Pruning Back a Life

Sometimes there comes a year in a person’s life that feels rather catastrophic. Many times one finds, after the dust has settled, that there is opportunity hidden within the catastrophe. I have written in a previous post of the sudden changes in my life and it has been quite a journey. 

To give a quick update, the house is pending and, if all goes well, will close in two weeks. That closing will be the beginning of a whole new chapter of my life and I am looking forward to it. I am currently living in my little trailer which is parked on the property of generous friends. I am getting the final touches done that will allow me to paint and create in my little trailer. I will be there for a bit while I rest, recuperate, plan and work for my future.

Reflecting on this new start, in between packing and dealing with the process of untangling my life from the man I had been married to for 35 years, I realized that I needed to do a bit of pruning of the old life. I feel the pruning analogy is apt. When one prunes back the old dead growth and weak or misdirected limbs of a tree, it often is healthier and more productive. Come spring, the tree blooms anew and healthy new growth is made. 

I am excited about this time in my life. For the first time, I will have the opportunity to not only focus on my own personal healing and growth, but to focus on my art full time. I will have my own personal art residency and I plan to make the most of it. 

2019 has been a tough year, perhaps the hardest year in my entire life. I am planning to make 2020 a year of growth and change. I am committing to my art as well as my vision of sustainable living. There is a lot packed into that sentence and it will take the rest of my life to unpack it. I will be unfolding all of this here on this blog and my website, starting in two weeks if all goes well. I hope you will join me on this journey into art and creating a life!

-Renee

Belay...

The Scarlett Raven

On Belay! I had a brief two year journey into rock climbing several years back. Considering that I have a fear of heights, I learned to love it, creative problem solving with your entire body! 

A climbing partner belays or anchors you while you are climbing up the face of a rock. The command “On belay” signals that they are ready to anchor you and you may climb up safely. I’ve heard a few different commands when the climber needs to stop to either rest or access the way up the rock. 

This is where I feel I am at the moment, anchored, dangling while I stop and access the way up.  I will admit, it has been a long hard climb out of a 37 year relationship that, while there were wonderful moments, there was also a lot of toxicity. Sometimes you have to step back to see what you couldn’t see when you were immersed in it. 

I am healing but I am also still climbing out of this long hallway. The house has not sold yet and, as often the case when things are hard, is having issue after issue come up. There are days when I want nothing more than to run away and never come back! 

Of course, I know that we all go through challenging times some worse or more than others. My heart goes out to those who are struggling with far harder times than I am. I send out strength and courage to them and quietly remind myself to gather my own strength and courage and continue on. 

I am very fortunate. I have been surrounded by many kind and loving friends and am so very grateful for the love and encouragement I have received. I am growing and learning. I am determined to come out of this whole-hearted. 

Above is a picture of my trailer, now named The Scarlett Raven and I am now living in a place I call the Raven’s Nest. I have landed on the property of generous friends for the time being. This allowed me to get out of this house while it is on the market and get a bit of distance from the whole situation. I still come back to the house everyday to work, either on the house or in my studio. It is a transition.

I am savoring my time alone at the moment. I needed the peace, healing, and the time to think and plan. I feel like a neglected caged bird that hadn’t realized the door had rusted open and that I am now free! My wings are a bit stiff and creaky but I will soon be flying. 

I wanted to check in to this blog again. I need a re-start and am stretching those wings to launch into the next phase of my life and art. My belay is almost over and then I will be ready to “Climb On”

-Renee

The cutest wood stove!

 

I have been working on my trailer build every chance I get in between getting the house ready for the market and getting into the art studio for an hour or two. 

Today I got the Reflectix installed on the ceiling! This isn’t insulation but the Reflectix will help keep the roof cool in the sun and the warmth in when it is cold. I will be installing the foam board insulation that is leaning up against the walls, inside the walls next. I will be laying down about 1/2 inch of cork underlayment on the floor with another thin layer of plywood for the floor insulation. The existing flooring has an undercoating and is sealed along the edges. I didn’t want to tear it up to put insulation underneath so I will put in thin layers. 

On the bottom right of the picture, there is a roll of bamboo reed fencing. I am going to use that to cover the Reflectix on the ceiling. I put zip ties in place as I was installing the Reflectix to secure the bamboo. I will have to wait to put that up until I get the walls insulated and painted and this rather clever little wood stove installed:

This is a Cubic Mini Wood Stove. The company is in Canada and I was amazed at their prompt service.  The stove is made for boats and other small places. It is less than a foot square and it is so cute! It will heat up to 100 square feet. My trailer is about 72 square feet so I will keep nice and warm this winter.

These stoves have been around a while and were originally, and still are, made for boats. They have all the parts to make this safe and the installation water tight. I prefer wood heat to propane and will enjoy this stove tremendously.

I have also been learning how to make tables and countertops using cedar that my former husband milled. He is also teaching me the process and how to use the tools which I greatly appreciate.

Next up is insulating the walls!

Thanks for reading,
-Renee

A Blank Canvas

Well, here is the first photo of my future home! I didn’t set out to get a red trailer but the red one is what I ended up with! I had reserved a trailer to buy on Saturday. It was the economy model in white. Well...the trailer sales store naturally has a better built, more expensive model sitting right next to the economy model. I admit, I was easily persuaded to upgrade to the better built one. The fact that it is my favorite color had absolutely nothing to do with it, I swear!

If I had intended to convert this trailer to just go out on the occasional painting trip, I would have stuck with the economy model, however, I am planning to live in this trailer for an unknown while after the house sells. I wanted something sturdy and well built. The extra cost was probably less than what it would have taken to get the economy trailer up to the standard I want. I need it to last and I need it to be as safe as possible. This one came with a better quality tire for example. I could have replaced the economy tires but that would have just been one of the things I would have had to replace to get it to this level. All and all, I am happy with my choice and feel like I got a decent deal.

I drove it home and it handled quite well. I will say though, the fuel gauge dropped at an alarming rate and that is with an empty trailer! I am going to have to be very mindful of the weight I add when I build it out.

At the moment, I am gathering the first round of materials to begin the build. I will be starting with insulation. I am going to put Reflectix in the roof with a ceiling of bamboo fencing. Nice and light. The warm days we have been having recently showed me just how hot that roof can get in the summer sun. It was too hot to touch! The walls and floor will have rigid foam insulation.

While slowly gathering the materials I need, I have been planning the layout for the trailer. Here is a picture I took with the layout in blue tape!

The squares on the walls with the “x”s through them are where the windows will go. This picture is from the rear and is overlooking the bed. There will be a little kitchen area on the left where you can see several over lapping squares on the floor and a small tub at the far end. On the front wall will be a wall easel! I will be able to paint as large as a 40” x 40” panel. 

By the door on this side will be a cupboard to hold my electric cello. A small set of pantry shelves complete the tour at this time. I will have a lot of storage under the bed where I will keep clothes, sheets, towels, and other equipment. 

The two metal items on the floor are ladder racks. We just installed them this afternoon. I also found a brand new stainless steel rv sink at the Re-Store for $10! 

So first up is getting the insulation installed, then the walls painted, windows installed, the rough in of all the furnishings, and the electrical. I am going to be keeping things pretty simple to start with. I will be eventually adding a solar powered system to the rig. I am not adding water tanks or any gray or black water holding tanks. I will make do with water jugs and a simple bucket system. 

I did splurge on one item. I bought a teeny wood stove made for boats as my heat source. It was an investment and I will be able to use it in the future when I have land and am building the cob shed to live in while building the cob house. Lights will be solar or battery powered for now, unless I am plugged into shore power. 

That is it for the moment. The chaos of closing the book on my former life continues. It seems to be going agonizingly slow but it is moving forward bit by bit. 

Stay tuned for more updates!

-Renee 

Of Endings and Beginnings...

Warning: Major Life Changing Events Ahead!

I took this photo last Friday on a hike with a local Stewardship group that I am joining. It is a great photo to start this post off as it shows old second growth trees that have grown from a nurse log. From death comes life and the cycle continues. 

Now, I will state right here that there has not been a death in my family nor in my circle of friends. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage as I have a bit of a tale to unfold...

About 6 weeks ago, I was content in my 35 year marriage. Apparently, my mate was not and, unbeknownst to me had been having a relationship with another woman for the past two years. Yes, I suspected something was going on, I will not go into all the details as they no longer matter. Alas, it is an old story. I finally confronted him on the situation and, since the answer was a deal breaker in my world, I promptly asked for a divorce. The state of Oregon is a good one for uncontested divorces and a mere six weeks  later, I find myself officially divorced! 

We are not quite out of the woods yet as we still share this house. We had it torn apart as it is a fixer-upper. We have been putting it back together again and will be putting it on the market for sale, hopefully next month. 

As you can imagine, I have had to put my art business on the back burner to simmer while. And yes, I am dealing with a broken heart. I am a strong and loving person and, in spite of heartbreak, I am determined to move forward with my life.

Now, the exciting news! Out of the ashes arises a Phoenix. I have an adventure waiting for me! You see, I have some pretty big dreams and a strong purpose to pursue...

While working on the house, I will also be converting a cargo trailer into a tiny micro home for the time being. I plan to buy a piece of land, build an off-grid cob house, and steward the land as well as be stewarded by the land. I don’t have to tell you all the world is changing. I feel deep urgency to return to simple living and dig deep into skills I believe will be needed in the years to come. 

Art, music, gardening, Permaculture,  sustainable living, fiber arts, community, and stewardship are all part of my intentions. 

This will be a grand adventure and I will be blogging about it here! 

Finally, my art continues to evolve and develop. It is linked to my purpose. While it is on the back burner it is not completely neglected. I draw and paint and build skills as often as I can. I have come full circle and have added wildlife art back in my life. Here is a sketch of a wolf I recently did. I have more skills to build in this area but it is a passion rekindled. 

I will have more posts coming soon. Tomorrow I take my car in to have the towing and wiring harness installed. I will also visit the Social Security office to make my final official name change.

Saturday, I go in to Portland to pick up my trailer. I am excited! It will be fun to document this adventure in spite of knowing there will be challenges. I hope you all come along for the ride. 

Finally, I would like to re-introduce myself. My name is Renee Delight and it is a pleasure to meet you all! 

Onward! 

-Renee

Strada Easel Challenge Wrap up and Blog Changes

Day 18, Strada Easel Challenge, 5”x7”, water soluble pencil on gray toned paper

I have had a post sitting in my draft file for about a month now. I post on several places and for some reason, I forgot to come back to Blogger! I am a bit embarrassed about that! The photo above is of Day 18 in the Strada Easel Challenge that I participated in last month. Yes! I did successfully complete all 31 days of the challenge! You will be seeing more of the artwork in a couple of weeks as I am getting them ready to sell off to raise funds for a quality printer. I plan to make and sell prints of my drawings. I also want to mention that any work I sell, no matter what medium, will have 10% of the net proceeds going to an environmental or animal cause. The wave paintings will have the 10% donated to the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve. Cape Falcon is just a couple of miles up the road from us.

I am currently in the middle of building a brand new art website that will feature a blog front and center and will host video, some how-to content, my continuing art journey, and art for sale. Anything else that comes up on this journey I am on will be there. It will have a focus on art and creativity I will be posting a link to that website soon!

This blog will continue but it will change and grow a bit more. There will be art posts here too but I am also going to add more about living a creative life. I will not only be sharing posts about art and creativity but also about veganic gardening, (I named my garden Red Twill Gardens! 💜), our house renovation, playing music in a band, and my gradual and sporatic return to fiber art, another of my loves.

I hope to create a dialogue and inspire others in the creative journey. I don’t know what that looks like yet but I plan to see.

Finally, a huge thank you to any who still read this after such a long silence. Like so many creative people, I lead a busy life. I am looking forward to catching up on reading the blogs of all my old friends and a few new ones as well!

-Renee

Day 4: Strada Easel Challenge

Water soluble graphite and gouache on Strathmore Gray Toned Paper

 

Today we were in between storms. There was a high surf warning going on when I got to the beach and there was no place safe to draw. I stayed in my car again. I suspect that many of the drawings for this month's challenge will be done from my car! Fortunately, I wasn't far from the high tide line by the side of the road.

So far I have been going to my local beach to draw the waves, about a mile from my house as the crow flies. I will be traveling up and down the coast a few miles to draw at the other beaches. They are all a bit different and they change every day and hour. The waves and beach looked quite different when I took the second photo than when I started the drawing.

I really do love drawing and painting waves! I have yet to get them on paper and canvas to my satisfaction. There are a lot of subtle nuances to learn.

Until tomorrow,

 -Renee

Day 2 and Day 3!

One of my New Years goals is to be a bit more mindful of my health. Getting enough sleep is at the top of that list! Yesterday, I got smacked by that goal. I am a musician as well as an artist. Wednesday nights are our band rehearsals. I did not get a chance to post yesterday's drawing and it was too late by the time we got home from rehearsal. In the past, I would have stayed up, posted my post, and got to bed a bit late.

Getting enough sleep more important than posting to my blog so today I have two posts in one.

Yesterday my sketch showed a storm on the horizon and moving in. Today, we are in the middle of the storm with gusts up to 50 mph on the beach. The car was rocking as I worked from its shelter today! Here are the drawings starting with yesterday, Day 2:

More tomorrow!

-Renee

A New Year and a New Challenge

 

Day 1: New Year Challenge

Here I go again! I am participating in another 31 day art challenge. This one is the Strada Easel challenge which requires 31 paintings or drawings all done from life. I like to participate in these challenges when I have more I would like to achieve than completing a daily drawing or painting for a month. I already know I can draw and paint everyday for a month as I have done it several times over the past few years. I like to up the ante with a personal challenge that pushes me to grow as an artist.

Because it is January and the weather can be challenging here on the Oregon coast, I decided to do a daily wave drawing. I can draw from the shelter of my car if need be. I will actually be combining drawing and painting. The drawings will be wave studies in water soluble graphite and white gouache on Strathmore toned gray mixed media paper. The mixed media is heavy enough to take the water without buckling.

I have painted hundreds of wave studies over the years and I still have so much to learn. I am keeping the drawings more or less shades of gray which allows me to focus on value, composition, and hone my wave drawing skills. I still have so much to work on!

I also will be taking color notes while I am out drawing. I intend to bring all this information back to the studio and translate them into small paintings. I may continue on with larger paintings from those. My ultimate intention is to start interpreting my own vision through the waves. I am not exactly sure where this will take me but I know it is all good!

My animal drawing, anatomy studies, and paintings will continue. I spent yesterday, New Year's Eve, at the Oregon Zoo visiting and sketching my favorite Cheetah sisters and the other animals that braved the cold temperatures.

I have a lot of plans, goals, dreams, and hard work ahead of me for 2019. I hope everyone reading this also is digging into 2019 for your creative life and your good health.

Here is to the creative journey and good health!

-Renee