nourishment

photo credit

after much thought, i finally decided on my "word of the year"= nourishment! last year (well mid-year really) i chose abundance and i feel it really happened in every aspect of my life, including dress size unfortunately;)

i feel sick for the 3rd time with a cold this winter, which makes me stop and think about what lesson am i learning? well first to slow down and take measures to boost my health... which led me to nourishment of my mind, body and soul.

v nourish [ˈnariʃ, (American ) ˈnə:-]

to cause or help to grow, become healthy etc.

adj nourishing

giving the body what is necessary for health and growth

an alphabetized (bc i'm funny like that) list of what nourishes me that i want to bring into 2011...

*acceptance

*accountability

*art

*clean

*cozy

*ease

*friendships

*gardening

*gratitude

*green

photo credit

*health

*letter writing

*love

*order

*quality

*reading

*rest

Paola Navone's summer refuge on the Greek island of Serifos (a feature in Elle Decoration, August 2010 via Poppytalk

*running

*self-care

*smoothies

*soaking

photo credit

*soup

*sun

*support

*yoga

xxoxo

mati rose

ps- what are your words of the year if you have one?

pps- all these photos are from my pinterest! love!

you are beautiful!

yes, you!! my darling assistant fanny gifted me this on tuesday. i love that i awake to it on my dresser under my mirror every morning. i believe there are more in her awesome etsy shop. i also adore my original mindy painting (i think her name is carissa, the painting's name!)... more in her sweet shop. both of these girls i met as students at the artful journey retreat and they are making art like gangbusters!

and check out the furtherest ring on the right... the hot pink + green number... andrea's sweet girl ava made it for me:) feeling loved.

i also wanted to say a big THANK YOU for buying any art and mention i have new prints in my shop too!

i'm writing this in advance as i'm actually away at hot springs right now with no wifi or cell service. hope i don't go bananas! i'm clearly addicted ;)

xxxxxxx

mati

photos by the fantastic bob lake

process + perfectionism

i want to share some shots and thoughts of a good art day.


it begins with coffee on the back porch (this is when the basset hound behind us is not barking) and 3 pages hand written of the morning pages a la julia cameron. I have her complete set: The Complete Artist's Way: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice, which looks like a bible and sort of is for artists!


i wanted to share this excerpt on perfectionism from julia that ties well to my earlier post about flow--she speaks about her artistic process in writitng:

To the critic, ease feels foreign--and suspicious. Work should be work, shouldn't it? Surely nothing can simply flow?
Damn the colloquial! Every thought, each sentence, must be carefully weighted. Nothing can begin without knowing the ending. There is no room for exploration, for ambiguity. The critic is a nervous man. The critic likes known routes.

The critic believes in product, not process. Do not try to simply rough something in. Forget sketching. That's not good enough. The critic does not like us to have the joy of creation. It is interested in fixing things, not in creating things. It insists there must always be something to fix.

Julia then moves on to talk about the two functions of the artist, the creative impulse and the critical one. She calls the critical one by the name Nigel, which is funny if you have an english friend named Nigel like I do!

Nigel in her mind is stereotypically:

...a gay man with impossibly high aesthetic standards. My work is never good enough for Nigel. He is always with a red pencil. According to Nigel, who has never been known to say anything nice, it is the critic's job to be critical.

I love the idea of naming and separating the critic from the creative process. Letting the creative process be a time where you can do no wrong. Make no mistakes. Be completely imperfect. Then later bring on in Nigel to edit when you're ready!

After I do my morning pages-- I bike on down to my on to my studio that's about 6 blocks away and start by seeking inspiration.



Then I do a bit of staring at my paintings from different angles and seeing what they need.


then turning up the music (feeling particularly fond of the weepies newest Be My Thrill lately, thanks to andrea's rec) and playing in paint!



xxxxoox
mati

fun and easy= flow

my sweet, wise, beautiful very pregnant superhero friend andrea led some friends and i through a core values exercise a few years back... mine was, no surprise here, that i'm a treasure seeker. i wasn't really sure what that meant to live that out at the time, but as i paint it, it's coming into focus.

i believe dear kelly rae's core values phrase was brave in sadness and brave in love. i borrow this sometimes personally too to help me. i think she's shared this sentiment on her blog before and don't think she'd mind me telling you ;)

and andrea's i believe was fun and easy. i am just starting to understand how this can apply to my life more fully too.

andrea recently shared this in her interview that i linked to a while back. i love this concept she explains below:

MK: How do you nurture your creative spirit within the boundaries of the “do more with less” mentality of minimalism?

AS: I try to live by the law the buddhists call “The law of least effort.” This basically means
that more effort does not equal more results, but right effort equals right results.

I don’t like to pain over my work… write when it’s not coming, sit for many hours
at the computer trying to wring something out of myself when I really just need to fill the well and be replenished.

I listen closely to my intuition, live my real life as much as possible, and write in bursts
from the richness of my actual life. This is how I nurture my creative spirit. I listen for when there is a story that wants to be told.

i had a skype conversation with my brilliant smart agent/mentor Lilla recently about how can i "step things up"? and she basically said i'm doing everything right (thank you) and that i should paint things that are fun and easy for me~ smooshy color, line and what comes naturally to ME, not to others-- that's where your authentic voice lives.

it was a very big A HA moment. paint what is easy to me? wait, i don't have to WORK at it? make it perfect? make it like math? i can keep it mysterious and evocative and fun? i can play with color and paint and go off on little painting explorations? love. it.

thank you for helping me piece together these puzzle pieces friends.

intermixed are close-ups that my friend bob lake (the fantastic jen lake's mister... if you're in the bay and need a photog-- hit him up!) took of my recent treasure seeker series, which means, high quality prints soon y'all!

smooch,

mati

honoring your freakouts

print available here

I've been super slammed lately with projects. They all feel exciting and equally important. They have me working at least 12 hour days, from 10-10 usually. It feels alive. It feels overwhelming. It feels like I'm freaking out!

Today I realized that I have been pretending that I'm balanced! I naturally have a very calm and collected front (I've been told) and try to hold all of it together and minimize what's happening in my life. I recognized today that I don't have to do this. I can let on that I'm freaking out! I can honor this state of being! It's the most authentic thing to do.

It's like when I used to waitress I would never delegate my tasks of running for the ketchup, check or drinks to anyone else and continue to take tables and then low and behold I'd be in the weeds! I feel like I'm in the weeds right now. Working in the studio late on a Friday night.

I have this fantasy that this weekend I can bake all my friends meyer lemon pies... the one with a new baby, my pregnant friend, my inlaws, my friend who's turning 40... the list goes on. And of course the fantasy continues to spending quality time with all of them. I have this fantasy that I can be the good friend who listens to all my friends woes and never burden them with mine too. Isn't that silly? What kind of boring friend would that be?

I guess it comes down to valuing myself and my work. I find myself deferring to others when they talk about their big life issues-- babies, relationships, careers... even other artists work "Oh yeah, your show is a really big deal! It's so exciting!! Mine is just a little one. Oh you don't have to come". Enough. Enough of this self-deprecation and humility! I think it's time for me to own up and honor my own enoughness and freakout like the awesome freak that I am! I hope you give yourself permission to do the same!

Happy Freaky Friday the 13th xxxx
Mati

learning to meditate

i listed this painting today that is about learning to meditate for me. let the lace elephants parade on by and parachutes and tigers try to distract me... i'm calm and centered as they pass on by:-) i'm not looking for answers... or "ansfers", just listening to my inner quiet.



i sometimes listen to pema chodron audio tapes in the morning before painting to center myself. painting is also a form of meditation. being present with color, texture, collage and imagery. i like that. i think about what it would be like to visit pema's monastery in nova scotia... it kind of scares me to think about being quiet and meditating for so many hours in a day, but that's probably precisely why it would be good for me!

my meditation painting measures 18 inches by 18 inches painted with acrylic, silk-screen and collage on wood panel that is 1 1/2 inches thick, ready to hang. it's available here!

and in person at our shop sale sunday! you can see the scale (on the bottom left) in this photo below. hope you locals can stop by!
this Sunday, July 11, from 12-5!

We'll have art and prints available at bargain basement prices. And we'll be serving mojitos! We'd love to see you!

H&M's Studio
2498 Harrison St @ 21st

Note: Sunday is *also* Sunday Streets in the Mission! So Harrison will be closed to traffic, which will make for a really beautiful day!

extreme gratitude

sea bloom measures 10x10 and is available here
SOLD

i am feeling extreme gratitude this week for all of the on-line art support from my amazing customers who continue to support my art! thank you. i could not do any of this with out you.

i am very excited that by putting a painting a day out there for just 4 days... that 3 out of the 4 originals have sold! WOW! thank you! it helps me keep going in every way. also every order you've ever made from my etsy shop has meant the world to me. every small magnet order, repeat customer and kind thing you say about how happy and (fill in the blank) having my art in your house touches me deeply.

much love to you all & happy independence day!
xoxoxo
mati

hello summer why are you so grey today?

fortunately you are warm and bright in my studio!

here's my new postcard:



and a new big click magnet made by ipop and available in my shoppe:



these magnets are great to put on magnetic inspiration boards in my studio:



see a bit bigger here.

happy weekend!
mati

Blame Sally Awards

I thought I'd share this post by my Husband Hugh from his blog!

The poster design that my wife Mati McDonough and I did last year for our friends in the band Blame Sally just keeps getting awards. Earlier in the year the poster was featured in the Society of Illustrators 52 show and annual. Now it's garnered another honor: it is in the 3x3 Professional Show for 2010!


(If you've never seen 3x3 magazine, you should check it out. When it comes in the mail we rush to open it, fight over who gets to read it first, and linger over every page. It really is a beautifully designed, loving homage to contemporary illustration that is a must for any artist or designer.)

The t-shirt version — printed on gorgeous Alternative Apparel shirts — won best swag from the Independent Music Awards in 2009:



You can get your own copy of the silkscreen poster from us here, and you can pick up the shirt from Blame Sally here.

Mati and I don't put our artistic heads together that often, but when we do we get an awesome product. (I guess that's one reason the marriage works, right?)

Hope & Joy for Haiti

Myriam and the moon photo by Andrea Scher

When the earthquake happened in Haiti many of us waited to hear from our friend Myriam about her family there. She wrote:

My uncle Victor and Tante Mado both separately support two schools in Haiti, both have been demolished, many dead.. My uncle is housing as many children from the school as he can, all are disconnected from their own families. The shortage of water and food is chaotic and the trauma experienced is only just beginning to be understood.

My Tante Mado has 52 school girls without homes, living at the remains of their school. Another aunt, continues to wait for communication with her sister whom she was on the phone with when the quake started. It's very confusing what the best help is right now as it seems nothing is enough. Communication is so difficult, we are getting reports of deaths without any real confirmations. My heart just aches and aches, while my head spins with thoughts of how to empower myself and use all of my resources.

In speaking with family, funding is the most vital. Some are thinking beyond the disaster recovery to rebuilding homes, schools and churches.

Myriam has made the goal of raising 30,000 to help her family and the children of Haiti. You can read all about her story right here and donate below. I feel so grateful to be able to give money directly to a friend and to know how it will be used. Myriam hopes to return to bring the money personally to Haiti to document the process. Please also spread the word and blog about Joy for Haiti too if you feel moved to!

new in the shoppe

happy friday, friends!

i added some new magnets to my shoppe!


also added more pillows that my mom sewed with my hand designed fabric! i love how each one is different and supah cute!


xoxo
mrm

dia de los muertos

One of my favorite days of the year is November 2nd and Dia De Los Muertos. I've been drawn to it in concept for as long as I can remember and have been celebrating it in some form since moving to the Mission District almost 10 years ago.

I love building an altar for those who have passed to remember them. I also love the artful celebration mixed with somberness mixed with playfulness in acknowledging death as a natural part of life. How often do we do that?

Growing up, having lost my dad as a baby, I wish that there had been a ritual in our culture that it was acceptable for us to gather to celebrate him. Every year as we grow older more folks pass on and I add them to my memory list. In 2003 Hugh and I went to Oaxaca, Mexico to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos in the decorated cemeteries and I remember it was the year of Johnny Cash, my Papa and family friend Michael B. This past year I thought a lot about my step-sister's mom and her humor and spirit of adventure. Here are some photos of us this year enjoying tacos, ice cream and feeling so alive playing dead.

be still my beating heart

i am so freaking excited to see this today!


hugh and i had a mini-show last night at the mini bar at 836 Divisadero in SF if you want to take a peek! so we're making it an early day and catching a matinee of this to celebrate :)

i have a bunch of news to share and will be sending out my newsletter next week if you would like to sign for my "secret society" enter your email on the left. i'm brainstorming some treats for you. any requests?

in the meantime check out my newly updated website! please refresh if you've looked at it before! there are 3 portfolio pages and the news page is current!

show the world your magic manifesto

the last few years i've been mediating in my studio before i begin creating... it sounds lofty, but it's simply sitting on a floor pillow for a few minutes and clearing my thoughts. repeatedly some form of this line came to me "show the world your magic". finally i wrote it down and tacked it to my studio wall just like so.

when i get stuck and overwhelmed with the oodles of art and trends and thousands of ways of doing things. i now simply look up and say "mati, show the world... you... your magic". what no one else has that is uniquely YOU. this is not easy mind you, but it helps to start from this place and eliminate some of the creative clutter and doubt.

next i try to remember that place that children occupy so easily of delightfully sharing their work "the look what i did mentality". i try to get to the most uninhibited place where i blow away all inner and outer critics out of fear of feeling foolish, overly romantic, sentimental, childish... the list goes on of course (i have well developed critics) and stay true to myself and the vision that wants to come through me and onto the page.

i think this mental state works well in art making, but it also carries over to any aspect of one's life. what is it that you want to share with the world that is your mark? what is at your core?

the part where magic comes in is perhaps an extension of the definition~ an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source. it's coming into your power from a deep source and trusting that it is safe to communicate your unique vision. and if you don't as martha graham says... it will be lost.

i realize i may be losing some of you (i feel my own cynicism jab), but i think that's part of the process of unearthing your *magic* is to come up against this resistance. what if i don't have anything to share? what if i've lost my way? what if i don't exactly know yet... yes. all of these are fears that bubble up to surface and then it is our job to trust our voice and move forward.

i share this with you as an invitation. in the hopes it might get someone out of a creative rut. and because i am personally on this path of unfurling my own creativity. and because it's confusing in the midst of trend forecasting and the immediacy of art and design blogs (that i personally adore down to the bones) to not be insanely influenced. it's challenging to slow down, listen close and strive for original ideas and to own your*magic*. i think it takes lots of practice and heaps of encouragement.

thank you hugh hands + feather, fern and bougainvillea care of bernal hill.

grateful friday

the winner is andi which is really serendipitous that i chose her (eyes closed finger pointing at the screen) because she is an acupuncturist and as part of my dream list i wrote to see an acupuncture and she was just sharing with me some info! andi went on an AMAZING adventure that she is blogging about.

more turquoise ellies here!

today i'm grateful for so many things! one of which is my beautiful and helpful intern jenny who is my model... her shirt is adorable (matches too) and she made it from a pillow cover! she and her husband joe are rocking out on their retrieval project and it looks like they are on their way to retrieving their belongings!

be well,
mati