June Newsletter

Discovering that Vein of Gold

Our Artist Way and The Vein of Gold (VOG) group met and studied Julia’s Cameron’s work years ago. Perhaps I should have reviewed The Vein of Gold before writing but I chose to write from memory. In retrospect the assignments in The VOG made me dig deeper than ever before but my experience in rereading a book is that you seldom have the same lessons. In fact, it often seems like a totally different book because you have grown and moved on.

The Vein of Gold Workshop

At one of our weekly gatherings our facilitator told us the exercise to be completed for the following week’s class was to write a song. Egads, I knew nothing about music. Correction, I did play a plastic flute in grade school. Does that count? Still grumbling, bellyaching and bitching to myself even after I got home I went to bed dreading the assignment.

As I lie in bed my head filled with chatter, “Oh brother, I’m not going to be able to sleep and I have an early morning appointment. Aargh!” More grumbling. But wait, some of the words coming to me were rhyming. Being the astute student that I was I had my trusty legal pad and pen on my nightstand. Listening carefully I wrote what I heard and then slept like a baby, a contented baby.

In the morning I awakened, the word sonnet would not go away. Knowing a sonnet was some kind of poetry but not knowing the structure I looked it up. After reading what I had written the night before I removed one line and had my sonnet.

With sonnet in hand I returned to the group the following week. The others sang their homework in turn as instructed. They all had lovely voices and the words were moving. It’s my turn, I couldn’t bring myself to torture the others with my voice, a vocalist I am not. After my reading three women were wiping tears from their cheeks. I felt surprised and perplexed. The ride home was spent in contemplation of the evening and how something that I had written could bring up such emotions. For the first time since I was ten years old I felt I wasn’t the only one still hurting from childhood memories.

After writing this I pulled the sonnet from my filing cabinet to read what I had written back in 1997. It still brought a tear to my eye but for different reasons. The sonnet was written by a sad, abandoned little girl. It is with a grateful heart that I thank Julia Cameron and my VOG Group for helping me to release my past . . . or at least a lot of it.

Here is my sonnet entitled “Quiet Sentinels of the Past.”

Quiet sentinels of the past
Why do you hinder me and stifle my laughs.

I rarely remember your cardinal rule,
It seems to appear when I’m rendered a fool.

I’ve been searching and searching to fix what is broken,
Now I realize many words need be spoken.

So cry, my sweet, those tears from your youth.
You’ll grow so much wiser by living your truth.

I know so little of these things I speak
But unless I try I’ll not find what I seek.

Those emotional ties to childhood beliefs
Once let go, we find such relief.

I would like to free this emotional tie
For in letting it go – I know I will fly.

So cry, my sweet, those tears from your youth.
You’ll grow so much wiser by living your truth.

Mickey Baxter, ’97

As I remember a couple of weeks had passed when our assignment was to write a prayer. I mention the timeline only because I think you will be as surprised as I at the difference in the writing in such a short time. It is as if it were written by someone else. In a way . . . it was.

Two Quick Little Projects

Recently, I had an order for table tents for an upcoming July wedding. The bridal bouquet included hydrangea, eucalyptus pods, ferns and gracefully twisted little branches among other wild flowers. It is a joy to have orders that are out of the ordinary for me. I’ll share others at a later date. Here is a shot of the final product.

In my hometown of Huntington, Indiana the annual JeffFest Celebration was held last weekend. Part of the celebrating is an art auction to benefit the Arts in Education program sponsored by the LaFontaine Arts Council. Each entry is 5″ x 7″ and is framed by Four Corners Custom Framing. The last few years I’ve donated to this worthy cause. Here are this year’s mixed media donations.

Dear Mickey,

Do you sketch your paintings and murals before you paint. Sketching isn’t my fave when it comes to my art. How important is it?

Jeff B.

Hi Jeff,

It depends on which you are referring to. I always provide a sketch for mural clients. For a painting, in my opinion sketching isn’t a necessity. I happen to enjoy it. Sketching helps me to select and edit resource material and to record personally meaningful references for possible use at another time. My sketches are a personal response to the subject. Back in my studio I begin to create the lights and darks. This is not based on the values at the location but on my personal sense of design. It’s also a good time to create personal sensitivity in the painting. If you would like further explanation I am happy to go into more depth. Thanks for the question, Jeff.
Happy painting,

Mickey

Bella’s Insight

Hello from Colorado, I had another adventure! Mom says that some of the most interesting things can be found right in your own backyard. Well, that big mountain you see when you look to the west from Colorado Springs has more than just a road to the top of the Peak with great views. It has lakes, fish, critters and fun people.

I saw lots of those peppy little chipmunks when we got out of the car. Then we took a pretty good walk along water that kept splashing at my paws. Not sure what that was all about but it smelled slightly familiar, hmmm.

Well, I led the way along Crystal Creek Reservoir, bet you’re surprised at that, Not. Lots and lots of things to sniff, my favorite thing besides eating. When it was time to head back to the car we saw a couple in a boat. When they got out of their boat they asked if we would take their picture with their fish. Did they say, “FISH!” I love fish. Those fish didn’t exactly look like what I expected. They were big, they wiggled and they had eyes. I think they were staring at me – I watched them from the corner of my eye.

The nice couple invited me to be in the pic, how ’bout that!?! I just love making new friends. New friends with fish are especially nice. What a great day, I don’t remember much of the ride home.

Life is an adventure,
~Bella