Nature art

I've been spending as much time out doors as possible and appreciating natures art.

I've also spent a fair amount of time cutting and gluing lately but no pictures to show for it

I'm a sucker for...

Second week of List it Tuesday is occuring early on Wednesday morning.  I went to bed very early last night without doing several things on my list, like my Tuesday list!

I'm a sucker for:

• furry critters
• yard/tag/garage/estate sales
• lamps that need work
• yarn
• books
• candy corn
• coffee
• rainy days
• trees
• magazines
• scarves

That's it.  No creativity involved.  Again.  Haven't been in my art studio in about two weeks.

Canoeing At Sunrise

big 7 lake at fall, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

I've been trying to get back out canoeing for a week now that the colors are nearing their peak. The weather Sunday morning at dawn finally cooperated. We arrived at sunrise to a calm lake with mist rising and a gorgeous sky. It was a bit chilly, 33 degrees, but we were dressed for it. We avoided several areas of the lake due to duck hunters. It was interesting to hear them use their calls to try to lure ducks in. We walked around Dickinson Lake after canoeing and found some of the largest willows I've ever seen.

List it Tuesday!

My first entry into the list it group.  I'll admit freely, I'm a horrible blogger.  Not sure why I do it, so that probably doesn't help matters.  I guess I do it for me mostly as a placeholder for internet things I want to remember and when it's the most convenient way to track my life.  Hence, the irregularity.  Oh well. 

Aimee from Artsyville has brought back List it Tuesday, I'm playing along.  This week's topic is 15 minute creativity. I actually do this quite a bit, usually in the car or waiting room, so portability is usually important but there are other times I could use 15 minutes for creativity - not cleaning, folding laundry or playing words with friends. 

1.  Cut words out of magazines for later use

2.  Collage a page in  your art journal

3.  Pick up leaves from the yard, roll paint on them and press them onto paper or in art journal

4.  Take some photos for use in art journal and in another 15 minute time - print them

5.  Embroidery or knitting 15 minutes at a time - small projects work best

6.  String some bottle caps for my bottle cap curtain

7.  Rotate my artwork in my home. Time to bring out some new things and put away some old or at least move them to fresh places.

8.  And the most often used is sketching, doodling or writing in my truty moleskine journal.  I've got to get my new colored pens in my purse for a change of pace!


Mostly what I need to do to help with my creativity is to reorganize my art room and declutter.  That will be on the Saturday list - a power hour of cleaning!

Early morning canoe trip

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

We purchased my father's canoe on labor day weekend. I didn't even bother to take it off the car and we had it in the water the day after we got home. We took these lovely photos and had a great time, just the two of us. Every weekend since we've had "stuff" or the weather has not cooperated. I am looking forward to a calm autumn day to repeat this trip with my husband. Of course, I may need to blow off some "stuff" if the weather ever cooperates.

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

Early morning canoe trip

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

Images from the Summer...

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

It's been so incredibly busy that I haven't taken the time to post. Again I tried and failed at the Index Card a Day. I've also joined the Artists Way facebook group and have not participated as much as I'd hoped. However, I'm choosing to look at all the things I have done and not those I haven't.

I've managed to cram art into a weekend up north, evenings at home and sketching on the go in my trusty moleskine. I almost always manage to "draw the sermon" during church. I'm on a roll with embroidery, have almost made a skirt for Erin (need to hem) and managed an 8x10 canvas for our anniversary (not quite finished - needs something yet).

If anyone can tell me the key to having a consistent art habit or doing the morning pages consistently, I'd love to hear it. My guess though is that I need to make those things a priority and that is so difficult when there are dragonflies on the porch that need photographing, a hammock, books, fishing, traveling, biking, canoeing, cooking, laundry, work, sleep... Maybe I need to give up sleep.

Images from the Summer

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

and painting herself.

Images from the summer...

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

Erin helping out at church by painting faces during the Art Walk.

Images from the Summer...

, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

A weekend up north with two sharpie paint pens in tow.

Artist's Way Book Club

I don't have a good track record with doing the artist's way activities on my own so I'm hoping a 12 month book club will help.  Jess at "In Search of Dessert" has started this book club and thanks to Karen at "I am Rushmore" I found the club and have joined.  I've done this in fits and spurts but hoping to finish the book this time around.

I'm also hoping to figure out how to get myself up to run at 5 a.m., eat better, and develop a better art habit.  Hmmm.  Discipline? 

Daisy Yellow Museum of Simple Things-Photo Inspiration

Daisy Yellow Museum of Simple Things-Photo Inspiration, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

Took the whole day off work and didn't fill it with errands or things that had to be done. The weather has cooperated by being miserable so there is no temptation to work in the yard (or take a nap in the hammock).

I'm taking a real break today and doing some of the things I've been wishing I had time to do the last three weeks. No one is home and it's just me and the radio. Loving the peace and quiet which made me think of this quote I saw the other day. I think we often don't get much time alone in our busy lives and I do think it's important.

Faces

Faces, a photo by ktes750 on Flickr.

I am enjoying the Museum of Simple Things Workshop from Daisy Yellow. This was part of an exercise that was so much fun. 

What a Busy Weekend!

District Wide Art Show

Good friends visiting from a distance and close friends joining us much of the weekend, which led to lots of cooking and eating!  We celebrated Cinco de Mayo Saturday evening with fajitas for 12.  Erin has been asking to make churros for quite a while so this weekend we tackled that project.  Sunday morning she and two friends made churros. They were delicious and I had to make a second batch for the rest of the crew.

I squeezed in a little bit of art journal time last week. 

Sunday morning was spent sitting with coffee and friends enjoying great conversation and wildlife in the back yard.  The pond was bustling with activity. We had three deer, 5 turkeys, two rabbits, 1 woodchuck, chipmunks and squirrels in the yard or next to the pond.  In and over the pond we saw two wood ducks, king birds, oriole, cardinals and frogs.  Later on after the wood ducks left, we had a pair of geese and 7 babies. 

My Very Short Spring Break

I meant to take several days off work but that didn't happen. However, without having all the evening activities this week, it still feels like a vacation. I've had so much more time at home to cook, organize and paint and now I have three days off in a row! I do have to clean and cook for Easter, but other than that, nothing on the agenda. Yea!

I may sign up for the new 21 secrets this weekend. I'm ready for new projects. I finally finished my 2011 art journal. I now know better than to put a year on the cover.

Spring Renewal

While things are coming to life around here finally, maybe my blog will too?

Thankfully, art has not been dormant in my life, only the blogging aspect. Things I'm currently working on:

• Painted an awesome curtain rod for my bottle cap curtain - after a clear coat or two it should be ready to hang by Saturday




• My bottle cap curtain - I'm so lucky to have so many friends willing to have a beer or bottled root beer and pass along their caps to me! And because they know what I'm doing, they are trying new beers with interesting caps. After all, it's good to try new things!




• Working in my journal




• Painting with acrylics. My daughter is in art club and art class at school. She is soooo happy and has discovered painting on canvas with acrylics. I just ordered 2 dozen 4x4 acrylic boards from Dick Blick for a ridiculously low price and they arrived yesterday. My son (15) even got into the fun and painted a very cool design in black and green on one. And this all started with art club needing more cheap canvases. Yeah! They will get 24 larger size canvas boards but we're keeping the small ones for us.



• Art on Saturday will involve Easter eggs! Can't wait. Yes, I'm just a big kid.

• And try new recipes (cooking counts as art to me). I found this fabulous new (to me) blog that has healthy and delicious looking recipes. The Chili Lime Chicken Burgers were a hit and I'm looking forward to trying more at Iowa Girl Eats.
  

Type Z?

Sarah Bray's 90 Minute Workday post has had me thinking about how I work best.

I'm probably closer to a type Z than a type A, maybe a type W? I definitely spend a lot of my day doing other stuff, like writing blog posts, surfing the net, playing words with friends but I always manage to come through and finish projects on time. I make lists, try to prioritize and work on projects but I have the hardest time working on the boring ones and an even harder time working on ones that I don't think will make a difference. It may be time to for some reevaluation.