Friday, December 10, 2010

Friday Fill-Ins, December 10

Happy Friday! Here we go with some Friday Fill-in fun!

1. I wish for more peace, magic and financial freedom, yes, all at the same time!.

2. Man, those LED Christmas lights sure look blue!...that's what I'm thinking.

3. Please bring rum for our hot buttered needs tonight.

4. My new studio space is so amazing.

5. One of my fondest hopes is that I can sustain my creating, on all levels!

6. My landlord has been wonderful to rent from, but now our time is over, it is moving day, and I just wanted to say thank you.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having the dh home, with the work week behind us, tomorrow my plans include Santa Train and Sunday, I want to bake!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

One Word



I am trying to keep up with blogging, perhaps participating in a December blog challenge might help. Over at #reverb10 Gwen Bell has set up a daily prompt to help reflect on this year, and manifest what is next. Sounds good right?

So here goes, prompt 1: December 1 One Word.
  • Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)

Candor: can·dor Noun /ˈkandər/

The quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness
a man of refreshing candor


My one word for this year? Candor. I am not sure I succeeded in this, but I do know that I was filled with more this year of my life, 40 years of being on this earth, real life, real time, real love, real sadness. My candor with most things around me seems to be growing. Perhaps I should say 2010's word is "trying", but I think candor speaks to my world better, yeah that and it just ain't so negative!

My word for next year, transcension, to surpass, pass over. Many aspects of my life would benefit from a little transcension I believe, well hey, duh, who wouldn't. Sounds so much more mystical and focused (can you be both?) than just saying "resolutions". Lets see if life becomes so, transcendent that is. (hrumph, I suppose I would have to work at that eh? -hows that for a little candor?)

Friday, November 19, 2010

5th Grade Camp


I was so fortunate to be able to go off to my son's 5th grade camp this year. What a fun time. Of course, I was not able to "bunk" with him, I was assigned a girls cabin, which was just perfet. I had 10 daughters for 3 days and 2 nights, so I got a lot of girlie time. Mostly good, but in the end I was totally missing my low maintinance boys. Lots less drama!

The days were spent dissecting squid, holding snakes, climbing real climbing walls, singing songs, cheering, making up skits. You know, total camp stuff. I had an absolute blast!

Occasionally when I wasn't needed to heard the cats, I got a few minutes to sketch away. This is a little ditty from the reptile house.

Good to be home, but super tired now, so I am off to shower and clean up!

Friday, November 12, 2010

TGIF

Friday Fill-ins

Seems like everywhere on the internet there are lists and organizational helps to get your creative juices flowing. I am not sure that I am a writer, but I do enjoy scratching my brain a bit to see what pops out, and not just visually, if you know what I mean. So, this week, it is Friday Fill-ins. Someone over the net sends out suggestions and me/we/they are supposed to fill in the blanks. So, here goes. This week is #199. Seems I am a bit late to the party, but at least I got there before the 200th post right?

1. When pigs fly those wings have gotta be strong!

2.
Sarah Palin with a reality show, seriously?!

3. Call me
if you want to go out sketching today...really, cuz it is beautiful, and I would love to have a friend with me.

4.
Stop being a hater if you know what I mean.

5. The most entertaining person in my life is
my dog because he has no problem licking his butt in public.

6.
So the local art store is closing, who's next?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to
movie night with youngest, tomorrow my plans include soccer and a hike and Sunday, I want to create more art!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Looking Forward


Studio tours went great (yeah yeah), but alas, not monetarily successful. Times are hard and its time for this "head in the clouds" cinderella to realize this.

Bad news came in the form of my landlord telling me the lease won't be renewed again. UGH. Okay, time to look up old friends and see if they can help me out.

Suffice it to say, the times, they are -a-changing! Might be a good thing right, always have to look on the bright side and view challenges as opportunities. Still, this whole "glass half full" crap ain't always an easy pill to swallow.

So, here's a dude, looking forward. Hope the future bodes well....for all of us.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Tacoma Studio Tours


I wanted to work on something that I could come back to now and again between talking to visitors to my studio this weekend as it was Tacoma's Studio Tours. This is part of Tacoma's Art at Work month, a monthlong "celebration" of arts in my little town.

Got out a few different inks, and pens, and went at this rendition of a "steampunk" lady.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Political Profile


This is a sketch of Laurie Jinkins, our new Rep in the 27th. I am so impressed with the way she thinks and speaks, I am glad she is going to represent us in Olympia! She is good friends with a neighbor of ours and I was fortunate enough to talk a bit with her at a pumpkin carving party right before the election. This is a sketch I did of her, I am liking these political sketches....fun!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Sketching other artists Sketching...


Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to a group of artists who gather together to paint/draw/sketch from a live model. Great. Except, that, it wasn't. Traffic snarled, I didn't get set up in a great spot and so I was stuck drawing some guy in a very static non-exciting pose. Nice. Except that there was this other guy, across the way and boy was he interesting to watch. Big feller, and my eye just kept going over there, so I just had to go and draw him. And then, during the part when everyone gets up and wanders around to look at your work, I got really embarrassed and just put it away. I mean hey, I am new here right, not my comfort zone, don't know these artists right? What if they all rallied around big rotund artist and chastised me for not following the rules. So I wimped out and called the kid.

"How'd you like the apple pie?"

"fine, when are you going to get home, and can you get me some money?"

Yes, we are transitioning out of cute little boy into big stinky sullen teen who only needs things like cash and freedom from his folks.

Well, that was my evening...what'cha think?


Thursday, November 4, 2010

Murray wins?


Still no official word on who won the race between Murray and Rossi in our States election. This is a quick sketch I did in the sketchbook of Patty Murray. I then uploaded it into the ol'puter and fiddled around with it. Not sure it looks at all like her, but the point is to get better at portraits. Even if everyone whom I draw tends to look at them and say "is that supposed to be me?" Perhaps I will do one of Rossi next. Something like a consolation prize for him.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010


Election Day is now over and we still don't have all the votes in! Bummed about many issues I was hoping would go through (or not go through as the case may be!) Now with Jinkins, Darneille, Dicks and (hopefully) Murray, good decisions can be made on our behalf and for our neighborhoods!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Trying out social media posting. . .

Beautiful weather today, but a bit chilly. The trees are showing their personality! I hope to make this a common event, uploading many pics of my pieces. I am finding longer painting pieces get hung up on too much seriousness, is that even a word? Well, anyway, looking to stay loose and proficient!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Link rider


This is what happens when I get papers, glue and a random drawing I did of a link rider....

Monday, April 26, 2010

Go boy go!

Washington State Chess Championship!