Corgi Painting.

My walk with Juneau yesterday left me stumbling through the front door with an IKEA lack tabletop. Someone had decided to chuck it down their porch stairs to the garbage. The legs didn’t survive the crash,  but who could walk past this beauty and leave it? not this girl. I walked in. Immediately Charley turned and stared.

“oh no you didn’t…what have I told you about trash piles….go put it back.” I stare at my toes.

“but I already have plans for it”

“you always say that and it lives in a corner somewhere.”

**Sad eyes.

It went back to the trash pile.

Charley left to go watch the super bowl.

I went back to the trash like a dog for a buried bone.

It was still there ( I assumed someone else would find this gem and snatch it up).

I painted in my Pj’s while watching “New Girl” and sipping hot tea, sneezing and snorting like a champ because I yet again have a cold.

So BOOO YAAAH hubby. Boo Ya.

I finished something I started.

You may applaud now...

( uh okay so I didn’t quite “finish” finish. See I made a little blunder along the way. We had some spraypaint primer which I grabbed thinking it would be a shortcut. Didn’t read the can and grabbed the metal primer which is oil based. FAIL. So you see the white stuff on the board behind the pup? It’s not supposed to be there. I’m basically going to have to sand it off and finish the whole thing with a glaze. I photoshopped the second picture because it’s so distracting to me. I might darken the bold  lines and fix the eye on the left a little just as an after thought. I also forgot to emphasize the left side of her mouth. You see things so much better after you go take a picture of it! )

Ug white primer, you kill me. If it doesn’t come off I might paint it ultra light blue. What do you think?

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*** UPDATE: I couldn’t get the primer off and I thought the orange could use a little pop so it’s now looking like this and is for sale here:

Working Free

Freelance that is. Not working for free I hope. You heard me right, writing and photography and graphics all in one kaboom. I’ve been struggling with where to go next and I’m finally feeling confident in a direction. It’s a vague and mysterious direction, but I’m flying towards it full speed. I want to create, I want to design, and I want to tell stories. I want to grow as an artist and push myself.

Being a nanny isn't a horrible job--I usually like it (although I feel less inclined to have children now) but I struggle with teaching children art. I think it’s a struggle for any teacher when the student’s don’t show a burning passion for something you care about. I think there’s a magic age for when teaching kids art becomes interesting; when you can move past throwing them paint and letting them make a mess. I also struggle as a teacher since I lack clear communication.

Writing is great because you can edit and think and come back. It’s not as hard as coming up with material on the spot. I pulled some articles together geared towards home & local lifestyle magazines. My strategy is to cover most of the with pretty pictures so they won’t notice the poor English. HA that will work right?! Here’s a sneak peak of the first one (the letters are gibberish). The layout is obviously still getting tweaked.

If I could see something of mine printed in a magazine, well that’d just be the cat’s meow… but more importantly if I could make money off doing this type of thing, now that would be the cat’s meow.

Which brings me to my next point. Underlying my newly found inspiration to pursue what I love is the big black hole named fear. Fear lives in my heart even in spite of my constant attempt to crush him. I find myself once more pursuing a job that has no steady paycheck. Many people ask for free work, and once again I will have to exercise the strength of self discipline (in which on my best days, I am an utter failure). Thank goodness God helps us grow in our weak areas! He seems to be bringing on changes, so I can’t wait to see what’s next.

paintings from the past

While editing today I found an old art folder with paintings from high school….all lord of the rings inspired (go figure). I figured I’d post em. I don’t paint much nowadays, but I was having some serious paint/creation urges while editing today. Trying to stay on task though. I have been having a few “awesome idea moments” the past couple days. Like, honey-go-find-me-a-pen,-quick! ideas…which is really refreshing to finally be thinking and creating again…I felt like a dried up well for a while.  Now if I can get some of the ideas turned into Doing and Done, I might be headed somewhere.

Oil on canvas, I think it’s size is 34x42, here’s a close-up picture.

this is a smaller 8x11 oil on a really cheap canvas

This is a small light study in oil, 8x11 on bristol paper and board (which is technically taboo because it will rot on that type of paper…oops).

Forgive the image quality on the left picture. It was a small oil on board for my friend Anne.  The right-side picture was acrylic, also small.

AND not a painting, but here was my wood burning project for our high school art class. It’s a walking stick with a loose interpretation of the hobbit from top to bottom. Burning this thing was super relaxing but I wish I had burnt more contrast into it.

and this one is not high school but shortly thereafter..the light is making it look pretty speckled. It has a lot of texture and gloss:

…and because I’m so organized, here’s a drawing from a college art class.

we weren’t allowed to use shading so our values had to be nothing but texture (some parts got rubbed in though):

A digital doodle

Conceptual castle for the good-natured but slightly gravity corrupted countryside of Billyhock

I feel old

…and loved

I feel so blessed to have a family as awesome as mine.

I have the best Mom and Dad in the whole world.

I remember you guys spending so much time with us teaching and playing and never realized what a privilege it was.

Miserable

Juneau is in heat again, her second time around and it’s making everyone miserable. She is so much more restless than she was last time. It’s three AM. She’s been howling all night. It’s a sad pitiful long wolf howl that’s almost kind of pretty. …but we have neighbors….cranky neighbors, and lots of them. I take her inside: she howls, I take her outside she howls. She has tons  of energy because I can’t run or take her to the dog park but she won’t play because she’s mopey. I’ve tried putting her on a leash and jogging with her in circles around the couch and she just sits down. If she’s inside she’s pacing with her little nails click click clicking across the floor. She’ll scratch at the door, scratch at the window but she doesn’t actually want to go out. Mostly she sits and gives us this face while whimpering:

 

It’s so sad…I just look at her and I want to cry because I’ve never seen a creature so pitiful. We called our mother-in-law since she breeds corgis and has lots of experience with female dogs. She suggested this herb stuff called rescue remedy that helps them calm down. Humans can use it too for anxiety. It helps her for a little while but doesn’t solve the problem. She also said that the second time around is the worst for them, so this will get better we hope. Until then, it’s not making apartment life very easy.

Switching out faces in Photoshop

This is so much fun to me because it takes 2 seconds and it feels like cheating. I’m sure you could do it a slower way with a layer mask, but I usually cut, paste and blend from two pictures. It happens a lot during family pictures. I take a bunch so I can get rid of the perpetual blinkers.

Juneau in her Cave

which is my desk.

by my feet.

Cave offers free scritch-scratch service

and complimentary food samples.

Short VS Wide: Portrait 101

I did a little project to help illustrate the difference in lens size since this concept is hard to grasp without visual reference.  I found myself trying to explain this using arm movements the other day and decided I’d do a blog post. People always ask me this sort of question when they are shopping for lens. They want to know what size to get. Photographers throw around the lingo all the time: Short and Wide. To a noob I imagine this sounds like “howerodfh” and “SLKJFdi”….because it did for me at first.

So here are two pictures (both slightly out of focus because I rushed, whoops!)

Both portraits but with two different effects and compositions because of their difference in focal lengths

Both taken approximately two meters from the subject (the first one is actually slightly farther away if you read the specs. This is because my 85mm needs a little more room to focus correctly)

same light scenario

picture A, 85 mm:

Picture B, 24mm:

Drastically different results right!?

It’s your job as the photographer to use focal lenths to your advantage, because as you can see they have an entirely different feel. Your focal length is a crucial decision in your composition.

The 85mm with an open aperture is a flattering distance for portraits. It’s often called a “short” or a “portrait lens”.

The 24mm is my “wide” because as you can see, it’s a wide view. I like to use a wide to allow more background information. What do my surroundings tell me about the subject? It’s not as frequently used for portraiture because there is some lens distortion. Since the lens itself has a greater curve, the subjects face will warp. This 24 lens is so wide that extreme warping happens around the perimeter (much like the artsy fish-eye). I try to keep the subject away from the edges. A wide lens is going to have a tendency for a dark vignette.

Here’s our specs (picture A on the left, B on the right)

You’ll notice a few differences. in exposure and ISO time since the sun was setting ( I took picture B first). I kept the Aperture the same so you could see the differences in depth of field. When you use a short lens, you can see the field of focus more prominently, meaning better bokeh and better isolation of the subject.

***Also I should take a moment to note that I’m working with a full frame sensor. On a cropped sensor camera a 50mm will be the standard “portrait” lens. (Although many prefer the 35mm)

If you’re still a  little lost This little gadget will help you get a feel for how all of the focal lengths compare. The page also has a more in depth explanation as to why the lens  magnifies the way it does. Go read it!

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and unrelated: I laugh because every-cotton-pickin-time I take a picture on the self timer, the first picture is me fixing me hair. I’m terrible with timing things apparently and I guess I have  tick about wanting to my hair to look nice…I am a girl after all ….

I wonder if other people  have this problem and I realized that normal people don’t sit on street curbs and take pictures of themselves….

The Hermione Complex

It’s a strange time in a girls life when she suddenly finds herself living with two males instead of one (the one I picked out and married). I’ve come to terms that on most days our apartment looks like this:

It ain’t pretty. There’s usually clothes to be folded, dishes in the sink, and cabinet doors that never got closed. A strange guy with a milk carton…yes.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, we have a roommate. His name is Zack. Everyone together now “Hello Zack.” How’d we find Zack? He is a close friend of ours that Charley and I went to high school with. We’ve traveled to Europe together. he was a Groomsman at our wedding. Story made short, he’s a great guy that we get along well with. Make that the most chill person I’ve ever met. We used to always visit Charleston and stay with him.

When we first looked at moving to the city, we realized it was expensive and we would need a solution. Communal living in the city is the norm. There are families and couples well past their thirties that bunk together. Zack was looking to move out of his lonely apartment in west Ashley and get back to downtown.

From some couples (especially newlyweds) I get a slight nose crinkle when I mention “roomate”. Something about the idea weirds them out or they find they are unwilling to share their newly acquired space.  I valued my time alone with my spouse when we were newly married (and don’t get me wrong, it’s important and needed) but I also found that my time with the hubby had to be intentional anyways. We both worked opposite hours, so just as we’d plan dates then, we’ve learned to make alone time for each other now. Since being married two years ago, we’ve lived with three different people (two were very short term) so it just goes to show that God’s plan can be very different from what you imagine.

Communal living has been cool since we share the financial burden, but more importantly  it fosters growth in a needed area of my heart. By this I mean that I’m picky and particular and human. When you live with multiple humans there is more opportunity for irritation and conflict. That’s life. We have one room (Gryffindor common room !) so we daily have to learn how to make use of that space together. We are two boys, a girl, a dog, a hedgehog and a feral cat in a tiny box. Shake that up!

My mother, with her plethora of useful phrases always says “don’t sweat the small stuff”. AKA there's no use crying over spilled milk. Don’t get worked up about the details, don’t worry, step back and look at the big picture. It sounds really easy to do, but it’s not when it’s only my flesh. In order to “let stuff go” we have to take it to God. Ask him for peace. Ask Him to change our hearts.

Sometimes I  get really worked up about the house not being clean. I stress out, I have trouble working. (Don’t get me wrong, it’s my mess too not just the boys). So while I want to practice cleanliness as a personal discipline, it’s not what makes the world go around. Coexistence in peace is more important. I have to ask God to correct my bad attitudes and grumpiness and even my introvertness. 

So here were a few things I like about living with people in general ( spouse, spouse + roommate, college dorm, whatever).

• when I do get that quiet moment, it’s valuable. I get to treat my time like it’s a blessing, not something I deserve.
• I am forced to seek God
• I learn to adapt (mainly my heart, goals and actions)
• it’s shows me who I am and makes me more aware of my surroundings.
• It forces me to accept humility in my faults. It’s not a huge secret that I’m a little annoying and when I’m on sugar it suddenly becomes my goal in life to pester  people (just ask my college roommates). I have to curb this and think about other people’s feelings.
• It realigns my thinking to the proper perspective (people matter, your selfish desires do not)
• It helps me be more willing in sacrifice ( you have the bathroom first, I’ll do the dishes since you’re out of time ect)
• it forces me to be a better communicator ( “I need to be alone, go away” ;  “I’d rather you didn’t pour milk on the dog”).
• my surroundings are not the source of my peace
• it gives me a chance to forgive and forget (and not sweat the small stuff
• It reminds me that stuff is just stuff. Instead of hoarding things, I’m letting things go (even if that means leaving awesome finds in trash piles). Our apartment is tiny, and it’s my job to be  a good roommate/ wife and not cram it with stuff to “claim my space”
• it’s a test for me in timing and in patience, as I wait for a day when I can design with no limits. I’m waiting for that house I can DIY to death. For now, I’ll pack away the fancy dishcloths and let the boys live relaxed.
• It’s more fun! Fellowship happens and more funny situations happen.

To conclude, I know it’s not for everyone, but it really works for us. I’ve loved it. In fact I’d be open to living with more people. When we move we’re hoping Zack will tag along….but possibly not his cat…. cat needs to work on friendliness.

Mellow Marina

Charley joined me for a walk since for once we were both not working during daylight hours. This peaceful view is just a short ways from our house. We’re so spoiled, I know. Ever since reading bumfuzzle I’ve wanted to live on a boat and travel the world…except for two small things. I hate swimming, and Juneau would go crazy on a boat. We both picked out our favorite boats (mine was green, his was navy) and talked about what we’d name em. He vetoed The Scruggermobile ( can’t you just see it in some sort of underground superstation..Juneau in spandex…)

Immediately after our walk, charley looked up how much they cost…uh yeah. I was mildly entertaining the idea, charley was planning it. He was looking at those boats like they were made of gold. Completely understandable with his great love for the sea: sailing, swimming, scuba diving, fish and seafood. He’s such an island kid. I on the other hand am imagining cold weather and storms while being on a boat..that and trying to park and steer the sucker. Unfortunately for charley they cost about as much as a small house and you can’t rent them or we’d be on our way by next Tuesday. We’re just glad we can enjoy the beautiful blue sea with a little exercise.

Charley promised me that he’d take a picture on the self timer. I was startled that he agreed…only to have him photobomb me instead. Little sneak. He refused a second normal picture but this one is more “us” anyways.

Oh and who is the kyaking lady? I don’t know either, never got her name. I unfortunately have a tendency to start conversations with strangers  (charley usually walks on ahead and pretends not to know me). Today I got to talk with a retired couple reading on their deck, a man fixing his motor, a lady in a kayak and two old men with their sheltie (the dog 3 pictures up). Everyone who lives on a boat seems to have something in common : they’re chill, relaxed and loving life.