31 October 2010

Sketchbook, page 53

(Other pages)

The process of filling a 120 60 page sketchbook and posting it all by year's end continues:

Very cool Swedish church from Wallander II: The Fifth Woman from memory

If they re-air Wallander with Kenneth Branagh on Masterpiece Mystery (Sundays at 9 PM on PBS), watch it from the beginning if you can. I've only seen the 3 episodes that comprise the second season, but they are pretty stunning, beautifully shot and acted, and worth seeing in order. I definitely want to see the first season now.


A year ago on TTaT: Gettin' My Groove On... (vol. xii)

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29 October 2010

Life of Art SitRep #38 Mojo time

Every week, I work towards creating a life of art for myself. This is the journey, full of zigs and zags that are collectively, thankfully, progress.

Play along in the comments with your own pursuits if you'd like. (That's where I cheer you on.)
*******
This week, I, well, I did a few things. Has me wondering if I can sustain this pace all the time. Mojo is good. So, this week, I

Made my 1st calendar- woo! Learned how to arrange/space items evenly, do minute adjustment moves, and worked out best grid options for 12 non-identically-sized items.

Get 30% off calendars until October 31st, 2010 at 4:00pm PT with code: 2011CALENDAR

(For a sneak peak at some photographs coming soon to the shop, check out the color calendar. :)

• Prepared photographs, wrote descriptions of, and created product lines for River Water Ripples (originally called Wild River Water) and Field of Basalt:

•Tweeted, FB'd, zblogged Downtown Kansas City, River Water Ripples, 2011 Black & White Photography Calendar, and Elements of Nature Calendar 2011 with calendar sale info.

•Added calendar and store links to 3 lenses via zforum.

•Changed Rocklawn Arts zazzle blog theme, found one with customizable header that also shows line breaks better than the one I'd been using.

*******

How are your pursuits going?


A year ago on TTaT: Rainy day, 1

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28 October 2010

Say "ah"

With blue gloved hands, she picked up a small square of blue material and said, "Stick out your tongue."

I did and my dental hygienist used the fabric square to hold it while she moved it around to look at my tongue. She let go, put the square down and then said, "Say, 'ah.'"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

"That was great! I could see everything," she exclaimed.

Um, okay.

She went on, "Some people, I swear, they think I'm gonna drop something down their throat or something."

Huh? That never crossed my mind. Until now.


A year ago on TTaT: Autumn in action, part deux

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27 October 2010

Observations in my parents' kitchen

Dad was at the sink doing dishes. Mom was behind him, standing on one foot as she wiped off some salmon juices that had landed on her shoe when she put the tinfoil she'd cooked it in into the trash. She wobbled a bit and reached out, putting her hand briefly on her husband's ass to steady herself.

As she crossed the room to exit, I said, "Dad's a good buttress."

After two more steps, she stopped and looked at me.

"Oh, c'mon," I said, "that was good."

"No," Mom said, "that was great."


A year ago on TTaT: Winnings

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25 October 2010

My first calendar, huzzah!


Creating this calendar was more involved than I anticipated, but I'm so excited to have finished it. Labor of love done FTW!

So, why am I telling you about it now instead of on Friday? Well, aside from my pride and happy happy joy joy in my creation, there's a calendar sale on this week.

Get 30% off calendars until October 31st at 4:00pm PT with code: 2011CALENDAR

Enjoy a cool, unusual photograph each month with the Rocklawn Arts Black & White Photography Calendar for 2011. The art photos include a mix of architectural details, urban life, and nature. Each photo has a white border, so when you're done with the calendar you can cut it apart and frame or hang the photos without mattes if you like. It's a great deal for 12 original pieces of fine art for your walls.

W00t! :)

UPDATE: I'm in the process of adding more calendars to my shop; they can be found here.


A year ago on TTaT: Name this song, take 2 If you liked this post, please share it using the links below.

24 October 2010

Sketchbook, page 52

(Other pages)

The process of filling a 120 60 page sketchbook and posting it all by year's end continues:
p.33 How to Draw What You See by Rudy de Reyna


A year ago on TTaT: Facebook, what was I thinking?

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22 October 2010

Life of Art SitRep #37

Every week, I work towards creating a life of art for myself. This is the journey, full of zigs and zags that are collectively, thankfully, progress.

Play along in the comments with your own pursuits if you'd like. (That's where I cheer you on.)
*******
This week, I
•Shot 33 photographs: self portraits, fall trees/leaves, small town.
•Went to an art museum. Although the artist talk I was supposed to see was ultimately canceled, it was still a cool outing.
•Added 3 lines of customizable products to my store:
Downtown Kansas City shirt
Downtown Kansas City by RocklawnArts
See other t-shirts made on zazzle

•Started designing a black and white calendar.
•Promoted my Rocklawn Arts zazzle store on 8 forum posts/squidoo lenses.
•Worked on my squidoo lens a bit.
•Watched Tips on Using the Filter Gallery Photoshop tutorial.
•Learned [ and ] can be used to adjust brush sizes on the fly in Photoshop.
•Drew 3 sketches, scanned 2.
•Fixed panel on my kinetic sculpture.
*******

How are your pursuits going?


Two years ago on TTaT: Sheep farm revisited, part 1

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20 October 2010

Wearing Purple


In memory of the recent suicides due to homophobic bullying, I'm wearing purple today along with a lot of other folks to increase awareness and show my support of my LGBTQ comrades.

Not only is there strength in numbers, there's the swell of the tide of change. Be part of it.


Two years ago on TTaT: It could've been a good Monday

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18 October 2010

What serves me?

Two posts brought the question What serves me?, a notion that's been on my mind for a while, strongly to the fore today. Boxing yourself off for a while by the Communcatrix and Shifting by Sizzle.

There's a light beige sweater in my closet that I haven't worn in at least five years, could easily be seven or much longer. Actually, at least five years pretty well applies to most everything behind the right sliding door of my closet, but that's for a different reason. Back to the sweater. It's simple, plain except for a sort of rope that weaves along the shoulder and side seams. I wore it to my grandmother's funeral 17 years ago with black silk pants. My mom assured me that my grandma didn't believe young people should eschew* wearing any color for funerals.

*Neither my mom nor grandma would have phrased it that way.

I don't even look good in beige, it makes me appear sickly pale. So why do I keep it? Clearly lots of associations. On the surface they seem negative, the stress of what to wear to a funeral when you have to grab something you have with you at college, the funeral itself, a chilly January day in Virginia, my cousin's birthday the same day. It feels neutral, just like the sweater.

And then there's everything else. All the things that take my attention, particularly via the internet. An ever growing list in my feed reader, new blogs, new resources. However, no matter how good the information is, when there's too much it becomes a distraction. I'm learning which is good but it often thwarts me from doing.

I haven't been writing as much as I used to in the early days of TTaT. It's been like a hiatus with pictures. I miss the interaction that words more often inspire though. Here's to retrieving my writing mojo once I figure out how better to balance my online life with getting things done.

Thanks to Sizz and Colleen for coaxing some words out of me with their posts.


A year ago on TTaT: From my bedroom window

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17 October 2010

Sketchbook, page 51

(Other pages)

The process of filling a 120 60 page sketchbook and posting it all by year's end continues:

p.32 How to Draw What You See by Rudy de Reyna

This book reminds me I should be drawing bigger to get the elbow action going as it's hard to draw straight lines and smooth curves from the wrist. Perhaps after I finish this 5" x 7" sketchbook.


Two years ago on TTaT: Horizontal or vertical?

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15 October 2010

Life of Art SitRep #36 So this is what distraction-free looks like

Every week, I work towards creating a life of art for myself. This is the journey, full of zigs and zags that are collectively, thankfully, progress.

Play along in the comments with your own pursuits if you'd like. (That's where I cheer you on.)
*******
This week, I
*******

How are your pursuits going?


A year ago on TTaT: Autumn in action

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14 October 2010

Vinyl meets pollen


Close-ups of a vinyl sculpture my Mom built. If you don't recognize the materials, you're just too damn young! I won't hold it against you though. much. ;)


A year ago on TTaT: Through the trees

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13 October 2010

Pinecones and Leaf


A photograph I took in April is appropriate for fall, w00t! Clearly my photo posting system needs, well, to become something actually systematic.


A year ago on TTaT: Monument

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11 October 2010

Happy National Coming Out Day! (or don't let the motherfuckers get you down)

I'm an introvert. It's not my nature to proclaim any aspect of myself loudly, but almost a year and a half ago, I finally grokked why visibility matters. Soon after, I officially told my family that I'm bisexual. (It's been fine.)

Aside from privacy issues, there's definitely part of me that prefers to keep a low profile so that I won't be noticed. If you don't notice me, you won't tease, harass, or attack me. It's an introvert's strategy, and not a half-bad one, except that it encourages one to withdraw more instead of finding allies. I think it also made me more susceptible to coercion when I was in elementary and middle school, doing things I did not want to so that I would be liked.

If anyone tells you, "I won't be your friend anymore unless you…" and the action they suggest is demeaning, or really not what you want to do, walk away. (One possible exception comes to mind: if someone were to challenge your ideology, it's good to be open to other points of view; however, people who demand your compliance through ultimatums are not your friends.) They won't really like you better if you do what they propose, they'll be entertained or satisfied in some way and you'll feel worse about yourself for having given in. That was my experience anyway, more than once.

Were those experiences of bullying? I didn't perceive it that way at the time because there was an element of choice: do this or be friendless, do this or be alone, do this or be shunned. In the moment, the pressure I felt always made the situation polar black or white. There were other options: leave and tell someone you're being harassed, leave and find better friends, leave and read. I was shy and didn't have a lot of friends to begin with though, so the prospect of losing one was a powerful trigger.

In 9th grade, I watched as a good friend of mine was called gay as if it was the worst thing in the world you could be called. Twenty some years ago in my tiny school, it was. I did nothing to help her as the homophobic slurs worsened. I don't even think she was gay; I didn't know I was. I was just glad they weren't calling me names.

She stood out: she may have seemed arrogant, but she really was the smartest person in our class, and the fastest cross country skier in the state. I think they harassed her because she wasn't modest and meek. Oh, what the hell do I know? My reasoning is clearly all about my approach to avoiding their cruelty. They were just assholes.

She transferred to a private boarding school the next year which was much better for her independent self. I missed my friend though.

We need to stand up for each other, even when it's hard and scary and puts us at risk of being the next target.

I know who I am now, at least well enough to know that homophobic slurs are contemptible attempts to devalue others. However, I know that doesn't help when you're young and unsure of yourself and getting bullied. So…
Don't give those motherfuckers the satisfaction of taking you down. You are not alone and there is help to be had. There's nothing wrong with being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, or questioning. Live and be your awesome self.

Be around to see things change for the better.
If you need help, contact The Trevor Project, "a nonprofit endeavor established to promote acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, and to aid in suicide prevention among that group."

"The Trevor Project is the national provider of life saving resources to LGBTQ youth and their families. We advocate acceptance and help prevent teen suicide by promoting mental health and positive self-esteem through a premiere on line destination, nationwide 24/7 call centers, and empowering social activities."

You can help end bullying by donating $5 to @TrevorProject. Text "KIND" to 85944. Then respond "yes". Pass it on!

Happy National Coming Out Day, everybody! Be proud of who you are.


A year ago on TTaT: Out and Proud, kiddos

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10 October 2010

Sketchbook, page 50: Tyrone 10/X/10

(Other pages)

The process of filling a 120 60 page sketchbook and posting it all by year's end continues:

Tyrone, my mouse wrist rest


Drawn while watching an Amanda Palmer Webcastacular, yay! :) Tyrone's a badass.

Considered drawing Amanda since I love the striped black and white dress she's wearing, but there's a lot of movement and reframing, so it would've been a more generic drawing than I wanted to do.


5! years ago on TTaT: Another Monday, another tip

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08 October 2010

Life of Art SitRep #35 Window washing counts too, yes?

Every week, I work towards creating a life of art for myself. This is the journey, full of zigs and zags that are collectively, thankfully, progress.

Play along in the comments with your own pursuits if you'd like. (That's where I cheer you on.)
*******
This week, I
  • Shot 31 photographs. Fall leaves, supersweet 100 tomatoes with actual raindrops.
  • FB'd, Tweeted Columbus Day sale:
    14.92% off *everything* in my shop this weekend. All manner of products (cards, sneakers, ties, binders, posters, and more) with cool photographs upon them.

    Use code: 1492COLUMBUS

    Offer is valid through October 11, 2010 at 11:59pm PT.
  • Worked on Two Chairs Buried In Snow photograph. Finished and uploaded it to zazzle. Wrote product description and created a line of Two Chairs Buried In Snow products:
    Two Chairs Buried In Snow card
    Two Chairs Buried In Snow by RocklawnArts
    Create your own greeting card on zazzle.com

    I know it’s early for winter, but if you need a cool non-religious card, you know where to go. This one says, “Have a lovely winter interlude!” inside. You can change it to any greeting you’d like though. I’m cool with that. :)

    Bonus fact: my dad and I built the chairs in the photograph.
  • Discovered problem with labels made with Quick Create. "Personalize it" box didn't show up in sidebar. Searched for an answer with no luck, so I posted my question to the forum. Received an answer to prevent the problem in future and fixed the current occurrences of it, so the easy to use template box shows up in the sidebar.
  • Tweeted, FB'd Two Chairs Buried In Snow links.
  • Published Rocklawn Arts showcase lens on squidoo. Set earnings to Room to Read charity for now.
  • Read on forums about blogger blogs used for promotion getting frozen/deleted without notice. Paranoid, so switching my Rocklawn Arts blog to zblogs and going less link heavy with my life of art posts.
  • Claimed rocklawnarts zblog.
  • Worked on Rocklawn Arts zblog. Wrote 1 post for Two Chairs Buried In Snow and worked on layout. Argh, wordpress with its new learning curve. Line breaks don't behave as expected even when coded in html. Anyone have a suggestion or know a trick for adding line breaks?
  • Added Rocklawn Arts zblog to twitterfeed.
  • Submitted Rocklawn Arts zazzle store links/product info to 4 forum threads, 4 squidoo lenses for 1 of them.
  • Finished working on Snow-covered treetop photograph. No go, too much noise.
  • Watched Chase Jarvis Live Photo & Video Workflow and Backup video.
  • Spun up old video drive, files seem OK. Can view on new computer. Need to backup!
  • Finished reading July Popular Photography.
  • Read 1000 Dollar Phone call workbook and 10000 dollar hour workbook.
  • Answered Rose's email. Checked her blog posts, how my banner looks on her blog. Sent her a different text intro for 2 posts but otherwise, looks great. Got her reply and thanked her for changing it where she could.
  • Tweeted card and 4 hr bag sales.

*******

How are your pursuits going?


A year ago on TTaT: Autumn space; The tragically unhip, now with more moose!

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06 October 2010

Translucent Trillium



A year ago on TTaT: Whip It

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05 October 2010

Exposed roots



Two years ago on TTaT: Anne Hathaway has Julie Andrews' number

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03 October 2010

Sketchbook, page 49

(Other pages)

The process of filling a 120 60 page sketchbook and posting it all by year's end continues:

Glow Sheep Fernando

I have three of these little glow sheep in my room. They keep an eye on me when I'm sleeping.

It's just as well the place I bought them stopped carrying them as I'd be tempted to have groups of them edging all my shelves. That would start to add up pretty quickly though; I'm quite happy with my fine trio.


Two years ago on TTaT: Armageddon In Retrospect

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02 October 2010

Just my luck

Time.com reports on a study that finds Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers. Just so you don't get the wrong idea, moderate drinkers lived longest based on the 20 year study.

Also, I won't feel too badly as the study only followed 1,824 participants initially between the ages of 55 and 65, 63% of which were men.

All this is to say: remember context when reading publicized findings.


Two years ago on TTaT: What are you wearing?

01 October 2010

Life of Art SitRep #34: the unfinished week

Every week, I work towards creating a life of art for myself. This is the journey, full of zigs and zags that are collectively, thankfully, progress.

Play along in the comments with your own pursuits if you'd like. (That's where I cheer you on.)
*******
This week, I
  • Shot 176 photographs and 8 videos: tree cutters, spontaneous portraits, and bubbles!
  • Finally stopped finding reasons to dissuade myself from entering the September Popular Photography contest: make a great nature photo using a compact camera. Picked 24 contenders and narrowed the group to 8, 6, then 5. Finished editing and preparing the final five photographs and emailed my submission. Full size versions are ready for my shop, but since contest photos can't be commercial, I need to wait until judging ends in a few weeks before I can use any of them.
  • Tweeted, FB'd, blogged card sale:
    Stock up on blank cards or add your own birthday, holiday, thank you, or special occasion greetings.

    50% off all customizable cards in my shop until October 3, 2010 at 11:59pm PT.

    Use coupon code: HAPPYDOGWEEK
  • Blogged and tweeted binder sale:
    This fall, get $9 off Custom Avery Binders from my shop.

    • Full-color, photo-quality printing
    • All binders customizable
    • No minimum order quantity
    • Three ring sizes: 1", 1.5", and 2"
    • 100% satisfaction guaranteed
    • Made in the USA

    Use code: AVERYCUSTOM1
    Offer is valid until December 31, 2010 at 11:59pm PT.
  • Submitted Rocklawn Arts zazzle shop info to 3 forum threads for product/store promotion.
  • Joined Squidoo to promote Rocklawn Arts. Totally have the feeling that I should've done this a long time ago. Ah well, onward.
  • Added Rocklawn Arts zazzle shop link to a squidoo lens. Also voted for it to move it up in rank.
  • Watched video intro tour to using Squidoo. Made some headway on 1st lens.*
  • Watched "Saturate Your Images Naturally" photoshop tutorial.
  • Rewatched how to copyright photos photoshop/bridge tutorial. Created 3 copyright templates in Bridge.
  • Finished reading August Popular Photography.
  • Worked on 1951 Pontiac hood ornament shot.*
  • Worked on new profile pic. Background is too busy even in black and white. Grr.*
  • Worked on snow covered treetop photograph.*
  • Drew 2 sketches.
  • Blogged Western Auto product line.
  • Tweeted, FB'd Western Auto folder link.
*Not at all done these things. For the time invested, well, I hoped I'd have more to show for it. Some of this is learning time. Learning is good, I just want it to be faster.

*******

How are your pursuits going?


A year ago on TTaT: Two for two

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