Not the Usual New Year's Resolutions

1. Quit smoking

2. Learn a foreign language

3. Practice the piano daily

4. Learn to knit

5. Pass the LSATs

Ha! Ok. You guessed correctly.

This is not my list.

Not that I have any real "Resolution List" to submit just because the calendar is gonna turn over to 2010. But, I do set goal lists. Things I'd really like to work towards. With that in mind- I found this suggested list for artists that I'll use as my jumping off platform.

1. Write daily: blog is good, correspondence is better.

2. Sketch daily: digital or sketch book.

3. Collect images through camera, magazines, etc.

4. Study other artists.

5. Keep files organized and portfolio current.

Don't get me wrong.

This isn't my total focus in every day activities.

I still have to clean the house, pay the bills, Bible study, do the shopping, care for the kitties, etc. This list is just part of defining the elements of what I think will make me a more productive artist/writer.

By making time for writing and some form of artistic expression: artJournal, collage, digital editing or bookmaking- while not necessarily "scheduled" but rather planned for will amount to more likely being achieved.

To become a well rounded individual, self-discipline is required. Outlining structural components are a necessity to progressing towards that effort. If I even meet some of these goals just once a week- it's a step forward.

One other idea is from Katie the Scrapbook Lady who encourages keeping a monthly "Round-Up" list. Her suggested list includes:

1. What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
2. What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?
3. What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?
4. What gifts did I give and/or receive?
5. What special or unusual purchases did I make?
6. What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
7. What were my accomplishments this month?
8. What were my disappointments this month?
9. Anything else noteworthy to include?

So... these are my resolutions. I'll quit smoking next year! But, that's only if I begin to smoke!

Oh? Like the image? It's a vintage DIXON Pencil advertisement! I love collecting those.. and plan to start collecting the actual old pencils and boxes. Cool, eh? yeah. Geeky, I know. Did you know you can actually buy used pencil nubs on eBay? Just a little weirdness to the madness. That's not to be considered with this Canadian publication. And, while I was researching this paragraph I stumbled across this link from pencils.com of famous pencil pushers.

Oh! This reminds I DO have a REAL resolution for the year! Quit chasing rabbit trails (or opening more tabs on my browser window to follow random trains of links!)

Cheers! and Happy New Year to you and yours!

les idées visuelles allument l'inspiration

{ARTJournal}

les idées visuelles allument l'inspiration

Visual Ideas Ignite Inspiration. or VIII.

Yes, visual imagery does spark creativity... but.... what about auditory items? or tactile? or just one single word that prompts the "Ah-Ha!" moment?

How to tackle and include them? Jot them down in a separate missive or just a section or include within the whole? How to categorize and cross-reference? Such is the debate amongst artisans attempting to capture sometimes miniscule sparks of potential genius. Because we all know that a finished piece of art is in fact a display of genius in some form. Or is it?

Been reading "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell and her writing style and way of speech is so delightfully erratic. Kinda of like my memories of watching Julia actually-- but, it makes me want to read and write more! Or just express more, perhaps. Through a piece of art.

Android for dummies

or...

is Lucasfilm and sci-fi taking over our daily lives?

Have you noticed this symbol in your daily life appearing on your product packaging lately? Get ready. You're going to see it more and more often.

But... what does it mean?

Is it:

• for aliens only?
• subliminal messaging?
• should we prepare for seeing more of them?
• should we be afraid?
• do marketers think I'm as brainless as an android?

Yes and no. To all those considerations.

In my search for a new smart phone (and not-so-patiently) awaiting the Verizon iPhone release, I've considered the Droid. Yeah. I know. It's not the same- I've already faced that fact.

But... will it recognize these symbols? Yup. And, should I care? Yup. You should, too.

First of all.... that barcode looking thing is called a QR code. What's that? Wikipedia explains it here. In a nutshell- it's a matrix code originating from Japan technology (thus the alien factor) that is steadily invading our everyday technologies and lives (keep your eyes peeled for more). I actually saw (and snapped the one pictured here**) from the Weather Channel®.

Bottom line- will it benefit the general public and is it tracking my moves and uploading my habits and personal choices to some mastermind marketing monopoly? Well- yeah. DUH. Face it. We use the internet and those little cookies are leaving your crumbs all over cyberspace. Marketing geniuses wouldn't be worth their salt if they weren't tracking your preferences i.e what you're: searching for, shopping for, listening to, bookmarking, etc.

If there was a way to use your camera in your phone to snap an image of that QR code into your database (while you're not attached to the networks except through blue-tooth technology) but, rather you're out strolling through the mall: you've essentially "bookmarked" that item and whatever links the manufacturer (and marketers) included. When you access your list of QR codes (when you do finally go online)... there are links and information at your fingertips. Clever, eh?

Yeah. Kinda scary. It's the wave of the future folks. Get ready.

** If you already have a smarter-than-average phone and scan that QR code, please comment and let me know what information it gives you. The city I was checking isn't my hometown and I'd like to know if it indicates that in the links it gives ya.

Alpha Stamps is Giving Stuff Away!!

Yup. You read that right! Alpha Stamps is giving stuff away.... And... I want some of it! They have the coolest images and ephemera EVER! and stamp designs, too!

So... I'm hoping to win and per the requirement to give a link... here it is. But, YOU, too can win! Go to Alpha Stamps (the blog) and leave your comments!

Saluté!! Ruth Wakefield

.... or... Batter Up!

Ruth Graves Wakefield!

Home-arts heroine!

The world is a better place because of her.

Unless you were lucky enough to live in Massachusetts in exactly the right time period- ya never met her, nor did I. But- millions of people are indebted to her for her simple contribution to the enrichment of life: The Toll House Cookie.

And three cheers for my great-aunt, Clarice Cannon (Pargie), who probably held me by the elbow and showed me how to mix a bowl of simple ingredients into the best comfort food in the world.

My earliest memories are of being in my Great-Grandmother's, Grammy's, kitchen with Pargie. We lived next door to them from the time I was 3 until we moved to TX when I was 6. Most mornings- I awoke and headed straight across the driveway to Pargie's house. On cold mornings she would put me in front of the old stove and prop my feet on the open door as it warmed up. Then, she and I would mix up pancakes. Warmer mornings were different- she'd make cinnamon toast and chocolate milk and we'd drive across town to the water-tower to sit in the shadow... but, that's another story.

Mama remembers Pargie and Grammy making bread more often in her younger days--but, my memories are of making chocolate chip cookies and always ALWAYS the semi-sweet chips from the yellow Nestlé bag.

Several years later (I must have been about 13 or 14) my baby brother uttered a famous Keyton-ism in our family:

"Sada burned her dookies!"

I can still recollect his face and almost look of horror when he saw that pan coming out the oven. How very disappointing! I think I redeemed myself and got the next batch right, anyway.

This all got me to thinking about Mr Nestlé and his food legacy. Did you know he started out making baby food in Switzerland? Now the conglomerate owns (among other things) Purina and Jenny Craig. Not the most decadent and tasty morsels.... but, nutrition for the masses nonetheless.

So.... today, I celebrate the most wonderful delectable treat in the world. The humble Toll House cookie. I will be so glad when I have an oven (with a door that works and doesn't burn me!) in which to bake some! And, yes-- my not-so-secret ingredient (Nestlés butterscotch chips) will be in the batter.

Cheers! Saluté! and dunk mine twice, please.

My artwork has gone international

Picked up sales off of CafePress and they want some more design work!

Therefore.... I'm not going to be blogging or checking internet accounts regularly. If you have an immediate need to reach me- please call. WARNING: Verizon/Altell service is still not delivering messages with any reliability (voice or text) so if you've not heard from me and are needing a response, call again.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Friday in Columbia County and no billboards

or... our "Housing Project"

Mr B-- and I have been considering "buying the farm" (in a realistic sense- not sarcastic!) at Saginaw in Hot Spring County. We love the place and feel quite at home there- save for the small bothersome worry that it's over 1.5 hours from his job.

so... I talked him into actually shopping with me.

Most of you know us well enough to know that I excel at that activity (and am prone to giddy fits) and he would prefer to sleep through it.

but... all the stars were aligned perfectly this week (thanks, God!) and we went house-shopping in the Magnolia area (Columbia County) yesterday afternoon!! This experience was a first for us as a couple (who knew you could live with a man and not have to endure that EVER!) in 27 years! And...... I think we had a great time! He thinks it wasn't as dreaded a chore as could ever occur to a man.

"Searching for a billboard"

The one house that I've been cyber stalking since around April is a log home near Lake Columbia. For me- it was supposed to be the one that when I walked in the door there would be a billboard that Byron had to walk around in order to enter that said "This is God. I'm telling you that this is your new home- quit worrying about the cost because I said." so I didn't have to force feed him into this notion.

Well. It was unavailable to show because the seller's wife panicked because they are actually moving this weekend and she didn't want the first impression to ruin it for perspective buyers. I suggested Byron offer to tote furniture so we could get in!!

Ok. But, the really sweet realtor insisted that she drive us out to that house first before showing us any other properties. And so, we saw the neighborhood, met the closest neighbor (who is actually her secretary and the DIL to the folks that originally built the house) saw the outside workshop and the carport. Then we drove out south of town, east of town and way-far east of town--all places that Byron's not travelled on any of his little excursions when he got lost on the way back from Walmart.

Not a billboard in sight....

The second house is a much older house that reminded me a lot of our house (here on 15th) but it was almost double the size on 4 acres. A little too big, but the location was semi-agreeable.

The third house was a recently updated ranch with french doors and an awesome room for a studio but no outside work area or even a carport. Really livable and turn-key ready.

The fourth house was a really large former church cobbled into a residence that needs major work. But- the reason I so wanted Byron to see it was because it's on 3.5 acres and has an enormous covered RV area that would serve superbly for a welder and an enormous shop building for a blacksmith, and lots of wooded properties surrounding it.

The fifth house we were to see (I dubbed the Razorback house cuz it was white with red trim) was in town and I had privately decided that if God didn't declare the log house as THE house- this was the one (from internet appearances) anyway. Guess what? It sold Friday morning before I got to town! So- we didn't see it and I was thinking "how disappointing".

But you know what? We had a really good afternoon! Visiting with that agent- she regularly goes to Romania and raises money for Gypsy infant orphanages and pays for unemployed women there to go and rock those babies (they are the ones that are never touched) for 40 hours a week. That was just one of the odd "God-things" that kept randomly appearing throughout this experience.

Before we left town, Byron wanted to introduce me to his sawfiler friend Donald "Duck" that he replaced at Deltic because of his kidney disease. Duck (who's doing fairly well, btw) and his wife Alicia are a delightful couple and she had to hug me before we left- she's just that welcoming! Oh... and they had used our agent's husband for their house and highly recommended them if we were considering house hunting there! How... weird? or Divine!

Anywhoo- on the way home I chased behind Byron through no-mans-land (Pike County) where there are 200k deer and no cell service hoping that one wouldn't hop into the road (a deer- not a phone tower! DUH!). But, I couldn't talk to him almost the whole trip! Argh! You know me! I gotta get feedback no matter how provoking it is to him that all I want to do is rehash every detail! HAHA!

So... we finally got to Prescott and I could call him and I knew we didn't have long to talk so I just asked him.

"If you had to make an offer today based on what we saw- which house would you be most likely to buy?"

You know what he said- don't you?

He said: "I don't think I'd buy any because I don't know how we could afford anything over 100k".

"Well, yeah- I know you think that; but, we could. So... which would you choose- if you HAD TO TODAY?"

Do you know what that man said?

Is the suspense killing you? HA! Gotcha. JK!!

He said: "the log house."

"But, you've not even seen the inside of that house!"

"Doesn't matter."

We'd already made plans to see that house next Friday and she's to call me immediately if she has ANYone to show it to before we have our chance. But, she said unless something really changed even the four new listings she had for this weekend were not ones that she felt like we'd be interested in.

I'm still praying for God's billboard. And a comfortable home for me and Byron to live in together all week long for the next 15-20 years. You want to this to your prayer list? We'd appreciate it.

Much for which to be Grateful...

In the meantime- I'm just oh-so-grateful for a lovely afternoon spent house hunting with my husband!! Oh! And, I ate out twice today, too! YUM! Sweet potatoes!! If you come to Magnolia- eat at Miller's for lunch (the only time they are open) and get the proprietor to sing for ya while he's serving your coffee and running the cash register! He's Italian and Byron asked him to sing especially!

How cool is THAT!!???

Holy Steam Engines, Batman!

What the heck is Steampunk?

or... Victorian/Industrial era art??

According to Wikipedia it is a subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes anachronistic technology, usually from the Victorian age. It is also used to refer to a trend in fashion and music.

In reference to Art and design

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by enthusiasts into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style.Example objects include computer keyboards and electric guitars. The goal of such redesigns is to employ appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, and wood) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era.

The artist group Kinetic Steam Works brought a working steam engine to the Burning Man festival in 2006 and 2007. The group's founding member, Sean Orlando, also created a Steampunk Tree House that has been displayed at a number of festivals.

In May–June 2008, multimedia artist and sculptor Paul St George exhibited outdoor interactive video installations linking London and Brooklyn, New York City in a Victorian era-styled telectroscope. Evelyn Kriete, a promoter and Brass Goggles contributor, organized a trans-atlantic wave by steampunk enthusiasts from both cities, briefly prior to White Mischief's Around the World in 80 Days steampunk-themed event.

In 2009 artist Tim Wetherell created a large wall piece for Questacon (The National Science and Technology centre in Canberra, Australia) representing the concept of the clockwork universe. This steel artwork contains moving gears, a working clock, and a movie of the moon's terminator in action. The 3D moon movie was created by Antony Williams.

The Syfy series, Warehouse 13, features many steampunk-inspired objects and artifacts, including computer designs created by steampunk artisan Richard Nagy, aka "Datamancer".

From October 2009 through February 2010, the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford is hosting the first major exhibition of Steampunk art objects, curated by Art Donovan and presented by Dr. Jim Bennett, museum director.

As a Subculture

Because of the popularity of steampunk with people in the goth, punk, cybergoth, Industrial, gamer, and geeksubcultures, there is a growing movement towards establishing steampunk as a culture and lifestyle. The most immediate form of steampunk subculture is the community of fans surrounding the genre. Some move beyond this, adopting a "steampunk aesthetic" through fashion, home decor, and music. This movement may also be described as "Neo-Victorianism", which is the amalgamation of Victorian aesthetic principles with modern sensibilities and technologies. Others have proposed a steampunk philosophy, sometimes with punk-inspired anti-establishment sentiments, and typically bolstered by optimism about human potential.

"Steampunk fashion" has no set guidelines, but tends to synthesize modern styles as filtered through the Victorian era. This may include gowns, corsets, petticoats and bustles; gentlemen's suits with vests, coats and spats; or even military-inspired garments. Often, steampunk outfits will be accented with a mixture of technological and period accessories: timepieces, parasols, goggles and ray guns. Even modern accessories like cell phones or music players can be found in steampunk outfits, after being modified to give them the appearance of Victorian-made objects. Aspects of steampunk fashion have been anticipated by mainstream high fashion, the Lolita fashion and aristocrat styles, neo-Victorianism, and the romantic goth subculture.

"Steampunk music" is even less defined, as Caroline Sullivan says in The Guardian, "internet debates rage about exactly what constitutes the SP sound." This can be heard in the work of artists such as Abney Park, Unextraordinary Gentlemen, and Vernian Process.

So do you feel lucky punk?

Yeah. I do! I finally have a NAME for those things that set my art-heart racing and make the creative juices flow.

Off to enjoy art!

Recycled Ideas!

Thinking thrifty.

Thinking green.

Thinking.... too much as usual!

But-- putting the word out! Searching for: old books, old frames, old games pieces, old paint pans.

Any (and many) different or unusual shaped boxes or containers. So far- I've collected several dozen cigar boxes that are potential art projects.

Please call me and I'll recycle it for ya! Yup. I've turned into a bag lady... of sorts!