m. p i l g r i m (art)

I had decided to take a year off art school because I'd been under so much stress, and had so many health issues.  However, I'm feeling GREAT these days--I've had some changes occur in my life that have simultaneously relieved my stress and energized me.  But how to get my mojo back? First, I looked online for some sources, searching under "art and drawing prompts" to get me back into the flow of creating, and I found this: I'm pretty excited, in particular, with this  course for beginning .  I put together my beginning kit:  In case you're wondering what's in there other than the immediately visible, it contains the usual drawing supplies (conte pencils, art gum, prismacolor ebony drawing pencils, sharpener, chamois, micro pens) along with: Derwent watercolor pencils Couple tubes of Liquitex heavy body spray bottle glue stick W&N water colour markers scissors, xacto knife, razor several water brush pens metal French curve, eraser...

 It's been a while since I posted anything.   I recently visited New York, where I ran the NYC marathon.    It provided inspiration for this post election journal entry.    I did this one sitting in Liberty State Park in New Jersey.  Even though I haven't posted I have uploaded journal pages to my Instagram account (mistypilgrim) While I was away... I completed a four week class on pastels, and designed and sold some earrings. I saved the first $10 bill I got from that! Most excitedly, I'm taking a weekend workshop in steampunk  sculpture soon, and a watercolor class soon after that. 

 Way, way up at the top of a ridge line between two nearby canyons is a tree, pretty much by itself.  It's only about 2 miles from my house, and there are three ways to make the 1200 foot climb up over boulders and through scraping bushes.  Ever so often I make the trek up to this tree and put my hands on it.  It often nasty and windy and cold up there, or there's a hot, drying wind blowing, and this tree is growing.  It's twisted, and gnarled, and weathered.  Touching it reminds me of how much tougher I am than I think I am. There's quite a view from up there.  (I feel pretty badass by the time I've made the trek.)

    Wednesday may have been the first official day of fall on the calendar, but today was the actual first day that it felt like fall. I was supposed to get up and do a long hike to get some time on my feet.  Instead, I padded around my house in clothing that was fuzzy and soft. After the sun came up, I went outside and did some pruning.

 I debated on whether not to put this on my blog. It's not a terribly flattering picture of my day, or my coworker. She is normally a pretty pleasant person, but for the past several days she has been furious about some changes that were made where we work. Friday was a particularly difficult day.   I came to work pretty happy about the fact that it was Friday, but by the end of the day I was exhausted listening to her ranting about the new changes. I was also surprised, because usually she Rants about something and then it's over. This just went on, and on, and on… Later on, after I was done journaling about this, I remembered that earlier in the week she had had to put her dog to sleep, and then I felt bad. She's probably grieving, and that's why she was so much angrier than usual.