Sketching

This summer I sketched a female face - more of a doodle - while hubby and I were on a 2 hour car trip. He glanced over and told me the eyes were too close together. Not being mean, just an accurate observation. I started erasing and he began to protest. But I assured him that I welcomed the critique. I wanted to improve. He helped me a lot that day.

Since then, I've been sketching faces when I can and studying how to draw & paint them from some books I picked up.

When this new study started, I remembered drawing females using a sewing pattern catalog for inspiration when I was a teen. I didn't think I was very good at it (or other drawing), so I left drawing behind and satisfied my artistic pursuits in other ways.

You don't really have to draw to be a painter. I did decorative painting based on other peoples' patterns. When I took up watercolor, I did most of my works based on tracings of my photographs. Eventually, I began to work from my own drawings. After taking some painting classes this year, I decided to work more on drawing. I never expected to be so drawn to drawing faces, but that's where I am now.

I sketched this from my imagination the other night while waiting for hubby to take care of some business at the office. It's not perfect, but I thought I would share it with my readers.

Away in a Manger

"Away In A Manger" was one of the first Christmas carols I learned as a young child. Little was I to know how significant it would become to me.

This story starts in August 2003. Dad had been declining steadily due to the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease. He still lived on the family farm with Mom and one of my brothers. Our family prayed to know when the time was right for him to live in the nursing home and that time had come. It was clear. Still, it broke my heart the day Mom and I took him to live at "The Manor".

That night, I never slept. I prayed, I read, I lay in the bed hoping for sleep. I was so worried that Dad would be frightened and think we had abandoned him. I wanted God to comfort Dad so he would not feel alone. Late in the night, I had run out of words to pray. As I lay there, the words of the 3rd verse of "Away in a Manger" came to my mind, so I prayed them for Dad:

"Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,

Close by me forever and watch me I pray;

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there."

The night wore on until there was light in the eastern sky. I got out of bed and went outdoors where I photographed the new day.

A couple weeks later, we took Dad out for a picnic. After eating, I took him over to the playground equipment to be near his grandkids. Dad loved music and one of the blessings of his illness was he would break out in singing or humming very often. His favorite was "How Great Thou Art." I noticed he was humming as we went to the swings, but it wasn't his usual tune. Suddenly it dawned on me that he was humming "Away in a Manger". Oh, my! My heart rejoiced and was glad - my prayer had not only been heard, but God was confirming it to me for which I will always be grateful.

Dad went Home in late November 2006. I miss him so much, but I will always be grateful for all the blessings he brought into our lives.

(The art I posted is a scan of a linoleum block print I made a few years ago. I was inspired while hubby & I were touring a millenium-old church in Hildesheim, Germany with our dear friend, Jutta.)

Christmas Visitors

We made our annual trip to Eastern Iowa where we celebrated Christmas with some of my husband's family on the acreage where he grew up. The birds who come to the feeder are always entertaining, but we had a special treat this year. A group of wild turkeys came for Christmas dinner.

Several Mourning Doves were perched in a nearby tree.

These are some of the shots I took through the deck window since I didn't want to frighten the birds away. I wish I could have captured the beauty of the turkeys' plummage.

Christmas Blessings

Here's a little digital altered art I used for Christmas cards last year. I let the days get away this year and haven't even composed a Christmas letter.

This image started as a close-up of a Taro leaf. I played with Photoshop Elements to come up with this design which reminds me of a Christmas tree.

During this season it is good to contemplate what a wondrous gift God gave us sending Jesus to walk among us and give His life so that we can all share in His life forever.

Peace - Joy - Love

Glenwood Canyon Colorado and I-70

Hubby left for Glenwood Springs, Colorado today for another biz trip. It's hard to believe we were there just 2 weeks ago... and I was reminded that I have more pics to post.

I loved the colors and stratification of the different stones and soils we saw on our trip. Even though most of the vegetation was dormant, I appreciated its forms and colors. They are different from what I see daily in the midwest.

I decided to show you one of the shots I took along I-70 while we were still in eastern Utah. The sun reflecting off the distant peaks was stunning. There were red rock formations that literally glowed. I doubt I could have captured that even if I wasn't taking the shot thru the truck window going 80 mph!

We stayed at the Rodeway Inn in Glenwood Springs. On the right side of that shot, you can see a small shelter. That's where we enjoyed the outdoor hottub the night we stayed. It was so steamy that we almost couldn't see across the canyon where a lighted cross was on the top of the mountain. Christmas lights decorated the aspen tree by the shelter. It was beautiful and very refreshing.

Glenwood Springs is a very interesting town that I would love to return to. Amtrak has a stop there, but I think my next trip there will be by car.

Fairy Dust

Oh! How beautiful to look out the window and see the sky literally sparkling! It looked like fairy dust was falling, and suddenly, it was gone. Good thing I grabbed my camera before it was too late. This was taken last January from a condo at Sol Vista Resort near Granby, Colorado.
FYI - only editting to this photo was adding the text.

Scenic Travel through Utah on US 6

We arrived in Salt Lake City and got off Amtrak near 2 a.m. After a short taxi ride to an unfriendly motel, we got a few hours of much needed sleep having spent nearly 27 hours on the train. Hubby took possession of a 1 ton Dodge truck that he would drive home to Iowa via Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The drive was beautiful with the vistas changing at every turn.

I'll let these pictures of part of our Utah route do the talking. Be sure to click on the pictures if you want a closer view.

Colorado from Amtrak's California Zephyr

We traveled from Osceola, Iowa to Salt Lake City via Amtrak's California Zephyr early last week. Here are a few shots I took from the lounge car. There are some reflections on 2 of the pictures, but I really like the scenery. I hope to use some of my images for future paintings.

It's beautiful country and I would recommend the trip - even with the bumpy stretches that left my body aching.

Coming next - driving thru Utah.

Travel - A time to refresh, renew & be inspired.

Hubby & I will travel by Amtrack from Iowa to Salt Lake City to pick up a vehicle for his job, so technically it's a business trip. But I know this will be a great time for us. We love traveling together, being on the road away from everything in our everyday lives, time to talk, time to spend in companionable silence as we take in our surroundings.

What's difficult for me is I MUST have something to keep my hands busy, and I have a hard time limiting myself when I pack. But the reality of having arthritis is I can't overload myself. I'll be loading a backpack with a sketchbook, drawing supplies & watercolor pencils. I'm also taking some knitting along. Last, I need to select a book in addition to my Bible.

Last year we flew to Phoenix and drove a vehicle back to Iowa. The first picture is from that road trip somewhere north of Phoenix.

The second shot is from a trip I was on to Colorado with family last January. We stayed north of Winter Park. I took this shot from the condo. Our travels will take us very near this spot on Monday. I'll post from the road if I can. TTFN

The Business of Art

I came home exhausted tonight close to 9 pm. After a cat nap I've been back at the business of art which is how I spent much of my day.

After labeling and writing an inventory list, I delivered painted totes, fantasy beaded icicles, and more jewelry (one item pictured above) to Swinging Bridge Studio in Story City. They worked on making a really nice display while I was still there. Sorry, no photo! If the weatherman is REALLY wrong, I will go back tomorrow and take pictures. We are supposed to get really nasty winter weather tomorrow.

After my regular pool exercise session, it was time to teach beginning knitting at Prairie Fibers Company. I was really excited about this opportunity. Many years ago I managed a needlework shop where I taught many skills. Knitting was among my favorites. To oversimplify - you are taking 2 sticks and string to make fabric. Wow! 3 years ago I introduced some of my nieces to knitting. I loved seeing them "get" it. So I was looking forward to helping my students get the same satisfaction. My students are a mother and her young daughter, both determined and both left being able to knit. I'm proud of both of them and looking forward to getting together for our next lesson.

I have 2 new listings on Etsy tonight. I hope you will check them out.

New Etsy Listings (At Long Last!)

Tonight I FINALLY pushed everything else aside to get some Etsy listings finished. It's not hard to post a listing, but it takes some focus to go through the steps to write a concise, yet detailed description. There's the photo editing to go through, too. I'm getting faster, but still, it takes time.

You can see thumbnails of the new additions to my Etsy store on the right side of the screen. Clicking on them will take you to the store.

Today's photo shows a bracelet that hasn't make it to the store yet. It can be yours for $120. The scrumptious lampwork beads were made by my bead pal, Tera of Beady Girl Beads.

Swinging Bridge Studio & Other News

I was recently asked to submit art to a new studio/gallery located in Story City, Iowa. Swinging Bridge Studio's name is inspired by a local landmark in the city park. I took this opportunity to update my artist statement. It is SO hard to describe my work in a few words since I'm involved with many media.

I took some jewelry pieces. Pictured is a necklace composed of jade, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crytals, and Czech glass leaves.

I also took some paintings. Leaf Trio is an example of what can happen when I play with watercolors and one of my favorite subjects.

Tonight I took several shots of some jewelry pieces I plan to post on Etsy in the next few days. I think it's important to write detailed descriptions, so it takes some time to get listings posted.

Finally, this Friday I start teaching knitting at Prairie Fibers Co. There are still opennings, so contact me if you are in the area and want to sign up.

After the Prairie Fibers Co. Trunk Show

Whew! Days of preparations & 3 more days of trunk show plus painting demonstrations are over. Back at home there's all the re-organization to do, but the pressure is off and my body was aching for rest when we got home last night. Aquatic therapy was wonderful this morning.

I met some really great people and was happy to have friends drop by too. Thanks to all who came or sent well-wishes but couldn't make it this weekend.

I've posted 3 shots from the show. The majority of jewelry was on this 2-sided display which was visible from all the street-side windows. The displays generated a lot of interest and brought some people in. We hung several of my paintings on the wall behind the table I was demonstrating at. The 2nd shot is the scene from the sidewalk just outside the shop. I painted several fiber ATC cards with Tsukineko All-Purpose Ink and Setacolor Fabric Paints during the weekend. I will add some embellishments and photograph them for a future post. My last project was painting a canvas tote in an impressionistic watercolor style. It needs some finishing touches.

My next projects are to prepare listings for my Etsy shop. I'm also looking into getting some pieces into a local gallery. After Thanksgiving weekend, I'll be getting ready for the beginning knitting class I'll be teaching later next week.

Open House Eve

I've been putting in long days getting ready for the open house that starts tomorrow. Kimberly asked me to bring in some paintings, so now there's a mini gallery of my paintings on one wall.

We have the display tables ready to lay out the jewelry in the morning. If you are in the Ames area, be sure to stop in and say hello.

TV commercial update for Prairie Fibers Co.

I saw it at 9:30 this morning during Martha Stewart. (It's a local commercial for the Ames/Des Moines market on channel 5). I'm shown knitting in the middle of the commercial - but don't blink or you will miss me! They really got a lot of product in 30 seconds.

By the way, Rosy Gardens, the bracelet pictured above, is available to buy. Email me if you are interested. It hasn't made it to my Etsy store yet.

Christmas ATC's and a Commercial Shoot

It's been an interesting day. I was invited to take part in shooting a tv commercial at Prairie Fibers Co. this morning. I placed these painted fabric ATC's that I worked on the past few days & hung them on the aluminum Christmas tree in the shop. Soon the commercial crew showed up for filming. I just did what comes naturally... knitting, browsing, and painting. Others were spinning wool and embroidering. It will be fun to see what the finished product looks like.

Last night I started knitting a scarf from a fabulous hand spun yarn. It's for PFC to help promote knitting. I hope it will entice more people to sign up for the beginning knitting classes that I will start teaching later this month.

Holiday Open House Preps

I've been working on ATC (Artist Trading Card) ornaments that will be hung on a Christmas Tree at Prairie Fibers Company for next weekend's Holiday Open House on Nov. 16, 17 & 18. I'll try to get a picture posted in a day or two. I put together a quick flyer to advertise my trunk showing during the open house. Click on the image for a closer view. I hope we have a great turn out. It's bound to be a good time.

Another project on the burner is that I will be teaching beginning knitting at PFC later this month. I'm looking forward to teaching again. There's nothing like being part of the joy that comes with learning to make cloth out of yarn with two sticks! That's all it really is.

November Roses, An Ode to Perserverence

I love these roses. They have been blooming since May. When I saw the clusters of new buds a few weeks ago, I doubted we would get to enjoy the blooms. The combination of a mild October and a hearty plant gifted us with blooms into November. What is surprising is that I took these photos today after several nights with below freezing temperatures. Sure, there are dark edges, but aren't they beautiful?

I'm closing in on my 50th birthday. I hope I'm as beautiful on the verge of my winter.

I'm thankful to God, our Father and Creator, to put such beauty and inspiration in our world. I'm thankful for my sister Nancy, whose love and knowledge of plants guided us to buy this rose several years ago during our sister weekend. (It's been too long since we've gone plant hunting.)

It took several years for this plant to come into its glory. After a flush of first blooms, the leaves would gradually drop over the summer. In the fall, it showed signs of improvement. This cycle repeated for several years. Last year I considered moving it to a less prominent spot on our property, but I changed my mind after a glorious growing season of blooms after blooms. It repeated its performance this year. No new special care was done. I think it has become established.

Design Update

In Sept. I posted a necklace in progress at my design board, but never followed through with showing you the finished design. Here's the completed set. I haven't named this set yet. Maybe you could suggest a name if you leave a comment.

I started with a gorgeous set of lampwork glass from talented artist Johanna Stephenson of Canyon Echoes Lampwork Beads. I love the organic character of these beads. The touch of silver adds wonderful texture. I used Australian Jasper, Sterling Silver and Hilltribe Silver to set off the lampwork. I will be adding these items to my Etsy store, but you can contact me directly before they go there.

Holiday Open House at Prairie Fibers Co.

Coming soon - Holiday open house on Nov. 15 - 17 at Prairie Fibers Company, 330 Main St., Ames, Iowa. If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and say hello. The owner, my friend Kimberly, has invited me to bring my jewelry which will be on display for sale. I will be demonstrating painting on fabric during the open house.

Prairie Fibers Co. is a unique store where anyone interested in textiles, mixed media, and knitting should come. Kimberly is an expert with natural dyeing techniques as well as a gifted artist. I really hope you'll stop by if you can. http://www.prairiefibers.com/

Today's pic is a denim tote that I painted using Setacolor Paints which I purchased at Prairie Fibers Co. I really appreciate that the opaque colors have good coverage on the dark denim fabric. Heat set the paint once it is dry, and the fabric is washable.

Butterfly Magic

I'm spending a couple days with Mom & one of my brothers. I didn't bring my camera this time (and I missed out on getting gorgeous shots of the moon rise).

Some years Monarch butterflies come here in droves during their fall migration. I've been thinking about them this week. One artist I enjoyed meeting on the artist studio tour designs jewelry using butterfly wings. She gets the wings from conservatories who collect them from naturally deceased butterflies. In addition to Monarchs, she used wings from Blue Morphs. One side of their wings is the most astounding irridescent blue. The other side is shades of brown with a coral red "eye". On this computer there happens to be copies of some digital play I did with pictures of a Blue Morph. That's what today's pictures are.

Lincoln Highway Artists Studio Tour Part 3

Only 2 more stops for us on this year's tour. I didn't get to all I hoped for, but I came close.

Patricia Kimle is best known for her beautifully detailed polymer clay jewelry. She has added silver work and precious metal clay design to her resume, and she has designed a unique line of jewelry combining them all. Patricia incorporates scripture and nature images in her designs to create sophisticated wearable art which can be found on her website, http://www.precioustext.com/. She is also the author of a beautiful book and several magazine articles.

Our last stop was at the glass blowing studio of Art Ciccotti. When we arrived, he was in the early stages of forming what became a very organic-looking vase. The tremendous heat from the furnace was welcome as the day was becoming quite chill. Todd treated me to a very special early birthday gift and allowed me to select one of Art's pieces from the adjoining showroom. He makes wonderful glass balls that are perfect for Christmas. I've given several of them away over the years, but never purchased anything for myself. Now I have a beautiful vessel of my own on the top of my dresser. YEAH!

What a great way to end this year's tour.

Lincoln Highway Artists Studio Tour Part 2

After today's worship service, I was back on the studio tour - solo- with my first stop at the Octagon Center for the Arts. I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with jewelry designer, Gail Hashemi-Toroghi. Her work features exquisite butterfly wings that are set in silver and protected by resin. I was also encouraged by a water media painter, Joseph Murray, who shared some great tips.

CASA is Creative Artists' Studio of Ames. I have attended several open house events there and never tire of seeing what the artists are doing. Many gifted artists create within these walls. I had extended conversations with 3 of the artists. Chris Cowan is a painter who works with several media. She was a ribbon winner in this year's Iowa Watercolor Society show. Her winning painting is gorgeous. She also shared works from the IWS workshop in Sept. Norma Wolfe is another painter who attended the same workshop and she also displayed one of her works in progress from it. Norma has another project where she allows visitors to add a piece of ephemera to the frame around her art. What fun!

My last stop at CASA was with calligrapher extraordinaire, Dot Prater. Even without reading her works, they bring pleasure with her composition and the rhythm the marks make on the page. She is also accomplished at making books which are beautiful. Dot demos her art by making bookmarks. Today's image is the bookmarks she created for us. Todd joined me on the tour at this point.

The tour continues in my next post.

Lincoln Highway Artists Studio Tour 2007

What a fun, informative, inspiring and stimulating weekend this has been attending the 4th annual Lincoln Highway Artists Studio Tour. It is held in central Iowa and includes several talented artists along or near this historic route.

Yesterday I went with two great friends, Kandy & Lucky, to State Center and Marshalltown studios and galleries. In State Center, we met several artists displaying their art in businesses located in early 20th century buildings. One of them is the Watkins Grocery museum, so we had a taste of history as well as art. Our first stop in Marshalltown was the Community College where we were delighted to find an exhibition of naturally dyed silk fabric art works. The Fisher Community Center in Marshalltown is a gem with its wonderful Impressionist collection. Another treasure was a gallery shop, The Perfect Setting. Several artists were demonstrating their work. The staff and artists were delightful. I was wearing jewelry featuring lampwork by my friend Tera of Beady Girl Beads.http://www.beadygirlbeads.com/ The staff really loved her beads. We got a tip from them for a good Mexican restaurant just down the street. It's great to have time to enjoy your friends like that.

By this time, I had to watch the clock because I had a secret mission for the day. Kandy's husband was preparing a SURPRISE birthday party for her and I needed to guide our time to get us back to her home between 4:15 - 4:30. There were several studios left to visit and everyone was acting like we had all the time in the world. So I said a prayer and asked for success getting the surprise pulled off and on time. We stopped at a fun gift store in Nevada. The plan all fell together after that and we made it to the party by 4:20. Kandy was certainly surprised.

Next post - Sunday studios

Windy Day for Nevada Uncorked Show

I'm still trying to get my energy back after last Saturday's show. This was my first outdoor show and it was evident that I wasn't prepared for so much wind. We'll need to plan some different displays for future shows.

Attendence was pretty good considering this was the first year this event was held. Attendees were more interested in sampling the wines that were offered by local Iowa wineries than buying the art. Still, it was good exposure of my business to the locals.

When we were trying to set up, I got very discouraged when I realized I wouldn't be able have my display look the way I had planned. It was great having my husband there to help and encourage me. I was also encouraged by the positive attitude of my neighbor for the day - Brandie Butcher Isely of Little Pieces of Art. I enjoyed sharing art talk with her during the lulls.

One of my painting buddies was a real angel, too. Mari helped by getting decorative weights to help keep lighter items anchored. She helped get the jewelry arranged and brought us bottled water (which I forgot to bring.)

Last thanks go to my sister & nephew who were great helpers when it was time to pack up at the end of the day. They came nearly 100 miles just for the show.

We ended the long day with a great dinner at a local favorite, Hickory Park Restaurant. Brandie & her daughter joined my sis, nephew, hubby & me for a very enjoyable time.

Work Work Work

I'm taking a break from Nevada Uncorked preparations. The show is Oct. 6th, 1-7, THIS SATURDAY! Happily, I've had a flood of ideas to keep me moving ahead with new jewelry; however, time is running out. I still need to photograph & tag all the new items.

This past weekend, Todd & I made weights for the tent. I'm blessed to have such a clever & helpful husband. We filled 3" PVC tubing with concrete. Chain runs through the core for strength and a heavy eyelet is attached to the top of the column. We were getting set up to make them when a thunderstorm popped up. The lightning was pretty fierce, so we waited for the storm to pass before we completed the job.

The weather forecast for Saturday is showing rain, but I'm hoping and praying that will change. My prayer is for a dry, warm, and very gentle breezy day.... something like the day in the photo I posted today. This scene is taken on the road I where grew up (at the farm behind the trees on the right). I added the Irish Blessing for a special request last year.

If you're local, I hope to see you at the show Saturday.

Jewelry Designing in Progress

Here's a glimpse of my jewelry design table. In days gone by we dined at this table. All my components and beads are in labeled bags. The majority are stored in plastic trays by color families in a cabinet to the right. The small drawers to the back of the table were purchased at Lowes and I store basic components in them. While working on a project, I pull out several bags until I find the "right" combination. Once the design is complete, I record all parts used on an index card - just like a recipe. Each item is tagged and given an inventory number which is also recorded on the index card. Sometimes I ***sigh*** at all this record keeping, but it has worked very well for me.

I'm working on a necklace that started with a set of lampwork glass beads from Johanna of Canyon Echoes. I love her beads. I decided to only use the focal bead from the set for the necklace. The smaller beads will probably go into a bracelet and earrings that will coordinate. I'm using Australian Jasper, Iron Tiger Eye and Hill Tribe silver so far. Check back later for the completed design.

Frosty Mugs

I finally sat at the jewelry design board long enough to get a necklace and earrings made earlier this week. This necklace started with a set of lampwork glass beads I found at a bead show in Des Moines last spring and they were made by Tanya McGuire. It's great meeting the artists who make lampworked beads. I admire their skill and ability to work with fire.

This set was etched for a soft look. Each bead has a swirl of silvered ivory. While designing the necklace, the lampwork beads made me think of root beer floats, creme soda, and dark ale - so that's how I came up with the name "FROSTY MUGS". Some designers name all their pieces, but not me. I guess I could work at it more.

Sometimes I labor for hours over a design before the final stringing, but this one came together relatively quickly. I needed that encouragement while getting ready for Nevada Uncorked on Oct. 6th. I used freshwater pearls, Czech glass, Swarovski crystals and sterling silver to complete the design. I made a couple pair of earrings to coordinate and have more beads that would work for others, but it was time to work on another necklace.

Poppy Jasper & the Petrified Forest

Photography - I've been playing with different backgrounds behind my jewelry so my Etsy listings would have more color. "What if?" could be my motto. I paired a photo from the Petrified Forest with a Poppy Jasper necklace and was pleased with the results which you can see by clicking on my Etsy store to the right. Today's picture is what is behind the necklace. It's AMAZING to see all those colors in the petrified logs. Magnificent!

I still have problems to work out with my photo set-up. I'm getting a lot of hot spots on the polished stones. But I can't complain much, because my set-up was very inexpensive as compared to the commercial products available. It was fun brainstorming with hubby at Lowes & Hobby Lobby for what we could use to build it.

Petrified Forest

A friend emailed me plains/badlands photos that reminded me of the vast, wild spaces of Arizona's Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Hubby & I were there in late May 2006, 24 years after our first time there. I LOVE this place. It's so different from the lush, moist, green of the Midwest. The soil is chalky white, purple, green, red, tan, and black. Simply amazing! We marvel at the imagination and diversity of God's creation. Photos just don't capture the atmosphere and mood of the place, but I've posted one anyway.
I have a set of Daniel Smith watercolors that are made from genuine earth pigments such as Lapis Lazuli, Minnesota Pipestone, Amazonite, Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, and Hematite. I use some of these same stone as beads in my jewelry. I found that many of these paints were perfect for rendering the Western landscape. So far, I've just played with some ideas, but hope to do a more detailed painting in the future.

More Sunflowers - New Etsy Listing

Here's a peek at one of my summer projects. I handpainted this tote bag with Setacolor paints and embellished it with beads, ribbons, crystals and sequins. I've just listed it on Etsy. Hubby noticed that I paint and sketch a lot of sunflowers. I just love them. But I do paint other flowers. I was inspired by a hummingbird and Siberian irises for another tote I painted. It's currently on display in my friend's store - The Prairie Fiber Company - on Main St. in Ames. There's a link to Kimberly's blog on my side bar.