New Year's Eve Wish

It's January 2010 TOMORROW!

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy New Year! Celebrate safely, put out good energy, laugh with your friends, and plot a good steady course for 2010!


Wishes do come true; a great partner, wonderful children, great place to live, decent health, water! It's true. Wishing the same for all of you!

Love,
Ell

........not in my 20's anymore..........what happened?

The Holiday is almost over and as the year 2010 rapidly approaches I am forced to think about that walk.........the journey to today. WOW...........how did that happen so quickly? How did I get here?

That is the question I seem to ask myself these days. Twenty Ten! I thought turning 50 was amazing; a number that I never allowed in prior to the day. But 2010 that's a big deal. I was born in the 50's and it was different for sure. We, the five of us, would walk all over the neighborhood anytime of the day. There were not the worries about kids walking off or being snatched as there are today. We had tons of fun growing up in a neighborhood with lots of kids. It seemed almost every family had at least two kids but up to thirteen and five was the average. So, playing kick the can took a long time on a summer evening but no one worried about us being in the dark of night without supervision. I would think of that as I watched my children in the backyard playing. Of course we lived in a country setting and the freedom to romp and play seemed more safe than in the suburbs of a major city.
My husband and I just spent the holiday with our 'adult' children who, actually in their twenties, have lives they have designed for themselves. They are not following traditional paths. They are living lives of "their design". I use that term with my work and have heard people say more than once.............."do you actually say that, use those words?" Watching the two of them I can say "yes, I do", they seem to prove the point. It is amazing to sit back and see that these young people do what works for them not what they think they "should be doing". They approach their lives with confidence and wonder. At least that is the way it looks to me. Things are not always what they appear to be..........right? Maybe the only thing that may appear to be similar to the way we, the parents, live is that the they just don't "go with the flow".
I know that I have written about being happy in my recent posts and I can say one more time............life is good! Christmas was great with everyone home, weather not too harsh. There were no set backs time-wise, no one stranded at an airport or on a highway! Whew! We lucked into that and lots of laughs this year. The struggles of youth were not there between the kids. Not like when I used to go home as a young adult; I would find myself becoming that person I was before going out on my own; always seeking approval, not being able to make choices without a look over my shoulder to see if my parents and sibs approved. WOW, I would think to myself as I watched my children move about in "our" space as independent thinkers. Heck, they re-arranged the furniture to accommodate a tree and a new TV. How do they do that? Does it matter? I am thrilled that they make choices that are different from mine, choices that they alone make. I just have to "stay out of it!" I am sure that both kids and my man would say............that is a challenge for me. I catch myself moving in and then slam, I shut my mouth! At least that is what is going on in my head. They might disagree.
Anyway...............I see myself as a work in progress! And progress it is........moving forward in good ways, slow but sure. Finding more quiet moments to reflect and to agree with the move. I welcome this new year 2010 and embrace the opportunities to fine tune my own life, a life that works for me, my way!

Happy New Year to you all. I wish for you the same things I wish for myself;
Peace, Love, and lots of Laughs!

Live With Intention, Create Beauty, Embrace the Positive, Let the Rest Go

ECH

No Worries Duff!

The cake building competition was a lot of fun...........expensive but tons of fun! It will be a long time before I want to eat cake and butter cream frosting again! The Boys built a replica of the old rock house across the street from where we live and the girls built their version of a cruise ship. The most fun for me was watching the pairs work together, share [whisper] information, and put their vision to cake. I was the designated "trimmer" and built a "dingy" with a young woman rowing. The girl was crafted out of taffy and by the time the cake was complete, she had melted into a heap inside the little water craft..................looking as if she couldn't hold on until the rescue people arrived.........:(

Enjoy the pictures and know that there will be yet another competition this Christmas. Watch and laugh!

Oh, by the way, you think you are cold? Take a look at this........................

It's All Good!

OY
UPDATE:

I've been out of the blogging business for a while; back to it to let anyone who wants to know...................that all the issues which had gotten in the way of an 'easy breezy life' are over and all the work from outside folks has been completed! That is a big "hip hip hooray" for us on the prairie! And just in time for the holidays. Now we have to clean up.

We will be hosting a cake building competition; boys against girls at our place Thanksgiving eve and will post the pictures - cake outcomes - however they come out! Beautiful or ghastly; winners and losers! We are looking for good times and lots of laughs. It looks like we will have pumpkin pie and cake after our Thanksgiving celebration.

Check back to see the results on Friday!

Isn't it interesting.............................

Have you ever noticed that just when things begin feeling comfortable and you are "going with the flow"; everything seems to be in sync - life is good..............................you're coasting....All of a sudden little things begin to get in the way, you find obstacles in front of you - not of your doing but issues that need to be resolved and if you get flustered they become bigger problems and the mess gets stickier and deeper and the hurdles pile up.....................

That has been my recent life - feeling good about not working full time, having time to do creative things, see friends, pet the dogs, and plant some flowers. So I'm having a blast and life is good and smooth....... that must have been TOO easy for the universe to handle because all of a sudden the stuff hits the fan and I have one problem after another and no one can figure it out......I find specialists and they can............hooray! It turns out that the professionals I have used for years made a mistake which causes lots of problems and much expense! The professional turns to his insurance and they investigate and say that they won't pay - I should have known...............not specialist [the professional] but me, the one who went to school to become a teacher, the one who knows virtually nothing about ... except TO GO TO THE professional for help and listen to what he has to say............While this is going on we are dealing with the many steps to get support to drill for a new well and because it is a public bureaucracy and there are so many steps - it feels as if it will go on for ever....I await news of work to keep an income and the climb continues..........................................

Ok, life happens. The experience was a reminder to me that life IS messy and I have to allow it to happen, especially when I cannot change what is happening. Everyday is practice for tomorrow and the question has to be, what have I learned from this................It is a reminder that there are many things I can't control and when those things happen I have to breathe and allow things to be.................they will be done in their own time....

Then TODAY we signed the last paper........the well guys set drill in place and promise they will find us water! I continue to have work/income and one of my pieces of art got an honorable mention in an art show!




Life is good again!

Allow life to unfold like the petals of a young rose coming to full bloom, sit down and watch the sky change, pet the dog.................smile. Be grateful!

EC

I've been thinking of this so I re-posted!

Spheres, circles, cycles, beginnings, endings, change, growth, connecting...............spheres/made of many circles connecting to other circles which have beginnings and endings

Life, art, love, joy, gratitude, energy, wisdom........things to ponder.

Art and life, side by side. When I think about art I realize that without it my life would look very different. Art - line, shape, form, color, texture, and space - Understanding these concepts is important because..........if my senses are intact, I need to be able to use them well. Having knowledge and some kind of understanding about color, shape, texture, line, form, and how to use space/how to fill space.........I have a better 'quality of life.' For example; as soon as I swing my legs over the side of my bed and open my eyes I find myself in a three dimensional world full of color, texture, line, shape, etc; when I write a letter, the person I write to may get some idea of how I feel, not only by the words I use, but by the way I write/how intensely I put the letter on the page. If I am angry, my writing looks different than when I am relaxed and happy; as I ready myself to go out into the world for the day, the way I choose to dress, put on my make-up [or not], do my hair [or not], says something about me and what I want others to know about me.

Art is not just about something someone does for money, it is one person's way to express him/herself. That expression tells others about me [the artist] or at least the viewer sees what I want them to see [or not]. As an artist I put what I want to.........on to a page, into a piece of sculpture, through words on a page, or into a piece of music; that is me. I want you to see what you see, to interpret my art your way. I won't tell you what to see or to think...........when I am done creating - it's your turn.............what do you see? Enjoy or not, but feel it in the moment.

Human beings use these skills all the time, they just don't talk about them.

Live with intention - Create beauty - Embrace the positive - Let the rest go

"Working hard, I almost missed it!"

I have been at my table painting almost all day. I have been sitting her for hours............ ...painting three pictures at a time and cutting paper for cards............the many stages in the process; I finally looked up from my table and almost missed the amazing sky! There's a storm rolling in or rolling past but right now it is creeping over the mountains and I am the lucky one - sitting right in front of the San Juan Mountains in the southern San Luis Valley! It is amazing and one of the reasons we live here. There are many times on my way into town or back home again that I have to remind myself not to take this for granted - the amazing views and changes in the weather. Weather in this valley changes on a dime! One minute the sun is shining and the next the wind is blowing and it is raining or hailing or snowing. I love that it is not static or predictable. The only thing that seems to be predictable is a nice long fall. We are rapidly approaching that and I can't wait............the nights are very cool and the days are sunny and not so hot! We got the sky, here in the valley!
Here it is, the view from the west; the storm approaching and me almost not noticing. Scroll down to see different shots, I think you'll enjoy the trip. Have a great evening. EC


one more......................................
Well, I hope you enjoyed this little sky journey. I get to see this all the time and I love it! Life is good!!

"What's a Desk Head ?"

You must be wondering what the "Desk Head" is? OK, let me tell you how they came to be........ I have been an artist since the late 70's. I know, that is a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time! But I have only been a doll maker for the last 12 years. I have made over 600 dolls in these past many years and I have held onto the left over pieces from the materials I used for the dolls. Not being one to waste resources and loving to always have my hands busy in some creative project, I took the left overs and made a bag of heads...............just because the parts were there. I think at first it was a way to "fine tune" my face sculpting ability to make the best faces, the most expressive faces I could make. As I looked into my bag of heads I had an idea! Using the stands from the puppets I had made for play therapists while I had been actively making dolls for therapists, I took the sections of wood that were formerly the stands for what I then called "stick heads" [my version of a hand puppet] and glued the head right onto the stand. It was quite funny to me and as I laughed I grabbed my basket of left over yarns and my huge box of recycled buttons and began creating a face. It seemed that I couldn't stop that weekend and ended up with a huge collection of "Heads".

I brought a few of them into work with me and set them on my desk. Later that day I had a meeting with my supervisor and returned to my office somewhat disgruntled........I found that it was easy to share my point of view with the head on my desk instead of seeking out a comrade to 'debrief' this meeting. That is how they lovingly came to be called "Desk Heads". It occurred to me that there might be others who wanted a confidant and that this might just be one solution! Later that day, as I worked on my computer, the phone rang.........I took my glasses off and without even missing a beat............I placed them on the nose of one of my new office mate! It was great because I often spend loads of time searching for "my eyes"........those who know me have heard that expression frequently.........."I can't seem to find my eyes!" But when I am at my desk.........there they sit, on the nose of my "Desk Head".

So, there you have it! The beginning, the creation of what I have come to call "Desk Heads". Hope you find one you like or one you can give to someone you love!

Enjoy,
EC Hanson

Group Doodle coming home this week!

Here is the current stage of the "Group Doodle" which has been in California for a bit but is on it's way back to Colorado! It seems to be evolving in an interesting way...............if you are interested in participating in this project please let me know and you will be put on the list to contribute.

It is feeling very "Fallish" around here in the San Luis Valley. Nights are in the low 40's and high 30's! no kidding!! But we are very green this season due to all the rain we've had this summer. The flora and fauna [including the thirteen lined squirrel, horny toads, and humming birds] love it but weed-wacking is not my thing:(

Look for updates on the Doodle project and the ornaments next week.






Stay tuned,
EC

Hand-painted Ornaments on the way!

Just wanted to stir the pot................get you excited about the newest passion at "intentional beauty"!
I've been painting all night and will be taking pictures all weekend. Here is a teaser; let me know what you think just for fun!

Keep a fanciful thought,
EC

New Products!

Just a quick note,

Please check out my boxes of cards. I will be featuring some ideas on special ways to give them as gifts! That will be coming this week................stay tuned! I will also be listing new dolls and some 3D work. Sculpture had always been my passion.............it seems I paint more now than before but I still work in 3D and I PAINT THAT TOO!

Later,
EC Hanson

Finally Getting the Hang of It!

[Another new card design, that makes almost a dozen! Any thoughts?]


Hello,

Glad to be back. I have struggled and struggled to "get the hang" of working on the web.........and although it seems like an eternity it appears that I am making it happen. I am very grateful to my daughter and my friend who have both stood by me repeating directions time and time again, [without complaining].

I hope you will take some time to scroll through the site to see the new products and in the next few days I will be posting some information on how I create my cards...........people seem interested in the process and I am happy to talk about it.

I am sending another shot of this stormy place we live in here in southern Colorado. It has been wonderful and the desert hasn't looked this green in over a decade!

#6 Group Doodle/ bad scan......................

Hello,

Here is #6...............for some reason, I was unable to scan the entire picture in; so I am sending it off to my daughter who is very electronically savvy. She will scan first, then doodle and scan again! The next move will be for her to send it off to someone else. Let's see if we can get this thing going nationally!

Enjoy,
EC

On Writing...

“Why don’t she write?”is a line from the movie Dances with Wolves. It’s the scene where the guide and the Lieutenant come upon a wagon done-in ……… those of you who know the movie will remember the scene. It’s a great line. I awakened this morning thinking about that line.

I make cards, one-of-a-kind cards. They are beautiful, but a waste of time if no one uses them. As I try to figure out how to market my cards I came to this realization; people don’t write letters and cards anymore. E-mail has made it so quick and easy that in a matter of minutes…………..in seconds a person can get a message to anyone and it won’t cost a stamp or a trip to the mailbox. They do send e-cards and animated cards so easily that it makes what I do almost extinct. I don't dislike e-mail or receiving an e-card. It keeps people from real time, face to face stuff. I think the internet has changed the ‘intimacy level’ in a friendship ─ not good or bad ─ different. It eliminates that anticipation when one receives a letter........from a friend not the IRS! You know that feeling, nice paper, wonder, texture, noting the return address........Oh, it’s my friend in Colorado! The acts of opening the envelope and pulling out a hand-made card; looking at the image and feeling that your friend took the time to find an image with you in mind and sat down to think about you.............that's a good feeling, it’s about being present, in the moment.....on purpose.

Here’s the thing…………..when I choose a card, sit down, write a note, I am making choices. In those simple acts I move with intention. I chose to take that time to consider my friend; what might she like in a card? What will catch her eye? By sitting down, with pen in hand, I create a distant “face to face.” Are we too busy to take a moment……..or ten from our day? I know I had been. That MAY be the reason I left my job [didn't have any time] now I do and I make cards!

The act of putting pen to paper may seem foreign……it’s fun! I love writing notes. I use a #2 pencil or a pen that really allows the ink to flow. Anyone who has ever received a letter from me will confirm the fact, I write big and move through a word or a thought in a “full body” motion! It is very liberating.

The point is this; when I take the time to acknowledge someone ─ I stop, get my tools and put my thoughts to paper ─ it means something to me. It’s a way for me to show they are on my mind and they matter. It is one of the ways that I “live with intention”; it’s a way to slow down so I don’t miss the good stuff; it’s like giving someone a smile and a hug freely.

Think about it and give someone a smile and a hug………send a note......it matters!

Just a thought,

EC

5th Group Doodle scanned in!

Yikes! Here is #5..............getting wild! Tomorrow I will send this off to LA to be addressed by someone very special. I can hardly wait to see what happens there..........mmmmm.

The practice in this doodle is to let it go when you have done 'your thing'! Allow the next person to move in their own direction............allow and flow.......
and have some fun!

XO
EC

Group Doodle 4th entry

Good Morning!

I will keep on passing this along until it is full and or feeling complete. Here is the fourth entry and the doodle is on to the next person this afternoon.

It is getting interesting but I notice that everyone is kind of staying "inside the lines"..........mmmmmmm maybe it is time to shake things up a bit......giving others permission to get wild!!

I will take the fifth position and see if I can push the envelope as it travels to the west coast to visit my daughter and her chums. I will post the fifth entry tomorrow and then off to LA!

"Live with intention, create beauty, embrace the positive, and let the rest go!"

Be at Peace,
EC

Group Doodle #3

Well, we've come to #3 and it is growing and on to the next friend, PP will have this in her hands tomorrow. She says she has never heard of such a thing! I am having fun and I hope you check in to see the progress.

We are having another storm and it is cold outside! It is June 1 and I have a long sleeve heavy shirt on and I am going to start a fire in the wood stove!

See you next time,
EC

Group Doodle #2

I am not as quick at this as I'd like but I believe we can get this done! Second installment of the group doodle. We can watch it grow together.

Feeling inspired?!

Peace,
EC

Same view - Today's Sky

Is this amazing or what? What...........................................you say? It's a Sunday and the sky is amazing. We've had some rain, the flowers love it, so do the birds..............but the dogs are muddy!






Since We are at an altitude of about 8,000 feet I can stand in the same place but shift my camera and have a very different view! These are the San Juan Mountains and we are better than half way up...............loving life in a stormy sky.





We have a new addition to the family! Please say hello to "Rocky Stoneman"! Rocky's guarding the place; he does a good job.



Enjoy the day.

Update and new addition

Hey,

This is a little late....................time to get the "group doodle" going! Here is step one from me. I will send it on to a friend who will get it back to me; I will post and send it on to another friend........and on and on..................maybe it will come to you!


Enjoy!
EC H

New Project!

"Group Doodle"

Beginning this Thursday, I will scan in the first step [a beginning doodle] in this process I call GD. I will then hand it off to a friend who will do her/his thing upon it's return to me I will scan that in and then..............I will hand it off to another friend who will do her thing and on and on until it is amazing.......or not..........but let's see what we get. I love collaborations!

This should be fun...................look for it!

EC

Thoughts on Art and Life

Spheres, circles, cycles, beginnings, endings, change, growth, connecting...............spheres/made of many circles connecting to other circles which have beginnings and endings

Life, art, love, joy, gratitude, energy, wisdom........things to ponder.

Art and life, side by side. When I think about art I realize that without it my life would look very different. Art - line, shape, form, color, texture, and space - Understanding these concepts is important because..........if my senses are intact, I need to be able to use them well. Having knowledge and some kind of understanding about color, shape, texture, line, form, and how to use space/how to fill space.........I have a better 'quality of life.' For example; as soon as I swing my legs over the side of my bed and open my eyes I find myself in a three dimensional world full of color, texture, line, shape, etc; when I write a letter, the person I write to may get some idea of how I feel, not only by the words I use, but by the way I write/how intensely I put the letter on the page. If I am angry, my writing looks different than when I am relaxed and happy; as I ready myself to go out into the world for the day, the way I choose to dress, put on my make-up [or not], do my hair [or not], says something about me and what I want others to know about me.

Art is not just about something someone does for money, it is one person's way to express him/herself. That expression tells others about me [the artist] or at least the viewer sees what I want them to see [or not]. As an artist I put what I want to.........on to a page, into a piece of sculpture, through words on a page, or into a piece of music; that is me. I want you to see what you see, to interpret my art your way. I won't tell you what to see or to think...........when I am done creating - it's your turn.............what do you see? Enjoy or not, but feel it in the moment.

Human beings use these skills all the time, they just don't talk about them.

Live with intention - Create beauty - Embrace the positive - Let the rest go

Same view, different day, different sky!

It's been a while since I visited. It is such a nice day I decided to give you another view of my favorite view! It's warming up here in the Valley and although you see some snow up on the top of the mountain; we are enjoying sunshine and warmth........we are greening up! I'll tell you....this place is amazing; the views are beautiful and ever changing - time of day, weather conditions, time of year, the sky is awesome!
Since I left my full-time job I feel much like the views around my home; same view, different day! There is a lot to be said for familiarity; there is comfort in being in a familiar setting, there is comfort in the 'sweet spot' in my favorite chair, there is security in knowing what needs to be done as well as knowing I can and will get it done.

This lovely vase is one of my favorite things and now I get to enjoy it! It was create for us, a gift and a treasure!

It feels good - not to work - so hard that I drop into my chair when I return home. I feel creative energy coming back into me, my being........ I love spending time in this lovely space with a lovely man; laughing, playing scrabble and gin or petting a dog; but mostly I love actually being there in those moments without the worry of what I will be doing tomorrow.... because what I do now is what I know; it is who I am. I don't have to be perfect or right and.............. I don't have to know everything. I just create and move forward....... I am living my life..........living it my way.


This is my design; my fundamental beliefs are:

Live with intention, create beauty, embrace the positive, let the rest go. I wish for you what you wish for yourself; design a life that works for you and enjoy!

What a day!

Am I lucky or what? I wanted you to see what I look at everyday and why I feel grateful..........this is the view out my front window..............it is a really beautiful day and I don't have to be anywhere but where I am! It is truly amazing when I have this kind of time and I wonder why I ever worry during the week about getting done all I have to do..............the truth is that this landscape feeds my soul and in allowing that I am able to be creative and to share my joy on the job and in my studio.

Life is good, enjoy your day!

Thanks for checking in, EC

Not as easy as it could be.................

I just added some new products to my etsy site! This is exhausting stuff...........mostly due to the rural location of me and my computer the connection isn't what it could be if I lived in the city....... BUT I have the big sky where...... I can watch storms coming in over the mountains and hear my dogs and the coyotes howling in what I remember as dueling banjos in the movie 'Deliverance' back in the 70's! I wouldn't change where I live but I do wish that uploading pictures took less time. At any rate, if you have time, take a look at my new stuff and please let me know what you think.

ECH

Why "intentional beauty"?

Jan. 10, 2009

Good Morning,

I am snowed in again. It has been an interesting and wonderful winter so far........I've been snowed in three times already and it is only January 10! I have been sitting in my big reading chair with hot coffee enjoying the prairie and the mountains under new snow, watching the birds and thinking about this question; Why did you choose "intentional beauty" for the name of your business? I have been pondering this for a while and I believe that I have an answer for those who have asked! My business is more than 'a business'; it is a way of life; it is how I choose to live. Intentional beauty is my philosophy of life; to "live with intention and to create beauty; to practice embracing what I love and letting go of the rest." When I think about creating beauty I mean in relationships, my surroundings, food, conversations/listening and sharing, being present and understanding/embracing the practice of "allowing". I have been told that I have control issues. I realize that control is usually fear based; from historic stuff, not being good enough, pretty enough, funny enough, talented enough,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,blah blah blah. For years it has been difficult to let old messages go................to be present.................to recognize what is mine and what is not. My practice today is to "allow" and to "let go". This has been tough but I think I am getting the hang of it. It is an on-going practice which I am happy to say feels ok.

I was sharing a lunch with a dear and trusted friend yesterday.............we had an intriguing discussion on personal evolution. I am thrilled, sometimes amazed, that I know someone who understands how change happens and how challenging creating a life of one's design can be and how long it can take! Truth be known [at long last!] this kind of creation is never complete! It, my life, is on-going [at least for now] and that, for me is the beauty of 'creating a life of my design'--Choice,Challenge and Time!

Enjoy your journey, I am enjoying mine!
EC