May Sketches: Heading Into Surgery

W15 5 6 MAY SKETCHBOOK 001Tough week, as I head into my LAST surgery for kidney stones.
At a client meeting in Washington, I painted a bit with my feet up.
The moon looked full out our window early morning.

W15 5 7 MAY SKETCHBOOK 002W15 5 8 MAY SKETCHBOOK 002We have names for our mugs, and the marigold Fiesta mug falls into the
“happy mug” category.  My sunflower mug.  I cannot imagine why Fiesta kept
the sallow yellow and discontinued this color.  Daft.

W15 5 9 MAY SKETCHBOOK 001I’ve had this old Girasole Organic Zinfandel wine bottle on my art desk
for a long time because I loved the sunny image.

I am a bit down due to this crazy painful kidney stone situation.
I am also a Buddhist tonglen practitioner.
The practice involves breathing in negative, and sending out positive.
When I am doing this for others I often use a visual image of sunflowers when I cannot think of an antidote.  Today, I am breathing in sunflowers and sending them out to all the people who are in pain — some for me, some for them, but yes, I need it today.

W15 9 MAY SKETCHBOOK 002The suggestion was for an ENVELOPE, and that felt so boring.
I figured there had to be furniture named after envelope . . .

W15 10 MAY SKETCHBOOK 004In the middle of this I had a package of new paints and Moleskin Journals arrive from Merriartist — Yay! to new colors!  Amazing Mayan Orange.  Amazing Mayan Yellow.
The Fuchsite has sparkles in it — the ground stone — and so it won’t be my favorite.

W15 10 MAY SKETCHBOOK 001And right away I used it to paint Mitchell’s lamp for something you turn on and off.

W15 11 MAY SKETCHBOOK 001Finally, something you wear on your head — mine is in my hair.
Mmmm. . .  disco dancing sparkling combs, and I hated the disco dancing bars but loved the dress.  Glamorous and flirty and this is a remnant that I am about to sell on etsy!
A beautiful white bugle bead and rhinestone hair comb.

On my way to surgery this very morning.  This keeps me from thinking about it.  See you end of the week or month, depending upon how I feel about sitting at the puter!

W15 5 4 MAY SKETCHBOOK 005Drawn in an Pentalic Field Book (using it up, not that fond of them)
with Pentalic HB woodless pencil, LYRA watercolor graphite pencil,
various pens and with De Artramentis Document ink, Super5, Noodlers ink
and Daniel Smith, QoR, and Holbein watercolors.

        

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About dkatiepowellart

hollywood baby turned beach gurl turned steel&glass city gurl turned cowgurl turned herb gurl turned green city gurl. . . artist writer photographer. . . cat lover but misses our big dogs, gone to heaven. . . buddhist and interested in the study of spiritual traditions. . . foodie, organic, lover of all things mik, partner in conservation business mpfconservation, consummate blogger, making a dream happen, insomniac who is either reading buddhist teachings or not-so-bloody mysteries or autobio journal thangs early in the morning when i can't sleep
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23 Responses to May Sketches: Heading Into Surgery

  1. Sending you Sunflowers. Your journal is full of life and that comb illustration – why not put that as part of the Etsy posting?

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  2. Your artwork is very beautiful!! Good luck and speedy recovery. I hope you’re able to paint while recuperating. 💛

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  3. Dan Antion says:

    Keeping a good thought – I hope everything goes well Kate

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  4. Sammy D. says:

    Lovely as ever, Kates! Especially drooled over the sunflower and oil illustration.

    Sending special hugs and offer up healing prayers. Will check Fbook tomorrow to see how you are feeling.

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  5. Beautiful paintings the last of the red beads superb. Do you ever take commissions? I need a logo and love your art. I hope surgery goes well and that you become pain free xx

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  6. anne54 says:

    All the best for a pain free life from here on in! I am sending you lots of positives.

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  7. sandidureice says:

    All the very best with the surgery. Thanks for describing the practice of breathing in the negative and breathing out positive. I try breathing for relaxation but that addition of positive imagery is great. Will also spend some time finding out what is a Buddhist tonglen practitioner. Hope to see you back here soon. In the meantime I will be breathing out plenty of sunflowers for you. xxxxx

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    • Thanks — It has been so long where I sat to respond to comments! Knowing how you love books, I am sending you to two good teachers in books form (otherwise they can be very dry though good teachings.)
      I am doing something I’ve never done on my other blog — I am doing a weekly post on my own practice. (This is stalled until I heal!) You can check it out here: http://zenkatwrites.com/lojong-tonglen/
      Pema Chodron

      Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

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  8. Oh, I do love your work. I am reminded again and again.

    Breathing in your bad stuff, breathing out good stuff for you. I hope all goes well. Take care.

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  9. Erika N says:

    Fantastic sketches. I guess being home for a bit lets you have a lot of fun sketching. Hope your kidney stones are gone for good and you are back up and feeling like new.

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  10. rose says:

    Such wonderful paintings, one and all ~ such Good Medicine to help you through your challenge and your healing! Be well!

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  11. Rasz says:

    Oh I always love your sketches (you call them sketches, I call them hang on the wall art, lol). Good luck with your surgery. Hope they get the rest of the stones out in one try! Hugs, Rasz #62 PPF

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  12. jo says:

    Your work is wonderfully inspiring. I, too have created just before surgery. Takes the mind off it and blows the nurses don’t quite know what to make of it. Hoping you have a good recovery.

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  13. Clare says:

    Super art work. Happy PPF. Hope all goes well with the op.

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  14. laurie says:

    your work is beautiful, I hope the painting helped you to relax in the time coming up to your surgery,, I think by this time you will be over your surgery and on your way to healing,, the Buddhist technique you mentioned is something I find always calms me, I never knew the name for it! That is the most delicious orange, take care, speedy recovery!

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