DREAMS of a MULTIMEDIA ARTIST

Follow Your Dreams

2011-02-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

Follow Your Dreams - for many years now my motto has been "Be a DREAMER & a DOER"

And now I am living that dream. After being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome on the autism spectrum I have made many connections with others who are autistic.

There is one commonality that we seem to share - we are all creative types and often very artistic. I wrote WHY DON'T THEY COME WITH INSTRUCTIONS? to share a little look at my families journey with autism. After a teaching career I knew I needed to educate to create awareness.

Naturally Autistic ANCA www.naturallyautistic.com is the organization I have chosen to share my talents with. I will be co-writing a "foodie" column with an gluten free/casein free chef and he and I will each have our own radio shows beginning in March.

Follow Your Dreams is the title of my show and I'll be sharing what I have learned along my journey growing up without an autism diagnosis. DREAMS are powerful if you focus on them they can carry you through the dark times life brings. I hope you'll visit naturally autistic website and sign up for the free newsletter so you can follow our column and find links to the wonderful radio shows.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

2010-06-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

I find art in everything... The forties was a particularly beautiful period in time. Our family has found a fixer of a project for our new home. 1946 Jensen Motor Yacht that is 62 feet

The original light fixtures, whistle/horn, kitchen cupboard knobs, fireplace... She is amazing. Yes, she needs a great deal of work, but what an adventure! The burl walnut paneling is beautiful

She came out of the water (was actually the 2nd largest boat they had ever pulled out of the water at the Port of Everett, Washington). My husband has been working with experts to repair and repaint the bottom and hull. She is really becoming a beauty, with black bottom, green boot-stripe and white hull.

I can't wait to remodel the kitchen to a forties red & white retro kitchen. My red kitchenAid mixer will fit right in, now all I need is a retro, red toaster :o)

I'll have more pictures to come as our project progresses :)

For now I have to get back to work on Farmer's Market visits for my California Bay Area book

A few of my favorite things ... art inspired

2010-05-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

Connecting Food, Farm and You: 40 Farmers Markets in 40 Days is a new series I am working on that will begin publication in March 2010. Eating locally means knowing that your food was freshly picked and direct from the farm. Farmers Markets are bringing communities together.

The beauty of nature inspires me in my variety of art forms: my photography often inspires paintings. The colors palette in the cauliflower had me wanting to pull out my watercolors.

Northern California / Bay Area Farmers Markets, filled with colors of every hue...

Flowers and fresh fruits from farmers markets, trips to museums, trips to the wine country, wine, cheese, and olive oil tastings all evoke memories that inspire me in my arts.

The Pacific Ocean inspires me ... from feeling the roar of the waves crashing in as you stand at the waters edge to serene moments of light reflections peeking through the clouds, beauty surrounds us.

I hope you'll join me as I travel and explore new farmers markets across the United States, enjoy the fresh foods, recipes I create with my findings and the interesting people I meet along this journey.

All photos are copyrighted, Janet Beaver Coad

An Ode to Washington Barns

2010-05-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the day - tractors and farm cars

2010-05-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

I loved this farm equipment museum in Eastern Washington

This air conditioned barn had a lovely tractor parked out front

But my favorite was this car parked out in front of a farm

it has character...

I hope you enjoyed a trip across Washington and some of my favorite vehicles

A Day in the Pacific Northwest

2010-05-06T18:13:00.001-07:00

I love to drive around the backroads in our area and take photos of farm animals, barns and old tractors or farm equipment. I used to shoot them in black and white and develop them in our darkroom, but we have a great digital camera now and the darkroom has slowly been taken over by clocks and tools...

As I drove by this farm and parked and rolled down my window this horse came over - probably hoping for a handout (I wished I had some carrots or apples.)

There was a huge "BEWARE OF DOG" sign on the fence = I drove by two or three times and he never moved or so much as barked. I was beginning to wonder if he was alive! Cute little Australian Shepherd...

My fiber art is all done with alpaca fibers so I can't pass up a stop to look at a pasture full of alpaca! And the beautiful pink dogwood added to their beauty.

I enjoyed watching these sheep - when I passed them in the morning they were all laying down. As I drove by later in the afternoon they were walking and a few of them looked like they were stiff (I knew the feeling as this recent cold snap we've had has been driving my arthritis crazy.)

I wasn't sure if they guy was just young or had already been shorn, but cute as a button. And when I was looking at these photos after I got home I noticed the bird sitting on the back of one sheep. If you look at the picture below - the bird is on a different sheep :) the first one with the black face.

Maybe tomorrow I will post some barns or tractors and old cars.

Fiber Art Dreams become Photography Dreams

2010-05-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Architecture has always appealed to me - in Italy it was doorways, in San Francisco it was firescapes...

I've spent so much time hidden behind the camera photographing markets and food that I realized this is my current artistic passion. So these are my favorite shots for the day. Enjoy a little piece of San Francisco through the eye of an Aspie.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

When plans fail ... we move on to new adventures

2010-05-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

My plan to post once a week was interrupted by life ... I've been trying to down-size our 2000 sq. ft. house to move on to a place of 1000 sq. ft. or less. I've been pairing down my collections and moving them into my antique mall space to sell (ouch, I said that in print ... now it seems so much more real.) Home schooling is going well - my daughter is learning what it is like to work in the real world and having to deal with some tough issues. My husband's company continues to slowly weather the economy for now.

And I have been spending a great deal of time writing (and less on my art) I was lucky to spend time with friends in Sausalito, CA for some research for my third book. So I'll share some of the artistic beauty of CA:

Tinker - a 30' sailboat was my home for two weeks - I've missed her since I returned to dry land (well, not so dry up in Seattle.)

After my work was done I was able to walk along the beach with my toes in the sand.

I'll be busy working on my books to ready them for publication, but MUST intermittently spend time on a variety of mediums of art ... so watch out, there's more to come.

Today I plan to relax, organize my art supplies and do a little quilting.

What are your New Year resolutions?

2010-01-06T16:57:00.000-08:00

I don't make a list of New Years Resolutions - instead I make goals for the year and try to break them down into manageable steps that I can check off as I go along. This helps me keep going throughout the year to stay on task and see my goals through.

My motto continues to be "Be a Dreamer and a Doer" and I manage to make my way through difficult periods of life by holding on to my DREAMS!

My son and I have joined a 365 day challenge on www.iresolveto.com where we will track out progress toward our goals and try to do one thing each day for our health or happiness.

My goals for this year again focus on my books - one will be published and available this Aug. 2010 and then a series will begin publication in 2011.

Another major goal is to eat healthier and improve the health of my family - we will again have another garden and hope to double it in size this year.

My final goal is to work on my artwork.

Stay tuned for updates - I will be posting once a week!

Thanks for joining me on my journey and Happy New Year!

As the year comes to a close...

2009-12-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

I am truly amazed by all of my family accomplishments in 2009

I received two publishing contracts and will have my first book out August 2010
and the second contract is for a series (minimum four books ... but the possibilities are limitless)

My husband's company has managed to weather the economy storm and they forge ahead with positive spirits into 2010.

My daughter graduated in 2009 and is on her second seasonal job - this second one she'll be able to stay on parttime and I know the third job will be a charm and she'll find something more permanent as she makes further plans toward entry into the world on her own. She has become a great sales person - and she continues to amaze me as I watch her in action. And loved it as a small boy left the store with his mother, he past the window where she was standing - knocked, smiled and waved goodbye.

My son is progressing and learning many new social communications and I continue to be proud of him. He has a keen eye and is quite entrepreneurial as I teach him more about the antique collectible business. We will be business partners in a new antique mall space much closer to home - we are coming "home" to the mall where we belong, among friends! As we shopped at a mall together we were shocked at the treatment we received at the counter, by the staff. We ultimately decided to walk away from any purchases and he wasn't upset at all - he "got it" and understood that their words, tone and treatment were innappropraite and didn't mind that he didn't get him purchases either. Us to Aspies continue to learn to be a part of the world we live in and he continues to amaze me.

Our Family is embracing the new year and making goals that we can break into smaller tasks to check off along the way as baby steps toward reaching our goals. We don't make New Year's resolutions that we will ultimately fail at. I hope you will join me in making a "Dreams list" and make goals that you will reach along the way toward your dreams.

Now I must get back to quilting or my crazy children won't get their crazy quilts in 2009!

Merry Christmas to all ... enjoy the reason for the season with family and friends. Surround yourselves with positive people you love and welcome the new year and all its possibilities!

Happy New Year!

Crazy Quilting - a Christmas Promise

2009-12-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Crazy Quilts for Crazy Kids :)

I told my children I would make them each a quilt for Christmas - I opted for twin sized eventhough my daugter has a queen sized bed.

They picked out the fabrics - an odd assortment of their likes - in crazy colors.

My daughter loves giraffes, cats, dogs and bears and asian themes in many colors

My son likes jungle elephants, penguins and beavers and asian themes mainly in blacks

So we gathered polka dots, stripes, I threw in some checked black and white since my son also likes cars/racing, then found all the appropriate animals and I began piecing together some CRAZY quilts for them.

My son's is pieced together and backed so I can begin quilting soon:

Art through the eye of the Aspie

2009-11-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

Art Deco through the Eye of an Aspie

I love the art deco period and as luck would have it our hotel on a recent trip was a fabulous representation of the period! If you know me - you'll know I love to photograph doorway and fire escapes. This trip I enjoyed the art deco light fixtures, so I thought Robert Schumann said it well:

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist."

~Robert Schumann, German Composer

My husband and I managed a quick get away for a few nights while out 18 and 11 year olds had some fun ordering delivery with the money we left them. They get along much better when we aren't home :)

I'm not sure why I go through phases but in Italy I was captivated by doorways, in New York City it was the fire escapes down the sides of buildings and in Vegas it is the amazing deco light fixtures.

Thanks for sharing another peek at some photos = I like to refer to as art therapy :o)

Join me again for some quilting fun - crazy style

We DREAM of ART

2009-11-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

A day with Chihuly Art Glass

I have been homeschooling my son for a little over a month now and after completing some work we went to the art museum. Tacoma has a wonderful glass museum and art museum. Having a combination of anxiety with Aspergers when we arrived at the museum and saw a number of school buses he opted to begin at the glass museum bridge that is covered with Chihuly art glass.

My children and I like to take photos so we each had a camera with us.

The roof of the covered portion of the bridge is full of hundreds of pieces of art glass and one side has larger vases encased in glass.

There are beautiful fountains in front of the museum of glass

We use art as a therapy or form of stress-release and also enjoy studying new forms of art or learning about new artists.

Thanks for sharing our day at the museum.

Sometimes an artist just has to be an advocate

2009-10-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have a non-profit organization to promote fine arts in at-risk youth with Asperger's, Tourette's, OCD, Anxiety, etc

But the past few weeks I have been in Mommy Protection Mode from an incident that happened at my son's middle school

I'm sure some of you are aware of the Federal Lawsuit that has been filed stemming from the amazingly horrible actions of a Kindergarten Teacher in Port St. Lucie, FL. A five year old with Asperger's was voted out of his class in a survivor-style vote and the teacher made each child in the class tell this poor five year old boy what they didn't like about him.

I never cease to be amazed by the actions of adults toward those with Autism/Asperger's. It stems from ignorance - if people would just take time to understand those with differences they would see there is no reason to 'cure' or 'fix' them. We are all just individuals who want to be understood.

My son also has Asperger's and can make wrong choices and have difficulty communicating, but it is usually his BEHAVIOR that COMMUNICATES for him when he is unable to do so verbally.
He was in trouble and one of the school principals questioned him, had him write a statement, sign forms that he was placed on an emergency expulsion and then allowed the Sheriff to question him before we were even called!

It saddens me that young people have no rights - a school and law enforcement officers may question minors without parents present or aware. There are NO Federal or state laws preventing this. What deeply saddens me is that school districts wouldn't have a policy against this. To me as a parent it is common decency - a no-brainer - that a parent would be called at least simultaneously as the law enforcement being called. Yet in our case we were phoned over an hour after the call to law enforcement.

So now we as parents must teach our young children to say, I don't want to answer any questions without my attorney present - apparently that is the only LEGAL standing to protect our children.

These Aspie's and their Art are Never Far Apart

2009-10-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

I figured out early on that my children suffer from extreme anxiety in addition to the Autism Spectrum Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome.

Art has been one activity that has been helpful in reducing our anxieties. We often head to our local zoo to draw the animals. Being in nature, in the presence of animals and using art in these natural settings has been a blessing.

The term "syndrome" refers to the association of several clinically recognizable signs or symptoms, hence those with Autism Spectrum Disorders may have multiple associated disorders. My son has Asperger's Syndrome and some mild OCD and I myself have Asperger's and some mild OCD and Tourette's symptoms.

I've been thinking about the various symptoms that my son and I have experienced in trying to put together a presentation so I may speak at schools to share information with teachers and other parents/PTA.

Both my children and I are very clumsy. I have often noticed a strange gait when my son is running and he can be clumsy. During my early growing up years, I felt awkward and like I never fit in-very uncomfortable in my skin. My mother assumed I was rushing when I had difficulty with writing. My daughter has poor penmanship and has never been able to learn to ride a bicycle. All three of us have difficulty falling asleep; I wake up frequently during the night and my son wakes with the chickens!

In creating diagnostic criteria, Dr. Hans Asperger noted, "Children with AS may be delayed in acquiring skills requiring motor dexterity, such as riding a bicycle or opening a jar, and may seem to move awkwardly or feel "uncomfortable in their own skin". They may be poorly coordinated, or have an odd or bouncy gait or posture or poor handwriting. Children with AS are more likely to have sleep problems, including difficulty in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and early morning awakenings.

As I have shared my insights with my sons's teachers they have truly appreciated the assistance it has provided them in teaching him. I hope my art and books will support my non-profit so I may work with other youth and speak in public about autism/aspergers.

“Not everything that steps out of line, and thus ‘abnormal’, must necessarily be ‘inferior’.” ~ Hans Asperger (1938)

If I could explain to you how I feel about people it is this: we are all just HUMAN, no condition defines who we are–we are all different shades of ordinary. My hope is that others will learn to embrace those with differences and be more accepting. I will continue to share the story of my experiences with Asperger Syndrome.

I am Aspie-Mom

2009-10-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

Being an aspie-mom has many meanings to me: (1) I am mother to a son with Asperger Syndrome, (2) Since my son's diagonsis I now understand my confusion at life growing up...I'm almost 100% sure I too have Asperger Syndrome and (3) What I have learned about Asperger Syndrome and Autism I can now use to help others.

Art has always been my saving grace, when young, confused and scared I drew, painted, sewed, played music or participated in drama. Both of my children have benefited from drama and art - it has calmed them when they are stressed or anxious.

My book, Why Don't They Come With Instructions?, which will be published this next August (2010) is about raising two children who have Aspergers, learning disabilities, OCD and Tourette's and how we created a non-profit to help similar youth.

If you'd like to read a chapter from my upcoming book you will find it at http://www.jbeaverbooks.com/
or more information about the non-profit THE LAVENDER DOOR FOUNDATION at http://www.lavenderdoorfoundation.org/

Thanks for stopping by...stay tuned for more about my fiber art, painting, quilting projects that are adorned with beads and fiber art or my upcoming books.