Traveling with wonder

If you have been here before, you may notice a few changes and there are more on the way. I am traveling a new path, not necessarily an easy one, learning new computer tricks, figuring out time and space, trying to make a home office work. I've done this before, but never with someone else who is also working from home. It is a strange variation, still having to please someone else and deal with their needs while trying to meet one's own schedule. There are bound to be a few bumps.

The good news is that the very first week it snowed and iced and froze and I could stay right here and still get things done. This was a very good thing as I am still a desert flower not happy driving on all that slippery white stuff at all. My desk sits right between two corner windows which is a bit drafty, but I love being able to see the world outside. That first snowy day I opened the blinds to find a fluffed up robin sitting in the holly tree right outside the window. He had found a place out of the wind and so had I.

I had two project goals this week. The first was to create a painted banner for my church service, which is a contemporary service. It was actually the third in a series I've done on sheer scrim. I use house paint and just my hands to drip and throw paint and create a specific design. The previous designs were a cross for Easter with a very subtle form of Christ and the other a symbol for the trinity. I think it was Greek. this one is for a four part series covering Christianity as it relates and compares to four other ancient religions: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. Each was represented by a symbol and placed to create a cruciform in the center. One of the really neat things about the process is that I use a paint that has a color name of "Mysterious Light". I didn't pick it out deliberately...in fact I didn't even see the name until they mixed the color, I just chose a good color from those chips they have at Home Depot. When they mixed it up, they called it out to let me know it was ready and I didn't even realize it was the color I had ordered.

My other project was to set up an Etsy shop. Technically, it is set up. It's just empty and not yet connected to this blog, which it will be in the very near future. The high point of doing this sort of work is that you can do it at any hour on any day, so I get a bit done here and there and then get off on another project. I am very excited about getting the shop filled and working and at this point I am waiting to get the approvals from paypal so I can accept credit cards. However, I may open up and connect before then just accepting checks. anyway, the week-end will be filled with pricing, matting and figuring out postage and handling.

You may have noticed the button for the One world One Heart project. I am also psyched about being included in this. what will happen is that beginning January 25th I will post my offering to the project, which will be a painting, of course. Visitors to my blog must leave a comment in that day's entry and anyone can do that through February 3. at that point I will collect all the names and hopefully they have left a way I can get in touch with them...place them all in a hat and allow my husband to pull a single winner and that lucky person will receive the painting. there will be more exact details in my post on the 25th. The point is for folks to visit each others blogs, as we will all be connected. You can visit all the other participants, leave your name and contact info and win multiple prizes while learning about other bloggers and artists. Last year there were over 900 participants so you have a very good chance of winning and even if you don't, you are sure to have a wonderful time wandering the blogosphere meeting new folk.

Well, there are many more projects for this day alone, a birdie pie to bake, some drawing to do and a painting to finish for a magazine call. The week-end will be busy and maybe a bit warmer. I'm hoping for some sunshine.......