The Best Part of Depression?

Okay, that does sound crazy.    

But depression's flip side is feeling good.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Although it rarely happens, a series of good days is amazing!

I must admit I have been pushing myself to return and restore my house after the great winter (frozen pipe flood-) as box by box is returned, I am seeing results.  

WHO knew I had this much FABRIC?

I've also been  <CREATING MORE>  Since moving all of my fabric, it's like stirring the mashed potatoes. It's hard to stir, but it gets the lumps out and the flavor on top gets mixed with the stuff you 
can't see on the bottom.

Organized Threads?

My mural- softer colors are my new inspiration in my studio.

New "Dancing Cat" quilt.

                                                    

Fish

Elephant

 

# my fabric stash
# art quilts
# art studio
# art cats

My OCD Friend

One of my dearest friends, just like a younger sister to me, suffers from OCD.  
My friend is a talented teacher, mother of four, works two jobs, and supports me being an artist and my depression. 

Before- frozen pipe damage.

Back Story: Last January, I had a water pipe break and the mess was amazing.  Insurance, and repairs took two months, and there were way too many men in my house.  The painter though he was Dr. Phil, the handyman thought and said: "You will love this without the clutter." and  while asking why (about the electric) "I don't tell you how to sew!!" 

Thanks to Craigslist(c), I found lots of eager men willing to respond to to my request to help me move for pay, but few were actually available and my pay wasn't shabby.  Let's not even begin to mention those who backed out and those who never showed up!   

But the worst was the floor contractor Billy (the... insert profanity)  YELLED at me that my house wasn't ready for him to do his job. (They changed plans the night before from installing the laminate first to installing the carpet first.)  "He wasn't paid enough to move my things." he said.  Now, moving three tons of fabric, art supplies, art teaching supplies, household items and minimal furniture (hummm...) is no easy task. 

YES, I was BULLIED by the carpet man.  He had 25 years of experience, and he knew everything. "Why wasn't I ready?"  Men--Yeah you might need them sometimes, but you don't have to like them.

             But along comes my friend.

She and two from her family came over Saturday and WOW-EE  knocked out my mess and  created order.  <.Behold.> ....

                        An OCD-er and an artist can live in harmony.  Now I understand that the messy characteristic is my curse and the OCD tendency is hers.  I showed her my clean up efforts first and suggested some places to sort fabric from beads, rulers, scissors, pencils, loose money, artwork, paper supplies, thread, clothes, more beads, tape, glue, pencils, notebooks, cardboard, more beads, more fabric, batting etc.  She was moving like lightening, sorting everything in sight and when the children stopped to "play" with my stuff, it was her telling them to get busy.

I stepped aside and cooked a great lunch of rice and shrimp, deviled eggs, beans, pop, juice, cookies and candy. We enjoyed our lunch. When another friend stopped by she was so impressed, she actually

was able to see some of  my stuff and offered me $30 for my supplies.  Hooray!!

My friend and I hugged at the end.  I was so grateful.  That evening, I texted her and I thanked her and her OCD.  Women Power!!!  Where women unite over a mess.

My friend the sorter would love this!!!!

Welcome Spring!!!  (My doll.)

# OCD    #messy   #artist    #women power     # best friends      #welcome spring      #hugs
#handmade dolls

Re-(Praying) the Past

I know I was a great teacher at one time.

I spent the last eight years of my life working as an art teacher in an inner-city public school.  Unlike so many other teachers who seemed to thrive in this toxic environment, I did not.

This week they reported a student who had stabbed another student with a crochet hook (needle).
I prayed.  The poor art teacher, what a tragic event I feared.  It ha nearly happened in my art class once.  One child pulled jute (rope) used for a fall holiday craft around the neck of another student.
I got in trouble for the child's actions, and it was one of several events that ended my life as a teacher. I now am writing a blog about my art, being an artist and how this added to my depression.

FORTUNATELY, it didn't happen in the art room. The stabbing happened in gym class. A child came into school without passing through any security or a wand.  The student pulled out the needle and pushed it into the other child's arm.

# Violence in Public School America 
# Emotional Turmoil in Public Schools
# Being an Artist

And So It's Mark (Rothko)

Mark Rothko (Artist)

Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Russia (today Daugavpils, Latvia), on September 25, 1903. Rothko and his family immigrated to the United States when he was ten years old, and settled in Portland, Oregon. Rothko attended Yale University in 1921, where he studied to become an engineer or an attorney. Rothko gave up his studies three years later and moved to New York City.
It is here that Rothko turned to art and began painting the subway as a vision of the “underground city.” This atmosphere had low light and visual repetition, which provided a kind of “mystic New York minimalism”. During the 1940s Rothko’s imagery became increasingly symbolic and colors became the dominant element. In the course of this time, Rothko and Gottlieb had written a Manifesto which was printed in the New York Times which stated:
“We favor the simple expression of the complex thought. We are for the large shape because it has the impact of the unequivocal. We wish to reassert the picture plane. We are for flat forms because they destroy illusion and reveal truth.”
By 1947 Rothko had eliminated all elements of surrealism or mythic imagery from his works, and nonobjective compositions and geometric shapes emerged. Rothko’s work is characterized by it’s formal concerns of the elements such as color, shape, balance, depth, composition, and scale. However, he refused to solely limit his paintings to these terms.

(Wiki Credit.)


Rothko Chapel:

 

The Rothko Chapel is a non-denominational chapel in Houston, Texas, founded by John and Dominique de Menil. The interior serves not only as a chapel, but also as a major work of modern art. On its walls are fourteen black but color hued paintings by Mark Rothko. The shape of the building, an octagon inscribed in a Greek cross, and the design of the chapel was largely influenced by the artist. Susan J. Barnes states "The Rothko Chapel...became the world's first broadly ecumenical center, a holy place open to all religions and belonging to none. It became a center for international cultural, religious, and philosophical exchanges, for colloquial and performances. And it became a place of private prayer for individuals of all faiths"      ^{#mark rothko}

I was there years ago and got a bad case of the giggles.  (So much for Contemplation) My gay pal and I got starred down and we had to leave . It was one of the best moments of my life.


 

    

Dancing Cats RIP

Cat-loving Ohio woman, Klonda Richey, mauled to death by ...

Klonda....was a high school classmate of mine and a
kind-hearted person.  Her Dancing Cats will be Remembered. 
We re-united for a summer high school reunion a few
years back and celebrated our big "5-0" together.

Last Friday a grisly discovery was found in Dayton, Ohio; a woman’s body was brutally mauled to death by two dogs and left to die on the sidewalk outside of her home, nearly nude as her clothes and coat were ripped to shreds. Identified as Klonda Richey, 57, the woman had been dubbed a dedicated animal lover by friends and co-workers. Richey worked at the Montgomgery County of Job and Family Services for 25 years. The organization spoke to the press, advising Richey will always be remembered “fondly,” in the hearts of her family, friends and co-workers.
Sadly, this was not the first time Richey would yell for help. The dedicated cat lover had been experiencing trouble with two mixed breeds, potentially Bull Mastiff mixes, who reportedly,  lived next door. Last summer the pair charged at the frightened woman and Richey took shelter in home. She called the police, but police officers stated they followed protocol and contacted the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (ARC). The officials from the organization showed up two hours after the complaint. No dogs were located and none captured during the call. (--)
 In this situation of no-reply, it took the life of animal lover, Richey who was brutally mauled by two dogs. Potentially the same dogs she had consistently made complaints on.
When police arrived at the horrible scene this past Friday, they reported two big dogs charged them, and the officers shot the animals dead. Richey’s neighbors, Andrew Nason and Julie Custer (pictured above) have been placed under arrest, pending charges of reckless homicide, slated to come this week.

# cat lover   #killed by dogs  #dayton ohio