Tag Archives: ideas

Mar15

The Makeover Continues!

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about getting our home painted, having new rain gutters put up, and the patio roof repaired.  It all looks so fabulous, it made us want ...more!  So our son-in-law, John has continued to make improvements!

What did he do next?

Well, the first thing John fixed was the irrigation system.  It has always been a bit poopy, and he quickly discovered why!  This is all technical, so I won’t get into it although I did understand after John explained it…..several times!  The long and the short is this:  it was never installed right in the first place!  (Landscaping by a professional expert, having landscaped all over the Middle East!)  After putting several hours into digging many holes, a trip to Lowe’s did the trick!

Oh those back-breaking holes!

The only one around here that knows how backbreaking digging holes in the yard can be is Daisy, our dog!  She has most recently been on archology excursion to find  the Lost City!  I need to tell you, neither Les or myself taught her to do this.  I’m sure she learned it from talking to the other dogs at the “dog park!”  You know the ones,  the dogs whose parents don’t teach them right from wrong!  So now, we have to be the bad guys and give her a time out for attempting world travel, or trying to bury a chew stick.  I hate being the bad guy!

Now the fun starts…

Tuesday night after John had prepared the yard for new dirt, and sod, and headed for home, Daisy went outside and…No she didn’t dig holes, but she spread her toys over the dirt.  I think she was saying, “This is my yard, leave it alone!”  All through this process she has been agitated, and I couldn’t even get her to leave the house for a walk in the afternoon.  The yard being all torn up bothered her, and she would come in to get one of us, and take us out into the back to show us what John had done to her yard.

What’s next?

Wednesday the top soil went down, and from Wednesday until Thursday afternoon, Daisy had to stay out of the yard.  I believe it is “Murphy’s Law,”  to have the animals roll in freshly watered, manure, and top soil!  We could just see her with the smelly dirt stuck to her fur, and needing a bath before we could let her back into the house!

Thursday morning John started putting down the sod, and then things  changed.  Keeping a dog off her grass is a challenge, and reasoning with her to not dig holes in the grass or she will have to sit on the “Naughty Rug” is the fun part!

Today is  a new day, a new start, a new yard we can be proud of, and it looks great!   After the yard was watered, pots will get drips on them, and things just look so much neater.  I’m loving it!

Then what?

There isn’t  much left to do.  Maybe a few little things like putting a few more drip lines in, or re-wiring an antique iron lamp that was my Great-grandmother’s, but that is about it!  You can be sure that pictures will follow one of these days!  This was back-breaking work, that I could neither do, or help with.  We are both so grateful for John, who tirelessly worked to make our home, and yard something we could all be proud of!

I think we all deserve a glass of vino, and maybe some cheese and crackers,   and oh…..Chocolate!!!  We must have chocolate!

Mar7

And…More Practice!

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This practice thing is going to be on-going for a very long time.  One might say, it never stops!

I said there were many unfinished canvases in my studio, and I was planning on finishing them.  The more they sat there, the more I started to think, “If they haven’t said anything so far, maybe even they don’t know where to go with themselves!”  So I grabbed a second unfinished painting, and gessoed  over it.  Ha! I’ll show it!  Gessoed over it very lightly, so the under layer of a mix of Quinacridone Burnt Orange, and Quinacridone Gold still showed through in places.  Then the sky came to life with some light blue, and next but not last, I lightly brushed in some violet, orange, and yellow.   That ‘s just the sky!

Now the trees!

The larger trees were already roughed in with tissue paper, so my decision to paint trees was already made.  I just followed through, and added some more trees, but decided to emphasize the bigger trees since they were standing out in the first place.  No big decisions there!  At some point, my thoughts have gone to, “Enough time wasted on this, let’s get down to business!”  While I love to keep playing with my trees, I also want to decide on what to do next, and start something else!

My ideas are all over the place, and usually I tend to jump in feet first, sink or swim……usually sink!  It would be nice to do a little more planning for the next one.  The funny thing is, I love the spontaneity of not knowing where I’m going, or how I’ll get there. I love letting the painting take the lead, with Happy Accidents at the finish of the painting!  The very thing I love the most, is the very thing that trips me up the most!  Is it the planning that is the problem, or is it the subject matter?  Or, am I not listening?

How many of you have the same problem, or do you have answers that I hadn’t thought of?  Let me know because I’ve been struggling here, and someone must have answers….

The trees are speaking……

After playing with lighting, and watching my trees, I pretty much decided to keep playing with them.  My trees are not finished, but still need shadows, more lights, and darks!

While I’m finishing up my trees, I’m also getting ready for another class.  This class will be all day at ArtBeat on Main Street.  This is a fairly new gallery in the heart of Vista, Ca,  that took me by surprise when I walked in.  The ladies that own tArtBeat are down to earth, and easy to know.  They seem to have put together a gallery rarely seen in this area!  It really belongs further south in Del Mar, or La Jolla.  It’s that classy!  So when my friend, and artsy sister said she was taking this class, at her urging I checked it out, and was pleasantly surprised.  The artist teaching will be Scott W. Prior, an artist well known in the art community.

We’ll talk…

Feb26

Practice, Practice, Practice,

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And more practice!

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Recently I was in a workshop at the Artist Tree in San Marcos.  The artist giving the class was Cathy Carry, and if you aren’t familiar with her work, please take time and look her up.  Cathy has a distinct style that I haven’t seen in too many present day artists.  I’ve always been interested in her work for a number of reasons.

  • Cathy is really good at what she does!
  • She is an excellent colorist!
  • A great teacher!
  • Easy to get to know, and willing to share!

So when the opportunity presented itself for this half day class, I jumped on it, and  I wasn’t disappointed!

In my February 4 post, I talked about the class, and a little about my history with Cathy Carry.

Last week one of my paintings that wasn’t working, just found itself with a fresh coat of gesso on it, and the beginning of not just a new painting, but a new technique!  It started out so well, and just like anything else one is trying to master, went downhill…….  There isn’t much else to do to it at this point, except maybe gesso over it once again.  However, I’m not going to do that.

Here is Why!

When I’m working on a new technique, I like to look at it, analyze it,  let it sink in, and give it a chance to talk to me.  That is my process, and in doing that I can see things I don’t want repeated, things I might do differently next time, or even things I really love about the painting.  This painting has all of that!  I have posted pictures from beginning to end, and I don’t think I’m going to go any further on it, but rather keep it so I might be reminded of what direction I want to go, and what direction I never want to go again!

The pictures are also an attempt at stomping back my ego, and get over myself!   After all you can’t be perfect right out of the gate, and how can I develop a style if I don’t practice, practice, practice?  

Taking pictures of my work as I’m painting is one of the ways I find things that might, or might not be working.  I’ve done this for years, and it has helped me a great deal.  As I’m gathering the pictures to include in this post, I’m seeing new things that I like, and things I realize now I don’t want to repeat.  So thank you one and all for prompting me to keep writing, and to me for listening to you.  I’m learning as I sit here and blog!

P.S….As I look at this painting, and trying to figure out what isn’t working, I’m seeing many things that I hadn’t seen before.  I said it was finished, but I’m going to play with it just a little more, and then my intentions are to leave it alone, call it finished, and learn from it!

Feb12

Valentine Fever…

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Recently I talked about making Valentines for my grandkids, and how little time there is left to created them.  Well, I started a couple of weeks ago pressing out the clay, cutting out the heart shapes, and stamping into them.  It was so much fun creating each one differently.

My stash of stamps is numerous, and some of them spoke to me big time!  Things like XOXO, Friends One Of God’s Greatest Gifts, If The Shoe Fits Buy It, and several more.  I used paisley stamps, elephant shapes, and on and on.  When they were all baked and finished, It hit me!  Almost every heart shape would be perfect for a girlfriend, but not for my grandchildren!

Now What?

One might say, “It’s back to the drawing board!”  By golly, I think you’re right!  I can only take so much  clay, but it’s still fun to work with now and then, so it’s back to Michael’s for more clay.  I hate going in there because Michael’s always carries things that call to me, and I rarely come out of there with only what I went in for!  I really do try, but things just grab  me!  So on Wednesday, I dragged the pasta maker out once again for yet another go at the heart-shaped clay Valentines!

Somehow I was Having Trouble Getting Back Into The Hearts!

In Michael’s I  found  about six more stamps (on sale for 99c) appropriate for little ones.  The old standbys like, Be My Valentine, or Will You Be Mine!  That’s more like what I wanted to put on Valentines for a three, or a six-year-old.  The  girls are easier to make Valentines for, but the boys just have to get use to them also!  Boys will be getting Valentines for the rest of their lives!

Again – Now What?

Since there are all kinds of projects going on around our house, I’m going to pack up all the “Stuff,” and take it for an Art Day with the Fabulous Five this weekend!  Every month my girls and I get together to share, critique, and play with ideas.  Sometimes we get really into some project, and sometimes we sit and throw ideas around, discussing technique, or problems we’re having with some specific piece of art one of us is working on.  Whatever happens, we all come away from our day together feeling  full of creative energy, and more ideas than we could have even imagined!  All of us agree, that the single most important thing an artist can do for themselves is to share creative energy with other artists.  So yes, I have a great support system,  consisting of four other artists, each bringing something different to the table.  Not one of us creates the same way, but each of us is inspired by the other.  I couldn’t ask for more!

What did you create together?

Nothing!  We hadn’t seen each other in quite a while, so not one of us could stop talking long enough  so we could get some Valentines made.  And after I bought über amounts of clay to make them with!  The clay will go back to Michael’s just as soon as I’m finished.  All in all, we had a great time together with many ideas (not involving Valentines).

Once Again – Now What?

Now it’s back to the drawing board to finish the Valentines on my own.  I’m happy to report that after baking dozens of heart shapes, and stamping into them, I’m so finished!

With all the hearts completed, put together, wrapped, & addressed they are ready to go out the door.  The pictures above are of the four sets of Valentines that are finished!  I don’t want to see another Valentine until I get that box of See’s Candy from my husband in a few days!

 I’m so ready to get back to organizing the studio, and to painting. Mostly Painting…

Jan29

Time Once Again To Experiment!

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What Are Your Feelings On This?

This is the perfect time to start experimenting with our art!  Certainly, if I don’t experiment, I won’t grow.  I have a ten pound box of Cotton Linters sitting in my garage, still in its original box, and waiting for me to decide what to do with it.  The Linters were shipped to me many years ago when I was in my paper making phase, and since then it has been given away (still in the original box), and found its way back home (still in the original box)!  I can’t seem to get rid of them!  But for the last year or so, it has been calling to me….

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Cotton Linters, they are the cotton fibers pressed into large sheets of rather soft paper.  It is easily  torn up, and run through the blender.  The pieces  get pulverized to the point of being put on a screen, filtering out the water,  and dried flat – making handmade paper!  (This is the simple version!)

10# of Cotten Linters just waiting for inspiration!

10# of Cotton Linters just waiting for inspiration!

What on earth could it possibly be saying?

I only have vague ideas of what to do with it, but that ten pounds keeps just on the edge of my creative mind.  There isn’t any way I still want to make paper, but  I was thinking of preparing it the same way, and putting it into a mold of some kind to create a raised, molded image to place in a mixed media piece.  I know this sounds vague, it does to me too.  But like I said it seems to be circling the creative mind constantly!  If it can be pulverized in a blender, why can’t it be pressed into something with a shape.  Now I’m thinking if I put Elmer’s Glue with it, i could make some harder shapes.

OMG, just think of the possibilities!

This is how we come up with new ideas that  haven’t been done before, this is how art is created!  Trial and error!

Has anyone tried to do anything like this?  I’d love to hear about it, or your thoughts, and ideas…

I’ll definitely get back to this subject at a later date, but for now, I’m letting it simmer, and marinate up there in the old cabasa!

Jan25

I Believe…

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I Believe…

I believe in many things, but today I’m keeping it to ART!

  • I believe you must believe in yourself!
  • I believe you must live your beliefs!
  • I believe you must choose the people carefully to ask for a critique!
  • I believe we must keep working at our art, and grow!
  • I believe there are no mistakes, only opportunities to be more creative!

Each time I lose steam, and this is one of them, I have trouble getting back into the swing of things.  Usually it’s after the holidays…like now!  Sure there are many things going on in our lives, all our lives, but why is it that some people can shove all things aside, and keep creating, and some of us just can’t seem to get our mojo running?

I sit in front of my computer and... I got nothing!

That’s not like me!  My husband tells me I always have my soapbox dragging behind me, and I’m more than happy to stop, and climb on…  I really hope I’m not all that bad, but given the right prompt, I will, and have…climbed on my soapbox.  Rarely do I drag it out for religion, or politics, those are touchy subjects to many people, and we all have our own opinions!  Isn’t that what makes our country the great country that it is?  So, I try to stay away from those two subjects.

What will you talk about?

I’ll talk of art at the drop of a hat!  It doesn’t have to be a fancy hat, any old hat will do…..  I love hearing other artists talk of technique, better yet, watching them work.  We can learn so much from each other, maybe even creating a spin-off of something we have seen somewhere else.  I still find creating a bit intimidating at times, especially if I’m over saturated with art.  For example, I became fascinated  with Pinetrest many months ago.  I couldn’t believe how much inspiration I got from that site.  It pushed me to create many things  I hadn’t thought of, and I haven’t seen anywhere else.  But somewhere along the line, I felt like I was on overload and had to back off!  It almost zapped  my creative energy.  So I rarely go onto that website prior to painting.  If I have any ideas at all, I stay away!

Here’s what I just finished!

Tuesday morning, I went to the Escondido Municipal Gallery to participate in the “Artful Inches Fundraiser.”   Several artists donate their time to do a little painting on a portion of about 40 feet of watercolor paper that has been hung on the wall.  Over a period of three weeks,  artists come and go, leaving their  painting somewhere on the paper. Eventually the paper is all filled in, and the fundraiser begins!

Next month on February 9th, there will be a reception, the public will be able to purchase a section of the painting with the help of their selected size of matting. The prices vary depending on the size of the mat!   Last year was the First Annual Fundraiser, and it was a huge success!  The money supports the annual Student Art Show in April and participating teachers.

When I went in to paint, I hadn’t any idea what I would do, but I found myself alone to do it!  The room was empty, no one was painting on Tuesday morning except me!   So I was able to spread out and jump in!  This felt oddly freeing, being able to have such a huge space to paint without interruptions.  The picture above is what I created…..It just popped out of me – Journal Style!

  • I believe we should never compare ourselves to another artists!
  • I believe each of us is unique!
  • I also believe artists are incredibly fragile, even if we don’t think so!
  • I believe each day we have to work at stomping back our ego!
  • I believe I love what I do, and want us all to love what they do also!
  • I believe we are all connected and we need to share our creative energy!
  • I believe that my small group of close Artsie Fartsie girls are of significant importance in my life!