It's Raining but here is a little glimmer of Sunshine! :)

Happy Friday Everyone! :)

Well, I am wondering if we will ever have 2 days in a row of Sunshine let alone over 60 degrees, sheesh!!  

But until then I wanted to share with you some of the Blossom shots I took a few weeks ago as the sun (yep, that stranger in the PNW sky) was starting to set :)

Enjoy! :)

click on shots to see larger images

I really like the warm glow on these shots :)

Let me know what you think :)

I Hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Book.

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Well, hasn't blogger been fun the past few weeks. Not being accessible, losing postings, not being able to add comments  etc., but thankfully it seems to have sorted itself out and actually some of the posts that I lost now miraculously, if partially, returned weird but YAY!!


So, I was really excited when my blogger buddy Jaime at ArtsyFartsyMe Blog announced the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Book" giveaway.

(This cute original artwork by Jaime at ArtsyFartsyme blog :)

So, I quickly signed up to participate in this fun giveaway with a twist. I was fortunate to be the first person picked to receive the book, read it and past it on. (Unfortunately, life has been getting in the way of that and I have been VERY SLOW :(

but..........


The book, "Making Room for Making Art" by Sally Warner couldn't have arrived at a more crucial time. I have been questioning over the past year how to move forward with my Art and believe it or not I have not created many 2 D art pieces in the past year. One of the reasons is that our family has been coming and going so there is no fixed time to apply to my art (as I use the dining area of our kitchen as a studio) and with young adult males there is always someone in the kitchen looking for food (He! He!) Another reason is that my art pieces have gotten so big and I have also been wanting to do more sculpture work that I have completely outgrown my space. Yet another reason is that I have spent most of the past few years working really hard on my photographic work and there just isn't enough time to go around. This has left me more frustrated than ever. Add to that the complications of living with an illness that can wipe the wind out of my sails in a heart beat and leave me in recovery for weeks or months at a time, sometimes is gets harder to pick myself up and start all over again.

Some of the things the book helped me consider were;


1). Focusing on what and where I really want to use my limited time and energy. (I added a few quotes from the book :)


"Obstacles to creativity pile up as life becomes more complex."


 "Did you know that even fractured studio time adds up when you're consistent?"


"Every choice you make has a consequence." (exactly what I used to "preach" to my kids! :)


"Another thing that is difficult for many of us to learn is to limit the number of things we do" (definitely one of my biggest challenges)


2). Encouraged me not to give up. "Don't lose confidence in your artistic vision"


3). Reinforced in me that being an Artist is what I am on this planet to be.


"How we keep making that art in spite of everything."


"Art is so important that Artists can't feel fully alive without making it."


"this is what I'm doing; this is what I believe in; this is what I really want to be doing"


"when you're alone with your art you're probably the freest" (this is so me)


"I've begun to feel lately that just being able to do what I want to do is the greatest gift I have in this life"


4). Others (possible all) artists struggle.


"Even lifelong Artist's can get lost."


"don't be put off by the feeling that a real artist wouldn't have these doubts, these struggles, it's simply not true"


5). Keep working; "the creative urge is such a strong one"


6). To create for myself NOT others.


"I want to make Art regardless of conventional ideas of failure or success."


"and then there is the pressure that results from going against society's general view of what constitutes a productive life"


"when you're talking about trying to spend a lifetime with your art, no other approach than focusing on your own vision is worthwhile"


7). I am not alone in my sense of isolation as an Artist.


8). And the down falls; "Financial security and art do not often coexist"


"A degree doesn't make you an Artist"


"We often measure ourselves against some faceless ideal artist"


"For most artists, though, commercial success never happens, no matter how much they deserve it"


What came to mind while reading the book is that;


I'm a Doodler, always have been, my mind used to drift off in school and as I gazed out of the window at the trees, my pencil would take my hand on a doodle run. I often got into trouble at school for "Daydreaming" but this has been such a valuable part of my life and my art now, I doodle as a kind of warm up exercise, like stream of consciousness writing or practicing scales in music. It is powerful stuff, the very essense of my art, of who I am and how I create.


I never really thought of myself as a "REAL" Artist until I was able to go to college as an adult and study art. I have always been creative but not 'til I sold my first piece of artwork 14 years ago did I call myself officially an "Artist."

I get into a "Zone" while creating art. It is the only time in my life that I am completely consumed in the moment, it is truly amazing. "I see art as the 'outward and visible sign' of creatvity, which is the (reflection of) inward and spiritual grace." (I lOVE this quote from the book! :)

Sometimes it is good to take a break, re-evaluate, refocus and take a deep breathe and try again. That is just what I am doing after being inspired by this book.

So, now I need to pass the book on to one of the "Sisters" and that would be Jennifer@Jewelry by J.P. Blog Enjoy!


Thanks Jaime for doing this :)



And finally....... :)


I wanted to share a few photos with you that I took recently;

Evening Light

Tranquil Blossoms

Glowing Rhoddie

I hope you enjoyed these :)

I always love to hear what you think! :)

Have a Wonderful Day! 

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

Lovely Spring Blossoms.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

I really hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! Our family is getting together a week later to celebrate, can't wait, it has been a while since we were all together :)

I wanted to share a few photos I managed to take of the lovely blossoms tree that graces our garden. With the rain and the long PNW Winter the blossoms were late in arriving and early to leave but I managed to grab a few shots over a few evenings and so here are some of those. I will post more in a few days. I did share a few last week, if you missed that post, you can see them HERE! :)

These shots are all SOOC (straight out of the camera) no cropping or manipulation.

Afternoon sun hitting the tips making these white Blossoms glow with a pretty warm pinky orange.

As it started to get darker, the sun going down and losing light on the blossom tree, these blossoms were in the full shade of pine trees and this is the result.

These next few shots were taken from my bedroom window. (I know it sounds very lazy but ) Even though the sun is shining on the Blossom tree the grass was so wet my flip flops were taking on water (He! He!) So, this evening I decided to see what shots I could take from a distance.

I hope you enjoyed these shots :) I will post a few more on Thursday, as the light was amazing on some of the other shots I have, I really want you to see them! :)

Let me know what you think!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

The Sun is Shining! YAY!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I hope the Sun is shining where you are too! Doesn't it make you feel so much more alive?!

It has been a while since I shared some of my recent photos that I have listed (or soon to be :) in my Etsy Photography shop.

So, here are a few. Let me know what you think, I always love to hear.

Some are SOOC, some are just auto contrasted and others have colour added. All have their own individuality, which I love and there is an eclectic mix of shots.

Hope you Enjoy!

As always, click on photos to see large images :)

Silhouette

After the Snow

Be Happy

Radiant Charm

PORTLAND

Ballerina Blossoms

Looking Thru The Window

Peace Lily

Waiting

Pink Beauty

Dancing Petals

All Dressed Up

I hope you enjoyed these! Let me know what you think!

BTW, if you haven't entered my Blogger Buddy Meeling's first blog Giveaway at The Hairy Peach blog, you might just want to pop over there today and check out the yummy goodies she is about to share with one lucky person, Good Luck to all! :)

Have a Wonderful Day!

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

Royal Wedding Fever - Pop Quiz Answers and Giveaway!

Happy Monday Everyone!


Well, I am a little slow getting around to announcing the winner in the Royal Wedding Fever Giveaway (Sorry!) but the Sun came out here in the PNW over the Weekend and I just had to go out and enjoy it! :)


So, what did you all think about the Royal Wedding? I thought it was absolutely wonderful. I have watched it twice already! Everything was so beautiful and it did seem like a more intimate affair than a regal display of ostentation. I loved that they were able to invite more of their friends and family than they would have if it had been an Official State Wedding.


So, to recap here are the questions followed by the answers :)


Day One;


1). In What Church will Prince William and Kate Middleton get married?
Westminster Abbey.
2). Who will be Prince William's Best Man?
Prince Harry.
3). When did William and Kate announce their engagement?
November 16th 2010.
4). What will Kate Middleton's title be when she is married?
Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge.
5). What is the name of the home where Prince Charles lives?
Highgrove House.
6). Where did Prince William and Kate Middleton first meet?
University of St. Andrews, Scotland.


Day Two;


1). In what church did Princess Diana and Prince Charles get married?
St. Paul's Cathedral.
2). Who will be Kate Middleton's Maid of Honour?
Her sister "Pippa".
3). Who designed Princess Diana's Wedding Dress?
The Emanuels.
4). How many Flower Girls will be in attendance at the Wedding?
4.
5). In what Country did William propose to Kate?
Kenya.
6). Who is hosting the reception immediately after the Wedding ceremony?
The Queen.


Day Three;


1). In what year were both William and Kate born?
1982.

2). How many Royal Weddings have taken place at Westminster Abbey?
15.
3). Whose engagement ring did William give to Kate?
Princess Diana's.
4). How many Page boys will be in attendance at the Royal Wedding?
2.
5). What kind of vehicle will Kate arrive at the Church on her wedding day?
Car.
6). Who will host the evening party for William and Kate on their Wedding day and for how many guests?
Prince Charles and for 300.


Day Four;
1). Where will Kate and William live starting off their married life?
Anglesey, Wales.

2). Who will design Kate's Wedding dress? (yes, this is a guess and go answer :)
Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.
3). What will William wear at his Wedding ceremony? (again, guess and go:)
Ceremonial uniform for the Colonel of the Irish Guards.
4). Name 6 Famous people you think might be at the Royal Wedding (not including Royals or the Beckhams, we know they have been bragging about this forever! :)
A few famous people I saw on the box, Elton John and David Furnish, Guy Richie, Joss Stone, Sir Trevor Brooking, Mario Testino, Sir John Major and of course The Beckhams. :)
5). How many horse drawn carriages does the Queen own and where are they housed?
Over 100 and they are housed in the Royal Mews. 
6). In 1981 Princess Diana confused Prince Charles's name at their vows and said "Phillip Charles Arthur George" What is the name Kate is going to have to say in her vows to William?
William Arthur Phillip Louis. 

I really hope you all had fun playing my Little Royal Pop Quiz! :)

And now...................(DRUM ROLL)............The winner is...........JENNI, my Blogger Buddy from Rainy Day Gardener blog. Pop over and check out her lovely blog. :) Congrats! My Dear!

This "Lovely Pink Peony" will be winging its way to you in the next few days :)

And thank you so much to everyone else who participated, it was a lot of fun, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! :)

 Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.