Maranda Russell's Blog, page 80

Blah Painting for a Blah Day

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Kind of a blah, muddled painting for a blah, muddled day. Just not feeling it today…any of it. Really tempted to go back to bed, but I already slept 11 hours or so. I can always tell when I’m super depressed because I sleep A LOT. The normal 8 hours of sleep becomes 12 hours a night. And even then, I want to sleep all day too, I just try not to allow myself. I always did like that joke about how being “super depressed” is just like being “regular depressed”, except that for “super depression” you wear a cape. I need a cape.

Turtle in a Half Shell Gouache Abstract Painting

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I affectionately call this abstract ACEO painting “Turtle in a Half Shell”. Now how many of you have the TMNT theme song stuck in your head? You’re welcome

Bad Depression

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I’ve been really struggling with depression lately. And I mean really struggling. Like, can’t get out of bed struggling. Like sleeping more than half the day struggling. Even when I do finally get out of bed, I often find myself back in bed soon after, lying there staring at the wall and the ceiling for unlimited amounts of time. I do still have an appetite at least, but I think a lot of that is the meds, which make me hungry almost all the time. Of course, sometimes with depression I do tend to comfort eat as well. So along with the desire to do absolutely nothing, I am also plagued with anxiety about gaining weight from being hungry all the time. I don’t see the doctor again until the day after Christmas, so I am just having to muddle through the best I can, but it is really hard. I feel like I am constantly fighting just to function at all. Even washing my hair or brushing my teeth seems too much for me most of the time and I have to force myself to do it. This level of lethargy is ridiculous, and sometimes I wonder how I’m alive at all.

Oil Pastel Abstract Expressionism Painting

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If you follow my art long enough, you’ll probably be able to tell that I love abstract expressionism and that black is my favorite color (I always run out of black paint long before any other color). Above is an oil pastel ACEO painting I did recently (already sold) that kind of shows both of these loves of mine…

Bicycle Glitter Watercolor Painting

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This bicycle themed ACEO painting I made recently reminds me of the often underappreciated Queen song:

“I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride my bike

I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride it where I like…”

Suicidal Ideations

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*Note: I wrote this a while back and am not currently feeling suicidal, but I thought it might be interesting to share this poem as it does illustrate a real mental struggle I have dealt with on and off for many years.

Suicidal Ideations

If I only had a dollar

for every time

I have looked down

from a great height,

shook a full bottle of pills,

held my breath under water,

or inhaled exhaust fumes

while thinking

I could actually do it,

I could end it all –

I would have more

than enough

to pay for all the

therapy sessions

I obviously need.

Feeling Old and Sick

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Today I’m feeling about as old as Bugs and Daffy look in this picture I colored a while ago. I’m only 35 years old, but it often feels like I am much older physically, thanks to the chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. My husband currently has the flu and when he was telling me how bad his body aches and fatigue were, I couldn’t help but think that I’d never be able to tell the difference from my everyday body aches and fatigue. In fact, with my chronic ear and sinus infections, the only way I ever know for sure if I actually get a virus is if I am running a high fever. Otherwise, I figure it is just my normal daily crud I have to deal with.

Sometimes it is easy to forget what it was like to NOT feel sick all the time or hurt constantly. I can’t even imagine living without it all now. I’ve become so used to the routine that I’ve accepted it in a sense and admitted defeat in my own mind. That is likely not a good thing, considering that I feel I’ve lost all hope to ever feel healthy again. I’m not writing this today to try to illicit sympathy or just to whine, but it is what I’m thinking about and dealing with, so I felt it only honest to share. If you are a fellow sufferer, let me tell you that I am truly sorry you have to go through all this as well.

Wordless Wednesday: Sunset City

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2 Mixed Media Collages: Poetry, Fashion & Social Media

I made the following two ACEO art trading card mixed media collages recently (which have already sold). My personal favorite is the first one, because of the interesting contrast of classic poetry and brash, high-fashion boots. For the second one, I wanted to do a social media themed piece, but make it fun and playful.

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Girl Scout Inspired ACEO Art Trading Card

Not too long ago, I bought a Girl Scout rag doll from Goodwill that came with a packet of Girl Scout stickers. I decided to try to make an artwork out of the stickers and ended up making this mixed media ACEO collage. I like the way it turned out, hope you do too!

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