she who blogs

Damp Wonderland

 
Visit Lissa at a Chance of Sunshine

My Work in Action

I have to admit, getting to see a piece of my handwork *in action* makes me look at it in a whole new way. You have to understand that when something leaves the studio, generally I have moved on to the new project or am in a state of collapse and am trying to dig out the house. This was timed perfect; delivery late last week and then use yesterday.

Pastor Steve, with the bowl used for water for Confirmation and Baptism.

I managed a few shots that were decent.......I did not want to disrupt service and frankly, I figured I would land flat on the floor with the foot being, ummmm, uncooperative to say the least.

During the children's moment, asking them if they wanted to touch the water in the bowl.

I also learned something about myself.  I am a worry wart of monumental proportions, as the above photo had me freaking~~what if WATER gets on the stole????? (I don't have children; my WORKS are my children and I am way too over protective.....omgosh....yes I am!) But all went well, I was able to breathe without a paper bag being put to my mouth......   ;-D

And I suppose at the end of the day I have but one question: Next time, Michele, can you distract your husband long enough so I can put some LIQUID NAILS on the bottom of his shoes so I can get some shots IN FOCUS????  LOL! Now I am off to clean and prep for the next project, and may be blog scarce. I beg your forgiveness~~I just do not have enough hours in the day right now, but I appreciate all of you who look and read and comment. I do; beyond words. You keep me going. Grazie! Pax....   

Visit  El Milagro Studio

New Blog - A Chance of Sunshine

Just a place, a home of sort, for my writings, drawings, photography, creations and other mess that are not quite finished. Although, some are quite finished.

A Chance of Sunshine
My last blog was named, "The Memory of rain", so I thought it would be nice to go onto something sunny and more positive. But one can love the rain and still enjoy a sunny day at the same time. The name comes from one of my favorite book by one of my favorite artist, Jimmy Liao. When I see Liao's work, I am immediately inspired to smile. The original Chinese title of the book translates into 'Turn Left, Turn Right.'

Sunday Sketches

Sophia at Blue Chair Diary was so inspired by the response she received from her first post of Sunday Sketches, she decided to make it a weekly event and so the meme Sunday Sketches was born!

Whether you are a participant or not, please feel free to place the button on your sidebar, linking back to this post.

Sunday Sketches Requirements:

- Put the Sunday Sketches button on your blog.
- Grab whatever you love to draw/sketch with and have at it.
- No themes or specific topics. Just whatever comes to mind. Sunday Sketches is designed to keep one's creativity alive and flowing.

Thus why there are no "rules" for this weekly art project.

How do I sign up?

Every Sunday a Mr. Linky Link will be posted for those who wish to participate. Once you have completed and posted your artwork, come over to my blog and list your name and URL in Mr. Linky. Simple as that!

Project 365: Day 54

One of the great things about Max being at nursery for the mornings, is being able to pop into my mum and dad’s while he’s there.

My interest in creativity has come back, after about ten years of it having gone. After finishing my standard grade Art, it just kind of went out of my life. Boys were more interesting. Uni started, then I got married and had kids.

Funny how the things that make me, well *me*, managed to just slip away and hover in the background.

So the best thing about Max being at nursery as far as I’m concerned, is definitely being able to get back to being me again.

Having time to go spend time with my mum, and have fun with paints and stamps and pretty papers.

To be able to re-discover the love I used to have for getting messy and making something from it.

Not to mention learning new ways to do things, trying out various different approaches to DOing and CREATing.

I’ve got a long way to go before I get back to my usual.

That’s the thing though, I have plenty of time.

I’m still young.

I still have lots to learn.

For now I’m taking it a step at a time.

Finding my own path I suppose.

Enjoying time to finally be ME.

What do you do that’s just for YOU? Do you do anything? Can you MAKE the time to do something just for you? What would you do if you had the time?

I’d love to know!

Visit Marylin

the good, the bad and the funny

Time for a little catch up. It’s been a busy November which, to be honest, is usually the case. I’m slowly catching up on restaurant reviews. I still have so many photos that haven’t been worked into a posted review here, and I’ll continue putting those up. I’m on a bit of a roll that I hope continues.

 

The good

Painting Sunflowers with Mom

My family was just here for the whole week of Thanksgiving, which was great. When they’re here, I’m able to experience the city in a different way. It’s more relaxing. My hurried pace to dart from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible slacks and I’m able to enjoy NYC from a different angle. We brunched at Jane and Cafe Lalo. We did Thanksgiving dinner out as I mentioned below at Pylos, giving my mom a stress-free Thanksgiving Day for once. No Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade though – maybe next year I’ll mark that off of my list. My parents helped me with Dixie’s annual Christmas Card photo shoot (she doesn’t mind much – especially when bacon and cheese flavored treats are involved). My mom and I, along with my friend Jenn, went and even did a painting class at Paint Along. I just love sunflowers. It’s always hard when my parents eventually leave since I only get to see them a few times out of the year and they are so far away (especially this round since they take Dixie back between holidays), but I’ll be heading down South myself soon enough.

 

The bad

Win Some, Lose Some

I was really looking forward to the challenge of this year’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). This was my third year to sign up, having won both years I did it before. The structure of the month plays into my competitive nature and I really enjoyed writing in a big teahouse with a bunch of other frantic writers. How many words did you get that last 10 minute sprint? Oh really? I got twice as many as you did… The other two years, I spent writing the same piece, with the 100,000 words from winning those two years bringing me to a book of some 300 pages. It was my magical means to the end I had always wanted to achieve. When it comes to longer works, I’d only ever focused on memoir. This year, I wanted to tackle fiction head-on, convinced after 50,000 words I would feel better about the idea (whether I had an amazing start to a novel or not).

However, I ended up being sick the greater part of November, the impetus being my galavanting all over Manhattan leading up to the Halloween parade sans coat in my Thriller 80′s fabulous outfit. And I ended up not just slightly sick. Three visits to the doctor sick. Thank goodness, I finally am feeling better. But it left me feeling run down all month, coughing and foggy-headed from my codeine cough syrup. It simply wasn’t the right time to tackle this demon, that’s for sure. Instead, I plan to keep plugging away at this on my own, just to see if I can get into the swing of thing with fiction. I have faith I can. Getting over 20,000 words in itself was a huge feat.

 

The funny

So recently at trapeze, I have begun tackling a new beast – turning around (apologies for those of you who have seen this pop up both on Twitter and Tumblr). The trick I am working on is called the Three Kick Turnaround, but for me as of late, it’s more appropriately dubbed the Three Kick Mad Fling Turnaround. With trapeze, I’ve learned you’ve gotta start somewhere … and be able to laugh along the way. Even when you manage to seemingly undo some of the prior class’ good work. Especially once you admit to yourself that turning around is a whole new way to swing. I’m still laughing at this one – don’t miss the sound, cause it kinda makes the video.

This past Monday I tried again. It’s better, but still not quite there. I realized in watching the video that was only doing two kicks for the three kick turnaround. Seeing as it’s kind of in the name, might be a good idea to fix that! I ordered some grips to start to use on Sunday so that I have a better grip on the bar for this. I’m learning the harder the tricks, the harder it is on your hands, so getting used to using grips sooner rather than later might be wise. I ordered them yesterday from a gymnastics supply company. They’re essentially men’s high bar grips, which kinda makes me laugh because me and gymnastics? Not so much of a combo. Come Sunday though, I’ll add in my obnoxious pink EVERLAST boxing wraps around the bottom and see if it’s the magic something-something I needed in this equation. Wish me luck!

 

 

Visit LJ at City Grits

ATC DAY (which stands for a number of things....)

***First, before I forget, new WELCOMES aboard this crazy blog! Relax....it's fun here!!!***

I would love to say yesterday was a day of many accomplishments and LOTS of ATCs. Somewhere half way through the day, I began thinking about the initials of artist trading cards and decided maybe in my case, it stands for other things......

Wait.....I'm getting ahead of myself.

I have occasionally had people ask how I get inspired to do a piece, simple or complex, of art. Generally they are treated to the *deer-in-the-headlights* stare, followed by the dropped jaw and stammering. Sometimes drooling accompanies the afore mentioned. Not always.

This gives a good idea how my mind works....or doesn't as you may decide.

I had wanted to start searching my piles for images for the two other medical related pieces that will go on the square canvas that have the texture. While I was looking for the box with that ephemera, I noticed I had not answered a letter, so I sat and made stationery for that. (the letter turned into about a three hour project)

I walked it to the mail box and, as we were having extremely strong winds, I noticed a perfectly formed red Japanese Maple leaf on the ground, which I-- of course-- had to pick up. It was supple and fresh, but I wanted to use it NOW.  (you're right; this has nothing to do with the two medical pieces...)

Continuing.......I slapped it between a folded sheet of waxed paper, and covered that with paper toweling and ironed until it was dry, flat and very delicate. Most of the color is retained doing this. Well, then I looked at the size and I thought....hmmmmm....ATC size.

So off to the computer to print some backgrounds from my file of Oriental freebies I have saved FOR EVER. I printed a page out, sprayed both sides of the paper well with workable fixative then set to adhering one piece to a precut ATC card.

I decided that having the leaf hanging over the edge would look better and gently broke off the excess pieces. I also had covered the background print with a glitter paint, which barely shows in the photo. It needed oomph. Then I decided I wanted the Geisha cut out around the print, and I would make a seperate back for the card. (I know....you're supposed to sign them but....well.....it's ME and I want that back covered! And I want it firm so it won't bend easily.)

So there I am, with half the card and cutting the Geisha and the camera decides it has ingested all of it's battery.

Great.

I had this idea of a detailed photo post, but you get two and we were doing good with that.

Now back to the ATC abbreviation. (notice how I never got back to those medical scraps to sort???) I kept thinking the way I work is much like Billy from the Family Circus (for those of us OLD and DECREPIT ENOUGH to remember that delightful cartoon) when his mother would say "Billy, go straight to the store...." and he wandered everywhere humanly possible.

My *ATC* stands for:

Artist: Totally Clueless

When I get batteries, the finished card will be posted, unless I find something else to wander off to do. And that is a good possibility. Or I may forget to buy them when I am in town, and come home with chocolate instead.

But all in all, yesterday was a relaxing sort of day and fun, and I got to stay in the studio so maybe I wasn't supposed to find those medical scraps after all. I mean, I would have had to really concentrate.....and lately, my brain keeps saying it wants a break!

I think I'll just take a short walk with Billy......and be straight back!  LOL!!!

Pax.

 

VISIT EL MILAGRITO STUDIO HERE

dreamer

 
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
Harriet Tubman

Illustration by lissa@the memory of rain

floating

Visit the original post here for a larger view &  more of Lissa's work.

Our "Different" Sense of Humor

After I did my last pastel painting, I was so hooked, I wanted to paint another one. And this one became a great source of mirth! Originally, I had two women sketched out, both of them sort of a little bit off the page.

Then I decided I didn't like the second woman and wanted flowers, probably because I had walked Winslow that morning and admired all the beautiful camellias in our neighborhood. So, I left this woman as she was and finished the whole little sketch.

When I showed it to Daniel, he really liked it, and then promptly turned her on her side...

and called her DOA (dead on arrival), a reference to my love of crime shows and murder mysteries (and I hope I'm not offending anyone with this). That had me laughing all evening. What can I say, we just sometimes have a "different" sense of humor.

 

She's a keeper and up (actually, on her side) in my studio - makes me giggle every time I look at her...

 

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