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Tag Archives: writing
Possibilities & Plans; A New Year
Possibilities & Plans; A New Year
Fresh snow has blanketed the transition into 2017 as we begin a new cycle of possibilities. Trees laden with cotton-balls of snow adorn the thick lined branches. The hares have broken the snow, weaving around the trees leaving their tracks. The New Year came peacefully as I played guitar & drank tea.
I am happy to leave behind the things that are no longer serving me. Much clearing has taken place and I am simplifying my life to focus on what really matters. I have done another layer of purging to create some space around me for expansion and creativity.
The new possibilities are exciting. This year the emphasis will be on my visual art, music and writing.
Visual Art
In January, watch for a painting a day, five days a week, starting today, Monday January 2, 2017. Check later today when I will post a link here. All paintings will be postcard size and available for sale. I will let you know a secret. My little paintings go very quickly. I will also be posting them on my Facebook Page if you would like to connect with me there. They often contain as much effort as a large piece and I will be selling them for a reasonable price.
I have not taken many photographs this year, for the first time in a long time. I would like to take a road trip. Some new territory to explore will surely inspire more pictures this year.
Music
Writing an album of music is one plan I intend to complete. The ideas have been in gestation for a long time. The music and melodies come easier than the words for me. It was not always that way. I intend to play more live music gigs. If you would like to host a house concert, let me know. It is easy to do and I will help you on how to set it up. I am still teaching piano and guitar and have a few select openings for new students. Have a look here.
I took a Berklee Jazz Improvisation course on piano and here is one of my assignments; a short improvisation. My jazz improv scale choices for Memories of Tomorrow by Keith Jarrett.
Writing
I am preparing to journal again this year. I have journalled for many years, but I have had a long sabbatical. Exercises for the soul are the mainstay of keeping a journal. Digging deep, becoming aware of all my inner workings to stay conscious of where I am on the journey. I have the three novels (or novellas) to finish, a book of short stories that I will edit.
Healing
My healing journey is now showing some results. I am feeling better than I have felt in a long time. Yoga, meditation & proper diet have been instrumental to my well-being. As well the inner work I have committed myself to for a very long time is now producing fruit. Results do not happen overnight. It is an ongoing process to uncover one’s aspiration and authentic self, however well worth the effort.
A quote from The Tao of Healing which resonates for me:
To penetrate the hardest armor
Use the softest touch.
Yielding melts resistance
Density is filled by light
Good work is accomplished without effort.
In silence the teachings are heard;
In stillness the world is transformed.~Jampolsky, M.D.
May we all experience health, wealth and joy in 2017! We have set out intentions. Now it is time to dig in and make it happen. This year will be a year of action. Please leave a comment and share what possibilities you see for yourself in this new year. I would love to hear from you.
Welcome to My New DIgs
New Digs
New Website & Blog
Welcome to my new digs. This is my new website & blog. I have decided to integrate everything I do into one site.
I had my blog on another service for nine years, and now it is here and this is the first post. I like the idea of being able to manage my own domain and the contents. Below this, in the right hand column you will see the blog archive where you can read my old posts. I will eventually move it all over here. For now, it will be a gradual transition.
A fresh start, feels wonderful, just in time for summer. Almost overnight green leaves have sprouted and the fragrance of blossoms fills the air. The launch of this website corresponds with the three year anniversary of being laid off as Director of the Music Academy. Since then, I have been working on establishing myself as a creative entrepreneur.
My music teaching schedule has shrunk for the summer, and art classes have finished. However ART CAMPS are coming! Stay tuned for the latest details about locations and availability. If you have a special group, a birthday party, ladies night we can cater to your wishes. Let’s create something together!
Upcoming Events
Caprice’s Fine Art Summer Event
Saturday June 14, 2014 10-5pm
10-5pm Inglewood Community Hall.
My Art will be on Display & For Sale, and my musical performance will be from 11 am to 12 pm. Many other fine artists, musicians, food trucks & more … come & hang out. The last one was a blast.
Posts

Promise of Spring

December’s Song

Another Spring, A Slower Pace

While the Garden Sleeps

Summer Mural Painting Complete

Warm Summer Breeze; A new Jazz Instrumental

Movement Naturally Occurs

Early May Days

Almost Spring

An Artful Life

January 2017 Daily Paintings

Possibilities & Plans; A New Year

New Hockey Mural!

Artistic Life Design

February is Here

The Dark of Winter
Summer Plans; Be a House Concert Host
Things Worth Holding Onto
Introspection
New Creations
Sweet Summer Dreams
Welcome to My New DIgs
Happy New Year 2014 New Story
Life is a Series of Transitions
Living Authentically
Embracing Change
Spring Rumblings
Vintage Jazz by Deborah Robinson
Happy Solstice
Mission Accomplished
Fast Track: Writing, Music, Art
ART EXHIBIT & SALE ON NOW
Chaos & Creativity
My Life is a Work in Progress
2012 … It’s Been Here a While Now
Already December
Writing A Book: NaNoWrimo
Indian Summer
The Golden Hour
Late Summer Stroll
Dog Day Reflections
On My Easel
Life Redesign
Spring Thaw
Transitions
Instinct & Evolution
October Garden
Thoughts on the Process of Art
Autumn Blooms
September Song
Buds & Woolen Socks
Prevailing Flow
Ladybug Festival & Unity Wave
Early Spring Remnants
More Expansion
For Creation Sake
Painting Story
Art Show Revue
Sneak Peek
Suspended Animation
Late Summer Light
Sunday at the Market
I Adore Hollyhocks
Sunday Concert in the Park
Summery Summary
Spring This Year
Welcome Spring
Open Water
Abstractive Reality
Abstractions
Moments Like These
Pixel Play
Make Me An Offer
Winter Solstice
Fabulous News!
Weekend Getaway
Remembering Gratitude
Golden Light Flow
Living & Dying
Transformations
Change in the Air
Summer Blazes
Nice Place to Work
Summertime
Pause to Refresh
Dog Days of Summer
Still Life
Zen & Then
Critters, Curtilage, Canvas & Clearing
Never A Dull Moment
For the Birds
Anatomy of a Painting
Bluebird Blessings
This N’ That
Spring HotchPotch Review
You’re Invited!
Creative Diversions
Just For Fun
In Like A Lion
Golden Sunset and Nature
By the Light
Continuous Flow
Life Imitating Art
To Under Paint … Or Not?
Virtuouso & Delicioso
This Very Moment
What’s Shakin’ Round Here
Needing Rest
Under the Chinook Arch
A Cup of Tea
Eluding Winter Blues
Fur Babies
New Beginnings
Happy New Year!
Letting Go
The Artist in Me Wants Out!
Take Time …
Artful Cheer
Writing, tech stuff & good eats
Bleak November
Snowy Monday
Rare Beauty
Rhapsodizing
Think Green
Good Medicine
October Passion
A Moment in Time
What I Need
I Have Seen
Change & All That
Gardening & Such
Summer Sustenance
Clearing Cobwebs
Twilight & Triptych
A Thousand Shades of Green
Painting From Life
Playing with a Full Deck
Spring Starts & Stops
Fait Accompli
Mountain Renewal
Guess Who?
Let Them Eat Cake …
Ever Feel Like This?
View from Here
February Gray
Markets, Minutes & Mysteries
Autumn the Movie Star
Going With the Flow
Wanna Know a Secret?
Rants & Such
Elemental Haiku
Saturday Inspiration
Beginning Again
Art and Healing
Tis the Season …
Destination Nirvana
Off the Wall
Bittersweet
State of Being
Chinooks, Sunday Mornings Conversations & Such
Language of Intuition
Staying Warm
More Beans Please
Being Green
Trial by Fire
Where the Air is Thin
The Shadow
Some Days are Better than Others
Getting the Groove Back
Miscellaneous Moments
Metaphysical Mind
New Site News
Diversion Tactics
The Human Condition
Intentionality
Attention All Bloggers!
Integration
Wounded in Action
Nature of Mind
Aspects of Reality
Chick With A Camera
Busy as a Bee
Stopped On A Dime
Random Acts
Perception
Imagination
The Journey
Dropping Rain
Individualism and Intellectualism In Art
Full Circle
A Day in the Life
I Just Had to Laugh …
Wonder of Phi
Artistic Integrity
Metamorphosis
Brave New Worlds
Art and Politics
Prelude to Autumn
Purpose of Art
Just Because
The Real Lowdown
Creative Process: Another View
Creative Process
Certifiably Insane?
Fresh Berries
Non-Representational Art: An Inevitability?
Down by the River
New Pair of Shoes
Society and Fear
Priorities
Following Your Own Path
Après le Carnaval
Crowdsourcing
State of Affairs
Back From the Desert
Pussy Willows
Flying Solo
No Compromise
My New Addiction
Manifesting
Gardening and Such
Still Life Experiment
Art Squared
Magnolia Continues
After the Carnival Continues
Magnolia WIP
After the Carnival
Oil From Life
Unwrapping the Mystery
Red Sunflower Miniature
A New Way to Shop
A River Runs Through It
Magnolia Beginnings
Completion
Trusting the Process
Improvisation
In Living Color
Moonlight Macro
Hibiscus Work in Progress
Divine Proportion … 1.6180339887
Hibiscus Macro
Lessitovka: Final Touches
Light is a Wonderful Thing
Tel’nii Podmalyovok
Podmalyovok & Lessirovka
Imprimatura
Old Classics New Mediums
The Cosmic Dancer
Cosmic Dancer
Golden Dragonfly
Summer Reprieve
Clearing the Clutter
Tragedy of Trends
Almost August
Yellow River
Cats & Curiosities
In The Shadows
Engage
Engage
Let’s Work Together
Whether you are a solopreneur or a small enterprise, something here will indeed engage you. Whatever the reason for your visit, I want to help you to meet your goals. It is satisfying to share my talent, skills and knowledge with you.
Please look at my body of work & see my offerings.
Why Work With Me?
In fact, as a creative entrepreneur, I have a wealth of experience in owning and operating small businesses. I know how to deliver.
In all my dealings, I strive to work from a place of conscious business with respect and compassion. Clear interpersonal communication works for me, and I am highly intuitive. My references are excellent.
“All of my businesses function on the basis of integrity, quality and value.” ~ Deborah Robinson
List of My Services
- Social Media
- Web Design
- Marketing
- Art Murals
- Live Music Show
- Music Lessons
- Art Classes
- Hair & Makeup
- Reiki
- Face painting
- Art for Sale
Fill out the contact form below, so we can get started.
Please Note: It is impossible to give a quote or an estimate before knowing the scope of the job. My prices are derived from tangible data.
Happy Solstice
Happy Solstice~Merry Christmas~Happy Holidays and welcome to the age of Aquarius. Who ever thought we would have made it this far?
We have had a a lot of icy fog and hoar frost this year and it is beautiful. Occasionally the sun breaks through.
And though I would like to be out taking more pictures, however other things have taken priority.
At the moment it seems I am going from deadline to deadline, pacing myself and somehow it all gets done. Everything I need comes to me, miraculously.
I am getting bits and pieces of time in the studio in an attempt to finish some work. This is one of several oils I did late this summer, all 12 X 16. They are almost dry, still a bit wet in the darker areas.
A couple of weeks ago, I auditioned for a band and the experience was great. I felt good about the energy I took there, and was relaxed and calm. Feeling good about being in my element though it had been a long time and an opportunity to perform. It did not turn out to be the right situation but it feels like a bridge. A couple more situations are just on the horizon.
Currently I am writing new music, on piano mostly. My goal is to create an album, a CD, and once I have done that I will find a way to record it.
So I am carrying my notebook with me everywhere, as I always did before. The music is coming quicker than the lyrics. That has not always been the case. Creative thoughts must incubate before we can birth them. Much growth has been taking place under the surface.
I am spending this time to set intentions for the New Year, and to prioritize. Included in the repertoire will be lots of art, music, web design and writing. I am re-branding myself to integrate all that I do, and am determined that will provide me a way to sustain myself. In the meantime, let’s set an intention to make 2013 the best year ever!
Mission Accomplished
Well I did it! I surpassed 50,000 words, with a few hours to spare. This year, things went much slower for me, but then I had a couple of big pushes that drove me over the finish line.
It is a great feeling to achieve the required word count, despite the fact that the book itself is not finished. Of course this is just the first draft. I really feel this one is worth completing. I am going to reserve January for the rewrite, and I will pick away at finishing the first draft until then.
The novel is entitled ESOTERICA and the genre is magical realism. Oh and I even designed a cover this year for fun.
Here’s a short synopsis:
Story of woman artist, a sculptress, set in New York in the early twentieth century, whose family immigrated to the USA during the Mexican Revolution. Malinali Gohl was a trail blazer in the New York art world.
Malinali perseveres against all odds in a sea of tension and opposites, creating alliances that propel her into new worlds and uncover creations that will survive the test of time. In order to do so, Malinali must overcome ancestral patterns, illusion, discovering her inner visions and holding them steadfastly, while purifying her heart to make way for inspiration.
A journey of: Intuition – Illumination – Inspiration The Angel of the Presence, which guides her addresses and supplies the solution to glamour, unveiling the authentic and uncovering the truth.
One deadline down, I can now move on to my next set of commitments, including two showings of art during the month of December. And there are parties coming up too! If you are at Waves Coffee- Springbank, be sure to take a look at my art which will be on display & for sale during the month of December, beginning Sunday, December 2, 2012. The address is 160- 30 Springborough Blvd S.W
Come and see me at Calgary’s newest craft fair, in Bridgeland on December 8, 2012, where I will have an assortment of smaller to medium sized works and artist made gifts for sale at Bridgeland Riverside Community Association. 917 Center Avenue NE, Calgary, AB. Hope to see you there!
Fast Track: Writing, Music, Art
N A N O W R I M O is happening for me again this year. It’s novel writing month, and I will attempt to write 50,000 words in the month of November. You can view my progress in the sidebar. Last year I met my goal and I found it truly stimulates all areas of my life.
I only decided two days ago, and I am going to let my intuition lead the way. I have done very little planning, if any, so I am going to have to channel this thing.
Staying focused on my creative work, while shopping for inspiration, I have actually started to paint in oils. The one below is the first one I did. I am infatuated with the sensuality of the paint and have done a number of small works, mostly landscapes and flowers for a show at Waves Cafe in Springborough in December.
Leighton View
12 X 16
Oil/Canvas
I will also be selling at an artisan fair on December 8, at the Bridgeland Community Centre through What the Craft. A new series of energy paintings which I have designed is a collaboration of art, gemstones and Reiki and will be included in the show & sale.
Great holiday gifts, even if you decide to shop for yourself, as I am making some smaller pieces. I plan to have some art cards available too. Working on a mixed media abstract with lots of texture, gold and silver leaf. Experimenting and stepping out on a limb is a great way to bring in new energy.
I am writing more original music. Once I can demystify this recording challenge, I will have something for you to hear. Enjoying GoGirlsMusic, a networking group for women in music, which I have joined. We have a Thursday night Twitter chat and I have met some amazing women musicians. I was out jamming some blues last weekend. Getting my musician back on and who knows, maybe some gigs are just around the corner.
Writing A Book: NaNoWrimo
I am more than halfway through writing my 50,000 words. I confess, in the beginning watching the meter at the side of this blog was a bit like watching paint dry. The process has been going pretty well, and I am a day ahead of schedule. This goes to show what one can accomplish when a decision is made and one commits to daily practise.
Of course this may not be optimal conditions for the professional writer, but it certainly does give one a kick start. Getting used to writing everyday seems to be the ticket. It is great to be able to set a goal and meet it. The one day I felt like giving up was on day 2. My brain was mush, and my thoughts seemed snarled into a tight knot I did not know that I could get out of.
With the help of a few word wars, I sailed through to week two surprising well, considering the stats say that this is the most common time that participants give up. So here we are in week three out of four and doing nicely. I feel happy I have taken on this project.
It is really only half of what I intend to write by the time I finish. So when November is over, I shall set another goal for myself to finish part two. Most novels are approximately 100,000 words. So I am off to a grand start.
Some people had doubled their daily quota to get a whole book written in November. Since this was the largest writing project I had taken on, I decided to be the tortoise; slow and steady wins the race.
The only way to start living your dreams is by taking action. Some people walk across the Arctic, some climb mountains, and I am writing a book. I needed to get my will back. Seems it becomes fainter with age, we do not have so much fire in the belly as we did when we were younger.
I have tried to coax the sparrows closer to the house and the feeders, but they do not seem to want to get that close. I had so many birds at the other house and I miss them.
Needing Rest
Needing Rest
It was a dark and stormy night … no really! It made me think of the Bulwer-Lytton Writing contest, which is a contest for the worst written opening sentence-usually 50-60 words.
The contest offers a small pittance to the winners and has become an anomaly in writer’s circles.
Shoveling snow, groaning garage doors, and lows deep in the minus thirties to accompany the drifting snow. The wind chill was minus 51 Celsius yesterday morning. How I spent twelve years north of the 60th parallel is beyond me. Seems my energy is at an all time low to match the temperatures and I need rest. I believe I am safe and protected, I will be warm eventually … and that things will turn out all right.
The only warming thought I’ve had is that I am a pro again. (happy dance!) Guaranteed when you fixate on things that are not coming together, my OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) rises up. Oh well, thanks to the ‘team’ for sorting through this for me! I can now blog on.
I should have gone to bed hours ago. Instead I have been burning the midnight oil, accomplishing nothing in particular.
I am taking stock, which will decide my plan of action. Rapid change propels me headlong into the unknown. Where the energy will come for this evades me at the present moment.
Writing, tech stuff & good eats
Writing, tech stuff & good eats
Apologies in advance to all the vegetarians. I was vegetarian for over twenty years. Moving to the Arctic in the early eighties changed that. I find my body requires it now!
No matter what the weather, you can always BBQ! Have you ever smelled steak cooking outdoors while on your way home when you were so hungry? Last night the aroma wafting through the neighbourhood was my own steak. Yum!
Technical frustrations!!! What is up with the frozen mouse thing on XP Pro SP2? Can’t decide if it is my Firefox browser or Windows. All unneeded Windows services have been disabled. One by one I have checked running processes in the task manager, and have rid myself of things which are eating up CPU’s unnecessarily. I understand this mouse thing is an XP bug. If anybody knows how to fix that please come forth and share the wealth. My next computer is going to have Linux, I think, or I will have to get a Mac. I am not interested in Vista.
I have been working a bit on some writing. I found a conditional freeware program called WordWeb which is a dictionary, thesaurus, and word finder, great resource for writers. Now I really like this guy’s originality and his social conscience. The conditions on using the program include you take at most 4 flights (2 return flights) in any 12 month period, and you do not own or regularly drive an SUV (sports utility vehicle). Read more about the licensing requirements and check it out here. Not only that with the pro version you can create crosswords and all sorts of cool stuff, if you’re so inclined.
Trying out a freeware writer’s software called Rough Draft, which works well with the afore mentioned program. I had also downloaded the open source Celtx, but it is more suitable for screen writing, so the jury is still out on that one for the time being in regards to my purposes, but it seems to be a great program. I am truly looking for novel writing software, to do a rewrite on a long awaited project, chapter by chapter.
Hard to believe when I took creative writing at the university about six years ago, I was doing all my assignments on a typewriter! Now I know why people thought I was crazy, now that I know what computers are capable of. That is actually how I came to become a computer addict. And WOW, what an expansion occurred there!
I have decided to try Google adsense for a while. It has been a week and I am still seeing public service ads???
Now for the procrastination tip of the day …
Time to kill? Bored? Hey why not create some scanner art? That way you can avoid all of those things you are supposed to be doing like creating authentic art, which could bring in some hard cold cash.
Wait a minute! This is authentic incubation time as a result of stage three of the artistic process. The leaves were taken from my yard. I suppose it could classify as found art!
Have a great weekend all!
A Moment in Time
A Moment in Time
The rains have come, only hours before the vernal equinox. It is late this year with a full moon soon to follow. Pleased to see I hadn’t missed the changing of the guard. Leaves hurriedly make their way to the gutters whisked by the rapid waters flowing curbside. Music, trickling from the eaves troughs, comforts.
Balmy fragrant long lit evenings have transcended to flaming yellows tousled against darkened skies.
Sirens wail in the distance announcing a new order. I manage to live between the shadows, just like my blog title suggests, preferring a background seat or the bird’s eye view if you will. Peace, solitude and aloneness are key ingredients if I am to create.
I am tired of being in the trenches, the front lines. The combat zone has left me feeling battle weary and war worn.
The raw energies have taken their toll on my psyche. Like setting the stage for a play, all props and nuances must be in place before the show can go on. Regrouping energies, shadow faces seek out the spotlight.
Looking for a way to move from the darkened underground into the light. Yet nothing to solve this achiness in my heart and joints which dotes on comfort like a luxury. Life is fragile. Yellow lifeblood drains from the leaves, leaving a lattice of darkened frames, promises of another spring.
Flow
18 X 24
Despite all of this I managed to begin two new paintings today. I refused to answer my phone, and have not even checked my messages. Sometimes one has to put up their fence in order to get things accomplished.
These paintings appear to be off to a good start, though beginning is never the problem. I shall try not to paint a hole in these.
Peony
24 X 24
I am reading John Ruskin’s “Emotion & Art”, a free PDF download, from his Emotion & Art Project website which I am hoping to absorb through osmosis if nothing else. Listen to his music too if you get the chance. He has also done some groundbreaking work on emotional clearing and written a book on the subject which is available on his other website.