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Friday, April 29, 2011

You can do anything...

My parents always told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it. I am sure I am not the only one with such great parents. I mention this for a very important reason, which I will get to in a moment. I have been frustrated lately with blogging. I just haven't felt like my blog was personal enough. In my search for uniqueness I have looked high and low, googled, binged, yahooed, and who knows what else to find the answers I was searching for. At first my search was simply to find a free template that screamed "ME!" It was a wasted effort. Then I began to think.......scary, I know...... If I can teach myself how to use excel, create an access database from scratch, edit in adobe photoshop without a manual, and write queries in SQL then I can teach myself how to personalize my blog (all because my parents told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it).

So... I have begun my journey. If you have visited my blog previously you might have already noticed I have made a few changes. I am sure there will be more to come but I am really excited about how this adventure has begun to unfold. I have made it over my first big hurdle and am staggering towards my second but I am sure I will make it, with time.

The first hurdle was, I think, my biggest challenge which is why I chose to conquer it first (why start small?). You could probably guess this hurdle was my blog header. While it is not the most glamorous showstopper out there I think it turned out quite nice. The best part is I was able to use only my photography, how cool is that! For a moment I felt like a real pro. I am starting to get the hang of this blogging business and am excited for the changes I have lined out for my future. I hope you will enjoy them too.

Family Craft: Painted Garden

This spring I decided I wanted to work on a craft project with my girls. It took me a while to decide which one we were going to do first, but I finally decided we would paint a pot for planting veggies. Since our backyard isn't ready for us to plant a real garden I thought it would be fun to start a planter garden on our deck. The weather cooperated perfectly and we had a blast creating our masterpiece. Maizie said she wanted to do crafts all the time. In my book I would call that a success. 





 Lilly called her painting "Scenery".

 Maizie called her painting "Red and Blue Stripes". 

Our masterpiece is now brightening up a corner of our deck. It is home to three bell pepper plants. 


Project List: Acrylic Paint (assorted colors of you choosing), Terracotta Pot and Base, Paint Brushes, News Paper or Butcher Paper (to keep the mess off your table), Aprons or Smocks (to keep the mess off you), and lots of fun. You might want to use a clear coat sealer after the paint dries, this will help protect your masterpiece from the elements. 


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Playing with Space


This is a first attempt at taking some of my sketchbook drawings and turning them into a finished piece. This is also my second attempt at re-introducing vine charcoal to my drawing pallet. While I am liking the direction I am not liking the outcome, although the rough organic imperfections are growing on me.

Medium: Vine Charcoal on White Bristol

Saturday, April 16, 2011

My Favorite Subjects...


It doesn't matter if I am snapping photographs, drawing, or painting, my favorite subjects are my family. When Maizie was about nine months old I had taken a picture of her I later started to turn into an oil painting. I never finished it. It was the first painting I attempted after college and now it sits in my laundry room waiting to be finished. A year or so ago my brother-in-law sent me a photograph he took of Maizie, it is one of my most favorite pictures. It is mostly blurry with the focus on her eyes, the image seems to dissolve as you get further away from her face. I was looking at the pictures in my phone tonight and came across the photograph, I couldn't resist. My heart has been begging me to pour it into some piece of art and I thought, "why not?" I grabbed my vine charcoal and four hours later here we are. God is good and I thank him everyday for the small gifts that he has given to me. This picture is a reminder of one of the most precious, my children. Thank you Jordan for inspiring me with your wonderful picture. I hope you will know how much I appreciate it.

Medium: Vine Charcoal on White Bristol

Friday, April 8, 2011

Pods

 
I love plants, particularly green plants like grass, and plants that are not overwhelmed with flowers. I am not so good at keeping them alive which is why if I could live anywhere It would be in a tree house in a rain forest. You can't get more plants than that, especially ones you don't have to water and take care of. The only thing that might hold me back are the insects.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Ripples

I love watching water move. The ripples, bubbles, lines, shadows, reflections,... all of it is hypnotizing. Sometimes I find myself just staring at the surface of the water trying to memorize each ripple, the forms and shapes I see. It is calming and, ironically, refreshing.

Medium: Permanent Marker on White Paper with Digital Finishing