tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78606579217023321102024-03-05T10:49:51.716-08:00Jena MarksI believe in finding beauty where you wander, down the alleys, from your memories, out the back door. Have a cup of tea, relax, and let the muse stay a while.Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-6441233098498171542011-03-23T09:35:00.000-07:002011-03-23T09:43:30.673-07:00StrangersThis is Andrew Blandy, otherwise known as treemade. He is an artist on the flickr.com group "Julia Kay's Portrait Party". The entire collection of artists portraits of treemade can be found here. This is an incredibly active group of artist from around the world. I am just getting started participating in this group, but so far I am loving it! Loads of off shoots of ideas are coming from Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-15508358009781008792011-03-03T14:58:00.001-08:002011-03-03T15:03:43.212-08:00Too much TV?Watching television can be fun, if not brain numbing. I am constantly wishing I could press the pause button on many many many different scenes (something I do quite frequently when dh isn't around) and sketch to my hearts content. Gonna get one of Brian Williams one of these days.But, until then, it will be random scenes I run across which inspire. I have no recollection where I found this Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-58825786158972547372011-03-02T09:18:00.000-08:002011-03-02T09:27:38.812-08:00Portrait PartyOver on Flickr.com there is a party going on! I am a bit shy, and like to hang back and check out who is at a party before I go in full time, but I think I am about to introduce myself a bit!The simple premise is this. I post a picture of me and you make a portrait, and you post a picture of you and I do a portrait of you! Basically artists drawing each other, and posting these at the "Julia Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-63242052296136401202011-01-21T11:23:00.000-08:002011-01-21T11:29:22.137-08:00Pogie PieThis week my sister and her family lost a very special part of themselves. Their beloved Pogie passed away. She was only 5 years old, way way way not enough time for her to be with her people. But in that short time, she taught two boys how to care and love for another, creating compassion and empathy in them which will be a part of their personalities for a very long time. She was a very Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-11114018452122854862011-01-20T08:32:00.000-08:002011-01-20T08:34:41.890-08:00Full Wolf MoonLast night was the first full moon of the year. Also known as the Wolf Moon. From the always handy Farmer's Almanac: “Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States,” the almanac explains, noting that “tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon.”The Farmer's Almanac also notes that January’s full Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-34987775081539255892011-01-03T14:56:00.000-08:002011-01-03T15:07:55.753-08:0042 SketchesBoy oh boy how I love to start things! Finishing things....yeah, not so good. But this year will be different, yeah, right.Anyway, fellow facebook friend Michaela Eaves started a habit last year, a very good one. For the first 6 weeks of the year, she sketches one picture.Now, let's be honest here, I am doing more than just sketching on a daily basis. Sure there are the days when the laundry Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-59751803060565688052010-12-10T22:42:00.000-08:002010-12-11T11:48:56.739-08:00Friday Fill-Ins, December 10Happy 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 Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-88005280205210901352010-12-01T21:29:00.000-08:002010-12-01T22:31:55.536-08:00One WordI 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 Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-81281522395403796812010-11-19T15:25:00.000-08:002010-11-19T15:31:18.572-08:005th Grade CampI 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 Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-64602166810013029982010-11-12T12:59:00.000-08:002010-11-12T13:32:11.328-08:00TGIFFriday Fill-insSeems 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 Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-74979811911291539202010-11-09T15:22:00.000-08:002010-11-09T15:30:28.151-08:00Looking ForwardStudio 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 Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-4439838699875678612010-11-07T18:04:00.000-08:002010-11-07T21:13:44.922-08:00Tacoma Studio ToursI 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.Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-29637109683714158922010-11-06T09:18:00.000-07:002010-11-06T09:21:34.165-07:00Political ProfileThis 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!Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-55642693513806888312010-11-05T11:30:00.000-07:002010-11-05T11:37:16.802-07:00Sketching 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, andJenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-65313264508605988722010-11-04T14:27:00.000-07:002010-11-04T14:31:18.197-07:00Murray 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?" Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-89966017731453544142010-11-03T11:37:00.000-07:002010-11-03T11:38:57.977-07:00Election 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!Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-32673361924348603712010-11-01T13:52:00.001-07:002010-11-01T13:52:43.439-07:00Why talk politics if you can just talk about wine instead?Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-39502160512455497212010-10-27T13:53:00.001-07:002010-10-27T14:10:41.782-07:00Trying 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! Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-27504994166363202032010-05-15T20:07:00.000-07:002010-06-15T20:47:59.698-07:00Link riderThis is what happens when I get papers, glue and a random drawing I did of a link rider....Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-8556582414127945052010-04-26T11:52:00.000-07:002010-06-09T11:54:57.394-07:00Go boy go!Washington State Chess Championship!Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-66400133956490181622009-12-30T13:57:00.000-08:002009-12-30T14:12:10.094-08:00Different Strokes Portrait ChallengeThis month I emailed a pic of myself to Karin Jurick of Different Strokes for Different Folks fame. She is an amazing "daily painter" who has a new image about every two or three weeks posted on her blog for artists anywhere to work on. It is really great to see how other people interpret the same image. I have challenged myself with her images in the past, but never posted them or emailed herJenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-26930207076124479902009-12-04T09:53:00.000-08:002009-12-04T10:27:03.452-08:00Best of 2009: Favorite TripI like a challenge, and reflecting back on my year, so I have decided to try this new blog challenge, hosted by Gwen Bell at "The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge". Already I am behind schedule (oh, whoops, it is December 4th already...got some catch up to do!), but that is okay, I am going to be kind to myself and not worry about it! Perhaps this is a life lesson I am finally learning!Over the lastJenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-37153468728716987962009-12-02T20:51:00.000-08:002009-12-02T20:57:47.588-08:00Yukon CornellusI'm off to get my life-sustaining supplies...cornmeal, gunpowder, ham hocks and guitar strings!Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-62939264146129033762009-12-01T22:01:00.000-08:002009-12-01T22:07:08.108-08:00Inhumanely Sensitive"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him... a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - - - so that without the creating Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860657921702332110.post-7869171588602085862009-11-24T21:56:00.000-08:002009-11-24T22:04:00.938-08:00Here Kitty, KittyI really enjoyed the technique I used on my last post, and so I fooled around a bit with an image of a cat. We used to have a couple of cats, but time passes, and things change. Our first beloved cat passed away after 14 wonderful years. He was such a charmer, much more of a puppy than a cat, he would come when you called him, and enjoyed being loved on and all. Our second cat, Truman, was a Jenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06062914085368333693noreply@blogger.com4