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Showing posts from November, 2010

Sketchbook Project 2011 wip

I'm almost done with the sketchbook.  My goal was to have it done by the end of November, but it doesn't look like that will happen.  It had been 7 years since I'd been in the U.S., so I'd forgotten how busy it can get around the Thanksgiving holiday.  The due date is January 15th, so I've still got enough time to mail it in. I am continuing to illustrate the story of Baucis and Philemon.   This is the first stage of this sketch.  I drew the image on rice paper with a sakura pen.   That was then glued to the sketchbook page which had already been collaged with a page from an old dictionary.  These are portraits of me and my husband. wip

Moleskin Notebooks - altered cover

It's been raining all day which made for a cozy art day inside.  I've been working on altering moleskin notebook covers. A while back my husband ran across a box of engraving letters.  They must have been my Father's.  I love this little set and used them to initial my painting that I adhered to this moleskin notebook. Moleskin notebook, lined paper by Juana Almaguer

Rain and Shadows

It rained through the night and I woke up to sunshine and a beautiful morning.  The grape leaves have already changed color and pruning will come next.  The neighbor's house gave me some shadow smiles this morning.  And the fence waved its hellos through the steam. For more shadow shots from around the world, visit HeyHarriet's  blog .

Stress Relievers

I know I am not the only one who needs to burn off stress from time to time. In a 2009 Forbes article, Dr. Joseph W. Stubbs recommended "lifestyle changes such as getting a good night's sleep, eating well and exercising." Lately, stress had been building up without me realizing it.  That led to having nightmares again, which led to many sleep-deprived nights. Exercise is one good way for me to re-focus my energy on what I can control and not worrying about what I can't control.   As I am home with my Mother and with winter bringing on the shorter days, it's been harder for me to get out to the track to run or on my bicycle rides during the work week.  So I joined a fitness club last Monday.  Now I can go anytime that works out for everyone's schedule.  What a difference in how I feel! How do you like to relieve stress?

Tree Shadows

I just love trees which is probably why Autumn is my favorite season.  I took this short time lapse of the neighbor's tree shadows on our wall.  I used the music app on my laptop to make the background music and the video app to marry the video and music together. For more shadow shots from around the world, visit HeyHarriet's blog .

Cycling for Autumn Shadows

"... -  a feeling of much space. It is a very beautiful world."  1942 Georgia O'keefe in a letter to Arthur Dove Autumn's here and the mountains have snow already. Pictures from my bike ride last Sunday.    The trail pictured above meanders through neighborhoods along the old sugarpine railroad trail.  At the outermost part, where the city is still somewhat sparse, the foothills are still visible from the bike trail.  My hometown just approved a measure to further develop the bike trails and bike lanes.  Yes! When my parents first moved to what was then the outskirts of the city, I could walk in the fields near my home and view those same foothills and mountains in the above left photo.  The fields are now homes and shopping centers, but my fond memories of those walks with my dog still remain. I've spent the week reading O'keefe's biography.  I can understand her love for the foothills and the ever-changing landscape. Catch more shadows at HeyH