Dirksen Dabbles

i don't feel bad

2011-09-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

It has officially been over two months since I have written a blog post for this, my precious, Dirksen Dabbles. This is the post that comes from most bloggers and starts off like this:

"I am so sorry I have neglected this blog for such a long time..."

But you won't hear those words from me. I hate to break it to you, but...I am not sorry. I do not feel bad.

These are the things I've done during the past two months to keep blogging from being a top priority.

After living in Europe for nearly a year, I moved back to Portland, Oregon

Understand a high level of culture readjustment

Moved into my parents home for an undetermined amount of time

Understand a high level of lifestyle readjustment

Sent my husband off to Los Angeles, California for his first job interview after eight years of higher education

Understand a high level of future uncertainty

Planned and put on a wedding for my sister

Understand a higher level of work than possibly went into my own wedding

Decided along with my husband to accept the job offer at UCLA

Understand a high level of excitement and anxiety

Prepared all our belongings for yet another move

Understand a high level of annoyance

Moved to Santa Monica, California

Understand a high level of uncomfortability

There is an unfortunate side effect of not blogging, which mostly includes a loss of interest from readers as well as interruption of the "blogging juices," which aid most regular writers. I decided these side effects were simply a necessary cost of this season in my life. I do thank the readers that are still around for not deleting me from your internet routine, and truly look forward to a new surge in creativity!

Ah yes...one more tidbit. Along with the list above, my husband and I were able to announce and prepare for one of our biggest adventures to date. As of January 2012, we will be parents. Ain't that just a fun twist to this story?

On the Santa Monica Pier...and pretty weirded out to be living in a land of palm trees

Q&A - Why am I In Europe? - New here? You can learn what I was doing in Europe here

Where I live - These are all the posts related to places I have lived

Q&A - Video of me Painting - A look at what this blog is really about...more on art soon!

i'm off

2011-06-30T02:28:00.000-07:00

I am literally boarding a train in two hours that will take me to Munich, Germany. This will be our last European stop before leaving for the US of A on July 4th. Please pardon my absence until things settle down a bit (I'm pretending things are actually going to settle down when I get home...fat chance).

I am immensely excited about going home...but still feeling a touch of what can only be called "bittersweet" emotions. I'm going to definitely do some blogging to figure out how I feel about this huge year and transition. Thank you for sticking with me through it all.

Until next post...

(imagine a beautiful photo here)

merry go round - photo inspiration

2011-06-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

On the last Friday of the month, I am going to be jumping on the 'Merry Go Round'. What is the Merry Go Round exactly? Each month, a group of artists and craftswomen from around the world join together and give their response to the same question/challenge.

We had a fun challenge presented to us as members of the Merry Go Round. Last month, each of us shared a photo that affected us in some way. Then we each were assigned another member's photo and we had to create something artistic based on said photo. So...here was my photo from Agathe at Le Bar du Vent.

So, I decided to do a watercolor painting with similar movement for the background. Here's a video of me painting it. It's nothing amazing...just something fun!

Check out the other Merry Go Round participants work!

Misty at Artmind

Jen at Painted Fish Studio

Mariana at Florcita

Laura at Blue Terracotta
Monika at Red2White
Ruth at Birdland Creations
Kim at Vilt a la Kim
Sara at Crafts of Texture
Samantha at Vintage is for lovers
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent

Merry Go Round - Photo Affection - See the photo I presented last month

Merry Go Round - Time Management - My strength

Merry Go Round - My Inspiring Artist - A famous artist I love

written artwork - things fall apart

2011-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have always, and probably always will, love books set in Africa. I've read a few now, and they are always very gripping. Unfortunately, most of them are gripping because they are centered around tragedy, but, gripping nonetheless. Some of my favorites include What Is The What and The Poisonwood Bible.

Things Fall Apart is also set in Africa, and also focuses heavily on tragedy. The story is roughly about a man who lives in an African village and is well respected. He has a family, friends, and honor. This man eventually encounters several distressing situations in his life that bring his demise.

I think the reason these books are so interesting to me is because they are such wonderful anthropological studies. Africa is a place I have never been, but hear a lot about. It is one of those worlds that couldn't seem more opposite the world I live in. But there are still amazing ways to relate to each story. I enjoy stories that bring me into new worlds, and, in a cliche way, expand my horizons.

I would never say I know what it is like to be African because I've read a few books. But it does make me want to ask more, learn more, and experience more. And I think that is a marker of a great book.

A list of what's to come, and what has already been explored.
My Written Artwork Journey Explained here

Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Emma - Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell
Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
The sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Crime and Punishment - Fedor Dostoyevsky
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
Tales - Edgar Allan Poe
Diary of a Madman and Other Stories - Nikolai Gogol
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
A Farewell To Arms - Ernest Hemingway
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

p[art]nership - residential vs. commercial artwork

2011-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

The p[art]nership series comes to a close today with this wonderful post by Lisa. She is the author of the blog Hamptontoes and has some serious design experience to back her up! The p[art]nership series is all about how art relates to interior design and fashion.

Eric Lee - The Deep

As someone who truly believes that artwork adds so much character to a space, whether it be residential or commercial I was thrilled to write this guest post. While I have great enthusiasm for artwork, I don't pretend to be a curator, connoisseur or guru of artwork. My take on artwork is raw, very organic...does the artwork speak to me, does it engage me in thought and do I like the piece regardless of its intrinsic (or lack thereof) value or worth?

One of my favorite artists, Eric Lee of Presteau Studios, caught my attention at a fine arts show. His passion for his craft was apparent and his artwork AMAZING! Eric's medium is the usage of tempered glass in which he skillfully paints the back and seals prior to installation.

Eric Lee - Splash

I asked the artist, Eric Lee, about his perception of commercial vs residential. He mentioned one point that I think is important...."Some work has a broader appeal than other work and, depending on venue, may be better suited to commercial applications." I believe this to true. In many commercial venues I have visited I have found the artwork to be "neutral," non-controversial.

When I think of commercial vs residential artwork two main things come to mind. Typically, commercial venues are larger than one's home. You'll find pieces in commercial venues that are larger in scale than what could not fit in most homes due to the lack of wall space and height of ceilings. I've seen pieces so large in commercial venues that would not fit through a door in my home, whereas they would go through a loading zone within a commercial venue.

Eric Lee - Star Child

Also, when installing artwork there is the distance factor to consider. The larger the piece the greater the distance to "take in" the piece. In a commercial venue you typically have a greater distance to step back and observe the space, so you can accommodate a piece that is 42 x 78 whereas in a home rooms often don't accommodate this need.

Eric Lee is one artist who has tailored his craft to meet the demands of homeowners with private collections, along with the needs of commercial venues. Visit his website and enjoy!

p[art]nership - How to Pair Furniture and Artwork - A beautiful and helpful post

p[art]nership - Arts & Crafts & Fashion - A comparison of a popular home style to one person's fashion style

p[art]nership - Art on a Painted Wall - Some helpful tips for a tricky decor situation

gettin' patriotic

2011-06-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited!

The United States of America was officially made aware of the fact that my husband and I will be returning to their precious soil in early July. July fourth...to be exact. And because of their overwhelming joy, they have decided to make that day a public holiday. And, not only will people be getting time off work, but all over the country, American citizens will be lighting fireworks in our honor.

What a great county.

And here are some lovely Etsy finds that are aiding in the celebration :)

Children are some of the only people that can get away with dressing up for this holiday

To go with the above :)

Cupcake holders!

I'm usually not a fan of the dog outfits...but seriously...this is adorable.

Best invites I've seen in a while. You should see the back too.

This design is literally perection

GO USA!

Wedding Season - Some other thoughts on seasons and Etsy
Tamarack Ridge Woodworks - Great Etsy couple I interviewed
A New Friend I Want You To Meet - More Etsy love

art lessons - watercolor still life

2011-06-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

Since my ten year old student has learned a lot of the art basics concerning drawing and painting, we have been able to move on to slightly more advanced projects. So, in this lesson, I thought we would do our first still life using watercolors.

In order to keep the lesson simple, I went to my kitchen and pulled out a few uncomplicated objects. Here is what I came up with.

So, we started by drawing the pieces lightly with pencil. I then suggested that we start with the lighter colored objects, that way, if there was a little bleeding, we could easily cover it up with the darker colors.

It was definitely a struggle to work with the super dark plum color for my student. He tends to use a bit too much water to keep control of the paint, so there were bleeding issues. Still, he was happy with his finished product, which is the goal!

We also worked on what I call the "splatter technique." Certain textures are difficult to portray in watercolor because of the detail, which was true of the skin of the pears. When inspecting them up close, we saw they were covered in little dots. So, after painting the body of the pears, we then took a slightly darker color and splattered the paint onto the paper to give it the tiny dots. Not only is it effective...it's fun!

My student's finished product

Teacher's example

Art Lessons - Shading with Color - Using colored pencils to shade objects
Art Lessons - Perspective Drawing, Color...& Ghandi - Introducing color to our drawing
Art Lessons - See some shots from the first art lesson

wedding season

2011-05-31T03:10:00.000-07:00

I am the proud Matron of Honor for my sister in law's upcoming wedding. I am also one of her chief wedding planners! Because of this, I have been able to have a second go at planning a wedding and it has been ridiculously enjoyable.

Of course, my first stop on my wedding hunt is always Etsy. So, I thought I would share with you some of the beautiful things I found along the way.

I also have just written a great Dirksen Dabbles Newsletter that is going to be sent out tomorrow. It has a bit of a wedding theme to it, so thought it would be appropriate to tell you to get signed up! There is also a great coupon code for FREE SHIPPING at the Dirksen Dabbles Art Shop. Sign up here so you can get in on the great deals!

Um...adorable.

I would love to have a bouquet that lasted forever!

I think this might be the most beautiful garter I've ever seen

Just plain fun

I went to college with this lovely lady and she makes outstanding veils

See...isn't it fun! Happy wedding season!

Tamarack Ridge Woodworks - Great Etsy couple I interviewed
A New Friend I Want You To Meet - More Etsy love
What I Bought - Women - Showin' some Etsy awesomeness...some of my actual purchases from Etsy

merry go round - photo affection

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

In September of 2010 I moved to Europe. Belgium was my first home, then The Netherlands, and now Italy. I move back home to the States in the beginning of July...a mere month away. Because our time in Europe is coming to a close, I am becoming a bit sentimental about how it all started.

Belgium was a dream land for us. I absolutely did not expect to fall in love with such a small country that is widely unknown by the rest of the world. But it soon captured my heart. I loved the odd little culture differences, the mix of languages (Dutch & French), the small little towns, the orange tiled roofs, and of course, the waffles.

So, when I was asked to pick a photo that affects me in some way for this merry go round post, of course, I started browsing my Belgium shots first. It was so hard to choose, but there was also one photo that gripped me.

This photo was taken at the Cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium. It's a small town with a ton of charm. The photo is of a statue sitting in the Cathedral in front of a well-worn wall. I simply cannot get over the way she blends into the background and looks like she is peeking through the wall with the half of her face that remains.

The extra neat aspect of this post is that our photos will be passed around in the group, and each one will be the inspiration for a piece of art by another artist. I cannot wait to see what someone does with this one!

And remember to see the other photos included at these blogs:

Misty at Artmind

Jen at Painted Fish Studio

Mariana at Florcita

Laura at Blue Terracotta
Monika at Red2White
Ruth at Birdland Creations
Kim at Vilt a la Kim
Sara at Crafts of Texture
Samantha at Vintage is for lovers
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent

Merry Go Round - Time Management - My strength

Merry Go Round - My Inspiring Artist - A famous artist I love
Merry Go Round - Favorite Painting Tools - I share my top five favorite tools to paint with

p[art]nership - how to pair furniture and artwork

2011-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today's smashing p[art]nerhsip series post is brought to you by Carolyn from the Diane James Home Blog. Carolyn and her twin sister Cynthia help run the floral arrangement business of their mother, Diane. The p[art]nership series is all about how art relates to interior design and fashion.

Having been brought up in an eleventh century chateau in Belgium, art and antiques were always a part of our lives. Our parents spent weekends at galleries and antique stores finding the perfect piece to complement their unusual home.

While their décor certainly wasn’t lavish per se, each piece of art had a home where it could be seen in the best light and surrounded by the right furniture. I recently came across a quote from Clifford Fong (co-owner of Galerie Half in Los Angeles) that pretty much sums up how my parents shopped for art:

“Choosing [art and antiques] is like choosing friends. It can be hard to pinpoint what makes a good friend great, but there’s always an x factor that makes the best stand out.”

When living with art and choosing furniture to complement the pieces, it’s important to look for a common thread – be it a color, a shape, a style. My parents were never “matchy matchy” – a Louis XV bergere could sit next to a Henri Moore painting as long as the chair was covered in a modern fabric; a Gustavian chest could be flanked by Claude Lalanne sheep for a whimsical touch.

The harmony was achieved with the right balance of texture and color – and not by matching the period in which the pieces were created. The rule is to let each painting, sculpture, mirror or chandelier have its own space to shine and be supported and enhanced by the design of the room.

A 1940’s Svenskt Tenn gilt-metal chandelier sits well with a Jacques Lipschitz sculpture (1919)

Delphine Krakoff is a master at mixing old with new in a harmonious and livable room (Elle Décor)

Alessandra Branca used an Italian crystal chandelier as the focal point for this amazing room (Elle Décor)

Katie Ridder pairs a vintage mirror with 1950’s Finnish wallpaper (Elle Décor)

A 1952’s Joan Mitchell painting sits beautifully over tables that are 17^th century Japanese. The key here is that the sofa is custom-made to work with all the pieces in the room for a cohesive and comfortable style.

p[art]nership - Arts & Crafts & Fashion - A comparison of a popular home style to one person's fashion style

p[art]nership - Art on a Painted Wall - Some helpful tips for a tricky decor situation
p[art]nership - Create Your Own Abstract Art - A tutorial

survey time

2011-05-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of "getting back in the game" with blogging, I've created a handy dandy survey that I would LOVE each and every reader to fill out. Really, it should take about 2 minutes and you have no idea how much it would help me. Please?

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease?

Thanks.

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lets get real - update

2011-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I came to you all with some struggles I've been having with my artistic and blogging motivations. Since some time has elapsed, I thought I would give you all a little update on how things are going.

So, I'm doing quite a bit better. Here's what I think really helped me get back into the game.

Support - There were a handful of you that left comments on the aforementioned post. Each of them were obviously heartfelt and they really helped me feel better about my situation. Thanks.
Guest Bloggers - I already had guest bloggers scheduled for my p[art]nership series. Because I already had this lined up, it forced me to keep regular blog posts going in between them.
Travel - I've been traveling a fair bit lately, which means I have to pre-write my posts and schedule them. This means I have to write a bunch all at once and then I get a long break.
Poverty - My husband and I have very little money right now. This has motivated me to work on my art selling business, which is obviously directly connected to this blog.

Community, forced obligations, vacations, and necessity. These are the things that helped me get going again. I'm going to keep these four words tucked away for when I'm feeling crummy again. Hopefully they will be able to rise to the challenge again.

Let's Get Real - The original sad post
Finding Motivation - Some steps I took earlier this year to stay motivated
Dirksen Dabbles - My online art shop

inspiration and originality - wheezy waiter

2011-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Forgive me.

I am potentially going to force an addiction upon you. I say "potentially" because you may not become addicted...but I did, so there is a strong possibility.

Wheezy Waiter is a YouTube video comedian. He has a very specific style, that is almost overwhelming in the beginning, but once you get a feel for his form, it's highly, highly entertaining. I might have just spent an embarrassing amount of time catching up on his latest videos.

So...what does this have to do with Dirksen Dabbles? Well, nothing specifically, except that he has two videos that are quite in line with frequent Dirksen Dabbles topics. So, without further adieu...here is Wheezy Waiter on inspiration and originality.

Continual Creativity - A discussion on creativity and a radio clip
Finding Motivation - Some efforts I made in my daily life to increase artistic motivation
Creative Discipline - In line with Wheezy Waiter's words - Jon Stewart speaks on discipline

written artwork - the red badge of courage

2011-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

At this point in my reading list, I have come across several war stories. And it is truly amazing how they differ. All Quiet on The Western Front is pretty much completely depressing. War & Peace is about the logistics and leaders of war. Gone With The Wind is concerning the people left behind during war. And now I come to The Red Badge of Courage.

This story is really more about the glory of war. Our main character is young, and has joined the army int he civil war for the excitement and potential honor and glory to gain from it. His first encounter with battle is scary, shocking, and embarrassing because he fleas. As the story progresses, he learns to face his fears and becomes a soldier of great standing.

It was an interesting perspective to see war from. In our day, the atrocity of war is usually the main focus. And while this book did tell of the awful outcomes of war, it decided to show, instead, the growth of one man because of war. We view one boy become a man through hardship, but without the negativity normally associated with battle.

I will quickly mention that this book could pair well with Gone With The Wind. They are both set during the Civil War, but from different sides (Union & Confederate) and are from the viewpoint of a soldier verses the viewpoint of the women left behind. Very good comparison.

A list of what's to come, and what has already been explored.
My Written Artwork Journey Explained here

Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Emma - Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell
Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
The sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Crime and Punishment - Fedor Dostoyevsky
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
Tales - Edgar Allan Poe
Diary of a Madman and Other Stories - Nikolai Gogol
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
A Farewell To Arms - Ernest Hemingway
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

p[art]nership - arts & crafts & fashion

2011-05-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

The p[art]nership series is happy to have Lisa of the blog Archives Vintage join in today. Lisa blogs about her own vintage fashion as well as runs an online shop selling great vintage finds. The p[art]nership series is all about how art relates to interior design and fashion.

Before I started selling vintage for a living, I studied Art History. One of my most favorite periods to learn about was the Arts & Crafts movement. I won't go into the details and bore you with a history lesson, but Arts & Crafts began as a response to the British industrial revolution, which brought on the advent of mass production. The movement promoted honesty to materials used, with simple decoration and high quality, skilled craftsmanship. It incorporated lots of carved wood, references to nature and intricate textiles. Architecture, art, furniture and poetry were the areas in which Arts & Crafts thrived. William Morris started the movement in the late 1800's in the UK, but it didn't catch on in the United States until the 1910s/20's.

In Chicago, there are an abundance of Arts & Crafts bungalows that fill entire neighborhoods even to this day. They were built in the 1920s as affordable but sturdy homes for middle class families, meant to last generations. I grew up in a Chicago bungalow, and firmly believe its craftsmanship and sound design have had a strong influence on my entire life - including the clothes I wear. Part of what draws me to vintage clothing is the great quality of the items - something that is easily lost in today's mass market stores of "fast fashion" chains, such as Forever 21 and H&M.

Arts and Crafts homes were built to last families, and now, even at nearly a century old, still stand strong with their wooden floors, built in cabinets, stained glass windows and brick exteriors. I feel as though those values translate into my wardrobe through a few staples I keep in my closet, mainly leather boots and unique vintage accessories, which I cannot live without.

p[art]nership - Art on a Painted Wall - Some helpful tips for a tricky decor situation
p[art]nership - Create Your Own Abstract Art - A tutorial
p[art]nership - Party Decor - A table setting inspired by an iconic painting

q&a - etsy overview

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

A look at my shop - Dirksen Dabbles

Unfortunately, my Italian internet is a bit too slow for me to be uploading videos, so this Q&A session will be brought to you in written form!

I had a great question from a reader that stated:

As a seller, what is your opinion of Etsy? Are you a fan of the site and do you find it easy to use? Do you use it because you like it or is it the only option? Pros/cons?
-Amanda

Okay, here we go. I will start with the good stuff.

Pros -

User Friendly - Etsy has a very simple system of opening a new shop, uploading photos, and designing your page.
Huge Customer Base - Etsy is very well known. Thousands of people visit the site every day, which increases the chance of selling your items.
Reasonable Fees - The price for opening a shop is free. Listing an item cost 20 cents for four months, and when you sell an item, they charge you 3.5% of the item.

Cons -

Competition - Because Etsy is so well known, there are thousands of people also selling their work. This means you have lots of competition, which can make it difficult to sell.
Renewing - When you search for items on Etsy, the items recently listed are the ones you see first. This means that sellers regularly "renew" their listings to stay on top. Renewing an item costs 20 cents. This obviously increases your fees.
Upkeep - While it has the potential to be easy to run your shop, it always takes more work than you expect. In order to sell to anyone other than your friends, it takes a lot of administration and marketing, which takes TONS of work.

The Bottom Line -

Etsy is an amazing website. I highly, highly recommend them to anyone that wants to put some serious time into creating something special and selling it. But, it is not something that comes easy. To sell your work, it takes hours of behind the scenes labor which goes far beyond the simple creation of your craft or artwork.

There are other websites out there to sell your work, but I do not believe they are as good as Etsy. Some cost more, some are virtually unknown to the public, and some just don't function well.

If there are any other specific questions you have about Etsy or the work that goes into selling your work, feel free to ask in the comments or submit a new Q&A question in the box below.

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Q&A - Compare My Fashion & Painting Styles - A fun look at two parts of my identity
Q&A - Why am I In Europe? - An explanation of this crazy year
Q&A - How I Chose Paint as my Primary Medium - A bit of my personal art history

venice

2011-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Did I mention I live a 25 minute train ride from Venice. Oh, well, I do :)

Enjoying the talented artists

For some reason I love the design of this bag

The Rialto

Just a building

The sunny chairs make me feel happy

Lookin' up

Angles

Umbrellas

Let's reflect

Related Articles
My Last European Home - A few shots from the Italian town I live in
Q&A - Why Am I In Europe - An answer to all your questions
Nijmegen, The Netherlands - My previous home

n[a]r[r]a[t]ive - don't lose your pants

2011-05-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the n[a]r[r]a[t]ive series I tell true stories from my own life and the lives of people I know in order to teach highly important lessons on art, business, and life in general.

I have one sibling, a sister, and her name is Megan. We are only 2 1/2 years apart in age, so we very much grew up together. Megan and I are similar in some ways, but very different in others.

I was always the silly one. I would rather have more attention than less. This meant I was probably trying to be funny, which most likely ended up with me just being annoying.

my glory years

Megan, on the other hand, was painfully shy. Once she felt comfortable around a group, she was a completely normal and happy little girl, but before that she would clam up and disengage.

Growing up, my sister and I both played softball. It was the only sport we played, our best friends were on our team, and our dad was our coach. Megan obviously started playing before me, simply because of age, the fact of which I vividly remember because of two things.

One, I LOVED playing in the dirt around the softball field while her games were going on. I couldn't tell you what I did with it, but I certainly remember gathering it in piles. Yep, piles of dirt are fun. I also remember constantly getting in trouble for climbing on the back of the bleachers, but that's not relevant.

The second reason I remember not playing softball is because of one particular day, with one particular accident. My sister was cute as a button, playing left field when it happened. I, of course, was somewhere in the dirt, unawares. I will remind you that my sister was a quiet girl...and this is why she didn't speak a word when she had to use the restroom. I mean, can you imagine how much attention would be put on her if she had to stop the game! It was an absurd thought to her. Plus, she had no idea that time-outs existed.

So, the inevitable happened. She peed her pants. Oh, the embarrassment! What was she going to do?

Luckily, my mother acted quickly. She quickly swept Megan off the field and, pulling me along, walked up the steps to the announcer's booth. And there, standing behind the door so the announcer couldn't see us, I was commanded the unthinkable. "Bethany, take off your pants."

That's right folks. I had to take one for the team...literally. So, I took my most likely acid washed jeans off. Megan slipped them on and ran back on the field. My pants were gone, but the game was saved.

Moral - It is best to be generous (although difficult when someone has the audacity to ask for your pants)

n[a]r[r]a[t]ive - Cookies Tell All - The first of this series
n[a]r[r]a[t]ive - Boys Gone Geek - My husband was a SERIOUS geek
n[a]r[r]a[t]ive - Patrick's Dream - A good friend...a funny dream

p[art]nership - art on a painted wall

2011-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I am Stacey from Design Addict Mom and I am so thrilled to be here today talking about the relationship between a painted wall and your art.

A white wall is usually seen as “the best” backdrop for displaying ones art. However, although it is important to take the style of art and its colour into consideration when selecting a wall colour, white is not always the best answer. In fact, deep and vibrant colours are brilliant choices that can highlight your art work beautifully.

A perfect example is that orange accent wall that not only pulls your eye into the art piece, but also creates a lovely contrast against that modern white credenza. The art piece and the credenza are definitely the center of attention in that part of the room.

Below are some more spaces that showcase painted walls as the perfect choice for the art that’s adorning them:

Have fun when decorating your home. Just think about the way you dress and accessorize, and the fun you have putting your outfits and accessories together! After all, fashion and design go hand in hand. In addition, paint is oh so very easy and inexpensive to change! Thank you Bethany for having me here today to be a part of this fabulous series!

images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

p[art]nership - Create Your Own Abstract Art - A tutorial
p[art]nership - Party Decor - A table setting inspired by an iconic painting
p[art]nership - Creating Personal Art For Your Home - Make your artwork your own!

art lessons - shading with color

2011-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Teaching private art lessons is still going great! In the previous art lessons we focused on shading 3D objects with a normal pencil, and then shading them with a single color using colored pencils.

This lesson had us incorporating a bit more depth using two colored pencils to shade one object. I have to say...this was fun for me. It was so simple and almost therapeutic.

To increase the challenge for my 10 year old pupil I also gathered some objects that had more complexity than simple cylinders, spheres, and cones. Here's the chosen few.

We started by drawing a simple outline of each object. Then, using a darker and lighter shade of one color, we used our simple shading techniques to fill it in. The drawings below are the teacher's example (aka, mine!).

This absolutely made me want to draw some serious still lifes! What do you think....a good lesson?

Art Lessons - Perspective Drawing, Color...& Ghandi - Introducing color to our drawing
Art Lessons - See some shots from the first art lesson
p[art]nership - Create Your Own Abstract Art - A tutorial for painting

merry go round - time management

2011-04-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

On the last Friday of the month, I am going to be jumping on the 'Merry Go Round'. What is the Merry Go Round exactly? Each month, a group of artists and craftswomen from around the world join together and give their response to the same question/challenge.

I am usually what you would call an organized, self motivated person. In high school, I always had my homework done on time, if not two days ahead of time. In college, I never once pulled an all-nighter because it simply was never necessary. And, in my career, I was able to work full time and start my own painting business on top of it.

Yep, this list even got laminated

Realizing that that may have just sounded like bragging, I assure you that it's not. This is absolutely how I was raised. My family was orderly and timely. We were ALWAYS on time (aka, 20 minutes early) everywhere we went. So, it's only natural for me to schedule my own time similarly.

How do I stay on top of things? I don't really know. I guess I'm a list maker. I have to-do lists, lists of potential painting ideas, lists of potential blog posts, lists of books to read, lists of guest bloggers, lists of expenses, and lists of income.

But, to be honest, I think it has to do with how I fill my life. You see, I almost never over commit or stretch myself too far. In my life, I always made sure to study the right amount, work the right amount, socialize the right amount, sleep the right amount, and of course, sit in front of the tv and be lazy the right amount.

I enjoy having a full schedule, but just full enough to be happy and well rounded. For most people, they would laugh at this and say it was out of their hands. And I guess for some people this is probably true...however, I have now lived 26 years on this earth and have never felt too overwhelmed with my own commitments. So, maybe part of it is our own decisions.

Don't forget to check out the other artist bloggers on the merry go round!

Misty at Artmind

Jen at Painted Fish Studio

Mariana at Florcita

Laura at Blue Terracotta
Monika at Red2White
Ruth at Birdland Creations
Kim at Vilt a la Kim
Sara at Crafts of Texture
Samantha at Vintage is for lovers
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent

Merry Go Round - My Inspiring Artist - A famous artist I love
Merry Go Round - Favorite Painting Tools - I share my top five favorite tools to paint with
Sketch Book - Take Two - My "list" of painting ideas

written artwork - diary of a madman and other stories

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I can vividly remember one day, sitting in my senior year English class in high school. We were discussing the book we had been assigned to read, The Grapes of Wrath. Of course, our teacher, Ms. Stewart, was the expert in the room so she was sharing some tidbits about what the author was "really saying" at certain points.

While impressed at the teacher's analysis, I remember thinking, "How in the world were we supposed to figure that out on our own?" With authors telling stories within stories, passing judgment between the lines, or secretly giving their opinion on every page, it can be difficult to figure out what they are saying.

And it is this reason I wish I had read Diary of a Madman and Other Stories in my high school English class. I feel like there are some really interesting things in there...but my simple mind just doesn't find them on it's own.

I mean, really. One of the stories included in this collection is called, The Nose. And it's about a guy that wakes up one day and has lost his nose. Or someone has stolen it. And then he thinks he sees it on someone else. Um...there has got to be something really interesting behind this story. Right? I hope so, or else it's just a bit odd.

So, my recommendation...read this book. It's odd and interesting. Just do it with someone who knows something about literature and can fill you in on the mystery.

A list of what's to come, and what has already been explored.
My Written Artwork Journey Explained here

Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Emma - Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell
Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
The sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Crime and Punishment - Fedor Dostoyevsky
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
Tales - Edgar Allan Poe
Diary of a Madman and Other Stories - Nikolai Gogol
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
A Farewell To Arms - Ernest Hemingway
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

lets get real

2011-04-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

In the past several weeks, I have written very little for this beautiful blog, and only have done art because I had to teach a scheduled art lesson. While I despise blog posts essentially saying "I know I've been bad and haven't written in a long time...so sorry!" I am going to talk about it. Not for the sake of nothing better to say, but for a chance for us to discuss those horrible times of artistic and motivational ruts.

My plan was to just forget about my rut (which has now lasted for around 3 weeks) and try diving back in. I currently have 7 tabs open in my browser all to inspire great writing. Lists of potential blog posts, posts already written to inspire, questions readers have asked, etc. These are usually where I go when I am falling short.

But for the past few weeks, my normal motivators have failed me. I would go to write and found myself throwing in the towel without a sentence typed.

Then it got really bad. I started to question everything. Why am I even writing this blog? Who cares? Is it just people reading my blog that want me to read their blog which ends in a vicious cycle of nobody really caring about any of it, but reading out of obligation? I know...I was spiraling.

And today I'm feeling a little better, but honestly, I still don't have it all sorted out. I think sometimes you need to give things time. Sometimes you have to push through and just get 'er done. And sometimes you need to call it quits. I just have a hard time knowing what 'sometime' I'm in.

Thoughts?

Finding Motivation - Some steps I took earlier this year to stay motivated
Spousal Inspiration - The story behind a painting I completed
A Little Europe - Hard to imagine I'm dealing with motivation issues with all this around me

p[art]nership - create your own abstract art

2011-04-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Put your hands together for Sarah who has joined us for the p[art]nership series today! Sarah is the author of the blog La Maison Boheme and has put together some really fun stuff for you all. I'm so happy she shared with us. The p[art]nership series is all about how art relates to interior design and fashion.

Hi there! I'm Sarah from La Maison Boheme. Thanks, Bethany, for asking that I guest post today about some DIY art ideas. I guess the phrase "DIY Art" is kind of obvious. Isn't all art Do It Yourself? I sure hope so. I guess I should say, "Even YOU can make your own abstract art!"

1) Start with two colors.

I was inspired by THIS post at A Perfect Gray and decided to paint with black and white. If this is your first time with abstract art, and you're looking to display your work in your home, stick to two colors. This will increase your chances of creating a dynamic piece that will successfully suit your interior design concept.

2) Think big. Large scale art will translate better into your space and have some serious impact. I love to work with square canvases because the shape is more unique than a rectangle. For today's project, I picked up an 18x24 inch canvas at Big Lots for 7 dollars. It was the biggest one they had. The can of spray paint was 2.93 at Home Depot and the bottles of black and white paint were in my son's art box.

I spray painted the canvas first.

Then I painted over the top - like so.

3) Don't over-think it. Its art. Its suppose to be fun and give pleasure. Take a cue from my three-year old, Walker, and just go for it. Let your mistakes become part of the painting. Again, if you don't like the results, just start over.

My three year old son, Walker, added the white paint over top.

These are the two brushes Walker used.

4) If you don't like it, start over. No one will know that you tried seven or eight or forty times before you settled on a look that pleased you. Here is our final product!

5) Get inspired. Find art that you love and let it inspire your own work. By trying out the techniques and styles of other artists, you'll find your own unique expression. I promise!

You can see more of Walker's artwork of which profits go to the surgery of his baby brother. You can visit the Etsy site, the Blog, or watch this video:

p[art]nership - Party Decor - A table setting inspired by an iconic painting

p[art]nership - Creating Personal Art For Your Home - Make your artwork your own!
p[art]nership - Riding Boots Displayed in Art - A great link of fashion and art

art lessons - perspective drawing, color...and ghandi

2011-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have continued teaching private art lessons to a ten year old boy traveling around Europe with us. I'm really having a blast going over these basic techniques and realizing how fun they are.

In the first art lesson, we worked on shading basic objects with pencil. In the next lesson, we incorporated a bit of color with the same objects. We started with just one color at first, and then two.

We also got to try our hand at perspective drawing, which is very technical, but the results are always amazing. I remember being awed that a few simple rules can make 3D spaces look so real.

And finally, we drew Ghandi. Why? Because we had about 20 minutes left in our session (of two hours) and my student turns to me and says, "I have to draw Ghandi for my homework, which is due tomorrow." He informed me they've been studying India for the past few weeks.

If you know anything about my art skills, then you know the human form is not my specialty. I have NEVER learned anything about figure drawing, and have only recently been trying my hand at abstract watercolors of human figures. So...I was a little shell shocked and kept fumbling around before I made a game plan. We looked up a few photos online of ol' Mr. Ghandi, and then started drawing. It was comical, to say the least.

This is my student's finished drawing, and to tell the truth, it's about as good as mine turned out!

Art Lessons - See some shots from the first art lesson
Painting in Process - "Nude Torso" - A video of me painting a human form
Colorful Nudes on Black - A new technique of mine...watercolors on black paper