Artist Hideouts

Sketch of artist's studio "MadJane's Magic Show" a gypsy wagon type building from Sandra VanWinkle

Everyone thinks if you work at home you have it all. Well, this is true. You do have it all. You just don't want it all. At least, not in front of you begging to be done, finished, washed, picked-up, etc. Working from home can be great, but sometimes separating the housework from the artwork gets tricky.

There are some tough souls who can determinedly work on projects without allowing the two worlds to overlap. This takes a great deal of perseverance, dedication, time management, and focus. Unless I'm on a tight deadline, I don't do so well in these areas. I will doodle around a bit, get thirsty, get up to get something to drink and then lose the day entirely.

While getting the drink I think - "I may as well load those few dishes into the dishwasher", then I will notice the fridge needs a wipe down, the mail needs sorting, did I start the dryer in the basement? well before I go down there I may as well get all the clothes from the clothes hamper in the master bath upstairs - after loading the clothes washer I pass the broom - hmmm does the front porch need a sweep? may as well take care of that while I'm up. And so it goes and so goes my day.

I know that it will be the same no matter where I work. I'm just one of those mind-jabberers who can't shut it off. I jump around from one thought to the next. I do get things done -eventually- but I'm constantly thinking about my next task, next drawing, next doodle, next painting, next technology course, next class, all in a stream-of-consciousness way. Kinda like a kaleidoscope.

Knowing this about myself does not keep me from dreaming of unique little cottages to work from. I used to tease about "Woman Hut". I gave birth to three sons, grew-up with brothers, have worked in mostly male dominant 'day' jobs, so I longed for a space that was just mine and more feminine in overall atmosphere. I used to joke about it being all shell-pink and white. But, in reality, I'm more gypsy/steam punk meets Neil Gaiman than Martha Stewart.

VelvetRustica (tm) is descriptive of my style. Opulence without fru-fru. Cinnamon-y coppers, lush plums, patinas of verde-gris, moss-covered stone, peeling painted surfaces, dark coffee colors mixed with antique lace. Addams family+MadScientist Lab+Romanian Castle+Faerie all rolled into a very delicious mix. I prefer my wild wood growing roses to the perfect and finicky hybrids. I like brambly landscapes mixed with small areas of manicured lawn. I like chaos. I like textures. It all keeps the creative juices flowing. Gives you something to think about.

A few years ago I decided that one day I would build a little artist's studio. It would be on our property deep in the woods. Far enough from the main house to make it feel like I was going to work. I could pack my lunch, take a thermos and head off to play the day away. I would not allow phones or computers or electricity. I would come 'home' when the light grew too dim to work by and my mind was depleted of ideas for the day. Still dreaming about it.

Because I believe "waste not, want not" I have always loved found-object art. This also includes building. I have started a great collection of windows, small building rafters, 2x4s, plywood, brick, stones, etc to build my dream studio. Ultimately, the materials will determine the final structure. That does not stop me from drawing sketches of what I might build if I had the time and specific materials.

Above is one of my many sketches of ideas for my hideout. I'm still gathering materials. I will continue to doodle new ideas. I have several books, magazines, articles, internet sites, and other reference materials to keep me busy with my dream for a long time. I will post other drawings from time to time and maybe someday a photo album of the real deal.

Hope all your dreams come true!

Tools for Artists

Illustrating a Cowboy in Photoshop and Illustrator from Jelle Gijsberts on Vimeo.

Take a look at how this artist is using Adobe Illustrator. I think you will like this. There are a lot of good illustrators and artists using these tools in amazing ways.

I love Adobe Illustrator. It is such a versatile tool for today's artists. I can not help but imagine how the Great Masters (Rembrandt, daVinci, Durer) would utilize this amazing tool. I think they would love the ability to create and manipulate their concepts these programs.

Illustrator is not for the faint of heart. But once you understand it, you wonder how you ever created without it. My students whine about it when I first introduce them to the wonders of Bezier and vectors. Most of them have had some exposure to Photoshop and think that Illustrator is just a different version of it. Wrong. The students come around after a few lessons and learn the power of vectors!

Hope you enjoy this video.

Knoxville Permaculture Guild

I just joined Knoxville Permaculture Guild
I took the above image of a Wyandotte hen a few years ago. This is a photoillustration. It consists of a composite of the photo of the hen and a shot of my backyard woods. I thought it would make a fitting image for my Permaculture page site.
Check out Knoxville Permaculture to learn more about it.

New York Library Digital Drawings

I was following some of my favorite blogs today when I discovered this on the Brass Goggles blog: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?1157694

I can spend countless hours pouring over ancient artifacts. I often wonder if I would have been a better anthropologist than artist. This collection is wonderful for anyone interested in the art of science. There are many images including astronomy, musculature, cartography. Check it out.





Have Fun!

Another Day, Another Task

Okay, so I got up early intending to get ALOT of stuff accomplished around the homestead. Not so. I've spent most of the morning and now part of the afternoon playing around on facebook. Yep. I've taken the plunge. Not that it was a hard dive.

I have mostly avoided it because of an already full schedule. I mean, it will seriously eat into my gaming time...er I mean my work time. Today has been fun.

I'm still exploring the interface. I will eventually add my some of my artwork and get it all up and running properly (if such a state exists). Until then - I must get some paperwork finished for school and tackle a couple of boring chores around here.

And then...there are mutants/zombies/ghouls to fight. So when you awaken to a ghoul-free land, you'll know it twas I (and a few of my friends-you know who you are)ridding the world of nasty creatures one game at a time.

Dreaming of Summer Baseball

Andrew's High School Baseball Cap

The following observation is from a game Hubby and I attended last summer. We love going to baseball games. My oldest son played high school baseball for four years. It remains one of my favorite sports. There is something so American about baseball. When we get the chance, we go and as you can tell from the following, not all the action I watch is on the diamond. Dreaming of warm days and baseball...

Last night my hubby and I went to a baseball game. We had been trying all summer to juggle this into our hectic schedules. Well finally, the last home game of the season, and we have tickets in hand. Then the rains began. Wow. All summer we've been in a drought where the rain has measured in scant fractions. All it was waiting for was us to get tickets.

The game did go on. Our seats were field level near home plate on the third base side. But as much as I tried to get into the game I was much more thrilled with the action in the row in front of us; and later the rows behind us. Seated directly in front of us were three of the most adorable tow-headed boys I've seen since my three sons were tow-heads.

These three ranged in ages from...ummm oh about...2.5 to five. And they were boys. Cute, round-eyed, sun-kissed, rowdy boys. Sigh. The sight of them prompted fond memories of all the games and events I sat through with my expressive sons. It also gave me great pleasure not to be in their parents' seats. I was loving it.

Let me stop here and say to all you parents of young sons, if you see women of a certain age smiling wistfully yet bemused at you, we are not weird, we've just been there. And it's lovely to remember and even lovelier to be a spectator in the wild tribal happenings that are sons.

These three were bouncing, prodding, slurping, sticking their tongues out at one another, doing the he-looked-at-me-make-him-stop thing and watching everything but the game. The smallest had the most angelic smile and kept looking back not only at us, but at the other little boys with their dads behind us.

Angelic boy bounced around from seat to seat between his mom and dad for a while until Brother Two (I'm going by size here) started poking at him. This prompted Angelic Boy to poke back and the games began. I must applaud the parents. They never lost their cool. They would lovingly separate the two causing the commotion and then go back to attempting to watch the game for a few moments. I do mean moments.

Then Curly-Locks Brother, who appeared to be the older, would begin the twenty questions Angelic Brother scrambled around from mom to dad, then back again. Finally, Angelic Boy crawled onto his mom's lap and she did what every mother on every continent has done since children have been born, she lightly rubbed his head with her fingertips. He sat motionless for a long time. Until Brother Two knocked his seat bottom into her arm for the second time. Ah...the pleasure of watching from afar.



Elsewhere there were more boys, more girls, more parents. You could look around and see older men and women, childless on this evening, smiling those wry wistful knowing smiles as children begged for more sugary treats, bounced over seats, and caught imaginary fly balls; happily watching the action - all the action!

Friends and Followers Lend Me Your Eyes!

Ahh- the exhilaration of having an entire week stretched out in front of you. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty to do. Chores I've put off too long, books begging to be read, paintings I've promised for months to finish (start in some cases), drawings in my head that claw desperately to get out, fingerless gloves (I have tried, started, ripped-out and knitted, crocheted, and cast aside a dozen patterns and ideas)to be made, recipes to try.

Sigh. The kitchen needs painting, the recycling needs attention before it takes over the basement completely, and we won't even discuss the gardens. I have several lovely bolts of drapery silks screaming to be made into very dreamy draperies, but here I sit, hungrily catching up on all the blogs, websites, reading rooms, twittering, etc that I've ignored for the last 8 months.

So how've y'all been? What new ideas, technologies or dreams have you been chasing? What keeps you sane? What makes you deliciously insane?

Insanity CAN be delicious, yes? Those moments of peaceful internalization where you finish every chore, paint every masterpiece, design every wonderful object to perfection. You understand I'm not talking about true psychosis here, just a little fantasy to get you through the long winter days.

I have discovered Following! Late, yes, better than never though. I have begun my reader's list of blogs that I follow more or less with consistency. I've also added a Following widget to my blog. Please become a follower. I would love to know my blog occasionally gives you some enjoyment (boredom, peace, humor, out-and-out laughter at my horrible attempts at blogging... did I say that aloud?)

Read on my lovely friends.