There are not enough seconds in the minutes, or minutes in the hours....

Here's a picture that's been waiting a week for me to finish it, but I've been busy learning how to Tweet! Before that, I converted a novel into an e-book, and it works all most readers! (Proud of that accomplishment)!

And it's only17 days till the next First Wednesday Artwalk. I want to have several Navy paintings since this is a Navy town.

I'm thinking of a new way to set up my booth this time so I can show more stuff. Here's my first one with my fabulous assistant! I absolutely could have not done this without him!!!

I need a larger table to display brochures, business cards, smaller prints, notecards and all that stuff. But it all has to fit in the back seat of my PT Cruiser with the top down. Last time, I spent 75% of my time looking in the rear view mirror to see if anything was flying through the air.





And then there are the frequent distractions of the various and assorted visitors who only come by to drive Stanley crazy! These two live across the street and they actually came up on my front porch. I shoo'd them away, so the stopped and chewed a few weedsout of my front walk. I'm thinking about borrowing them occasionally. (It's easier than bending over.)

 Stanley's other BFF is a gopher tortoise who lives down the hill. He likes to walk back and forth along the back fence, all the while pretending Stanley does not exist. And Stanley's begging me to let him out to play. But since they're a protected species, we can't do that!

Never a dull moment - I've still got pix in the camera of the hummingbird outside my kitchen window. He's about 3 feet away and I love to watch him when I'm supposed to be working... like now! I gotta go... TTYL!

"IS IT ART?" - (Final installment on this rant!)

How 'bout a pretty picture before I get started? The original photo is at the bottom of the page.

Now for the ending to the post I began on June 24th about whether or not digital art is "art" or "whatever." I did think of another analogy - If all the tools, the supplies, the land, and a blueprint were provided, could just anyone walk out there and build a house? Probably not. It would take a person with the skills and the talent to build a house to be proud of. Same with art - the tools don't make the art, the artist does. So:

There is an art site that invited me to be one of their original members. I was also invited to be co-moderator for a yet-to-be-established group for Digital Art.

"Wow," thought I to myself! "I'm a real artist!" And I began uploading various pieces I've created and received lovely, re-affirming comments such as:

·         Comment by (name deleted) 1 day ago This is an excellent piece of digital art. I like the painterly effect you have achieved and strength of colours.

·         Comment by (name deleted) 1 day ago Pretty colors - so luscious and vibrant!

·         Comment by myself on May 24, 2011 at 8:53am Thank you. All of my digital paintings start out as a photograph I take. Then comes the fun part, where I can play with it in Photoshop and Painter.

·         Comment by (name deleted) on May 23, 2011 at 1:57pm Amazing. I thought it was a photo

·         Comment by (name deleted) on May 23, 2011 at 9:09pm This is beautiful. How did you do it?

·         (name deleted) replied to Margie Hudson's discussion 'Digital Painting Group' Thank you so much for partnering with me to do this. Your work is such an inspiration to me and i am sure it will be the same for others! I will find out how to add you as co-leader!

Now, really! I felt like an artist! And then came the hammer....

As we get ready to roll out live with The Art Colony we are making some revisons to our site and I wanted to talk with you about the changes we have made to the gudielines for Digital Art.
Our intention is to get this genre defined before we go live so we are not confusing anyone. I am so sorry that we didn't have this taken care of before you joined.
After much careful consideration we feel it is critical that we keep to our no photos policy and have called this out in the Digital Art guidelines. (name deleted) created a link to help distinguish between work that is photo editing and work that is digital art.
Look at this post for guidelines on digital art pieces for The Art Colony galleries: http://community.art-is-fun.com/notes/Digital_Art_vs_Photo_Editing

I know this is a difficult topic and do not want to hurt your feelings. What I am hoping is that you will look at the guidelines and determine if there is any of your work that does not meet the guidelines and remove the work that is more like an editied photo than digital art.
If you feel uncomfortable removing work and feel that The Art Colony is not the right place to be, please let me know.

Guidelines excerpt:

The Art Colony accepts digital art but not photography. [...]
Our goal is to promote and discuss ideas about artistic processes created by hand, and for that reason we make this distinction between digital art and digital photo editing:

Digital art = Computer-generated art that is created by hand (i.e. using a tablet, stencil etc), either from scratch or from a reference source.

Digital photo editing = running a photograph through Photoshop filters, making adjustments, adding and subtracting elements to enhance certain qualities of the photo.

While digital photo editing is a creative process that can result in some beautifully artistic images, the end result is still essentially an edited photograph. Edited photographs belong on a photography site, not a fine art site like The Art Colony - just as a photograph printed onto canvas and then painted over with acrylics belongs on an art site, and not a photography site.

So! If I print out my photograph and then paint over it with acrylics it's art! Well, who knew? Gee, that takes a lot of talent, doesn't it?

So, thanks for listening to me, whoever you are (if you are out there!) Most of us have to struggle with that little voice inside that says "That sucks!" So, why shouldn't we, as artists, do everything we can to uplift others rather than tear them down? I've seen art that made me shake my head, but I wouldn't dream of telling an artist "That sucks!"

The picture at the top was painted, using both Painter and Photoshop, using my original photo, taken at an air show in Virginia in 2007.

Well? Is It ART? (Part 2)

I find it amazing that just checking your Facebook page will take you off on a totally unplanned journey. So, two hours later...

Anyway...I clicked a link that seemed to have a positive message for artists - as the poster stated: "a nice summary of the personality traits of as artist: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/school-life.php ", so I went for a visit. There was some interesting reading, especially the comments. And then, I found the following:

"As an artist who is struggling to make it as a professional, and with many years of toil and learning behind me, I am often frustrated by the sheer numbers of “artists” out there who are simply people who decided to pick up a brush and, because they managed to paint a tree that looks like a tree, they figure they’re ready to break into the commercial market. Local art fairs are overflowing with such individuals and often, I think, the public is overwhelmed by sheer numbers; the market becomes over-saturated with art of “questionable” standards and it boggles the mind of the average Joe. Unlike any other profession, to be an artist there is no real accreditation process, no scoring system, and no firm standards (unlike golf where you might have the most beautiful swing in the world, but the bottom line is your score). Virtually anybody can claim to be an artist. What does that do for those of us who are truly committed to this vocation? Well I guess it means we just have to buckle down and make sure we get really good at it, that our work shines, and that we’re in it for the long haul, and I guess that’s what we should be doing anyway. It’s not a vocation for the dabbler, the hobbyist or the weekend warrior, it’s for those who can’t imagine doing anything else and are willing to do what it takes."

Now, I know the writer did not specifically target digital art, but what is the difference between "an artist struggling to become a professional" and “artists” out there who are simply people who decided to pick up a brush"? Who decides this? Where are the guidelines? Where are the rules? Where are the judges?

"Virtually anybody can claim to be an artist."  That's true. I claim that distinction. Who says I'm not? Oh, yeah? Prove it!  

Is it "ART"?

One of my favorite quotes, discovered while I was trying (at the age of 50) to learn to be a Graphic Designer, sums up my art experiences so well! It goes like this:

"And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart, till the Devil whispered behind the leaves "It's pretty, but is it Art?" - Rudyard Kipling

Well, in spite of that rude whisper, I survived school, got my degree, and have worked steadily ever since. Then, entirely by accident, I discovered Digital Art. The first picture was of my grandson, exposure was poor, his shirt was dirty, but it was a cute photo.

So, I started trying to clean it up in Photoshop, playing with filters and layers, and eventually wound up with this...

And I was hooked!!! If you look at my portfolio or check out my Facebook Fan Page, you'll see I have done digital paintings that range from portraits to boats to lighthouses - and just about everything in between! I love the challenge of taking a photo to another level, finding something extra in it. I make no claim to being a photographer, but my camera helps me capture what my mind sees, at least in the beginning. A beautiful rose will sometimes just be adequate as a photo, but by using my imagination and my creative tools (which just happen to be a computer, tablet and pen) it can be transformed into an image that will take your breathe away.

So, what do you think? Is it ART?

Living the Wild Life in Florida!

Just about the time I've reached an uneasy truce with all the creepy-crawlies here in Florida, they go and break all the rules! I've grown  fond of the little lizard who crawls inside my kitchen window screen - even named him Fred - and I've pushed the screen out far enough for him to go in and out. And the little tiny green frogs are kinda cute - as long as they don't jump on me. My favorite critter is the Gopher Tortoise who lives out behind my house. He's as big as a hubcap and, boy, can he run! But... I digress! I was explaining about the broken truce between me and the critters!

Thursday night I opened the  pantry door, looking for a little bedtime snack, and one of Fred's cousins ran up the wall. I was a little startled, but since he didn't attack or anything I let him go about his business. Shortly afterwards, the dogs and I went to bed. I read for a little while, then turned off the lamp. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I felt a "thump" on my leg, which startled me awake. Thinking Stanley had thrown a toy, I turned the light back on .... and it was a big ol' ugly gray TOAD!    eeeeeeekkkk!!!!!!!! (The picture below is nowhere near as ugly as the one that attacked me!)

Needless to say, it didn't take me long to get out of bed. And I chased him around the room, trying to throw the wastebasket over him, but he kept jumping every which way. When he landed on the wall behind my bed, I was done! I grabbed my phone, my book and my pillow, left the bedroom, closed the door, stuffed a towel in the crack at the bottom of the door - and spent the night on the couch! The next morning I cautiously crept into the bedroom, knowing that I could not sleep in there again until I found him. Well, I discovered him on the bathroom floor, so I closed that door, stuffed a towel under that door also, and called for help. My fearless friend, Robin, came to mine and the frog's rescue and took him outside. And we all lived happily ever after! NOT! He's lucky Robin took him outside, cause I'da killed the sucker. I used to have quite a taste for the wild life, but I don't care much for wildlife!

What Size Are YOUR Hailstones?????

Usually hailstones are described as being pea-sized - or nickel-sized - maybe golf ball-sized - and occasionally baseball-sized. But tonight the weatherman added two (?) more sizes to the list - ping-pong ball-sized and hen egg-sized. Really??????

Isn't a ping-pong ball about the same size as a golf ball? And hen eggs - is that different from rooster eggs?? Or duck eggs? Goose eggs? Ostrich eggs? Turtle eggs? The list could go on forever.

But suppose we stick to hen egg-sized hailstones. What size hen eggs? You know, there are pee-wee, small, medium, large, extra-large and jumbo hen eggs. We've just opened a whole new descriptive arena for a weatherman with too much time on his/her hands.

What about tornadoes? Tornadoes are defined as funnel or a cone-shaped? Is that a "funnel" cake? Or maybe the top of a Dairy Queen ice cream cone?  Also there's the "wedge" tornado, the "stovepipe," or the "rope" - a wedge of what? Pie? Cheese? How big is the stove to which the pipe is attached? What kind of rope are we talking about? There's wire rope, clothesline rope, braided rope, and on and on.

So, let's get back to the old standard of the K.I.S.S Principle, guys? I like my hailstones sized like peas, marbles, golf balls or baseballs. And PLEASE - don't tell me Clay County reported softball-sized hail last night!

 

Stanley "Meathead" Chewbacca

When I adopted Stanley, his shelter name was Sal. Now, I think dog names need to have 2 syllables, so when you call them there's a rhythm to it - so I decided on Stanley. Stan - ley! I like that! Has a nice flow to it. Of course, he's rather silly-looking (don't tell him I said so!), kind of like an alien or something, and he acts like a dork, so his second name became Meatball. He seems to be okay with that. But his last name came about because of this habit he's had ever since he moved in... if it's out of place, it's his. Period. End of discussion.

Don't leave the big package of toilet paper in the floor of the closet. It doesn't belong there - it belongs under the bathroom sink. Otherwise, it's a toy. Same for the roll of brown packaging paper that fell off the dryer onto the floor - Stanley's! A basket full of assorted colors of yarn and knitting needles sitting next to the armchair - where a person would keep it handy for quiet moments in the evening - NOT!  A creative dog can create all sorts of designs and paths through the house with toys like that.

So, yesterday I left Sadie's Calming Tablets on the coffee table and went out for just about 30 minutes and - Yep! Chewbacca strikes again! Thus, the picture above. I'm glad I wasn't gone any longer or I might have had the calmest dog on the planet.

All those years my Mom spent trying to get me to keep my room clean - all she needed was a Stanley Meathead Chewbacca!



New blog I'm going to follow...

Just had a moment to look at Girlzilla's Blog, but I think she's my kinda girl!!! (Especially if she remembers that a 6 year old could buy cigarettes!). What led me to her site was this cartoon - hope she doesn't mind if I share, since it really describes the way my life has been lately... check out her blog!

Stop And Smell The Flowers!!!

My dog, Sadie, has never willingly posed for a picture. If she does happen to be looking at the camera, it's because she's too lazy to move. Otherwise, the exact second you push the button, she turns her head.


So this morning I decided the best way to photograph the spring bouquet my grand-daughter brought me was to set it on the floor. And guess what.... along comes Sadie. I shooed her away several times. Then at the last minute, I shot one without her knowing it, and - lo and behold! - she had decided to stop and smell the flowers. Thank you, Sadie, for reminding me!

A Moment to Enjoy...

Sitting in the backyard with the dogs and enjoying the sun... saw this guy busying fishing, so I grabbed my camera. I like the way the sun outlines him, yet still shows a few details, expecially around his head. The pond is a nice view to have so close to the house.

Yes, I'm working on my Resolutions. Focusing on my website, the tedious part is resizing all the images. But I'm almost there!

Resolutions - Year's End or New Year's?

With a few days of unexpected vacation on my hands, I've been giving a lot of thought to my artwork and sales (or lack thereof!!!) Although I am all over the web - Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogger, ImageKind, Behance, CafePress, and my site, there seems to be a black hole surrounding it all. Although I do get some feedback on Facebook from other artists, the paying customers are non-existent! So this feels like some kind of "crossroads moment" in life.

In September I began giving art lessons to a friend's little girl, who is home-schooled. Then I got 3 new students from a nearby neighbor, who liked the work the first child was doing. And last night I met a young man whose aunt bought him 5 lessons for Christmas. So, suddenly I'm an art teacher! The worrisome thing is that I keep remembering that old saying "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." So, do I have it in me to be an artist with at least some cash flow - or not?

Well, here's the resolution - I'm going to give it everything I can, which includes keeping up with the blog, updating my website and fixing the links, being as active as possible on Facebook and LinkedIn, and actually reading some of the materials I save for later.

While glancing through the December issue of Entrepreneur magazine I found a short article titled "Meet Your Mentor." The gist of the story is that there are volunteer mentors out there willing to help small businesses (people like me, I hope!) and there is no charge. FREE HELP!!! The website is http://www.micromentor.org/. and I signed up, so we'll see what happens.

Well, that's it for now... check back and see if I live up to my resolution. Visit some of my links and say hello... and Happy New Year to you all!

Bird Feeder Potential Source of Great Photos...

Last weekend I put up a bird feeder near the deck where I sit and have my morning coffee. Thought I might be able to get some nice bird photos. After a couple days they began to come around. Yes! Beautiful birds would soon be flocking to my yard...and then I heard the news this morning:

"MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- Several residents in the Middleburg area have reported seeing a black bear, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The FWC said a 150-pound female bear was spotted near Live Oak Lane June 25, and near Pinto Lane June 7. Both are near Jennings State Forest."


The maps show how close I live to Jennings State Forest. And the connection to the bird feeder?

“If Middleburg residents will temporarily remove their bird feeders, we are hoping the bear will move on,” said Allan Hallman, FWC wildlife biologist. “Three weeks ago, her activities resulted in some property damage. She destroyed several feeders, looking for the high-calorie bird seed.”

So, I guess I won't be posting pictures of lovebugs, frogs or lizards in the future... FWC Says be ‘Bear Aware’

(Story and bear photo courtesy of First Coast News, Jacksonville, FL.)

Lovebugs?!?!? OMG!

Florida is NOT the place for a person with a bug/creepy-crawly phobia!!!Let me introduce you to my new "yuck" factor - the Lovebug.

Google says that "Lovebugs characteristically appear in excessive abundance throughout Florida as male-female pairs for only a few weeks every April-May and August-September ..."

Well, excessive abundance is an understatement! And yes, they're doing what it looks like they're doing!

I started swatting them with a flyswatter and I must have looked like I was doing some demented break-dancing out on the front porch. I gave up and came back inside before the neighbors decided to call 911. The "good" news is they only hang around for 4-5 weeks!

OH NO!!!! Where's Control-Z when you need it?

Last weekend was my day to clean the computer. Since I had a bazillion pictures scattered everywhere, I decided to start storing some of them on DVDs. So, after hours of sorting, deleting, renaming, burning to DVDs, deleting, clicking, deleting, emptying the recycle bin, sorting some more folders, moving files around - eventually I discovered a group of folders on one hard drive were missing. And the recycle bin was empty.

So, after I stopped screaming, I googled "free file recovery software." The first three I tried were very difficult to understand, or so basic I couldn't figure out which files were which. The fourth one I downloaded was named "Recuva." This software is amazing! When it was finished searching, a window opened up that looked like an explorer window - File name, file type, date modified, size and a preview window. There was also a column that lets you know if the file is in good condition or has been corrupted or overwritten. Out of 1100 photos I managed to recover over 700. Had I known to stop when I first lost the files I would have saved many more. But I'm happy with what I was able to save.

Here is a link to the site - http://www.piriform.com/recuva. I was very impressed with the quality of this program and wanted to pass the word. Of course, I know that you, dear reader, would NEVER do something so silly, but if you know anyone who has.... pass this little tip along.

Remembering...

Feel free to take a copy of this desktop calendar. I created it to share. Just click on it, then right-click and save it to your computer.

Art from my small world...

Since I've been here in Florida, I've been staying close to home for various reasons - the heat, the AC was out in my car, etc., etc. However, I have no excuse for not taking pictures. All I have to do is look out the window, or walk out my front door - or my back door - and I'm surrounded by things (and critters!) waiting to have their pictures taken! So, above is a hummingbird from my kitchen window and below a very colorful lizard on the front porch.

Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time (last week),I let my oldest grandkid, Karen, talk me into going to the mall with her. I wanted to say no, with all the usual excuses (no money, too tired, my knee hurts, etc.) - but made myself go anyway. I had forgotten the joys of window shopping, and we were having a great time, even with frequent breaks for my bad knee. Before long, I found myself drawn to shoe store after shoe store.

And oh, what glorious shoes! Red ones, black ones, gold, silver, strappy, closed, high heels, low heels, wedge heels, boots in every length imaginable, even knee-high tennis shoes. And did I mention... BLING! I love BLING! Like music to the "sole", from a tasteful touch of glitter to eye-popping strings of sparkly stones... whatever your taste, there's BLING!

And then came the moment! I saw the shoe! Incredible, red, suede, high-heeled, with a cuff like a boot and I knew... it was the shoe for me! After all, the Deevine Miss M's icon is a red high heel. So I asked the salesgirl for a pair in my size. Breathless, heart pounding, I put them on. They were so beautiful! I stood up, looked at them in the mirror, knew they had to be mine. I just couldn't live another day without those beautiful red shoes!

And then... I took the first step... and clutching a nearby shelf, I realized... I couldn't walk!! NO!! How could it be??? My traitorous knee refused to accept the change in pressure and, as I sat back down on the bench I realized... The Deevine Miss M is unable to walk in red high heels.

However, the unspoken word there is presently. It's time for at least one new knee! I've been having a lot of pain and have been talking to the doctor about it a knee replacement, and now I'm ready. Let's get it on! I have a picture of the shoe on my cell phone as motivation. The next red shoe picture I post will be of me walking out of the shoe store.

The End.

Finding "the fortitude to head into the future."

I recently had what could either be called a rude awakening… or an epiphany. Depends on perception, I suppose. Anyway, it began when I decided to make some changes to my website – www.deevinemissm.com. To my surprise, it was gone. That’s right – GONE! So I called GoDaddy, found out it had expired and the fee to renew was $90!

Post-holiday depression has always been a problem for me, and I really missed my daughter and grandkids in Virginia. So, I had spent the last several weeks (months)curled up into a fetal position and waiting… for what? I don’t know. But finding out “the deevine miss m” was gone was shock enough to make me uncurl, stand up and figure out how to start again.

While looking for some inspiration and encouragement, I went back to one of my favorite artists – Sue Smith, Ancient Artist. Sue is an amazing person and on one of her blogs I found this list of Sue’s Life Lessons (in bold) – here are my responses to each.

Let go of expectations tied to your personal timetable.
I need to update my blog – the last entry was October 10, 2009. I need to salvage my website, which I lost because I didn’t re-new in time. I need to be creating!!! I want to create!!! I don’t have time to create!!!

Trust in your talent and ability to create even in the face of the unknown.
I don’t know what to do or where to start, so I do nothing. Once I figure out where to start, what will I do with my creation after it is finished?

Do what matters to you.
Seems like all I do is exist just to get through each day. Everything I do is something I must do, not something I want to do. By the time I finish all these necessary tasks, I have no energy left, so I’m back to novels and naps!

Have the patience to wait for the positive outcome.
It’s hard to have patience in the best of times, so how do I find a positive outcome when times aren’t so good?

Live in the moment.
I spent most of my life living either in the past, which was not a good place, or looking for tomorrow, which surely will be better than today!

Regret nothing.
WOW! That’s a tough one! As a very wise person once told me, be careful what you wish for – you might get it! I left my Virginia family and returned to Tulsa, to peace and quiet, my own place - thinking I would have time to do all those things I wanted to do…. eight months later, I sit here looking at what I’ve accomplished - nothing.

So, in summary, to quote Sue once more, I’m going to “find the fortitude to head into the future.” I have purchased a new domain name – www.thedeevinemissm.com. Close enough, I hope, that people can find me. So, I am busy re-designing the site and updating links from my other social sites. I’m going to visit all the blogs I like and start posting comments. And, I’m going to read Ancient Wisdom:Emerging Artist: A Business Plan for the Mature Artist , which I’ve already downloaded to my desktop!

One of my responsibilities outside the art world is that I cook 4 shifts a week, 4 hours each, at the Moose Lodge. We need some kitchen equipment, so Nina, my waitress/ assistant/ miracle worker person, and I are going to do a fundraiser, which will include my artwork, her bead work (see picture below) and whatever donations we can find from other people, stores, etc. This will hopefully inspire me to create some new stuff!




Wish me luck, and comments are gratefully accepted!!!

Pictures sold at auction!

Yesterday was a red-letter day! I donated some 8x10 prints, several packages of notecards and one 16x20 lighthouse print to a benefit auction at the Moose Lodge, . It was so awesome to see people actually vying for my artwork! Also met a couple who do photography and framing... we're going to get together and brainstorm of some collaborations of our different talents. Here are two of the prints -

Above is the old 66 Motel, a series of bungalow-style rooms, which was demolished in 2000. Reasonable rates at one time was $2 a night.

Here is a picture of the old 11th St. bridge, now named the Cyrus Avery Memorial Route 66 Bridge. The bridge has now been recognized as an important part of Route 66 history and is being preserved as such.I have the story of both photos somewhere, and will put them up as so as I locate them!

Oh... by the way... everything sold!

Seeing things a little differently

Another way of seeing things my own way... I send out a desktop calendar every month to friends and family. I love the colors, but one of my nieces asked her mom if I was on drugs :>
Maybe that means I'm a successful artist, huh? Below is the blue version of the horses, and below that, the original photo.