Where Oh Where Has Mary Gone?

So, I know….maybe you’re wondering to yourself, where did that artist Mary go? Has she been painting up a storm or out walking so much and sketching nature that she’s no time to write on her blog? Did she move and not tell us? Well…no. Neither are true, not yet at least! Just a quick hello to those who do follow my blog and like to see what I’m up to. I don’t usually post too much personal stuff here, I figure people come here to read about nature and drawing etc. but what I’m working on definitely will be interesting, once I get there!

I’m working on getting my house ready to sell, and going through about 30 years of memories as I sell stuff, pack and donate things.

Where I first started stuffing bins as I packed, a walk in closet.

This is a picture of where I first started stuffing bins, a big walk in closet. And below is a picture of my gallery, full of packed boxes…it’s even fuller now!

Boxes of packed paintings and art supplies

You can see all the paintings on the left waiting to be packed, now they’re done!

My “to do” board.

This is my “to do” board, an idea my friend Judy gave me. We’re both visual people and when you’re getting sick of lists of chores to do this makes it more interesting. I wrote things I needed to do on 1/2 pieces of post it notes, then thumb-tacked them to the board-most important things at the top. I let some things just sort of float in areas and liked feeling in control of it. As I complete one I put a big yellow X through it with the highlighter and move it to the bottom. Yeah, I could’ve thrown it out, but the visual person in me wanted to see them stacking up and completed at the bottom. It reminds you that you accomplished something! I think this would be great for kids!

Next I will be applying for a Fiance Visa so I can then move to England to be with my sweetheart whom I haven’t seen in a year and eight months! It’s AWFUL!

Gesso Heart

But once I finally get there it’ll be lots of nature walks, nature sketches and paintings as I did when I traveled there before. And I can finally settle down to working on my children’s books and go on wonderful walks with Gary, just live a normal life! Yay!

Our time together has been limited by government rules and regulations, coming and going to other countries is pretty strict! It’s a long story but I’m keeping the faith that somehow it’ll come out a happy ending for us and this girl will be in England soon! We have a vicar who’ll marry us in just the place we want, that’s a positive! I’m designing and sewing my wedding dress, but need to finish that too! I really want to share a picture of it so far but I can’t! Gary might see it here and that would spoil the surprise after all. 😉

Yikes….so much to do besides ripping out shelves, whacking weeds, scrubbing everything, hiring painters, roofers, handymen…sigh, oh it does get overwhelming! But I’ve still kept up my writing of children’s poems as the creative streaks hit me. I wrote a really good little poem that immediately became a song called “The Three Spotted Bananas”; anyone I sing it to smiles and now I’m trying to find time to sketch bananas!

Caught up in the middle of all this moving business, to not create art is a depressing thing. But I found a little shop right here in my town called Creative Essence, where you can take short classes to learn how to make high end crafts. It’s jammed full of wonderful, colorful, fun, handmade crafts for sale, all created by artisans or the owners. For those who know me, I’m a sewing fanatic besides paintress and one thing I’ve always wanted to learn was felt-making! I ADORE wool, I love buying it, touching it, wearing it…and the idea of creating something colorful and three dimensional with it always fascinated me. So I took a few classes and it was the perfect creative splash I needed!

My first needle felt project (unfinished), using my painting “Moonlight Sentinels”.

I also took one class on silk painting, another thing I want to explore.

My first silk painted scarf, I call it “The Wind in the Willows”, because it reminds me of a sketch I did while hiking once.

I have decided to share my felt and silk journey here on my blog and create a spot for it in my Gallery. I figure, my life is filled with a love of all these things, and this will be my place to share it with you. Anything I make always is inspired by nature and color so it will be interesting. It will include my move to England and the adventure will continue there!  Once I get a few things made (could take awhile!) I’ll put them in my long empty ‘Etsy’ shop.

So please stick with me on my blog and check back when you can, I will share some of my experiences here and tag it under “Moving to England” or “Felting” or “Silk Painting”…. What a process! But life must move on, and so must I. I’m so unbelievably happy when with Gary, so that’s where I must be.