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March 8th, 2010
03:01 pm - Um...
I typically avoid politics or inflammatory topics here, but... I am truly appalled by this.
Even if it turns out to be a hoax... Poor taste. Really poor taste. No matter one's views on sexuality, this is... awful.
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08:38 am - Birthday!
I didn't realize it til I checked Facebook, but today is ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) captain18's Birthday! Have a great one, Cap! :D
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08:30 am - Another Manic Monday...
I had a great weekend. Thank you to everyone that emailed, texted and/or called, your thoughts and well wishes really made my day.
duncandahusky details our Saturday activities pretty accurately. We went down into Evanston to the Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop for brunch. I had no idea where we were going, and was quite pleasantly surprised! Omnomnom Cajun food. :9 (The cheese grits? So. Good.)
After that, we went to Happy Husky Bakery, where resident canine Astaire proceeded to give kisses all over my face. He liked faces, and kept getting my glasses. Slobbery, but so sweet, and the owners are very cool. We definitely want to go back; picked up some doggie treats for Brianna there.
Then... we went to the Spice House. this was my first visit ever, and... it really brought home just how vital the spice trade was in years gone by. You walk through the door and run face first into a wall of spicy scents, and it's just.. amazing. You'd think it would be overwhelming (there's a smelly soap shop here in Antioch that gives me headaches), but it was wonderful. :9 I have been thinking of making my own homemade vanilla extract, so I shall be going back for a handful of vanilla beans. :9
After that, we visited a couple of pet stores so Duncan and Takaza could meet and greet some local dog rescues, see if any of their charges would make a good fit for their home. They found Buddy, who is a real sweetie of a dog, at the second event we attended. He's now happily ensconced in his forever home. :) I was really impressed with the folks running the rescue, and when the time comes for us to bring another dog home, we will probably go to them.
Yesterday I had some more emotional ups and downs like I described last week. I'm convinced now that there are multiple factors that when combined, my emotions slip their leash. I'm frustrated, because for the last two years I've managed (quite well, I thought) to manage my mental state without medication. I am calling the doctor today about an appointment. I realize part of my problem is withdrawal from cigarettes (oh God, I almost caved on Saturday and asked roho to buy some), but the other part is a chemical imbalance in my body, and that... I need a resolution on that.
Overall though, I'm feeling chipper and bright-eyed this morning. I'm catching up on my correspondence, preparing some art for mailing, and I should, if things go well, finish a painting today. I'd like to get some domestic chores done as well, so the painting may have to wait til Wednesday.
So while I prepare for the con next month, I have a question for all of you? What do you like to see on artist tables? Freebies? Impulse buy items? (magnets and bookmarks under $5?) Prints? Tell me in the comments, so I know what to bring!
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March 6th, 2010
08:26 am - Another day older....
But not deeper in debt, thank goodness!
So, as of 6:50 pm tonight, I am 32 years of age. I never subscribed to the 'OMG 30 is OLLLLD' mentality, so I can enjoy my birthdays still as a good excuse to get together with good friends, eat tasty food, and overindulge in cake. That being said, my younger brother turns 30 on Tuesday, and I am not above teasing him and my mother with 'You're so OLLLLLD!'. But I'm childish and immature that way. >.>
I posted something like this on Facebook, and I want to post it here too. You guys, all of you... are supremely awesome. Even if I don't know you personally, you're reading this message and therefore supporting me. Ergo, awesome. I have far too many people to thank for me to list them here (and really, that's how it should be- loads of great people in my life!), so I apologize for not individually thanking each of you publically.
I just want all of you friends, family and patrons out there to know that I appreciate you. I appreciate your encouragement, your support, your comments on my artwork, and the ways you make me smile when I need it. Without all of you, I wouldn't be the happy and productive person that I am. So please... today... go have a cupcake on me. :)
-Lydia
Current Location: Antioch
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March 4th, 2010
07:18 pm - Something a bit more upbeat
Wow. I have a con next month. Eep. :)
I haven't scheduled anything to go into the art show, although I would like to complete one more bookmark design. I found a lead on a place that will print and cut my bookmarks for me inexpensively, leading to a better/cheaper product for the end user. Hopefully their quality meets their advertising.
I'm going to order a new set of business cards as well, but I'm thinking it's going to be a short stack, as I want to coordinate them with the final design of cheekitty.com. I have a couple of new magnet designs I want to make as well, so I'll be busy over the next couple of weeks, figuring out what pieces I want to turn into merchandise. Have a favorite painting you'd love to get on a magnet or mug or something different? Tell me about it! I have reproduction rights to everything posted online right now.
In other news, since I got the new phone, I now have the ability to take photos of works in progress, such as this painting for Tigerwolf:
Click for larger version
The lighting is really atrocious, and I need to learn to photograph art better, but it does give you an idea of what I'm up to! The story behind the piece is the two friends are wandering in the woods, and the Tiger isn't paying attention, and.... gets stuck. His buddy climbs up on the rock and tosses him a rope, and he, without thinking, throws it back. The speech bubble says, 'You're supposed to hold on to it, not throw it back!'
I thought it was a cute story, and I'm really pleased with how it's coming out. The grass in particular has some really nice textures going, and I'm about ready to start delving deeper into the textures on the rocks. It's been a fun painting!
At any rate, I just have tomorrow left to get through, then it's a weekend. Yaaay weekend! Have a great evening folks!
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March 3rd, 2010
09:58 pm - Is it Friday, yet?
Today's been... one of those days our mothers warned us about. I had the emotional high of being the delighted recipient of spousal love and creativity, then I went to class and... I'm not really quite sure what happened.
I've been... sensitive? I guess is the best way to put it, over the last few weeks. I horrified myself by crying in my VB Programming class last night (although I do assert that Visual Basic 6 would make anyone cry), and I came uncomfortably close to tears again today in my Bio Lab. (Worst. Labpartner. Ever.) I'm a bit concerned about all the boo-hooing and associated feelings of exhaustion and fragility that accompanies it.
Is this just... overload from my heavy class load this semester, or something more annoying and difficult to diagnose and/or deal with? I don't know. I also don't really know my purpose in posting this, unless it's solely to organize my thoughts and to give a generalized, "Hey, not feeling myself, if I burst out crying at you... it's nothing you said, really." heads up to my friends and family.
I decided I wanted to give up smoking for a few months. Please... don't harangue me about how it's a damaging and awful habit. I know, I'm aware. My allergies are getting bad again, and I've had a few asthma attacks this year already and I figured I'd give my lungs a hand for a change.
I didn't intend to sit down and write a depressing entry, sorry folks. I'll be my usual chirpy self again soon. I just have two more days of school to get through for the week.
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09:56 am - My husband's a keeper...!
So my birthday is Saturday. I'm sitting at the kitchen table watching Farscape on Netflix and working on a painting, and I keep... hearing something ringing. I thought it was my cell phone, did the quick mental checklist of 'would a bill collector be calling', etc. No. It keeps ringing, so I go get the phone (it's an old and crummy one, so the unfamiliar ring tone wasn't a cause for alarm). That wasn't it.
Asked roho if he left his cell phone at home, no. So the next time it rings, I start trying to track it. Our dining/living room has a piano bench next to the fireplace, where I stash my usb cables, my intuos tablet, misc computer and art supplies I don't want laying out. Nestled on top of them is a brand new iphone with Roho's number on the caller id.
Thank you so much, sweetheart. I think I shall squee now, and start getting it all set up. :D
(By the by, if you are not now using my Google Voice number for contacting me, this is a good time to change. The old number will stop working when my contract expires on Mar 13. Ping me if you need it.)
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08:19 am - Happy Birthday!
Just wanted to wish moryssa a bright and beautiful birthday!
Hope it's a good one!
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March 2nd, 2010
10:03 pm - Golden Moon
When I left the building after my last class, the moon was a beautiful golden color, hanging full and low in the night sky, like ripe fruit.
By the time I got home, it was its normal silvery hue, but I wonder if anyone else saw it, or if it just happened in the Midwest right around 9pm?
I had a pretty stressful and emotional day, coming out to that was... just what I needed.
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March 1st, 2010
08:35 am - Hello, Monday
Busy (if boring) day ahead. Conference with my English prof in a little bit, then a staff meeting for work this afternoon. Going to take my laptop and just wait on campus between the two. I'm really really ready for this semester to be over. Srsly.
Yesterday I watched friends leap into a frozen lake for charity. I think they are insane, but they came out cheerful and shivering and raised quite a bit of money between them for the Illinois Special Olympics. I really should have posted before the event as part of their fundraising, I'm sorry guys. :(
I'm still trying to figure out how to best break up my free time for productive activities this semester. It's been aggravating, juggling commissions, personal relaxation, and schoolwork. I cannot WAIT for May 15th.
I shall endeavor to post more later, a follow up to why I was asking about much-loved characters. If you missed that discussion, you can find it here!
Have a great day guys!
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February 28th, 2010
05:40 pm - Kate Day!
Oh.. my! Anyone in the MA/NH/ME area want to snag one of these for roho when they go on sale tomorrow? I'm pretty sure Portsmouth Brewery doesn't distribute near us, and this sounds like a very special beer, and he's very fond of Russian Imperial Stouts. I am happy to reimburse, and can pick up the beer in person next time we're in Boston!
(After looking at the Kate Day Details, it looks like it might not be so simple to grab a bottle of one of these tasty brews, but just on the off chance they appear in stores... I'm sure the BeerFox would be most appreciative!)
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February 26th, 2010
10:31 am - Happy Friday....!
I'm home today with the intent of taking one of our pets to the vet. She has been feeling really poorly, but started perking up in the last 12 hours, so now we're observing. If she continues current behaviors, I'll take her in this afternoon.
Anyway, I'm dinking away at my website, trying to figure out layouts and theming in Drupal. I must say, once we get this all situated, the website is going to rock muchly... there's just a bit of a learning curve, and a small matter of permissions. (roho is looking into how to get me ftp access without giving me Root. Because that would be bad. It's complicated.)
So I have a surprise day of semi-leisure, and am contemplating the best use of this found time. I believe I may work on a painting, as I haven't gotten diddly done this week. If you have a commission from me and have not seen pencils for approval, please please let me know. Part of the website redesign is a snazzy new commission queue to help me keep track of everyone and everything.
Next month, I will be doing a free icon day. Watch this space for further announcements on date!
For something fun, I have been thinking about fictional characters, and what takes a character from 'interesting' to 'fascinating'. I'm probably expressing this poorly, but my question for all of you is... What makes you love a character? It's easy enough for an author to write someone likeable. What makes you love them?
Some examples that stand out to me; Diana Gabaldon's Jamie. He's not perfect, he's stubborn and pigheaded and aggravates the women around him to no end. But... he's realistic. I can believe that he's a real man, and what's more, I would very much like to know him. I adore him, and all of Gabaldon's characters.
Jacqueline Carey writes deliciously real characters as well. Joscelin... ah, Joscelin. How I love you! And Phédra. (haikujaguar, have you seen this?! Amazing!)
So my question to you is... who do you love? Why do you love them? Tell me, I implore!
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February 24th, 2010
11:58 am - Question for Artists!
I realized, as my printer begged for an ink refill, that I really need to sit down and ensure that my artistic endeavors are paying for themselves. I made enough money in 2009 to cover the expenses I incurred in that year (more or less, I need to do better with that in 2010), but I haven't been keeping art money separate from personal and household monies, and I'm wondering if I should change that.
How do all of you that create as a significant part of your income do this? Do you have a separate account for your business, and just guestimate the operating costs each year, or do you mingle your proceeds with your personal monies and just keep track on paper?
I'm asking, because I feel uncomfortable going to roho (although he is incredibly supportive) with my hand out when I realize I need cash for art-related things, and I'm curious how the rest of you handle it.
Feedback is greatly appreciated! :)
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February 22nd, 2010
09:01 am - Daily Update - Monday Moods
quote of the day
“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” —Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862); philosopher, writer, naturalist
I'm shaking up the format of my updates, so I'll be trying different things over the next few weeks. I have new artwork uploaded, for those that are interested, on FA and DA.
I had a bunch of clever things I wanted to post today, and I really should have written them down, because now I don't remember. -.- Maybe they'll come to me later. My plans for the day involve exciting things like laundry and mopping the floor (the dog's had a lot of accidents and while we've cleaned them all up, the floor's due for a thorough mop job). I kind of want to start a new painting, but we'll see if I have time. I have pencils done for nearly all the outstanding commissions, I have one more badge to draw, and then it's a matter of sitting down and painting everything. That feels... really good, and I really want to get everything wrapped up by early April. I realize I'm giving myself just a little more than a month to finish 5 paintings, but my Spring Break from school falls at the end of March, so maybe I can push through.
I hope everyone's having a decent Monday (as decent as a Monday can be!), and is safe if experiencing bad weather. The 'huge snowfall' we were supposed to get looks as if it happened, but stopped early enough that the roads are decent and we (read: roho) were able to shovel our way out fairly easily.
I'll try to come up with more interesting content later. <3!
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February 19th, 2010
04:37 pm - TGIF!
Phew! Got some administration work done this afternoon. Took me a while, but my Federal EIN number has been obtained, and I'm all registered as a business in Michigan... so I can pay my sales taxes. I'm not really sure I did it all correctly; I really hate state Department of Revenue websites, they aren't terribly kind to single-use vendors that only collect sales tax in their state once per year. Anyway, I took care of all my filing for Pennsylvania while I was at it (oh THANK YOU, Pittsburgh, for raising your city sales taxes! <3!) and now I just have to wait for all the Officialdom to come in the mail.
I'm at loose ends this evening, since roho has some work functions to attend. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to spend the time! Netflix sent me a new movie, but I think I'd like to wait and watch it with Brendan (The George Hearn version of Sweeney Todd... Helena Bonham Carter has NOTHING on Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett!) I'm sure I'll figure it out. I went through all the seasons of Leverage that were on Instant Watch (that show was amazing!) and haven't found a new television show I liked enough to keep going with. The Tudors is interesting but it takes a bit of concentration to keep up with who is who, and since I tend to watch television while painting.... that doesn't work out so well.
At any rate, I will find something with which to occupy myself. Tomorrow, I believe I will make a loaf or two of challah for a dinner party we are attending on Sunday night.
And that, ladies and gents, is my weekend! Laziness, television, maybe a bit of housework, topped off with good food, good friends, and the Amazing Race mockery. What are all of you up to?
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February 18th, 2010
09:13 pm - Art Business How-To
Perfect for any creative endeavor, haikujaguar has written a series of essays for those of us that are trying to make a little cash out of our creative talents. Totally worth reading, she's got great things to say!
(And if anyone is looking for gifts for me, I totally want the mug she designed for my birthday. Just sayin. ;) )
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07:53 am
When you awake to hear your spouse exclaiming, "Oh dear LORD!".... you know it's going to be one of Those Days.
roho has had early workdays all week, and usually I drowse until he's ready to head out the door, then I get up and wander downstairs to collect my kisses and see him off. This morning... hoy. The dog was apparently not feeling well, so she did what dogs do and ate grass. A lot of grass. Which she then proceeded to vomit up all over the main floor of the house, and upstairs outside the guest bedroom.
So we cleaned dog vomitus this morning. She's fine, she's currently begging for her breakfast. Anyway, it's been a busy busy week! Classes are going well (I'm still rockin' along), I'm slowly learning CSS, and hoping to start learning how to do web design for Drupal.
Art-wise, I'm doing excellent. I've finished two paintings already this month, they should be uploaded this weekend, and I'm making good progress through my queue. I'm thinking I probably will not open up for commissions again until late April, but if I find myself with leisure time, I'll work on some non-commissioned paintings. It should be fun!
Anyway, I need to go run through the shower, and the dog wants to go out (no doubt to assuage her hunger pangs with more foliage munching). How are you guys? LJ seems so quiet lately. :)
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February 14th, 2010
09:14 am - Valentine's
9 years ago, I was reeling from an unexpected divorce (but starting to get better, he left in Jan 2000), I hated my job, I hated Dallas, I wanted a change. I picked up and moved to Traverse City, Michigan to live with friends and... well.. it didn't work out. But I'm glad that I did it.
While I was there, I bumped into an online acquaintance I had met some years before. We chatted for a while and the acquaintance began blossoming into a friendship. In September 2001, he was going through a nasty breakup, and I ached to see him go through so much pain. By the end of October, we began to realize we had stronger feelings than friendship. Time passed and we spent hours on the phone and online, talking, hoping, thinking about what might possibly happen between us, as we had never met in person.
December 4, 2001, I left Traverse City, intending to visit Chicago and see this man that had so captured my imagination. I still remember the knots in my stomach, the fear that what we had online wouldn't translate to an actual relationship; because I already knew I loved him.
He opened the door to his building, and I felt like lightning had struck. He was laughing (he was nervous too), and he had the most beautiful smile. He still has that beautiful smile, and he still makes me feel electric shocks when he turns it on me.
I moved to Chicago in February, 2002. September 2006, we stood before our family, friends and God and pledged our love would last forever. I make the joke that I kissed a lot of frogs before I found my prince, but find him I did, and I don't intend to let him go.
Happy Valentine's Day, my roho. I love you.
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February 8th, 2010
08:53 am - Update of the Week, Feb 8-14
quote
“The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.” —Alan Alda (b.1936); actor, screenwriter, director
I really like this quote, because.. it's hard to 'leave the city of your comfort'. If we never pushed our comfort zones and pressed harder, we'd stagnate. And stagnation stinks (literally!). So try something new this week, guys. Step out of your ruts.
art
I have a couple of finished paintings to share, but today is a little special. Today is mirkowuff's birthday!
I didn't have any photos of Mirko's beautiful and personable malamute, so I had to make due with other reference, but I hope I got it close enough. Have a great day, Mirko!
current projects
I haven't made a whole lot of progress on many of my goals, other than schoolwork. It feels a bit this semester like I'm constantly working; doing my reading, studying, trying to understand the assignments for my programming class... then I come home and paint, do laundry, housework, and collapse into bed. I'll be sooo glad when this semester is over!
So.. looking at the list... I completed a painting, but I think I owe someone another one that I wasn't counting.
This week's goal, to get a tracking list for commissions done. Preferably something people can check to see the progress on their work, and what their position in the queue is.
links
I should have a more clever name for this section, but.. I don't. I apologize. :)
skinit.com - I've been really intrigued by this, because I know people that have gotten things here before. Do you have really awesome artwork, and want to make your laptop/iphone/kindle/other electronic device look custom and awesome for just a little money? This is what makes skinit and similar websites really shine; instead of just purchasing premade designs, you can create your own.. and I think that's really awesome. I've seen a T-Mobile sidekick skinned (it looked incredible), a matte black Kindle... the possibilities are endless. Commission your favorite artist for something beautiful! (er... and that is not a thinly veiled solicitation, I promise)
Harvest of Hope - I realize that with Haiti so much in the news that most people are a bit tapped out of charitable donations for a while, but I really want to mention this program. I was discussing a similar program last semester with my Anthropology professor, because I had read about it in one of the Anthro journals I was peeking through. Essentially, Anthropologists are going into villages that suffer from poor nutrition (the program I was reading about was in Africa) and have meetings with the village leaders. Goats are specially bred to survive in the local conditions, and are given to the women to care for; as goat milk provides vital nutrition to children once they stop breast feeding. The women keep the goats (and they are checked periodically by veterinarians and specialists), giving the first born kid (goat, not child) back to the program. They're able to keep any additional offspring to build their own herd. In my mind, this is an excellent program, and a need that will always be there.
I hope everyone has a great week, stay warm! I will endeavor to post more artwork on Wednesday. :)
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February 5th, 2010
03:56 pm - Quickie Update
Popping in for a moment in the midst of frantic pre-Superbowl party cleansing. We haven't had a party here in a while, and it's provided some much-needed impetus to get me up and cleaning things that direly needed it.
This week has felt interminably long, what with classes and spending all my home-time scrubbing and planning food... I haven't gotten any artwork done. :( I hope to fix that this weekend.
Starting to feel some pressure about 2010's convention schedule, and I'm debating revisiting my offerings. I always have a lot of trouble predicting what people want to buy, and I'm terrible at marketing, so this is going to take some thought.
School is going well- I got some interesting feedback on my critical essay (my professor was amused at my use of the phrase 'morning toilette'), and shocker of shockers, I am doing well in my math class. That's doing wonders for my self confidence, truly.
Anyway. Cleaning calls. I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I hope everyone on the Atlantic seaboard stays warm!
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February 1st, 2010
09:17 am - Weekly Update: Feb 1 - 7
quote of the week
“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” —General George S. Patton (1885-1945); American General in World War II
art
Art is going good! I finished another painting last night, I do not yet have permission to share it. Once the commissioner has approved everything and I can put the 'Complete' stamp on it in my mind, I'll upload it for everyone to see. (For those keeping count at home, that's 3 paintings finished in the month of January, the last one within the past 2 weeks, despite my horrible class schedule. Go me!)
I DO have other arts to share, never fear!
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Scholars and Scribes |
Jingle Bells |
current projects
I realized yesterday that I really should break my project lists down, and start keeping a separate calendaring system just for art and school related deadlines, along with any other projects I may be working on. I haven't found one I liked yet (I did try out a couple, but they all embed into the desktop, and, well.. I never SEE my desktop). Worst case, I use pencil and paper, oh noes. :)
Otherwise, my plate currently contains, in no particular order:
- art - 2 bookmarks, 3 badges, 2 full sized paintings. To be complete by FCN (April 9). HA.
- school - Of necessity, highest priority. A chapter reading, essay reading and analysis. I'll do that today.
- home - Various cleaning activities, laundry, fix various leaky things that shouldn't leak. This week sometime.
- business - State sales taxes need to be done this month, I am going to endeavor to get that done this week. I also need to update billing information for one of my websites (due this month) and sit down and figure out how to make Drupal look pretty; essentially learn CSS. I really need to get cheekitty back on its feet. That... maybe by the end of March.
Pretty full plate, but I think it's helpful to keep track of goals in short-mid-long range terms, and keep an eye out to make sure they're being met.
links
Well. Chrome kind of crashed and I hadn't bookmarked the things I had WANTED to link to today, so..
Create realistic fictional characters -- I thought this was an interesting exercise, as I've been doing a bit of world building and exploring the characters visually... although I haven't written down the bits and bobs of personality I've discovered yet. I know there are a lot of creative people out there, and you all probably have your own process, but perhaps the tips here may be useful in dealing with unruly residents in your own heads.
Carve out time for social networking -- Many artists are coming to the realization that social networking is a valuable marketing tool, but perhaps, like me, they're getting bogged down with other things. I thought this was an interesting read.
Have a great week folks! Hope it's a productive and happy Monday!
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January 28th, 2010
09:32 pm - Question for the readers!
So.. I'm curious. Who among those of you reading this garden? Decorative or edible, it doesn't matter. Do you have any favorite blogs or resources you'd recommend?
Last year, I wanted to start a vegetable garden, and I hemmed and hawed and didn't do my research until the growing season was well under way. THIS year, I want to start reading now while everything's still frozen. So! If you have any recommendations, they'd be much appreciated!
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January 25th, 2010
09:25 am - Weekly Update: Jan 25-31
quote of the week
“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” —Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973), 36th U.S. president
art
Wewt, artwork is going well. I completed three sketches this week, and another painting. I haven't scanned one of the sketches, I'll share that next week. If you have been watching my FA/DA accounts, these are already up. For those that do not have accounts on either site (or don't want to use them for personal reasons), roho and I are working on getting my website gallery back up and running.
(The image with the thicker border has nudity and as such may not be appropriate for work viewing. If your journal style does not show the borders, it is the image on the right.)
  
current projects
I still have 4 3 commissions to wrap up from MFF, and 3 others that were non-convention related to finish! Making progress! The current painting will go quite smoothly, once I can get the background done, but that's proving trickier than I expected. I am finding pleasure in the knowledge that these commissions are definitely stretching my comfort zones. My next convention appearance is FCN in early April, and I think I might limit my commission offerings at-con to badges and sketchbooks. I reaaaally need to get caught up. O.o
School is going to be insane this semester. Tuesdays are a wash for accomplishing anything but being at class - I'm on campus for 14 hours. I have a 2-3 page paper (rough draft, really) due tomorrow, with the final version due on Thursday.. Environmental Biology is looking very interesting, too. I'll be really really glad when the semester's over.
links
Flying? Find the best seats! -- I found this while reading an article on Consumerist about the problems overweight people encounter while flying. (I ran into non-moveable armrest problem myself while flying home from Boston) At any rate, I fly fairly regularly, and I know a lot of non-beanpole/long-legged friends do as well. So I hope this is helpful!
Tax Updates for 2009 -- Aimed primarily at visual artists, this had information for everyone! If you are a student, PLEASE READ! The Hope Credit has been updated! (If you don't know what the Hope Credit is, and you're paying for your own education, DEFINITELY read!)
Anyhoo. I need to go write my paper, as alas, it will not write itself. Hope everyone has a great week!
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January 18th, 2010
09:43 am - Weekly Update - Jan 18-24
Well, I'm changing things around to a weekly post, and I will endeavor to post during the week as time allows. It's been a really busy few weeks, and school starts tomorrow (eep!). So... while I'm pretty sure I'll have time to post once per week, I know I'm not going to be able to manage something daily. :(
quote of the week
“One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not these distinctions. Only from the alliance of the one, working with and through the other, are great things born.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupery
(1900-1944), aviator, writer
art
I finished my first painting of 2010 last week, but I do not yet have permission to post it. It's a surprise for the commissioner's friend, and he wants to be the first to show it to her. BUT... I do have concept art to share. Quite a few people have been writing as a motivation excercise to... well, keep them writing (haikujaguar and minor_architect are excellent) and, much as I hate jumping on bandwagons, I thought maybe they were on to something. Soo, I decided to start visiting the campus gym, because it's free, and writing down little drabbles of story.
As part of that, I have some concept drawings of the characters, trying to figure out who is who and what it is that makes them special. World building is tremendous fun, even if I don't go anywhere with this.
 
current projects
I still have 4 commissions to wrap up from MFF, and 3 others that were non-convention related to finish. I am hoping to do one personal painting per month this year, aside from commission work. I'm not sure how well that goal will work, but.. it's a target to shoot for.
I still want to do a post about my accomplishments from 2009- I keep putting it off because it's tedious to make a lot of thumbnails, and I just haven't wanted to take the time. I promise I'll try to get that written up some time this week.
I have other projects I'm mulling, but for this week, I want to finish the painting I'm currently working on, do at least one more concept sketch done (Morag needs a love interest! Or maybe images of why she chose to be a Guardian! Hmm!), and... see where things stand from there.
links
What if William Shakespeare wrote The Big Lebowski? - I really think the title says it all. Enjoy! (Posted specifically for roho, feren, and yotogi!)
Identify your foot type before choosing athletic shoes - With many of us making vows to get off the couch and onto our feet, proper footwear choices can mean the difference between a healthier fitter you, and foot pain causing you to abandon your exercise program after a week. I personally tend to just buy whatever's cheap and on sale, but I've noticed when I actually take the time to find a shoe that fits comfortably, walking is much more pleasant.
Quick note- I switched to Chrome for my browser, and that eradicated all the notes I had on my bookmarks indicating where I found links or who gave them to me. So if I feature something, and you know you gave it to me and would like to be credited, please let me know!
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January 10th, 2010
01:36 pm
I don't know if he has/reads Livejournal, but wanted to wish DaveQat a happy birthday. :)
Hope it's a good one!
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January 4th, 2010
11:46 am - Daily Post - Moody Monday
Quote of the Day
“There can only be one state of mind as you approach any profound test; total concentration, a spirit of togetherness, and strength.” --- Pat Riley (b. 1945); former NBA player and coach
Current Projects
The most urgent thing on my plate right now is to get better. My sinuses are starting to send the infection downstairs into my lungs, and I want to nip that in the bud if I can. So I have an appointment for Wednesday with my doctor. I don't think I will get any painting done today, but hopefully I can get back on the horse tomorrow and start knocking the commission queue out.
I still need to post about the other projects I want to do.. urgghhh, brain mush.
Art
My artistic retrospective for 2009 is almost ready, I should be able to post it tomorrow.
Links
Revolutions in pen-and-paper roleplaying - Want an interactive map for your D&D game? This is really really neat, and I have no idea how expensive it would be, but the gamer in me goes squee. :) (Link courtesy of Tim Johnson)
UC Berkley Acapella Group performing Lady Gaga - The group is called Noteworthy, and while I found the crowd noise annoying, the music was really well done. I rather like acapella, and I can see why Noteworthy wins so many awards. (Link courtesy of gypsypet)
If you have any neat links you'd like to share, please send them my way! I'm running low. :)
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January 2nd, 2010
10:34 am - Daily Post - Saturday Slumbers
Quote of the Day
“Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true.” --- Author Unknown
Current Projects
I meant to post art and info on upcoming projects yesterday. I also want to do a 2009 retrospective and review goals for 2010. But I am sick as a dog (are dogs normally sick?) and think I'm about to go lay down. So... consider this a raincheck.
Art
Ditto for above. I got a few hours worth of painting done yesterday. I will hopefully finish that painting today or tomorrow, then on to the rest. If I can stop sneezing.
Links
Don'ts for artist marketing online -- An article that explores two of the biggest reasons artists are not successful with online marketing. I found it interesting reading, and it jived with some of my own observations. (Link from @blick_art on Twitter)
A case study in marketing -- Most people are familiar by now with the 100 sketches/pieces in 100 days thing. This is an article about the gent that came up with the idea, and how he marketed himself to help make it work. I am interested in doing something similar (maybe 20 paintings in 20 days for $20 each), but I need to do some research first and decide what I'm going to do.
That's it for today, hopefully tomorrow I'll be over the hump and feeling a bit better. Have a good day folks!
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January 1st, 2010
09:20 am - Daily Post - First of 2010!
I'm going back to trying to post on a daily basis. :)
Quote of the Day
“Love is an expression and assertion of self-esteem, a response to one's own values in the person of another.” --- Ayn Rand (1905-1982); writer, novelist
Current Projects
I had a really great end-of-year. I got to reconnect with family, got another semester of schooling behind me, and I got to spend a lot of time with my best friend and husband. I know 2009 wasn't so kind to a lot of people, and I really hope 2010 is better for everyone.
In other news, I have a couple of projects I will be unrolling. Once I have caught up a little more with my commission load, I will be doing a Free Icon Day. Details will be forthcoming, likely next week. The second project I'm starting this month is a Birthday Club, but I'll post about that in a separate entry.
More immediately, we are spending the rest of our holiday weekend in a hotel with friends. We'd like very much to track down feren and lady_curmudgeon and take them to lunch or dinner or something, so if they're reading this... ping us!
Art
I have.. a lot of art to share, but I don't have it ready to post in this entry. I will endeavor to have it all ready for tomorrow. :)
Links
Bobcats playing in backyard swingset - There's a short advertisement blurb before the video starts, so give it a moment. Apparently, a family peeked out of their back window to find 4 bobcat cubs playing on their children's swing set. They had the presence of mind to grab the video camera, cuteness ensued. (link courtesy of feren)
Best use of pie charts, ever! - I'm sure all artists have had the experience of acquaintances and/or family members saying, 'Wow, this project of mine will only take you an hour or two, surely you can do this for me!' This particular gentleman wrote up an amusing rebuttal, complete with pie charts. The language is a little rough in spots, so if you're sensitive to that, might want to give it a skip. (link courtesy of roho)
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December 25th, 2009
02:23 pm
Just a quick update to wish everyone happy holidays, whether you celebrate Christmas or something else I'm afraid I'll misspell. >.>
We're at Bren's aunt's place now, stuffing ourselves silly with sugary and tasty treats, the living room a mess of paper and ribbons and happy faces. I love this holiday.
I have a few things I want to post about when we get home, as we have no internet at Bren's grandmother's, and we'll be rotating around the family while we're here. Anyway, I'm borrowing a laptop, and probably should give it back.
Much love to everyone!
-Lydia
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December 22nd, 2009
11:24 pm
As a quick update, my grades for Fall 2009 just posted.
My cumulative GPA is 4.0.
I need a pocket protector for Christmas, I am officially a nerd. >.>
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10:47 pm
We're in New Orleans!
Every time I come here, I'm reminded anew of how much I love this city. We treated my folks to lunch, then did some laundry (we packed light) and packed up the car and toodled off. On the trip up, it only took us 4 hours. The trip back... well. I didn't time it exactly, but Baton Rouge took us an hour to get through due to traffic. Oog, that sucked.
We checked in to our favorite hotel and called my brother Tony to see if he could slip away from work for a coffee or something. I haven't seen him in something like 9-10 years, and I was really hoping he'd be available... and he was. We had an absolutely awesome visit, and caught up a lot. I was scolded for not giving him more advance notice so he could actually take the night off...which was totally my fault. Many long-term readers will remember that this brother is the one that was in a serious auto-accident several years ago (he was on a motorcycle, struck by a drunk driver in a dump truck), and was also one of the police officers keeping the peace in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Now, he's one of 4 officers that is responsible for traffic control and escort duty when there's a VIP in town. What does this mean? It means my brother has partied with James Gandolfini, Mike Rowe, Captain Sig (of Deadliest Catch fame) and had been accidentally goosed during a photo op with Laura Bush. I am totally getting him to invite me over next time Dirty Jobs is in town, srsly!
I'm honestly incredibly proud of him. We talked a lot, he and roho hit it off really well, and I couldn't be happier. After he left back to work, we wandered the three blocks to the French Quarter and grabbed some dinner at Oceana Grill for some crab-stuffed ahi tuna with crawfish sauce and cajun blackened chicken. It was amazingly good; the place was just off Bourbon Street, and we probably would have passed it by if one of the waiters hadn't been standing in the street and stopped us. Once we rolled out, we went to Cafe Beignet's Bourbon Street location and had beignets and hurricanes while a live jazz band played Christmas carols. It was a wonderful way to end the evening.
We're back at the hotel now, curled up in bed and surfing the web for a little bit before we sleep (laughing because we apparently stumbled on a documentary on phone sex workers on the television. Good money, I guess?) Tomorrow, we're up early for the 10 hour drive to Tampa.
This vacation has been... just perfect. We're already discussing our options for coming back to see my family again. Anyway.. more tomorrow evening. :)
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December 21st, 2009
11:19 pm
Whoof. Day 2 with my folks is nearly over, and we're leaving mid-day tomorrow for New Orleans. We hope to have a few minutes for coffee or a meal with my older brother (I haven't seen him since my first marriage, 11 years ago), and then we're off to hopefully visit with haikujaguar and her family before finishing our trip with roho's family.
I haven't gotten much (any) painting done on this trip yet, it's been a bit chaotic. My dad is eager to see my artwork (eek!) and both of them loved the bookmarks I brought them. I want to explore a different technique for bookmark creation when I get back.. but I have to do more art first.
Anyway, we are taking my parents to lunch tomorrow, then we'll find a place to get some boudin, and investigate the local beer selection. I'll update again tomorrow night from our hotel on the French Quarter.
Bonne nuit chacun!
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December 20th, 2009
11:27 pm
Yesterday we got up, drove up to Milwaukee, flew to Minneapolis, then got on an airplane to New Orleans.
We picked up our rental car and started heading west on I10, turning north when we hit Jennings. Around 11pm, we pulled into my parents driveway and snuck into the house.
You see, my mother had no idea we were coming for a visit. We told her we were going to visit friends, then going on to Florida to spend time with roho's family for Christmas. I have been watching all those commercials where the child surprises their parents with a surprise holiday visit, and... yeah. It really is as wonderful as it looked.
We'll be here til Tuesday, then we head back to New Orleans, and on to Florida.
I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. We are. :)
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December 16th, 2009
04:22 pm
Just popped my savoury sweet potato casserole into the fridge. I'll finish baking it tomorrow for work's pot luck. Fished out a spoonful to check the flavor and... omnomnomnom. :9 So. good.
Huge thanks to duncandahusky for a) serving this, and b) giving me the recipe. If you like sweet potatoes as a winter dish, but aren't fond of the sugary pecan-and-marshmallow treatment, give this one a try! It has bacon. What else do you need?
Right now I'm editing my final project for my English class (I give the presentation part after the potluck lunch tomorrow), and we have plans for dinner with friends. We leave on Saturday for the holidays! I'm so psyched.
I'm taking all my painting kit with me, as I still have a bunch of Furfest commissions to finish. Hoping to have all the convention stuff finished by the end of the month and my full queue done by the end of February. I have several personal projects brewing and I'd like to dink on them. :)
Anyway, paper's not editing itself.
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02:26 pm
If you're like me, and are waffling about what to get for special friends this year... check out gmerriment on FA. He's offering $10 commissions to design holiday cards. You can help out an artist, and get a gift for a friend. Two for one!
Current Location: United States, Illinois, New Lenox
Current Music: Gaelic Storm - South Australia
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December 7th, 2009
04:09 pm
If you attended Midwest Furfest and would like to help the staff make it a better con, take a couple of minutes and fill out their online survey.
It's quick- I think it took me 2 minutes, and your comments are all anonymous.
Quoted from duncandahusky's original post:
"...one respondent's name will be chosen at random to receive a free night's stay at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, to be used any time before November 22, 2010 (which means you can use it at Midwest FurFest 2010!). Participation in the drawing requires you to enter your contact information, but it is strictly optional and is not required to complete the survey. We look forward to your responses, and thank you for your help in improving Midwest FurFest!"
As someone that has run a department for several years, feedback is invaluable!
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December 3rd, 2009
09:22 pm
Looking to commission an artist? Check out damie_m's commission sale.
For an artist of her caliber, these prices are criminally low. Check it out!
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December 1st, 2009
10:29 am
There's something about having a cat come cuddle that makes bad days (just feeling off emotionally) so much better. Marcus has wedged himself between my ribs and the arm of the couch and is purrring up a storm. Silly little bluebutt. I love him so.
My semester ends week after next (finals are from the 14-18th), and I still have what feels like a ton to do. Next week is my final in Access, I'm not sure when my final in Anthro is, and um... I have two observations to do and write about, I have to analyze a transcript, and write a tutoring philosophy for English.
I think my hair will be a bit more grey when this is over. -.-
Also... happy birthday, takaza! We're looking forward to seeing you tonight. :D
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November 24th, 2009
08:52 am
Phew!
VERY good con this year. I have enough in take home commissions to keep me busy for the next month, and I was very happy with how I did, financially. I need to speed myself up a bit. I did some beautiful art, a lot of sketchbooks, and brought home a ton of color commissions. I had a cluster of people around my table watching me paint, and some even asked if I'd be willing to do a panel on watercolor/gouache next year. Hm. Maybe I can get haikujaguar to run that with me...
Anyway, I managed to get some sort of stomach flu that has made the last 24 hours rather uncomfortable. Praying it passes in time for Thursday, as we have an Epic Feast to attend at a friend's.
Going to go work on some of my takehome stuff now, I'll update more later.
feren,nemetfox, and youngvanwinkle were terribly missed, but all three had very good reasons for not attending, even if we want to have Words with feren's $employer.
Hope everyone that attended had a good time, and if anyone wants to leave feedback regarding Artist's Alley (or has suggestions or whatever), please feel free to message me through LJ, or at artistalley.2009@furfest.org.
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November 18th, 2009
06:33 am
Apologies for lack of updates lately. I am lost in a flurry of con preparation and swiftly approaching finals.
I will hopefully have lots of goodies to share after the convention!
I just wanted to comment.. it's 6:30 in the morning (I sleep poorly when roho is on business trips), and I keep hearing this loud sneezing noise. I look at the dog, the dog looks at me, neither of us is sneezing. It's the garbage truck down the road. The hydraulics, I suppose. This just seemed weird enough that I wanted to share.
Have a great day! I'll, er... be in the basement doing war with cat hair.
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November 3rd, 2009
11:12 am
Apologies for lack of updates lately... life has been a little difficult lately.
I had jury duty last week, which I thought would be interesting. Unfortunately, I sat in the cattle pen for two days, and never got chosen to go through the questioning process (voir dire? I think?). Bummer.
I think I may have picked up a passing bug, as over the course of the weekend (which was spent with friends and was utterly wonderful), I came down with bronchitis.
So.. I'm on couch-rest for the bulk of the week, if I'm not feeling better over the weekend, back to the doctor I go. I refuse to work another year of MFF with pneumonia. -.-
I cancelled my artshow reservations, as I didn't finish the originals I had planned on, and the ones I have done are odd sizes, so I'd have to get custom mats cut for them. And that's just a bit more than I can deal with right now.
If I am still sick during the convention... I may change my plans about selling in the Alley. So.. we'll see what happens.
Anyway. Back to cuddling a box of tissues and trying to nap under a pile of cats. :)
More substantial updates later!
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October 26th, 2009
09:12 am - Mini update!
I know I haven't been posting much lately, things have just been insanely busy
I have jury duty today... or tomorrow, I'm not sure yet. I'll find out later this morning. I was feeling much less ill over the weekend, but now I'm feeling like death warmed over again. I'm not sure if it's just because I was all go-go-go over the weekend, or if I've managed to re-contract something.
I promise I'll start up the updates again soon. -.-
Current Location: Antioch
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October 21st, 2009
08:41 am - Daily Update - Wednesday
Quote of the Day
"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." --- Aldous Huxley (1894-1963); writer
News
Urgh. Apologies for sporadic updating, I've been ill (no fever, so it's not flu), and I'm still not feeling 100%. I've been truddling along, and haven't really felt up to doing anything productive the last week or so. Today is catching up on laundry, doing a bit of homework, and rest, I think.
It's the end of week 2 on my diet, and I'm pleased with my results. I'll write more about that on the dieting filter. :)
Links
Alan Murphy's guide to bird photography -- I know I have some birders on my friends list, and I have no idea how you guys feel about photographing the little buggers. My brother, Matthew, is a budding photographer and avid birder; according to him, this book is a Must Buy. He's really talented (my brother, not the author) and I'm trying to encourage him to create an online portfolio. Anyway, if any of you birding afficiandos are into photography, this might be of interest!
Post Secret -- I saw this on an episode of CSI, and didn't realize it was an actual website. From the actual site itself, "PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. While some of the things confessed are pretty horrible, I admit, I can understand the fascination.
I'm running low on things to share, so I need to do some surfing. -.-
Have a great day guys. Me and my DayQuil will see you tomorrow.
::edit:: Corrected Mr. Huxley's vital information. Good eye, roho!
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October 19th, 2009
08:55 am - Daily Post - Monday Edition
Happy Birthday, steelhelix!
Quote of the Day
"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self confident and more and more successful. --- Mark Victor Hansen; author, speaker
News
Wow, today's quote seems tailor made for me. :P The challenges and obstacles have become my consolation to myself. It's okay that you didn't do blah. You had all these problems. I need to stop deluding myself and just -do- it.
Life is going pretty well, I think. I'm doing better than I thought I would with my dieting regimen (13 days, down 8lbs as of this morning), and until I got sick and injured my foot, I was rocking along with the exercise- 2 mile walks twice a day. Going to call the doctor to have a look at the tootsie to speed its healing so I can get back to that. I found that walking in the evenings with roho was amazingly nice, and I kind of miss it. It was really nice couple-reconnect-time.
We had a pretty low-key weekend, we had originally planned on going to a party on Saturday, but both of us were feeling ill (congestion, fatigue, sinus issues) and when we went to the grocery store to replenish the fresh produce supply in the house, we were both a little weak and wobbly after a short walk around the store. Soo... reluctantly, we decided we weren't up for the drive, and while neither of us thought there was any danger of contagion, we didn't want to spread anything... so we stayed home. I'm rather glad we did, much as I hated missing the party. I really hope unclevlad had a wonderful birthday, we were thinking of you!
I got the notice over the weekend about my induction ceremony into PTK. I'm excited and psyched about being involved in such an illustrious honor society! I'm really behind on some of my projects for my ENG260 class- I have to record myself and transcribe a tutoring session, and I need to interview a writing teacher. I'm not big on interviews, and I'm even less big on listening to myself talk to a student for an hour. I haven't figured out yet what I want to ask the professors, I should do that soon. I think it's due in a couple of weeks. >.>
I will have art to share soon. I really need to get on the ball, with MFF looming and no originals to put into the artshow. gen hooked me up with a source for pre-cut mats, so I can at least tailor my paintings to fit a given size (Thank you soooo much, Gen!) to make things easier for myself. I have an oil painting I'd like to have hanging, but... it's not quite finished. I can definitely finish it up in a couple of hours, but I have no easels at home, and I'm not sure I can use the studio at school, given as I'm not an art student this semester (Besides which, I'd have to cart wet painting home with all my supplies, and.. ew.) I'll have to ponder this.
Links
Cylithria Dubois, Marine Corps Novelist -- With November looming, NaNoWriMo is getting mentioned a lot more, and haikujaguar gave me this link to Ms. Dubois' story. I haven't read her submission yet, but I found the story of her writing and submission experiences very moving. What makes this special? Ms Dubois wrote her submission while serving active duty in Iraq. While that is not (I'm sure) uncommon, she wrote much of it by hand with night vision goggles because she was deployed away from the base camp, had no power source for a laptop, and lights at night were dangerous. Go give it a read. Bring a tissue.
Extreme LED Art -- A group of Welsh shepherds got together, strapped LEDS on their sheep and border collies, and did some amazing things in the countryside of Wales. Further investigation revealed that this is an ad campaign from Samsung (I had to remove the link because LJ was bjorking on it- Google Baa Studs Fake), but according to the director, there are no sheep in the clip that were not filmed on camera. It’s still amazing to watch, even if it had a little editing help. Enjoy! (Link courtesy of gen )
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October 14th, 2009
12:25 pm - Anthropology Assignment
Okay, so I'm in Cultural Anthropology this semester, and we get projects every other week or so. They're generally interesting exercises, except I have to keep recruiting 3 'informants'... friends, family, people to answer a series of questions. It's like taking a survey, there's no right or wrong answers, I just have to evaluate the responses.
( Cut to avoid spam! )
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09:31 am - Daily Post - Wednesdays
Quote of the Day
"Example has more followers than reason. We unconsciously imitate what pleases us, and insensibly approximate to the characters we most admire. In this way, a generous habit of thought and of action carries with it an incalculable influence." --- Christian Nestell Bovee (1820-1904); author, lawyer
News
Life continues to truddle along. I'm fighting off a cold (I think I'm losing the battle). I'm almost at mid-semester, and I am beginning to think about next semester. I feel really... strange. I should be almost done with my sophmore year (I'm not. I haven't got the credit hours yet) and yet, I'm still not sure what I want to do for my degree. My job in the tutoring center has reinforced that I'm not really cut out for teaching. I do great with responsive students, but I get really frustrated with the sullen, unresponsive ones. I guess it's good to know what I don't want to do? I feel rather silly to be in my 30s and still having the 'what do I want to be when I grow up?' discussion with myself.
I've been thinking about taking art classes again next semester.. I'm not sure I can make it fit into my schedule, but I really enjoyed my painting class last spring (even though I didn't learn much) and would like to take another; either another oils class or watercolor. I'd like to take more drawing classes (or even a digital art class! Ooh, animation?) but I'm leery of taking it at this school- the drawing teachers are a bit diva-ish. Sooo.. I will be thinking about that. Alot.
Next week, I'll be attending a volunteer orientation session for a local hooved animal rescue. I have loved horses since I was a toddler (my first word was 'horsie') and while I sort of put aside my dreams of riding as an adult, I've pulled them back out and am using them as a motivation for getting in shape/dieting. I am a member of an equestrian community here on LJ, and so far, it's really helped me to stick to my diet plan. When I hit my goal weight, I'll enroll in riding lessons (english! I can't wait!) and possibly lease a horse so I can ride several times a week. If I can keep up a steady weight loss, should happen within 2 years. I'm hoping that volunteering and being around horses and other large hooved animals will keep the longing sharp, so I can use that to my advantage.
Anyway, enough of that. I'm looking for volunteers for my Anthropology assignment, I'll post details shortly. After homework is done, I am going to sit down and do some painting! (I really mean it this time. :D)
Links
Anatomy Atlas -- I suspect this is intended for medical students, but it provides some invaluable reference for the artist!
Drawing guides and pose reference -- I didn't realize DA allows you to publish 'collections' now, but someone has gone through and collected different poses and tutorials, and published them! Also great reference for the artist!
Additional tutorials and reference material -- Colored pencils, drawing, painting... you name it, there's a link here! Enjoy!
I realize today's links have little interest for non-artists. I'll have something better tomorrow. :D
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October 12th, 2009
08:25 am - Daily Post - Monday Edition
Quote of the Day
"The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light." --- Felix Adler (1851-1933); intellectual, founder of the Society for Ethical Culture
I particularly like today's quote. By this definition, I know a couple of saints. I married one of them. I feel incredibly lucky to have them in my life; they keep me going!
News
Homework, homework, yep, more homework. I have a bunch of projects coming up in English that I need to get done (I have to tape myself during a tutoring session, and I have to observe another peer tutor as well as interview a member of the faculty that teaches writing. I'm feeling rather bluh about these assignments, and the writing center work is... kind of ramming home that while I enjoy helping out other people, maybe teaching them just isn't for me. I'm glad to have the job, but I can't figure out the trick of igniting scholastic fires in people, and... well. Without that knack, I can see being a teacher getting Really Old really fast.
I have another anthropology assignment, this one's a bit easier than the last. Again, I have to find three informants, or interviewees. I appreciate everyone that's helped out, and at the end of the semester, I'll work on a little token of gratitude. :)
It's been a busybusy weekend, but I think roho had a good birthday. I made chicken tikka masala with homemade naan for his birthday dinner, and had procured 'birthday cake' (3 little slices of different cakes) from a local bakery. We got some major projects around the house done (Bren's Dad is visiting, and he likes to help out while he's here) which was most excellent. We now have lighting in the basement- all of the overhead lights had gone out, and I had tried to fix them myself, but Dad knows more what he's doing than I do. Turned out to be burnt out bulbs. Ahem. >.> And before you say, 'Wow Lyds, how'd you miss that?' These are shop light flourescents, and... it's not as easy as it sounds to troubleshoot them. :) But anyway, we fixed that. We fixed the drain hose on one of our gutter drains? The little metal drain pipes that go down the side of the house? It was gushing out onto the foundation, rather than running through the hose to be drained into the water table further into the yard, so we fixed that... then we replaced our sump pump. Now when it rains, we can rest easy! Our old one wouldn't run properly, so when it rained, you had to run downstairs and plug it in, then unplug it later; it would run all the time, and didn't do much pumping. The new one is much quieter, works automatically, and we're very happy. Thanks Dad!
I picked up equipment for the MFF Artist's Alley this week; we have a new laptop for Alley use (so we're not using mine anymore) and a printer so we can streamline the process, make everything run more smoothly for artist and staff. I'm psyched about the stuff we're implementing from the staff side. From the aritst side, I'm running around looking at the calendar and whimpering; I have no idea how I'm going to get things done in time. I guess I have a lot of drawing and painting in my future. >.>
On today's agenda... laundry, cleaning up after the weekend (we have tools scattered everywhere), take Dad to the train station.... get back on my diet (birthday weekends are hard for eating properly). I probably will plink at my Anthropology assignment, and I have some blogging to do about the diet progress. (If you'd like to be added to that filter, please let me know!)
Elsewhere...
Links
MCA Hogarth, our very own haikujaguar, has a new book out! I'm about halfway through it, and yes. You want to read this. It's science fiction written like poetry. It's full of beautiful imagry and lovely writing. You can also get it via amazon, and if you have a kindle or ebook reader, you can purchase the ebook version directly from the author. Createspace gives her more of the sale than Amazon, and is a reputable vendor- so if you purchase the hard copy, support the artist!
Best of Wet Canvas Art Competition -- Send your best landscape, stil llife or portrait, deadline is October 31. I don't know if many of the artists that read this blog do these types of art, but the grand prize is $1,000 (with $100 for each category 1st place) and who couldn't use that kind of money?
Creepy Halloween Food Recipes -- Everything from mummy rolls to melting head cakes! My particular favorite is the headcrabs. I TOTALLY want to make those for Halloween, just so I can traumatize feren. (Link courtesy of rissani)
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October 11th, 2009
12:24 pm - Dejunking!
Is anyone in the market for an older (but still perfectly functional) 19" CRT monitor?
I have a couple of friends that have rights of first refusal (they read this journal), but if they don't want it... it's available to whomever wants to come get it. If I don't have any takers by mid-late week, I'll toss it up on Freecycle. (For our friends in the southern suburbs, I would be willing to deliver)
It was a birthday gift from roho about... 4? Maybe 5 years ago. I've babied it, it's black and silver and really pretty, but since I'm pretty much always using a laptop now, it just doesn't suit our lifestyle or needs.
Current Location: Antioch
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06:26 am - Birthday Sunday!
Happy Birthday, yotogi, gatcat and roho!!
May your day be relaxing, joyful and full of wonderful things. :)
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October 9th, 2009
10:13 am - Daily Post - Fabulous Friday
Quote of the Day
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." --- Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965); Recipient of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize
News
Oof! Week's almost over! YAY! I've got a bit of a full plate today- getting ready for roho's dad's arrival this evening, I need to finish cleaning the house, there's a trip to Whole Foods in my future to pick up his birthday cake, I need to stop by the cashier's office at school to drop off my application for Phi Theta Kappa and... at some point this weekend, I need to do homework, and give the dog a thorough grooming and ... post a few things to plan next weekend's festivities. :)
Art
No art of my own to share (alas)! It might be a little bit before I have anything new, school is just.. kicking my rump right now.
 The art of David Kawena
An Israeli conceptual artist that apparently is quite a fan of Disney. It appears he is just as obsessed with The Princess and the Frog as I am. He does some beautiful photo-realistic work in addition to the cartoony style. I found his work via the Disney Princes thread here on LJ (NSFW, don't look if you have objections to icons of your childhood in their skivvies). I am not a big fan of the bulging undershorts (haha), although I can certainly appreciate the skill that went into creating the art. I fell compelled to point out that I don't read the community; roho pointed me towards wyldekyttin's tweet. Amazing how links pass around like that. :)
 The art of Kate Craig
I found Kate's work through her deviantart page, as she was doing a lot of World of Warcraft fanart that I found really appealing. I don't know if it's a similar artistic education, but I've noticed that a certain group of artists (perhaps through animation training?) draw in a similar style when doing humans, and Kate falls into that group. I really like it, and they each have their own individual twist on things (and as far as I know, they don't know each other), I just find it interesting, and wondered if it's something in their training, or a weird coincidence.
Links
US Mint calls for artists! -- As part of the 'Artistic Infusion Program', the US Mint is looking to add designers for coins and medals. They're looking for artists from diverse backgrounds, and you can read about the eligibility requirements and fees offered on the website. If you're a professional artist and would like to see your work in everyone's pockets, go check it out!
The Piano Stairs - Part of a project that ... Volkswagon..? is involved with? A group in Stockholm wanted to see if they could make more people take the stairs by making it fun. The video made me a little sniffy, and it's completely awesome. I'd love to see installation projects like this in a city near me.
I'll try to do posts over the weekend, but with family visiting, it's always a little hit or miss. I hope everyone has a good one!
(edited to fix formatting. Grr.)
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