Adult Decisions

This last 12 months has been full of adult decisions. Not fun adult decisions, not sexy adult decisions, but difficult adult decisions. I am satisfied with the decisions I've made, and I am satisfied that they have put me in a good place in life. I just wish that I was having more fun making them, and that the results were less mundane.

My decision to come to California was a good one. If I could go back, I would change how and when I did it, but it has turned out alright in the end. Finding a job was hard, but waiting for the right one turned out to be the best choice I could have made.

Speaking of jobs, I now work at Happy High Herbs! It's an herb shop that sells herbs to make you happy, healthy, and horny! That's actually in the orientation book, I think I'm among friends there. ; ) Everyone I work with is super nice. And this job has opened my eyes to a huge new world of knowledge and experience. I've finally found a treatment for my cramps that works, I've found effective treatment for my depression and anxiety, and I've even found some herbs that make me feel super "well"! The greatest thing about this job is that I get to help people. I get to introduce people to a wonderful new world of plant healing. It's wonderful!

I've been making some great new friends in the past few months and I'm very happy with how things have been expanding for me socially.

Finances are finally starting to even out, but I'm not out of the woods yet. Nearly there. I'll finally feel secure in September when Academy of Arts University schedules me in officially for modeling. Then I can get rid of my debt. Once that's gone, life will be awesome!

So yay being an adult and making shit work for me!

Now if only making shit work for me was as fun as all that. It is satisfying, but in a different way than doing my own thing with little regard for the consequences is satisfying. I liked the other pathway better, but this one is more sustainable in the longterm.

I'm almost 31. Weird. My Saturn Return is over, and I'm at the beginning of the next phase of my life. I like were it's going so far.

On the art front, I hope to get lots done before September. By then, I'd really like to have enough material to have a show somewhere. Here's hoping! It's taking lots of time. But there's a very good reason for that. I have chosen to develop a style, finally, at long last. While all my classmates were busy doing that in college, I was busy playing catch-up with color and design. So I never took the time to figure out how I really operate artistically. Now, I'm doing the work. Figuring it out, throwing all of my instruction out the window to reinvent my artistic self. It feels so good! And I love that I have taken a chance to tie it back to the sacred.

Everything in my life seems to be waking up that way. It feels really good. I feel like I've been missing out on a lot by not paying attention to the world through that lens.

So being an adult isn't so bad after all. Here's hoping I'll figure out a way to make it stellar before time marches too far past me. : )

Update

It's finally Spring! No more snow or frosts this year. I've planted squash, beans, and carrots. We'll see how they turn out. I'm hoping to receive tomato plants from my friend Esther once they get big enough. We have mint taking over one of the planters, green onions, sage and cilantro. Good eats!

I'm gearing up for Fairyworlds in Eugene, OR. Natasha, Maria, a few others and I will be manning a booth and selling all manner of wonders and trinkets. There will be art, masks, jewelry, books, clothing and more! Fun for all!

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, mostly about my current direction. Circus is taking over my life and I didn't want it to, so after this performance season, I'll be scaling it back significantly. The only performing I'll be doing will be with the band. Fire up in Flagstaff is just too much of a hassle. I'll be learning some new and interesting skills like fire meteor, dart, and fire breathing/eating. And I'll be keeping up with the juggling. But just to dabble. Maybe something awesome will come out of these experiments, but I'm not banking on it. I just want to have fun with it. More trumpet, more painting, less stress, happy Kim.

I'll be celebrating my 1 year anniversary in a couple weeks. My how time flies when your in love. : )

I can't wait until my self-imposed 2 years is up on my job. I'm ready to be more creative and actually get paid real money for what I can do.

Diabetes management is improving. I discovered to my dismay that all the ratios in my insulin pump were completely off and I have been working to get things back on track. Vision is improving with my blood sugars, and I've hooked up with an excellent diabetes educator who doesn't scoff at my dreams of curing my disease or participating in clinical trials to that end. The next step is finding a like-minded endocrinologist (a requirement for most of the clinical trials). I think I may be conducting interviews for that position. I really want my new doc to be on board for curing me, not treating me. I have faith.

On the injury front, I've started light work-outs that include stretching, balance and equipment-less exercises (push-ups, crunches, pull-ups, etc.) that use my body as its own weight system. I've decided to track my progress and see how I improve month to month. Maybe I'll be a flier yet! Stretching and moving feels really good. I'm doing it right.

I'm donating a painted adirondack chair to my Mom's Soroptimist Club for a raffle in Phoenix. It's a desert-scape with prickly pear cactus. I'll be painting it today. I had another, more epic idea, but she told me to stick with something simple. Next year, I'll be painting it a Dia de los Muertos theme with a skeleton mother and a skeleton embryo and flowers and bright colors and yay!

Motorcycle, gallery showings and paintings are in the works.

End of line.

Angst and Progress Report

So, I've been having these PTSD panic attacks while riding in cars and traveling at high velocities... I've never had this problem before and it's making me very unhappy. I'm not too sure what to do about it. And it's putting me in a rotten mood.

No more angst.

I'm getting the creativity bug again. I think it's time for some epic painting! And I found another gallery in Flagstaff where I could potentially display my work.

I'm currently reading 10 books.

I'm set up for learning fire breathing and eating as soon as it gets warm outside and the wind dies down! And I'll probably be performing it as an act in late summer! Exciting!

I'm also seeing some improvement in my blood sugars. Hopefully I'll be able to achieve my goal of a Hemoglobin 1Ac score of 8 by the end of the year.

Lastly, I landed an illustration gig yesterday! It's for a series of science oriented children's books on nature and natural forces. I'll explain more once I get more familiar with the material. : )

The Verdict...

...is in.

The neurologist says that I have to keep the brace on until mid January. On the bright side, I'll be able to skip to the front of all the lines at Disneyland.

My trigger finger was helped, but not cured by the first shot. I suspect a second shot is needed. Not thrilled.

This week I'll see another doc about the nodule they found on my thyroid. Hopefully it's nothing. My Mom has one too so I'm not too worried.

I got moved into the big office at work! Now I'm in the room with all the other graphic designers. : ) It's not a promotion or anything like that, they just have room now.

Speaking of work, The Print Raven won Best of Flagstaff this year in the category of "Best Print Shop"! We didn't even advertise for the competition this year and we ended up winning. We rock.

Being back at work is hard on my neck, but I'm settling back into the routine again just fine. The doc told me to only work part time and not to do any lifting or bending. So I'm confined to my desk except for a few production tasks like binding, laminating and copies (as long as they're not heavy once they're done).

I'm looking forward to my move. Lots of painting space. And I have lots of new ideas for art, mostly involving Circus Bacchus publicity and print design. But paintings are coming to me as well. I know I've been complaining that I don't paint enough. I think all the painting space in the new house will fix that. They have a room with a south wall that is mostly windows looking out into a pretty back yard, perfect for natural light.

Lance Horton, the guy with the gallery in Winslow, will be picking up my Brain Babies for display on Wednesday. I can't wait for them to be up again! And I'm stoked that they'll be displayed in a tattoo parlor. That alone makes the distance worth while. The best part is that he's understanding about the car and willing to pick stuff up from me.

Onward and upward and toward the New Year!

Trigger Finger

Trigger finger is a kind of tendonitis. In my family, it is par for the course at around 50 years of age. Guess who got it early?

The treatment is an injection of steroids directly into the effected area. I hear it's painful. I hear it may or may not work. I'm thrilled.

Other than that, things are well.

I finally sold the car! This is awesome! It's presenting some interesting transportation concerns, but I'm taking them in stride.

I'll be moving into a house with room mates by mid December! Also awesome!

This all saves me mountains of money every month! So full of awesome!

I also have a place in Winslow to show my work! I'll be taking it down there before Christmas. I hope.

Prop 203 passed in Arizona. And I am very happy about that.

The tendonitis in my right wrist has disappeared and so have a few inflammation related complaints I've had for the last year. I'm guessing it is due to the severity of the trigger finger in my left hand. I hope the treatment works, it's really cramping my style and making it hard for me to work.

Lastly, I've discovered I have a knack for balancing plates as they spin on sticks! I'll be working that up for a circus act, I think. It's tons of fun and I'm already balancing it on my chin for short bursts.

Happy Thanksgiving, readers! Please enjoy your parties and feasts and be safe this weekend!

G is for Gallery, H is for Hermit

There is a tattoo shop in Winslow that will be opening up soon. We did some work for the owner, Lance, in the print shop and after viewing my fabulous facebook gallery "Brain Babies", he offered to show my work there! As soon as it opens, I'll be able to put some of my work up for viewing and sale. Happy! I'll let you all know more as I find out.

I've been reading this really great blog called The Hermitage, by Rima Staines. It's about fairytales, folklore, artmaking, nomadic lifestyle, and all sorts of other delicious things with which to feed your mind. It's beautiful in every way possible, and you all should take a gander if you haven't already.

Before my next gallery showing, I think I shall need to make a few more paintings. Wish me luck!

Insulin > Internet

Posts will continue to be few and far between for a while. I don't think I'm going to be able to afford internet for quite some time, but I'll try to update when I can.

I now work at The Print Raven in Flagstaff. I'll be doing graphic design and print production for them. I LOVE IT! Seriously, it's way fun and I actually don't wince at the idea of a normal schedule with this job. My bosses literally have to kick me out at closing time because I get so absorbed that I forget to check the clock! Totally digging it.

As far as my personal work, I'm just now getting unpacked to the point of starting work again. I'll write about it as it happens. Flagstaff is very inspiring, and I'll be talking to galleries about displaying my work soon. "First Fridays" is this week and there'll be gallery openings. Hopefully I'll be able to network a little.

My computer battery sucks, gotta go now. : )

That's A Wrap...

Well, nothing sold at the show. Now I don't feel so bad about lining up buyers outside of the gallery for a couple of pieces. : )

I've been doing some character sketches of "The Burn Unit", my group of circus burners. There are 7 in all. Spitfire, Kindlyn Stokes, Smokey Pyre, Bombastian, Ignis-Agni, Berny (Bernard) Scalding, and Firestarter. Now I need a story... That's always been the problem with my characters; they never have a story.

I keep on telling myself that if I clean my room, I'll be able to work... Excuses, excuses...

Super Late Update

I'm an artist, and I rhyme! I can do it all the time!

Enough of that.

Flagstaff will be my new place of residence. California made itself unmanageable when my room mates decided to bail. No hard feelings though, I'm 90% sure I have a job waiting for me in Flag at a printing company called Print Raven. If (when) hired, I'll be an in house graphic designer and print producer! This, if I haven't mentioned it before, is the part of the field I wanted to get into in the first place. Hoorah!

I fixed my car all up! It is ready for sale! Almost. The new fender is white, the door panels are installed as best as I could install them, headlight is fixed, just waiting on the compressor. I'm going to want 'till the end of the month to put it up for sale officially to see if my mechanic friend can get ahold of the equipment needed to install the compressor, which may or may not work (install and/or compressor itself). But with all the changes, I can put it up for sale for more monies! Then some of the other goals on the previous post's list will take care of themselves.

Tucson is a giant energy suck that makes it hard to create things. Having said that, the Elementals will be done before the end of the month, I hope.

I've also been working on my circus series. I'm in the developmental sketches phase. Gotta make characters for the paintings. I think I should definitely figure out a fun place to work, I get my best sketching done away from the house.

Soon, I'll need to call my potential models to pose for reference photos for the "Love" series. Totally not going to actually call it that if I can help it...

MythoLogic is officially over. It was fun. I'll find out if I sold anything today. I have two galleries in Flagstaff that I'd like to pitch a show to, they seemed interested when I asked them about showing my stuff the first time, so we'll see!

Apartment hunting in Flag this month, and trimming the material fatz. Excitement.

MythoLogic: Visions and Patterns

"Pobrecito"

"PMS"

"Ouroboros"

"One Side Will Make You Grow Taller"

"Network"

"Lucy"

"Chimera"

And there you have it! The line-up for the show.

Vacation is going well. I have gotten all of the things I wanted to get done finished.

Flagstaff has always been an interesting place for me. I grew up here, so, naturally, it is hard for me to separate all of that experience from the place. This time around, I decided to be objective about my stay and try to find a Flagstaff that I could appreciate; a Flagstaff I could actually call home instead of adolescent hell. As I was walking around downtown, sort of the alpine equivalent of 4th Ave., Tucson, I met a guy named Adam. He introduced himself with rose quartz, a giant hunk of non-crystaline, record-keeper mass as big as his fist. At first I thought he was trying to sell me something. I was wrong, and he was just out for conversation. We ended up talking for an hour or so and he introduced me to the "meditation bed" at Sacred Rites, a musical, metaphysics store downtown. The "meditation bed" is a wooden couch that acts as the resonator of a 3 octave monochord of strings running down the side of the bed. The owner of the store sang a beautiful mantra and played the bed while I reclined on it. It was very relaxing. Just the kind of revelation I needed.

So, underneath the Flagstaff I grew up in, there are small pockets of highly pressurized beautiful people and experiences. I had hoped that it was possible, and I think I've reconciled with the place on a very basic level. Now I understand why people live here, on a geologic hot-spot, at the foot of a sacred mountain that is due to explode any day now, just north of the vortexes, just south of the largest canyon in the world, in one of the coldest places in Arizona. It may draw a lot of snowbirds, and passers through, but the actual inhabitants of this place are what makes it beautiful. It's nice to be able to walk down the street and say a word to people and have them respond in a friendly way, without looking at you funny. I'd forgotten what small town life is like.

I've been doing a lot of journaling, reading, visiting old friends and brainstorming for my next few series. I also found two places that would quite probably display my work up here, once I make more of it (Black Hound Gallerie, and Animas Beads). Wouldn't it be fun to take my hometown by storm? I have a feeling I could rock this place.

XD

My work is up in the gallery! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!! XD This is so exciting!

I never dreamed, even when I started art school, that this was even possible! It just didn't occur to me. But it's happened! And I'm so happy!

I'll post pics of the opening when I get them. : ) And I'll post nice images of the paintings after the opening.

Woooooooo!

The current fantasy is 7 pieces and prints for the show. My finger kinda killed my momentum, so the last 3 pieces will be finished after the show. Mr. Pinky says that I need rest and relaxation. And when fingers begin to speak to one, one must heed them. I'll have the 7 scanned tomorrow, make labels, business cards, an inventory sheet, and prints of the pieces. Booya.

In Flagstaff, I will do lots of hanging out downtown, tea drinking, drawing, and reading. I'm also going to hijack one of the cars and go to Sedona on Imbolc and the Grand Canyon. Chief Yellowhorse loves me, his signs say so, and maybe he'll cut me a break on jewelry costs. I'll be there for 2 weeks.

My next few projects will be a commentary on love. It will be cynical and sensual. I'll need some models... I think I know who to ask for a couple of them, if they're game. Excited! I think I'll try for 4 total.

Mr. Pinky says...

7 pieces down, 3 and change to go. Maybe.

I cut my pinky open today. Mr. Pinky is very sad after his 7 stitches. I broke a wine glass while washing dishes. It slipped and rebounded into my hand. Fatty tissue resembles yellow caviar. Who knew? At least it was my non-dominant hand!

I don't think it'll get in the way of my painting. But the deadline (originally tonight) has been moved to Tuesday.

I now have to get scans of the paintings, print business cards, format and print labels, and stencil some t-shirts.

Crunch time.

Here's the front! I designed the front and the back. It was really fun, especially the drippy paint part. I wish the dates showed up better, but it's okay for a rushed job. All the information is on the back anyway.

The printers at Print Raven in Flagstaff were very impressed with my RePiet Massage logo. It got me a space on their list of referals for freelance graphic design. Which basically means that if they have a client that needs some design work, they'll send them my way. : )

Backgrounds will be finished today. Foregrounds will be finished in the next 2 weeks, hopefully allowing for a week between finished pieces and the show. Woot! (So should have started this in November...)

Happy New Year to all!

New Years resolutions are as follows:
1. Finish paintings for show with time to spare and begin the art hat projects in March.
2. Give kick ass presents to family in February.
3. 85% of cooking and food prepared at home, by me.
4. Islet Cell Transplant Clinical Trial App. accepted by June.
5. Exercise goals:
-Yoga 2x weekly
-Silks 1-2x weekly
-Poi 1-2x weekly
-Pull up bar, wrist exercises and hip exercises when needed.
-Bike more, stretch after.
6. Sell books (make 4/week to sell).
7. Listen to more audio books and classical music.
8. Practice trumpet and find musicians and music for Christmas Carols in Dec.
9. Take more hot baths.
10. Keep trimming my consumer fat (away with useless things I own!).
11. Arrange move to CA.
12. Concentrate on art, not love.
13. Go on ski trip in March.
14. Institute an anti-inflamitory diet.

I've had the post card done forever and have just been lazy about reorienting the picture... So next post will include the postcard, my sister's logo, and a progress report about the show, which is fast approaching!

Update

I've been commissioned for graphic design for my sister's company Repiet Massage. Hello monies! Also, my parents commissioned me to finish a 4 panel painting for them. More monies. Lots of them. Getting paid for art is GOOD!

Other than that, I've got a flier to design for the Lulubell show. It's all catching up to me and I'm ridiculously behind. Oops...

Symphony of the Procrastinators...

Also, I think I'm going to do a project with sugar skull art. The end product will be one skull for every person I've known that has died. Upwards of 15 skulls... They'll probably end up looking like tribute tattoos, but I'm okay with that. I'd like to specify, I'm not making sugar skulls, just drawing them. Actually making them will be a project for a later date.

Theotokos and Bodhisattva

Here are the final sketches for 2 tentative oil paintings. They'll be featured in the February show, tentatively titled MythoLogic.

Here's Theotokos:


and Bodhisattva:


Two more pieces will complete the series, Deva and Prophet.

I'm also working on my sister's new brand identity for RePiet Massage and The Elementals (4 oil paintings on wood panel, one for each of the 4 Greek elements) for my Dad's birthday, which will be displayed in my room/the guestroom. My sister will also be receiving 4 angels for Christmas. And my costume isn't done yet... And then there's all the other stuff for the show.

Speaking of which, cheap vinyl window stickers. Do they exist?

Work work work!

Bird Shaman

I've started work on my Halloween costume. It was conceptualized last year and totally dropped for lack of time and energy. It involves lots of leather and will look something like this rough sketch...The mask will be the most challenging part. I can sew for the most part, but I've never made a mask before. I'll credit my friend Megan for the technique I'll be using; I'll make a wire frame and sew leather directly onto the wire. I'm going for carrion crow. They keep making appearances in my life, leaving feathers, dropping bits of lemon rind at my feet, stuff like that.

Both Megan and Marchelo get credit for inspiring this piece. Chelo made something similar, a sort of white shaman with a staff and skull mask, but his had a cloven creature's head. And Megan is adept at making masks, I think she made his (don't quote me on that).

There's a lot on my plate now, I have 5 or so small pieces to get done by November, and 10 or so more to get done by February. These involve lots of paint and sticker printing and all manner of time consuming things. But, at least I'm making art again.

By the way, there's a show in February that I'll be having with my two room mates. I'll post more information once I have it officially set in whatever stone it needs to be set in.

On to blueberry muffins!