Nanette – Page 10 – NanetteSewZ

What’s holding you back?

This month has turned out to be yet another busy one. I haven’t spent nearly enough time in my studio. I think I’m in a little bit of a “writer’s block.” This happens sometimes, even to the best of us. When it happens, I think we all can blame some of it on time. There just never seems to be enough of it. There are so many things I want to do (accomplish) this year and I feel the time slipping away.

Creative coach, Lesley Riley, sums it up well by stating, its not the time…its our priorities (read it here). When it comes to things we want to do, we’re actually choosing to make time … or not.

I realize I’m having mental blocks because of clutter. I just have too much creative “stuff” hanging around and its distracting me. Oddly enough, last week I received an email describing how our local Arts Council is collecting art supplies for the public school system. They report that there’s just not enough funding for the teachers to provide art supplies to their students. Lightbulb moment!

So here I was sitting, feeling a bit claustrophobic in my surroundings and I receive this epiphany. Just clean the room and donate the good, unnecessary things to the schools. I’m viewing this as a win-win in many ways.

1) I’m inspired to help the schools advance art education.
2) I’m clearing clutter from my life, so I don’t feel so burdened with stuff.
3) I’m not creating, but I’m still working with what I have. I’m getting rid of the dead weight and seeing what I have to use. What’s staying are things which inspire me and will be used for future projects.
4) Above all, I’m making it a point to “show-up” every day in my studio and do some work.

Showing up is half the battle to creating art. I’ve made the conscience effort to place more value on my time in the studio than other things in my life. Becoming aware of what’s holding me back is essential to changing habits. For me, I’ve realized that I have to show up every day, even if its only for an hour or 2. I’ll never reach my goals without that commitment. So what’s holding you back?

Distracted

It’s a new year and I’m trying to get myself into a rhythm of working. Sometimes however, I get distracted.

I vaguely remember owning an infamous “Sock Monkey” when I was a child. I’m told that my mother and grandmother would make these stuffed dolls for us.

Back in the 1980’s, I found that you could still purchase the “Red Heel” socks that were used to make these iconic characters from my youth. Back in the ’80s, I was a new auntie who loved to craft and I made a set monkeys for all my nieces and nephews.

Flash forward a few decades and the munchkin nephews are now parents of their own toddlers. Unfortunately, none of their sock monkey friends survived long enough to be passed down to the next generation of kids. However, when I heard “the Mav” LOVED monkeys, great-auntie kicked it into gear to start the Great Sock Monkey Project of 2017.

Well, if you make one…you might as well make 4! Right? Both the niece and nephew got new buddies, along with some of their friends.

And yes, you can still easily find “Red Heel” socks online (e.g., Amazon.com). If you buy the original Rockford Red Heel socks, inside the label you’ll find the directions on how to make them.

I’m told the kiddos love their new BFFs. —  Sometimes it pays to get distracted.

Godspeed

“Soar” – 63″ x 31″ by Nanette S. Zeller (inspired by a photo by Brady Beck)

Yesterday at 4am, my dog, Dakota, woke me up to be let out. Although this sounds early, it’s kind of a ritual in our home to rise and shine before sunrise. I could have slept in, but my brain decided to engage full fire. I couldn’t get back to sleep. I think most of us have had days like these.

What normally happens when I can’t sleep is my brain worries about all that needs to get done. I feel overwhelmed and I panic a little about some huge to-do list ahead of me. Yesterday was different.

The thoughts running through my head at “oh-dark-thirty” weren’t overwhelming, but instead exhilarating. It was like my brain finally realized that I was into a new year with new opportunities. When it was finally time to get out of bed, I was ready to take on the day.

The enthusiasm has continued into today. All the things I pondered, in my time “off” the last 2 months, were ready for me to take on full speed. As usual, I don’t truly know where any of this is going. What I do know is that I can not sit back and ignore opportunity. I have a check list of things that I plan to do with deadlines that need to be met, quilts to be made and proposals to submit. It feels good to have direction and enthusiasm.

I hope this week you too see the potential in your life. Walk away for the negativity and focus on what you want in life. Remember, that the only thing you can change is yourself. Enjoy the journey and godspeed!

All the things you love

“Tournesol” (means turns with the sun) by Nanette S. Zeller

Only a few more days until the new year is here. Its all coming together — the holidays, the new year, and my fast approaching birthday. I spend a lot of time this time of year reflecting, but I’ve also stepped back and took a break these last couple months. I’m finding myself feeling anxious to get started in my studio again. I haven’t seen my studio very much the last 2 weeks and I think my sewing machines miss me. Well, at least, I’m missing them. We have a home improvement project planned for the rest of the week, so the machines will have to remain on vacation a few more days. Hang on 2017, we’re almost there.

This coming year, I really want to get focused on a number of things with my art career and keep the machines humming. I know my biggest struggle is time. I guess we all have that issue because our lives are so full; family, friends, work, hobbies, staying connected, managing the household, paying the bills…it all takes time.

I’ll keep it short today and wish you happy new year. Thank you for following me on my journey and, in this upcoming new year, I hope you find time for all the things you love.

Plans for the new year

This past Saturday, we took down the Paper, Canvas, Cloth exhibit. It was a successful show. The gallery noted that a number of people return 2 and 3 times. The greatest success is that each of each sold artwork. That’s the point isn’t? If you’re a professional, you enter shows so you can sell. It’s always sad to take a show down, it reminds me that everything is so temporary.

There are 10 more days until the start of the new year. This time of year, I always spend a lot of time reflecting. I remember all that I’ve done, successes and failures, plus the good and bad. But I also spend a great deal of time contemplating what I’ll do in the upcoming year.

I have several plans that I need to start implementing. My biggest goal for 2017 is financial. This year, as I prepared for Paper, Canvas, Cloth, I took a hiatus from many things that generated income. But I also stepped away from many extracurricular obligations that took up a lot of my time. The frame work is set for me to do some great things. The only thing holding me back is myself.

I always find it interesting to reflect. To think about where I was 12 months ago and what I’ve accomplished. But I’m also eager to get moving onto new things. Have you started thinking about your plans for the new year?

Bad art

While pondering my plans for the upcoming year, I started thinking… “What do I do with the ‘bad art’ I created?”

Now don’t get in an uproar, if you’re an artist, you know you sometimes make bad art. Most of us also are in a constant state of evolution. So something you made 2 years ago, may not necessarily be really “bad” but it doesn’t fit who you are anymore. It’s like that geek who’s hanging out with the jocks; the outliers uncomfortably stand out in a crowd.

So what do you do about it? People who paint on canvas can easily slap a coat of gesso on un-favored artwork and start over. There’s even evidence that Leonardo Da Vinci did this. But what if your work isn’t so easy to make a new? What do you do? This has been my dilemma. I have a pile of things that needs to go…but where? I’ve had the pieces for a number of years and they haven’t sold. I know why, too. ~smirk~

I have been known to have a sacrificial fire in the yard when we’re burning yard waste. You can’t keep everything, so making it turn to ashes puts the energy back into the universe. This might be a bit extreme for some people.

Some of the pieces I culled have a potential to be cut-up into small squares and set aside to be re-assembled and re-purposed. Maybe I could make them into small coin purses?

Frequently charities look for donated art for fund-raising events (silent auctions, door prizes, etc). I’ve done this a few times, but isn’t always the best way to go. One thing I don’t like is that the IRS only allows artists to deduct the cost of materials, not labor or the saleable price. A tax deduction for a tube of paint and a yard of cloth…just seems like too much effort to track for the amount of benefit it would have on my tax returns. Another thing about this approach of giving away bad art that’s no longer your style, it isn’t a good way to market yourself. You really should be publicly showing art that represents who you are…not some former self. So if I can’t get a tax deduction and I’m not gaining anything as a marketing benefit, is donating bad art really a benefit to me the artist?

I really don’t know the answer to this conundrum. I guess in the end, releasing outdated pieces from the heard, is probably requires a combination of many methods. Until I figure out what to do with the culled pieces, I guess I’ll just have to hang on to my bad art.

The process

Tomorrow is December 1. Sorry for being cliche, but “Where did the year go?” They say this phenomena seems to happen more as you get older. Days just whiz by, then swoosh you’re another year older.

My mission for December is to finalize a plan of attack for 2017. There are a couple of major shows I want to enter and a number of ideas that I plan to take action on. And of course, I need to keep creating new art pieces as I prepare for my solo show in 2018. Seems a long way away, but I’ll need about 30 pieces for that gallery space. I definitely have lots to think about.

This past Monday, we had the Open House at Campbell House Galleries. Sharon and I greeted our visitors while working on our art. I started working on another Carolina Parakeet piece. This one is small (12″ x 12″) and I’m using it to demonstrate some of my techniques.

To me fabric alone always looks too flat. Someone on Monday referred to it as looking like cartoon cutouts. I agree. It needs something else to give it rich dimension. If you look closely at the photo, you can see how the bird and branch in the lower right has more depth, than the bird and branch in the upper left. I’ve created the dimension by coloring the fabric with Prismacolor pencils.

Of course, if you’ve been following my work you know there’s more to my work than that. I always add thread to increase the level of interest and depth. I’ll show you more of the progress as I go along, because I thought you might be interested in seeing the process.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016

Holiday Art & Jewelry Sale – Friday, December 2 — (9a-5p) & Saturday, December 3 — (10a-4p)
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

Be thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day! Although, I try to be thankful every day, Thanksgiving is a celebrated day of reflection.

Our show at Campbell House is still hanging. We have an Open House scheduled for Monday, Nov 28 and a gallery sale on December 2 & 3 (see details below). I’m grateful that this exhibit is hanging for an extended period and that there are many options for people to visit. Looking at the pictures of my art hanging along side the artwork of my friends, I’m reminded of this journey I’ve been on.

Several years ago, I was in turmoil. I wanted to be an artist, but didn’t know what that meant. People told me that I already was an artist, but I didn’t agree. At that time, I had a specific grasp of understanding about this label. In my mind, an artist was someone who created original ideas and they also hung their artwork in “art” galleries.

As I step back and look at this exhibit, I can reflect on the journey and how I got here. I can see that my artwork portrays original ideas and hangs in art galleries alongside “fine art” paintings. I’ve created the persona that I was striving for so many years ago. This journey wasn’t easy and there is still a road ahead.

Along the way there where so many people who influenced me, helped me, and believed in me. That’s ultimately what I’m thankful for this weekend. I’m also thankful that I didn’t give up. I may have gone on some detours, but I always got back on track. I believe that spirit of never giving up comes from those who are no longer with me on this big blue marble. They set the mold, pushed me out the door and then stepped away. It’s all part of some giant plan that continues to unfold.

I’m also thankful for having the ability to share this journey with you. My hope in each of the personal reflections I share with you is that they remind you that you are in control. If you want it, then believe it and you’ll achieve it. Just remember to stop along the way to reflect and be thankful.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016

Open House — Monday, November 28 — (2-4p)
Holiday Art & Jewelry Sale – Friday, December 2 — (9a-5p) & Saturday, December 3 — (10a-4p)
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

In person

gallery shot of solarworship — “Solar Worship” [Osprey Wing] hangs alongside the artwork of Marilyn and Sharon in the Paper-Canvas-Cloth exhibit at Campbell House. (“Solar Worship” was inspired by a photo by Brady Beck

This morning I went to the Campbell House galleries to visit our exhibit Paper, Canvas, Cloth. It was a beautiful morning and I haven’t seen the exhibit since the reception almost 2 weeks ago. Today, I took a lot of pictures from every angle and it gave me chills that this is real.

Today reminded me that I’m on a journey that’s continually evolving. Each step I make I can look back and see how much I’ve learned. I can also see how much I’ve grown.

Sometimes it’s embarrassing talking about yourself, because you may sound too boastful. But if I don’t tell you (a stranger or friend) that I have an art exhibit down the road…you probably would never get to see it. I’ve put a lot of time and energy into this and it means alot to me to share it with you. I hope you enjoy these snapshots and if you have the opportunity, please, come see it in person.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller

Where they take me

And so it goes, “Paper, Canvas, Cloth” is hung. The artist reception is over. Now I need to step back and take time to breathe. Between now and the end of the year, I’m re-grouping to decide “what’s next?”

I’ve been working on this exhibit pretty much non-stop since August. I haven’t had time to pursue other opportunities. In some ways, it’s been a tough year. In other ways, it’s been a rewarding year.

I’ve felt some negative blows the last couple weeks, but I’ve also had positive affirmations. It’s time to explore all those things I’ve been putting off and see where they take me.

Join me for:

“Paper, Canvas, Cloth”
November 4 – December 17, 2016
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
featuring the work of
Sharon Ferguson, Marilyn Vendemia, & Nanette S. Zeller