also, check out two new songs I recently recorded; 'Upstairs' and 'I'm sorry' on the SoundCloud player over there on the lefthand side. Enjoy. :)

I hope you all keep healthy, happy, and well!

Creative Arts Highlight: Camela Corcoran

Umbrella

Camela is a painter living in Ogden, UT. I wanted to highlight her work, so I asked her a few questions. This is what she told me:

From the time she was 8 years old she wanted to go to the Vatican and see Michelangelo's work at the Sistine chapel, which she accomplished in 2009. She began painting when she was 12, although she says long before that she used to fall asleep on her coloring books.

Pensive woman with houses
(as part of a series 'Big women with little houses')

Her work is mostly of figures. She says the human form is an inspiration to her. I especially love the way she uses colors. There are a lot of greens, blues, and browns.

She says: "I guess I have an ebb and flow but I have a deep rooted need to express myself and if I don't then I become frustrated. I generally don't express myself verbally so art is a good way to express what I'm feeling."

Camela painting at a festival in UT

Same painting, finished.

Camela is a fairly private person, so she does not have a website but if someone were really interested in her work, they could contact her directly via e-mail: camelcorc@gmail.com or via facebook (Camela Cox Corcoran).

This got me fired up

This quote got me all fired up today...in a good way.

"To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” — Aristotle

I realized that I do this. A lot. Fly under the radar where no one can criticize or judge. I am so careful and mum that there can't be much to comment on. This irks me, and makes me want to unleash the passion that drives the music-writing. Who cares if people don't like it? Why would I squelch my own creative passion? It's ok to shine through. It's great to share. This is what people relate to. Fear is behind too many of my actions and I am not ok with that. I would like to change it.
You all with me?

Well spoken.

I just gotta fight my way through...

Creative arts highlight: Paul Kincaid

I have decided to do a highlight of someone in the creative arts regularly, and this month I have chosen Paul Kincaid, luthier of 12 years.

Koa Archtop guitar custom built for Curtis Monette
Photo by Peter Chee


This article from The Alchemist Weekly, Corvallis, OR, October 2010 says it better than I could. Check out the article here, page 8:



And here is an article from the Gazette Times:
http://www.gazettetimes.com/entertainment/article_7302aeb2-ae86-11de-882e-001cc4c002e0.html

Here are a couple websites where you can view some of his work:

• http://rqmstrings.com
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Requiem-Strings/212139375506648
  

Quote for today...and probably my life motto

"It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more manhood (or womanhood) to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind."
- Alex Karras

Muse

Cool window in the abbey in Battle, England

Feeling so grateful that my muse is still keeping me company.

Creativity can't be forced, but it can be nurtured. And I can leave the door (and windows) open for it.





p.s. yes, I am aware of the irony that I included a picture of a window that is barred shut. Just pretend you can open it. Haha!

Ashland

I love the light showing through these petals

Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?

They are so cute

Splinters

Early morning clarity

Birch Bay, WA sunset

I am lying here in bed, rolling around in a clarity of thought that only comes in the early unrushed hours of the morning after 8 hours of good sleep.

I worry about so many things, unnecessary things. Most of the time I feel my stress or worry stems from the fact that I'm not perfect and I want to be. It sounds ridiculous, but it's kind of true. And a lot of angst has come from that.

When I woke up this morning, I felt very calm and....'ok.' I am ok. You are ok. Everything will be ok. No matter what is going on, no matter how the future plays out, I can handle it. If I beat myself up mentally every time I fail, that's a downward spiral that's difficult to recover from. All these things in my life I will eventually learn from. It's ok if I don't understand it all now. I am expecting many 'Aha' moments in my future. Maybe I'll write a song about it. ;)

Summer

It's been a month since the show, and I haven't done a lot of music between now and then. But I just started practicing music for other people's shows coming up. I feel much less pressure when playing music I didn't write!

Otherwise, the summer has been filled with swimming (when the sun is actually out...here is where I cast a disapproving glance out the window at the sky), horse training, yard work, trips to the library, babysitting, outings with friends and family, live music, camping, and mountain biking.

Paul

6-17-11

Paul Kincaid on bass

Jeremy Donaldson: guitar/vocals

Paul Johnson on violin (see any family resemblance?)

Preparing for the show

Well, the show is about a week and a half away. Now that I'm done with finals, I feel like I can finally focus. Over the last couple weeks, I spent a lot of time thinking about which songs to perform, and organizing the set list. Most of the songs have never been heard. How strange that feels!

I was having a discussion with a friend last weekend about artists and their passion for the arts. This is how she put it (from the perspective of an artist): "This is what I can do, this is what I am passionate about, this is what I have to offer. Do what you will with it, I am sharing it with you."

"Words are the voice of the heart." - Confucius

Outside at the studio

For Kira