Thursday, February 9, 2017

Balancing Act


Artwork BALANCING ACT by Heather Foust
Essay by Nelly Eisenhower


A few months ago, I made the decision to go back to work full time.  It seems that my family and I like to vacation AND have health insurance.  Doing both would require me to go back to work full time.  Shortly after that decision was made, the opportunity to work with my Mom to expand her creative business immersed.

At first the idea of 40 work week at a “real” job, working weekends and nights on creative projects, maintaining a household, bowling league, kid’s activities, and having time to charge my severely introverted personality seemed daunting.   Sometimes it seems like a balancing act trying to juggle the activities of my life. 

We have all seen the circus act where the performer tries to balance a stack of plates on long sticks.  He places one plate on a stick and then spins it as fast as he can so that whatever physics principle that is in play takes over and the plate will balance on the tip of the stick.  Then he moves to the next stick/plate combo and sets that plate a spinning.  Before moving on to the 3rd plate, the performer circles back to the 1st plate and spins the plate again to keep it on top of the stick.  He continues this back and forth until he successfully has all of his plates spinning.  Touching and retouching each plate every so often so that they don’t come crashing down onto the floor. 

Like the circus performer, we all have areas of our lives we are spinning. Family, friends, work, play, spirituality, financial, health etc.  So often, we let one area of our lives dominate our existence.  We think we can’t possibly tend to all the plates of our lives.  But much like the circus performer, to achieve the balance we desire, we must spin all the plates equally, or our lives will seem out of balance and like unattended spinning plates, come crashing to the ground.

To achieve more balance in my life, I am embracing a new word….busy.  Busy comes with such a negative connotation. I admit, I am guilty of uttering an exasperated “Busy” when someone asks me “How are you?”  But busy doesn’t need to be negative if the things that are occupying your time are filling your spirit.  Busy can mean full. 

What we must be clear about is what is insignificant, what are we allowing to consume our precious time.  What can be given up so that we can spin the plates of our desires and achieve the balance we are looking for. 

For me, what is no longer significant is T.V. and web searching.  Sure, I will make the time to watch The Walking Dead and I also have a few blogs that I will continue to frequent.  But the hours of mindlessly searching the web and channel surfing are eating up precious time that I do not want to waste.  If I must give these things up to feel more connected, I’m o.k. with that. 
What do you need in your life to achieve balance?  What is your opinion of busy?


Here’s to having all your plates spinning at one time. 



Helloooo, It is me Heather  I wanted to introduce you to my daughter Nelly Eisenhower. She and I will be collaborating on a New Website and Business.
Busy behind the scenes!
Remember in a good way...
It will still be lots of art but it will also be some spiritual/healing/inspirational/good feeling stuff.
It will include our whole big loud juicy family.
We are all artist's in our own way.
So stay tuned.......
Something Big and Beautiful is coming soon........

In the meantime don't forget that you can still sign up for my online class
A LIFE FULL OF COLOR
hosted by Kara Bullock..
click on this link and you can see more info
https://karabullockart.com/shop/classes/life-full-color/

YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO MAKE MY BALANCING ACT PAINTING.

Here is what is happening on my art table right now. 

See you all with all good news!!

Thursday, December 8, 2016



A Life Full Of Color

I am so pleased to announce that I will be having my VERY FIRST ONLINE CLASS!!! So excited!!!! 

Do you want to make paintings like the one above. That is just a little taste of what you will learn in my very first online class hosted by Kara Bullock


If you are looking for a Christmas present for you or your creative Friend or Family, what a perfect gift. 
You can buy a class and art supplies. 

You will learn .....



 Backgrounds


Collage


How to make a face. 


Learn a new process of painting. 


Lots of Color

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

CLASS BEGINS FEBRUARY 8TH – LIFETIME ACCESS

A LIFE FULL OF COLOR WITH HEATHER FOUST – $54

***EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION – $39 – ENDS DECEMBER 27TH***
  
I hope you can all join me on this very first online teaching gig!!!

I am so EXCITED!!!

We are going to have so much fun!!!

And don't forget to take advantage of the Early Bird Special!!!

I can't wait to see what everyone makes. 
You will come out of class making all unique pieces. 
No two pieces a like. 

Come and join me and we can make colorful art together!!!





Monday, September 19, 2016

Blog Hop and Giveaway!!!!!





Hello Friends!!!

I am so excited to announce that I am going to be a quest teacher in LET'S FACE IT 2017!!! In case you are unfamiliar with this course, it is a year-long, online art class created and hosted by Kara Bullock, devoted to creating portraits! It is for any level: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. The 2017 Let's Face It class has a BRAND NEW line up of amazing teachers, and FIVE new areas of focus, with some other exciting EXTRAS, too!!

CLICK HERE to find out more about LETS FACE IT. 

This year, Kara is joined by 19, AMAZING, guest teachers!  You will not believe this line up!  Together, we will be giving you 50 weeks of lessons that will continue to encourage and support you along your creative journey that you are on!  Come and join us!  Together we will connect, collaborate and create! 

This will be my first Teaching Gig!!!!! Just getting my feet wet.  I will be teaching you how I do my portraits with acrylic paint along with 19 other artists perspective on portraits.  Plus, I will share a special tip and mini lesson, too! This course is not open for registration yet!  However, you can read more about it and BOOK MARK THIS PAGE so that on October 10th, you can come back and register.   If you register by December 1st, you will get a discount on the price too! 


I am thrilled to be a part of this fantastic team of teachers and guess what else!?  I get to give away one free spot in this course to one of you!!


To enter my give away….Please leave a comment on this blog to put you in the drawing. 

I will announce the winner on Tuesday September 26, 2016!



In the mean time, CLICK HERE and book mark this page so that you can come back on 
October 10th and sign up! 

I can’t wait to begin this journey with all of you!!!



Blog Hop and Giveaway!!!!!






Hello Friends!

I am so excited to announce that I am going to be a guest teacher in LET’S FACE IT 2017!  In case you are unfamiliar with this course, it is a year-long, online, art class created and hosted by Kara Bullock, devoted to creating portraits!  It is for any level: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. The 2017 Let’s Face It class has a BRAND NEW line up of amazing teachers, and FIVE new areas of focus, with some other exciting EXTRAS, too!
CLICK HERE to find out more about LET’S FACE IT.

This year, Kara is joined by 19, AMAZING, guest teachers!  You will not believe this line up!  Together, we will be giving you 50 weeks of lessons that will continue to encourage and support you along your creative journey that you are on!  Come and join us!  Together we will connect, collaborate and create! 

This will be my first Teaching Gig!!!!! Just getting my feet wet.  I will be teaching you how I do my portraits with acrylic paint along with 19 other artists perspective on portraits.  Plus, I will share a special tip and mini lesson, too! This course is not open for registration yet!  However, you can read more about it an BOOK MARK THIS PAGE so that on October 10th, you can come back and register.   If you register by December 1st, you will get a discount on the price too! 


I am thrilled to be a part of this fantastic team of teachers and guess whatelse!?  I get to give away one free spot in this course to one of you!!


To enter my give away….Please leave a comment on this blog to put you in the drawing. 

I will announce the winner on Tuesday September 26, 2016!


In the mean time, CLICK HERE and book mark this page so that you can come back on 
October 10th and sign up! 

I can’t wait to begin this journey with all of you!!!



Thursday, March 3, 2016

Spring is Coming!!!

1

The beautiful spring came; and
 when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. 

~Harriet Ann Jacobs~

Oh How I can't wait for Spring!!

It has been a very mild winter. We only had one large storm.  I believe it was around 24 inches of snow.  It was funny because Nelly and I were away in Pittsburgh for her Sabika Convention.  (Fun Time) and they only had 3 inches, which is very unusual for Pittsburgh. I was jealous of Steve because he was able to frolic in the snow. You see I am one of those crazy people that loves snow!!! But I am ready now for spring.   
I always get the February blues.
I need more sunshine and outdoor activities.

But I wanted to let everyone know what I was up to. 

 I missed blogging!!!
It has been awhile.
You see I have switched my computer from a PC to a Mac.
Just some confusion with learning how to get my photos and filing my photos.  And finding my photos.  No kidding I was having trouble finding my photo's.  I use Picasa so I was having problems downloading and all that good stuff. I also found out my fancy scanner is not compatible to my Mac. 
Not so happy about that. But I will adjust.
Slowly I will be making some changes.
I want to make a new website.
Start working with Photoshop instead of Picasso.
All these changes take time for me to learn so I will have to start somewhere!!

Anyway I have been showing my work at all kinds of good places.

I had my work at a Pop Shop over the Holidays in West Reading.
Alex always does a beautiful job at displaying my art.



 Also I had a solo show of my work at UZRC in Lititz PA

It was so exciting to see all the work in one place. 

It gave me such satisfaction in how far I have come.
If I can do anyone of you that works hard at there craft can do it too. Here are some photos of the display.


















Exciting!!!




I also wanted everyone to know that I will have some of my pieces in this show. 
Studio B in Boyertown.  So excited about this one also!!!

Lots of good things happening!!!
I am forever grateful!!


Such Singing in the Wild Branches
It was spring
and I finally heard him
among the first leaves––
then I saw him clutching the limb

in an island of shade
with his red-brown feathers
all trim and neat for the new year.
First, I stood still

and thought of nothing.
Then I began to listen.
Then I was filled with gladness––
and that’s when it happened,

when I seemed to float,
to be, myself, a wing or a tree––
and I began to understand
what the bird was saying,

and the sands in the glass
stopped
for a pure white moment
while gravity sprinkled upward

like rain, rising,
and in fact
it became difficult to tell just what it was that was singing––
it was the thrush for sure, but it seemed

not a single thrush, but himself, and all his brothers,
and also the trees around them,
as well as the gliding, long-tailed clouds
in the perfect blue sky–––all of them

were singing.
And, of course, so it seemed,
so was I.
Such soft and solemn and perfect music doesn’t last

For more than a few moments.
It’s one of those magical places wise people
like to talk about.
One of the things they say about it, that is true,

is that, once you’ve been there,
you’re there forever.
Listen, everyone has a chance.
Is it spring, is it morning?

Are there trees near you,
and does your own soul need comforting?
Quick, then––open the door and fly on your heavy feet; the song
may already be drifting away.

-Mary Oliver
See you soon everyone!! I will leave you with a new band that I LOVE!!!!
Fun Stuff!!!