Starting off white

I'm starting over. Four months of this blog experiment has shown me how easy it is to get sidetracked, drawn off course by computer meltdowns, book writings, and sick dogs into miles of brambles and humdrum. Life will always happen in abundance, thank heavens for that, and I'll send my mind gladly along for a spin. But when all is said and done, I've got a destination and I want my feet back on the path.

So to celebrate this glorious Easter Sunday, the day of Resurrection, I'm injecting my blog with light and rechecking my navigational settings.

Starting over means relocating ground zero. That must be me, and here I am today on the terrace, in the morning wind, all squinty-eyed in the sun---no makeup, no pose, just me, at the mercy of my work and my vision. And that's my little painting corner: tiny like my paintings, and sunny, as I hope they will be, too.

As for the navigational settings...I don't know if any of you have this problem, but I can't count how many times I've started off with an idea that tickles my insides, I know it's right, and I push off from the shore, only to land somehwere in another port, with what seem to be someone else's results. Where did my idea go? Where's MY art? I don't recognize this stuff!

I've written often about the value of rite and ritual. Well, this is mine, a re-dedication to my goal. I have a vision for these paintings, a feeling for where I want to go, and the humility of not knowing how to get there. My goal is a show of my own small watercolors and drawings at Christmas this year, wherever I happen to be living. Yet this body of work also wants to be a story, a book, an entity...of what, I don't know. A big fat goal in the mist.

By the way, the agent whose name I spelled wrong shocked me by writing to say she'd received my re-sent book query and I'd be hearing from her in about a month. Blow me over...

Until the next time...walking the path...

Comments

[Durga]

Hello Australian Durga,

I hope you see this---I've gone to your blog and can't find an e-mail address, so please do check back and find this! I would like to keep in touch. Please enjoy this little tribute to our wonderful Goddess.

Love,
the Corsican (for now) Durga

[Durga]

Wow. I just did a random search my my name and found your blog. I have NEVER met anyone who has teh same first name as me and I have always wondered what kind of people have my name. Growing up with people who have names like Sarah, Anna, David etc I stood out a lot but I love teh uniquenesss of my name and that my parents chose it for me and it defines me in some way so I wouldn't change it for anything. But yeah, I thought I might share that with you and say I'm so happy to see your smile and so glad that there is someone else cool who share's my name with me. Please keep in touch if you wish.Bye

[Elizabeth]

Yes, I post each day's drawing on my website:

http://www.elizabethperry.com/woolgathering

Stop by any time!

[Durga]

Elizabeth, do you have a blog, or somewhere for people to see what you're doing? I for one would like to! Thanks for the kind comments.

[Elizabeth]

Congratulations on the agent's response - how encouraging!

And I love reading your thoughts on ritual or process and rededication... I've been working on a long-term project for over a year now: drawing daily as performance, reflection, exploration. Not sure where it's going, as I never drew before that point, but I am trying to trust and honor the process. Your thoughts, as always, are helpful. Thanks.

And Happy Easter!