Fall in Anchorage, Alaska

September 5th  for Alaskan's means putting up the summer toys and bring out the long winter gear.  Usually for Anchorage by mid-September there is frost on our windows in the mornings and snow on the mountains.  None of this has happen until a few days ago! 

This year I proudly say it has been the most beautiful month for Fall I've ever seen while living 21 years here in Anchorage.

Flowers are still blooming, the leaves of the Birch are golden yellow even though now laying upon the sidewalks and yards in my neighborhood;  many of those golden leaves have just fallen off the limbs within the last couple of days.

Creative Types

Are you a gambler trying new and wild things?  Do you jabber away while creating that next Mona Lisa?  Or are you a silent type whose yearnings can only be read in your eyes? 

I have to admit there are various days that I could be one of the three. 

                  

I’m sure you can add more to the list of ‘creative types’.  I’m just hitting the top of the iceberg for those whose passion is some form of art or crafts!

Many of my friends on Facebook and Twitter are the creative type.  It is so enjoyable to see pictures of their latest creations and even pics of their old stuff.  

Artists across the world seem to encourage each other, tease and taunt each other, plus sometimes even become sponsors for another.  That makes me so glad… in this day and age of so much pain and grief that one sector of life remains constant – art and those who encourage folks to be creative.  

Art is a passion.  You either love it or you don’t.  Once it has its hands around your throat there is no surrendering.

Cling Stamps and Journals

On a never ending quest for things to occupy my desire to be creative can land one in trouble.

A run to Michaels and JoAnn's stores over the quiet weekend lead me to finding several items that captured my imagination.

One of my past times that I find relaxing is making Greeting Cards.  So I purchased a few new stamps sets.  So many new and wonderful type of stamps are available nowdays.  I drool in that aisle.  Thankfully I knew what I wanted and my decisions were fast and furious. 

Plus once I move into the position of Home Alliance Coordinator I'll be able to enrich the lives of Hope Cottages clients with crafts if they are so incline to learn about stamping and making greeting cards!  Or just having fun with scrap booking! A perfect excuse don't you think for my purchase?  I'm sticking to that reason when I explain additional stamping sets to an already overflowing box of them.

I will be making cards for the next several days to keep me busy while my hand heals from the sprain. I plan on utilizing some of my kaleidoscope prints as the background incorporating stamping and other items onto the card.

The stamps set I purchased are vintage inspired along with some 'Steampunk' theme's.  I'm in stamp heaven right now! 

I also plan to use the stamps within my Journals.  A lovely book by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino, titled 'Visual Chronicles' has enlighten my choices for different and amazing options for journals.

Antiques, Collectibles in a vintage Cottage

Yellow challenge is more enjoyable than I thought, I am actually enjoying taking pictures of items that are not flowers.

I'm calling it 'Yellow Mellow Fellow' then I post a pic over at my Facebook page showing off that day's picture!

I started the challenge off with a visit to the new location of the Pack Rat Antique shop - now located at 1068 West Fireweed Lane, Anchorage, AK, 99503. 

I love walking around looking at old things...some items I remember from childhood that my grandparents had in their kitchens, laundry rooms, or garages that their parents had handed down from their parents or that were the newfangled thing to own as my Grandma would say about her 1930/50's depression glassware she got out of various soap boxes.

 

As one of those baby boomers born in 1950 I love, love, love collectibles from this time period!

My dream is to have a little cottage styled house all decorated in items from the 30's thru the 60's.  Will have to wait til I'm rich and famous (have the cottage styled house just not all the needed antiques and collectibles to say HEY look at this)

My dream kitchen would have these items - Since red is one of my favorite colors:

Technology Dreaming

Today a contest ends.  The winner receives a brand new Canon Rebel Camera.  Sweet!  I entered the contest; something I rarely do.  

I have a little Samsung 10mp digital pocket model camera that I’ve used for the last two years.  I have dropped it more times than I should admit – so it at times acts up – the back is a tad scratched up from roaming in my camera bag with car keys and other countless items a woman carries when one does not take a purse.   Although most of the accidental drops of camera where from when my bike would toppled over on uneven ground  as I was loading everything back into the small basket on my front handle bars on various bicycle rides visiting gardens around town.

As far as one can tell my photos are not affected by the dropping of the camera.  There are times I need to gently tap the camera to get the lens to move out of the camera body so it is operable or for it to focus.  Not a big deal when one knows about the camera’s slight problems.

When one depends on a camera to create art one has dreams of newer and better cameras to enhance ones work and play load!

Last night out of boredom and wistfulness I visited Ebay.  Technology is a powerful entity.  My mouth was drooling over several specimens in both categories that I was clicking through:  large format printers and cameras as the viewing selections. 

If one has $1,500 to $2,200 lying around an 18mp digital camera by a couple of manufacturers where placed high on my dream list.

For $1,000 more selections were added to my list. 

And several winners I found for the under $500 with 14mp – enough pixels for large format photos up to 30 inches.

The large format printers’ price range was $2,500 to over $6,000.  These printers were more for the professional photographer who was well on their way to recognition and one who has a large studio that one could take in work to help fray cost factors.  Ink and photographic papers are more expenses than the average person realizes.

It is always fun to look at what is available, enticing one to dream and wish.  No one is too old to dream and have wishes. One never knows when the dream fairy can bring a wish to you.

Wacky Tacky Mondays

Mondays are wacky. 

Period.  

As a person with no real life job other than my art - Mondays are nothing to get excited about. 

Mondays are tacky.

Weekends are nothing more than days making the week longer. 

Days run together.  Weeks have no end.  Months add up to years.

Wacky.

My art is getting wacky but I like that!

Who Framed Me?

A finished piece of art can be framed or not;  it is a personal choice. Some look more attractive framed; some art just needs their own space such as a work of art on a gallery canvas.

Framing your works of art doesn’t need to be expensive.  I love it when the local shops have frame sales; the clearance section for frames can be your best friend. Use those coupons from flyers, newspapers, and that Michaels and JoAnn offer.  Look for used frames at garage sales, yard sales, moving sales, and even at Craigslist.  I also have made my own frames. Old wood is fun to slice and dice up for many projects big or small.

A simple display of your artwork sometimes is just what a wall needs. Sometimes a wall needs a full blown  attack of killer artwork - meaning lots and lots of art of different sizes and shapes and colors.

You don't have to display your artwork on just on walls;  placed a wonderful painting sitting on the floor against a piece of furniture.  Try using same size canvas's  that are back to back and hang from ceiling making a room divider.  Have a coffee table or end table ~  Make your own 'Designer Collection Book' with your favorite Artists photos' for any visitor to look through when the book is sitting on your coffee table.

Have fun with your art purchases and let the art shine!

The View from my Window

On various venues that artists and crafter's gather to sell their wares the competition is intense. 

Online galleries are amazing. 

The internet allows viewing of art otherwise only seen in museums or galleries. A whole new world of any genre is available for screening before you purchase.

I’m enjoying the view from my window.  Are you?

During the past week this one has been creating new art, an enjoyable process with the new Photoshop program. Although I’m still learning how Adobe Photoshop works and understanding the different filters; it is just fun to turn a photograph into something totally different. Playing around, discovering the various limits of my own photographs have been more entertaining than I realized as I struggled with the decisions of my own style.

One needs to have a good photograph to begin the process. I have tried improving upon a photo that was trash and it enables you to learn how the Photoshop program works - it doesn’t change the fact the photo is not one to keep.

Here's hoping you enjoy the view from Fishlips perspective.

Color Fall Yellow

Most often by September's end the leaves are gone from the trees in Anchorage.  Its the start of our winter.  This year the weather has been warmer than normal and the leaves are turning beautiful shades of yellow throughout Anchorage.

Reminds one of the fall in St. Louis, Missouri when an old oak tree on a main street where I was raised; this tree would bloom into a golden glow from sunlight filtering over, under and through leaves on branches as thick as my thighs.  The age of the mighty oak had to have been at least two years old.  Massive in size and beauty. 

I need to check with my mother to see if there are any photos of the 'golden globe' in the family photo box she keeps.  A photo of this tree would be a treasure for my memory box.

 Anchorage on Saturday, September 25, 2010

Yesterday

Yesterday.

Words in a song from long ago.  Words I said on the morning of yesterday.

My world is small.  How big is your world.

Yesterday my world got even smaller.  My fishlips almost fell off with the lack of oxygen. 

I woke up to a booty call mass email saying "Oops we sold the venue you have given your all to establish as a great avenue for your customers ". 

This is the site that I've been working hard to display my top quality art for almost two years ~  Sold. 

Needless to say I was overcome with anger.  In my honest opinion it was handled very wrong by those who began the selling site.  In the last few months vendors where mislead and misguided from the CEO Matthew Trifiro.

What a wax job Matt and team. 

You sold your vendors down the river.  In Alaska that's justification to be feed to the Grizzly's.  We don't take kindly to being taken advantage of. This is the last Frontier we are a hardy bunch. Thus making us come out on top of anything thrown our way.

All the vendors at 1000markets where the cream of the crop in the 'Handmade' arena.  Now many are picking up broken hearts, lost dreams and scrambling to find a new home with the crush of Holidays before them for eking out a livelihood.

So I will move on also.  Packing up my art and various items to find a new additional selling venue. 

Thank goodness I am on Cargoh.com  a super fresh upcoming selling venue that is Juried. 

Juried sites keep out the suppliers, resellers, and those items which are not top notch. 

Fortunately online selling venues are popping up everywhere.

Fishlips whistling 'Yesteerdayyyy, oh yesterdayy.' and signing off...

Don't be surprised if this little booty decides to open up a juried online selling venue for other online artist/crafter who hold strong to making it 'Handmade'.

A.R.T.

A

R

T

Art is many things to many people.  You can like all or you can like none.    You can like some or you can like a certain type.  You can like the classics or you can like the new upcoming artist.

Being on Facebook (or just about any social network) one is exposed to many artists of any nature if they extend their friendship to any & all.  

Every day you scan posts with any picture that friends has included of their work or others.   A revolving Art Museum this will become for you.

A picture of someone’s pet becomes an odyssey of Animal Kingdom.

That new baby begins a journey of awakenings for caregivers. 

Paintings inspire and awe viewers.

My own art expands and evolves

Upside Down or Other Warehouse 13 moments in Art

Outsider Art is a term I just discovered by accident.


If you like outsider art and you're a insider are you turned upsidedown?

What would happen if an outsider married an insider and they have offspring Are they then ~ INSIDEOUT?

When that Inside-out grows up do they become Upside Downs when they become artists?

Makes my head spin.  Does yours?

I understand why terms or classification are given; much easier for the brain to wrap around.  Some just do not make sense.

 OUTSIDER ART (noun)

 Meaning:

A genre of art and outdoor constructions made by untrained artists who do not recognize themselves as artists

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

naive art; outsider art; primitive art; self-taught art; vernacular art

Hypernyms ("outsider art" is a kind of...):

genre (a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique)

Throughout life I was always the outsider which growing up was a tad scary.  Now I have a classification that actually means something but find myself once more being Outsider; while looking inside; turning upsidedown; and becoming insideout; thus once more Outside.  All this said with lips all puckered up in a lopsided grin.

Artful Deeds

From a lovely garden to behold at Kinaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. 

Summer was filled with gardens west to east and north to south here in Anchorage.  I could not get enough photos of the flowers blooming.  Bees where busy when days blasted sun, rain made for riding my bicycle not so possible many a time.  But as soon as it stopped and I knew a break would last for awhile - off I would go snapping up photos of my favorite subjects.

Now as fall takes its hold upon Anchorage, my art will be basically exploring, refining, and printing out natures beauty one page at a time.