The last few months have been crazy as far as travelling and teaching goes. Lucky for me it's daylights saving and my body is telling me it's time to get up so I have an extra hr to finally sit down and write. Since I last sat down I have been to Arizona (Side trip to the grand canyon), Helsinki, Tallinn, Paris and Detroit.
Arizona and Detroit I went to go see Football games with my brother. If you didn't know, I had in some capacity over many years volunteered with minor football and helped run a sr mens semi pro team. In 2018 I retired from that to be able to spend more time on my art.
These were last minute trips that i'm glad I was able to fit in my chaotic schedule. Me, being the every so graceful person that I am almost fell of the edge at the Grand Canyon. I get dizzy and unsteady at higher altitudes. It was absolutely stunning! We were unsure if we would make the drive out because that would take up a whole day but the road trip and the canyon itself was worth the drive. The game I was most excited for was the Michigan vs Michigan state game. I am not sure why but somehow as a child I received a Michigan keychain and had been a fan ever since. So getting to go to watch the Paul Bundy game was amazing. The people in ann arbor and Detroit were so friendly. Despite the bad rep Detroit gets they really have put a lot of work into the downtown area to make it safe to go out and enjoy sporting events.
It tied back to the power art can have to help revitalize when the community gets invested in an area. Which brings us back to art. I have been working on 2 proposals for mural projects. It's not something most people realize but the amount of work that goes into the planning and application phase of a mural is surprising. The research and thought that goes into these applications are not something you can just whip up over night. It took me about 2 months to complete each application. I won't know until the end of the year if mine were chosen. If neither is chosen I still found value and a source of inspiration in the practice of going through this process.
Another thing that has happened is teaching. I have to admit I was scared about how that would go. I tend to ramble and at times my thoughts go off on tangents so I wasn't sure if I could teach anything that would make sense to people. I am also painfully awkward in new situations until im comfortable but to my surprise and relief it went well. I got a lot of great feedback. The only critical feedback I got was to relax. I had quite a few people tell me they learned something and thanked me. It was such a sense of pride to see people going from "I'm not artistic" or "I can't do that" to making some really creative expressions. I've always been the type of person who enjoys seeing people succeed no matter how big or small that might be. Seeing them enjoy and have fun exploring new things and coming up with some beautiful pieces was such a satisfying feeling. I never thought that I would enjoy teaching as much as I did.
Helsinki and Tallinn were not really planned but when a great price on a ticket from Arizona to Helsinki came up how could I say no. I went in knowing nothing about either place. My only thought was I wanted some place on the quieter side with good food. Both these places, being off season, hit the mark.
Helsinki has a unique collection of architecture. It has its own style of art nouveau mixed with buildings that had a harsh utilitarian feel to them and sprinkled in were buildings with such a unique design tying back to nature. It's a weird mix but it works and gives the city a very distinct feeling to it.
Tallinn was such a melange of different arts. I wasn't expecting that but was pleasantly surprised. We pulled up to our hotel to find a party across the street with a DJ and multiple artist painting erected walls with beautiful images.
Sauna culture there is amazing. I had no want or inclination to jump into the baltic sea in late Sept. After being in some of the hottest saunas i've ever been in I am glad the ladies egged me on to do it. It was strangely refreshing and invigorating. It was also very cold and I contemplated my life choices in those first few moments.
The people at first seemed standoffish but once you spoke they lite up and were some of the friendliest people. I was delighted to see they drank just as much coffee as I do. I really enjoyed finding out about the history and wandering around the galleries. It was nice that there were lots of free galleries and museums you could visit to keep costs down. NIght life I kept it on the quiet side with venturing out to small corner pubs and singing karaoke. There were soo many great singers. I was happy most people spoke perfect english. It gave me a chance to really learn about their culture and found it was very much inline with my own. Finding those connecting points always amazes me. Two cultures on opposite sides of the pole sharing commonalities shows just how unifying mother earth can be.
Paris was Paris. I always love visiting but it is a crazy place. I enjoyed seeing people I hadn't seen in awhile and the impromptu way things just seem to happen there. One minute you're headed home to sleep, the next you're playing guitar and singing on the street with travellers from brazil. Or dancing salsa along the canals. or enjoying a deeply satisfying meal with people you enjoy.
I decided to do a daily art challenge in watercolors and I made it to day 23 I am debating if i will finish even though it's already November. I have made two pieces for donation and I have started to paint for the winter market coming up in Dec. These events are always so much work to prepare for but the joy I get out of them really is worth the effort put in. This series is headed back to where I started with landscapes. I always feel a draw to landscapes in the first part of winter for some reason. I've had a few compositions rolling around in my head for awhile that I feel it's time they come out and say hello to the world.
But it's back on to real time now as my stolen hr is up and i have to get ready for work.
Hope you have a great day today.
Jackie ❤️
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