The first day

Today is officially the first day of my retirement.  There, I said it.

Retirement - it is a word charged with lots of emotions.  Especially for someone who has worked at the same job for 34 years, the same profession for 36 years.  Retirement has to do with pulling back - I don't do that easily.  Retirement has to do with easing up - yep, that's not me, either.

So, what will it mean for me?  I think it means new beginnings, but with the same passions, the same energy.  (Well, maybe not the exact same amount of energy - I am 36 years older than when I started this profession.....)  I think it means time.  Time to do things that I have had to pass by, to say "maybe later," or "not yet."

It's later, it's "yet."  Perhaps I will not use the word retirement, but rather I'll say "Today is officially the first day that I begin my shift of focus.  Today, I begin saying yes, stopping rather than passing by, saying "now," not later.

Yep - Today I start shifting my focus.

I know it's been a long time.....

It's been a while (um.... 2 years....) since a posting.  Well, it's time to start again.  Here's to Vittoriabella!!!

Since last I posted I have:

*  traveled to Europe conducting a band of high school students with my husband
*  had a solo art show
*  been a part of 3 art shows where I was one of 3 or 4 featured artists
*  had a bunch of booths at art/craft fairs, some of which were juried shows!!!
*  been picked up by a local gift shop as their "featured local jewelry artist"

and all of the other usual "stuff," too.  Whew.

More pictures and info soon.

My husband, the pilot!  Mike got his private pilot's license today - many years of training & now he's a full pilot!!  I am SO proud!!

Updates from my neck of the woods

I have been creating.  It feels good to get back in the studio and create.  I also took a booth space at an art show that featured only Michigan-made artists.  It was a good show for me, and one of these days, I hope to be able to give you an update about something that may grow out of that show - it could be exciting. 

Here is a view of the booth & my wonderful assistant!

Another peek into my sketchbook from vacation.

TOO long since my last post

It's been way too long since my last post - 6 months.  That's too long.  Life just seems to take priority some times.  Okay, gentle reader, I'll get caught up with you over the next few weeks about what's been going on in my life. 

Here's a peek at my sketch book from my spring break trip last week - we went to Orlando - I hung out at the pool & sketched.  Husband took flying lessons - he's wanting to upgrade his pilot's license to the next level up.  Weather was warm, sunny & wonderful.  (I saw on Facebook that back in MI there was snow.  Aww......)

 And the inspiration for this sketch:

Thanks also, to Alissa Burke for her wonderful classes Sketchbook parts 1 & 2 - the classes were great motivation to make the most of the wonderful surroundings & fill my sketchbook with drawings & color.

More studio shots

More shots of the jewelry area - the metals bench is directly to the left of this shot above. 

the studio tour

So here's the metals table in my studio.  It's about 3 feet away from my beading table.  I love the set up - I can work with my torch & then move right over to the beading table.  And yes, it is unapologetically, messy.  Well, messy in an organized way, I suppose.  More studio tour in a few days.

Painting done a while ago, just needed to see some of my older work today to inspire me to get at it again!

weekend

We went to Dayton, OH to see a fly-in of World War I replica airplanes - yes, they were flying!  Yes, that's a BIG smile on hubbie's face!

I finished a necklace right before we left - posted it on Etsy today.  Yes, you can't see it, but there's a big smile on my face!

Weekends - Priceless!!

What's been on my jewelry table lately

I only get to work in little bits here and there once the school year starts.  I have to find things that I can do in those little snippets of time.  I don't ever think of it as "have to" but "get to."  Here's just a little peek at what I've been doing in those quiet, blissful moments!

A little sunshine from my sketchbook.   Just seemed like the sort of day to put a little sunshiny something on the blog.  Happy weekend, everyone. 

sparkles in your ear

Just some fun sparkles!

New earrings made

Sterling silver earwires, blue chalcedony stones, wrapped with black wire from the hardware store. 

trip to Door County, Wisconsin

The seniors of the Class of 2011 gifted me with a cruise on the ferry boat, the Badger - it goes from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin.  It's a wonderful old railcar ferry boat that has been converted for passenger car (and truck, and semi-truck, etc) ferrying.  Hubbie & I went this past weekend & then stayed in Door County - a delightful part of the world.  We explored and dined.  What a fun little vacation!

Thank you SO much - Class of 2011!!

Doodles

I had the chance to take a class at Art Unraveled with the wonderful Alisa Burke a couple of years ago.  I was hooked.  I'm a regular on her blog now, and have taken a couple of her online classes.  She's classically, formally trained in art, and it's fun to hear her vast knowledge & then hear her suggest that we spend time doodling!  Well, I've doodled all my life. 

So, here's a combination - a pic of a couple of doodles of sorts (the leaves of the other day became rays of the sun), and how I turned them into something else.  I don't think this is done yet, either, as I think it needs some "more" in the sun itself, or maybe around the outside.  That's the good thing about my sketch book - when I'm ready, I'll just open to that page & add it!

here's more of my sketch book

This little guy isn't "finished" in my book - no stem painting, no background color, no color on the page outside the box - but, I thought I'd share with you.  This little flower was one I saw when we stopped for gas in Southern Michigan on the way south to Georgia a couple of weeks ago.  First attempt at drawing in the car, while Hubbie was driving.  Pretty much, it seemed to work!

More Drawing A Day

Hope none of you gentle readers are tired of my little drawings.  Here's another drawing a day - this was done in the car (Hubbie WAS driving......LOL!) while we were on I-75 coming north Through Tennessee.

drawings, drawings, drawings

I won't show them all to you!  LOL! But, here's another "Drawing a Day..."  This one based upon a painting by Stephanie Lee (that I won in the silent auction at Art Unraveled!)

Another drawing

Just having fun with a leaf shape.