tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62902257524715674962024-02-18T21:19:04.406-08:00Ciara BarsottiCiara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-59514871848159722212016-10-16T16:23:00.001-07:002016-10-16T16:23:03.155-07:00Moving Through Doubt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.loyolapress.com/~/media/Images/Loyola%20Press/saints/Catherine-Bologna.ashx?h=455&w=300&la=en&hash=07078A505605B27CD38C5D33953ABAE5D4D8C834" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.loyolapress.com/~/media/Images/Loyola%20Press/saints/Catherine-Bologna.ashx?h=455&w=300&la=en&hash=07078A505605B27CD38C5D33953ABAE5D4D8C834" height="320" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting by St. Catherine of Bologna</td></tr>
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Lately I've been into saints, iconography, and all forms of liturgy. And today I realized that I hadn't yet looked up the patron saint of artists! So I did. Her name is St. Catherine of Bologna, and she was a nun as well as a violist, dancer, writer, and painter, but her passion was painting. She also happened to struggle with doubt.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>From the distance of so many centuries she is still very modern and
speaks to our lives. She, like us, suffered temptations, she suffered
the temptations of disbelief, of sensuality, of a difficult spiritual
struggle. She felt forsaken by God, she found herself in the darkness of
faith. Yet in all these situations she was always holding the Lord’s
hand, she did not leave him, she did not abandon him. And walking hand
in hand with the Lord, she walked on the right path and found the way of
light. </i>- Pope Benedict<i><br /></i></blockquote>
It is no wonder to me that the arts and doubt once again are found hand-in-hand. Anyone inclined to share their work with an audience knows that gnawing fear that accompanies each performance or piece. It is relentless.<br />
<br />
Normally at this point on this journey I would have turned back, resigned myself once again to just be content as a hobbyist. In the past, when I was successful for any length of time, it was because I had a specific project, or a brand, to hide behind. This time, it's just me and the things I want to make because I like to make them. And I have a daily inward battle with my doubt and my hope that this is enough.<br />
<br />
I know now the difference between a fear that warns and a fear that merely cripples. Both are meant to protect you, but one results in timely escape and one leads to a deeper misery. <a href="http://brenebrown.com/" target="_blank">Brené Brown</a>, <a href="http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/" target="_blank">Liz Gilbert</a>, and <a href="http://www.thejealouscurator.com/" target="_blank">Danielle Krysa</a> all have excellent things to say about this crippling fear, and they have been my guiding lights as I learn to lean into doubt instead of letting myself get pushed back into my seat.<br />
<br />
I used to think this feeling of uncomfortable vulnerability meant that I was going in the wrong direction. I would take it as a sign to quit. I hate asking people for money, or asking folks to buy things. <i>I'm not good enough. Who would pay anything for this? I don't have any value as an artist. </i>These are the things that run through my head on a daily basis. And before, that would have been enough to make me turn red and sit right back down instead of standing tall in my place. But not this time.<br />
<br />
I often say to myself that part of the "Going on a Bear Hunt" song that kids sing. The one that goes, "you can't go over it, you can't go under it, you can't go around it, you gotta go through it." I've been told enough times by everyone I admire that this thing will never leave me... but that it gets easier to move through.<br />
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And so, as I wake up every morning feeling defeated that I didn't become an overnight success yet again, I remember "you gotta go through it." Keep showing up. Go slow. Every day I do something, I put pen to physical paper, and I know that the sooner I start, the sooner I'll be through the doubt on this day. And tomorrow, I'll have to do the same. But I won't give up, because I know that I'm not the only one, and I know in my heart of hearts that what I'm doing every day is building something, and I hope will all my heart that thing is good.<br />
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This self-doubt is really doubt in the goodness, in the abundance, that is God. So I will wake up, I will take His hand, and I will keep going.</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-48049841120196730532016-09-30T09:51:00.000-07:002016-09-30T09:51:55.683-07:00Patreon 2: the Re-Launch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMch2WHaNitdhSA9N5VONGeK_Hy_XMsnBrxjiCWvoGtlsXfcT_wFsbIWbNiLTbKdgPGPI6b-AT5nIlBtud2rbnVzLTNlFHG0vd-nzo6tvPVzvAhtxPdNwW-wpCEcsG0IZvRIYCha2fOQ4/s1600/buffaloshowwall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMch2WHaNitdhSA9N5VONGeK_Hy_XMsnBrxjiCWvoGtlsXfcT_wFsbIWbNiLTbKdgPGPI6b-AT5nIlBtud2rbnVzLTNlFHG0vd-nzo6tvPVzvAhtxPdNwW-wpCEcsG0IZvRIYCha2fOQ4/s400/buffaloshowwall1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Buffalo Show - my original purpose for Patreon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ok, I know that NPR is doing it's pledge drive and that ya'll are probably sick of folks asking you for money, but here goes. Remember that time, way back in 2014, when I had this Buffalo Project and I needed extra cash to frame stuff? I used Patreon, because it seemed like a great way for me to share my work and earn a little money doing it. Well, guess what... I'm doing it again! This time, though, I'm having TWO shows... and beyond!<br />
<br />
I love <a href="https://www.patreon.com/ciara" target="_blank">Patreon</a> because it allows me to get some payment for the work I'm doing, and it allows you to be part of that work in a very tangible way! You can donate as much or as little as you want (the reward tiers are just a little extra incentive - like the green beach towel you get for pledging more than $15 a month to your public radio station, but hopefully prettier), and if you donate more than two bucks a month (which is less than the cost of a small black coffee here in Santa Cruz, y'know), you'll get access to even more behind-the-scenes goodness. Last time, I posted updates multiple times a month with photos, thoughts, plans, ideas, processes, sketches, works in progress and more, and I intend to continue that practice.<br />
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But, this Patreon campaign will be a little different. Yes, I do have two shows coming up in Summer of 2017 that I need money to frame, but I want to go beyond that. Like I said to my current patrons, I feel like I've been tiptoeing into the art world for YEARS, but now it's finally time for me to stride in and take my place. I don't feel ready, but I know that I need to start acting like I am, because I will never feel ready and waiting around until I do is literally wilting my soul. For me, right now, I need to make my art my first priority. I'd like to make a living at it too, and Patreon is there to help you help me meet that goal! And artists should get paid, after all! We just have to be a little creative about how we do it.<br />
<br />
Don't worry though! I won't quit putting up photos on instagram, sharing works-in-progress and sketches, or posting my thoughts... All of that will remain free for your consumption! Patreon is simply a way for you to let me know that what you think I'm doing is valuable.<br />
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Side note: don't feel like you need to donate forever and always... You can always choose to spend your money elsewhere or change your donation amount for any reason. It's your money! I just hope you'll throw a little of it my way. :)<br />
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So please, go check out my <a href="https://www.patreon.com/ciara" target="_blank">Patreon page</a>. Consider donating a dollar, two dollars, or more per month. Become a supporter of the arts by supporting me, your artist friend! I'll be eternally grateful.<br />
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♥ Ciara</div>
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P.S. PLEASE feel free to ask me any questions at all about Patreon, how it works & why I'm using it, in the comments below or via email: catsandscales [at] gmail [dot] com.</div>
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Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-39479413859970000892016-09-29T17:30:00.000-07:002016-09-29T17:30:01.286-07:00Whole 30 Update: It's almost over!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow, time flies when you're not eating your favorite foods, I guess. So much for the weekly post with amazing reports on my Whole30 progress! Oh well. More important things in life are going on. Like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpVXIH24KzQ" target="_blank">this</a>.<br />
<br />
I have been having terrible, guilty dreams about eating ice cream bars and baking cookies and sneaking around eating candy behind Jamie's back. I don't even want ice cream bars or cookies. I just want some damn bread and cheese.<br />
<br />
Things I've noticed since being on the Whole30 for more than three weeks:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I do seem to have more energy (but maybe this is because I'm getting sufficient amounts of sleep and exercise).</li>
<li>My farts are no longer atomic (this is wonderful, and it was expected. Curse you, cheese).</li>
<li>Even when I'm hungry I don't feel faint (hooray for sufficient amounts of protein).</li>
<li>I'm pretty sure I've lost a couple of pounds and I'm back to my "normal" weight.</li>
<li>My skin and allergies have not improved in the slightest</li>
<li>I feel like the worst kind of person when I have to explain to people that I'm on a diet. It makes social situations awkward and I don't like it.</li>
<li>I'm sick and tired of having to plan out every single meal</li>
<li>I'm sick and tired of having to do more than cook eggs and toast bread for breakfast. Everything else takes way too much time.</li>
</ul>
On Wednesday I start my reintroduction... You try a different food group once every couple of days to see how it affects you. On Wednesday I'm planning on "huevos rancheros" (minus the tortilla), peanut butter, and tofu at dinner. On Saturday I'm going to have tortilla chips (YES) and rice. On Tuesday I'm eating CHEESE and YOGURT and maybe a wee bit of ICE CREAM... and finally, on Friday I will GET SOME FRIGGIN TOAST WITH MY EGGS. That's all I really want. Toast with my eggs. And the occasional sandwich with lots and lots of cheese. Oh, and wine. I have really really missed wine.<br />
<br />
After that? Well, I have lofty goals of continuing to plan all of my meals, baking one loaf of bread to eat per week, saving sweets for special occasions, you know, being in total and complete control of my life. What I think I will actually continue is the increase in protein and veggies. I do like to have meat & vegetables for dinner, and I like to have them for lunchtime leftovers. I think I'll just like them even more with things like rice and cheese and tortilla chips.<br />
<br />
All-in-all, it's been a fun experiment! Not a miracle-cure, I didn't learn anything I didn't already know, but I don't regret it at all. By now I'm tired of talking about it and thinking about it and dealing with it. There are plenty of other people who don't ever seem to get tired of talking about fancy diets. I sure do.<br />
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Till next time,</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara</div>
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Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-72300006436489656232016-09-11T14:18:00.000-07:002016-09-11T14:18:26.770-07:00Whole 30 Update: Week 1, Day 6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>This week I've eaten:</b> 10 drumsticks, 3 chicken breasts, 1 pound of ground beef, 2 pork chops, prosciutto, a can of olives, a bunch of chard, kale, and romaine, 7 carrots, broth, cherry tomatoes, 16 or so eggs, 3 yams, asparagus, green beans, potatoes, brussel sprouts, a couple of peaches, and LOTS of spices, broth, tomato sauce, and ghee.<br />
<br />
And I feel great.<br />
<br />
The biggest challenge is just planning ahead. We went to brunch at a friends and offered to bring a compliant sausage egg casserole, which is all we ate aside from fruit and coffee. I find that I tend to be hungry all morning and fine for the rest of the day (normally my hungriest times are right before lunch and between the hours of 3-6). I find that I have relied on bread to fill me up in the past. I find that I really like chard for breakfast, but I do miss toast with my eggs. I was afraid that all of the meat would give me stomachaches, but my farts have been minimal (for once!) and my gut has not given me any trouble (except for morning ravenousness. I could literally eat all morning and not be full, it feels like).<br />
<br />
I really like the lack of gastrointestinal troubles. I really like all the vegetables. I really like having lots of energy (but that also has to do with going to bed earlier and going to the gym). I really missed out on mimosas at brunch. I crave crackers when it's after my bed time and I wanted popcorn at the movies but really, it's been manageable.<br />
<br />
So far, so good!<br />
<br />
I'm nervous about going back to non-Whole30 life. Will we keep buying copious amounts of meat? (Actually we are still working on all the Costco multi-packs of meat I bought last weekend). Will I go back to eating bread all day? What will I do during the holidays? My biggest fear is that I'll just go back to eating whatever after a couple of months, and go back to feeling sluggish and uncomfortable.<br />
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This week has flown by, with school and work both picking up the pace. I think the next three weeks will also zoom past me and before I know it I'll be reintroducing all the foods I miss.<br />
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I'll keep you posted on my progress! ;)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-9232896805175140622016-09-06T08:30:00.000-07:002016-09-06T08:30:00.191-07:00Podcast Roundup // Spirituality & Theology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Oh the wonderful world of Podcasts! You always get me through my days! Here are some of my spiritual gurus in the podcast world.<br />
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<a href="http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/" target="_blank">The Liturgists</a> // <i>(not necessarily family-friendly)</i> Science Mike and Michael Gungor tackle the big issues in our culture and in our faith through the lenses of art and science. This podcast helped me SO much through a really difficult time in my own faith, and they have helped thousands on the fringe of evangelical Christianity feel less alone. This is an artfully produced, thoughtful podcast that I recommend to anyone and everyone, even if you aren't a Christian.<br />
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<a href="http://christandpopculture.com/category/podcast/persuasion/" target="_blank">Persuasion</a> // Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson co-host this podcast which covers a wide range of topics on pop culture, current events, and trends from a Christian perspective. They also have the occasional guest which is always fun. I appreciate how fair they are to all perspectives and parties involved in their topic every episode, and they always choose very interesting things to talk about.<br />
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<a href="http://www.practicetribe.com/category/the-practice-podcast/" target="_blank">The Practice Podcast</a> // Essentially a sermon podcast by Willow Creek Chapel in Illinois, the Pratice Podcast focuses on the "unforced rhythms of grace." They rotate their speakers and discuss different spiritual practices for you to try and the Biblical bases for those practices, with a focus on liturgy. I highly recommend the episode on Sabbath with Rabbi Evan Moffic (episode 21 on iTunes) for starters.<br />
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<a href="https://sacredordinarydays.com/pages/podcast" target="_blank">Sacred Ordinary Days</a> // Jenn Giles Kemper and Lacy Clark Ellman co-host this gem of a podcast. Jenn and Lacy have conversations about the Liturgical Year and share old and new ways to celebrate the seasons. If you have any interest in a more liturgical or traditional spirituality, this is a wonderful place to start for the modern Christian. I also can't recommend enough digging in to some of the free resources and videos on the main website - I use a lot of the tools in the Essentials Workbook in my Bullet Journal. Here is a great <a href="https://sacredordinarydays.com/blogs/news/sacred-ordinary-days-planner-walk-through-explanation-demonstration" target="_blank">walkthrough</a> of the whole planner system, and you can get the Essentials Workbook by signing up for the newsletter (link at the bottom of the page).<br />
<br />
What are your favorite spirituality podcasts?<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-76105471862831964912016-08-31T08:30:00.000-07:002016-08-31T08:30:15.128-07:00Whole 30: Why I'm Going for It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm gearing up to do my very first <a href="http://whole30.com/" target="_blank">Whole30</a> this September, starting on the 5th for the official #SeptemberWhole30 because I like my external accountability and hard things are always better done together. It's taken me MONTHS to gather the courage to try this, and I've done a lot of thinking about why I should do a Whole30. I've decided it's right for me and I'll be keeping ya'll updated on Wednesdays in September about how my first Whole30 is going!<br />
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<span class="null">What is Whole30?</span></h3>
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Whole30 is basically an intense one-month food cleanse on a stricter version of the Paleo diet. For 30 days you must restrict your eating to only "clean" foods: meats, vegetables, fruits, and fats. NO processed foods, grains (including corn and rice), dairy, legumes (including soy), alcohol, or any added sugar. The point of this restriction is to cut out problem foods, that is, foods which commonly cause inflammation, allergies, and poor digestion, and then reintroduce them one by one at the end of the month to see which foods may be bothering you or making you feel cruddy. The benefits: people say they lose weight, sleep better, and have loads more energy at the end of the Whole30, as well as a much better perspective on and relationship with food.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Why I'm Doing Whole30</h3>
<b>1. I'm convinced I have dairy, grain, and sugar intolerance/addictions</b><br />
Terrible bloating, gas, stomachaches, heartburn, you name it, I got it. Maybe I have Crones, or maybe I just eat too much bread on a daily basis. I've always wanted to eliminate these things from my diet to see how I feel, but I've always been scared to... what if it IS grains? No more toast every day, or sandwiches? The thought of it makes me feel faint. I don't think I could live a bread-free life... but after Whole30, at least I'll get some perspective on how these foods really are making me feel, and my hope is that my favorite foods will become special, occasional treats and not all-day binges.<br />
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<b>2. I'm convicted about our food practices in this country</b><br />
Industrialized agriculture has made fast, cheap food the new norm; that is, food with a bunch of additives or food that is not considered "real" or "whole" food (chips, crackers, cookies, soda, etc) is easier to access and easier to afford, especially under food stamp programs in this country. This affects us globally; industrialized agriculture has forced multitudes to urbanize, has lost thousands of farmers their jobs, and has made the quality of our foods much poorer. Whole30 promotes shopping locally for food that has been ethically raised or grown, a practice I continue to strive towards, and something I can hold to for at least a month. It's expensive, but I think we have lost touch with how much growing actual food really costs.*<br />
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<b>3. I could use some hard, fast rules about my food for a few days</b><br />
I've discovered abundant joy in
the routine of liturgy and in creating firm boundaries for myself and my
relationships, so why shouldn't I set some time aside to bring my
relationship with food under some control? I'm not much of a dessert junkie, but I will definitely eat an entire wedge of brie and a baguette all by myself for dinner on nights I don't feel like cooking. And 2+ bowls of milk and cereal were a typical "snack" for me growing up. I am a bread-aholic, and I'm ready to quit cold-turkey (for now). Regarding my personality type as an all-or-nothing
kind of person, this system with a clear set of rules and boundaries would be MUCH
easier for me than to try to make gradual healthier choices. Whole 30 is
not for everyone, but it is very appealing to me and if I want to try
to take better care of myself in the long run I see no problem going the
whole 9 yards for 30 days<b>.</b><br />
<br />
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<b>Wanna know more about Whole30?</b><br />
Follow my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/ciarabarsotti/whole-30/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a> to get started down the rabbit hole of Whole30 science, recipes, and inspiration!<b></b><br />
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<b>Have you tried your own Whole30?</b> How did it go for you? Do you want to try it? Why or why not?<b> </b>There is a WholeLOT of controversy surrounding this diet fad (see what I did there?)... I would love to hear your opinions!<br />
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<i>See below for my diatribe on Whole30 + privilege</i><br />
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I'm actually really excited to give this a shot... here goes nothing!<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
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*I do want to be sensitive here. Whole30 is a pretty American/Western phenomenon, partly because our industrialized system of agriculture has wrecked havoc on the nutritional value of our staple foods (I highly recommend the Netflix series, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80022456" target="_blank">Cooked</a>, particularly the episode on bread, "Air"), thus prompting a move towards a humanely/ethically raised meat + vegetable diet. But, meat (especially humanely raised meat) is expensive, and so is organic, and food stamp dollars do not go far per calorie when it comes to shopping Paleo. Whole30 also excludes the world's staple foods: beans, rice, and bread.<br />
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So you could say Whole30 is only an option for the privileged. That's fine, I'm inclined to agree. While this is something we need to be aware of, this is not a good reason not to try to make better choices for yourself. I have for a long time skipped over better choices for myself because I would tell myself that some poor kid in Uganda (or even in my own neighborhood) didn't have the same opportunities and therefore who was I to take those opportunities! This is a terrible way to live (not to mention a leap in logic) and results in self-inflicted martyrdom, and nobody likes a self-inflicted martyr, especially a privileged one. Martyrs who are still living are useless anyway; unless you were burned at the stake, give up the act.<br />
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Here's <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2015/september/whole-as-whole-can-be-challenge-of-clean-eating-and-communi.html?paging=off" target="_blank">a great article</a> with some thoughts by D.L. Mayfield on this topic if you're interested in another opinion on guilt, solidarity with the poor, body image issues, and the complexity of the food system in this country.</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-77542584096618671232016-08-30T08:30:00.000-07:002016-08-30T08:30:27.443-07:00Podcast Roundup // Creativity & Lifestyle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Podcasts are a wealth of entertainment AND good information! I love these podcasts for the inspiration and sense of camaraderie they provide... we're all trying to figure out what it means to be creative humans in the 2000s, and I'm so super grateful to these folks for sharing their stories and giving us some great tools as we get on our way!<br />
<a href="http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/" target="_blank">Art for Your Ear</a> // <i>(not necessarily kid-friendly)</i> Danielle Krysa is SO fun to listen to, and she's a wonderful, casual, and enthusiastic host. One of my biggest dreams is to be interviewed by her some day! Danielle, if you're reading this, put me on your "to-interview" list! Danielle interviews some of her favorite artists, and asks them all kinds of wonderful questions about their backgrounds, their processes, and whether or not they like chips or sweets (the answer should always be chips). This podcast is PACKED with inspiration! I love to listen while I'm working on my own art.<br />
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<a href="http://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/" target="_blank">Happier</a> // What I love about Gretchen is that she is aware that she is a bit hokey and over-the-top as a happiness guru, but she does it anyway. She is a very Type-A personality, balanced out by her co-host and sister, Elizabeth, who is far more laid back. They are the perfect pair as they go through tips and tricks about how to be happier! Which I know sounds like they're selling snake oil, but you guys, everyone could be a little happier. And if you believe it'll work, it magically does.<br />
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<a href="http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/magic-lessons/" target="_blank">Magic Lessons</a> // <i>(not kid-friendly)</i> Another creativity/happiness guru of sorts, Elizabeth Gilbert, has just begun Season Two of her new podcast and it is GREAT. I love that they've changed the format to be one episode per lesson instead of three... it's a longer listen and feels much more satisfying and complete. Liz is a wonderful cheerleader and tells it like it is. She's a wee bit "woo" for some, but if you can get into it, this is a great listen.<br />
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What podcasts inspire you to go make stuff?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
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Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-27292701897171575972016-08-28T20:45:00.000-07:002016-08-28T20:45:59.847-07:00Summer's End<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tonight is the last evening of my summer. A new season begins in the morning. I'm feeling particularly wistful about it because my husband caught a ride with our good friends back to our hometown for the week to speak about his research, and I'm all alone. I would have been crippled if this had been my first-day-of-school scenario last year, but here I am now, with only a few tears shed and a heart full of hope.<br />
<br />
I've been in school now for a year and a half. I'm starting my 4th semester, which I'm hoping will be a fairly low-key one. I need to apply to transfer to UCSC this semester. I have several personal projects to juggle as well. I have a job which needs more from me than I want to give. I have a husband who I love. A heart that wants children (or at very least a pet to cuddle). A body that does not want to sit in front of a computer for more than an hour at a time, that wants to be outside more than in. But I find myself indoors most of the day.<br />
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I dream of a home on a little bit of land in Butte County, hot summers and wet, cold winters. A horse and a pony. Dogs, cats, chickens. A little garden. A house full of love and laughter, of creative messes and mending hearts. I dream of family gatherings and no more long road trips home for the holidays across the brown valley of California. I dream of a studio space, shared with other artists, on top of a workshop and gallery, nestled on the outskirts of downtown Chico. I dream of a future full of heartache, which means full of love, of laughter and of tears. I don't want a whole lot; I just want to be home.<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
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Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-25740944359403054682016-08-24T08:30:00.000-07:002016-08-24T08:30:23.837-07:00Cooking Up a New Series...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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...here's some of my inspiration. </div>
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2792440095/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 470px; width: 350px;"><a href="http://damienjurado.bandcamp.com/album/visions-of-us-on-the-land">Visions of Us on the Land by Damien Jurado</a></iframe></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/6a/b2/60/6ab26005fa226ba72d56bc54d4aeb7be.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/6a/b2/60/6ab26005fa226ba72d56bc54d4aeb7be.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmN0yo6WEAAkgUM.jpg" target="_blank">link</a>]</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5f/b4/f7/5fb4f7dc4eb97d26589b610726238df0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5f/b4/f7/5fb4f7dc4eb97d26589b610726238df0.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© Roger Dean</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c6/99/55/c6995510ccb654eeb8d6e063e57d2fec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c6/99/55/c6995510ccb654eeb8d6e063e57d2fec.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[National Geographic]</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b5/e0/41/b5e0419e3c9a8fb8365641c612bde7ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b5/e0/41/b5e0419e3c9a8fb8365641c612bde7ff.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mithchell Park Domes in Milwaukee (photo by James Jordan)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-cDrF1v4zlKs%2FTdIk-mfUvsI%2FAAAAAAAAACM%2F9TlkPi5HLLg%2Fs1600%2Froyal.jpg&f=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-cDrF1v4zlKs%2FTdIk-mfUvsI%2FAAAAAAAAACM%2F9TlkPi5HLLg%2Fs1600%2Froyal.jpg&f=1" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork by Prophet Royal Robertson</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftubepig.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fthis_island_earth_poster_06.jpg&f=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftubepig.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fthis_island_earth_poster_06.jpg&f=1" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://tubepig.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/1950s-sci-fi-movie-poster-art/" target="_blank">50's Sci Fi Movie Posters</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f3/73/16/f37316519e99fd249c160f54bf42517c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f3/73/16/f37316519e99fd249c160f54bf42517c.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maynard Dixon, "Land of Tilted Mesas"</td></tr>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3oQ8TFG2e18/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3oQ8TFG2e18?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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And, always...<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3934997493/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 470px; width: 350px;"> </iframe></div>
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Have I piqued your interest? I'm hoping to get started before school does on Monday! Can't wait...</div>
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♥ Ciara Kay</div>
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Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-66677707738532977702016-08-23T08:30:00.000-07:002016-08-23T08:30:20.852-07:00Podcast Roundup // Comedies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey! Another podcast roundup! I adore podcasts. They get me through the work day (and any other day, really). This week I wanted to share a few of my favorite comedy podcasts. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/whatsacreative/lizard-people" target="_blank">Lizard People </a>// <i>(not kid-friendly) </i>If you are as into conspiracy theories as I am, or would like to be as into conspiracy theories as I am, this is the podcast for YOU! In each episode, host Katelyn Hempstead lets a guest do their best to convince her that their favorite conspiracy is fact, and at the end she scores them on how much she wants to believe and how much she actually believes in said conspiracy. Pure delight & hilarity ensues.<br />
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<a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/httpprestonyanceycomsomethingratherthannothing/something-rather-than-nothing-with-preston-yancey" target="_blank">Something Rather Than Nothing</a> // Ok, Preston Yancey is not only a wonderful Anglican/evangelical author and theologian, he is HILARIOUS. He only got three episodes in to this super fun interview show before his son Jackson was born with several health problems, but I hope that once he and his family settle in to a less stressful routine he will pick it back up. I love the premise of this podcast and I love listening to Mr. Yancey.<br />
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/spontaneanation-paul-f.-tompkins/id978516099?mt=2" target="_blank">Spontaneanation</a> // <i>(not kid-friendly)</i> I had no idea who Paul F. Tompkins was when I started listening to this show... but a few minutes in I blurted out, "IT'S <a href="http://bojackhorseman.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Peanutbutter" target="_blank">MR. PEANUTBUTTER</a>." I was very happy to go on imagining Mr. Peanutbutter as the host of the show until I saw PFT in human form on another tv show, and what a sad day it was. Regardless, the man is super funny. His announcer-voice thing totally kills it on this show and I simply cannot get enough. Everything about it is hilarious: the monologue, the interview, the narrative improv, even the ADS. Go listen now!<br />
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And remember to please share YOUR favorite comedy podcasts in the comments below!! I'm always up for a wholesome (or not-so-wholesome) laugh.<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-41504293954327430032016-08-22T08:19:00.000-07:002016-08-22T08:19:07.045-07:00Salukis: The Most Magical Dogs in the Universe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I first discovered the Saluki a couple of weeks ago while browsing Pinterest. They and their lanky Windhound and Wolfhound bretheren have taken over my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/ciarabarsotti/dog/" target="_blank">Dog board</a>. But what makes the Saluki the most Magical of these long and limber breeds is those EARS. Those fabulous fabulous ears!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://orig09.deviantart.net/65ab/f/2011/353/8/4/zala_by_changrila-d4jjjh5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://orig09.deviantart.net/65ab/f/2011/353/8/4/zala_by_changrila-d4jjjh5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://changrila.deviantart.com/art/Zala-274689113" target="_blank">© Ninni Österholm</a><br />
Super-model dog </td></tr>
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Not only do they have gloriously short coats to show off their lanky limbs & sleek bodies (as compared to the <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=windhounds&t=ffab&iax=1&ia=images" target="_blank">Silken Windhound</a> or the <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=borzoi&t=ffab&iax=1&ia=images" target="_blank">Borzoi</a>), but you have that contrasted with the luxurious locks on those amazing ears. I'm in love.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/39/34/a3/3934a36e039cb62d518a7aee727b2c00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/39/34/a3/3934a36e039cb62d518a7aee727b2c00.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ascod.ae/ascod/beautiful-salukis/">ASCOD</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f2/6f/12/f26f127ff25099dd74f8c630aa6be6fc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f2/6f/12/f26f127ff25099dd74f8c630aa6be6fc.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© Paul Croes & Inge Nelis</td></tr>
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Not only do they have beautiful long flowy ear-hairs, they come in a wide array of eye-popping colors.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/82/fb/d1/82fbd1a6b0acb6f912a62910e60bc282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/82/fb/d1/82fbd1a6b0acb6f912a62910e60bc282.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saluki" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Saluki_dog_breed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span id="goog_380868294"></span><span id="goog_380868295"></span><img border="0" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Saluki_dog_breed.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saluki" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/01/d7/c4/01d7c4bfa7e52b482d3f558743d9d382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/01/d7/c4/01d7c4bfa7e52b482d3f558743d9d382.jpg" width="368" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.el-ubaid-saluki.nl/html/news.html" target="_blank">El Ubaids Saluki</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/27/25/73/2725736cc85160a7cd2eb0d2672dfeee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/27/25/73/2725736cc85160a7cd2eb0d2672dfeee.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://agiesha.blogas.lt/tag/saluki">link to original</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a3/8a/fa/a38afa9b5653a972f1001da58d38562a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a3/8a/fa/a38afa9b5653a972f1001da58d38562a.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://finahundar.tumblr.com/post/94149973812/worldlyanimals-saluki-in-water-wolfruede">Alla Fina Hundar</a></td></tr>
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And they have beautiful flowy tails and butt fluffs!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ec/2a/56/ec2a5603c47fd4d71285ffc79dc02535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ec/2a/56/ec2a5603c47fd4d71285ffc79dc02535.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.salukiclubvic.com.au/saluki-appearance.html">SalukiClubVic.com</a></td></tr>
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And if you're all about that perfect muscle symmetry, they come in a smooth coat as well:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Red_Smooth_Saluki.jpg/1024px-Red_Smooth_Saluki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Red_Smooth_Saluki.jpg/1024px-Red_Smooth_Saluki.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saluki" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a><br />
Check out that curly tail and deep chest... ooh yeah! </td></tr>
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They also look super fly in all of these fashionable dog accessories with which to adorn their long necks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/4f/62/d7/4f62d7a1e5b4e12afa445964740f2687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/4f/62/d7/4f62d7a1e5b4e12afa445964740f2687.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mariaksteinsson/8073586405/">© Maria K Steinsson</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/27/29/58/272958f64c2d21592a4f82ae99c06eba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/27/29/58/272958f64c2d21592a4f82ae99c06eba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SO regal.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/77/fd/a2/77fda250e9f42fc7596e403e5dd118a4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/77/fd/a2/77fda250e9f42fc7596e403e5dd118a4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.aruby.de/Kundengalerie/">Aruby Sighthound</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1a/e5/13/1ae5133c82e638213e477c11792d15eb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1a/e5/13/1ae5133c82e638213e477c11792d15eb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://eljakim.deviantart.com/"><span class="aboutme-realname n fn" itemprop="name"> © Kari Kinnunen </span></a>
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Want to know more? Yes... yes you do.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cN5CNIUXGI4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cN5CNIUXGI4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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See?<b> Magical.</b><br />
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Also, I drew one, because I love them so.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBijQjZ8Yk_L5OvL14q_-N8PCxtE6qamcvKEuSxWPeyDYTGy7MjlQpU4lX2HAwtxgaP8u5wR7IYuLI7fOSCnpHs6z2UyUsgDSgRsCQ59K2dIxBCA38eljgX4yrysubyePZ5IWSD1OChY/s1600/salukiTrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBijQjZ8Yk_L5OvL14q_-N8PCxtE6qamcvKEuSxWPeyDYTGy7MjlQpU4lX2HAwtxgaP8u5wR7IYuLI7fOSCnpHs6z2UyUsgDSgRsCQ59K2dIxBCA38eljgX4yrysubyePZ5IWSD1OChY/s640/salukiTrot.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/473859403/saluki-trot-original-pen-ink-drawing" target="_blank"><i>Buy it on Etsy!</i></a></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
♥Ciara Kay</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-66314171254345084202016-08-21T17:16:00.002-07:002016-08-21T17:16:40.837-07:00Camp Wilder: A Week with the Nieces<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Jamie and I just got done with a whole week of fun with our two nieces, Eleni (age 9) and Madalyne (age 7). We brought them home with us last Sunday and the fun never stopped! A library stop, yummy foods, video games, roller coasters and boogie boards, all four of us had a very memorable week. We decided to call it "Camp Wilder," and I even made t-shirts for us all to decorate.<br />
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[I do apologize for the bad photo quality in some of these... Life lesson: don't use zoom on an iPhone 5 camera!] <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine, Jamie's, Eleni's, Madalyne's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All decorated & ready for FUN</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First order of business: get the girls on the Giant Dipper! The verdict? It was scary, but a little bit fun (they were so proud of themselves for going on it). Their favorite ride was the space bumper cars, which we did twice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Boardwalk pic cracks me up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madalyne won a fish in the balloon-popping game! And enjoyed the Carousel. She named her horse "Winter Snow" and Jamie's horse "Summer Breeze." She eventually named the fish "Goonla." I have no idea where she gets these ideas from.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying some art at Firefly before dropping me off at work the next morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mystery Spot was definitely a highlight! I had to work, but Jamie and the girls had never been and they all had a blast.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the bumper-stickered car</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inexplicable!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mystery!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxX9Od05VAJ9o0cVz6HncGfXyqKemsDitG4HSI_GYWKC_cXeD3Cn8F16JODmJMQswDJ6yqoB_ZAPLFCztrk2tUgKda-IQBcGtk6fFWgkMWz6-QN88hPNWLpMo3w3gRkaN0XqKs6Ci4hng/s1600/IMG_2042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxX9Od05VAJ9o0cVz6HncGfXyqKemsDitG4HSI_GYWKC_cXeD3Cn8F16JODmJMQswDJ6yqoB_ZAPLFCztrk2tUgKda-IQBcGtk6fFWgkMWz6-QN88hPNWLpMo3w3gRkaN0XqKs6Ci4hng/s640/IMG_2042.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Thursday night we went to Wilder Ranch to have a picnic on the beach and look for Geocaches along the bluffs. We found two! And saw pelicans, seagulls, an otter, seals, two rabbits, quails, and a dead bird.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and we explored some caves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Saturday we all went to the beach in Capitola. Madalyne & Eleni quickly made it their goal to collect ALL of the seaweed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite a pile accrued.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rented a boogie board for Eleni - she LOVED it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2o-sAr21CXH-NGEn_z7MABIr71UqY-JD4V4y1c3zDMxEm2WAru8-DDaakDKIYaBbz81RUeg7tNmCokOAK86CZQv08fCMe-2yBGrNFuEWlwsu5hQnzzbGrye5RzWYAPoH9zUlAUdQFIQ/s1600/IMG_0678.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2o-sAr21CXH-NGEn_z7MABIr71UqY-JD4V4y1c3zDMxEm2WAru8-DDaakDKIYaBbz81RUeg7tNmCokOAK86CZQv08fCMe-2yBGrNFuEWlwsu5hQnzzbGrye5RzWYAPoH9zUlAUdQFIQ/s320/IMG_0678.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, joy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJDVQ1jtUtaBG4ONtM0JtMkyhvkVMR5GX02hf6NOPxSyXl34RLCuXI4dGXr8e772ZYfUv_5EQ06pfYl-w63OK4ZXMm1IV6wsKhyUjxgme59YKxm1FtHz329DJAOyzL1UmM_JiLczYtSU/s1600/IMG_2066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJDVQ1jtUtaBG4ONtM0JtMkyhvkVMR5GX02hf6NOPxSyXl34RLCuXI4dGXr8e772ZYfUv_5EQ06pfYl-w63OK4ZXMm1IV6wsKhyUjxgme59YKxm1FtHz329DJAOyzL1UmM_JiLczYtSU/s640/IMG_2066.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today we made another stop at the best bagel place in town, Firefly Coffee House! Yum! Hot chocolate with caramel for the girls, light roasts for us, bagels & cream cheese all around.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now our little apartment feels SO empty! We will miss these two... both of these little loves have so much joy to share. We loved borrowing our nieces for a week, and we can't wait to do it again soon!<br />
<br />
Do you have any fond memories with aunts & uncles, grandpas & grandmas? I LOVE family traditions and stories from childhood. Do share in the comments!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-86894940187875246632016-08-16T21:30:00.000-07:002016-08-16T21:30:00.201-07:00Podcast Roundup // True Stories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I mentioned last week, I like many have become obsessed with podcasts. And I thought I'd recommend a few of my favorites! Last week I introduced some of my favorite docudramas, this week I thought I'd share some of my favorite podcasts of true tales.<br />
<br />
<i>Note: not all of these podcasts are kid-friendly, either due to language or subject matter.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lorepodcast.com/" target="_blank">Lore</a> // Host Aaron Mahnke tells well these eerie and spine-chilling true tales from history. Some stories explain the origins of many of myths and legends that are still around today, and very often the truth is WAY scarier than the myth. Mahnke does an excellent job of leaving the final conclusions up to the listener. Don't listen alone unless you want to be up all night!! Seriously. Every episode is terrifying.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://serialpodcast.org/" target="_blank">Serial</a> // Each season, journalist Sarah Koenig dives deep into one story. The first season was a fascinating crime story, an old murder case with some fishy facts that no one ever seemed to get to the bottom of the first time it went through the courts. The second season covered Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier captured by the Taliban in 2009. While I'm partial to crime stories, Bowe's case was told in the same compelling way and I was soon hooked. I await the third season with much anticipation!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://snapjudgment.org/" target="_blank">Snap Judgement</a> // If you've somehow managed to catch up on every episode of "This American Life," it's time to move on to Snap Judgement. Host Glynn Washington definitely knows how to tell stories with style, and like Ira Glass he introduces the theme for each episode with a story of his own.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/sks" target="_blank">Someone Knows Something</a> // Essentially "Serial," but with delightful Canadian accents! Someone Knows Something season 1 covers the cold case of Adrien McNaugton, a little boy who went missing in Arnprior, Ontario. I have hopes that in the aftermath of this season more information about Adrien will turn up.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.soundsofthetrail.com/" target="_blank">Sounds of the Trail</a> // Even if you have no interest in hiking across the country, you'll enjoy hearing the crazy stories of the people who do. Let's go for a hike!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/" target="_blank">This American Life</a> // Now you can listen to this quintessential NPR radio show whenever and wherever! Ira Glass is lovely to listen to, and the stories they share are always interesting and engaging. I've learned a lot from this podcast as they share stories from experts, and I've had my preconceived ideas challenged by the diversity in their stories as well. An eye-opening glimpse into, well, this American life.<br />
<br />
Please please let me know of your favorite non-fiction story podcasts in the comments! I'm always on the prowl for a good story...<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
[favorite docudramas]</div>
</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-53525896941641415212016-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:002016-08-09T08:00:08.048-07:00Podcast Roundup // Fiction & Docudramas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey friends!<br />
<br />
So, I like many have become obsessed with podcasts. They come in handy when I am working away making jewelry and designing new baby blocks and cutting boards at my day job as a designer + maker at <a href="http://www.woodkeeps.com/" target="_blank">WoodKeeps</a>. My little workspace is tucked away behind the main wood shop and it gets lonely sometimes, but I have the many voices of podcasts to keep me company & keep my mind occupied. I LOVE them. I live on them. Here are a few of my favorites!<br />
<br />
This week I wanted to share some of my favorite docudramas. <a href="https://serialpodcast.org/" target="_blank">Serial</a> gained a huge audience in its first season, and several of these podcasts share a similar structure: one story told over many episodes, often in interview format. The catch with docudramas is that they are just that... dramas. Very convincing dramas (the Black Tapes had me furiously googling names and places to try to verify its status as fact or fiction when I first started listening to it), but dramas nonetheless. Do not be fooled! If you love a good spooky story and you enjoy Serial/This American Life-style podcasts, you'll love the following docudramas... and in case you can't tell from this list, I am slightly obsessed with the bizarre, the paranormal, and tales of conspiracies.<br />
<br />
<i>Note: the following podcast recommendations are not kid-friendly. Unless your kids are into the horror/thriller genre. Then the following podcasts are totally kid-friendly.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nightvalepresents.com/aliceisntdead/" target="_blank">Alice Isn't Dead</a> // By the creators of the famed "Welcome to Night Vale" (see below), Alice Isn't Dead is a fantastically narrated, beautifully produced story of a woman on a search for her missing wife through the highways of North America. Things get weird fast, as to be expected from Joseph Fink, writer. If you want extra creeps, listen to this one in the car on a long road trip late at night...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://theblacktapespodcast.com/" target="_blank">The Black Tapes</a> // I quickly became addicted to this serialized docudrama about the strange, paranormal happenings surrounding Dr. Richard Strand, a skeptic who is set on disproving every haunting, possession, or sighting of the supernatural that crosses his path. The first season is excellent, engaging, and highly entertaining. The second season seems to be lagging a bit, but maybe that's just because I've caught up and now have to listen to new episodes once every two weeks according to their show schedule like everyone else. If you can't get enough of the Black Tapes, their sister show, <a href="http://www.tanispodcast.com/" target="_blank">Tanis</a>, is also good entertainment, though I feel it is a bit repetitive as a follow-up to the Black Tapes. I swear, Alex and Nic must be related, their voices sound so similar after a while.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thebrightsessions.com/" target="_blank">The Bright Sessions</a> // X-men meets pop psychology in this adventure of a podcast! Each episode is a different session recorded by Dr. Bright, who is a therapist for the strange and unusual, where she talks with her strange and unusual clientele. It is immediately engaging from the start (each episode is only about 17 minutes long) and quickly turns into a grand adventure with continually inventive mechanisms for telling its story. My biggest complaint: the actor who plays Caleb. At this point I can barely stand to hear his voice... something about it just irritates me. But it's worth it, for a great cast overall and a fun story.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.limetownstories.com/" target="_blank">Limetown</a> // This was another podcast that had me frantically searching around the internet to determine whether or not it was a true story. It is another Serial-style podcast with a <a href="http://www.fox.com/wayward-pines" target="_blank">Wayward-Pines</a>-esque plot, but if you ask me I would tell you to skip the show and just listen to the podcast. ;) Another varied cast here, well-produced, and also very addicting.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://themessagepodcast.com/" target="_blank">The Message</a> // Basically <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontypool_(film)" target="_blank">Pontypool</a> the podcast, but with aliens instead of zombies (spoiler alert). If you have to choose one to consume, choose Pontypool, but the Message was a fun way to spend an afternoon.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mysteryshows.com/" target="_blank">Old Time Radio Mystery Theatre</a> // Always a good time! If you love old radio and if you love The Twilight Zone, you will adore the hours of old mystery stories provided by this podcast.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.welcometonightvale.com/" target="_blank">Welcome to Night Vale</a> // This one took me a bit to get into, but my mistake the first time was that I tried too hard to multitask while I had it on... it is done in a community-radio style talk show, with news, weather, traffic updates, so on, and so it sounds completely boring as background music, which is why you need to be able to pay attention as you listen. If you do, a strange world of conspiracies and bizarreness-made-mundane await you. Every so often a larger plot will span across several episodes, but the stand-alone ones are just as fun. Also, Cecil is an excellent host.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
I hope you've found a new favorite! Please, share any of your favorite fiction/docudrama podcasts not listed in the podcasts... I am ALWAYS on the lookout for recommendations.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara Kay</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-46270523759850593252016-08-01T10:39:00.000-07:002016-08-01T10:39:41.569-07:00One Sentence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few weeks ago, Jamie and I went exploring around Big Sur and we were stopped in our tracks by the ocean of mist covering the ocean of water, encroaching on to land.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fxMio5xWUSJR4AJd4jI8MAriG7xYaH0CC5Rd_atQqUb12p9J91PMtoeuKbCEUeJaYFXgIl-TlD0Q5X_HWbzg_MHLO6WTsLRJHVdkiPbGy6BPrr8LEqC1vDyCZZafE4d1x-NFZg-2eDA/s1600/bigsur.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fxMio5xWUSJR4AJd4jI8MAriG7xYaH0CC5Rd_atQqUb12p9J91PMtoeuKbCEUeJaYFXgIl-TlD0Q5X_HWbzg_MHLO6WTsLRJHVdkiPbGy6BPrr8LEqC1vDyCZZafE4d1x-NFZg-2eDA/s640/bigsur.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-27791663958816775572016-07-17T11:38:00.001-07:002016-07-17T11:56:36.417-07:00Post-Utah [a recap]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
[PICTURE HEAVY POST AHEAD!] <br />
<br />
So you guys... I went
to Utah. It was grand, and majestic, and everything I imagined and hoped
it would be, and I cannot wait to go back. My group mates were lots of
fun, too... I went with a group of about 12 others, but I was an average
of 45 years younger than the lot of 'em. Good thing I have an old
soul... we all got along swimmingly.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz4SwHGCFTwICzUJMaV56vJRPmN5yEI1_y7UB6WC_MdyVdZdbuen67rNS-80aQTy1aDLckfPBYPMNy61mVh6rYRNptq7gonGfYJKdIO3ED8DnmwZJ0oVA9COO-ckVRipRyQfmDs4hEaQ/s1600/cwvDm9asA_Lw9YsGTQNy8vW7Zxw.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz4SwHGCFTwICzUJMaV56vJRPmN5yEI1_y7UB6WC_MdyVdZdbuen67rNS-80aQTy1aDLckfPBYPMNy61mVh6rYRNptq7gonGfYJKdIO3ED8DnmwZJ0oVA9COO-ckVRipRyQfmDs4hEaQ/s320/cwvDm9asA_Lw9YsGTQNy8vW7Zxw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of our group at one of the fantastic dinners made by our cooks!<br />
From left to right: Jean, me, Jane, Ann, Wayne, Toni, and Sue<br />
[not pictured, Laura, George, Diane, Carol, Joanna] </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
DAY ONE - The Thunderbird Foundation & Maynard Dixon's Ranch</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On day one we drove down the road to the Thunderbird Foundation and <a href="http://maynarddixon.org/" target="_blank">Maynard Dixon</a>'s
Ranch. Ann Thiermann, the trip leader, has recently become enraptured
by Dixon's work (for good reason, take a look at it), and part of her
reason for coming to Utah was to paint some of the landscapes that he
also loved to paint. We got a great lecture on Dixon's work from Paul
Bingham, founder of the Thunderbird Foundation & caretaker of the
ranch, and spend the afternoon and evening painting.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkLwjamneIziIYY_ToE6K1q5rdoOSWCRZqOsx2O-3ISK6gATjWhQ6a6RnMMxJHshxkTOf3Dn5yaUtuNebkem8UyDZrh9MeJE5_q-9iTfPY3RpqTwk2GsRZD4gXGebhy4U14CKi0blJ9M/s1600/IMG_0958.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkLwjamneIziIYY_ToE6K1q5rdoOSWCRZqOsx2O-3ISK6gATjWhQ6a6RnMMxJHshxkTOf3Dn5yaUtuNebkem8UyDZrh9MeJE5_q-9iTfPY3RpqTwk2GsRZD4gXGebhy4U14CKi0blJ9M/s320/IMG_0958.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lovely view from Maynard Dixon's ranch house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQkE2x6JW9gcnE15btxlstVsjjIJbwFRznRJo2Z2nkSqrSiKP8G_gCsOQDH5FOhdu8zGrwQ2zY2wA1vcTxf8TbRGer8KGZINNZTqXcWKUy4Qo55_isXm3IpgmWFPd5cF6a3w8NBtDMxQ/s1600/IMG_0983.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQkE2x6JW9gcnE15btxlstVsjjIJbwFRznRJo2Z2nkSqrSiKP8G_gCsOQDH5FOhdu8zGrwQ2zY2wA1vcTxf8TbRGer8KGZINNZTqXcWKUy4Qo55_isXm3IpgmWFPd5cF6a3w8NBtDMxQ/s320/IMG_0983.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at the Ranch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LmxGnhnf2f1wrZwiJANgOX0hA6tanFM27B_zlGArU1_da2urUlibM87B1jVJhGTVUB-yMZP5XDN0l2toriAwitPHI8IRGTR8GY8e-5OsLmMF_BXdCe0wPgZPItda-P31lXyLq87ywuU/s1600/Maynard+Dixon+Sunset.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LmxGnhnf2f1wrZwiJANgOX0hA6tanFM27B_zlGArU1_da2urUlibM87B1jVJhGTVUB-yMZP5XDN0l2toriAwitPHI8IRGTR8GY8e-5OsLmMF_BXdCe0wPgZPItda-P31lXyLq87ywuU/s320/Maynard+Dixon+Sunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor Skies 9X12</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QFisb2JyUgUIV5refo3cwlxdMyWPwgZWpr-Io_o9Ajhc2TnvIrrRwqgd_urrMaJw2iYSOLGF00GGk_YBuexXrU7Rf0hQ-Wz1cAd33BMuD7HDcWHvWEWokOffN-zsATwN4WQKzNu0Yp8/s1600/IMG_0965.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QFisb2JyUgUIV5refo3cwlxdMyWPwgZWpr-Io_o9Ajhc2TnvIrrRwqgd_urrMaJw2iYSOLGF00GGk_YBuexXrU7Rf0hQ-Wz1cAd33BMuD7HDcWHvWEWokOffN-zsATwN4WQKzNu0Yp8/s320/IMG_0965.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind the ranch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAwBrawsAg0tLMBL4KmLgoi2oaH7dbrq53JCvsA7VTg8wFgwH7oa1UvRCrskNH3WyYVGyPtbIRSW6o53WiCgYgPcFdhb6FrD86hMUpGfUgO3KZ0jFEstC5PgWjBYW6rlzfiMHBf7I9JA/s1600/Maynard+Dixon%2527s+Fence.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAwBrawsAg0tLMBL4KmLgoi2oaH7dbrq53JCvsA7VTg8wFgwH7oa1UvRCrskNH3WyYVGyPtbIRSW6o53WiCgYgPcFdhb6FrD86hMUpGfUgO3KZ0jFEstC5PgWjBYW6rlzfiMHBf7I9JA/s320/Maynard+Dixon%2527s+Fence.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind the Ranch - watercolor & colored pencil 9X12</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
DAY TWO - Zion National Park</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On
day two we drove through Zion National Park to get to the Springdale
town park where we stopped to paint undisturbed for the morning. You
guys, I am telling you, if you only go to one national park in your
life, make it Zion. It is unearthly. I'm not going to post a bunch of
photos of it (though I easily could) because they simply don't do it
justice... it was SPECTACULAR, I say. I could have spend the whole week
there, but we had more to do!</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicam2pZntqxy-GLCRHES6OuLifI-tcNYXVsXNz1v9P6noCZKJX21eEnD0M0ssMXX1-ZXOybhcbHJpTbFP-tmkrfntN3yIIo6U_O8e-iDBkK1CVmSknSi6NFFfWLJ7jb9xJ1EwJ-DPE3Kk/s1600/IMG_1054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicam2pZntqxy-GLCRHES6OuLifI-tcNYXVsXNz1v9P6noCZKJX21eEnD0M0ssMXX1-ZXOybhcbHJpTbFP-tmkrfntN3yIIo6U_O8e-iDBkK1CVmSknSi6NFFfWLJ7jb9xJ1EwJ-DPE3Kk/s320/IMG_1054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My selection of the cliffs surrounding Springdale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXm4yzODg9318weO7cZ5CLf8ob81B_fzoFp9LQjmpN-BnMVC8A83qTTccUVG7CFRkk__rO5605rxd9NWb5f2S4H6wMMbqofSkMcj9fFPizjcidDndNuObi4Y0P-sI7ZrZCM69FFMmM54/s1600/IMG_1869.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXm4yzODg9318weO7cZ5CLf8ob81B_fzoFp9LQjmpN-BnMVC8A83qTTccUVG7CFRkk__rO5605rxd9NWb5f2S4H6wMMbqofSkMcj9fFPizjcidDndNuObi4Y0P-sI7ZrZCM69FFMmM54/s320/IMG_1869.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished painting, watercolor + colored pencil, 12X15</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/465977823/outside-zion-utah-original-mixed-media" target="_blank">Buy it here!</a>]</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSWvczlUhqBEeOLVlrrwwdFIKv_U-UesOFZBLMJzPR0WAwm4-M1AVAbLOHrTt_BjzohpD_HnOmIhn8ytXqEVk4lD-fyOT71V8t9rkWSI0xLijn7Y3DwgD86-Rn0jWamM5RYX6Y8uUFjQ/s1600/IMG_1111.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSWvczlUhqBEeOLVlrrwwdFIKv_U-UesOFZBLMJzPR0WAwm4-M1AVAbLOHrTt_BjzohpD_HnOmIhn8ytXqEVk4lD-fyOT71V8t9rkWSI0xLijn7Y3DwgD86-Rn0jWamM5RYX6Y8uUFjQ/s320/IMG_1111.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks so much smaller in the photo... these cliffs are massive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS84iWlFHqRC7LJkE3mqFsHxBfHTsiGO7f9zWyJ2YIdvp3xd7U7KC-o-SaBUsFVxwxgKYWisGG9gFyLLbv1PLbiEYId4pmzOqwrX2VMf5767TefGKtF871dJ6qabkZ9OQzRgq7Hu7Mlc/s1600/IMG_1157.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS84iWlFHqRC7LJkE3mqFsHxBfHTsiGO7f9zWyJ2YIdvp3xd7U7KC-o-SaBUsFVxwxgKYWisGG9gFyLLbv1PLbiEYId4pmzOqwrX2VMf5767TefGKtF871dJ6qabkZ9OQzRgq7Hu7Mlc/s320/IMG_1157.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the mouth of the Narrows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
DAY THREE - Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We
took the morning off on Wednesday and spent the afternoon at Coral Pink
Sand Dunes State Park. The lighting was incredible to watch, but
difficult to paint because it kept shifting! I finally settled on some
lovely rainclouds in the distance, and my favorite color palette of Utah
- grays and sages and every shade of green. But I got some good photos
of that fluorescent sand!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1tSBMlW0NuRduvveLX0ABb_QrLkrbvNEEsIk0V1TbwZWMXRlScATXu2-kVw8DSAQWMCzHfHDyzDVnDOEqWaHtb-CFTCXCYzUwhRhMDYpZWCeEAw9J5hSZXvfc2EoYcsT7KNdT15v0h4/s1600/Rain+Worshipers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1tSBMlW0NuRduvveLX0ABb_QrLkrbvNEEsIk0V1TbwZWMXRlScATXu2-kVw8DSAQWMCzHfHDyzDVnDOEqWaHtb-CFTCXCYzUwhRhMDYpZWCeEAw9J5hSZXvfc2EoYcsT7KNdT15v0h4/s320/Rain+Worshipers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rain Worshipers," watercolor, 12X16 [<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/452258206/plein-air-rain-worshipers-utah-original" target="_blank">Buy it here!</a>]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPo6E4IBwf6iyy1ehasHIam1EIo0HNa9H5QXEYsMAzQN4rRbjLQNBmpeqTd2DuW81gAWpOWH-ikLbevhaCq216ugP-RXd5a5XtkVTNcTClOq_u2JUVMyl5nhdrOWlIe3yuRUl76WDiwNQ/s320/IMG_1241.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo reference for later touch-ups</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjT-xS_q7yC7ux3zV4E80M4eSkuNeO71RqVkEgOSc_IHmfZce6u9V-NMnxtHXrd_9LpZm_w0hBLRvEQStXQ2YqNcZqMRSY26oW3t6OQlC5Ttn8HiUoWf7z59nFCS5KcukMbBusGT1Nfk/s1600/IMG_1227.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjT-xS_q7yC7ux3zV4E80M4eSkuNeO71RqVkEgOSc_IHmfZce6u9V-NMnxtHXrd_9LpZm_w0hBLRvEQStXQ2YqNcZqMRSY26oW3t6OQlC5Ttn8HiUoWf7z59nFCS5KcukMbBusGT1Nfk/s320/IMG_1227.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure where the idea of "coral pink" came from, but the color was out of this world!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuS-HS0o5K3_-44-pH32oOnZkL0A4cNwca1eDbASOfA68tt7BIseAaw3QR1sXh1tgx4UMBkVua0e2rBhnCfqlE8bG8_xgmg_nykKdnlgFzbKgvf9MsW2TemCmASO3nfxp_Dys7Ucu4Ic/s1600/IMG_1254.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuS-HS0o5K3_-44-pH32oOnZkL0A4cNwca1eDbASOfA68tt7BIseAaw3QR1sXh1tgx4UMBkVua0e2rBhnCfqlE8bG8_xgmg_nykKdnlgFzbKgvf9MsW2TemCmASO3nfxp_Dys7Ucu4Ic/s320/IMG_1254.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
DAY FOUR - Red Canyon @ Dixie National Forest + Bryce Canyon National Park</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On
Day Four we left in the morning for Red Canyon at Dixie National
Forest. It was GORGEOUS. The hoodoos (tall spires of eroded rocks) were
lovely and less overwhelming to paint than at Bryce. We only got to stay
for a little while before the weather turned. Thunder rolled and
ice-cold rains came, and we bundled into the cars for the 18-mile drive
to the Overlook point in Bryce. We still got a view of the whole valley
despite the snow at the top of the canyon!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMQGLolhGogqbB0eUZga0DluEAmlxbPTrD4t6HEvfXmw4nuW9lyQNR3NGcOeX80yxvHdHEOwmJCx4hxP_XyJBqAMa57b_Azlo-BpuJtwFMVc77TDR_G5fSEmFFkEK8lxILVyq9Ly4Bik/s1600/Red+Dixie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMQGLolhGogqbB0eUZga0DluEAmlxbPTrD4t6HEvfXmw4nuW9lyQNR3NGcOeX80yxvHdHEOwmJCx4hxP_XyJBqAMa57b_Azlo-BpuJtwFMVc77TDR_G5fSEmFFkEK8lxILVyq9Ly4Bik/s320/Red+Dixie.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor of Red Canyon @ Dixie National Forest [<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/465469643/plein-air-red-canyon-dixie-national" target="_blank">Buy it here</a>!]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ddlSyc8YM1L2PwetqlblflN31lW3cc9_cEHFhM1lHRKUzBCqkn95r_l3LksD1ISBc0S2hR-Thcu3ucPwrj1wYzSkyy-SK2GkvjH2kHocFfE_jxgcUTUImlPz_AoX-RBU5f3w9t-H5F4/s1600/IMG_1335.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ddlSyc8YM1L2PwetqlblflN31lW3cc9_cEHFhM1lHRKUzBCqkn95r_l3LksD1ISBc0S2hR-Thcu3ucPwrj1wYzSkyy-SK2GkvjH2kHocFfE_jxgcUTUImlPz_AoX-RBU5f3w9t-H5F4/s320/IMG_1335.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTR59yegzmcvLxSiFkg48cSH9F5hDn_138Fdvtu44qjMk4sNDH6vK3-ZoLxSbxEM5d9mJePJ_ZUEHuJXnOO0oyknquWAdbHDW2Pn3LRzg-xIkrUeEzfDyE_b4URn8F2V7POU5tisJVf0/s1600/IMG_1315.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTR59yegzmcvLxSiFkg48cSH9F5hDn_138Fdvtu44qjMk4sNDH6vK3-ZoLxSbxEM5d9mJePJ_ZUEHuJXnOO0oyknquWAdbHDW2Pn3LRzg-xIkrUeEzfDyE_b4URn8F2V7POU5tisJVf0/s320/IMG_1315.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoodoos at Red Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoLXL99C7i4TUGXpIclbF-ZRfXcn3jxiA6iBY_kwjCVcqjDpfUSHPlXZUlsJANMh9x04UIe7votso-CfGDPRXc2cRtXw6uR2NkTgqQjfaQj2Ktfhjd3zTClxv6ifO8UT6IKhBM4Ys8bM/s1600/IMG_1332.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoLXL99C7i4TUGXpIclbF-ZRfXcn3jxiA6iBY_kwjCVcqjDpfUSHPlXZUlsJANMh9x04UIe7votso-CfGDPRXc2cRtXw6uR2NkTgqQjfaQj2Ktfhjd3zTClxv6ifO8UT6IKhBM4Ys8bM/s320/IMG_1332.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GORGEOUS red rocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbJgyq_SdbpfMeqIyjRPA0qkJTKp7Gcm1R08QEo5q6FwHxyHbxEzZVjQD8hyrTiyZ3L1VgCaICiV8l-9C_BK0bYjqvUCVvVC12-lsMdzJ4RXQEkrd5L6UGwsAboe6xqs68wqUT86do9M/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbJgyq_SdbpfMeqIyjRPA0qkJTKp7Gcm1R08QEo5q6FwHxyHbxEzZVjQD8hyrTiyZ3L1VgCaICiV8l-9C_BK0bYjqvUCVvVC12-lsMdzJ4RXQEkrd5L6UGwsAboe6xqs68wqUT86do9M/s320/IMG_1443.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A natural bridge in Bryce, carved out by rainwater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1aBBVGDnlVUb-JnDWZjfvHK0kgXVt7t3ext9H2PG5MNAXgOW-2ViOAtZgbeTkvsbSOpHEsJqrFwI7qs7s3k1PTrZDuwBsBLvhfX1IvEJYRe3US86cXBCQM4auUtsUZ2mwvz_fEXO2bw/s1600/IMG_1399.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1aBBVGDnlVUb-JnDWZjfvHK0kgXVt7t3ext9H2PG5MNAXgOW-2ViOAtZgbeTkvsbSOpHEsJqrFwI7qs7s3k1PTrZDuwBsBLvhfX1IvEJYRe3US86cXBCQM4auUtsUZ2mwvz_fEXO2bw/s320/IMG_1399.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A panorama at Bryce Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
DAY FIVE - Best Friends Animal Sanctuary</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We
had an extra day to play with on Friday. Some went to do more painting,
but I had volunteered at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary! I was with the
horses, and my little group of volunteers got a great tour of the whole
campus as well as a peek into the Hidden Lake on BLM land. It was great
therapy getting to do some poop scoopin' and brushing some horses! We
ended the day with a little more painting on the way home.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtFCm8BKb62L3ubomRQqTfvoRs70xzpZY2OGmuUIrm-jh5Q1bCLIYboeE4TaHyA1hUeSrKEDqsL-aPSSM2N3C_sJLlVVg_lEv6gawjFQnqHI7meeS4gFufUwPc6MqOLPO6jEU1jUSJc0/s1600/IMG_1458.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtFCm8BKb62L3ubomRQqTfvoRs70xzpZY2OGmuUIrm-jh5Q1bCLIYboeE4TaHyA1hUeSrKEDqsL-aPSSM2N3C_sJLlVVg_lEv6gawjFQnqHI7meeS4gFufUwPc6MqOLPO6jEU1jUSJc0/s320/IMG_1458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great view from the buffet of a small portion of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXsz4gIlufLSGpZbiu_FXm20QJFSBCg0XyMfJW4p7eX6yKXEuAD9lz28drelf4aLSoInHRUCVW9jRrieYSQXdJljIym4cr2WOFF0HZAn5kuwV7XlZVyTjXXabr85fkONzM30AhbfJnuI/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXsz4gIlufLSGpZbiu_FXm20QJFSBCg0XyMfJW4p7eX6yKXEuAD9lz28drelf4aLSoInHRUCVW9jRrieYSQXdJljIym4cr2WOFF0HZAn5kuwV7XlZVyTjXXabr85fkONzM30AhbfJnuI/s320/IMG_1503.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Disney Barn" as seen in a few of their films</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Yf8ImH9g9I50DlVXprnlguKVkjH5r3_ct4dsbwfnB21FswK1hHRrdGRBx22hEIy_MMkKZSEP6fxDlxL0Lbsq7XVBXZe0mNzvGWVrWHwKr0ngUFTfcoovt9HiOuTZUmbxQdocGAMVvuA/s1600/IMG_1475.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Yf8ImH9g9I50DlVXprnlguKVkjH5r3_ct4dsbwfnB21FswK1hHRrdGRBx22hEIy_MMkKZSEP6fxDlxL0Lbsq7XVBXZe0mNzvGWVrWHwKr0ngUFTfcoovt9HiOuTZUmbxQdocGAMVvuA/s320/IMG_1475.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hidden Lake. Apparently it goes for 17+ miles underground!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZwQP3-UbmzHmf_ij8yNDOT2tkeDklmBqY9oTIfSAZA0xhw-nDaxoRk2-akYEnPU2uZtlJHVhTO6wYvlwZRV8IyFDFdQ5KZVRACooeQMRTYcKH8upU9WO2kk-uV4eGjPWnV-5ODb9KyA/s1600/IMG_1486.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZwQP3-UbmzHmf_ij8yNDOT2tkeDklmBqY9oTIfSAZA0xhw-nDaxoRk2-akYEnPU2uZtlJHVhTO6wYvlwZRV8IyFDFdQ5KZVRACooeQMRTYcKH8upU9WO2kk-uV4eGjPWnV-5ODb9KyA/s320/IMG_1486.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also the most beautiful-gorgeous (and stand-offish) Mustang... I think his name was Charlie? Or was it Chance...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
DAY SIX - Reviewing the week & our work back at the ranch</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The
main event on Saturday (besides relaxing, regrouping, and repacking
before making the trip home the next day) was to take all of our work
back to the Thunderbird Foundation for a final dinner & mini art
show! It was lovely to see everyone's work all together in the gallery.
And the Binghams made us a delicious dinner which we all enjoyed as the
sun set.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90V1RXpmt0Omequl7F1P1KkTzKpG0_blTEMmHjPJfzNgmx0EsfTa2dOD_TxWIR0lqUX0y4AzrLNJRHYBXhLfHy7E_1zabhAoyYpUVvB2jkvHHINRJ8kn2DzHDtTCovp8yNswR1yBFrXI/s1600/groupphoto.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90V1RXpmt0Omequl7F1P1KkTzKpG0_blTEMmHjPJfzNgmx0EsfTa2dOD_TxWIR0lqUX0y4AzrLNJRHYBXhLfHy7E_1zabhAoyYpUVvB2jkvHHINRJ8kn2DzHDtTCovp8yNswR1yBFrXI/s320/groupphoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole group at the Thunderbird Gallery!<br />
Top [right to left]: me, Wayne, Diane, George<br />
Middle: Jean, Carol, Toni, Ann, Joanna<br />
Bottom: Sue, Jane, Laura </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It
was a fantastic week, and I can't wait to go back someday very soon. I
learned a lot about making art outside (including the fact that I'm a
better studio artist than plein air artist in my opinion!), and I really
fell in love with those high desert landscapes. I'm so grateful to Ann
for making it possible for me to tag along with a generous scholarship,
and to my friends & family who helped pay my way to be able to go on
this trip!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm
still trying to earn back some of the money spent on/for the trip, and
if you'd like to help you can always buy one of my pieces that I painted
in Utah! I'll be listing the others later this week but there are a few
available in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CiaraBarsottiArt?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=15667965" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>.
Thank you so much for taking a look, and shares are always appreciated.
♥ Also keep an eye out for my zine about the trip, which will be a
compilation of journalling from my sketchbook and progress shots,
including things not published anywhere else!<br />
<br />
I will leave you with this quote from Maynard Dixon, whose spirit was felt throughout our stay in this land he loved:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You
can't argue with those desert mountains - and if you live among them
enough - like the Indian does - you don't want to. They have something
for us much more real than some imported art style."</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
♥ Ciara</div>
</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-82935230644631912142016-05-21T14:46:00.000-07:002016-05-21T14:46:24.313-07:00Utah is Nigh!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqZvqXVlWB4iJbLA191FJ4Ls0r9f0sFrpa7z7-NloFFAArWim8FH9aUMJ6s2H4VqoTRaSuYmv_izkJsySVcJs9waE22I8O6IjMPgntlZ8QIjPvsBSvRrpbInYSU2DPPiixQjfEuoZaj0/s1600/DixonStudy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqZvqXVlWB4iJbLA191FJ4Ls0r9f0sFrpa7z7-NloFFAArWim8FH9aUMJ6s2H4VqoTRaSuYmv_izkJsySVcJs9waE22I8O6IjMPgntlZ8QIjPvsBSvRrpbInYSU2DPPiixQjfEuoZaj0/s640/DixonStudy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Study after Maynard Dixon, gouache</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
YOU GUYS. I MADE IT. Tomorrow I leave for a week-long trip to paint the parks in UTAH!<br />
<br />
The last couple of weeks have been a blur. I've been going, going, going at work, getting all of my orders done, and then finishing up multiple projects & assignments for school, and I am HERE. I'm packed, I'm ready, let's GO!<br />
<br />
My mood has improved vastly since my last post, and I suspect my impending adventure has something to do with that... I can't WAIT to share the art, the land, the fun on Instagram & later on the blog! Keep an eye out for a zine, also!<br />
<br />
HOORAY!<br />
<br />
♥ Ciara</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-73921585849599150842016-05-16T23:07:00.001-07:002016-05-16T23:07:30.702-07:00These Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have just finished listening to the latest episode of The Sacred Ordinary Days Podcast, the <a href="http://sacredordinarydays.com/blogs/news/124538947-s1-e12-pentecost-holy-spirit" target="_blank">episode on Pentecost + Ordinary Time</a>. Lacy & Jenn end the discussion on language, as inspired by the speaking in tongues that happened on the day of Pentecost, except Lacy made the point that languages are not just sets of words used around the globe. Language finds itself in our passions and our joys, and language finds itself in those misfortunes, those thorns in our sides, in all of the places beyond words.<br />
<br />
These days, my native tongue has been Depression. I am fluent in it. Filtered through the gray of it, the world feels dull, unbearably boring, incredibly cumbersome. All year long I have endured the seasons of celebration, unable to catch the spirit of them, waiting for it to be over and go back into Ordinary Time where at least my mood matches the season. These sacred, ordinary days. These days, I feel more alive in Ordinary Time. These days, I feel the fullness of ordinary, of mundane, of humility. I feel Christ here, closer than a whisper, trudging alongside me through the muck of life, the plainness of it all, the drudgery. I wish I could be happy, and I can say objectively that my life isn't that bad, but I can also objectively say that life is terrible and beautiful. And I have found myself someplace between terror and awe and peace, and the celebration is too much stimulation. It's all I can do to cling to Ordinary, to feeding myself and to going to my job and to doing my homework and maybe taking a shower every once in a while, maybe hissing a prayer like a curse between these things and hoping the Holy Spirit will translate it into something sacred.<br />
<br />
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <br />
<br />
This is a language with many speakers, and I have hope that God will put my dialect to good use among them. <br />
<br />
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <br />
<br />
It is finals week. Wrapping up the semester I never felt ready for is a relief. And I have Utah, that promised land, waiting for me on the other side of it.<br />
<br />
And I will speak with you again on the other side of that.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
♥ Ciara</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-76883705870888635752016-03-19T15:14:00.004-07:002016-03-19T15:14:59.823-07:00Utah Bound Part 2: What I'm Doing and What You Can Do<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc1.staticflickr.com%2F9%2F8455%2F7960685814_6b3f0d64e6_z.jpg&f=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc1.staticflickr.com%2F9%2F8455%2F7960685814_6b3f0d64e6_z.jpg&f=1" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coral Pink Sand Dunes Park, photo by S Beardsley</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Hey, so a little update over here about my upcoming trip to Utah this May! The group I'm going with had a little meeting about what and when and where and all of the logistics... here are a few of the exciting things we get to do:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Visit the Thunderbird Foundation, Zion National Park, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Red Canyon Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon State Park, AND a few of us will be visiting the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to work and sketch (I'll be working with horses!)</li>
<li>Painting and sketching at different times of the day each day</li>
<li>Lecture about Maynard Dixon's work at the Thunderbird Foundation</li>
<li>Hiking and adventuring in the desert </li>
</ul>
I can't wait!! And, I want to share the whole trip with you! I am planning on doing
very short little daily videos or blog posts when I'm on the trip, and
of course sharing all of the art and sketches I make after the fact, but there are a few other things I'm excited about... namely the zine thing.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
THE ZINE THING</h3>
My big project post-trip will be to make a snazzy little travel/art zine, full of journaling and art and scrapbook stuff, full color, 30 or so pages, 5.5"X8.5", packed with awesome.<br />
<br />
If you'd like one, please please buy one! Pre-sale price is $10 per zine (plus $3 S&H or free local pick-up). Pre-order your copy now using that little paypal button over there on the side! -------><br />
<br />
This trip is not cheap! Every little bit helps so much, and every person who purchases a pre-sale copy will have their name in the thank-you's of the zine!<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Other ways you can get involved and help out:</h3>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Share this post with a friend who likes art of Utah/the American Southwest</li>
<li>Buy an original from my Buffalo Show (take a look <a href="http://ciarabarsotti.blogspot.com/p/gallery.html" target="_blank">over here</a> and then <a href="http://ciarabarsotti.blogspot.com/p/contact.html" target="_blank">e-mail me</a> with inquiries!)</li>
<li>Buy a print from my Buffalo Show (on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CiaraBarsotti" target="_blank">Etsy</a>)</li>
<li>Sponsor a plein-air piece ($150 - includes the finished piece itself, a postcard from Utah, and a copy of the zine. Please <a href="http://ciarabarsotti.blogspot.com/p/contact.html" target="_blank">e-mail me</a> for a spot! 1/3 available)</li>
</ul>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<i>"Normal" Life Update</i></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Things have been crazy busy for me this semester... I'm taking a full load of classes (two art classes, hooray!) and work has been insane. Plus there's the whole <a href="http://ciarabarsotti.blogspot.com/2016/01/update-january-2016.html" target="_blank">start-of-the-year fiasco</a> I haven't fully recovered from. But I'm halfway through the semester and ready to finish strong! I'll be sharing some of my work from my classes here eventually, but you can always follow along on Instagram!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you're still with me at this point in this post, I just want to say THANK YOU. It's been so weird for me since the start of this year, I've felt very out-of-sorts and not quite myself. It's been hard for me to finish anything outside of school assignments and work obligations, and I really appreciate anyone who is still paying any attention to me over here with my Buffalo fetish. It means a lot. Leave a comment! If that's all you can or want to do, that would still be a huge encouragement to me to know that you care. ♥ </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ciara</div>
</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-27917072505246383712016-02-06T13:03:00.002-08:002016-02-06T13:03:56.433-08:00Utah Bound<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tourplicity.com%2Fuserfiles%2Ftours%2Fzion-national-park_575-1874.jpg&f=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tourplicity.com%2Fuserfiles%2Ftours%2Fzion-national-park_575-1874.jpg&f=1" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Now that I have your attention, here is my exciting news: In May I am going to Utah for a week for the sole purpose of painting. A WHOLE WEEK. In Utah. PAINTING. Dream come true!<br />
<br />
I am so stoked about this. Now my Bison will have a home to roam in, after I get to soak in the landscapes in the American southwest. I am really looking forward to this trip as a time to hone my skills, learn some new ones, and ultimately, be inspired all over again.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Bison_original_range_map.svg/800px-Bison_original_range_map.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Bison_original_range_map.svg/800px-Bison_original_range_map.svg.png" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to Wikipedia, the American Bison once roamed through parts of the land I'll be traversing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
More on this in future posts, including ways I want to share my trip with you and ways you can help me, too! Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
Love, Ciara</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-17777498203153531342016-01-23T19:21:00.000-08:002016-01-23T19:21:20.992-08:00Update // January 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The last month has been a wee bit insane. I want to go over several aspects of it in separate blog posts, but I also wanted to do a big overview-update thing. So here is that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #999999;">Then </span></b><br />
<br />
My grandfather died on December 19th. He had cancer, I knew it was coming, but when I got the news it felt like my stomach disappeared. I had seen him the night before, weak, unable to speak, a hollowed-out version of himself. I didn't think I would cry when it happened, I thought I was prepared for it, but I couldn't stop crying. The next week was a blur of holiday frenzy and emotion and drama, leaving me completely spent by the end of it. It was the worst Christmas I've
ever had, but I have actually only had good Christmases until
now, so I guess it was bound to happen eventually and I suppose I really shouldn't complain about my amazing odds.<br />
<br />
And, mercy of mercies, I had another week off after Christmas week, and got to use it for a stay-cation (my new favorite kind of vacation). I deep-cleaned the house. I stayed in my pj's till 2 pm almost every day. I discovered <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jenngileskemper/sacred-ordinary-days-a-liturgical-day-planner" target="_blank">Sacred Ordinary Days</a>, and learned that according to the liturgical calendar, I still had another week and a half of Christmas! I could salvage it yet! For the first time in my life the Christmas decorations were up past January 1st. I felt some strange kind of victory over the New Year, like I was defying a construct of time that I didn't realize had so much power over me until I was out from under it. I had high hopes for 2016 after that week, and I wouldn't realize till later how much I needed that Sabbath week in order to survive this season of my life without a complete mental/emotional breakdown.<br />
<br />
My grandpa's funeral services took place in southern California, near where he was born and raised. It was a beautiful two days. We told stories through tears, we laughed together and cried together and gathered around the memory of a great man, our patriarch. I got to spend a lot of time with family that I have missed. But when it was over (in the blink of an eye), the emptiness felt enormous, and my heart was fit to burst with it. Back to work I went and then the weekend came with another whirlwind trip, this time back to our hometown for a baby shower. Death to life. My heart could barely keep up. When the time came to leave again so quickly after we arrived, it hurt, like I was leaving behind pieces of myself wherever I went. But we had more visiting planned back in Santa Cruz, and so I dug deep into my emotional reserves and prayed and steadied myself.<br />
<br />
Then David Bowie died. My first reaction was disbelief, as it was for many. It was a punch in the gut, and I was deflated. Maybe under more "normal" circumstances in my own life I wouldn't have been so upset, but it was a whole new kind of awful, a ripping open of a wound that had just barely begun to knit itself together again. I have no idea how I managed to enjoy the time I had left to spend with family for that visit, but between the moments stolen for crying spells and the Holy Spirit, I managed. And then it was just me and Jamie again, left to put back the pieces of our ordinary lives.<br />
<br />
Through all of this, miraculously and by the grace of God, I did not despair. And of course, because I had survived the worst without any depression, I thought I was safe from it. Silly me, I let my guard down.<br />
<br />
And then it came, misery creeping on the edge of my brain to rob me of the joy I'd somehow cradled through all of this, and here I am succumbing with that familiar whimper of defeat. <i>Yes, I'll go quietly.</i> And then I am whispering, <i>God please pull me out of this mire.</i> Moment by moment, I gain ground and lose ground. I'm fine and then I'm not. I'm mourning then I'm despairing, I'm joyful then I'm wilting, I'm merely terribly sad and then I'm absolutely despondent and sobbing on the side of the road, clinging to my bicycle as cars whiz by, my poor husband at a loss of how to comfort me, what to do with me, I don't even know what to do with me. And on and on it goes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #999999;">Now</span></b><br />
<br />
School starts on Tuesday. And my head is full of hissing voices that tell me I am wasting my time, that I'll never amount to anything, that nobody cares what I have to say or make or breath into the world, that no one will ever take me seriously. But there is another voice that tells me I matter, that I have hope, that there are good things waiting, there is beauty in the world, and that I have a part to play in nurturing that beauty, the Kingdom of Heaven. It is that voice which I am deciding to listen to in this moment, at 7:21 pm on a Saturday night, and I am asking it to carry me, because it is the voice of my Abba, my Creator and King, and I am his beloved child, and right now that is all that really matters.</div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-40102965934233558242015-11-03T17:22:00.001-08:002015-11-03T17:26:35.425-08:00Reassurance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Y4po-_yyepaB8bFNk7LXWbZbuh-1jB0OcFQrFahVv7BwhI-cxww3gyHHUFibL7hrCJC06sCmjzKDwHSwMzF-138lgc0bhit2Wgcf8HClJKIFh90KP6MPQQhkho3qWdpyPic8fJSSzD0/s1600/reassurance4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Y4po-_yyepaB8bFNk7LXWbZbuh-1jB0OcFQrFahVv7BwhI-cxww3gyHHUFibL7hrCJC06sCmjzKDwHSwMzF-138lgc0bhit2Wgcf8HClJKIFh90KP6MPQQhkho3qWdpyPic8fJSSzD0/s1600/reassurance4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
When I started this blog, I told myself I wouldn't worry about what people would think. I think I start every project with those good intentions. And then, I put some things out there, don't get the response I hoped for, and my resolve wavers. Often at that point I consider the whole thing a failure and give up on it. Well, I'm here again, faced with what is, most realistically, my greatest fear: <i>nobody cares.</i><br />
<br />
Now, I know that's not true, but for the sake of argument let's say it is true. Nobody cares about what I'm doing in my little corner over here. I don't get enough likes, or sales, or kudos, or whatever it is I'm measuring my worth by, and I conclude that I'm irrelevant, or merely adding to the noise. I have always sought reassurance that I'm doing the right thing or doing something good and worthwhile by keeping one eye on the mirror that my
social circles hold up to me.<br />
<br />
My creative gurus tell me, <b>so what?</b> Sure, it hurts your pride not to get glowing accolades for every move you make, and it's scary to share things you aren't sure people will like, but so
what? I still have a choice to keep doing what I'm doing. Who cares
if nobody cares? Nobody, that's who! And there is immense freedom in that. Nobody else is worried about what I'm making, or if I'm making enough things or the "right" things or even important things, so why should I worry about it?<br />
<br />
I have to remind myself that I'm doing this, all of this stuff of life (including art), because I want to. Yes, I also want to become an overnight sensation and have oodles of talent and wisdom to share with all of you. At the very least I want to elicit a (positive) response from an audience. <b>But aside from doing the thing and then sharing it, all the rest is completely out of my control.</b> I'm learning (from my creative gurus) that maybe it's more important to just do it, that it's good enough, and maybe one day what I put out there will connect with another person, and maybe not, but most importantly it's good for me to do it anyway, and that's a good enough reason to keep doing it.<br />
<br />
This line of thinking is uncomfortable for me. They call it Self-Compassion. That is a foreign concept in my brain and my heart but it resonates deeply in my soul. It's something I've been missing and I'm trying to get my head around it. It is somehow closely linked to Grace, which I also have trouble with. Bear with me. In all of this, everything I post online, every mark my pencil makes, every utterance from my mouth and every move I make, bear with me. I'm figuring it out as I go.<br />
<br />
Here are some quotes and reassurances that I made pretty for you. These have helped my resolve to keep on making stuff over here in my corner no matter what. I hope they urge you to make stuff no matter what too.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCgXy-h3HpmMLB_T7AEQG_NYE9v-cmS8bKjUxp6wsuSTGmmy-AV29A7xFyaut4dytzy7kLUPkhgjqEs0ELtLlwZ9GQcPeg8R_IIkm5aC07zX2S2Oa24QVsGW_Z2UZMOHHFrcDGhjkP28/s1600/reassurance2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iz1ZuUut_lwRaZN5qF8jnr0cR_vl7dTgzFbLBN5s8in7r4ZB1zevakiygGxPh91D09MrWFWWsih-qZTIw_Y69T4eOOdtx8hRtsm_R04_YEaoh_egcq7PoG6EHsblIuH6QgaSGoo-6YQ/s1600/reassurance1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYmITJ0o_V_6Ovcfh_-yeKLMhlD6vgbcbAI5-oOJEI-n-gIbM006WvQ1_oqcH13tqds9Zn6X82Y4kou0BwWZPQ34fUY-6tM2oiqT9CESOEALbYChPovWNGYwaBtsIlGqxXnB57IHci24/s1600/reassurance3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYmITJ0o_V_6Ovcfh_-yeKLMhlD6vgbcbAI5-oOJEI-n-gIbM006WvQ1_oqcH13tqds9Zn6X82Y4kou0BwWZPQ34fUY-6tM2oiqT9CESOEALbYChPovWNGYwaBtsIlGqxXnB57IHci24/s1600/reassurance3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/9-7.htm" target="_blank">Now let's go forth and make things!</a><br />
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♥ Ciara Kay<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Note: Fonts used for the Jack Gilbert quote are <a href="http://www.dafont.com/search.php?q=supernova" target="_blank">Supernova</a> and <a href="http://www.dafont.com/search.php?q=ben+brown" target="_blank">Ben Brown</a></i></span></span> </div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-72473715563814694692015-10-19T22:40:00.000-07:002015-10-19T22:40:19.058-07:00[New Piece] Blue Woman, A Tribute, Part Two & Fin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxJHeXZu8dcOx7izouBzK4eOdryWxfGxZDolXZlgCbUousExynOgEiRtP7REjK6DHbTLV1gAeIp1vwaooEls7NsRYIDs1wgZO8RaWRDw4D_8vkWjW0L7fOWXvu5fSt-2J94JpHWO_rDU/s1600/bluewoman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxJHeXZu8dcOx7izouBzK4eOdryWxfGxZDolXZlgCbUousExynOgEiRtP7REjK6DHbTLV1gAeIp1vwaooEls7NsRYIDs1wgZO8RaWRDw4D_8vkWjW0L7fOWXvu5fSt-2J94JpHWO_rDU/s640/bluewoman.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Blue Woman, A Tribute" • 12.5"X6" • graphite pencil, watercolor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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About a month ago now I got to see two phenomenal artists and their bands perform at the Regency Theatre in San Francisco. Part one of this diptych was a tribute to Wovenhand, and I have a whole story about getting to meet David Eugene Edwards <a href="http://ciarabarsotti.blogspot.com/2015/10/new-piece-red-man-tribute-part-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I think the execution on this one was better - each piece is an experiment of course, but I already had one done before starting hers. This idea started brewing while I was at the show; I had just met DEE and I was all aflutter as I tried to settle in to watch Chelsea Wolfe's set. I really was just as excited about seeing her in concert - I love her new album, <a href="http://chelseawolfe.bandcamp.com/album/abyss" target="_blank">Abyss</a>, and had been looking forward to hearing some of it live.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG4U5nmE9q035KS-Pr37mICEStJEJ331Vc6E93fb5t2JWkr9R0W_AD0KmH9tBTg3wVSC-Nx1lG0YvHGnFMTJfsiaFg_tYOcGvIDzEwhfHS_WJRkOmsiOeoFqFy_TGkL33TcHIbeRvOC4/s1600/bluewomanclose1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG4U5nmE9q035KS-Pr37mICEStJEJ331Vc6E93fb5t2JWkr9R0W_AD0KmH9tBTg3wVSC-Nx1lG0YvHGnFMTJfsiaFg_tYOcGvIDzEwhfHS_WJRkOmsiOeoFqFy_TGkL33TcHIbeRvOC4/s320/bluewomanclose1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Blue Woman" detail</td></tr>
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Now, I have less of an obsession with her work than I do DEE's, but when I heard they would be touring together I was thrilled! It seemed like the perfect match-up... Wovenhand with its zealous gospel lyrics and Chelsea Wolfe with her pagan gothic lullabies, both wrapped in dark, smouldering music. My husband introduced me to both of these musicians. I was immediately drawn to Wolfe's "<a href="http://chelseawolfe.bandcamp.com/track/moses-2" target="_blank">Moses</a>," when I first heard it a few years ago and it remains my favorite song of hers. I really enjoy her sound, but her lyrics are what make her so intriguing to me... "Moses" is desolate, empty, beseeching, but so full of deep longing. And her new album is even more intense... one of my absolute favorite lyrics, from "Simple Death," is </div>
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<i>"Sometimes I don't know<br />
If I'll find the answer<br />
Or if I've ever asked the question."
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc-0EG2h7pAo1U_TnsUYmxisAVAqonCmYNMAXg5LVN006_assiGKBwsilkckjpX6XwGzaxF-KmvBJign-lNTTv_2z1U2viC7GtqvCf2eJsm4D9PgJjWPWOrLTruZZPoD8gZf8rU83JSo/s1600/bluewomanedges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc-0EG2h7pAo1U_TnsUYmxisAVAqonCmYNMAXg5LVN006_assiGKBwsilkckjpX6XwGzaxF-KmvBJign-lNTTv_2z1U2viC7GtqvCf2eJsm4D9PgJjWPWOrLTruZZPoD8gZf8rU83JSo/s320/bluewomanedges.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Blue Woman" with rough edges, "upside down"</td></tr>
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She was great live. The show was executed perfectly - even the venue got the lights just right. It seemed to me that DEE was always bathed in red, and she in blue, hence the coloring of these two pieces. They seem to me perfect complements to each other, the lost and found, both equal in their capacity for creating glory-filled work. While DEE's work keeps me grounded in my reality in Christ, Chelsea is with me when I wander. I chose the surface of the water for her in contrast to a vast sky for DEE; when I do sink, I go far, but I'm never alone.<br />
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It's musicians like these that make me wish I had any musical ability or talent whatsoever. What they can communicate in their work seems to far exceed what I can in a single image, or even a body of images. But I do hope this small tribute to what I appreciate about them will do some amount of justice to what I feel.<br />
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Now then, I need to track down Sargent House's address so I can get these to them! Is it weird to get fan art of yourself? What would you do with it? Would it just get lost in a pile somewhere? I'm tempted to keep them all to myself, but the same fate would befall them in my own piles, and it seems like a better fate to be lost in the piles of the people they were intended for, anyway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv8CinvZJFVF7k8G1IeARYG1iYbhiBIAvPAIzYjqrH4j5A_MWioqPssReCabUmdE2NXYCRJmsj_peIibgP32NpYcdXmezK9oneED-DYRAqkAi1Jai7ukqUpCuz7UByIscTehZX61Wv_s/s1600/redandblue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv8CinvZJFVF7k8G1IeARYG1iYbhiBIAvPAIzYjqrH4j5A_MWioqPssReCabUmdE2NXYCRJmsj_peIibgP32NpYcdXmezK9oneED-DYRAqkAi1Jai7ukqUpCuz7UByIscTehZX61Wv_s/s640/redandblue.jpg" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Red Man, Blue Woman: A Tribute"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">♥ Ciara</span></span></div>
Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-70840833022217083222015-10-04T16:32:00.002-07:002015-10-08T09:36:33.787-07:00[New Piece] Red Man, A Tribute, Part One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GcjRSFrtWrU0UBeSoRcTOnUeWlLMZHLLRTWkwkNUY-Hhyphenhyphenq25CvctikEPGpSH_FIgsO_hlb2g1RF070A1_iQyyYXokqpNcP6JoC_UJTvpeo8r2ccdsVzC7SrXSy7wAY-Bcf3mU3zW9jA/s1600/redman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GcjRSFrtWrU0UBeSoRcTOnUeWlLMZHLLRTWkwkNUY-Hhyphenhyphenq25CvctikEPGpSH_FIgsO_hlb2g1RF070A1_iQyyYXokqpNcP6JoC_UJTvpeo8r2ccdsVzC7SrXSy7wAY-Bcf3mU3zW9jA/s640/redman.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Red Man, A Tribute" • 12.5"X6" • graphite pencil, watercolor</td></tr>
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Last weekend I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting one of my heroes, David Eugene Edwards.<br />
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My husband Jamie got me into his music a few years ago, but in this last year or two it has really taken hold of me. I think my obsession with Bison and this nostalgia for a lost wilderness dovetailed with the haunting Gothic Americana of <a href="http://wovenhandband.com/" target="_blank">Wovenhand</a> and the dark, mountain bluegrass of his earlier project, <a href="http://16horsepower.com/" target="_blank">16Horsepower</a>. Much of the stuff in his lyrics are rich in Christian imagery, holy and humble, and speaks of a God that is at once terrifying and tender. There were times that the music of Wovenhand was the only thing that kept me believing in YHWH, or at least kept me wanting Him to be real.<br />
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Suffice it to say that this music has become part of my "life soundtrack," if you will, and it means a lot to me. And fronting all of it is the strange, enigmatic, rock star from Denver named David Eugene Edwards. You guys, he's just SO COOL.<br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><b>So here's the story:</b></span><br />
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When Chelsea Wolfe announced that she was touring with Wovenhand I was thrilled... seriously, there could not be a better match made in heaven for a rock show in my opinion. We've seen Wovenhand in concert twice before so I was only a little disappointed that their set was less than an hour before Chelsea Wolfe took the stage (she'll get a future post). Once her show began I was feeling overcrowded and overheated so I wiggled my way out of the packed black-clad crowd to get some fresh air in the lobby.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrE6D7JC7YMQHL2r8cZQmJt3i6nVVbtDaJRyhqhGIokuUQntkzN41glCBlbCcjh09-kjGXp50u7Z5TluhbGsXsUkRA2opNAPmwP4WfjQg6psl_eRIoaDGCw8yJSivHCh8BvskPL2VLB4/s1600/redman_unedited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrE6D7JC7YMQHL2r8cZQmJt3i6nVVbtDaJRyhqhGIokuUQntkzN41glCBlbCcjh09-kjGXp50u7Z5TluhbGsXsUkRA2opNAPmwP4WfjQg6psl_eRIoaDGCw8yJSivHCh8BvskPL2VLB4/s320/redman_unedited.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Red Man" with raw edges</td></tr>
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Lo and behold, striding out ahead of me was none other than the ONE and ONLY David Eugene Edwards. I tried to act natural as I got a drink from the fountain while keeping an eye on his whereabouts, debating with myself whether or not to talk to him and trying to work up the courage to do so. He was by the merch tables talking to some other folks while I bought a t-shirt and pin, and then suddenly he was looking at me and I was walking up to him and he shook my hand and asked me "how are you?" and I said "good! How are you?" and he said "good!" and I said "um, uh, um, I love your work!" and sort of motioned towards the main hall where he had just played, clinging to my new Wovenhand t-shirt and tour pin with both hands and a big dumb grin on my face. I babbled a bit about how I also liked 16 Horsepower and enjoyed his facebook posts, and he was very gracious and thanked me for buying stuff and asked me what my name was and then shook my hand again and we parted ways and that was that. I remember saying "thank you" a lot, and I remember that he was very kind and warm and normal which I guess surprised me because he has a bizarre kind of other-wordly stage presence. <br />
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I made my way up to the balcony to listen to Chelsea Wolfe's performance. At that point I was going over and over in my head about this 30 second conversation I just had with another human being, sort of horrified but excited. I'm still embarrassed by how star-struck I was, and by the subsequent 24-hour anxiety attack I had over it, but c'est la vie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgfV-VaX11qHZ9n0PpmhIRYyyksI-ql_STACfyX5tchNrTyYbXODof3qQZadRN7E4m8b_UXuN1auFJKz_YZIPrrWbkCSNNMwj9-67de73YazMkw2fejkuPiZRWG3wzj97fijHQMJ4RBo/s1600/redmandetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgfV-VaX11qHZ9n0PpmhIRYyyksI-ql_STACfyX5tchNrTyYbXODof3qQZadRN7E4m8b_UXuN1auFJKz_YZIPrrWbkCSNNMwj9-67de73YazMkw2fejkuPiZRWG3wzj97fijHQMJ4RBo/s320/redmandetail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Red Man" detail</td></tr>
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Once I recovered from my brief encounter with David Eugene Edwards, I decided to make a small tribute to him out of paper, pencil and paint. During the show I had this idea for two pieces, one for him and one for Chelsea, which would both complement each other and stand on their own, as both of these artists do. At first I was worried that it was too fangirlish, but then I thought "oh well" and did it anyway.<br />
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This is the first band/musician tribute I've finished (not the first I've started, and hopefully not the last I'll finish). I don't really know what to do with it now. Should I send it to him? David Eugene Edwards, if you're reading this and you want a drawing of yourself from your tour with Chelsea Wolfe in 2015, please tell me how to get it to you. Also send me a photo of your left arm so I can finish drawing your tattoo first. Thank you!<br />
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EDIT: Found a pic on <a href="https://instagram.com/sargenthouse/" target="_blank">@sargenthouse's</a> instagram of his arm. NOW IT IS COMPLETE.<br />
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♥ Ciara Kay
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Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290225752471567496.post-87368556317031801462015-09-27T16:41:00.000-07:002015-10-04T16:32:57.100-07:00[New Piece] Lady Death<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4agyMFra_OLGBB1RTxN-iAYuw2R7zJq_s_4h5w2zyXDGir2r-qxObBZYKUPQ_eBLkuKKtjp0h6izH9WJ8I6NE3LZPUmdpPX1Z8bCgsoD3lxZ5IvHzkREsFoUMRQz2dseXRSt2hI8yaZI/s1600/ladydeath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4agyMFra_OLGBB1RTxN-iAYuw2R7zJq_s_4h5w2zyXDGir2r-qxObBZYKUPQ_eBLkuKKtjp0h6izH9WJ8I6NE3LZPUmdpPX1Z8bCgsoD3lxZ5IvHzkREsFoUMRQz2dseXRSt2hI8yaZI/s640/ladydeath.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lady Death" • watercolor, colored pencil, gold acrylic on watercolor paper • 16X20</td></tr>
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I made this two or three months ago and just never got around to getting a decent photo of it until now. I like the concept but had some difficulty with execution and did some experimenting so I wasn't even sure if it was done or if I liked it, but at this point I know I'm not going to keep messing with it, so I declare it finished. And I am happy with it! Still working with my watercolor-prismacolor-pencil combo technique and loving the results. Some of the things I tried didn't work out and I wasn't able to cover them up completely (I tried to add some extra symbols in the white space) which means I won't be selling the original, but prints are available upon request!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzvD9h9hB33mm75EJe3lmlt8-iQl8pqbEI1pp0Myb-qb0ylZUiIQAKtxj6Fc2swNopYL9LcHCE03UcJSVGlAkJknZaD2xoVN2M3LTq3zM1FTYmDdb6xIfPwhCIpvV5p0isx66dRnkNEk/s1600/ladydeath_detail1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzvD9h9hB33mm75EJe3lmlt8-iQl8pqbEI1pp0Myb-qb0ylZUiIQAKtxj6Fc2swNopYL9LcHCE03UcJSVGlAkJknZaD2xoVN2M3LTq3zM1FTYmDdb6xIfPwhCIpvV5p0isx66dRnkNEk/s400/ladydeath_detail1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some background: the color yellow, when used as war paint, apparently symbolized that the wearer was <a href="http://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/color-meanings-symbolism.htm" target="_blank">willing to fight to the death</a>. I started out with yellow for her painted eyes and switched to gold paint, which unfortunately you can't really see unless you have the original in front of you, but the idea is still there. She is a force to reckon with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxnJk2Hqdx8DwX4K1vYp25jF2rnap-nm2urfyUiuAZXVH0w9vzKYYC7W_eyd_Ktw98MSzomU2UtewKy0jd09ssWRAvBVeJecYL_pM6tPjC7JeAifdWxus9xSrHZP0q2Wl08oZaG1pvz8/s1600/ladydeath_detail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxnJk2Hqdx8DwX4K1vYp25jF2rnap-nm2urfyUiuAZXVH0w9vzKYYC7W_eyd_Ktw98MSzomU2UtewKy0jd09ssWRAvBVeJecYL_pM6tPjC7JeAifdWxus9xSrHZP0q2Wl08oZaG1pvz8/s400/ladydeath_detail2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unlike my other buffalo women (who you can visit in the gallery until I do a write-up on them), this one is not in spirit form. She is flesh and bone, and she bleeds (you can see the stains on her face and on the backs of her beastly brethren). So instead of being a sort of guide or protector to the buffalo, she is a representation of them.<br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><b>Challenges |</b></span> Hair is difficult. Making cool symbols hanging around in white space look like they belong is difficult. Making a pair of eyes the same size is difficult. Subtle expressions are difficult.</div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><b>Victories | </b></span>I love the way the color palette came out, and that little trio of Bison gallavanting through her hair. I'm also particularly happy with that blood splotch/splatter. I originally wanted it to be a darker red and went over and over and over it again with watercolor but I think the end result is great.</div>
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I'd love to hear your interpretations & thoughts! Leave a comment or <a href="http://ciarabarsotti.blogspot.com/p/contact.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> directly!<br />
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♥ Ciara Kay
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Ciara Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960085125063591058noreply@blogger.com3