Something really outstanding happened today.  This afternoon as I was walking out the door to go to work, I just happened to look out towards the mailbox, and there was a Robin.  At first I thought I was seeing things, but then, another one flew down from the tree.  I got Bruce up off of the couch and told him to look see, and by the time he got to the window, there was three more.  They were looking for food, and scratching at the ground.  I was able to find my canister of meal worms left over from last spring, so I threw a few handfuls out by the mailbox and along the sidewalk.  I hope they will be okay.  We were so surprised to see them this early.  They never show up here in Michigan until first few weeks of March.  This is a rarity.  They had to pick one of the coldest weekends to come back. 

I don't have any artwork to show today, and I haven't created anything special worth talking about, but I did receive a really nice handmade Thank You card from Harlan, one of the staff members at Heartfelt Creations.  I was so thrilled to get it in the mail. It was so thoughtful of them.  I really would love to be on their design team... just another "something I want to do"... if only I had more time to do all the things I want to do.  I purchased the Black Friday deal last year of the Flip-Fold albums with inserts and pockets, and then in December the Coffee Talk collection, then in January the Sugar  Hollow collection... I just love the cute little owls.  I haven't been able to use any of them yet.... but I am excited about pulling them out soon and going crazy with them.  I forgot to mention that I also purchased some dies and stamps and the deluxe shaping tool set while at their booth at the Novi paper crafts expo last August.  I want to go to Goshen and have a tour of their facility... I guess I better make sure I put in some overtime first. 

Here I am blogging when I could be creating, but after a long nights work at my job, I am tired and just ready for bed.  I wish I would've gotten some pictures of the Robins for you to see, maybe they will be back again today.  Until next time......Create something Exciting!

It is now January 29, 2016.  Wow, I know I should be ashamed of myself for leaving my blog for so long, but life has been quite a challenge for me these past couple of years.  But I am back now, and ready to create. 

So, I never went to dog grooming school, so I never became a dog groomer... I sold a few prints of a couple of pictures I had drawn.  I created and taught an original project at my art club in 2014.  It was a snowy owl on a black background which was titled by my best friend Kristy, "Arctic Moon Rising".



I have sold a couple prints of this, I have promised the original to my son.  After I sold "Apache", I don't think I can bring myself to part with another original. 

I also sold a couple prints of my graphite pencil drawing titled "The Garden Shelf".  This one took me a whole week to finish working on it every day.  I did this drawing back in 2010, but tweaked it and totally finished it in 2014 where I had a few prints made.  I sold 3....



I did an American Kestrel in colored pencil... I really should have had him sitting on a branch as I just cannot draw any part of the human figure as you can tell by the looks of this finger..., but I thought the bird itself turned out nice. 



I haven't really drawn anything for the last couple of years, as I have really struggled with being creative... but I'm better now, and can hardly wait to get started on my next drawing... or rather, get back to it as I have already started it...it's just been upstairs on my shelf since 2014.

My 9 year old niece Megan had her first art lesson with me using colored pencils.  We did a portion of a Tina Norris design that I taught at our art club last October.  She did very, very well.  Good job Megan!!!  I really like teaching young people.  I told her that we'll do another colored pencil project, and then I will introduce her to watercolor.  She really liked using my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils instead of the ones that was included in the art set I got her for Christmas.  Look out little brother, my niece is finding out the difference between the art supplies you buy a child, and the professional artist's grade that I use....

 

 

We were at my great friend Diane's house, with her and my sister Nony.  They also worked on theirs too..

But I have a new interest.... card making.  So, I am going to have a little fun with making some of my own greeting cards...

Tomorrow I am celebrating my birthday with a day out with my husband Bruce, my son James and his girlfriend Kasara, Bruce's son Nathan and his girlfriend Adessa and their daughter Alex.  We are going to Middlebury for lunch/dinner, and then to Shipshewana for a bit... looking forward to it! 

Until next time....

2012 is almost gone, and 2013 is just around the corner.  Significant changes are in my future as I am no loner out there on the highway driving that semi all over creation.  I left the trucking industry.. although I am keeping my CDL for that "just in case" time when I have to have a job again that will let me make serious money for the spring/summer/fall... but I am hoping that day will never happen.  I am planning on going to school in the spring and become a dog groomer... yes, a dog groomer... I always wanted to do that... but the "changes" that I am talking about is finally being able to create some great pieces that I can sell get established in the art world as a serious artist... and I would really like to start exploring the world of designing...  At the moment I have 6 hours a day between work and sleep for "me time"... although I have to share some of that time with Bruce (my husband), housework, family, pets, personal time, grocery shopping, artist club,... and the list goes on... in the end, I don't really get that much time for my art, but I really have to learn to manage my time better... working on that.

I have curtains to make for my living room, so that will take up my time until January, so in 2013 I will get my mind set on beginning my next piece "Black Majesty" in colored pencil and from there who knows what will conspire. 

Oh by the way, I had to change the name of my blog as there is a man in California with the same name for his business... Who imagined a man named Essy... I didn't know that was a man's name... or does this man have a girl's name....anyway... although my studio isn't really an attic, it's still my upstairs studio that is like climbing the steep winding stairs into an attic.

Until next time, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

A new commission, and my next project

I have been commissioned by the same woman who is buying "Apache" for her father, to do her red tailed hawk "Onyx".  I will be meeting with her next month to complete the sale of Apache, and to set up a day for a photo shoot for Onyx.  I'm looking forward to doing this bird for her.  She informed me that in her wedding last year, this hawk flew their wedding rings down the isle to them and did an awesome job.  I thought about doing a regular portrait of her, and then seeing if she would be interested in a drawing of this bird flying down the aisle with the wedding rings... what do you think... I think it would be a wonderful keepsake for them.

I am also planning on doing this bird in the near future.... I know, I know, but I think he/she deserves a portrait just as the majestic hawk does.  All of God's creatures are beautiful in their own way, and this turkey buzzard is no different.  They have a very real purpose, and do a very good job of it... taking care of those poor unfortunate ones killed by vehicles everyday on our busy highways.  They are important to our ecosystem, and it would be a disgrace for any animal killed by man or nature not to serve a purpose of the living, otherwise they would have died in vein.  I will call this drawing "Black Majesty".

This pose was struck just for me as I inched a little closer a little at a time trying to get a good shot.  I was told in no uncertain terms that "I was close enough!"  So, I snapped my photo and left it be.  It was standing on the edge of the parking lot at a busy shopping center all by itself... and not moving much.  This is quite uncommon for this bird as they stay in groups, and are rarely seen alone, but to be among all this commotion and staying quite still, I can only assume that somehow this bird may be injured in some way and unable to fly.  Considering all the power lines overhead, I wonder if it flew into one and is now unable to fly away.  Hopefully it will recover from whatever it's plight and fly back to where it is supposed to be.  But, I will enjoy drawing this bird for my own collection.

Living on the road...

Well, It's been almost 2 months I've been away from home and I only have another 2.5 months to go... or around that figure.  Depends upon how soon spring returns to Michigan.  I've not been getting to work on my art projects as much as I have wanted, but every little bit helps.  I'm beginning a project drawing by a wonderful colored pencil artist by the name of Tina Sue Norris, CDA, TDA.  It is a pattern packet that I purchased at HOOT in Columbus, OH last year.  The ladies in my painting club want me to teach it to them (everything is pattern based in this club), so I am working on it, studying it, and am going to attempt to teach this to a group of ladies that normally use a brush for their art.  It does introduce watercolor pencil into the colored pencil project, so I think it will be a great learning experience for them.  I wish I could get them to expand their horizons and create a work of art 'without' a pattern from another artist, as I believe these women could create some beautiful pictures from just a photograph, or even by just looking at something and visualizing it on their surface.  I know they have it in them... they just won't step out of that 'pattern packet' comfort zone.  I did, and my red tailed hawk is the product of my desire to create 'my' art and not just 'reproduce' someone elses work.  I get so much satisfaction out of working from life and photos... I just want to create something new everyday.  And I do, in my head.  It doesn't seem to make it to paper as I just don't have much time for drawing out here on the road in a tractor-trailer... but I write my ideas down, and I have began a couple sketchbooks that I tend to doodle and experiment in when I get the chance.  Hopefully in a couple weeks I will get a few days off to see my son as he and his girlfriend will be on their way to Orlando, Florida.  I am hoping to get a day to spend with them, and a day to work on the project.  I will post pictures of my progress on it as I do it, and in the process, I will also be learning to use watercolor pencil which I haven't delved into yet... so it is another artistic adventure for me.  Wish me luck that my owl doesn't turn out looking like a chicken...

"Apache" Red tailed hawk in colored pencil

I have finally finished the Red Tailed Hawk that I spoke of in my previous posts.  It was done on Canson Mi-Teintes art paper with Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencil. I will have to add the dimensions at a later date as I don't remember what they are.  I was thrilled with it and was even more thrilled when I finally found out what this bird's name was.  The owner of this hawk's daughter contacted me and wants to buy the piece for her father.  I want to have some prints made of this piece first as I hope I will be able to sell some.  Wow!  My first piece that I will actually sell... I almost feel a little panicky at the prospect of actually letting this one go... but I have that problem no matter what I do...

New Year's Eve in Savannah, GA

It's New Year's Eve and I'm settled into the Best Western here in Savannah, GA.  I'm gonna get myself a little dinner, watch a little TV, and then spend the rest of the evening relaxing.  Tomorrow I am going to walk to the Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and then spend the day finishing my hawk.  I have a buyer for it but I have to figure out how much to charge for it.  I wish I had someone to talk to about it who knows about what to charge.  I am a little clueless as to what type of price to put on it.  I want to sell it, but I don't want to just give it away.  I have put many hours into it.  It will be hard to part with it.  I think I will have some prints made of it to sell too.  I also am reading up on copyrights too... I want to copyright my work. 

I also have to get started on the owls that I am going to teach next summer.  They are done in watercolor pencil.  Quite a different technique than what I'm used to but I'm up to a challenge.

Red Tail Hawk in colored Pencil

I have been working most of the day and part of yesterday on my red-tailed hawk that I am doing with Faber-Castel Polychromos colored pencil.  I started this last year in my colored pencil class in college (which was a waste of my time and money as my instructor didn't know much at all about the medium), but I was determined to rework it, make it more pronounced.  When I did it for my class I didn't lay down enough layers on it to bring out all the color and value of the feathers, but I spent yesterday on the head and wings and today on the breast and glove. Unfortunately my hands hurt so much that I can hold the pencil much more, so I will stop for the day and work on the legs and feet an the rest of the glove tomorrow after I get in from work.  I've taken some pictures on my phone and will post them just as soon as I figure out how.  I will spend some time figuring that out after I have a little supper.  I think I will walk up the street to the IHOP.  I haven't eaten there for quite a while, and haven't eaten out since I've been here (except that burger from Hardee's the other day that made my fingers swell from all the msg, preservatives, salt and chemicals in it).  I'm really trying to get totally away from all those processed foods out there, and all that fast food that is really not good for me.  Until later.....

Second day in Chattanooga

Today was my second day here in Chattanooga, Tn, and would you know it, it snowed here today.  Not a lot like it would do in Michigan, but it snowed.  I think it followed me here.  Yesterday I took a liquid load to Hostess in Columbus, Ga and got back to the hotel around 10pm.  Today I rode along with a driver and did a flour load to Little Debbie just outside of town, got back to the room around 3pm.  I called in and I have to be at the yard at 4am to do a sugar load with a different driver.  This is what I need to learn as sugar unloads differently than flour and sugar is what I am going to be hauling out of Savannah.  But, I guess I need to know to unload it all since I may have to pick up a flour load as a back haul from somewhere and no telling where I will wind up.  I hope they give me my truck soon so I can put my stuff into it.  I have a bunch of stuff to take me through until April.  It looks like a lot, but it's just strewn out a little.  I need to repack it. 

Jimmy was accepted into the Disney internship program and I'm excited for him.  I sure hope Paula gets accepted too.  I don't want anything to happen to his relationship with her during the time he is away.  I know this is what he wants too. 

I think Bruce is enjoying his time at home without me right now.  I miss him, but we have went into this think knowing what is real so I am not afraid in the least that he won't want me to come home, or that I won't want to come home.  It's just a job, and it will be over in the spring and we will be back to normal.  I sure hope this winter goes by quickly.  But, I miss him already, and my dogs, and my cats, and my mom and Nony. 

I haven't gotten to start on my colored pencil class project yet, but plan on working on it a little while this evening after I get done here.  I wish I would've made notes and taken pictures when I did the original... what a dummy!  Will I ever learn???  Anyway... this time I will have notes and pictures.. and I hope I can get all this done before next summer so I can teach it. 

The Adventure Has Begun

I imagine I need to give you a little insight into what is going on before I walk right into a new topic.  Although this isn't art related, it is my life and I want to include it into my blog.

I have transferred to Savannah, GA for the winter so at this time I am sitting here at my computer in the Best Western in Bowling Green, KY.  We have stopped here for the night and will get into Chattanooga, TN tomorrow afternoon sometime.  I will be working out of the Chattanooga terminal for a week learning to do the dry bulk side of our company, and then will be heading on down to Savannah, unless something changes which I really hope not.  It's only for the winter and then I will be returning to Michigan in the spring... around the end of April.  I know it sounds like a long time, and after a month or so it will start feeling like a long time, but I think it will go by quickly and when it's all done hopefully I will have made an aweful lot of money and paid off a lot of bills.  This will be my first Christmas away from home in a very long time.  Here lately my life has been full of a lot of firsts.  Last Christmas was my first Christmas with my son living 2000 miles away in Arizona.  I missed him so much, and Christmas just isn't the same without him.  I also didn't put up a large tree last year.  We had a little tree on the table in front of the picture window.  I actually sent out Christmas cards last year.  This is our first Christmas with Tito and Tyson.  Well, actually Bruce will be with them for the holidays.  Anyway...lets get back to my adventure.

We left about 7am this morning and stopped in Middlebury, IN for the breakfast buffet.  I love the buffet, and not because you can eat as much as you want, but because it is all homemade amish cooking and tastes just like you wouold fix for breakfast at home.  Real eggs and fresh hashbrowns, homemade sausage gravy, bacon that is more meat than fat and cooked perfectly.  Bisquits that are small enough that you don't throw any of it away and it doesn't stuff you either.  My favorite... the scrapple with butter and syrup on it... which is also cooked perfectly.  Fresh fruit and this icey, juicy, fruit concoction with bananas, pineapple, and orange juice all frozen together and scraped like an Icee.  Little mini muffins and petite little slices of banana, blueberry, and pumpkin breads.  Mini doughnuts and fresh coffee that tastes great.  Needless to say we both left there pretty stuffed... but off we went.  It was a very nice ride down here, a little chilly, but the further south we got the warmer it got.  Not a whole lot, but enough to notice.  Tomorrow it is supposed to rain all day so we enjoyed the sunshine while we had it.

I'm gonna turn in... tomorrow comes early. 

Hello all from Camp Pretty Lake, and the fall retreat of the Friends in Art painting club.  I only got to be here one day, but I've been having a total blast!  I didn't get my project completed, I never do, but at least I got the turkey done and the pumpkins done, so now I only have to do all the vines, leaves, and berries.  Leslie Williams taught it and we just love her.  She's such a great teacher.  I'm anxious for spring retreat already... next May.  Don't know who we are having for a teacher in the spring but whoever it is I will be there if at all possible. 

The year is over half gone...

It has been quite a long time since I have posted and I guess I need to get you updated on my happenings.  I am working again... back to driving a truck.  I didn't really want to go back out on the road, but I had to work as Bruce retired in June.  So, needed that extra income again and insurance, but I am hoping to get out of that truck one day forever!  It is just killing my body.  I now have fibromyalgia.  It's been coming on for quite a few years now, just didn't know what it was... I know now, and this has been my worst year so far.  Not only all the bouncing around in the truck but the lack of rest and sleep makes my body hurt so badly somedays it's all I can do not to lie down and cry.  I have been taking Aleve twice a day, two in the morning and one at night and it is helping a little, and the doctor has me on Cymbalta which also helps... but sometimes it seems that nothing is working some days.  Everyone seemed to tell me I was just getting older, and it's true that I am not a teenager anymore, but this is totally different than aging.  Totally different.

I got to go to HOOT this year in Columbus, OH and it was totally great!  Spent more money than I should've, but that's just part of going to convention.  I didn't take any classes again this year... they are just a little too expensive for me right now, but I would've loved to.  There were some beautiful projects and so many wonderful artists.  I had so much fun with Janet Filley, Cathy Payne, Jan Hall, and Penny Collison.  We stayed at the Drurry Inn and it was wonderful.  Lots of memories.

We have two new additions to our family.... Tito, a cockapoo, whom we adopted from the ASPCA.  He is a little pistol but we love him.  He is almost five years old.  Tyson, whom we aquired from my nephew Joe when he couldn't keep him when he became an OTR truck driver.  He is not quite a year old.  He is a shar-pei.  They are both good dogs and love each other very much.  We adopted Tito in February of this year, and Tyson came to live with us in May.  They get pretty roudy when they play, and with Tyson, everything is a game... but he will grow out of the puppiness one of these years.  I will post pictures of them soon.

I will close for today as I need to get to my hair appt which is in 20 minutes. 

Harley, our wonder dog!

Harley, our English Bulldog, passed away this morning around 9:30, after a long and brave fight against arthritis and degenerative joint disease.  He was such a wonderful boy, and we miss him so much.  I tend to think that in many ways, he was the master and we were his companions instead of the other way around.  He didn't follow you around like a normal dog... he chose where he wanted to be, and then barked for you to come be with him.  He let me know when he was hungry and when he was thirsty, when it was time for bed, and would even wake me up in the morning so that I would get up and he could have my 'soft' side of the bed, and then he would go back to sleep.  Yes, he had us wrapped around his little fingers... all of them.  My heart is broken once again, and I know it will mend, and I know once again we will open our hearts and home to another one of God's precious animals that someone has mistreated and abused.  And in time we will do this all over again... that is what we do... that is what I do.  I guess my calling is giving abused, neglected animals the chance for a wonderful life before they pass on.  I wish I could save every poor creature out there, but I can't, so I will go on helping one or two at a time and give them the love and companionship they were cheated out of in the first years of their lives, and making their last years wonderful.  Like Harley.  Harley was 6 years old when we adopted him from the rescue shelter, and who knows how many of those 6 years was spent in pain and agony, and a broken heart.  But he spent his last 4.5 years loved, and spoiled, and happy.  He went out of this life "with his boots on" you could say.  I love him so much.

Welcome to my world!

It's a new year and I'm beginning a new blog.  I first want to say "Welcome to my Studio".  Everyone is invited in to see what's on the easel, or the drawing board, or the painting table, or even in the sketchbook.  I've not yet taken the photos of my artwork to post yet.  I would like to tweek them and then copyright them first...you professional artists know what I'm talking about... my designs are mine and I don't want them stolen from me. 

This is my last week of break between classes, so Monday I will be back in school.  I'm not taking any art classes this semester, just English and History.  I hope I enjoy them.  I will be taking them online this semester so that I can also concentrate on getting my studio in order and finding some time to create in between classes, homework, cooking, laundry, housework, and job hunting.