Author Archives: Old as Dirt & Proud of It!

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About Old as Dirt & Proud of It!

Welcome to Old As Dirt, and Proud of It by Karen Samenow. I named my blog Old As Dirt And Proud of It because that's where I am in life. You may find art or music, or inspiration included because, I'm an artist, a spiritual medium, and I'm always learning more and exploring. I hope you find us interesting. My focus for this blog is to bring a little levity to well seasoned women. Sometimes it actually may help!
Feb3

An Amazing Artist!

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I always have been excited by the look of imperfect watercolors.  So when I started painting…with lessons….the first thing I did was take watercolor classes.  Yea!    I soon found out that the perfection that watercolor artists love….. didn’t fit, and so after many years of lessons, I switched to acrylic.  The problem I’ve had for years is that after years of perfection, it’s difficult to break the habit and go abstract.  I now find myself blending everything together into maybe my style.

When I found this video, quite by accident, by Millie Gift Smith, I went crazy……I love this abstract with watercolor style!

What an amazing lady, and artist!  She has certainly inspired me, and I hope she can give you inspiration also.

Jan31

Mixed Media Demo

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This seems a little outside the box, but everything I do is usually outside the box.

I thought this demo would be interesting because it’s a mixed media video, and I love mixing everything up and seeing what happens.  There is  always something we can get out of lesson or a class.  Sometimes it’s just being patient and keeping an open mind.

Thank you all for following me, I hope you enjoy the video.

Jan10

Try It You’ll Like It!

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If you haven’t discovered Shirley Trevena yet, she is an interesting artist.  In this video, she is pretty much starting in the beginning talking about the paper to use, and how water reacts with different types of paper.   Watch it and see what you think.  Can you learn something you didn’t know, or had forgotten about.  Can you use any of the information she is sharing?

My hope is that this video will kickstart your new year with new ideas, or an idea that triggers something you had forgotten.

Enjoy!

Jan5

Experimenting With Ink!

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My plan is to do a whole lot of experimenting with all types of medium this year.
What about you?  Are you set on the same medium?  Maybe you are really successful, or maybe your stuck!   Either way I always think there is something to be learned by just about everything we see or read.

I get bored with the same thing all the time, some people don’t.  They love doing what has worked for them, I can relate to that, but my comfort with doing the samething still runs out after a while.  I’m ready to learn, or grow, sometimes even just stop and refill my reserves.

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As far as I’m concerned, if I’m not pushing myself, I’m not growing and learning.   I love to learn and I always loved going to school and learning.  I’m always amazed at how diverse my community can be.  I’m facinated with people from different cultures;  how they love different colors, have different ways of living.   I have always loved people and their diversity.

The little painting above was created with  Acrylic Ink.  After painting three or four with watercolor, and experiencing the excitement of using watercolor, I decided to use something a bit different…like acrylic ink.  Ink works much like watercolor, and I love how it bleeds.  I make a real effort to incorporate each medium with other mediums like tissue, or stamps.  Who knows what will end up, as always?

Since this is Thursday, and that means it’s “Time out for Art!”  Check out Zebra Designs & Destinations and see what thay are doing in the New Year…

Jan3

Happy New Year

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A year of creativity, good health, prosperity, love, patience, tolerance, and much more.   For me, I’m going to have a wonderful year.  I have around me very supportive family and some dear friends that always guide me and support my endeavours.  What more can a girl have?

With so much energy from a fun and blessed day with family, I painted this little floral the day after Christmas.  Once I started it I couldn’t stop, and had to incorporate tissue into this one.  It was new for me to try, and I intend to keep pushing myself all 2017.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday, and a safe and special New Year.

Keep Creating!

Dec22

Last Painting of 2016

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As we look to the end of the year, I wrap up the last painting for 2016.  This is a watercolor painting I collages, and did a little zentangle on. When I finished I coated it with mat medium.  The experiments keep coming, but it’s time now to finish up my shopping, and wrapping. I only have a few gifts to get which consist mostly  of money. As time goes on that will be the only thing the kids want, and Papa and myself will no longer be able to bring in the surprises by way of a letter to the North Pole!

Tuesday night kicked off Christmas celebration with a family dinner at my son, and daughter-in-law’s home. All the cousins, brothers, and sisters, and the parental units (that’s us)!

Everything will move fast now, we are so close to Christmas Eve. The Eve is really my favorite because of the magic. Kids are always good, and usually anxious to go to bed at a decent hour. After all, the sooner you get to bed, the sooner you can get up.

 

It’s uncertain if I will get to post another blog prior to the new year, so I want to take this time to wish everyone a wonderful Holiday filled with love, and a safe and fun New Year’s Eve.   May you all go into the New Year feeling full of love and hope for the year 2017.