Challenge No. 1

Fall is basically over.  Frost is on my car's windows each morning.  Darkness comes early afternoon and leave late in morning.

We are preparing for winter. 

Yard has been raked.  Summer flower pots put away, as well as garden tools.

Winter gear is assembled and ready for grabbing when one leaves the house now.

Trash at West High now a Kaleidoscope

 
Will have to relearn coping skills for my nerves while driving in snow and ice again.
And I wait for the annual Holiday Bazaars.  As an artist I have to support other like 'handmade artists' so that they continue making the wonderful products that they do!  I love walking the aisles of the bazaars looking at creations that draw me to them like a moth to light.  Touching many of the items, wishing for myself or many times purchasing it for family or friends.

To each of you I also challenge you to do a new project before Thanksgiving Holiday.  To step outside of your usual domain and try taking photos of a total stranger.  Are you brave enough?  Will you step up to them and say 'I'm going to take your picture & thanks for allowing me' or are you one who will just snap shots and be anonymous?

 

Photoshop Fun

For the last few months I've been busy working.  Then I've also been playing every chance I had in my free time to play with Photoshop.

I love Photoshop Elements 9.  It's fun and the plug-ins that one can purchase or find free on the internet are a blast also!  Harry's Filters is my favorite, plus a kaleidoscope filter has became my right arm extension of my art.

 
Mr Fishlips tells me with each new creation that he thinks I'm a super artist.  I just laugh and run with his kind words.

A recent trip out to Hatcher's Pass on September 5th left us breathless at the beauty of Alaska.  

Although my guy doesn't like his photo's published I thought you would enjoy this one that I call 'Happy Hands'.  Yep those are his hands that make this kaleidoscope have special meaning to me.

Adventures Ahead

This is my last weekend of total freedom from the working class world.  On Monday I start a new adventure returning to the working world.  

It’s been some time since I was an employee for someone else.  I cannot tell you HOW excited I truly am at this new opportunity!  I have not been this excited in ages and ages!

I’ve sat down writing up my 5 year goals for finances, things that we need to do to our home, our surroundings and also things we want for fun, plus making life easier.

I will be working for Hope Community Resources here in Anchorage.  Hope assists folks with disabilities throughout the state of Alaska.

Many folks wonder why this area for me…no one in my family or circle of friends growing up had anyone in their lives who was disabled.  Out of 8 children I’m the only member of my family who has chosen work in the past and present in this specialized area. 

When ask in my interviews why would I work in this field…my answer was simple: “I believe everyone in life deserves to enjoy it to the best of their abilities and should be encouraged to live a happy life that has meaning to them.  Plus I find working with folks who have disabilities rewarding.  They give something to me as well as I’m giving something to them.”  

Maybe it was because I have the Oldest Sibling syndrome even though I'm the third child of eight – I need to take care of those who are less able to care for themselves.  Maybe it was because as a child I was always dragging home the stray pets and injured animals to take care of.  Whatever it was that made me this way - I’m glad.

Now if I just hear that I will be one of those selected to be receiving a Rasmuson Foundation art grant award – my life goals for this year would be 100% complete and totally awesome!

Splints and Sprains

On Thursday it was St. Patty’s Day plus Anchorage received a flurry of fresh fluffy snow about 3 to 4 inches.  Being the good woman I am; I said I would do the shoveling.  

Off I went to shovel snow off the sidewalks and driveway.  3/4ths of the way through on the street end of driveway the moment of truth happened.  I slipped on a huge patch of ice from the previous days of warm weather melting and refreezing at night.  The snow covered this 4 foot patch.

I can only hope if a neighbor saw me falling that I scored a perfect 10 on form!

Landing on hand was an experience I don’t wish to do again.  YEOW it hurt.  Picking my shovel like a good girl and limping back up the sidewalk, swallowing my pride I sat for an hour biting my lower lip so I wouldn’t cry until my doctor’s office was back from their ‘office closed for lunch’.  Unfortunately even though they have an x-ray machine they could not fit me in.  So off to the ER I go – I took a book, which turned out to be a life saver!   

The ER was standing room only all day due to many of us foolish folks slipping and sliding and those who arrived by ambulances who happen to be driving too fast for road conditions! 

6 hours later I come home with the news - Severe sprain to hand, contusion to wrist, elbow and shoulder.  Oh did I forget to mention hip feels like a mule kicked it? 

But the very best part of all this: I got a great souvenir - A handy dandy removable splint. 

             Oh baby those knuckles (hehehe what knuckles?) look like you been boxing without any padding!

Plus I get to see an orthopedic doctor who specializes in hand injuries (as per instruction sheet and is typed so all can see ‘only if needed’) since I’m one of those lucky Americans without health insurance we will be skipping this part of instruction sheet – totally out of my ‘only if needed’ area.  One must do with ‘what is affordable’. 

Piece of Cake

Today at 2pm I had a follow up interview with the same business as on Thursday.  For the full time position I had sent my application in for.  I was glad to hear I had aced that interviewed and they felt I did have what they were looking for in a HAC (home alliance coordinator)

I was nervous but felt as this second interview progressed; that I did a good job talking about my skills and abilities; plus that I would be a good fit for this organization.

On one of the questions halfway through answering my mind went blank... thank goodness I had mostly answered what had been ask.

At 4:45pm I was called and was offered the position!!!

Thank you for who ever watches over those who are looking for jobs!

My training starts on April 4th.  Plenty of time to get things in ship shape here at home and get my better half use to the idea I'll be off working again while he pretends at being a bum! 

I now feel a purpose once more in life other than to entertain myself.

Watch out for the lady in aisle 6 She is on a mission! OMG I'll actually will pay working Income Taxes once more :-O

Fur Rondy 2011

Anchorage’s winter festival ‘Fur Rondy’ had its kick off on Friday!  The festival is a two week event with dozens and dozens of action packed fun for children and adults.  Fur Rondy is the prelude to the great 'Iditarod Race'.

The city closes several main streets downtown for various daily events.  Dog sled racing, Outhouse racing, the carnival, and then throughout Anchorage a wide variety of things are happening.

The Anchorage Senior Center maintains the most activities for all.  Down at the Senior Center you will find the Seniors Annual Art Show, lots of food, tons of different type games and more games.  Snowshoe baseball anyone?

On Saturday I did my best in partaking different activities by dressing in some warm clothes and walking the streets snapping photos.  I lasted about an hour downtown before my hands were frozen, my nose was a running faucet and I think half of my toes fell off on 4^th Avenue.

Today I plan on dressing warmer so I can stay out longer and getting more photos!  Right now Anchorage is besieged by bone chilling wind at about 20/30 knots.  

I entered the Fur Rondy Amateur Juried Photography Contest.  Seven favorite photos were entered; one photo for each category of the show.  

This year 516 entries were received for judging.  180 were selected for public viewing.  If you made the cut even this is an honor.  Of my seven; five were included in the public viewing.  Of my five photos - 1 received a 3^rd place ribbon for my Flora entry!  I was jazzed in a way you cannot imagine!  It confirms that my photos are wonderful and that I have developed a style of Art that is worthy of the attention I give it.  Confirms to me I am an artist.

                                                               'Thrills & Spills'

                                       b/w with forge filter Fur Rondy Carnival 2/26/2011

Altered Art Techniques

As you all know, one of my greatest pleasures on my laptop is creating digital art from my photos.  My desire presently is to take my photography into new realms.  

As an artist one needs to grow and challenge one’s self along the way.

Anchorage’s Library as any library brings in new books on a regular basis.  A thrill beyond anything is when I located a book on a subject matter that takes my type of art into a new arena for me.   Right now I’m awaiting 10 new purchased artsy books to arrive.  My mouth drools just at the thought!

In the meantime two books I’ve discovered fascinate me!  Both are fine examples of where I desire my art to go and also give me new ideas on how to expand my artist skills.

Two books from 2007 that I highly recommend:

Mixed Emulsions/altered art techniques for photographic imagery - by Angela Cartwright

Digital Photo Art/beginner’s guide to – by Theresa Airey

Then I found a brand new published book 2010 that grabbed me by the ears because it also deals with using Photoshop to create art.

            Digital Art Revolution/creating fine art with photoshop by Scott Ligon

So the next few weeks I’ll be trying some new techniques that each of these books discuss.

So until the snow melts I’m letting books be my moment’s journey and excitement.

                                                           Red Challenge - #9

Challenge of Color

As February slowly wines down from the excitement of Valentine’s Day, I find that a need to create new work is a must or otherwise I do believe I could just become a slug until summer arrives.  

It’s comfortable just daydreaming though.   

Sitting in my robe till noon was almost pleasant.  I felt guilty at 12:20pm the other day when just picking my nose, dusting the floor with my 20yr old bunny slippers which haven’t been washed since getting them off Ebay, on my fifth pot of coffee, and staring at the black spider on the wall make me want to pound my head on the desk like a two year old having a tantrum -> this is my sweeties version to hear him tell it.  I don’t pick my nose, never own bunny slippers, the robe is his, I swear it was only the 4th cup of coffee-It's too expensive to drink more than one pot a day, that spider I killed last month and most days I’m dressed by 11am!  But he is right I do throw tantrums except I've learned not to bang head anywhere cause it causes one to go blind (something like playing with yourself but no fur grows there)!

So I decided HEY SELF time for a Challenge. 

Never one to let a good thought get lost ~ you’re invited to do the challenge also!  I double dog dare you to do this challenge!

The Challenge is to work with a color for so many days.  I thought 30 days would be great but since I’m also easily distracted and living in a small city (Anchorage doesn’t even have a Sonic, or Red Lobster, or Olive Garden so YA we are small). 

The challenge is for 15 days.  On your mark get set GO!

Challenge #1 is the color RED –

 February 15 to March 1

Anything goes…just create and have fun!  Create something each day that has Red as the focus of your creation.

***If anyone wishes to share their creations I will happily showcase those artists during the challenges here on my blog (just leave a comment or send me a message on Facebook, or convo me in any of my shops - I triple dog dare my fellow artists and crafters to Please Please do this - it will be fun!!)

Feb. 15 - photo no. 1