7:50

Ten minutes and I really mean it, two hours of reading alee for a 10 am meeting I'k dreading, and I really don't even want to get out of bed.

It's the daily commitment that makes me do it, no big pie in the sky magic.

Information technology's the routine, a schedule I follow even if it extends at a snail's pace throughout the entire day.

That is my Abracadabra.

Coffee.

Write.

Make the bed.

Yoga.

Write the list.

Pigment four hours.

Ask, what is information technology for?

Be present.

Office of my daily routine is walking through the house and resetting the stage.

I work at habitation, painting on the dining room table.

Every bit I begin, I walk through the house, clearing spaces.

I ask Marie Kondo's question: does this spark joy?

And if not, it goes into the free box or trash.

I recently purchased some fantastic storage boxes from office monster and it feels so good to be able to put them into use.

The daily house walk-about is as much about tidying as it is nigh returning to the job, which is to create beauty.

Beauty on the canvass, beauty in the space.

I am returning to work now subsequently two months traveling and other kinds of piece of work and it feels like returning to a business firm I had boarded upward and am at present moving back into.

Like a sourdough starter put on ice for a long while. The yeast is live, but dormant.

Every aspect of my intention is meant to create a culture that keeps the yeast alive.

Tom reminds me that "the staff of life is ascension" was the secret countersign of the French Resistance during WWII, which makes me laugh.

Which makes me think of Madame Defarge and her knitting, sew together by stitch, row by row.

I've taken up the knitting once again, a lateral piece of work of colour and intention that builds very slowly as I am working on very small needles correct now, a exercise in patience.

They say patience is its own reward, which took me into my fifties to empathize.

Ah! I run into.

Patience IS its own advantage.

Knitting every bit we are flying or on a train or most recently driving three hours home from San Francisco, I drop a stitch and ten miles go by equally I advisedly pick it upwardly again.

It has fallen down six rows, and advisedly advisedly …

the phone rings, the timer goes off, the day begins.

Every morning I write for ten minutes before getting out of bed.

It's a ritual.

It's a routine.

It's a creative habit.

It starts the creative juices flowing, it documents my mind'due south daily wandering, and it allows me to move on to the day ahead feeling that I've accomplished something.

information technology is one of my 7 strategies for a successful day.

Some other one is working in a series.

Making not one but ii, three, even a hundred, of the same idea.

Today I am painting nonetheless life's, specifically Morning Glories.

But earlier I began to paint, I wrote my ten minutes.

I believe the one (the timed costless write) informs the other.

I believe the writing without destination, post-obit wherever the story takes me, allows me to paint improve, to recollect meliorate. And to write ameliorate.

Hither'south my writing today.

10 minutes, timed, earlier getting out of bed.

6:53 am

Woke up in a cabin in SF drank coffee got some rows knitting in before a phone call with our daughter, then half-dozen miles walking to the Aureate Gate Span and back.

Information technology always looks so much closer.

Then big and red and looming, and yesterday the sky so articulate you could practically see the individual wire strands of the suspension cables.

A young girl met u.s. on the street corner with a big blue sign asking us to vote for her candidate.

A man lay in a doorway huddled in on himself, no blanket.

The joggers were out in forcefulness, maintaining their bodies beautiful, one tall thin adult female with a high pony more than prancing than running, like a prima ballerina prepare loose on the track.

The tide was low but water looked between united states of america and the beach, reflecting the Gilt Gate upside down.

We had brought nothing merely a bottle of h2o with united states and then kept walking, but we were both thinking, "how would I paint that?"

Sailing boats are tied up at the yacht club here, their reflections dancing with them in the gentle wake.

Every bit nosotros walk and talk it seems the water and the boats and the islands are moving, not us. The bridge seems always at the same distance from us, close, so close, but yet nosotros are still not there.

At one stop along the path there is a sign that tells us we notwithstanding have one-half a mile to go, which seems incredible, because we can practically achieve out and touch it. And even so.

White steam erupts from a large building across the road, and the smell of hops.

From the final pier a few men wrapped in many layers cast lines into the water.

The Warming Hut is closed, information technology's still also early, even though it seems half the Urban center is out walking their dogs.

That's it!

If this process interests y'all, maybe you'd like to join my online Writing Grouping, Tell Me More than!

Tell Me More! supports writers in writing daily.

Nosotros start off with a commitment to write ten minutes a twenty-four hours, for 30 days.

We share our piece of work in a Secret Facebook group.

We don't critique.

We don't share each other's stories exterior of the group.

That's it!

Brand Art! Exist Kind!

Send me a bulletin on Facebook if y'all'd like to participate!

"Why Paint? Why alive?"

Gregory Kondos

Allied Arts Cambria presents The Fine art of At present, a painting demo, Slideshow & Talk, with accolade winning artists Erin Gafill and Tom Birmingham this coming Lord's day November 4 m, 2pm-3:30 pm.

Erin will kick the event off with a 20 minute painting demo, followed by a slideshow of inspirational images, thoughts, and quotes from her favorite teachers. Tom will wrap things up with a few inventiveness exercises that will ship everyone away smiling. Time for a Q&A at the end.

Click The Art of At present in Cambria for all the details!

Sketching is an immediate response to what you observe.

We sketch to learn.

We sketch to record.

Nosotros sketch to written report and we sketch to play.

There are as many approaches every bit there are people.

There'due south continuous line sketch.

And sketch with wash.

When I look back at my sketchbooks – London, Siena, Florence, Big Sur – I am struck with how much emotion and memory these little drawings and paintings contain.

And it's a nice affair to do together.

For all these reasons and more than, we've organized this first Peninsula Sketch Crawl.

It's free!

And you don't need much.

A journal or sketchbook. A pen. Watercolors if yous desire to get into color.

That's it!

Pack a picnic lunch and your supplies and join us on the Monterey Rec Trail betwixt Fishermen'southward Wharf and Heritage Harbor, 10 am – 2pm, November ten (2018)

We're all beginners.

We're all artistic.

We all accept something to contribute!

RSVP

PS Are you coming to the Sketch Crawl? Here are the supplies I suggest. Permit me know if you have any questions –

What to Bring

The whole idea of sketching is to travel light, and to be set up at a moment's notice to capture an epitome or tableau that piques your involvement. Sketch is to painting as snapshots are to photography. Meet it, capture information technology, movement on. For this reason less truly is more.

For a sketch excursion you lot'll demand something to make a line. I prefer a pen to a pencil so that I am not tempted to erase. Something to propose volume. Sometimes I employ walnut ink or indigo ink in a h2o pen to create unmarried tone wash. Sometimes I use watercolor to add a bit of color. Now yous demand a castor (or then). I use a #12 traveling brush I got from TheBrushGuys.com most of the fourth dimension. I also carry a #half dozen traveling brush to add detail. Sometimes I similar a flat brush to make easier oblongs for buildings and fences, but, it makes the process a bit to easy and mechanical looking….that's upwardly to you.

What colors to I bring. For watercolor sketching I simply employ three colors. A yellow, a blue, and a scarlet. "Can you lot make every color out of those three paints?" you may ask. No, of course I can't, but, I'll allow you in on a little secret. I could have every colour Windsor Newton makes, and I all the same couldn't brand every colour. I'thou just non that skilled. So, I use 3 colors. I can make my reds libation or warmer adding yellow or bluish, my blue more green or regal past adding my yellow or red, etc. If I want a neutral grey, I mix all three until it turns almost pure black. This is all adept practice I think.

Don't forget newspaper. You lot really want two kinds of newspaper. For line drawing you'll want a calorie-free-weight sketch paper book. Annotation whether your called pen bleeds through your chosen sketch paper. If o, I bring forth a single sheet of wax newspaper, the size of my sketchbook to put behind the page I'm cartoon on.For the water media, You'll want good quality watercolor paper, I employ 300 gram Fabriano cold press.

What'due south left? A water bottle, a loving cup to dip your brush into the water, and a manus full of paper towels or tissue to dry your brush. Anything more than this is simply because information technology is ever easier to buy art supplies than information technology is to apply them, and, maybe you but want to have a workout and bear more.

Some people like to carry a folding stool to perch. Not a bad idea, but, I but notice a bench or sit down on the ground. Some people like to comport a pochade box with a tripod. It'southward OK with me, but, I like the "quick depict" aspect of my sketchbook in a shoulder bag.

Continue in heed, we are non making masterpieces to hang in a museum. We are practicing looking, seeing, and rendering. You may find that the limitations of your tools actually inspire innovation.

OK here it is in list grade –

Pen – Fine Roller Brawl or Felt Tip, your choice

Water Pen – Fill information technology with water or 50-50 water and walnut oil

Brushes – #12 Round and #six Round

Paper – Sketchbook (v" 10 9" approximatley) and a stack of 300 gram watercolor paper that fits in your note volume

Watercolor Tube Paints – Rose Madder, Indian Yellow, and Ultramarine Blueish is what I use.

Water bottle

Cup

Newspaper Towels

Encounter you there – Tom Birmingham

I love Kelly Medford!

I honey her paintings.

I love what she writes nearly painting them.

I dearest that every painting has a story, and every story usually has a painting likewise.

I first met Kelly through Facebook.  I saw her work, saw that she posted daily paintings and wrote about her procedure.

I admired her work ethic and her bravery, venturing into the vast aboriginal city of Rome every day on her bicycle and e'er coming domicile with a painting in her basket.

I envied her skill, her training, and her talent.

So I bought a painting. And then another.

Tom commissioned a painting from Kelly depicting my great great grandmother'due south courtyard on Via Margutta, near the Castilian Steps, every bit a gift for my 50th birthday. I cried when I saw it.

And finally, that Christmas, Kelly came to California and we met each other for real.

I cried again. I felt like I was meeting a long lost sister.

Kelly inspired me to render to educational activity on Italy.  She inspired me to have my own easel out on a walkabout of New York City a few years back, one of the greatest painting experiences I e'er had.

And she continues to say "aye!" when Tom and me I ask her to teach with us during our almanac Awaken The Artist Within painting and sketching tours.

It is my pleasure and honor to introduce you to Kelly and her cute paintings.

Invite a footling Italian sunshine into your life!

PS Expats oftentimes stumble on some of the best a new urban center has to offer. Tom and I e'er pick up a picnic lunch here when nosotros are heading to Villa Pamphilj to sketch, and a snack for the flight home. Le Levain. My favorite bakery in Rome has been discovered! Read on https://anamericaninrome.com/wp/2015/11/le-levain-french-bakery-in-trastevere/

X minutes.

Every twenty-four hour period.

For 30 days.

We write and postal service and share feedback and develop the habit. The writing habit.

It's not rocket science. But that doesn't mean it'due south easy. Etching out a piece of your 24-hour interval – even ten minutes – for your writing life can seem most incommunicable sometimes.

Its hard to find the time when you're running a business, or raising immature children, or traveling for piece of work.

Information technology's fifty-fifty difficult when y'all accept plenty of time on your easily but feel you just can't starting time or don't know where to start.

And notwithstanding we know that without the daily practice, we go nowhere.

We tell ourselves that at that place's not much we can do in ten minutes a day.

That it won't matter.

Sometimes nosotros give it a try and quickly dismiss our efforts as worthless. Sometimes we begin and beginning well, then founder, and hesitate to kickoff once again because we fear we'll fail again. And experience even worse well-nigh ourselves.

At the root of all our hesitation, procrastination, and perfectionism is fear.

Tell Me More! is a infinite in which you will detect writers writing fearlessly, encouraging i another, and growing in skill, commitment, and vocalism.

It isn't a critique group.

It isn't an advice grouping.

It's a writing grouping. To encourage writers to write.

It isn't a class, there are no fees.

I believe that in the writing and reading and writing and reading – daily, for 30 days – in that repetition and commitment and sharing – nosotros brainstorm to find our vocalism. We brainstorm to grow our writing muscles. We begin to know what information technology is we demand to write about. Nosotros brainstorm to know who we are.

This isn't nearly getting published, but some of our writers take written and published articles, poems, essays and books from this practice.

Others accept developed profound friendships.

Others still find the grouping a safe identify apart from daily life where for once they can be truly themselves.

In that location are few rules. We don't critique, we maintain confidentiality, and we refrain from giving advice unless it's asked for.

A new session begins November 1.

Want to join us?

Merely let me know!

Erinleegafill@yahoo.com

Join Erin Gafill for a day of painting in Big Sur!

Free for Carmel Art Association members!

In that location is a $10 fee to park in the lot. If you adopt park on the highway level where safety permits and walk downwardly to the kiosk at the parking lot entrance.

We'll meet upward at the master entrance parking lot. Erin will do a 20 infinitesimal demo painting and and then nosotros're off and running.

All media welcome!

Being a sack dejeuner and stay on for the 2pm critique. In that location will be coffee and cookies!

Rsvp to erinleegafill@yahoo.com.

Non a fellow member of CAA yet? To join CAA go to Carmelart.org. Associate Membership is only $35 and offers you loads of benefits including regular paint outs with Erin and award winning artist Mark Farina.

Day One.

Venice, Italian republic.

Tom says allow's stop and paint.

I say OK.

We sit and confront in different directions. Every bit usual I choose the easier composition.

Evening heaven, reflected on water, bracketed by old palazzos punctuated past shuttered windows. Essentially vertical rectangles with a few decorative details, modest terraces dotted with potted plants, bracketed past bandage iron railings, a few devious sheets hanging from the laundry line.

The fashion I run across it, as a painter, is equally a composition about higher up, below, and along side. With 1 of Venice's hundreds of aboriginal bridges providing a potent horizontal link.

I accept taken a lot of time winnowing down my supplies to but the essentials, to the signal of leaving behind my sketchbook. Thankfully, we are just a short walk from an art supply store and I've picked up a pad of watercolor paper there, paper that is fairly resistant to water it turns out simply amend than nothing.

Tom paints, I paint, the evening light deepens.

An onetime man stops to spotter us, discreetly at a altitude, taking his time to roll a cigarette, stealing glances.

He sits facing us, on the mossy canal dock nosotros've chosen, really but an indentation of rock steps down to the water's border that keeps u.s.a. out of the stream of pedestrian and water traffic akin.

By the time he'south had his fume, we've finished up our painting too, and re-enter the stream of evening life in Canareggio. Locals eating cicchetti (tapas) at small sidewalk bars and cafes, artists in their studios, shopkeepers sweeping downwardly the sidewalks.

Evening in Venice, like a dream.

East of Nepenthe II by Erin Lee Gafill
East of Nepenthe II – 48″ ten 48″

Join me Sat September eight at The Glass House Gallery at Ventana in Large Sur for a two hour painting sit-in.

I'll exist working in oils, from nature and directly observation, on a large canvas approximately iv'x5′.

I'll be sharing my color palette, brushes, and general arroyo to mural painting "alla prima".

2pm-4pm Painting Demo, in the Loft at Ventana, adjacent to the Restaurant.

4pm Wine & Cheese Reception at the Drinking glass Firm Gallery, at Ventana, next to the Eatery.

6pm – The Art of Now Slideshow/Talk – the connection between art-making practices and mindfulness.  In the Loft, at Ventana, adjacent to the Restaurant.