2016, One Week In

Surviving?

I saw this the other day. YIKES!

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I don’t know if I can call 2015 my year of emotional suicide. Some really good things happened whilst I went on pause, but I did want to make 2016 different, better.

Here is how my first week of 2016 has been going….

I took the Chrimbo decs down. In the UK it’s super bad luck to leave them up past the 5th, so it was a major family effort to get the blasted things down.

I’m doing that jar saving thing. You know the one where you save 1 cent on January 1st, 2 on January 2nd, 35 cents on February 4th etc. at the end of the year you should have about $660, so I’m doing one each for the kids. Maybe they’ll get a dollar by next Thursday. Who knows. I like the idea of it anywhos.

I am doing some pretty heavy duty procrastinating about a show I will be having with my friends Joan and Leann. Expect me to write quite a bit about this in the coming months. I have plenty of ideas for this exhibition – it’s called ” Loose Threads – Three Artists Stitching It Together”.

Some of the work will be collaborative. Some of it won’t. Currently I wondering why Joan and Leann need me.


We Three.

I have been dabbling in printmaking. The last time I did any printing was first year art college (the printmakers were the cool guys of Fine Art). I made two designs for my Christmas cards and I really enjoyed that so I designed a print for Mark’s birthday. It was fun to do, there’s lots to learn so I think I will be doing more.

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I especially like combining image with text. Happy Birthday Darling xxxxx

 

I have been felting dreads. Mark has a new pet project revolving around his ongoing beard development. So I made him some dreads to wear in his beard.

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For the discerning beard wearer.

I’ve been reading a lot of Jessica Jones

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Thank you Cam for the Chrissie presents xx

I really like the Jessica Jones TV show on Netflix. Now like everyone else I’m hooked on How To Make A Murderer.

Parts of the house still look like they have been burgled. Mainly because of the above. Although there are times I feel like I am drowning in our stuff, and especially my stuff, I figure if a burglar did pop round, they might decide someone has already done this place over and move on their merry way.

And of course I’ve been going to Wednesday morning coffee. Leann’s mum Karleen has recently joined up as she has moved to Plymouth. This week the coffee shop was super loud, there were LOTS of people in there and some of them were very shouty. It felt horrible trying to work when there was all this talking instead of the friendly quiet banter of our little tribe (don’t get me wrong I have absolutely no doubt that there are regulars who find us loud and opinionated – but hey let’s assume they are blogging about it on their blog). One of the shouty people came over to see what we were doing and (loudly) told us how great we were. Unfortunately I couldn’t speak to her because if I had, lasers would have shot from my eyes and melted her head. Luckily Joan saved her from this fate and spoke for me, like I was some strange mute woman. Thank you Joan x

Hope your week has been a good one

Jan xx

 

 

 

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Goodbye 2015, I’m Glad To See You Go.

Things to take with me into the new year…

Between being unhappy and working and unhappy and not working,  take the first.

Not felting, doesn’t mean not arting.

There are no original ideas, get over it, get over yourself.

Physical and mental pain have to be dealt with – it’s not going to go away on its own.

Your children are separate human beings, they are not extensions of you.

You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.

Love yourself, someone should.

Stop judging people by their Facebook posts.

People who say mean shit to you, are SAYING MEAN SHIT TO YOU. Deal with accordingly – in that if you’re OK with it then fine, but if you’re not, call them out, remove that person from your life. Too short and all that.

Less unsocial media, more IRL

Wednesday morning with the tribe is really good for you.

Your husband is a really great person.

Your dogs like walks especially when you go with them.

 

Happy New Year everyone!

Boots are on – I’m waiting for you 2016

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Jan xxxx

 

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On Pause.

You can find various memes online that tell you that you shouldn’t think about your art, you should just make it, which is all well and good but let’s face it, a meme is just some sound bite pasted over an inspiring image. It is the kitten “hanging in there”, it’s the orangutan’s bad hair day.

The reality is far more complex.

At the beginning of 2015 I took a break. I was completely overwhelmed with life, both personal and artistic. I was spent.

And things weren’t bad – I made healthy sales, I had regular commissions, I had a modest online following, I had just that past Fall taught out of state for the first time (I got on a plane! I stayed in a hotel!)

And still I stopped. I then I didn’t stop stopping.

Stopping is easy.

Getting started – now THAT my friends is where it gets interesting.

Starting is slow, nerve wracking and terrifying. You think it will be the equivalent of a grand entrance, sweeping down the magnificent stairway into the crowded ball room in your Scarlett O’Hara dress.

Instead it is baby steps with a 50 cups of tea in your comfy jeans.

This new website is a baby step, Wednesday coffee is a baby step, this blog post, yup another step, and hey I made gnomes – and sold some (!), booyah – baby step.

Not a water fall, but a slow drip.

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Keep dripping.

Jan xxxx

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Find Your Tribe.

Wednesdays I usually meet some friends for coffee.

We are all artists.

We sit in a cafe, drink coffee, chatter about our lives, we laugh – a lot, and  we share our current projects, sometimes we bring along what we are currently  making.

I stitched this today with my tribe as we talked and laughed. I'm having a felting break.

I stitched this today with my tribe as we talked and laughed. I’m having a felting break.

We are all different, but we share a passion for art.

This has only been going on for a few months, but it has become very important to me.  This group feels very supportive and I feel encouraged by my friends.

Some weeks it’s the only time I socialise on my own with friends.

I’m cool with that, life has taught me, less can be oh so much more. I am quite happy to be alone with myself, but I love this little tribe.

It’s very important to find your tribe.

I love Wednesdays.

 

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Currently Showing… 02/10

I have 3 pieces currently showing with the Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Guild at the Power Center in Ann Arbor MI.

This exhibit of Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild members’ work may be viewed whenever the Power Center has a concert or performance scheduled through March 1, 2015. The lobby is open a half-hour prior to each show; you do not need a ticket to enter the lobby.
Performances scheduled for February 2015:
Currents & Crossings
UM Dance Department
Feb. 8 at 2PM
Trisha Brown Dance Company
Feb 21 @ 8 p.m.
Feb 22 @ 2 p.m.
Power Center Location: 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
(Corner of E. Huron and Fletcher St., U of M Main Campus)

Bella's Freckles. Wet felted merino and silk

Bella’s Freckles.
Wet felted merino and silk

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“Monday” Wet felted wool and silk fibres with mixed media and hand stitching

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“Fall on Fire” Wet felted wool and silk fibres with mixed  media and machine embroidery embellishment

 

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Begin Again or The School of Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth Chances…….

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Off with the old (LoveMakeThink) and on with the new – presenting myself behind my own name –  this is important to me.

I haven’t written a blog post in a really long time.

For a long time I have felt like it wasn’t worth it and I lost faith in my convictions/confidence in my voice and opinion. I got afraid.

Fear can really hold you back.

I’m tired of being fearful.

Fear of failing is failing. It gets in your head and tells you not to bother, that what you’re doing it crap anyway. It gnaws away at you.

Fearing other people’s opinions is counter productive. People think about you far far less than you think, and they don’t really care about what you think/believe/do and there will always be those that go out of their way to be negative.

If you worry about offending people, you will never do anything. I know this – I have lived this.

Poisonous people exist (tough)  and will only hurt you if you let them (so deal with it).

I’m starting to sound like Oprah. Enough.

When I think about when things have gone well with me, the writing has has helped enormously – OK of course sometimes I got a bit too involved, but I think the positives way way way out weigh the negative. So I’m making the small first step.

Let’s start.

Begin again, again.

 

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