M.I.A.

Sometimes life gets extremely messy...

Messy isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just the way things roll.

Our messy has been good - we finally have an accepted offer on our lake home :)

So, there's been packing to do....

Our daughter moved out East.

So, there's been more packing to do, and apartment cleaning, and good-byes :(

And then, my parents bought a townhouse.

Which involved house hunting and a move yet to come :)

So, that's my messy world of late.

I think that my image titled, Divine Light, 

serves as a nice counter point to all of the changes

 that we've been experiencing.

Wishing you joy in your creative ventures and

 hoping your life isn't too messy at the moment!

Spring!!!

Hope you're all enjoying glorious spring weather.

It's wonderful here. 

 We moved a bit farther south in the state of Wisconsin,

 and it's like being in a whole different world.

It's WAY warmer and has a lot more happening. 

 For example, I joined the La Crosse Camera Club 

and we've had two group shoots already -

 one at night at the beautiful Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe.

Such fun!

I've also been exploring the genres of still life and street photography.

More on that as I finish a backlog of photo editing :)

Happy creating to you!!!

Text Me!

We just got back from a trip to the city.

Have you ever noticed that everywhere you turn in the city,

 people are on their iPhones?

Well, except for this guy who seemed to have had an epiphany,

or maybe just saw a light bulb that was out :)

Happy creating to you!

Light and Pattern

Lately, I've been chasing light and pattern around the house -

sometimes by design, sometimes by chance.

These two images are my favorites,

so far.

Happy creating to you!

Speedy at Two!

It was fun and challenging photographing this little guy!

Two-year-olds can certainly move fast.

Throw changing sunlight and shadow patterns 

into the mix and manual camera mode was discarded in a jiffy.

The first and last images are my favs,

 but I took some conventionally cute images for his mom, also.

Looks like when you're two,

 you gotta smash your face against the screen...

because you can!

Hope your summer is rolling along with great times and 

interesting challenges.

Comments are off.

Summer Greetings!

Life has been busy -

a good kind of captivating busy.

The fact that I just edited these Mother's Day flower images pretty much confirms this!

I've mentioned that our daughter was going to be graduating from college.

Well, the day came and included a special honor for her,

as K was included in an additional "Evening of Distinction" ceremony.

What an amazing group of young adults! 

 I believe they are going to change the world, or at least make a stab at it.

Next came moving K into her first apartment, with the help of her friends.

Picture a charming old building with deep mahogany colored wood floors,

cream plaster walls, and beautiful light.

Gone are the days of college dorms and slum lord rental homes 

shared with friends.

A couple more trips for family get-togethers, my niece's HS graduation party, 

kayaking on the lake, biking, a studio bead project, photography in the garden, 

and watching thunderheads from the dock - 

that's how time has been rolling along.

I hope this finds you enjoying the good times of summer.

Take care and as always, happy creating!

Comments are off while I soak up more summertime fun :)

Books!

I've mentioned before that I love books.

My earliest booky memory is of the floor to ceiling bookcases 

that lined a living room wall in the Dutch Colonial house that I grew up in.

These built-ins were white painted wood and flanked a window that faced the back yard.

The expanse of jumbled colored spines read as a modern art painting 

with your eye seeking pattern within the chaotic exuberance.

Shelves were arranged like a chronology of life,

with little kid picture books on the bottom,

then story books, fiction, biographies, and art tomes,

all the way up to the ceiling where the most valuable,

 or least read, pieces languished.

Furniture sat in front of this wall of books, 

while the space behind the furniture became a kid's "book fort" of sorts,

 a place to secret off to and read.

Such pleasant memories!

Although I read some ebooks, there is nothing like a printed book -

the weight in your hand, the touch of paper, 

and the turning of pages.

Hopefully, future generations will enjoy the pleasures of printed books, too.

How about you... are you an ebook reader, library user, or book collector?

Or maybe, you embrace books in any form :)

Happy reading to you!

Seeing Double

Experimenting with double exposures.

Such fun!

Wishing you joy in your creative work.

Farm Fresh

Farm fresh eggs in wondrous shades of creamy tan to mellow rust

plus buttery light and a 50mm lens...

a combination that made me happy!

Wishing you a blessed Easter.

Comments are off.

Asparagus

Snowbanks are slowly receding,

winds are gusting,

birds are noisily chattering...

it looks and sounds a bit like

spring.

Could it finally be here?

I do believe the answer is yes!

Enjoying asparagus on a spring day :)

Hoping spring is in full swing at your house!

Comments are off.

Wishes

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you a day filled with love and sweet treats.

Bead Frenzy

There is a whole lot of beading going on in my studio

 as I'm working on an elaborate project for a show.

Since I want you to think I'm very neat and tidy,

there will be no studio photos today.

Instead, I'll tell you about what you'd see ~

a large Chinese Writing Stone Cabochon

from Gary B. Wilson Lapidary Design - it's a looker,

Swarovski crystals - the ultimate in bling,

Pyrite stone beads with an AB finish - subtle shimmer and texture,

seed beads - bags upon bags of them in a rainbow of colors,

drawings, tracing paper mock-ups, Ultra Suede,

 and the usual beading tools -

long beading needles, Nymo thread (size D), plus scissors.

If you're wondering what this amazing peacock street art mural

 has in common with my project....

well, they're both colorful,

both large (my necklace only in relative terms, of course),

and

both stop you in your tracks!

(hoping this necklace will when it's done - we'll see).

Wishing you a colorful, creative week!

Thankful

Wishing you happiness and blessings

 on Thanksgiving Day!

Comments are off while I enjoy time with my family

 and lots of delicious food :)

Trick or Treat!

First the trick, these aren't designs on paper or canvas,

 but rather drawing and marbling in royal icing on cookies!

Although cooking and baking don't generally qualify as fun in my book,

making fancy holiday cookies does.

Guess it's because I get to draw and make something beautiful,

with the added bonus that these cookies taste amazing!

If you're interested, here are two other posts that talk a little about the how-tos ~

here and here.

And while you're at it, check out the ultimate cookie queen,

Sweet Sugar Belle.

She's got all the answers!

Finally, a couple images purposely defocused with creative color,

just for fun.

Happy Halloween!

Hope your day is filled with treats :)

The Changeling

In my last post, I mentioned that while teaching at ISQSC

I had a free afternoon to walk around town with my camera.

I spent part of the time chasing reflections,

which is kind of like playing with a changeling ~

magical, elusive, dancing this way and that.

Should I shoot straight on or at an angle?

In full light or shadow?  Low POV or high?

High contrast or low?  

Look for vivid color harmonies or subdued?

Question after question arose, as I tried to find logic within the

light, angles, colors, and shifting shimmer.

Yes, indeed......like playing with a changeling!

Design Framework

Whether making a photograph, art quilt, or piece of elaborate beaded jewelry,

 I first seek out, or design, a solid framework for the artwork.

The framework is a combination of tonal values and lines.

This is the base that all other elements,

 such as mood, color, story, and meaning,

rest upon.

While teaching textile and beadwork at ISQSC in Fargo, ND,

I had one long afternoon to myself.

So, I walked the downtown streets and alleys with my camera.

I think the design framework is particularly apparent in the geometry

 that I found within the urban landscape.

Wishing you a creative week!