autumn cp newsletter and time to run with the wolves

Well woo-hoo a new issue of my newsletter is now ready to read. If you are new to my blog and you are a coloured pencil enthusiast, do check it out. There are all sorts of interesting things in each issue from featured artists, to tips, Q & As, websites and blogs to visit, etc.

Don't miss Newsletter Group Member Sandy Oveson's woodpecker as well as a very practical tip from fellow blogger Laure Ferlita.

Membership is free so if you are interested in joining the Newsletter Group, just contact me. If you haven't read any of the other issues, grab a coffee and get comfortable. There really is a lot to check out. Enjoy!

This is a view of our meadow and some wonderful fall foliage. You can click on the picture for a larger view. If I had seen the property in the fall, I would have bought the place on the spot, even before seeing the studio! :-)



Yes, it is time to run with the wolves and I am oh so excited. This reference will make more sense if you have read Clarissa Pinkola Estes' book, Women Who Run With the Wolves (if you are in a creative slump, I highly recommend it). Okay, when my German Shepherd and I are out wandering the woods each day we usually aren't running but given that my big fellow spends his days on the furry edge between feral and domesticated, I think this is more applicable than not.

I said in my newsletter that I would write about my decision to not teach any classes in 2010. Well, here it is, this she-wolf has her fur up, she is baring her fangs and she is standing her ground and defending her territory. I have compromised long enough and 2010 is going to be all about my art. I am reclaiming my studio as a creative space instead of a teaching space and all hell may just break loose!

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know that the past two years have been tumultuous. We found the home and land we had dreamed of so we bought and sold houses and moved. I ramped my teaching schedule up to new heights in my eagerness to make use of my large studio space. Then my Dad became ill. I left Ottawa and became a care giver. Then he died. I returned to Ottawa and hit the ground running determined to meet all the commitments I could. When this was over I tried to slow down. I had an out of town estate to deal with and I needed a break. So I talked about taking a break. I wrote about it. I put it in my newsletters. But in the end I caved. Perhaps it was the fear of slowing down my success. I have spent years building up a reputation, spent money on advertising, I finally have the right facilities, how could I stop teaching now? Part of it was also my desire to help people. I really want to help people in their artistic journey and I enjoy opening up the world of coloured pencil to those who are eager to learn. Maybe it was the economy. When someone from the city of Ottawa calls and wants you to teach classes, how can you say no to the income? In the end, in this year that I was going to slow down and take a break, I taught more classes than I am comfortable admitting to.

Oddly enough, this was a year when I had problems with students. I ended up being led down the garden path by people who said they really wanted me to offer classes and then they changed their minds. I had cancellations. Yes, life happens but I suspect that in some of these cases, they registered rather flippantly, like impulse buying. I started to sense an expectation that folks could just take the course in a few months when I offered it again. This she-wolf doesn't like being taken for granted.

So now I am digging in my toes and I am starting to snarl and growl. I am an artist first and a teacher second. I always said that if the teaching got in the way, then it would have to go. So what does this mean? Well it means that it is time to shake things up around here. It is time for a change. And you know what, now that I have wreaked havoc with the business plan, the adrenaline is starting to pump through my veins. My senses are stirring. My ears hear the sound of breaking glass as I resume stained glass work, my hands can feel the coolness of clay, my nose smells the oil paint and oh the sight of those coloured pencils that are waiting for me!

2010 is going to be a great year. I can feel it down in my bones. Of course I still have my parents' home to deal with and there will be more house painting and renovation projects but the Saturdays will be mine and so will the studio. There is an new glint in my eyes these days and the hint of a wildish grin.

How are things going with you? Maybe we should meet in the woods and howl at the moon. Why not choose to get a bit feral? The wolves and I are waiting...