Raiders of the Lost Art Room

Old and New

2008-06-12T18:11:00.004-04:00

Just as I knew, the roses are gone but the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas are in full beautiful bloom. Mother Nature has been taunting me lately. I had to jump through hoops to get these two photos off of my camera and onto my computer. Don't even get me started with all of the technical issues. I'm just taking it as a sign from above and beyond that I need to be spending time outside instead of inside in front of a computer. So, with that said, here's a quick shot of the new flower bed that didn't exist just a few short days ago.

The area was covered in ivy and an old picket fence. I kept one of the posts to use for my "squirrel feeder". It's something I got from the GoodWill dumpster - yeah, the time my friend and I got busted for going through the trash pile behind GoodWill. They throw away all the GOOD STUFF and sell the junk. I just don't understand it.

Anyway, I've decided that I'd rather be spending time outside in the yard than inside at my computer. So, I guess I'm taking a temporary hiatus from blogland. I've still got lots to plant and I need to figure out what to put down in/on the dirt where the ivy once was. It's under big oak trees so I am not counting on growing any grass there. I'm looking at ground covers now. Maybe just a simple mulch path and even more flower beds. Shade loving - that's the phrase of the day. Or of the past week.

Drop me a note if you have any ideas about how to deal with the areas outside of the flower beds. I'm still checking email but don't feel like messing with all the photos from our UK trip. I'll get to them one day.

Anyone else been having fun outside? It's crazy hot and I'm half way insane to be obsessed with gardening right now but I just can't help it. I want a lush place to enjoy my glass of iced tea. Oh, that reminds me...I need to plant mint!

We're Back From Across The Pond!

2008-05-30T13:32:00.013-04:00

It couldn't have been more perfect. Notice the car at the top of the path? That's our car and exactly where we pulled in to park in the tiny village of Lealholm in the North Yorkshire Moors. These old stepping stones across the river are the reason I picked this spot in the first place. I saw a photo on the 'net and just knew it would be a great little place to rest our weary bones after the trip over. I was unaware of where I was parking as I pulled in to walk up the road to the pub.

Let's just say that after an 8 and a half hour flight, a couple hours in the airport sorting out our rental car, plus driving from Manchester on the LEFT side of the road...well, it was a most welcome sight to see my old friend "The Stones".

A view up the street towards the pub. If I never do anything else right the rest of my life, let it be known that booking a room at The Board Inn (a room upstairs in the local village pub) was one of the smartest things I have ever done in my life. Seriously. How could we go wrong? A few pints, a good meal and all we had to do was crawl up the stairs to lay our heads on what seemed like the softest pillows on earth.
Ok, here's a funny story... I was upstairs, sitting in the window seat, looking out onto the river when I saw this cute old man driving a tractor over the bridge. I grabbed my camera and took a photo thinking it was too surreal. But then came the true reality when he backed into the space at the front of the pub door right underneath my window and delivered 3 huge bags of potatoes! Potatoes he grew himself, harvested, then delivered to the pub. Forget it! I couldn't nap, I had to go down to the pub for another 1/2 pint and share my story with my husband and a few of the locals. I'm not sure they knew why I found this so insanely idyllic but to me it just set the mood for a fantastic English countryside visit.

Just a few photos from Day 1. I've got lots of unpacking, laundry, mail sorting, bill paying, kitty loving and even some fresh vegetables to pick up from our CSA. It's good to be home but WOW what a trip. More to follow in the next few days as I sort through our photos.

P.S. I must have traveler's delirium! Marty booked the room at the pub for us after a kind old woman he first called suggested we try the pub. Her farm stay B&B was booked for the night and it couldn't have worked out better. 'Twasn't I at all. I give credit where credit is due.

Also, if you ever do find yourself in Lealholm or anywhere near, please do stop in and tell Karen and Alister hello for us. They were great hosts! Alister is quite the chef and whipped up some delicious meals for us. Food, that's a whole other post. Incredible food. I was on the "Eat Something Cute Diet". The first night it was pan fried wild rabbit. I tried not to think of what it looked like before it was smothered in a delicious gravy. :-\

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. Or Did I?

2008-05-17T09:50:00.010-04:00

Just as I knew, the climbing antique rose bush is now loaded with sweet smelling blooms. It's actually gone a bit crazy after all of the rain we've had. These photos just don't do it justice - a bit hard for me to capture how full it really is spilling all over the arbor.

There are also the beginnings of new blooms on the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas outside of the picket fence. They start out green and then turn to white not blue or pink like the other variety of hydrangeas. I love the conical shape of these when the bush is in full bloom.

The Hostas and Rose Campions that I planted last week seem to be pretty happy here. I also love how the sunlight shines through the leaves of the Bengal Tiger Canna Lilies. We took out a section of the picket fence to bring in the top soil and rocks but decided to make it into a gate instead of putting it back like it was.

Yes, the grass needs trimming, the beds needs mulching and the fence needs attention but I've got to pack for a trip! There's no telling what I'll want to do with the yard after seeing all of the English Country Gardens. I think I may just pop with excitement.

Manchester England England

2008-05-13T10:22:00.001-04:00

We leave for the UK soon and I can NOT get this song out of my head. This will be my first trip to the north part of the United Kingdom. We fly into ~Manchester, England, England, across the Atlantic Sea...~ and then will rent a tiny car (gas is $10/gallon!) to make our way up to Edinburgh and loop around to The Lake District for a wedding with a bunch of friends. Then it's back to ATL. Short trip but I'm very excited about seeing the country side, the moors, the cliffs, the dells, the castles, the sheep, the gardens, the pubs and the friends.

After the Storm

2008-05-11T12:48:00.010-04:00

I wish I could share with you how wildly delicious this honeysuckle smells in the yard today. We had strong storms last night and this is what I woke up to just outside the bedroom window. I'm so glad I slept with the window open. I heard the rain come down really hard about 5am so I checked the doppler radar on my laptop. Tornado warnings but mostly south of us. No limbs down, just a light spring breeze to carry these wonderful scents all around me.

The antique climbing rose above the front gate is just starting to bloom. Before long it will be filled with wonderful light pink gifts from Mother Nature. I love how that happens!

I guess I can be called an "Accidental Gardener". I'm not one for formal gardens - they just don't fit with this old farm house or my sense of style. I usually like the natural look but this year I've decided to give it a little nudge. I love anything that pops up from plantings that were put in many years ago by chance or previous gardeners. Last year the electricity or phone or cable company cut a swath underneath the power lines from the road to the fence line by the driveway. Just a few days ago, I noticed a small stand of Rose Campions growing in that spot along with the weeds, poison ivy and underbrush.

This morning, out I went with my trusty rubber boots and a shovel to dig a few of them up and transplant closer to the house. Parts of our yard were starting to look quite bare after the long drought we've had. Then any rains we had washed away the soil around the trees so I had 8 yards of topsoil brought in to surround 4 of the large oak trees. I've mainly been planting shade loving plants but I've noticed certain naturalized plants growing in these areas so I'm adding those in with the hostas and canna lilies. It's been fun moving things around and digging in the dirt. It's still all looking a little bare in the new beds but I'm pretty confident that it will be glorious come next spring.

In Celebration of Spring

2008-05-03T13:09:00.008-04:00

I had planned to get up early (which I did) and work in the gardens today. I have about 20 hostas, 10 daffodils and a few hyacinths that are waiting for their new home in the freshly composted beds. Mother Nature had a different plan for me and decided the plants need water before I put them in their final resting place. So, while it's raining outside, I decided to post a photo from our woodland walk in Northern California a few months ago.

Also, I'd like to give thanks, in random order:

• Thanks to the all of the new friends I've met since starting this blog. It would take too long to list each one separately but you should know who you are. I hope I have thanked each of you personally.

• Thanks to all of my old friends who probably sometimes begin to think I'm full of myself but continue to be my friends.

• Thanks to all of the wonderful people I met on my ArtFest journey.

• Thanks to the people who take the time to see what I have to say here. Extra special thanks to those of you who take the time to post a comment. I am always excited when I see a new message.

• Thanks to Mother Nature and the Creator for showing me that every day is a new beginning.

• Thanks to my husband for allowing me to live the life of a 'Tiny Pharm Wife'.

• Thanks to good cheese and fresh baked bread. Compliments of said husband who got up hours earlier, made freshly ground french press coffee, left it in a thermos for me, then went for an early morning ride on his motorcycle to come back with a backpack full of yummy stuff. I'm not particularly thankful for the 'Stinking Bishop Cheese' because it was a bit too stinky for me. Plus, with a name like that, it's hard to enjoy! But thanks just the same.

• Thanks to Susanna Gordon for the kind gift of one of her photographs accompanied with a thoughtful hand written letter. I found her from the very first issue of "Artful Blogging" and she's been a great source of inspiration and encouragement ever since. Actually, it was Susanna that suggested I start my very own blog. She was right - it has enriched my life in so many ways.

• Thanks to my family who knew I was always a little different but allowed me to be so loving me along the way.

• Thanks to the other artists, writers, humans who share their world and continue to inspire me as I sometimes just wander down my own path of enlightenment.

• Thanks to YOU for reading this long list. I think I've had too much coffee. I need to get out in the yard. I guess I can dig with my fancy rubber boots on since it's still raining.

ArtFest!

2008-04-27T17:00:00.018-04:00

One of the best things about living on the east coast but visiting the west coast is the time change. I can probably count on one hand the times I've gotten up to see the sunrise in my time zone. My first morning in Port Townsend I was up before the sun. I took advantage of the extra time and enjoyed an early morning walk to the beach. At one point, I thought I might want to put my feet in the water. Once I got there, I was fine with just letting my boots touch the water. I can't think of a better way to start the day...time alone to commune with nature.

My first class of ArtFest was Creative Outlets with Michael deMeng. I've followed Michael's work for a few years and knew there was much to learn from him. He didn't let me down. I was completely at ease when I first entered the class and felt like I was hanging out with an old friend. We had plenty of space to work since class was being held in the Art Asylum. It didn't take me long to spread out my junk on the table and feel right at home.

The challenge was to use an electrical outlet as the base for our assemblage piece. I hemmed and hawed for the first part of the class not really feeling like I was heading in the direction I wanted to be going. Then I picked up an old Christmas ornament from one of the tables in the Art Asylum and it all started to fall into place. I learned to use the cut-off wheel and there was no turning back. Michael was a great teacher!

Here's the piece after I had pretty much worked all my magic on it. I am learning that I need to work more on photographing my artwork. I'm pretty impatient with this sort of thing and just like to walk around the yard pointing and clicking with the camera. It is what it is. You can click on the photo for more detail.

For anyone that was in that class with me, you'll probably remember that I got a little choked up at the critique. I used my grandmother's old hairpins on the piece hanging from the bottom of the outlet. I'm so sentimental about those sorts of things. I didn't actually cry but I felt my throat close up a little. It's a special piece to me.

Three cheers for Michael - he's a great teacher!

Man, that was the TIGHTEST schedule I have been on in my entire life. Since I stayed in the dorms (which were old military barracks) the shower was an open bay. We had a sign-up list for our 10 minute daily shower. Just enough time to shower and have a quick cup of coffee with some of the other gals in the dorm and then off to breakfast. Only enough time to gather my supplies for the next class before hoofing it across the campus. Oh, and about those bathrooms. I didn't see my face for 4 days because at 5 feet tall, I could only see the top of my head in the mirrors. It's probably a good thing because I didn't have one extra minute to worry about how I looked. I loved that part of ArtFest.

Friday's class was Flat to Stacked with Linda and Opie O'Brien and was held in the chapel. I loved that little chapel but be forewarned that while beautiful, the dim light filtering through the stained glass windows on a dark and rainy day is not the best lighting for doing extremely small detail work. Again, I hemmed and hawed during the first part of the class and then basically finished up the bracelet the next evening at the Art Asylum. It was a great class but very fast paced with so many people. I liked learning to make my own rivets with brass brads. It took me a few times to get it right. I used a couple of my PMC pieces on this bracelet so had to be a bit creative with the attachments. I'm happy with the way it came out and have received compliments on it the times I have worn it since.

You can click on the photo to see a larger view. I used a small faucet screen behind the cabochon bezel and noticed how it kept catching on my sleeve the first time I wore it. So, I whip stitched some copper wire around it and it's fine now. I was happy to be able to use one of my silver twigs, as well as another silver charm I had made. One of my favorite parts is the sliver of my moo card that I used under the smallest piece of plexiglass. It's fitting being my first ArtFest and all.

I'm sure there are lots of things I am forgetting after so long but I'll just hit the highlights since I have these 3 pieces. Oh, how can I forget vendor night?! I waited across the way at the Art Asylum (yes, I spent a lot of time there!) before they opened the doors for vendor night. Once inside, it was a crazy madhouse of lights and people and wonderful art mainly by the instructors of ArtFest but some other great artists, as well. My energy level was low and I didn't feel much like (politely) fighting the crowds.

I did make it to Judy Wise's table to introduce myself. Judy is one of the kindest people I have met in blogland. I fell in love with one of her pieces on Etsy long before I knew who she was. Now that I look back in my favorites, it's not there. Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe it's the first piece I saw of hers that made my heart flutter. At any rate, I bought it! It's a fabulous encaustic piece with a stencil of her as a child and wrecking ball. Layers of luscious wax and collage. I adore it almost as much as I adore Judy.

I also was able to wiggle my way to Catherine Witherall's table. Catherine is a terrific metal clay artisan who has given me much encouragement and advice about setting up my kiln. I was terrified the first time I fired it and had it outside on the front porch on top of a fireproof BBQ mat - I mean, 1650°...that's HOT! I've since moved it into the garage on a wheeled cart and am quite comfortable firing my pieces. I'd love to take a class with Catherine one day but felt it was something I wanted to save for later.

Another round of the tables and I managed to make my way to Susan Lenart Kazmer. I felt honored to be able to actually touch the pieces she had hanging on display. How could I pick a favorite? No way, it was just too much all at once. I did purchase her new book which I pour through every chance I get. I will take a class with her one day - it's just not what the universe had planned for me this time.

So, that pretty much wrapped up my vendor night experience. I was happy to see who I could and leave the madness behind. I went back to the Art Asylum (see, I told you I spent a lot of time there) and finished my bracelet.

I awoke on Saturday knowing it was going to be a great day. I had Nina Bagley's class Stone Soup and had been looking forward to it for months. The first time I discovered Nina (like Carolina) I fell in love with her work. Simple earrings made with natural river stones from N.C. - right up my alley! Spend a few minutes on her blog and you will be sure to understand why I felt a kinship before we ever met in person. She was just as welcoming as I had imagined. When we hugged, it felt (to me) like hugging a dear friend.

All it took was a few minutes of watching her demonstrate some of her tricks and tips to know I was just where I needed to be. It all fell into place and I was wrapping and twisting and dunkin' (my entire spool of silver wire into Liver of Sulphur) to my heart's content. I didn't completely finish the piece I was working on, it's more of a study. A combination of new techniques learned to carry with me on my journey of expressive jewelry. Memories from the past, pulled into the present, to take to the future. That's the best way I can explain it.

Again, my photography skills are lacking here. I photographed this in 3 shots. Starting from the bottom, a tiny bell from my gone but not forgotten Nana from Montana, then a cocoon bead made with a piece of the vintage quilt scraps I got from an elderly neighbor (1950s!) and some of the magical wire wrapping...

Some glass beads that I fell in love with sheltering one of my silver clay beads and a piece of old chain from a vintage necklace I took apart...

From there, a vintage crystal cut glass bead and finally one of my silver handmade twig beads. I love the way it all feels in my hands, the way it jingles lightly. There's just something magical about it to me. I may finish it into a necklace, then again, I may just leave it as it is. Perhaps it just needs to hang somewhere to remind me of all of the special people I met, the magic of ArtFest, the tiny promise I made to myself to be more artful in my daily life.

Leading up to Artfest...

2008-04-25T15:58:00.013-04:00

Every day that passes takes me just a little bit further from ArtFest. I keep telling myself that I need to find my photos and post a little about my adventure before it fades from memory. I took so much in with my ears, eyes and heart that I didn't stop to take nearly as many photos as I normally do. Probably not a bad thing in retrospect.

Here are the snow capped mountains underneath the clouds as I was flying into Seattle. It's the first time I have ever been to Washington state that I can remember and I was so excited with anticipation of the new experiences ahead of me.

My friend Neal met me at the airport and gave me a quick tour of Seattle on our way up to his house. Can you tell I was under dressed for the cool winds whipping off of the water? I left my thick wool sweater and my favorite jeans back home by accident. Good excuse to swing by Pike's Market to look for something warm to wear on the beach at night.

Since we were on the west side of town, we popped in for a short visit with some friends of Neal and his wife's. She made us the perfect cup of coffee (it's a Seattle thing) to warm up as we walked around their gardens. I was mesmerized by all of the cool things. Her son is quite the creative one and built these great little gates and walkways. It was a perfect little space with art and plantings and lots of love.

From there we headed to the market which was just closing but I did luck out and get an alpaca wool pull over. I met the famous fish monger who tosses fish for a living. Funny guy, I called him a 'movie star' because I had seen him on the TV show Glutton for Punishment. Told him I came all the way from Atlanta just to meet him. He kissed a fish for me.

My photos are sporadic from this point on. I enjoyed the evening with N&K over a yummy home cooked dinner and a bottle of wine. Then it was off the next morning for my trip to Port Townsend. I had no idea what I would find along the way. The ferry ride was a trip all in itself. I only stayed up top for about 5 minutes to soak in the scenery before heading back indoors where it was warm.

I came upon the cutest little town called Port Gamble - had to stop and snap a couple of photos.

I have to stop here for now. Just about to head out the door to meet a girlfriend on our way to see Bruce Springsteen tonight. The Boss is in town!

The Jamie Knot and Silver Sticks

2008-03-31T21:21:00.010-04:00

I decided on one quick post before I finish packing. For those of you familiar with Nina Bagley and the "Nina Knot", you will appreciate this. In preparation for my class with Nina on Saturday, I lovingly picked out scraps of vintage material to wash on the delicate cycle in cold water inside of a zippered bag. I took extra care and made sure the machine was set to delicate, used the cold water detergent for delicate items, etc...

I even checked in on the scraps while they were washing to see how they were coming along. It all looked good until I went to pull the bag out of the washer. Lawdy, law...I have NEVER seen such a wad!

This is what I call "The Jamie Knot"...

Too funny. It took me a good 45 minutes or so of snipping threads and unwinding material all the while fending off the cat who was very eager to 'help'.

I also fired another handful of beads today. These are my first attempt at making hollow beads with an organic core. I used twigs for the long ones and wood clay for the round ones.

Before they went into the kiln:

After they were fired and scrubbed with a brass brush:

And finally after they were dunked in the LOS patina:

I brushed parts of the round beads with steel wool and burnished the high points to bring them back to a shiny silver but I left the twigs as they were. I must say that I love how the twigs came out. I'm hoping to use them in a piece of jewelry I will make at ArtFest. Ok, that's really all for now. Clothes are packed but tools and other random art supplies are strewn about the house in four different rooms.

Charmed

2008-03-31T20:38:00.007-04:00

It's down to the wire, literally because I am out of wire. I'm leaving in the morning for Seattle, then it's off to Port Townsend for ArtFest. I've still got to pack all of my art supplies and some wool socks. These are some of the charms I finished. This year's ArtFest theme is "Woodland Forest" so I added a few mushrooms in for good measure. The rest of the charms are loosely based on that same theme with impressions of leaves and flowers and such in the silver. I've also got 20 special "Festal Virgin" trades that aren't in the photos. I'm sure I'll have lots of fun stuff to tell about when I return. Woo-hoo! I hope I can sleep tonight...

You can click on the photo to get a closer view. Not the best but you'll get the picture. All that work for a handful of charms.

Fired, Brushed, Tumbled, Tarnished & Polished

2008-03-27T15:39:00.018-04:00

Here are 45 of the charms I finished today in all of their imperfect handmade glory. "Finished" as in, fired, brushed, tumbled, tarnished and polished. Now comes the real fun part - matching them up with beads and wire wrapping each one to attach to my moo cards for ArtFest trades.

First thing I did after making coffee this morning was set up my Ventilated Patination Station. That's what I was calling it anyway. It's actually just small dishes set out on the back porch with Liver of Sulphur and water. I had it set up from right to left: hot water to heat the silver, then the LOS in warm water to patina the silver and finally, a cool bath of water to stop the chemical process. I used a piece of wire and dipped each charm in all three dishes. Some I left lighter than others. The darker ones were dipped a few different times.

I was so excited and jumped right in to the patination process that I almost forgot to take photos of the shiny charms before they changed colors. Here are a few of the shiny ones with some I had just tarnished. They are bright and shiny because I put them in the rotary tumbler with mixed steel shot last night for about 40 minutes.

More tarnished ones. I like how some of them got that iridescent mixed color. I don't know what it's called but it sort of looks like the top of oil in a parking lot after it rains. You know the look I am talking about? Is there a word for that other than iridescent?

Here's a handful of them after I had polished the high points with a very very very fine steel wool. I would have used my Sunshine Polishing Cloths if I could have found them. Yes, my studio is still a mess! Reminds me of a cross stitched pillow that my mom has: "A Clean House is the Sign of a Misspent Life."

I realized that I didn't have anything in these photos to show size relationship so here's a shot my husband took of me laying them out on a stool outside.

(Pssst...BIG, one of your photos made it onto my blog! Thanks for helping me. You're the best husband but I won't let it get around to your friends. ;-) )

Got Trades?

2008-03-25T14:57:00.008-04:00

My art room is trashed (as usual) but I've been having fun! I've got about 60 charms in the works for ArtFest. I leave one week from today so I'm feeling pretty good about being ready in time.

Here's the first round I made the other night. 25 fine silver charms, all stamped, dried, cleaned up and ready to fire. That's my new Moo Card sitting with the charms. I had 200 printed special for ArtFest.

A couple other shots from my studio. Wolf Trap Radio has been keeping me company on iTunes. It's under the Eclectic genre on iTunes Radio. I think you can also stream it from their website if you don't have iTunes. Who doesn't have iTunes though?

What the Hail?!

2008-03-16T14:45:00.004-04:00

We survived the storms yesterday after spending much of the day in the downstairs hallway. Each time the tornado sirens went off, we moved down to our sudo camp spot. It got old after a while but better safe than sorry.

I watched the storms on the doppler radar using my laptop since our cable has been out for a few days. Today the sun is shining, the cable has been repaired and I think I actually see some new grass sprouting up where there was just mud a day ago.

The photos are of some of the hailstones that fell from the sky and landed in our yard yesterday. I can't remember ever seeing hail this big! I heard they were much larger further east of us.

Who's Battier?

2008-02-02T02:31:00.001-05:00

Never a dull moment around this old place. Last week it was a squirrel that got in through the attic vent after we had professionals secure the outside of the house. The idea was that nothing could get in, no mice, bats, squirrels, snakes, chipmunks or whatever other type of uninvited visitors we may have had in the past.

Well, it didn't work. The squirrel came in and went into my studio. I shut the door (as instructed by someone at the professional place) but when a technician arrived many hours later, the squirrel was gone. It bounced all around my art room knocking things over and chewed the wood slats (mullions, I believe is the correct term) on two of my 6 windows in there. That squirrel was determined. Somehow it UNLOCKED the window and jumped to safety in the outside world from the 2nd story.

This week it was the bat that I could never find during the day. Around 9 or 10 o'clock at night he'd come flying over our heads. Poor thing, I knew it was trying to find a way out but it was near impossible for me to get him out. I slept with my head under the covers a few nights.

Tonight was the last night. I waited for him and after about 3 hours of blocking doorways, and opening the front and back door, I got him to fly out onto the back porch. I grabbed my camera as I was closing the front door and tried to take video.

I kind of miss him already.

Doctor Love

2007-12-04T18:32:00.001-05:00

EGADS!

2007-12-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

Where have all my photos gone? I still see them on Picasa (sp?) where blogger stores them but they have vanished from my blog. How sad. I need photos on my blog.

UPDATE: Ummm, sorry if I posted on your blog about not seeing photos. Something truly was screwy with our web access earlier and for some reason, it wouldn't let me look at photos on my or anyone else's blogspot blog. It's ok now. I'm not completely insane - just a bit touched as some friends would say.

Holy Moly!

2007-12-02T19:12:00.001-05:00

She wasn't joking. Look how simple it is to make your own Photoshop brushes! Here's the first tutorial I clicked on and I can't imagine it being any simpler.

I made a quickie brush of the stencil art I showed earlier today. Layered that over a shot of a mondo moth I caught lounging on a tree and WHAM(!) there it is. Insta-Art!

Ok, maybe it's not a fantastic artistic statement but it's surely a great example of "Even YOU too can do it!" (said in late night infomercial voice). Kind of like the Hairdini of Photoshop. I'm diggin' on it.

Spray Paint and Photoshop

2007-12-02T15:02:00.001-05:00

I've had an incredible urge to get out in the barn and find my old cans of spray paint ever since I discovered this artful blogger. If you found me by clicking through from Dispatch from LA then I don't need to tell you how inspiring she is. If you haven't been there yet, you must pay her a visit!

I haven't played with stencils much at all. Maybe never. I had a stash of a few that I picked up on clearance thinking they might be fun to experiment with one day. Once I tore through my art room and found them, I discovered they were rather large stencils. So off I went to the barn and found a rather large scrap piece of wood to accommodate the rather large stencils.

It became apparent to me that I have a thing for metalic spray paints when I found many cans of copper, hammered silver and gold. It started with copper when I first spray painted an old metal bed that came out of my grandmother's house. After that, I went on a hammered silver rampage and spray painted the base (once shiny brass) of a chandelier that came with our old farm house.

I never was much for shiny brass and the gold was too glaring for me. It didn't fit into the "country cool eclectic" look I was going for. So, with the help of a couple of my girlfriends, we took each crystal off and painted all of the metal with hammered silver spray paint. It was a breeze to paint, not so easy to replace all of the crystals. I liked the transformation but there was still a little something missing.

So, off I went to a lighting center and purchased those tiny little lamp shades for the bulbs. While at the lighting center, I mentioned what I had done to my chandelier. The older European woman looked at me, over her half glasses, down her nose and said "Next time you have a Schonbek, I recommend you not painting it. It could have been a family heirloom."

Thinking the woman was quite brash to say that to me, with a smile I replied "Well, I hope whoever inherits it has my good taste." It wasn't until recently that I learned all about Schonbek chandeliers and realized that was a very expensive chandelier.

The official Certificate of Authenticity that came with the house should have tipped me off. Oh well, such is life. It's a pretty funny story and I like the chandelier now more than before. Enough of the tangent, I don't have any photos of the chandelier right this minute so I'll have to find them to post another time.

Back to my stencils...not sure what I would do with the stenciled old plywood, I played around in Photoshop with the photographs of it. I'm liking the looks of this one, I used a set of PS Actions from Action Central.

While out in the yard, I was enjoying the last of the fall leaves. Our oak trees are the last to get leaves and the last to shed their leaves. Same PS trickery as the other photo.

I'll leave you with another one of my photos and a quote that I found on Roben Marie's page of inspirational quotes.

Cacophony

2007-11-16T12:36:00.000-05:00

I just love that word. Cacophony. I like the way it feels as I blurt it out and the images it creates in my mind. For some reason, I keep thinking that the beautiful fall leaves have exploded in a cacophony of color. But that doesn't make any sense. The word is about a discordance of sound not a visual description.

I still like it. I like thinking that the leaves have exploded into a cacophony of color. If it was music, it would be classical music.

Here are a few photos walking down our driveway today. I love how the Dogwood has turned bright red and the Wisteria an unusual yellow. A nice pop of color along the freshly painted picket fence. Happy Bright Beautiful Autumn!

Is it my imagination or does this bit of curly wisteria vine look like a cursive "J" to you?

The Barefoot Ranger (Arthur Woody)

2007-10-08T17:53:00.001-04:00

It was another beautiful weekend in north Georgia. We camped up near Suches, GA a place also know as "The Valley Above the Clouds" about a mile from the Appalachian Trail. Intending to just make a short trip into town for supplies, we decided instead to take a ride further north and check out some of the local scenery.

My husband had already been up this twisty winding road on his motorcycle and had camped at T.W.O. (Two Wheels Only) a roadhouse and campground for motorcycles and their riders. Previously, I had only heard about the place. When we pulled up, the parking lot was full of bikes and the lunch counter was serving the best lunch that could be had for many miles around. We only stayed long enough to split a cheeseburger, smoked BBQ sandwich, order of onion rings and have a short chat with one of the riders. Then it was back to the road in our Jeep (which we had to park across the road since it had 2 extra wheels).

We happened upon this beautiful spot that almost took my breath away. I pulled over to take photos and saw an older woman walking the fence line along the lake. We said hello and told her how we just had to stop to take it all in. Turns out, she is the great-great-grand-daughter of Arthur Woody (one of the first two National Forest Rangers in Georgia and the first of the Blue Ridge District.)

We had a nice long chat and she invited us to drive around the bend and park near the old family home and take more photos from the other side of the lake. Since I only had my small point and click camera with me, I thought these photos would lend themselves well to a little Photoshop experimentation I've been wanting to try.

It wasn't until we got home and I did a little research on "Ranger Woody" (aka "Kingfish") that I realized he was instrumental in shaping the beautiful north Georgia mountain area and making it was it is today. He facilitated the transfer of land to the National Forestry Service, planted trees in barren areas that had been stripped of its lumber, reintroduced fawns to the non-existent deer population and even filled the streams and rivers with rainbow trout.

It was pure joy to spend the hour or so with Arthur Woody's great-great-grand-daughter (a retired school teacher, I believe) taking photos and just simply enjoying the delightful company of the kind woman. She invited us to come back any time and I believe we might just take her up on that offer.

Mama and her Chicks

2007-10-02T12:59:00.001-04:00

I went over to my favorite neighbor farmgirl's place the other day. She was away but the barnyard was full. Look at these adorable chicks and their protective mama. How can I possibly pick a favorite?

You can click on the photo to see a larger version. They are all a little dark because I tried not to blind them with the flash.

Peerless Pleasure

2007-09-30T20:53:00.001-04:00

Too much fun in one weekend to blog about in a single post. My friend Ordell came to visit for a very short 4 days. We hadn't seen each other since 1979! Lots of laughs and a lifetime of stories to catch up on.

We happened to drive by an estate sale down the road from us on Saturday. I never knew the old lady who lived in that house but do know the 70 year old woman who was born in the house.

Quick post - just want to show some of the photos from the treasures we found. We got 2 white trash bags full of quilting scraps, an arm full of old hand stitched quilt tops, a finished quilt that's beautiful and this snazzy PINK sewing machine. I'm still going through the scraps and found a total of 7 tops in all the stuff we got. Some of the quilt tops are backed with old newspapers dated June 1950. She must have used the paper for her patterns. I think there are probably about 6 different patterns all together.

I can't seem to find any information on this old sewing machine. The machine itself is made in Japan but the pedal and motor both say made in U.S.A. The make is Peerless and the model is 55 De Luxe. I sure would like to learn more about it. If you happen to know anything about this beauty, I'd appreciate any information you can offer.

What a wonderful fun filled weekend!

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Update: I noticed today that the actual model of the sewing machine is 35 De Luxe. The font looks like a 5 but it's a 3. So far, all I can find with a model number of 35 De Luxe are tractors.

Oscar "Rock Man" Robertson

2007-09-24T22:03:00.003-04:00

It makes me a little sad to go through Ball Ground, GA these days. No more Oscar "Rock Man" and his red truck. No more chance meetings with the old man that many were afraid to even speak to. I've been going to this quaint little town in North GA for the past 15 or 20 years. The first time I drove through with friends from college, I absolutely had to stop and check it out. They thought I was crazy, maybe I was.

Building after building full of wonderful treasures - rocks, gemstones, geodes, crystals, minerals, beads, glass, wooden sculptures, and I can't tell you how many other things all displayed with the utmost of care. Nothing marked with prices that I could see. Not one thing.

The streets were lined with slabs of marble propped up against the old buildings. Every piece deliberately placed. Some behind old chain link fences in parking lots and others in areas cordoned off with rusty cables and yellow caution tape. All weathered over time but still sending a clear message to keep out.

Each of the eight storefronts had "No Admittance" and "Employees Only" signs hanging inside the windows and on the doors. Much of the contents seemed to be pleading to be let out while others seemed perfectly content with their destiny. Perhaps they were just waiting patiently for someone to liberate them from behind the picture windows.

The first dozen or so times I was there, the windows were lined with clipboards of mostly handwritten and photocopied manifestos. Everything from his official Honorable Discharge military documents to his flat tax resolutions. These papers have come to be known as "The Oscar Manifestos". Rock Man made no qualms about sharing his thoughts with anyone who cared to take interest and even some who didn't.

I don't even remember when it was that I first met Oscar but I do remember it was a very unusual and somewhat intense meeting. I was stopped along the road looking in the windows and up drove a big red truck. Then out stepped Rock Man. I can't even tell you what we talked about that first time but I do remember looking at his huge red nose and noticing how it looked like Jimmy Durante's nose. I bought a couple of things from him that day, a string of colorful glass beads and a hematite necklace.

Another time I stopped and got to talk with him, we talked about marble. I wanted some to build an outdoor patio. I asked him how much the slabs of marble were and he told me $20 a piece. I looked at him like he was crazy (which many thought he was) and told him that I couldn't afford to pay that price. Then he asked how much I wanted and when I told him that I didn't know for sure but I was guessing a truckload, he told me to bring my truck and we'd make a deal.

When I tell people about Ball Ground and Rock Man, someone always asks me how I know what the prices of everything are if nothing is marked. I tell them something along the lines of the prices being directly related to how well he likes your stories.

The last few times I went up to Ball Ground I didn't see Oscar and his red truck. I had a friend of mine from Colorado so scared of this old man that he later told me he was relieved he didn't show up when we were there together. Sadly enough, I later learned that Rock Man died in October of 2005. I was just in Ball Ground this past Saturday with another friend and everything is just as I remember it with the exception of all of his manifestos removed from the windows.

Thankfully, there are others who have taken the time to document some of the stories of this interesting little southern town and the colorful old man who made it was it is today. My stories are all first hand but you can find more information on Oscar "Rock Man" Robertson of Ball Ground, GA in Trent Cluley's very well written post titled Farewell to Oscar "Rock Man" Robertson. Linked from his blog, I also found photographs of "The Oscar Manifestos". Thanks to Slashplat for making that a public gallery. Check them both out when you have the time. You'll find much more detail than my accounts in this post.

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More information on Rock Man and Ball Ground from another blogger called "The Dyer Consequences Blog". Thanks for finding me!

Funk Heritage Center

2007-09-21T10:08:00.001-04:00

It was another beautiful day in North Georgia. I swear, I was just going out for breakfast and to stop for some vinegar (my favorite new "green cleaner") but couldn't resist the turn up another country road. There's something about being out in the convertible that just makes me want to keep going.

I ended up in Waleska, GA, home of Reinhardt College and Funk Heritage Center. This old house caught my eye so I pulled over to take a photo. My fixed length lens and vantage point prevented me from capturing the true essence of the old home. It looked like it had been built onto year after year and maybe was made up of tiny apartments for college students.

Right across the street from this house I noticed a sign for Funk Heritage Center. I've been told of interesting artifacts housed at this museum so decided it was a good time to check it out. Once inside, I had a nice chat with the women working there and then sat and watched a short digital film on The Southeastern Indians.

I had been to many of the nearby places mentioned in the film. Ball Ground, GA the site of the Cherokee Indians' ball field - a flat area where they would gather in large groups and play stick ball which is sort of like the modern day lacrosse.

Also mentioned were the Etowah Indian Mounds. What was once a large village with burial grounds and a plaza to people of this land is now a state park.

The museum does have a great abundance of Southeastern Native American Indian artifacts, a kajillion arrowheads, pottery shards, and the like all lining the halls going into a room that housed this huge petroglyph they called "The Rock". It was found in Canton at the current location of the Canton Super Walmart. Isn't that enough to make your stomach turn? I'm so glad the owners of the property donated what was left of it after blowing the rest up looking for buried gold.

As I was back in the lobby looking at other displays, the director of the museum introduced himself and asked if that was my car out in the parking lot. I told him it was and then proceeded to tell him how much fun it is to drive. We had a nice chat and he told me that I should go down and look around their "settlers village". He explained that they usually just take large groups of people down there but I was more than welcome to walk down and take a look around by myself.

Sun was shining, I had my camera around my neck so I took him up on the offer. I'm glad he explained how to get down there because it was a series of wooded unmarked trails and small foot bridges to the village.

Apparently, I did not take the most direct route because when I got to the clearing, there was a big field ahead of me. I walked the field and made my way to a small pond. Realizing I wasn't going to wade through the muddy water, I scouted my way around the pond, through another field until I saw an old log cabin in the distance. Ah! The settlers' village.

I'll save my favorite part of the museum for another post. There are many "Tiny Pharm Wife" chores to attend to since I've been out galavanting for the past few days.