Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Surrender

In trying to set up an appointment with me a prospective client said this morning, "I'm pretty much available 9-230 every weekday."

I blurted out, "I don't know if I could even make myself say those words out loud if they were my lines in a play! I wake up every day thinking, 'OH MY GOSH, how will I get everything done?'"

The point isn't that this client has oodles of free time. She doesn't. She works, has children in middle school, has a husband, keeps a home, and probably does a million other things, too.

The point is that I have just as much discretionary time as she does, but I don't think I do.

Long way of saying, I gotta get me some surrender going here! Be in the moment.

Where better to practice than in my studio?

Before sitting to write this post, and after going wild with unstretched canvas, charcoal, acrylics, ink, wax pastels, watercolor pencils, and oil pastels—layer after scribble after scratch after brush stroke after finger smudge—I took a refresher look at the word yield. Fun to be reminded: it means not only to relinquish possession of, give way, or give something up, but also to produce, provide, or deliver.

Yup.

Relinquished possession of control.
Gave way to impulse.
Gave up the idea of a specific outcome.
Produced shapes.
Provided color.
Delivered myself a painting.

Late Autumn Yield
5x7", charcoal pencil, acrylic, ink, wax pastels,
watercolor pencils, and oil pastels on unstretched canvas
abstract
2015
[gifted]

in process










4 comments:

Laurie Mueller said...

Well said, and beautiful artwork, too. I try to live by a constant internal reminder "all I have is this moment". Life can change on such a dime. Thanks for the in progress photos, too!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Hi Laurie, thanks for your feedback. In my current moment, glue is drying on tissue paper applied to watercolor paper while I write to you. Then, who knows what next! Glad you enjoyed "Norway 3" and the photos of its journey.

Sheila said...

Love this piece Dotty, and thanks so much for sharing your process. Another terrific post!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Hey Sheila, thanks! Always fun to have an appreciative audience for my words and art. The process—so many gifts in it.

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