Progress takes time (layer by layer by layer)

There is a point in each drawing and each painting where it is no longer fun. I am looking, looking, erasing, fussing, and stressing. I want to be so much farther along than I am and get everything right the first time, but with watercolor painting and with life it is added to and improved layer by layer. 

For each painting you see there are hours and hours of hard work and frustration. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I am not wasting it. I have rarely pushed myself this hard in anything that I have wanted to learn. 

When I feel I have reached my limits, I have teachers and mentors who either know to have me go off and do something else, or push me past them. I am so thankful. And my brain is so tired! 

I don't know how many times I will have to learn that life is a journey. I can't figure it all out now, I cannot wake up and be Van Gough, Da Vinci, Matisse. 

Guess what? I'm human. Gah. It's a good thing. 

I am having to continually readjust my perspective and view each painting or drawing as a learning experience and not the end all of my achievements and worth. I am figuring out that I have the artist's temperament in full measure!!!

The paintings I have been doing are on larger sheets of paper so to really see them as they should be I have to get some distance from them. They should be veiwed from at least a few feet away. But when I am so close to it, trying to work in too many details, I get discouraged and want to give up. I have to literally look at the big picture. 

If I step back and see where I started in July and where I am now, the progress is incredible. 

I just need to take each day at a time, be faithful with what I have now, and the progress will come. 

Each days challenges are preparation for whatever the future holds. Artistically and spiritually. 

                                   

                                   

                                  

                            

                                 

Just an example of the progression and some of the many layers that go into a painting. 

I'm working on a painting of Mont Saint Micheal right now, so we'll see how that turns out. :/ It has been quite the challenge. 

More to come soon! 

Xx 

Katina 

Me, Belgium, and France-y Stuff

Gah. Some day I'll get better at this. I came down with a four day flu virus that wiped me out and yesterday was the first day I felt almost totally well. No puking or cold-like symptoms, thankfully, but immense weakness, feeling faint, dizzy, and shaky; plus I wasn't able to eat much. Hooray for stomach shrinkage! Though I really don't recommend it as a diet. 

I tried to find the balance of resting and getting work done and greatly entertained the masses when I would take resting breaks laying on the floor by the table where I was painting. 

I knew I was all the way better yesterday when I felt I had pent up energy to burn and did an hour of yoga! I went out for a walk tonight and after walking a mile out I was able to (very slowly and carefully) run all but a bit of the way back. We'll see how my foot and leg feel tomorrow and I can hopefully work the intensity back up again. 

Getting sick was yet another thing to remind me of how little control I have and to trust the One who holds all things together. My outward improvements in what I am learning pale so magnificently in comparison to the inward changes that are happening. The Lord has become so near and more precious to me than before. I am so greatful for my time of being pulled away from everything familiar to walk more closely with him. 

Abiding in His love has become the theme of this adventure. 

I left off at Normandy last time, so I'll just give some highlights from the rest of the France trip. 

Mont Saint Michel was probably my favorite sight of the trip. It is a beautiful monastery built at the top of a medieval village out on an island off the coast of France. You can walk to it when the tide is out. We took the bus on the bridge that was built out to it. 

                                   

                                     This was my first sighting as we were driving up to it. 

        

                                

                              It's very touristy in the village below, but fun with all the shops. 

                                

                                              It's still an operational monastery. 

                                

                                

                                                  Look at those two crazy cuties! 

                                      

                               

                               

  

        

                          This will definitely be one of my favorite places from the whole trip! 

Hans bought a postcard there which he plans to use as a project for me later! I'm excited to improve and come out with a rendering of Mont Saint Michel that I can be proud of. 

The next day we went and saw the Bayeux tapestry, the Bayeux cathedral, and the war memorial museum in Caen. 

                              

                                                The town of Bayeux was lovely

                               

 The Bayeux tapestry is from the 1070s and is almost 230ft long. It tells the events leading to the Norman conquest of England. Notice the charming scene of decapitation, just above. 

 

You could accuse me of looking it up on Wikipedia just now to remember what it was, but I would vehemently deny it. Of course none of the words from the first sentence were taken and altered from such an article...I cannot imagine why you would think that. 

                               

                                        I never tire of these magnificent structures. 

                               

I got to sit outside and work on quick sketching and perspective. I didn't get anything done worth showing, but it is so much fun to just sit and draw! It's surprising (and a bit intimidating) the amount of people who will slow down to see what you are drawing and stop to talk. I actually got quite a thrill from it, as I remember as a child I used to daydream about being an art student in Europe and sitting in grand, old places and locals speaking to me as they would pass by. 

So strange how life turns out sometimes.  

       

                      I was just so impressed by this sign's English and word placement. 

        

     

                                                    The Caen war museum

                                

They were ahead of their time with the hip lingo, as you'll notice this plane says "Bros" on the side. 

                               

                                                                My kind of ladies. 

                               

                                                Artist sketches from the battlefield 

                               

                             All I could think when I saw this was "are you my mummy?"

                                  (If you don't love Doctor Who, you just won't know.) 

      

That's all for the first road trip! I have literally (please hear that in Chris Traeger speak) a billion pictures to go through from Switzerland and I haven't even started. 

This week is the flower carpet in the Grand Place and I'm so excited to see it! We might also take a short trip to Brugge so I can work on a painting project there. It'll be my first painting in the field lesson. 

And so far I'm actually not freaking out about turning a quarter of a century old next week. I've decided (Lord willing) that this year is going to be freaking awesome. 

Ttfn (Ta Ta for now, as tigger likes to say) 

...Katina quickly bounds away 

What a whirlwind...

The end of this week will mark a month of my being here. Time has flown by! But we have really done so much in the time that it is no surprise. 

I was so bogged down with jet lag the first week, and we were traveling the second and third week with Marcus (Hans and Norma's son), that I haven't really gotten to write much about everything we did or go through any pictures till now. 

First, the Normandy trip.

We did just an overnight trip, but dang these crazy(awesome) people know how to see a lot in a little bit of time. We left super early, so I had my happy morning face on, but I was so excited to road trip to and through France!

  By the way, one of the secrets to morning Katina is bribing her with coffee...don't speak, don't touch, don't hover; just bring very strong coffee and slowly back away. If you try to overload her with information, you will be rewarded with caveman like grunts, growls, and if you get especially annoying (or really lucky, depending how you view things) there will be biting.  And while you're at it, freshly baked pastries are also helpful. I'm just putting this out there for anyone to utilize in the future...

                                         

  Still in Belgium. Obviously, we in the states need to ramp up our marketing game. Love this. 

                                    

                          Not a very dynamic photo, but I had to capture us driving over the Seine.

        

                                                                    Bam. France. 

We headed straight for the American war memorial and cemetery. While I was feeling giddy in the car at the thought of being on the beach again, the feeling of solemnity as we were walking into the memorial put my mood in its proper place for the experience. 

I am not a history buff. I don't do well with memorizing facts and dates, but I do love hearing stories of real people, who despite their circumstances choose to live and fight for the good of others instead of preserving their own skin. 

                                    

      

It was actually incredibly moving for me. I have never been super patriotic. I have always associated patriotism with people being closed-minded to other cultures and being waaaaaay to stuck-up, prideful, and pigheaded about "our way being the best way;" people being 'merica this, 'merica that, loud, obnoxious, and mulleted. Haha. 

But in all seriousness, I was filled with a great sense of pride for our soldiers, for how much they gave up for what they believed in. Many were so young and left families to serve and save the world from destruction. 

                                     

                   

We watched stories of different individuals who went to fight. 

It really made history come alive for me.

After the museum, you walk out into the cemetery where you see row, after row, after row of white crosses. So much death and so much tragedy. It almost felt wrong for the day to be so beautiful. 

                               

                               

After the cemetery we made the trek down to the beaches. It was hard to imagine it filled with boats, soldiers, and blood because the day was absolutely lovely. 

Even though there is a sense of heaviness with so much violence and death, there is also a sense of...resolution, a settledness, not peace...I can't find the right word, but anyway...they accomplished what they set out to do and there is a silent strength in that. (Or perhaps I am just overthinking and way over-romaticizing it, but it seemed legitimate to me...) 

                             

                              

                             

                                Not gonna lie, I was still pretty giddy about the beach. 

I tossed my shoes off, rolled my pants up, and chased the waves. 

Still managed to get my pants wet...I always go in too far. 

                                   

                                              Hans caught me taking pictures. 

                                                         Finding seashells. 

Looking back through these pictures, I am wondering why I left that stupid cardigan on!?! It was warmish, but I guess I was just being lazy. (You were totally wondering the same thing. Admit it.) 

Ok, I was planning to get through both days in one go, but sleep, bed, pillow friends... Calling me...

It's taking longer to blink...

Part 2 tomorrow! 

Getting lost is good for the soul

I should win an award for getting lost in foreign countries, I think. 

My sense of direction is very hit and miss and my confidence in it is definitely lessening. 

And it hurts my slight sense of feminist pride to admit that I am terrible at reading maps. Even when I have google maps and have a perfect connection, it shows me the way home and I STILL go the OPPOSITE direction. 

Oh well, you are only lost if you really care where you are, right? 

Ha. 

I had been running for exersize in the evening while we were at home (I didn't get any running in in Switzerland, but we walked up soooo many stairs, I think it's ok.) But the night we got back from Switzerland (about a week ago, I think) I ran and pushed myself pretty hard and pulled something in my left shin. That plus I aggravated an injury to my right foot that happened just before I left ABQ. The injuries have sent me to physical therapy for the time being and left me unable to run. I have tried to keep walking a bit, but my temporary doctor says that is not a great idea. 

I asked him what I could do and he said biking would be good, so Hans asked the neighbor if I could borrow a bike, which he graciously provided, and I set off this evening to get some much needed exercise. I had been making so much progress in my running, and the injuries were quite discouraging, but I am determined for nothing to keep me down. I had lost almost 10 pounds so far with the running, so I had to find something to keep me going! 

I found my way to the woods, almost 2 miles away, and I loudly set off into the forest...the neighbor, explained to me that the back brakes are having a bit of trouble, they are stuck next to the wheel and so they make a high pitched squeaking sound, which is fine, I am just really greatful for the bike, but I wasn't quite prepared for how loud it was. So even though I was announcing my coming and going to all the hikers who were seeking peaceful nature walks (sorry, with me there you didn't get it) and all the woodland creatures, I greatly enjoyed myself. 

                                  

I wasn't so sure of myself in the beginning. I haven't been on a bike in quite a while, but I got the hang of it. Even though I am very set on trying most adventuresome sports, I haven't been that intrigued by mountain biking, until after tonight when flying down gravel-pathed steep inclines at high speeds and having to brake fast and swerving to avoid imminent demise, I totally get it. 

Love it. Into it. Totally going to do it. 

                                 

                                  You try taking selfies while riding a bike. It's not easy. 

Not really sure where I am going with this, but there is really something about getting lost and being ok with it. 

I am learning to let go of so many things and being ok with whatever outcome. 

I am learning to enjoy the journey, not care what people think, and be overcome in rapture at the surrounding scenery. 

 

                                   

So my bike is screaming at everyone in a half mile radius...it's something to laugh about. 

So I'm lost in a foreign country...well it will just take me a little longer to find my way home. 

So I, in very Katina form, injured myself and can't keep running and walking to lose weight...I'm going to find something else I can do. And enjoy it.  

Everything has a lesson. Everything has a place and a purpose. There is a season for everything. 

I am learning to enjoy my sometimes loneliness to really figure out who I am and what I want, and more importantly, learn that The Lord is my closest companion. 

He always knows where I am.  He is always looking out for me. 

He is always teaching me and showing me his love for me.

In my getting lost, I got to see the sun gleaming though the dense, green forest; see a tiny deer bounding away at my ear-grating approach; and see The Lord provide a stranger who "just happened" to also be on a bike, who "just happened" to speak fantastic English, and "just happened" to be heading to the exact same town that I was, to lead me in surety on my way home. 

                                   

Getting lost can be a fantastic thing. 

I am enjoying this adventure. 

And Belgian beer after an around 15 mile ride is the most refreshing thing ever. 

                                      

                                                                 Cheers, friends!