I Love Tutorials

Just a quick post about a great tutorial I stumbled upon.  And it's affordable!  Only $10.   One thing I've loved for some time now, is transfering images and text to fabric.  But I'm also looking to do more mixed media as well as exploring other methods of doing artwork.  Painting with watercolor and acrylics, encaustic, color enhancement on black and white photography, etc.  I especially like images of old barns, old trucks, windows and doorways.  Don't know why.  I just do.

So here's the information about this latest tutorial that I'm excited about.

http://www.grittyjane.com/blog/

And if you're like me. . . you'll be digging in your change purse to be able to view this treasure!  Oh, and her art is great besides!!!  Enjoy.

Much to our surprise it snowed this morning.  Mike and I were reflecting back to an April 1st snow storm that dumped a couple of feet on us and we were without power for 4 days.  It's not a fun time since we don't have a wood stove or a fireplace in this rental.


See that long line of fir trees along our driveway. . . well at the end of that driveway is the new house that we've been building for almost 7 years.  The super good news is that yesterday we got our final inspection, passed and signed off with the county building dept.  Woo-Who!!!  So now we'll be able to pursue refinancing - Finally.  It took lots of little and not so little loans to get this thing close to completed.

Next step is laying the wood floor downstairs so the finisher can come in and make it beautiful.  Then we pick carpet, have it installed and move in.  Last step * * * P A R T Y  O N!!!

Back to reality - we'll need to rent out this MH and that's something we don't look forward to at all.  I can tell you we've have more "bad" (or let's just say "interesting" renters than we've had "wonderful" renters.  Then there's the big idea I have rattling around in this mental maze of a brain, to turn the space into a workshop / small retreat type spot, all set up with work tables, etc. with room to sleep up to 8, full kitchen, two baths and a washer and dryer.  I can see quilters, painters, scrapbookers, mixed media artists, and girlfriend gatherings utilizing this space.  Most importantly it would be a place to escape to. . . away from the tv, the phone, the kids, the to-do lists.  A place to indulge ones-self in creative exploration or simply to finish a project.  And that's part of my vision for "Alsea Art Farm".                                                                              

I Love This Quote!

But a word of caution (to me!) I read a post called "Highs and Lows of Being an Artist" on Lesley Riley's  blog today and it reminded me that sometimes what we wish for ends up being more than we wish for - if not monitored and occasionally assessed.  She has achieved success in my mind.  I admire her so much and I love her work!  Not only is she a talented artist but she has the most generous spirit.  I've followed her from nearly the beginning and I even have one of her "Fragments".   It's one of my favorite treasures!  I love everything about it.

We all need to make sure life doesn't overwhelm us and clutter our spirits!

We need to play often!!!

Too Cool Not To Share!

I thought it time to share this cool resource that I stumbled upon.  It's called "Creative Catalyst Productions Inc."  I actually was looking for a past painting teacher Lynn Powers, from whom I first took a watercolor painting class at the Benton Center in 1998.  It's something I would like to do again.  So I googled her name and came across her new venture with her husband (they live in Albany) and wowza - take a look at what they are doing, right here in my own backyard!!!  http://www.ccpvideos.com/

I've known about this site for a couple of months and really thought I'd purchase a few of my favorite artists ( ANN BALDWIN / SHERRILL KAHN / LESLEY RILEY / CLAUDINE HELLMUTH ) DVD's, but not until I'm employed again and can afford even that.  But think of the tremendous opportunity this is. . . . workshops are getting increasingly more expensive and this option is affordable to say the least!!!

BUT. . . . the surprise that I had today is that you can also RENT these DVD's too, right on your own computer.  http://www.artworkshops.tv/  Check out the freebies!

The Sherrill Kahn screen-prints below are from one of the freebies that I watched today!

I think she's at the top of my favorites list!

I've taken a workshop from her in person and I've used her painting on fabric techniques more than any other.    She's also on of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

So what are you waiting for. . . .  go check out these DVD's.

Let me know if you find anything you like!

Colorful and Different. . . I love that!

I was getting dressed earlier and thought of my new socks and had to post a picture.  Then that led to taking another picture, and then finding another one that I thought fit in the "Colorful and Different" category. . . . way side tracked AGAIN!!!  But let's proceed with the original thought. .. . .. . ..  Here are my birthday socks from my son and daughter-in-law.  I just love them for their outrageous design, pattern and of course the color.  By the way, if you love them as much as I do - you too can own them if you live locally.  I found them at "Sibling Rivalry" in Corvallis.

 

and they're much too special to cover up with any shoes, so that means I will always have to wear them with my black Birkenstocks.  Of course!

and thinking about color - I have to show you this picture that I took while playing around with my webcam as I was play acting.  Yes, that's what I said.  Here's a photo of me pretending to be a famous artist (why else would I have such a posed photo).  But let me explain a thing or two.  It started out to be an experiment with my hair.  Lately I've been sick of it and I thought that I'd try and do a hair-pulled-back photo (I haven't done that look since grade school) to try and analyze my facial features so that I might begin to have an idea of what I think I'd like to try as a new hairstyle (way too sidetracked that day too!) and down the wandering path I went. .. . .. . I ended up having too much fun and the resulting picture is part of that.  Oh, and the other photos. . . . only a few close friends got to see the whole slide show.  Anyway, I got out one of my funnest and wildest jackets that I wear in spurts, on occasion, and it made me realize how I love that jacket!  Why I love that jacket.  It's not a jacket that many people would wear, well except for an artist type/wanna-be-artist like me.  I love it's color, the design is wacky, wild and free.  That's what I love about it and that it's very different - like me ;~)

Sometimes I can't believe I'm putting this stuff (thoughts and photos) out there for anyone to see.  Yikes!