Window portrait

I entered the room and saw Mom sitting on the edge of the recliner, leaning against the window sill. She was waiting for Dad to come back into view so she could yell another instruction to him.

"You look like a portrait," I exclaimed. Then my eyes darted over the scene, making quick assessments. It's really dark in here compared to outside. Lamp? No, wrong color temperature. Flash would kill everything I like about the light. Foreground would probably be all grainy. Oh well.

For a moment, I just stood and soaked the image into my brain.

Then I changed my mind and said, "Don't move," as I bounded out of the room to grab a camera.

The image isn't strictly what I was looking at. The walls in that room are white for heck's sake. However, the foreground was so dark it went black thereby sidestepping the potential noise issue. And the available light edging her body, that's what I wanted to capture.


A year ago on TTaT: Catching up

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Sketchbook, page 48

(Other pages)

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

Alien planet by Claire

A year ago on TTaT: Life's soundtrack

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Life of Art SitRep #33

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 344 photographs.
• Prepped and uploaded Western Auto Half Cylinder Building photograph.
• Wrote product description and created Western Auto Half Cylinder Building product line: prints/posters, cards, postcard, mugs, t-shirts, binders, tote bags, stickers, keychain, magnets, buttons, mouse pad, apron, return address label, and stamps:
  
  
  Western Auto Half Cylinder Building by RocklawnArts
  Make a personalized note card online at zazzle

  Nine days into a cross country road trip, I stopped in Kansas City, Missouri to see Union Station. It was pouring when I arrived, but when the rain eased up later on, I ventured out to photograph exteriors. The humidity was intense, but I wanted to see a bit more of Kansas City. The Link is an image I made during that excursion.
  
  Ascending the parking exit ramp, I beheld an excellent semi-cylindrical structure and pulled over to shoot it from my car window. The Western Auto sign atop the building is encircled by an arrow. Since the sign is not parallel to the flat side of the brick edifice, it draws attention to the building's curved design.
  
  The exit ramp's decorative concrete railing angles across the foreground beginning in the lower left corner of the frame. Aside from a few much shorter buildings to the left of the Western Auto building, the background is sky with a few clouds.

• Added link to Western Auto Half Cylinder Building products in The Road is my Favorite Place: Day 9 post where the image appears.
• Blogged, tweeted, FB'd a sale.
• Installed Photoshop CS5 and started teaching it to myself. If you've come across a helpful book about it, please leave the title in the comments.
• Drew Deir el Bahri sketch.
• Watched Iconoclasts: Tom Ford on Jeff Koons.

*******

What did you do to pursue the life you want this week?


A year ago on TTaT: Somebody with my name likes what I like

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Bubbles

Two years ago on TTaT: playlist: BIRTHDAy, part 2

Sketchbook, page 47: birthday edition

The past couple of days I've been preoccupied with what's not on my birthday list, the things it doesn't occur to me to ask for or that it feels weird to ask for, and what it would be like if I did.

As I sit here now, I'm still not sure I can do it. I thought I could, but I'm hesitating, it's late, and I'm tired. Screw that.

Things I'd like for my birthday that I'm writing here instead of saying out loud:

Encouragement.

Help with my pursuit of a life of art. See something at Rocklawn Arts zazzle or Rocklawn Arts redbubble that someone you know would like? Share the link. See a photo here that you want to own that isn't in either store? Let me know and I'll see if I have a high resolution version of it.

If you now feel tongue-tied, don't stress over it, birthday greetings are always much appreciated and are totally on the list too.

Yup, definitely feels unnerving to ask for intangibles. Somehow resisting the urge to delete all of the above. (But only barely, so I shall hit publish and call it a night.)

(Other pages)

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

a Deir el-Bahri of sorts

A year ago on TTaT: A personal odometer click

If you liked this post, please share it using the links below.

Life of Art SitRep #32

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 275 photos.
• Made templates for film horizontal and digital vertical return address labels.
• Made Desert Wave and Sunset on Onota Lake: Vertical return address labels:
  
  
  Sunset on Onota Lake: Vertical by RocklawnArts
  Design labels on zazzle
  
  Desert Wave return address label by RocklawnArts
  Browse Desert wave Labels
• Edited and revised order of Rocklawn Arts zazzle store tags. Deleted tag additions for post-quick create check since putting them at end won't improve search results. Edited, reordered tags for After Hockney, Bokeh in Spring.
• Revised copyright dates on cards and postcards where necessary to reflect year shot not year uploaded at Rocklawn Arts zazzle store. Also changed "More info and photos at" to "More information and photography at" on all cards, postcard, and their templates. Made previous versions direct link only, deleted old templates. Also updated product description file.
• Revised copyright dates on cards and postcards where necessary to reflect year shot not year uploaded at Rocklawn Arts Redbubble store. Updated product description file.
• Made online sales spreadsheet during one of Jane Espenson's twitter writing sprints.
• Winnowed selections of hibiscus photographs by over half. Down to 16. Then 11.
• Blogged, tweeted, FB'd some sales.
• Went to a Gem & Mineral Club Show.
• Listened to another GoingPro podcast.
• Read LIP challenge weeks 11 and 12 posts.
• Finished Captain Amagai sketch.

*******

What did you do to pursue the life you want this week?


4 years ago on TTaT: The Road is my Favorite Place: Day 5

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On the road with construction

I'm not usually a fan of orange, but it appeals to me when I'm photographing road work from the car.

4 years ago on TTaT: Multiples of Eleven