My Artist Voice #33 January 10, 2025

   Welcome to my 33rd Letter to you. To receive these letters directly in your email inbox, please contact thechautauqua@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list.  Please share this with friends who may also be interested.  Thank you so much for your support.

  Welcome to 2025!  2024 sure didn't turn out like I expected (hoped) at all - not even on the creativity front!  Besides more items out of the house, other general simplifying (not all by my choice), and improving blood (though I didn’t FEEL healthier) here are some of my highlights from last year…

+ ordered Yasmin Boland's 2024 Moonology diary + ordered Virginia Rosenberg's 2024 calendar journal - faithfully worked through both all year :) I seemed to be completely out of synch for the astrology of the year, so the moon one was easier to follow, yet I still feel disconnected from the moon cycle (because I usually only get to see the actual moon 3 or 4 times during the full cycle?)

+ volunteered to be a beta reader for Charlie O'Shields' novel - feedback sent Feb 5

+ 22nd Anniversary of owning The Chautauqua Jan 19th (cut out council minutes, created comic strip for each issue for entire year, applied for Special Measures for Journalism grant & told I was ineligible, online donation plea blitz July & Aug, "Save the Chautauqua" Art Sale, down to 600 copies in Aug, down from 12 pages to 8 pages in Nov, Christmas greeting insert dropped from 20 to 16 pages, became a vendor at Amy's Bakery in Delburne 

+ Laura Rose's Honey Pot program completed February 23 - erotic dance (Feb 8-Apr 24)

+ Recipes, Remedies, & Rituals Ayurveda self-paced course - completed February 23 - personal portion size

+ signed up for Hillary Faye's Eternal Beauty program - completed Oct 27

* Kiala Givehand's 7 Books in 7 Days course (from 2020) completed Dec 13

+ renewed Inner Circle for 5th year March 16 

+ Wondercafe2 header artist commission payment of $170 for 4 headers (Mar 30)

+ some gravel on labyrinth path (spring)

** new rear brakes on car (April 25) new tires and tie rods replaced on car (May 7) new battery in car (July 6)

* watched the entire Calgary Stampede rodeo and chucks on TV (July 5-14)

++ Winner in Charlie O'Shields' World Watercolour Month draw (mini watercolour set arrived Aug 1)

+ yard/garden - finished planting June 14 - finished harvest Oct 8 - 5 qt dandelion tea, 11 cups dandelion broth, 24 cups dandelion syrup,  9 cups lilac juice, 17 cups of lilac syrup, 13 cups rhubarb juice, picked 19 C raspberries (froze 12C), 5 C Nanking cherries from a friend & made 6 C juice, picked 15 cups cherries (5C to Mary), 18 cups juice, picked 2 doz apples - 10 cups of apple juice, 4 cups of grapes - 11 cups of juice, lots of potatoes, 5 onions, 20 small beets (roasted), 2 cups small carrots (tiny jar of freezer pickles), 22 very small cobs of corn, 3 cantaloupe, 4 honeydew, 1 watermelon, parsley - dried, beet greens - 1 pint dried, carrot tops - 1 pt dried, 8 cups mountain ash berries from Niece & neighbour - made 15 cups of juice

+ Niece here - Mar 27, May 3 (bday card), June 7 (dropped off pasta), July 16, Aug 3, Aug 20 (birthday), Aug 31 (potatoes all dug), Nov 26/Dec 3 (quick stop), Dec 21, Dec 25 (w/Sis - xmas)

+ published artist letter monthly :)

+ daily(ish) creativity: 155 mini collages / 4 watercolour play (both sides) / 9 pages watercolour play self portraits (18 total) / 14 pages watercolour archetype faces (28 total) / mini watercolour book / play in 4x6 watercolour paper pad (15 pages both sides) / MOVE painting / PATH painting / 2 MOON paintings / Buddha painting (smashbook) / BODY painting / FLOW painting / MAP painting / Rise Above painting (smashbook) / Shine Your Light painting (smashbook) / GROW painting / Grounded Energetic Flow 16x20 canvas / Lineage Unleashed (smashbook) / HEAL painting / Painting Happiness mandala 13" canvas / SMILE painting / watercolour paper envelope booklet / mini sky journal / HUG painting / 2 Painting Happiness mandalas / EXPAND Solstice mandala / Art for Self Care cards: 5 on ipad, 5 with tombows, 5 with Inktense / Artpreneur Affirmations journal / taped back-to-back journal / crochet food project (2 ice cream drumsticks, 3 ice cream sandwiches, 4 fortune cookies, 2 wrapped candies, 2 strawberry candies, 2 chocolates) / 8 covered coathangers

+ mantras/kriyas - planned to do all year, but stopped in April/May...stopped daily yoga and qigong around the same time

+ 20 (22) jigsaw puzzles completed

   When I went through my Basket of Possibilities, I found 6 items I had completed in 2024 - I didn’t pull the item from the basket and do it, but rather, realized after the fact that it had been done.

   While I do have ideas and dreams, I don't know what 2025 will bring, but I look forward to seeing what new adventures and creativity await me

Celebrations: 

   On December 15th, I went to Bashaw to see the Junior High students perform Elf Jr (musical) - I confess that I hadn't seen the movie version with Will Ferrell, so didn't know what to expect, but the kids did a great job.

   December 21st, my niece came over at 8:55 AM and, after changing some burnt out light bulbs and putting the Christmas tablecloth on the dining room table, we had a marathon baking morning!  We made pistachio bark (green) and cashew bark (red) - that used up chocolate wafers mom had had FOREVER!  We made double chocolate chip cookies, almond flour shortbread, candy cane shaped cake mix cookies, no-bake oatmeal raisin balls, and no-bake banana squares.  Kitchen was a nightmare after all that!  After lunch, we watched a Hallmark Christmas movie on TV - cleaning up the living room during the commercial breaks - and played Scrabble (she won and I discovered that "boak" IS a word and means to vomit).  We put Christmas decorations out, and she added more on the tree.  My niece braided my hair, and then I took her home at 4:25 PM.  Kitchen was still a nightmare when she left, but it was a great day all around.

   Sis and Niece were here Christmas morning for stockings and gifts.  We also went through more boxes of mom's belongings, and Sis took some more items.  Lots of laughs were had too.

   My niece was here on January 4th, arriving at 8:25 AM.  We had a full day - she curled my hair, we finished UFO xmas crafts (from Gramma's), cleaned the fridge inside/outside/behind/under, cleaned a kitchen cupboard, played Clue (she won 2 of 3 games) and Scrabble (she won by a mere 10 points) - and I took her home at 4:25 PM.

   I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online.  That makes 1 full year and 24 original comic strips completed and shared!!  I've given myself permission to reuse comic strips in the paper if they are for a specific holiday, so we'll see how many new ones I create in 2025.

Recently Completed:

Since the last newsletter, I've completed...

   4 watercolour play faces for the rest of the moon phases on 9x12 mixed media paper.  From left: waxing crescent...waxing gibbous...waning gibbous...waning crescent  

   Then I did another set of 4 - from left: physical...mental...emotional...spiritual  

   More playing with the Walmart set of watercolours (and gel pens) and finished filling the first pad of 4x6 watercolour paper! 

   You can see the flip through here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/967252141921237

   I completed more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper.  The last one on the right on the 2nd row (with clown) was #150!!!!!  They sure make quite a stack!

   I completed my 34th cartoon comic booklet and you can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/472631578940917

In Beth's Kitchen:

   Baking and cleaning mentioned above.

Jigsaw Puzzles:

   Since my last letter, I’ve been working on a 1,000 piece puzzle.  Not completed yet.

UFO (UnFinished Object) Update: 

   I didn't feel well on December 17th so ended up spending the day deleting old emails - some I wasn't aware I still had in my inbox, but most were for online courses I had always wanted to do (but never had the time/energy) - well, sometimes life just makes decisions for you as I discovered I no longer had access to the course videos so I can't do the courses after all.  Guess I was never meant to, or I'd have done them sooner.

   I finished watching the videos for a couple very short freebie classes.  Closed the tabs on my computer.

Courses and Challenges (free and paid):

   I finished watching the videos for Miriam Schulman's "Artpreneur" bonus online class on December 13th.  I think I need to read the book again as there were things I completely forgot about!  Below are spreads 9 - 12 in my journal - I used Inktense pencils and Posca paint pens in a journal I made.  I completed the journal on December 17th, and you can see the whole journal flip-through here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/558295623732696

   I completed Kiala Givehand’s 7 Books in 7 Days course on December 13th.  I'm so glad I finally watched it as I learnt so many different tips and tricks, and more importantly, how to take the basic book structures and not only expand them, but to combine them!  On December 28th, I made two taped books and combined them into a back-to-back structure (4.5x 6 when closed).  I plan to use this journal for a freebie art class I have.

   I participated in Amber's Woman Unleashed Winter Solstice online retreat which ran from Dec 21 to Jan 1st.  Hard to believe that I was first introduced to her solstice retreats back in December of 2016!  I haven’t seen all the sessions, but so far, my favourites this year included: 

- Kiala Givehand’s SOULCOLLAGE session - different process than I use for my collages

- Uma Dinsmore-Tuli’s Yoga Nidra session - Yoga Nidra is great anytime!

- Ina Lukas & Janet Raftis’s Cyclical Living session - more info on solar and moon cycles 

- Natalie Southgate’s Chakradance - I was introduced to Chakradance years ago and have desired to make it part of my daily practice for as many years - maybe this year???

- Lou Reed’s Energy session - the 12 ray daily energy practice she taught is one I’ve been doing daily for a number of years 

- SARK’s Creativity session - I love SARK and have at least 2 of her books and have read others

- Kathleen Booker’s breath work session - she says breath connects you to the “wow within”

- Amber’s Jan. 1st year book session (with Shiloh Sophia) - instead of vision boards for 2025, we made year books.  Mine is started, but still a work in progress.

   I watched Shiloh Sophia’s (free) Oracle painting class from an old email, the last week of December.  I have my canvas started.

   Amanda Sophia's free mini Divine Woman Awakening course on the Celtic Wheel of the Year - We are now fully in the season of the Winter Solstice, and while the days are getting longer again, it is still a time of rest, hibernation and renewal.  I also pulled out the Winter Solstice unit from Demi Fox's Morgan Le Fay Wheel of the Year.

- Amanda Sophia’s free Geomancy & Land Healing course - I have been practicing dowsing with a couple of coathangers.

- To get moving on my drum playing, I'm working through a free introductory course on drum playing.

Works in progress:

Currently, I'm working on...

- a 9x12 page of watercolour play

- playing on the 4x6 watercolour paper pad with my "fancier" watercolour paints 

- two 13" round canvases (acrylics)

   On December 20, we had an Inner Circle painting retreat where we started a painting that we will be working on for the next 6 months.  As I was delivering papers on the 20th, I didn’t start my painting till the weekend.  Here is where it’s at now…

   In January of 2022, I really wanted to paint daily - just as a personal challenge/goal to see if I could actually do it - and all my attempts in previous years didn't pan out.  I was trying to do the daily painting with acrylic paints, as that is the medium I was introduced to in January, 2017, so the medium I was familiar with.  

   On January 4, 2022, I picked up a dollar store set of watercolours in the house and had to make the decision whether I would keep them, give them to my niece (who already had a set I’d given her at Christmas), or add them to the yard sale.  Even though I had ZERO desire to be a (traditional) watercolour artist, I decided that I would keep the set and use them as my entry point into creating a daily painting habit as watercolour is quicker and easier to set up and clean up than acrylics.  

   My "parameters" were that I could only use the watercolour from the set (no additional mediums), I would use 9x12 mixed media paper, and I'd paint both sides - every single painting continues to follow those constraints.  

   Initially, I was just randomly putting paint on paper. It wasn't long before I was painting dot mandalas and it's continued to evolve from there as I have become more and more of a watercolour artist, in my own way.  

   As it was such a cheap watercolour set, I figured it would be used up in a handful of months, especially when I was painting daily.  Well, 3 (!) years later, that set is still going! And in those three years, there have only been a small handful of days when I was literally too sick to even put a single watercolour dot on my page in progress.  

   Last year, I did add some very cheap tubed watercolours I'd been given in 2018 as I had used up the red, yellow and orange paints (I also have blue and green in tubes that I added to the palette as well).  It seems the closer I get to the end of it, the longer it lasts!  

   Seated forward bends!  Before Christmas I saw a short video on YouTube explaining the difference between tight muscles and tight nerves.  After trying the different stretches, I discovered that I definitely have very tight nerves!  Why has no one ever mentioned that before?  So, that meant I had to make adjustments to how I did my seated forward bends, and I was pleased that I was able to make progress again.

Top: Day 1 - Feb. 19

Middle: 26 weeks (1/2 year!) - Aug. 19

Bottom: 33 weeks - Oct. 7

  "Mystery activity” I have done a little bit EVERY day for just over 19 weeks!  

Featured Art for Sale:

   I have inspirational card decks, chapbooks, musical CD's and more for sale that would make gifts.  Please contact me at thechautauqua@gmail.com or phone 403-352-3837 to make a purchase.  Items are also available for sale at Amy’s Bakery on Main Street in Delburne.

Upcoming Projects: 

- I offer Pay-What-You-Can Distance Reiki/Energy Healing sessions.  Energy healing works great from any distance and I've sent Reiki healing as far away as Queensland, Australia.  Please, contact me to set up your healing session.

"I have been suffering with Long COVID for over a year and have tried every healing modality in the book to get my energy back. Beth has been gifting me with healing Reiki energy for quite some time now and I have, for the first time in over a year, started to feel like myself again.  Much of my weakness has dissipated, and the dark cloud that I have been stewing under has lifted. Thank you Beth. ♥️" - Carla, Esthetician, Nova Scotia 

   Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to share with anyone you think might enjoy it.

Beth 

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As a life-long creative, and now artist, I weave my varied interests and wisdom together in an enlightening and entertaining manner, to make people think, but above all else, bring a smile to their faces and hearts, as my style is childlike in its simplicity and playfulness.  While bedridden for much of 2017, I developed 5 – 10 minute practices which allowed me to commit to them daily. I’ve been called the “Queen of Small Steps” because my simple practices – though they seem small individually – have added up to quite a body of work in a few short years. 

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   Your support and kindness are always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to bringing you joy and inspiration! Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!