Ana's Ramblings & Art Corner

The Sketchbook Project 2012 has been digitized!

2012-02-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

My sketchbook entry to The Sketchbook Project 2012 has been digitized and uploaded to their site. I was a little disappointed that a few millimeters of the center fold was cut off on all my pages. However, it was explained to me that their scanner is made to be gentle with book binding and that it does tend to cut a little out of the gutter.

In order to view my project online go to http://www.arthousecoop.com/users/Dollinha and click on the Artwork tab.

There were thousands of sketchbooks submitted to the project this year. They will be exhibited at art spaces in 14 cities around the world. After the tour they will be archived at the Brooklyn Art Library. You can view the touring schedule on the Art House site.

Strong Passwords

2012-01-31T14:58:00.000-05:00

I read or heard somewhere that the word password is the most common password. I believe pet's name, child's name, and birth dates are also high on the list.

Most people feel that their passwords are safe and are quite casual about their passwords. "Who would want to break into my accounts, anyway?" Well, you'd be surprised at how many unscrupulous people are out there in the big wide world. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Some time ago I read about creating a formula for your passwords that make it nearly impossible to break. I am sorry, but I don't remember where I read this article. (I will describe the principles for the formula further down in this post.)

My online friend, Andy Traub, recommended LastPass to me. It is a password management program/site and their slogan is "The Last Password You'll have to Remember". They also claim that they are a "password manager that makes web browsing easier and more secure". So far, I have no reason to doubt them.

I've been using LastPass for over a year now and I really love it. I have one password to remember, which I created using a formula, and it keeps all my passwords secure, but easy to use. LastPass will even create randomly generated passwords for you, if you wish to use that service. There is a free version of LastPass as well as a Premium version. And, it is as secure as your main password, that is why you need a good strong main password.

To create a strong password you should use alpha, numeric, and special characters. You should have at least one uppercase letter. And, most importantly, you should not use the same password for everything. If you choose not to use LastPass it will be a challenge to remember all the different passwords. In order to help with my aging (and forgetful) mind, I have a formula I use for my passwords.

My passwords are created with one section that remains the same and one section that changes. I created a password base, plus a password variant section. Mine, actually, has three sections: two static and one variable section.

Here is a formula to get your thought process going. Use any variation of this formula, or create your own.

pick a favourite person, animal, or thing
choose a special character
think about the site you are creating the password for
think of a favourite three number or letter combination

Sample Password: owL!fBk678

owL (Favourite animal with a randomly placed uppercase letter)
! (one special character)
fBk (for Facebook site, with one uppercase letter)
678 (Favourite number combination)

Here is another Sample Password, using the same formula: owL!gMl678

As you see, only the site section changes.

owL!fBk678 (Facebook)
owL!gMl678 (Gmail)
owL!tWr678 (Twitter)

Create your own pattern and it will be simple to have distinct passwords for all your online browsing, difficult to hack, and effortless for you to remember.

Before you try to hack into my accounts, the above passwords are only set as examples, and not my actual passwords.

Pencil Sharpeners

2012-01-16T09:44:00.000-05:00

Now that I am back to creating and working in coloured pencil again, I have been giving pencil sharpeners a lot of thought. It is important to have a good pencil sharpener with you at all times when working in coloured pencil because you need to have a very sharp point for the best effects. A bad sharpener will twist and break your lead or chew up your pencil.

Today, a member of one of my online FB art groups posted this link to A Closer Look at Pencil Sharpeners, and it could not have come at a better time. I plan to upgrade my pencil sharpener this week or next.

Generally speaking, I prefer an electric sharpener for the majority of my work. I have been using a moderately priced Staples brand sharpener that has been working well enough, but does give me too long a point. The only time I use a battery operated one is if I am traveling or working away from home. The hand held manual sharpeners are fine for short bits, but your hand become cramped and sore if you are using these for large pieces.

Please read the linked article for a more comprehensive analysis of different pencil sharpeners.

A Closer Look at Pencil Sharpeners

A Quick Tip:
You should run an HB (#2) pencil every now and again through your sharpener if you are using it exclusively for coloured pencils. It will help it to keep running and sharpening well.

Also, avoid dropping your pencils. It breaks the lead inside the casing.

First Post of the Year 2012

2012-01-13T21:40:00.001-05:00

This is my second attempt at the first post of the year. My first attempt was lost to a power outage and slothful saving implementations. After well over a decade of working on computers, I really should know better than not to save my work.

I am not one for making new year resolutions, but this year I decided to try my hand at a few. After some reflection I have decided to start with just a handful of resolutions. I am not making a lot of resolutions, but here are some I believe I can keep:

lose 125 pounds (not all at once, and not necessarily in one year)
draw more
work on creative endeavors
keep a tighter reign on our finances
get my home in order

Here are the steps I have taken so far to help me keep these resolutions:

Joined Weight Watchers online. They have the best reputation of all weight loss programs. They have a cool online program, and iPhone/iPod app. They have been around longer than any other program and have had great success rates. Also, Roy and Kathy in Working Daze comics (by John Zakour and Scott Roberts) are also doing the Weight Watchers program. If it is good enough cartoon characters, it is good enough for me.
I am drawing more in my sketchbook. I hope to draw everyday, either in my sketchbook or otherwise. If I am not working on a piece I will draw in my sketchbook. I must pick up a pencil/pen daily. You can see my sketchbook offerings on my sketchbook blog.
The creative endeavors can be anything creative. It can be drawing, painting, building something, writing, reading, viewing something to do with creativity, or listening to music. It can one or more from that list at the same time! Drawing in my sketchbook counts towards creative endeavors, however, it is only one way of creative expression. This resolution can be totally separate from drawing. Writing blog posts can also count.
Our finances have been up and down over the years. I have downloaded Finance4One to help me keep track of where our money is going. This is different than an accounting program like Quicken or Quickbooks. It is a very simple to use program that can help me get a quick overview of our current overall financial status. I will build a new budget from this, and go from there.
I will ramp up my daily routines and keep better track of them using the HomeRoutines app. I will continue to follow FlyLady and will continue to remove clutter from my home. The more clutter that is gone from my surrounding the less cluttered my mind/existence will be. This will ultimately lead to more peace in my life.

I will be 50 years-old in February and I think it is time that I grow up and take control of my own life. I have worked on the above things off and on over the years. I will stop paying lip-service to self improvement and actually start working, earnestly, on self improvement. The steps I have, so far, implemented are a good and strong start to the new year. Let's see how this year progresses.

Wish me luck!

Slide show of Sketchbook Project 2012

2011-12-22T19:23:00.001-05:00

EDM 15 - Draw a tree or trees, leaves or branches

2011-12-18T13:20:00.001-05:00

These are more doodles than realistic representations of a tree, leaves, and branches. I had two pages left in my Sketchbook Project 2010 sketchbook and some time to kill so I started drawing the above doodle. I liked it in the simple pen & ink lines but decided to add colour to it with coloured pencils. I had an idea in my head, but it did not translate into reality, as I saw it in my mind's eye. I immediately regretted adding colour and hated it. So, I redrew the image (more or less) on the last page of my sketchbook, as you see below.

Initially, I liked the black and white one better. However, when I scanned these onto my computer a month had passed between the time I had created these and the time I scanned them in. Now, I like them both. I like the coloured one just fine.

Neither of these are in my usual, realistic, style. They are more whimsical than I normally draw. As it is, most of the work in this sketchbook, although fairly accurate representations, are not in my usual "finished", "tight" style that I use for larger pieces and commissioned work. I purposely decided to keep things "loose" and casual in this sketchbook.

For the most part, most of my sketchbooks, are filled with loose lines and raw drawings. I use my sketchbooks to work out ideas, capture moments, and relax. I leave my more detailed, finished, work for larger pieces that are either commissioned or are meant for display at an art show and for sale. My sketchbook work is not meant for public display or art shows (although I do have a sketchbook blog that I do show my rough work, for those who are interested -- currently it is mirroring this site with the Sketchbook Project 2012, but normally it stands on its own).

This is the 3rd to last post about the Sketchbook Project 2012. I will have one post showing all the work together, and then one last post when my sketchbook is up on The Art House Coop site, with tour dates.

Lotus Health Care Clinic Physiotherapy

2011-12-17T23:23:00.000-05:00

Near the beginning of 2011 I woke one morning with the feeling that I slept on my arm funny. There was stiffness in my left arm, radiating to my jaw and back. I did not think of anything of it. I often wake up with stiff joints that get better with movement in a few hours. However, as time went, my arm was in more and more pain. It got to the point, a few months later, that I could no longer move it. I went to emerge and urgent care a few times and was told I had a torn rotator cuff. Pain medication was not having much effect. My doctor sent me for ultrasound. The ultrasound showed my rotator cuff was fine. I had what is known as frozen shoulder.

The frozen shoulder joint
and inflammation.
Medical Multimedia Group

Yes, I know I should have had my arm checked out sooner, but at this time my husband was going through some pretty serious health issues, himself, and it did not seem the right time to be out of commission, myself. I also kept hoping it would just get better on its own.

I started physiotherapy with Pan at Lotus Health Care Clinic. Pan is amazing. He is a very pleasant person too. He laughs at my corny jokes. The physio is extremely painful, however, it is working.

We had a set back when I fell in the kitchen two weeks into the therapy. I had been carrying something into the kitchen and my ankle gave out. I fell hard on my arm. Pan was very patient with me and quickly got me back on schedule.

I now have full mobility back, although it is still painful. I am working on strength now. My arm is still weak, but getting better and better.

The drawing of the building was done one morning while I waited for the clinic to open. I usually get there 15 minutes before they open and I sit and have a coffee and get caught up on my internet reading (using instapaper on my ipod). This day I happened to have my Sketchbook Project 2012 sketchbook with me and decided to do a quick drawing while I waited. This was done in about 15 minutes, while sitting in my car, parked across from the door.

Lotus Health Care Clinic
1225 Wonderland Rd N
London, ON N6C 2V9
(519) 473-5911

EDM 134 - Draw a familiar person place or thing, but from an unusual angle

2011-12-16T16:50:00.002-05:00

This self portrait was created by looking at a mirror in my lap. I drew it upside down just to make it that more unusual. This was just a quick sketch done with a few scribbles of my pen.

You can see the image better when it is right side up.

Here they are together so you can see them better.

This is not the best drawing I have ever done, but it was fun to do.

EDM 56 - Draw a Self Portrait

2011-12-14T11:24:00.001-05:00

As much as I hate to admit it, this pretty well looks like what I look like right now. I would have loved to draw me young, svelte, and beautiful, however, that would have been an illusion at best and a lie at worse.

One of the inevitable things in life is that we age, and our bodies change as we age. Some people age better than others. Me, I look younger than my age, but I certainly look matronly now. I joke that I look like a Portuguese mother now. Of course, I am a Portuguese mother!

The colour red goes beautifully with my olive skin tone. It is a colour I enjoy wearing.

The background is organized chaos. That is more or less what my mind and life is like: organized chaos, with little dangler bits to grab a hold of, now and again.

Generally speaking, life is good.

EDM 17 - Draw and Instrument

2011-12-13T22:49:00.001-05:00

Here is my son, Alexander, playing one of his bass guitars. My son has been compared to the wonderful Mr.Victor Wooten (whom Alex admires) in his playing.

Our Alexander is a very talented multi-instrumentalist musician.

I chose to just draw Alexander with one of his bass guitars here.

Alexander also goes by the stage names of LowTalk, LowTalk T, and LowTalk Tirolese.

I don't have many links to share with you that will show Alexander's talents. However, here are a couple of links to some local bands he plays with on occasion.

FunFact
Drop32

He does a lot more than that, but I do not have access or permission to share anything else at this time.

EDM 80 - Draw something that makes you happy

2011-09-16T22:12:00.001-04:00

One morning a week several tenants from the apartment building I live in get together for a coffee/tea social. We have a social room where we meet. Most of the people who, except me, are senior citizens.

They are a great group of people who are very interesting and pleasant. It really makes me happy to join them for these regular coffees.

I only drew 5 of the people. These were the ones that showed up the day I decided to draw. Usually we have a lot more people in the group but that day we only had this small group.

EDM 125 - Draw a Bird

2011-09-15T21:17:00.001-04:00

This is our beautiful Oscar. Oscar is a cockatiel, which is part of the cockatoo family. He and Anthony are best pals. He loves to come out to play with Anthony every day. He will play with Alexander and me on occasion but Anthony is his favourite.

I was originally thinking of doing the above sketch in pen and ink only. However, Oscar is so colourful I could not help myself: I grabbed my coloured pencils. I felt Anthony and Oscar interacting with each other left in line drawings complement the full page of colour. What do you think?

Cockatiels are great pets full of personality. They don't talk very much but they can whistle like no one's business! They have an irritating screech when they are annoyed. However, Oscar rarely screeches. He moslty whistles, says "Hey Booboo" and gives lots of kisses. He loves to get neck scritches too, as long as it is Anthony who is doing it.

Anthony's 55th Birthday

2011-09-14T02:47:00.078-04:00

On August 3, 2011 Anthony celebrated 55 years of life. I am modifying EDM 97 (Draw a present you have received. Why is it special?) a little to be gifts that he received rather than gifts I received.

Anthony was overjoyed to hear from two dear friends from his past. Over the years he has regaled us with stories about both these friends, and he has tried to find them. Both of them contacted me through Facebook, to reconnect with Anthony, days before his 55th birthday! This was the best gift he could have received.

When initially drawing the above images I had intended to add colour to them. However, when I finished the line drawings I really like them as they are. I debated whether or not to go ahead with the original plan to add colour but in the end I decided to keep them as line drawings. Anthony likes them as line drawing too.

We (Alexander and I) took Anthony to Swiss Chalet on the day of his birthday. There is one walking distance from our home. We had not been in over a year, so it was quite pleasant and a treat.

Alexander and I went in together to get Anthony an iPad for his birthday. He is thoroughly enjoying watching movies on it. Anthony has been at home sick for over a month with severe cellulitis in his right leg. It is extremely painful and so it is nice that he has something he can entertain himself with while stretching his leg out on his bed.

We also gave Anthony the movie Forbidden Planet in a commemorative tin.

Oscar is sitting on Anthony's head here. He had been sleeping with his head tucked under his wing. I drew him with his eye open as he was looking at me looking at him. He woke up when he felt me staring at him. Oscar spends a lot of time with Anthony. They are best buds. Oscar likes to sit on Anthony's head when Anthony's hands are busy. Otherwise, Oscar spends his time on Anthony's shoulder, chest, or nearby within Anthony's reach. Oscar is his cockatiel.

Errand Day

2011-09-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

EDM 10 - Draw your hand or hands

EDM 86 - Draw a traffic sign

EDM 96 - Draw something sweet

Errand Day

Every two weeks I have a day called Errand Day where I drive around and do a bunch of errands. The parking metre was a view from my vehicle while I waited for a shop to open. I was in the parking lot but there were metres on the street.

The two dangling cuties are hanging off our rearview mirror. They are made of wrapped string. The one with red hair my husband has named Herbunculous and the other one is Pirozingura. These are adorably sweet. Anthony has named them all and makes up stories to go with them. We have 6 of these altogether. I only drew the two.

On this Errand Day I also got my nails done. Anthony and I go together to Top Fashion Nails in Sherwood Forest Mall to get our nails done. Anthony gets three nails on his right hand done so that he can play his guitar (He plays fingerstyle guitar). Bill, Lily, and Tammie at Top Fashion nails do a fabulous job on our nails. My nails look wonderful and do not chip or flake at all in the two weeks before getting a fill done. Anthony's nails remain strong and perfect for his guitar playing (and look so natural that you have to really look hard to see they are not).

Top Fashion Nails
Sherwood Forest Mall

1225 Wonderland Rd N
London, ON N6G 2V9
(519) 472-4110

EDM 46 - Draw something holiday themed

2011-09-10T00:21:00.004-04:00

Left Page:

46 - Draw something holiday themed

177 - Draw a flag

Right Page:

180 - Draw something in your favorite color

222 - Draw your favorite drawing tool

On Canada Day I had a little ornamental flag on a toothpick given to me by the people from our coffee clutch in the building's social room. (We have coffee once a week.) I drew the flag here on top of the words to O Canada (Canada's national anthem).

On the facing page is a drawing of my new drawing pen. It is a Lamy. Anthony purchased this for me as a gift. We went to Cambridge, Ontario to a shop called Phidon Pens to purchase this (and some other things). Anthony purchased a new Moleskine sketchbook for me as well. (I have not started using the new sketchbook yet.) I really enjoy using the Lamy and will be using it a lot going forward.

I have more than one favourite colour. I really like red, burgundy, mauve, magenta, pink, and purple.

EDM 54 - Draw someone or something you love

2011-09-08T00:06:00.002-04:00

Here are two people that I love very much.

My son, Alexander had a short haircut for the first time in his life. A couple of years ago he had his first haircut to shoulder length hair. Before that he had hair that went down to his bottom, and he normally wore it in a braid. Here I am showing you a before and after images of his haircut.

My husband, Anthony, is sitting on the sofa reading a book. He always wears his glasses on his head when he reads. He was very patient about allowing me to draw him. I will be drawing Anthony again, later in the sketchbook, with Oscar, our cockatiel, on his head. Correction: Oscar, Anthony's cockatiel.

EDM 20 - Draw something ’Dad’ - in honor of Fathers Day

2011-09-06T05:22:00.001-04:00

This was our first Father's Day without our father, Vasco Fernando Bettencourt. He passed away on July 10, 2010.

My family got together at his grave on Father's Day. Here I have illustrated his tomb stone with my brother, Mylo, fixing the flowers that are being put by his stone. (My mom eventually planted flowers around the stone). After going to the cemetery we went back to Mylo's home for a small get-together.

Dad loved the colour green and red roses. I have made this drawing predominantly green for him. Some of those flowers are supposed to be roses, but I did not do such a good job of drawing them.

EDM 24 - Draw a piece of fruit

2011-09-04T03:43:00.003-04:00

The original drawing is better than this scanned image.

Fresh fruit is so delicious. I love it when fruit is in season.

EDM 72 - Draw somewhere new.

2011-09-02T02:43:00.040-04:00

Alexander and I went to Tillsonburg, Ontario for the first time ever on June 10th to support my friend Darylnne McAvany and her family in the Relay for Life 2011 fundraiser. My friend's family fundraise under the banner "Jackie's Butterfly Brigade" in memory of their mother who died of cancer.

The above drawings represent our visit. The little angels were in the small parade around the site, then beside that drawing, is Darlynne in a golf cart in same parade. The two bottom drawings are of Darlynne and Alexander at the camp site. Alexander is playing his ukulele and singing for us.

It was wonderful to see Darlynne again, and great to meet her sisters and family.

The McAvany family have a great banner and display. They won best decorated campsite. They also raised quite nice chunk of change for the cause.

Darlynne McAvany - Survivor

We met when I went to work for Nationwide Advertising Services (1985) and Darlynne was the Senior Graphic Designer and Illustrator. She was not only my mentor but my friend as well. She is an amazing person. There is nothing this woman cannot do. She has an exceptionally generous spirit and it is a real pleasure to know her.

It was with great sadness that I heard about her bout with cancer. It was a shock to see her so diminutive and frail. However, true to spirit, she is a fighter.

I feel blessed to know Darlynne and to be counted as one of her friends.

Things To Do In An Elevator

2011-08-31T22:31:00.000-04:00

And now for something completely different:

Things To Do In An Elevator

When there's only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder and then pretend it wasn't you.
Push the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.
Call the Psychic Hotline from your cell phone and ask if they know what floor your on.
Bring a camera and take pictures of everyone in the elevator.
Move your desk into the elevator and whenever anyone gets on, ask if they have an appointment.
Lay down the twister mat and ask people if they would like to play.
Leave a box in the corner, and when someone gets on, ask them if they can hear ticking.
Pretend you are a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the passengers.
When the doors close, announce to the others, "It's okay, don't panic, they open again!"
Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering, "Shut up, all of you, just shut up!"
Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask, "Got enough air in there?"
Stand silently and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
Wear a puppet on your hand and use it to talk to the other passengers.
Listen to the elevator walls with your stethoscope.
Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers, "This is MY personal space!"

EDM 205 - Draw a soda can

2011-08-31T02:08:00.004-04:00

The Intruder

"Intruder"

By Peter Gabriel

I know something about opening windows and doors

I know how to move quietly to creep across creaky wooden floors

I know where to find precious things in all your cupboards and drawers

Slipping the clippers

Slipping the clippers through the telephone wires

The sense of isolation inspires

Inspires me

I like to feel the suspense when I'm certain you know I am there

I like you lying awake, your baited breath charging the air

I like the touch and the smell of all the pretty dresses you wear

Intruders happy in the dark

Intruder come

Intruder come and leave his mark, leave his mark

It drives me crazy that my husband and son leave the pop cans on the coffee table. I call the cans "Tin Soldiers" and often remind them to get rid of the Tin Soldiers. They know exactly what I mean.

This is called Intruder because of the one Diet Coke can in the midst of the Dr. Pepper cans.

As the second image in the sketchbook I got a little carried away an added more detail to this drawing than I had originally intended. This image is created with coloured pencils.

EDM 23 - Draw Your Foot

2011-08-30T02:01:00.010-04:00

First drawing in my sketchbook for The Sketcbook Project 2012 is of my feet. This allows me to start this project somewhat relaxed. This was created while I sat on my sofa with my feet up.

Sketchbook Project Cover

2011-08-28T01:21:00.001-04:00

EDM 56 - Draw a self portrait

Original self portrait draw with pen and ink, then scanned and manipulated in picnik.com. Finally, it was printed on a clear label sheet, cut to size and pasted on the sketchbook cover. The white areas were painted on the underside of the clear sheet (the sticky side) with liquid paper before pasting it onto the front cover of the book.

For the most part, this sketchbook will incorporated the Everyday Matter challenges, while documenting a small cross-section of my life's timeline. It will be a time-capsule, of sorts.

The Sketchbook Project 2012

2011-08-26T05:24:00.002-04:00

Thousands of sketchbooks have been sent all around the world to people who have signed up to participate in The Sketchbook Project 2012. The books that are returned by January 31st, 2012 will be part of a traveling world exhibit. Once the exhibit is over the books will enter into the permanent collection at The Brooklyn Art Library.

If you need to sign up by October 31st, 2011 if you want to participate.

I will be sharing my entry on this blog over the next few weeks. I will attempt to make most of my pages coincide with EDM Challenges.

Everyday Matters

2011-08-25T00:24:00.000-04:00

Everyday Matters is a friendly group of people of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, and experience / skill levels that enjoy keeping illustrated journals. This community of artists, from beginners to pros, stimulate creativity by encouraging daily drawing in journals. There are challenges to help inspire ideas. As of this writing there are 323 challenges posted in the EDM Facebook Group. New challenges are added regularly.

This group grew out of Danny Gregory's website.

For more information about EDM, please also check out these links:

EDM Yahoo Group

EDM Flickr Group

The EDM Superblog - inactive

Danny Gregory's Blog

EDM Challenges - Facebook Document

EDM 215 - Draw your thumb & EDM 146 - Draw a favorite food

Spice Storage

2011-08-23T21:15:00.000-04:00

These are photos of my new spice storage system. It has created extra space on my counter and in my cupboard.

To make this I attached a piece of sheet metal (2"x48"x1/8") to the underside of the cupboard (I used Elmers Ultimate Glue and had it held in place for 24 hours with c-clamps... I put paper down on the counter and sink to catch drips).

Strong magnets were attached to the lids of spice jars using a hot glue gun. I wrote the spice names on address labels and pasted them on the jars.

When all was dry, the jars were attached to the underside of the cupboard with the magnets. They are easy to retrieve when needed and easy to put back when finished.

Currently there are 20 spice jars (seen here) but I have room for 7 more on this piece of metal and will be adding at least 3 more to this group.

SketchBob Gallery

2011-07-02T11:04:00.002-04:00

http://sketchbob.com/gallery/

I really like how SketchBob.com presents his sketchbooks. I find the layout visually appealing.

It is also very interesting to go through his sketchbooks. I had the feeling the my own sketchbooks are so tame compared to his; his work is vibrant, bold, exciting! My work is more me, quiet, unassuming, sentimental. Is one better than the other? No, they are just different: different people, different media, different personalities. Normally, I try not to compare other people's work to mine as there really is no comparison, being that we are all unique and our works reflect our own perspectives, personalities, and visions.

We are who we are.

TOP TEN REASONS WE JOINED FLYLADY

2011-06-18T19:47:00.002-04:00

By Joyce Torby

10...So planning dinner wouldn't mean deciding between the drive-through for burgers and fries, or waiting an hour for pizza.

9...Because we lost our crock-pots in the kitchen...while we were cooking dinner in them!

8...Because we were tired of hanging up the world atlas and handing over darts whenever anybody asked "Where's the peanut butter?"

7...Because we didn't want to have our names legally changed to "Franny"

6...So we could tell they difference between the dog and the carpet

5...Because we weren't sure where the laundry stopped and the couch began

4...Because we couldn't find the white keys on the piano

3...So that having a sleepover at our houses wouldn't require helmets, safety equipment, and a liability release form

2...So that seeing a car pulling up in the driveway wouldn't require us to hide and pretend we're not home (and so the kids wouldn't play this hide-and-seek game at someone else's house, and when asked why, they would say, "'Cause we play it at home.")

THE NUMBER ONE REASON WE JOINED FLYLADY IS…

1…SO PEOPLE CAN'T WRITE IN OUR DUST!!!!!

MORE TOP TEN…

...So that getting from one end of the house to the other doesn't qualify as training for the Olympic Hurdles Competition

...So running out of paper plates wouldn't mean eating off of Tupperware lids because every plate we owned was soaking the sink

...Because our sinks threatened to move to Marla's

...Because we wanted to know whether we had carpet or hardwood in the spare bedroom

...Because we were pretty sure we bought dining room tables, but fore the life of us, we couldn't remember what color they were, or where we put them

...Because our cats woke us up meowing and marching around with a sign that read, "Emptying the Litter Box is Not Optional!"

...Because when people came over, they just couldn't get "into" laundry-cushioned furniture as an element of interior decorating

...Because we were afraid of getting arrested for housing weapons of mass destruction in our fridges

...Because hopscotch is for playing outdoors, not in the hall during a middle-of-the-night trip to the bathroom

...Because our collections of petrified mops and sponges didn't earn us the fame and fortune we had planned on

...Because The Trouble with Tribbles Episode of Star Trek was based on real events occurring under our furniture

...So we could stop using the bathtub as a dishwasher

...So we would no longer have to shave the refrigerator ...and the sink

...So we could go to work clothed

...So our friends and relatives wouldn't have to attend dinner parties on our tiny outside porches...in the winter...in the snow

...So when company comes they wouldn't pull underwear (clean, of course) out of the seat cushions

...Our hamsters threatened to move out

...The Collier Brothers admired our decorating prowess. (The Collier Brothers were famous for their clutterholic ways. When they died, authorities had to search for three days through the clutter of their brownstone to find the bodies.)

...We lost our cats. They're here...somewhere

...So we could actually eat at the the dining table...instead of sitting cross-legged on the floor at the coffee table

...Because we heard that our refrigerators were going to be declared as rogue states, due to their biological weapons programs -- formerly known as leftovers

...So that you wouldn't have to make an appointment a week in advance to sit in our living rooms

...So we wouldn't have to inform our guests to wear light clothes so pet hair wouldn't show up when they sit on the furniture

...So when we told the kids we were eating at the table instead of the living room floor, we could hear "Oh, Cool!"

...Because the grocery store refused to sell us a Good Housekeeping Magazine

..So we could throw away our get-well cards instead of keeping them handy to quickly display when unannounced visitors arrive

...So we'd stop finding year-old chicken in the BBQ when we cleaned it

...So our kids wouldn't have ready-made science experiments that they could grab straight from the fridge

...So our children could stop going to school naked

...So we could get Christmas put away before Valentine's Day

..So we could put the garbage out on garbage day, pay the bill on time, sign the permission slips, go to the right appointment on the right day at the right time...and not fall asleep before shining our si....zzzzZZZ

...To show our DHs the Love and Patience they have shown us over the years

...So we could have better than a C-home to live in

...So we could take down the flag, from college days, off the window and make draperies

...So instead of crouching over, using our knees to support our sewing machines, we could have them on a table...with a chair

...Because it was so easy to get distracted by the many fascinating things to do in (your State or Province here)!

We understand the Power of 15 Minutes!

24 Years of Marriage

2011-06-06T19:58:00.000-04:00

June 6, 2011 marks the 24th year of marriage to my Sweetie, Anthony.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T12:09:00.000-04:00

Image from www.innerfx.com

Today is Easter Sunday. It is the day that we Christians believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead. Jesus died for our sins on Good Friday and was resurrected on Easter Sunday.

Whether or not you believe that, or whether you just use Easter as an excuse to over indulge on chocolate, I still wish you a Happy Easter.

There are plenty of sites out there with the Easter story so I will not go into here. If you are interested in knowing more about Easter you can google it. If you are not familiar with Easter traditions then please do google it and enjoy reading about the many ways Easter is celebrated around the world (as well as the original story).

I come from a Portuguese tradition and my husband from an Italian tradition. Being Canadians now, we bring a bit of both cultures, plus incorporate the tradition of hidden eggs for the boy. Mostly it is about food. We enjoy edible treats from both Portuguese and Italian traditions as well as chocolate.

Later I will roast a chicken (sometimes turkey) and have stuffing, potatoes, and other yummy treats. This year I did not get a pumpkin pie (or make one). I am trying to cut back on all the sweets.

It is a quiet day, watching religious programming on the television, and enjoying each other's company.

Gift Baskets By Design

2011-04-13T08:57:00.012-04:00

Check out what's new at Gift Baskets by Design. Angie Wilson from Gift Baskets by Design has some new and wonderful products in her store. She is more than just gift baskets. There are wonderful products you can get from Angie on their own, without being in a basket.

Angie does a wonderful job in creating custom gift baskets for any occasion. I have been both a recipient and a giver of her wonderful baskets and have never been disappointed. She really takes care to create wonderful, one of a kind, gifts just for you. She can work with any budget too!

Easter is coming up, and so is Mother's Day. I have received and/or given gift baskets for birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, and baby showers. Really, any occasion you need to let someone know that you are thinking of them and care is a great occasion for a gift basket from Gift Baskets by Design.

March 5, 2009 (EDM# 23 & 25)

2011-04-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

EDM # 25 - Draw a glass (the kind you drink from) and EDM # 23 - Draw your foot

15 Minute Day or The Timer is My Best Friend

2011-04-11T16:55:00.000-04:00

FlyLady says that "you can do anything for 15 minutes".

I love just about everything about FlyLady's system. However, one of my favourite things is the use of the timer to help keep me focussed.

One of my problems is that I am easily distracted. I will start on one project, think about something else, go do that, think of something else, start on that, and so on. Before I know it I have worked myself into exhaustion and have finished nothing all day to show for my efforts. The timer helps keep my focussed on one project/job/task at a time.

On days that I need to complete a lot I will set my timer for 15 minutes and work on one task for the full 15 minutes. I will stop that task when the timer goes off and move on to another task. This usually happens on good days, where the pain is tolerable. I will work on one task, for example, clearing clutter in one room, then I move to 15 minutes doing computer work, then 15 minutes cleaning a focus zone, then 15 minutes reading. I try to alternate from something physical to something sedentary, and including a 15 minute "break" every third 15 minute session. This is what I call my 15 minute day, and I find that I am most productive these days.

If I am working on a web job or a portrait, 15 minutes does not give me enough time to really get into the zone, so I will set the timer for an hour or two. This reminds me to get up and stretch.

Another way to use the timer is to force myself to do something that needs to be done but that I really don't want to do (or feel like doing). I can do anything for 15 minutes (or 10, or 7, or 5). If I really don't want to empty the dishwasher and refill it I will set the timer for 15 minutes and go to it. Funny thing, I can usually have it all done in less that 4 minutes. Ironing is something I detest and avoid if I can. However, if I have to iron, I will set the timer for 15 minutes and iron until the timer goes off, then stop. Quite often I am finished before the timer goes off.

The timer can be used to help me focus on one job/task at at time, and it can be used to get me to do a job/task I hate or am avoiding. Either way, the timer is my best friend.

This year FlyLady says "Go for 7 in 2011" so if 15 minutes is too much, go for seven minutes!

Catching-up and Flying

2011-03-30T15:52:00.000-04:00

The norovirus is not fun by any stretch of the imagination. Anthony, Alexander and I were stricken down with this nasty beast, however, we are finally over the norovirus! .

Recently I have decided to restart my routines, and Flying, from scratch (well, almost from scratch).

When I first found FlyLady I was all gung-ho, enamored, and over-enthusiastic about it. After years of trying several other organizational systems, reading a plethora of books on home and office organization, time management, etc., and attending seminars on the same, I had not found anything that worked for me the way FlyLady does. FlyLady makes sense to my brain.

Like most newbies, I crashed and burned (I think we all have to go through this, then come back to it with new eyes). BabySteps is an integral part of Flying. This is something we need to internalize. Years ago, after my initial crash and burn, I started again, but I did not follow everything because "I knew better". Yet, my place was coming together and, quite honestly, it has never gotten as bad as pre-FlyLady days. I accepted what I liked about FlyLady and ignored what I did not like or did not do something because "I did not have the right tools" (perfectionist, anyone?).

For years I have fluttered around, bumped my butt on the ground several times, gave up on routines because I did not have the time for them, and just basically, went back to being unhappy.

When I was following FlyLady before, albeit, imperfectly, I had found peace. My family was happier. I was able to do my artwork. We had a nice meal on the table every night. We communicated with each other. Sure, the place was a disaster area, but I was working on it, no matter how slowly, and my family was the most important thing in my life (as it should be).

I need that peace back, for me, for my family, but mostly for me. So, I decided to start again, almost from scratch, and this time I would not let the perfection get in my way.

I started reading the FlyLady testimonials again (I forward the digest of FlyLady's BigTent posts to InstaPaper and I read it on my iTouch when I have a minute). I found Life with FlyLady blog. Maaike is a great inspiration as well.

From Maaike, I found the HomeRoutines app for the iPhone, iPad, and iTouch. This was the ideal companion I needed for my routines. Paper lists were not working for me, and computer lists were dependent on me logging in to my computer (which lead to being sidetracked with email and stuff). I tried other To-Do list apps but they were not quite right. This app is great for me because I can modify the heck out of it and it still works like I want it to. I carry it around with me as I get things done. It even has a timer built in that I can click for my 15 minutes without leaving the app.

One FlyLady thing I had not done before was the Swish and Swipe. I understood it was a good idea but I did not have the perfect container for my toilet brush. Instead we cleaned weekly. I also did not shine my sink daily, just now and again. Both these things are done daily now and it makes a HUGE difference.

Let me tell you, what a difference! When we were sick it was great to have a clean toilet to throw up in. And, when I did not do my sink daily and left dishes in it and around it, I really hated looking at it. This morning I was going to go Swish and Swipe and Anthony said to me "I've already swished the toilet." Wow, what a surprise. He said he has been swishing it every time he goes in the bathroom because he loves how nice and sparkly-clean it is. I had no idea. Wow!!!

Now that I have set my routines, I am ready to get back into creating artwork. I have so many ideas and am very excited to be back to art. Thank you FlyLady!

What Should I Keep? (Paper/Receipts)

2011-02-22T11:47:00.001-05:00

BW of the Flying in London Group* (a local FlyLady support group) shared this with us, and I think it is worth sharing with you. *London Ontario Canada
Here is BW's post:

I have this in my file box: (Canada and USA)

In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to mysteriously multiply by itself. But just how long do you need to keep all those receipts, bank and credit card statements and other financial papers? Below is a handy reference that you can use for dealing with your home paper trail.

Toss after One Month

ATM and bank deposit/withdrawal slips

keep in a file folder until monthly statement received
reconcile with your statement to ensure that charges and payments have been properly processed
if for major purchase with warranty, staple receipt to the

owner's manual and file for the term of the warranty

if for major purchase without warranty, keep receipt if item replacement cost is higher than the deductible on your homeowner's insurance policy
if for minor purchase without warranty, shred

Cash purchase receipts

enter into your chequebook or computer software to ensure that you are accounting for all your purchases
if for major purchase with warranty, staple to the owner's manual and file for the term of the warranty
if for major purchase without warranty, keep receipt if item replacement cost is higher than the deductible on your homeowner's insurance policy
if for minor purchase without warranty, shred

Credit card receipts

keep in file until monthly statement received
reconcile with your statement to ensure charges and payments have been properly processed
if for major purchase with warranty, staple to the owner's manual and file for the term of the warranty
if for major purchase without warranty, keep receipt if item replacement cost is higher than the deductible on your homeowner's insurance policy
if for minor purchase without warranty, shred

Toss after One Calendar Year

Bank/Financial Institution monthly statements (unless needed for home business)

Brokerage/Mutual Fund Statements (Monthly/Quarterly)

reconcile with your annual statement

Credit card monthly statements

Credit reports

you should request your credit report annually to ensure that all information is accurate and up-to-date, especially with regard to accounts you have closed in the course of the year
requesting this file annually helps to prevent identity theft, so you can see who has requested the report and for what purpose

Monthly Mortgage Statements

reconcile with your annual statement

Pay stubs

shred after reconciling with your W-2 or 1099 (US) or T4 (Canada)

Telephone/Utility bills

Keep for 7-10 Years

Any T4 Forms - including T4E, etc. (Canada)
Annual Mortgage Statements
Supporting documentation (cancelled cheques/receipts/statements) for tax returns including but not limited to:

donations
retirement account contributions
child care receipts
alimony/child support paid or received
medical expenses
mortgage interest
property tax payments

W-2 or 1099 Forms (US)
Year End statements from Credit cards (if provided)
Year End statements from utility companies (if provided)

Keep Indefinitely

Adoption Records
Auto/Home/Life Insurance policy information

keep purchase records for as long as policy is in force

Automobile Records (ownership certificate/registration)

keep for as long as you own your vehicle
if annual registration required, keep only current registration paper

Birth Certificates
Business Income Tax returns, and supporting documentation, if self-employed
Death Certificate
Divorce Agreement/Child Custody Court Orders
Investment records clearly showing beneficiary information

purchase records
sales records

Marriage Certificate
Medical records

Immunization records to children

Military records
Pension Plan records
Receipts for major home improvements/renovations
Receipts for major purchases that have long life expectancy (refrigerator, stove, freezer, vehicles)
Religious records
School/Education records
Will and/or Power of Attorney

·should be kept securely in a fire-proof home safe or safety deposit box at your financial institution

Year End Investment account summaries
Tax Returns

In the US, the IRS has 3 years to from the date you file your tax return to examine your return for errors and up to 6 years to audit your return if they suspect that you have underreported your gross income by 25% or more. There is no statute of limitations on an audit when deliberate fraud is suspected.
In Canada, CRA advises you to keep your tax returns, Notices of Assessment, and all supporting documentation for 6 years from the date of filing your personal income tax return.

NOTE~I recommend keeping these indefinitely because they take up little space and can often be a valuable resource if there is any dispute over such things as income tax paid, child support/alimony paid or received and pension plan benefits.

Now what?

Now that you know what to keep, where are you supposed to put it all?

Set up a simple home filing system to cover the basics, and invest in a couple of sturdy cardboard or plastic filing boxes for the information you should keep log-term or indefinitely.

And a final caution - when you decide that you no longer need to keep certain documents, make sure you shred them and DO NOT put them in the general trash or recycling. Sensitive financial information or personal information should always be DESTROYED to avoid any chance of identity theft that could lead to headaches greater than you can imagine.

Comics.com

2010-12-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

Comics.com

RIBFEST 2009

2009-08-04T13:10:00.006-04:00

FO at RibFest 2009

Band Shell at Victoria Park, London, ON
~
Vocals and Rhythm Guitar - Andre Ventura
Drums - Luis Lima
Bass Guitar and Back Up Vocals - Alexander Tirolese
Lead Guitar - Rob Hanson
~

On Sunday, August 2, we went to watch Alexander play in FO at the RibFest at Victoria Park. FO is the 2009 winner of the Jack Richardson Music Award for best youth band.

We enjoyed the show. They boys are really quite talented. There was a relatively large crowd that came out to support them and enjoy the show. Plus, a lot of people just stopped to listen.

Anthony and I were pleasantly surprised to run into a lot of people we know. It was great and we wished we had more time to stop and visit. However, right after FO finished we had to get to the Central Library Reading Gardens where Original Kids Theatre was presenting Alice in Wonderland as part of the Fringe Festival. Our friend, Deb's daughter, Emily, was involved and we wanted to see her in the production.

The kids put on a great show. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I managed to get a few photos of Emily that I have sent of to Deb.

All in all, it was a delightful day. We managed to catch two shows and see a lot of wonderful people.

Emily Hathaway (Red) in
Original Kids Theatre Production of
Alice in Wonderland

Ana with Dolly

2009-08-01T21:39:00.003-04:00

My friend Dianne has a booth at the Western Fair Farmers' Market where she sells Tupperware. She has gone out of province for the summer and asked Mary (who sells Avon) and me to take over her booth for the summer so she would not lose her prime spot.

The Farmers' Market has a flea market upstairs and that is where the booth is. There are three other artists up there, besides me. However, I am not convinced this is the best venue for my work. I will finish up the summer but will think hard about continuing after the summer.

While at the market (Saturday's only) I started the following portrait:

I worked on this portrait mostly while at the market. People seem to enjoy watching an artist at work.

This portrait is of me when I was a baby. I was about 2yrs old in this portrait. I had been playing in my front yard on the island of Sao Jorge in the Azores (Portugal). I had had strict instructions NOT to leave my front yard. However, I wanted to go to a neighbour's house to get some candy (she always had candy). I was told that the neigbhour was not home, that it was rude to ask for candy, and that I was NOT to leave the yard.

My aunt went into the house to get a camera and I took the opportunity to escape. When I arrived at the neighbour's she was not home so I sat myself on her front stoop to await her. This is where my frantic family found me. My aunt took the photo. The worried look on my face is because I knew I was in big trouble for disobeying.

Summer Adventures

2009-07-20T20:32:00.004-04:00

At the end of July we went to Ottawa to see the SMV Thunder Tour concert at the Ottawa Jazz Festival.

We were up early in the morning to leave by 4:00 am. We had an awful time driving in Ottawa, itself. There was construction, tons of one way streets, and tiny little street signs that we realized "that was the street we wanted" as we passed it. It was most frustrating.

Anthony had a diabetic sugar low and was feeling faint while we were at Confederation Park (where the festival was held) but a very nice young lady at one of the food booths was kind enough to get me some orange drink with lots of extra sugar. Turns out her mom is also diabetic so she knew exactly how to help. It was very nice of her.

On the good side, we had wonderful accommodations at the Carleton University residence. We had two side by side private rooms and an all you can eat breakfast buffet the next morning.

The concert was FABULOUS! Alexander had been invited by Victor Wooten to attend and he got Alexander all access backstage passes. This was very exciting for Alexander. He not only met Victor Wooten, but he also met Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller! Alexander was on top of the world.

All three of us enjoyed the concert.

On July 11th our friends Pauline and Yves were married in Sudbury Ontario. We had never been to Sudbury, but let me tell you, the driving was a lot more pleasant than driving in Ottawa. The drive to Sudbury was interesting. The landscape really changes from southern Ontario to northern Ontario.

The people in Sudbury were warm and friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Pauline and Yves's family and friends.

Anthony and Alexander played music for the wedding ceremony. They did a wonderful job. They played Doyle Dykes's "White Rose for Heidi" for Pauline to walk down the aisle. They played it so beautifully and sweetly that everyone applauded when they finished the piece. They played a Bach piece and a Simon Fox piece as well. I was very proud of them. They did such a great job.

All the decorations were hand made and set up by Pauline's friend, Carol Bisson. She did a marvelous job! She even hand made all the chocolate decorative pieces (and they were delicious!).

The wedding and reception were wonderful. Anthony made a heart-felt speech for his friend, Yves. It was a beautiful day and evening.

Alexander Lacount's Baptism

2009-06-16T11:24:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, June 13, 2009 we were honoured to be the Godparents for Alexander Lacount. Here is a slide show of the event. The baptism took place in Holy Family Roman Catholic Church followed by a BBQ at their home.

Click here to go to to album.

Photo Restoration

2009-06-03T22:46:00.005-04:00

My friend, Laura, asked me to try to restore this photo of hers. She had found it, and it is one of the few photos with her great-grandmother in it. It was pretty badly damaged. I told her I could not promise anything, but I tried to do some retouching to restore as much as I could.

This was done using the premium version of Picnik on my laptop. It took about two hours. I was unable to fix the boy's mouth (by the father). However, overall, I am pretty pleased with the results. AND, more importantly, Laura is pleased.

Meshy Produce Bags

2009-06-01T15:58:00.008-04:00

Strong enough for a dozen apples

Have you switched to reusable grocery bags but find yourself still using those clingy plastic produce bags at the supermarket? Now a Canada-based company, HotSacks, sells reusable mesh bags for your fruits and vegetables. They are recyclable, can be reused countless times and come in four fabulous colours.

They are available at Home Outfitters ($4.99 for a set of eight) or online at www.hotsacks.ca

Use them for:

various fruits like apples, lemons, avocados, grapes, etc.

various vegetables including potatoes, onions, peppers, turnips, etc.
bulk items such as wrapped candies or nuts in shell, etc.

And, when you use these, you will be the coolest shopper around. Everyone will want to know where you got them!

Posemaniacs

2009-05-12T13:59:00.003-04:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.posemaniacs.com"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;pose for drawing by posemaniacs.com&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;According to the Posemaniacs's site: "Pose Maniacs supports all artists, including art students and people who study illustrations and mangas on your own. This blog is for uploading variety of poses for nude sketching, and introduces other FLASH training tools for drawing."

Someone on one of the groups I belong to posted this some time back. I really got a kick out of it. It is an excellent site for reference. I love the fact that you can see all the muscles. It is somewhere between an artist's dummy and a live model.

This can be used for gesture drawings (30 second drawings), for practice drawings, and for reference for art pieces. There are so many possibilities!

I won't apologise for defending the arts

2009-05-09T08:15:00.005-04:00

It’s not charity or empty philanthropy. It’s an investment in jobs and our collective soul
by Kevin Spacey

Open any newspaper or turn on the TV and you are confronted with the realities of recession. So it is perhaps inevitable that there will be some who frame the arts and culture as luxury items and accept that they will have to survive on shorter rations. And in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter, they say.

I believe that, far from being luxury items, arts and culture are a necessity in our lives, as individuals and as nations. Culture is the ...read the whole article

(Originally Published in TimesOnline on May 9, 2009)

Every Day in May

2009-05-07T14:30:00.004-04:00

Élena Nazzaro has challenged artists to draw every day in May, and several artists have taken her up on her challenge.

I first became aware of this challenge through the Every Day Matters group (that I have often mentioned on this blog). It looks like a wonderful challenge and the participants seem to be having a lot of fun with it. Unfortunately, this year, I will not be able to participate. However, there is always next year.

There is a Flickr group set up for this challenge that you can view here --> Every Day in May

Also, here is a partial list of participants for your viewing pleasure:

Leigh Bunkin
Anita Davies
Ffyrebird
Sandi Lee
Ann Thompson Nemcosky
Rachel Proffitt
Shirley
Owen Swain
Jennifer L. Wambach

Recycling an Old Book as a Watercolor Sketchbook

2009-05-05T10:51:00.006-04:00

I belong to a group called Every Day Matters. While reading the posts, this morning, I came across this post and just felt I had to share it. Shirley recycles old books into watercolour sketchbooks and she shows us how she does it in a post on her blog. I am thinking of following her instructions and creating my own sketchbook (not necessarily watercolour paper, but perhaps using my favorite drawing paper du jour).

You can view Shirley's full post on Shirley's Blog.

You can also view a related post (from following a link on Shirley's blog) to a wonderful post with with illustrations by Martha of Trumpetvine Travels. Martha "reloads" Moleskine sketchbooks.

The idea of recycling old books into sketchbooks is appealing to me. You now have some wonderful instructions to follow if this appeals to you too.

Coffee Clatch

2009-04-29T21:04:00.003-04:00

Revelle Taillon has created the marvelous caricatures that she posts on her Coffee Clatch blog. I got a real kick out of these posts and thought I would share. Please feel free to go see her work by clicking on the link.

Art Show & Blogapathy

2009-04-19T22:35:00.004-04:00

I know it seems like I have been suffering from blogapathy, but in reality, I have just been busy dealing with life.

The Westmount Branch Library called in late March and asked if I could have a show up for April because the person they had scheduled canceled out on them. Luckily I had enough work hanging around the house to make up a small show. There were three new pieces since the November show at Williams Coffee Pub (all the other work I did since then were commissioned pieces that were shipped to the clients). I am scheduled for a show at the library in September. I should have more pieces by then.

We had the reception for the show on April 11th, 2009 which happened to be Easter Weekend. It was not the best weekend to have a reception as most of my friends and family were out of town or busy with family events. It was not a great weekend for library patrons either. However, we did have a few people show up and I met a few very interesting people. Despite the low turn out, I did sell three pieces, so far, and I also sold some cards and prints.

Alexander played bass guitar for me, using a loop station. All his band mates were also busy that weekend.

We have been dealing with health issues in my family and that is the main reason I have not been posting. However, things are looking better and I should start posting regularly again.

Portrait of Raven and Minnie

2009-03-13T21:22:00.004-04:00

Raven O'Keefe
8" x 10"
Graphite on Strathmore 100lb Bristol Vellum

This was part of a portrait exchange from one of the art groups I belong to. Raven did a portrait of me. This was a lot of fun to do. You can see a quick slide show of the work in progress, below.

Pencil Drawings - A look into the art of David J. Vanderpool

2009-03-10T16:45:00.005-04:00

I picked up David's book some time back, but only finally had time to sit down and read it from cover to cover.

The book is well written and has lots and lots of photos of his work (my favourite kind of book!). There are many step by step photos of several of David's pieces with insightful text explaining how he got the effects.

Messy looking hair is much harder to draw than hair that is combed. Light must be able to bounce through that careful styled ‘mess’, as well as the shadows that help some of it stand out. Take your time by tackling one section at a time. Much like muscles in a hand or chest, hair needs to be drawn in sections too.

It is a great way to get into the head of the artist, while picking up tips for your own work. His style is a little different than mine, but I love his realism and his technical skill. I have tried a few of his techniques in the latest piece I am working on (will be able to post it soon) and I find that it works well for me.

Here is what is said about the book on the site:

Pencil drawings - a rare and often over-looked art form in today's art scene. This collection of masterfully crafted graphite pencil drawings shows the step-by-step process it took to complete over 26 dynamic drawings in less than a year. With over 350 illustrations, see the portraits develop and read the artist's thoughts and views on how he crafts each incredible work. This "journal style" book gives the reader unique insight into the creative mind of the artist and takes the reader on a journey from blank page to masterpiece.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for tips and techniques, or likes to get inside the head of an artist. I give it 4½ stars out of 5.

WARNING:
If you are offended by human body, this is not the book for you. There are a few images that portray full male and female nudity.

To see more of David Vanderpool's work, please go to www.ArtWanted.com/paper2pencil

Portrait of Ana By Raven O'Keefe

2009-03-03T20:12:00.004-05:00

Ana Tirolese
By Raven O'Keefe
8" x 10"
Graphite on Paper

My friend, Raven O'Keefe, did this lovely portrait of me as part of a portrait swap in one of the art groups she and I belong to. I am thrilled with the portrait. My guys have already been figuring out where to hang the portrait once we get it framed.

Raven O'Keefe is a very talented artist. Please view her sites by clicking on the links below.

Pet Portraits by Raven O'Keefe
Faithful Friends by Raven O'Keefe
Wool Sculptures by Raven O'Keefe
Raven's Gallery of Wildlife Art
Raven's Li'l Critters

Kelly and Chris Lanktree - 1st Wedding Anniversary

2009-02-28T09:28:00.003-05:00

Kelly and Chris Lanktree
8" x 10"
Graphite on 100lb Strathmore Bristol Vellum

This is the commissioned piece I had been working on. It was a gift for Kelly and Chris's first wedding anniversary, also known and the Paper Anniversary, it was a perfect choice of a gift. I heard from the client that Kelly and Chris loved the piece. (It is always nice to get feedback from clients).

Tree Peony (VSD0908 & EDM#76)

2009-02-25T21:20:00.004-05:00

Tree Peony
5" x 7"
Graphite on Strathmore Bristol Vellum
February 2009

I did not get a chance to do the Virtural Sketch Date (VSD) in September 2008. The tree peony was that month's challenge. It was generously provided by Sharon.

I really liked the image and so I decided to do it now.

Call me the Queen of Multi-Tasking! This is also going to be my Every Day Matters (EDM) submission for #76 (draw some flowers). And, I am making this a gift for some dear friends of ours.

Last Piece of Birthday Cake

2009-02-22T20:01:00.003-05:00

This is a quick sketch of the last piece of my birthday cake, minutes before being eaten. This was done in my small Moleskine sketchbook with pencil and Koh-I-Nor woodless coloured pencils.

EDM # 169 (draw a piece of cake), # 195 (draw a fork) and # 209 (draw a shadow)

My friend, Angela Fisher, just started her own blog. She is an amazing artist. Please go check out her new blog and her website.

Ana's 47th Birthday

2009-02-19T21:11:00.008-05:00

Today was my 47th birthday. In the photo above, you see me with the gift my husband and son gave me, a 132 count Prismacolor set of coloured pencils, with Ann Kullberg's painting on the front of the tin. I was absolutely thrilled to get this.

This morning my friend, Laura, and her mother, Beverly, called and sang Happy Birthday to me. That was so nice. I also got a call from my Godmother Laurinda and my Aunt Olimpia (both in St. Catharines, Ontario), a call from my mother, and a brief visit from my brother, Emilio (the computer genius).

My friend, Jill Hammond, came by at noon today, and spent the day with me. She brought me a lovely ceramic cockatiel statuette. I have to still photograph it and will upload it at another date. It is beautiful. We had a great visit. It had been a long while since we had a face to face visit. She is the beautiful red-head that I did a portrait of earlier. She is concerned that she has put on some weight, but I think she looks more beautiful than ever. The weight suits her and makes her sensuous and curvy.

Anthony and Alexander treated me to supper at Under the Volcano, a local Mexican dining establishment. The food was wonderful, as always. I am still way too full. I had my yearly margarita too. Yum

When we arrived home, we had some strawberry Boston cream cake, coffee, and opening of gift.

All in all, it was a wonderful birthday. Click on picture below to see more photos.

Ana's 47th Birthday

I have also finished a black and white commissioned portrait for a 1st anniversary. I will not be able to post it until after the gift is received by the recipients because I do not want to spoil the surprise. I will share it here as soon as they get it. I am working on a portrait of a little boy next, plus I have some other ideas to do, and Jill has asked me to do a portrait for a friend of hers.

A Day In The Arts

2009-02-10T07:09:00.005-05:00

I just subscribed to this wonderful new art magazine: A Day In The Arts. The first issue is fantastic and very interesting. It is well written and well designed. I know I am going to enjoy getting this daily magazine. It will be both informative and inspirational. What a great way to get your daily dose of art!

I copied the following from the home page:

The FREE daily art magazine.

For many, the art world can be a very intimidating place, filled with musty art museums, high-end art galleries and modern art that they can't seem to grasp the meaning of. For others, it is filled with great masterpieces that inspire the imagination and bring color and joy to their lives.

We want to make the exciting world of art accessible to all. We want you to enjoy the art, the theory, the practice and the history in a way that you never have before. Come join us on our daily journey through the arts. You'll examine classic works as well as contemporary art. You'll learn about the old masters and meet the modern and up and coming artists as well. Together we will review new books and materials and seek out the latest exhibits. Join us each day. The journey won't cost you anything but a few moments of your time. Your reward will be great.

http://www.adayinthearts.com/

Gift Baskets by Design & Flowering Tea

2009-02-07T21:34:00.006-05:00

A flowering tea, or blooming tea, is a small bundle of dried tea leaves and flowers bound together into a ball. When steeped, the bundle expands and unfurls in a process that emulates a blooming flower. Flowering teas are fragrant, aromatic teas that do not tend to get bitter with extended steeping. Flowering teas are often prepared in a transparent vessel for easy viewing. I didn't have a nice transparent tea-pot so I used a 4 cup measure so that we could see the beauty of the flowering tea. It was the only transparent thing I had big enough to make tea in. My husband, Anthony, and I spent the evening enjoying this tea while watching Laurence of Arabia followed by Casablanca.

For the last several years I have been driving by Gift Baskets by Design, on Wharncliffe Road, almost daily on the way downtown or back home. I have often wondered how a storefront could be supported by gift baskets alone. Today, I had the pleasure of going inside and meeting with Angie Wilson (owner) and Bonita Stevenson (associate).

First, let me tell you, all my preconceived ideas were dashed on the spot. The nondescript exterior belies the beauty of the interior. The interior was not only tastefully decorated, but warm and inviting. The fragrance upon entering is heavenly. There was so much to see that my eyes kept wandering over the displays, seats, tables, and teas...oh the teas!

And, to my surprise, there is a lot more than just gift baskets inside the shop. There are all kinds of wonderful gifts and gift ideas. I cannot even start to list them all. Angie also has a whole selection of wonderful and exotic teas. You can purchase them by the ounce. That is where I got the flowering tea. I had heard about this tea but had not come across it in my daily travels.

Angie and Bonita were saying that they hope to open a tea house in the future. However, for now you can go in person (or order online or by phone) to get these wonderful teas. Another thing you can do, is have them supply a variety of teas for your special evenings, book club meetings, spa night, or whenever you are having a group of people over for an occasion.

It was a pure delight to go in today. I wish I had made the effort to go inside sooner. If you live in the London, Ontario area you must drop in and check out this wonderful gem on Wharncliffe Road.

Gift Baskets by Design
315 Wharncliffe Rd South
London, Ontario
519-433-7720

There is free parking in the rear
They deliver.

Website: www.mygiftbasketsbydesign.com

When I came home this afternoon and showed Anthony the tea, he was very excited about it. He had heard some women at work talking about this tea. He had wanted to try it too. He is enjoying it as much as I am. It is deliciously mild and relaxing.

Artwork Coming Soon...

2009-02-06T12:00:00.005-05:00

Clip Art from MSN

I know many people are waiting patiently for me to post some new artwork. Currently, I am in the process of working on three commissioned pieces, two are for anniversaries and one for a baptismal. I cannot post these until after the recipients receive them, as they are surprise gifts.

My favourite framer, Vince Tedesco, of London Picture Framing (1041 Gainsborough , London, ON 519-473-7557), called me yesterday and said he had recommended me for another commissioned portrait. So, if the person calls me up, I will have a one more commissioned piece to work on. I love doing commissions, but quite often, I cannot post them until after the recipient receives them.

Hopefully I can get a few smaller pieces done in the mean time to post here.

My Rainbow

2009-02-05T19:57:00.003-05:00

Your rainbow is intensely shaded indigo, blue, and gray.

What is says about you: You are a tranquil person. You appreciate tradition and wisdom that comes with age. You depend on modern technology and may feel uncomfortable without it. Friends count on you for being honest and insightful.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com

Several EDM Challenges

2009-02-03T15:57:00.006-05:00

Most Monday nights, for the last little while, I meet with my friend Patti Murphy at Williams Coffee Pub for a coffee. Patti comes into my end of London (Ontario) from Lucan (Ontario) on Monday nights so that her son can attend a soccer practice at a local high school. It is great seeing her once a week.

Last night I arrived a bit early so entertained myself by drawing in my new moleskine sketchbook. I drew what was in front of me on the table. The sketchbook is 3½" x 5½" so this is a pretty small drawing. Since so many things were incorporated in this drawing, I decided to use this as a submission to several EDM (Everyday Matters) challenges (listed above). The above sketch took about an hour to do. I started it while I waited for Patti and finished it later, at home (added the shading). That is a lipstick stain on my mug.

You can see the bleed through from the first page (the pen & ink) that I did. Although I liked the way the ink laid down, I did not like the bleed through. The graphite worked very well and smoothly.

Tools used on above sketch:

Moleskine sketchbook
2B Mechanical pencil
Kneaded eraser

The 4th Annual Juried Miniature Show

2009-02-02T23:41:00.004-05:00

I have two pieces entered in this show. If you click on the above image it will take you to the site, where you can see the images online. Mine is the Tobias Cat and the Parrot.

EDM#205 & TAD#2

2009-02-02T07:32:00.004-05:00

This image is doing triple duty. It is my EDM#205 (Everyday Matters) assignment, it is my post for TAD#2 (Thing-a-Day), and it is my inaugural drawing in my new Moleskine sketchbook.

This was a quick and dirty sketch that took me about 15 minutes to complete. It is just a basic line sketch done in pen & ink. I wanted something to start off my new sketchbook. My sketchbook is 3.5in x 5.5in so this is not a very big image.

Do I like the moleskine? Well, yes. I like the slickness of the page and how the ink went on smoothly. I was a little disappointed that the ink bled through the page a little bit. However, it was not too bad and I can work around it.

This sketchbook is mainly going to be used as a traveling sketchbook since it fits nicely into my pocket or small purse. I like having a sketchbook with me at all times for when the mood hits me.

A Date with My Sweetie

2009-02-01T19:48:00.006-05:00

I used this photo for Thing-A-Day 2009. I had all intentions of creating something artistic today, however, it did not turn out that way. So, I added the above photo from my date with my Sweetie. It was our first "Date" of 2009.

The best part of my day was that My Sweetie, Anthony, and I had a lovely “date”. We went to Chapters (a Canadian bookstore chain, similar to Barnes and Noble) and had a great time. We had a latte and cookie each at Starbucks. Anthony picked up a book on birds (Audubon's Masterpieces: 150 Prints from the Birds of America) and he got me a pocket sized moleskine sketchbook that I can carry around in my purse or pocket.

We saw someone that looked exactly like Ron James, the Canadian comedian, walking around Chapters. I said we should go ask him if he is Ron James, but we were afraid to intrude (if it was him) or embarrass ourselves (if he was not). I told my husband I would ask, but I did not see him again. It turns out IT WAS HIM! I checked his performance dates online and he is in London Ontario today and tomorrow! Ugh. I wish we had said hello and told him how much we enjoy his work.

I am very excited about my new moleskine sketchbook. I can barely wait to start using it. I had filled up my last pocket sized sketchbook and needed one to carry around.

My Son, the Musician

2009-01-27T13:38:00.004-05:00

My son, Alexander is a gifted musician. He has been playing instruments since the age of 4, and only because we couldn't deny him any longer. He was humming recognizable tunes before he could speak and could read music before he could read words. He wanted to play violin so badly that we finally put him with a private teacher. He learned quickly and well.

Now, he plays a whole variety of instruments. I often say that the only instrument he cannot play is the one he has not had the chance to get his hands on yet. His current love are all the saxophones, especially the soprano and alto, and the bass guitar. However, he plays so many other instruments, sings, and even teaches guitar.

For a long time he wanted to be an opera singer. He does have a beautiful tenor voice and did take professional lessons for a few years. Now he is really into jazz and is thinking of making that his career choice.

I could go on for pages about Alexander and his music. We are so proud of him. I just wanted to share that he played three Sundays in a row (January 11 to 25, 2009) at Williams Coffee Pub. It was well received. Many people came out to see him and were impressed with him and his jazz band. People were shocked to find out that he is only 17 years old. He plays well beyond his years.

View photos from Jazz in the Afternoon. (Photos by Walter Zimmerman.)

Alexander's website: www.tirolese.com/jazz

He and his band are available to do private parties and corporate functions.

Clementine - January VSD

2009-01-25T00:30:00.004-05:00

Clementine
5" x 7"
Coloured Pencil on Stonehenge Paper

This clementine was created for January's Virtual Sketch Date. The image was provided by Jeanette Jobson. I really enjoyed working on this piece. It is also my first still life since high school.

Robot Nine

2009-01-22T22:15:00.005-05:00

When I arrived home, tonight, after a long and eventful day (at a Marketing for Artists Seminar) I was pleasantly surprised to find an email from Alan of Robot Nine! I have won Picture Puzzle 5 contest!!!

I am giddy with excitement. I have chosen The Presidential Doodles book as my prize.

If you are not familiar with Robot Nine (http://robotnine.blogspot.com/), then perhaps it is time you acquainted yourself with this very interesting blog. Alan puts up series of 9 related, and interesting, items on a regular basis. He also has the fun Picture Puzzle Contests.

Thank you, Alan!

Obama's Playlist The Top 49 Songs

2009-01-20T07:54:00.004-05:00

My post is in honour of our friends to the south on this historic day in U.S. history.

From January 5th-16th, 2009, CBC Radio 2 invited Canadians to help select the top “49 songs from north of the 49th parallel” that would best define our country to the incoming U.S. President Barack Obama. Please take the time to click on each link and listen to some wonderful music. You may rediscover some old favourites and discover some new loves. Here is what we voted for:

Affairs of the Heart: Marjan Mozetich
American Woman - The Guess Who
Barber: Violin Concerto: James Ehnes
Bobcaygeon - The Tragically Hip
Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell
Brother (Watching) - Shad
Canada's Really Big - Arrogant Worms
The Canadian Dream - Sam Roberts
Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
A Case of You - Joni Mitchell
Closer to the Heart - Rush
Dégénération - Mes Aïeux
Democracy - Leonard Cohen
Departure Bay - Diana Krall
Évangéline - Marie-Jo Thério
Four Strong Winds - Ian & Sylvia
Goin' Up a Yonder - Measha Brueggergosman
Goldberg Variations - Glenn Gould
Hallelujah - k.d. lang
Helpless- Neil Young
The Hockey Song - Stompin' Tom Connors
Home - Michael Bublé
Hymn to Freedom - Oscar Peterson Trio
If I Had $1,000,000 - Barenaked Ladies
J'ai quitté mon île - Daniel Lavoie
Jolie Louise - Daniel Lanois
La complainte du phoque en Alaska - Beau Dommage
Mario Takes a Walk - Jesse Cook
Mon pays - Gilles Vigneault
Montréal -40C - Malajube
Northwest Passage - Stan Rogers
One Great City! - The Weakerthans
Ordinary Day - Great Big Sea
Oublie-pas - Karkwa
Place St. Henri (from Canadiana Suite) - Oscar Peterson Trio
Pour un instant - Harmonium
Quand les hommes vivront d'amour - Raymond Lévesque
Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire
Rêver mieux - Daniel Bélanger
Rise Again - The Rankin Family
Rise Up - Parachute Club
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
Swingin' Shepherd Blues - Moe Koffman
Universal Soldier - Buffy Sainte-Marie
We'll Gather Lilacs - Ben Heppner
Wheat Kings - The Tragically Hip
Wondering Where the Lions Are - Bruce Cockburn
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot

Art & Poem by Jim Kogelheide

2009-01-17T18:05:00.009-05:00

My son, Alexander Tirolese, is a gifted musician. He is currently playing a jazz gig at Williams Coffee Pub until January 25th, 2009 (2:00 pm to 5:00pm). I will be writing more about this in a later post, including photos. Click here for information on the gig.

Last Sunday (January 11th) was the first day in this series of Jazz in the Afternoon performances. I had sent out a Facebook invitation to several London, Ontario residents, hoping they would come out and enjoy a lovely afternoon of delicious coffee and desserts and hot jazz.

Imagine my surprise and delight when one of my online acquaintances, and fellow artist, showed up! I finally met Jim Kogelheide in person. He introduced himself to me. I was thrilled to meet him. We had a short chat (I was sitting with a friend of my husband's and the noise level was a bit loud for my already compromised hearing). Jim gave me the above print of his work. That was quite an unexpected surprise, pleasure, and honour! Jim brought his lovely wife, and he said that both of them thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon out and the jazz. He was unaware that the young man playing sax is my son. (I'll brag about Alexander in a later post).

I have scanned in the image (with Jim's permission) so that I may share it with you on this blog. Here is a close-up of the image, followed by the poem:

DRIVING

Come driving with me
and witness a range of mountains
structured sturdy but free
as they wave upon the land
past the farthest tree
and on...
towards the sea.

Let's share a ride together
on this sunny day.
Beware the doubts in our minds
as we leave them behind
in the dust
and drive merrily away.

As we traverse this sun splattered scenery
more than just peaks
also valleys will we adventure to see
throughout this shining world within a nation
deep in the hear of this province B.C.

--Jim Kogelheide

If you look carefully at the above image, you will see that it is a man (Jim) sitting in the driver's seat, driving his vehicle through a British Columbia (B.C.) scenery. You have to view the negative space as positive space to see it. I have included the image (below) with the colours removed to make it easier to see.

On the back of the package the image is in, Jim wrote the following:

Anyone who has gone for a drive with a passenger with a camera has a photo just like the one that inspired this pen and ink art piece. Look closely and you will see the outline of my nose, lips and chin as I steer our Cherokee Jeep Pioneer along a road at the base of a stretch of mountains. There are, also, a few farm fields between the mountains and the road that is lined with a fe trees.

I've had some people tell me that they thought I had really changed my art style and that I had painted a twisted version of some kind of sail boat. I didn't realize that it was so difficult to see the obvious.

Well, I had to admit, I did not see it right away, but once I did, I cannot stop seeing it. However, everyone I have showed this to always blurts out "It's a sailboat" before I show them that it is not.

Here is the piece with the colours removed. I am sure you can see Jim more clearly now, driving his vehicle.

Jim Kogelheide is a visual artist, poet, musician and activist. You may learn more about him, and see his work at www.bitsandpeaces.com as well as bitsandpeaces08.blogspot.com.

Art Creations by Jim Kogelheide is exhibiting at Grooves Record Shop in Downtown London Ontario (on Clarence just south of King) from January 12, 2009 to January 31, 2009.

Picnik Online Photo Manipulation

2009-01-14T15:06:00.009-05:00

Picnik is an online photo manipulation program that allows you to do quite a few "fixes" and "effects" quickly and easily. It can be used as a free program and you do not even have to register. Of course, you can also get a paid version with a yearly subscription that gives you a few extra effects. However, if you have a photo that you want to do a quick fix and are not on your computer with your photo manipulation program, you can quickly and easily do it in Picnik. It is the most user friendly online program I have found. Even the free version is more comprehensive than most other programs.

I did a quick red eye fix in the following photo using the free version of Picnik:

When I saw how easy that was, I thought I would try some other things. My friend, Walter Zimmerman, took several photos of my son's jazz performance with his band at a local café. (I will be writing about that more in another post, including photos, but I still have to view all the photos -- 3 CDs worth -- and choose which ones to upload). I did take one of the photos and played with it. It is one of the nicer photos I have come across of my son and me. I cropped it, added the polaroid border, and some text:

Having a lot of fun with this, I decided to try a few more effects and fixes. I have a photo that I may be working from as a reference for a portrait (I have not decided which of the dozens of photos I will actually be working from). I purposely scanned it without cleaning my scanner bed so there were some glitches on the image. I then cropped and cleaned up the image in Picnik.

Original photo

Blemishes fixed

Vibrance added

Sepia added

There are many more effects and fixes that can be used in the free version. If you want to upgrade to the full version, it is only $24.95/year and it gives you a few more things to play with.

All in all, I am pretty impressed with application. Of course, you cannot compare it to Photoshop or other high end applications. However, for quick fixes and a few fun effects this is a pretty powerful and accessible application. It gives you several options for saving your final image, including saving it directly to Picassa, Facebook, MySpace, and others, and, of course, back onto your computer.

Obama's Playlist

2009-01-13T11:37:00.005-05:00

CBC is putting together a playlist of songs for Barack Obama. This is a gift from USA's closest and largest neighbour. The songs are all Canadian in nature. One hundred songs were nominated. We are now voting for the top 49 songs. We can vote once a day, per computer, per category (there are four categories).

This is what it says on their main page:

49 Songs from North of the 49th Parallel

Canadians choose 49 songs from North of the 49th parallel that defines Canada to the new President.

Beginning Monday, January 5, CBC Radio 2 invites Canadians to help select the top “49 songs from north of the 49th parallel” that would best define our country to the incoming U.S. President Barack Obama.

His playlist could definitely benefit from some Canadian content, especially given the depth of our musical offerings – spanning a wide variety of genres and representing our culture from coast to coast.

“One of the best way to know Canada is through the depth and breadth of our artistic expression,” says Denise Donlon, Executive Director, CBC Radio. “We're excited about the new President and we want him to be excited about us, so we're asking our audience to help compile the list of our most definitive Canadian songs!”

Thank you for all your nominations, we have tallied them down to 100 songs. You have until Friday, January 16 at 11 p.m. ET. to vote for your favourites.

So, what Canadian music do you think is the most definitive 49 songs from North of the 49th parallel?

If you are Canadian, and want to vote, you can go to cbc.ca/obamasplaylist

Tobias Cat Miniature (EDM#185)

2009-01-05T21:02:00.006-05:00

Tobias Cat Miniature
3" x 4"
Coloured Pencils on
90lb Stongehenge Paper
This is the second piece that I created for the I created it for the 4th Annual Juried Miniature Show & Sale here in London, Ontario at The Art Exchange.

For some reason I find cats very difficult to paint/draw. I like cats but have rarely been around them, except at friends' homes. We used to have cats when I was young and living with my parents. However, both my son and I are allergic to them so we don't live with any cats in our home. Therefore, I am not as familiar with them as cat owners are. We live with four birds, so, that may explain why I enjoy drawing/painting them so much. I am able to study them up close all the time.

This cat ref. photo came from Buck's Blog. He was kind enough to allow me to use any of his kitty photos to help me get over my cat-drawing-phobia. Buck and I have been friends since 1978-79. We were inseparable friends as teens. He is really into public transportation and you may also enjoy his Buck Tracks Blog. I enjoy his photos.

Parrot Miniature (EDM#125)

2009-01-04T00:21:00.007-05:00

Parrot
3" x 4"
Coloured Pencil on
90lb Stonehenge Art Paper

The Art Exchange art gallery in London, ON is having it's 4th Annual Juried Miniature Show and Sale in February. I am entering the above image. We are permitted to enter up to two pieces of original art, so I will be creating one more piece before the January 20th deadline.

This little parrot is my first piece for 2009.

Making a Mark by Katherine Tyrrell

2009-01-03T14:23:00.006-05:00

As I was blog-hopping I came across a wonderful blog by Katherine Tyrrell. She offers an amazing amount of useful information for artists and bloggers alike.

I am relatively new to blogging, both as a blogger and as a reader. Until recently I had not found any reason to have a blog for myself, and any blogs that I had come across in the last few years did not hold any interest for me. It was not until I started finding artists' blogs that my interest was peeked. Also, many of my friends and colleagues kept urging me to start my own blog. I did attempt a few in the past years but they all sputtered and floundered. I really had nothing to say.

What I really like about Katherine's blog, Making a Mark, is that she shares all kinds of wonderful information about art, computers, blogging, etc. It is more than just a passing few sentences. These posts are in-depth articles and tutorials in themselves. She has fabulous links to online resources on her blog, as well as to interesting topics and other interesting artists. I am particularly thankful for the following posts:

There are many more posts that I also enjoy, but there are too many to post so it is best if you just visit the Making a Mark blog for yourself. I can spend hours going through Katherine's blog, following links, noting ideas, etc.

Katherine's own work is beautiful to behold. She could have easily just had a site to show off her work without sharing all the good info with the rest of us. However, I am thankful that she has chosen to share what she discovers with us.

This is a site I would recommend to anyone interested in art, the business of art, and in blogging.

Also, a quick note:
I added our family Christmas photos to my Christmas Message of December 25th, and you are welcome to go view them.

Mahlet Portrait

2008-12-30T13:23:00.005-05:00

Mahlet
8" x 10"
Prismacolor Coloured Pencils
90lb Cream Stonehenge Paper
This portrait is a birthday commission. It was a lot of fun to do. I loved working on all the colours. The pose is a little different too, and that made it more fun to work on.

Mahlet Portrait

Mahlet is a beautiful young woman, as you can see. Click on the above link to see the Work in Progress (WIP).

Christmas Message

2008-12-25T10:12:00.008-05:00

Christmas2008

Click above to see our Christmas day photos.

Our friend, Doyle Dykes, sent out his Christmas message this morning, and I thought I would share it with everyone. He is an amazing guitarist/musician and a devout Christian. He is also one heck of a nice guy. We are blessed to know him.

The Tirolese Family wishes You a
Very Merry Christmas
and a
Blessed New Year!

Rebecca Puso Coração

2008-12-19T10:13:00.007-05:00

Rebecca Puso Coração
8" x 10"
Coloured Pencil on 90lb Stonehenge Art Paper

Last "Before Christmas" commissioned piece for this year (2008), this portrait is going to be a gift for the subject.

Because I felt a bit rushed on this one, I had a lot of trouble with it. It took several tries to get the subject to look like herself. I am glad I took the time to get it right. The client was very happy with the final portrait. He felt that I made her look younger, which is not a bad thing. It pleases me when the clients are happy.

I must let you know that when I delivered Missy (below) to the that client, she was THRILLED with it. Missy was a beloved family member for the client and is greatly missed. When the client saw the portrait she got all teary-eyed and started to weep. She really loved the portrait and thinks it is going to be well received by her husband (this is a Christmas gift for him).

I was pleased that I was able to offer something meaningful for their Christmas, and beyond.

Missy

2008-12-15T11:52:00.003-05:00

Missy
8" x 10"
Coloured Pencil on 90lb Stonehenge Art Paper

Missy was a lot of fun to paint. She was a beautiful dog, from the photos the client sent me, and from what the client told me about her. This portrait is for the client's husband for Christmas.

I really enjoyed doing this portrait.

ArtScape Magazine

2008-12-13T18:53:00.005-05:00

I just found out that there is a small profile on me in the current issue of ArtScape Magazine. ArtScape Magazine is a local arts magazine that lets people know what is going on around town and in the local area arts-wise.

If looking at the PDF of the current issue of the magazin e, you will find the article on page 8. I would like to thank my friend, Linda Zimmerman, for making a jpg of the article for us.

I was aware that this article would eventually be printed, however, I did not realize it was intended for the December 2008 issue. If an old friend (that I have not heard from in 20 years) had not phoned me to say she saw the article and would like me to do a small portrait of her, I would not have known. Normally, I pick up an issue each month, but this month I have not left the house/studio much, and therefore, had not yet picked up a copy of ArtScape Magazine. I will have to make a point of getting my hands on a few actual hard copies to put away.

The latter part of 2008 has been good to me as an artist. I am not certain what the difference is, but suddenly people are hearing about my work. I feel honoured that people enjoy my work.

Now I must rush back to my drawing board. I am hoping to have a portrait completed by Tuesday.

2008-12-12T11:32:00.006-05:00

Robert & Theresa Lewis
8" x 10"
Graphite & Carbon Pencil
80lb Strathmore Acid Free Paper
This was a composite portrait. Two different photos were used to create this portrait. The client wanted the couple in front of the waterfall. She also wanted to have the subjects' dates of birth and death on this portrait. The fleur de lys represents the name of the town they are from. This portrait is a Christmas gift for her boyfriend.

It has been a while since I have worked in graphite so this was a bit of a challenge. I had difficulty getting the Theresa's nose correct, and had to re-do it a few times.

All in all, I am pleased with the final result. The client was very pleased too and can hardly wait to give to her boyfriend. The subjects are his parents. I can barely wait to find out how he receives this gift.

Here are the original photos I worked from:

From Lewis Portrait

Quick Update

2008-12-10T07:52:00.002-05:00

I am currently working on a black & white pencil portrait for a Christmas commission. I have yet to photograph it (have not done WIPs) so I have no photo to post. However, if luck, discipline, and a few uninterrupted hours, have it, it should be completed by this afternoon.

When creating art (or doing housework) I like to listen to audiobooks. It is a form of multitasking. It allows me to keep up on my reading while I work, and it makes housework less distasteful. When I work on art, I tend to ready lighter, fluffier, books so that I can concentrate on the art. I listen to heavier more intense books while doing housework so that the housework passes more quickly and I don't have to think about it too much. Our local library offers audiobooks online that can be downloaded for 14 days at a time. This is a excellent way to listen to a access a large variety of books. The library continually adds to their collection so there is always huge selection from which to choose.

Since starting this post I have answered the phone twice(had a relatively longish conversation with one of the callers), emptied the dishwasher and put the breakfast dished in it, started a load of laundry, called my son in sick to school (he came home not feeling well), and fed the birds, rabbit, and fish. Now, I am ready to sit down to work on the commission.

Frog Talk

2008-12-07T19:24:00.003-05:00

My son, Alexander, has started a fun little video series called Frog Talk. He is doing this for fun. Alex is a creative 17 year-old who plays many instruments and loves to entertain people. I am not sure what started this little series. Frog Talk 3 is my favourite, so far, but I have not seen Frog Talk 4 yet (being uploaded as I post this). Each episode includes a bit of talking followed by a song.

Please take a look at these, and feel free to leave comments on YouTube. I will include a link for episode 3 here. You can see the other episodes by clicking on "More From: frogstalks" in the right hand menu section on YouTube.

Kestrel

2008-12-02T10:04:00.002-05:00

8"x10"
Coloured Pencil on 90lb Stonehenge Paper
December 2008

This lovely kestrel was commissioned as a Christmas gift. This year I have received several Christmas commissions and I am just tickled pink with most of the subjects.

This was a fun piece to do.

It has been an eventful few weeks. I have picked up, altogether, seven Christmas commissions. I have three left to go. I am at my limit to get work done before Christmas, however, anyone wanting work done early in the new year are still welcome to contact me.

The art show at Williams has been taken down. There was a lot of positive response from this show. All in all, I would say it was the most successful show I have had to date.

Left Brain - Right Brain

2008-11-23T10:43:00.005-05:00

My friend, Raven, of Oregon posted this illustration in a group we both belong to. It made me smile. I don't know who to credit this to, so if anyone knows, can you please let me know so I can give proper credit for the illustration.

This morning I got another Christmas commission for a portrait. That gives me three commissions to complete before Christmas. I am really quite excited because they are all excellent ref photos.

Portrait of Darrell

2008-11-22T18:02:00.006-05:00

Completed portrait of Darrell, Yvonne's father
8" x 10"
Coloured Pencil on 90lb Stonehenge White Paper

Original reference photo of Darrell

This is the latest commission I have been working on. It was from a pretty small reference photo that was a bit blurry. However, all in all, I am quite pleased with the end result. The scan of the portrait does not do the colours justice. Despite tweaking and tweaking the colours in my photo management application, I was unable to get the colours to truly represent the real life coloured pencil portrait.

I will be shipping this portrait early next week. It is going to British Columbia too. With luck and a prayer, we will not have the courier fiasco of the last one.

It has been a hectic week at Casa Tirolese. Alexander has been ill and home most of the week. This is an ongoing issue that started February 2008, progressed to surgery June 2008, and still has not healed. Alexander is still walking around with a painful, weeping open wound. On top of that, I too have been struggling with the arthritis pain and the chronic asthma. Yet, I did manage to work on the commissioned piece, get a teeny bit of housework done, and still had time to put my feet up and watch some House DVDs (Season 2).

Good news: Alexander got his driver's license (G2) and can now drive without licensed adult in the car! He got this Friday. YAY! (He is a good and careful driver, a mature young man, and does not take unnecessary chances).

Soon, it will be time to take down the art from the show at Williams. It has been a successful show. I have sold 5 pieces off the wall!

Portrait of Yvonne Aleck

2008-11-12T08:16:00.007-05:00

This portrait was a birthday commission by a dear friend of mine (Robert Westbrook) for his dear friend, Yvonne. Her birthday was November 7th. I could not post anything earlier than that because this portrait was a birthday surprise. You can view the work in progress below.

Yvonne Aleck - Work In Progress

It is 11" x 14", coloured pencil, on 90lb white acid free Stonehenge art paper. I did manage to get the portrait done in time, despite spending over 80 hours on it. I really enjoyed working on this portrait. The massive amount of curls in her hair were a definite challenge. (smile).

This portrait had to travel from Ontario (where I am) to British Columbia (where Yvonne is). This was a challenge in packaging as Robert wanted it fully framed. The portrait was packaged in a heck of a lot of bubble wrap and then into a box. The glass still managed to arrive cracked. I have since been told by friends who ship a lot of framed work that I should have put an X of drafting tape (similar to masking tape but easier to remove) across the glass. Live and learn.

We did have an awful scare when DHL courier lost the package. The package was to arrive by 9:00 am (British Columbia time) on Friday, November 7th, 2008. It did not arrive. We then thought it might arrive by Noon, then by 5:00 pm. Still nothing. DHL claimed that they had delivered the package, but Yvonne did not have it and no one in her household had signed for it.

I was sick with worry, and just plain sick at the thought the package was lost forever. I had put a lot of work into this portrait (as I do with all my artwork). The thought of it being lost just tore at my insides. It is like losing a piece of yourself.

After a restless night's sleep, I got a call from Robert early Saturday morning to say that the package was finally delivered around 11:30pm their time. Thank God!!!

I am quite pleased to hear that Yvonne and family LOVED the portrait.

I am now working on another portrait for Yvonne. This time it is of her father, Darrell.

Art Opening Reception

2008-11-08T23:32:00.004-05:00

ArtOpeningReceptionNov2008

November 4, 2008

The opening reception of my art show at Williams Coffee Pub was quite pleasant. It was not as well attended as we had hoped, however, those that did show up had a great time.

The Tirolese Jazz Trio played and they were fabulous. They are a very talented group of young men. Everyone enjoyed the music. Many people took their cards so hopefully they will be getting some gigs from this.

I sold some items and art on opening night. I also got a Christmas commission, so I am pretty pleased. It was a successful evening all around.

It was great to see some people I had not seen in ages. All in all, it was a pleasant night.

Acrylic Paintings, Art Show Setup, & Hallowe'en

2008-10-31T19:25:00.010-04:00

After 27 years, I have picked up my brushes, found my acrylic paints, and have painted again. These are 8" x 10" and are quickly and roughly done. However, I am quite pleased with the effort since it has been a very long time since I have actually painted with paint. I am certain, that with a bit of effort and practice, my future acrylic works will be much better.

This morning, at 5 am, I could be found putting up my artwork at Williams Coffee Pub. The work will be up for the month of November. The opening reception is to be held Tuesday night, starting at 7pm. Alexander has agreed to play jazz that night with a couple of friends. I am really looking forward to it. More details can be found on my website: www.tirolese.com

Opening Reception

November 4, 2008
7 - 10 pm

Alexander Tirolese Jazz to perform

A percentage of proceeds from art sales will go to CCH Music Association.

Williams Coffee Pub
3030 Wonderland Road South,
London ON
(519) 649-6767
(Wonderland @ Southdale)

As I write this, it is Hallowe'en night. And, once again, I am disappointed that no children have come knocking on our door. It seems that no matter where we live we always have a poor turnout. Last year we had no one come to the door but we thought that this year may have been different since there are children living in our complex now. It is really too bad that we never have kids trick-or-treating in our neighbourhood.

Alexander was invited out to a friend's home. I am sure he is having a great time. Anthony is playing his guitar while we watch really bad old horror movies. I am going to work on the commissioned piece since it does not look like I will be getting up to answer the door.

I hope to see a lot of people at the opening reception to the art show.

Horizontes da Poesia Book Launch

2008-10-21T09:43:00.007-04:00

On Sunday, October 19, 2008, Mr. Euclides Cavaco had a book launch for his latest book of poetry: Horizontes da Poesia. It was held at the Wolf Auditorium and Mr. Cavaco arranged to have several wonderful Portuguese performers join him and put on a wonderful show for us.

I had the honour of being Mr. Cavaco's guest and having this portrait I did of him included in his book.

My parents attended this function with me. Anthony and Alexander were not feeling well enough to go out, but they managed a few hours without me. My parents were proud that my artwork was in Mr. Cavaco's book. They also really enjoy Mr. Cavaco's poetry and also like him as a person.

My father, despite not being well these days, managed to sit through the whole performance. He was in extreme pain and his legs were very swollen by the time it was time to go home. He could barely walk. However, I spoke with him the next day, and he said he would not have missed it for the world. He really enjoyed himself. My mother enjoyed herself too. They were both thrilled to be there.

Many of Mr. Euclides Cavaco's poetry translates well into Fados (a traditional Portuguese song/music). Many of his poems have been turned into Fados. There were several Fados performers at the book launch that performed for us. All were fabulous. There was a young man (early 20s) who is a new Fado singer. When this young man opened his mouth to sing, I got goosebumps all over. His voice is absolutely gorgeous. His name Paulo Filipe is and I have a feeling he is going to go far in this genre.

All in all, it was a great time had by all. The party continued at Aroma Restaurant. My dad was too ill to go, and I needed to get home to my sick men, so we did not attend. I am sure it was a lot of fun.

Coloured Pencil Holders

2008-10-13T12:22:00.003-04:00

These are my coloured pencil holders. My coloured pencils stand at attention like little soldiers so that I can find them quickly when I need them.

These holders were generously made for me by my good friend, Yves Bureau. I had asked him to poke some holes into some left over wood for me, and he presented me with these beauties. He not only finished them nicely, he added felt feet to them so they don't scratch my table. I love these holders! They are perfect!

Ana’s Parents Come to Visit

2008-10-13T12:04:00.009-04:00

My parents came on one of their extremely rare visits to my home on Saturday. They live in town, but rarely come out to my home. And, if they do come by, they usually do not come in (just to drop something off or pick something up). On Saturday they actually came in and had a coffee with me. They have no idea how happy that made me. They don’t understand how much I enjoy their company, how much I love them, and how much I wish they would visit more often. Mind you, they probably think the same thing about me. I rarely visit them at their home either.

I suffer from severe asthma. My parents’ home, more often than not, has a blue haze of cigarette smoke hanging in the air. Everyone, except my mother, and the youngest of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, smoke in that house. When I go over I end up having an asthma attack that takes days to get over.

My parents’ home is also crawling with rug-rats (grandchildren & great-grandchildren). I love the rug-rats too, but it is noisy and chaotic in their home at the best of times. When you couple that with not being able to breathe, it spells “cranky Ana”. I don’t want the rug-rats only memory of Tia Ana (Aunt Ana) to be of the overly large, super cranky, lady.

It pains me to see my dad in so much pain and discomfort. After years of physical labour, life has caught up to him. He can barely walk now. He did manage to get to a chair and from his vantage point he noticed my art supplies (hard to miss since they are sitting out in the open in the living area). I think it finally dawned on him that not only am I an artist, but I work in coloured pencils. He couldn’t get over my little pencil soldiers, standing at attention in their holder (will add a photo in another post). He knew exactly what my pencil extender was used for. He got a kick that I had a portable drawer system filled with coloured pencils (the back-ups). He also got a kick out of how I glued my pencils together. It finally dawned on him that I paint with coloured pencils. Up until now it had all been an abstract idea in his mind that his daughter is an artist and works in pencil. Now it is concrete.

It was great visiting with mom too. I see her slightly more often than I see dad. I also speak to her on the phone a few times a week. Mom brought two small pots of home-made jam. One is grape jam, the other pear. Both from home grown fruit. Delicious! One taste and I was transported to my childhood.

Mom and dad brought some roses from their garden as well. They are fragrant and beautiful. Every time I walk by them I have to take a sniff.

All in all, I am thrilled that my parents came to visit, and really hope they will come again soon. They were invited to come for Thanksgiving dinner, but have graciously turned me down (again). One of these days they will find out I can actually cook. I hope it is not in the too far distant future.

Pencil Extender, Glueing, & Microwaving

2008-10-13T02:27:00.004-04:00

I use a pencil extender when my coloured pencils become too small to hold comfortably in my hand. This allows me to hold the pencil so that I can continue with my work. Once the pencil becomes too small for the extender (or to sharpen with the electric pencil sharpener) I then glue the small pencil butt to a new pencil with Krazy Glue. (I use Krazy Glue Precision) I let it sit at least 12 hours (preferably longer -- usually 24 hours) before using the pencil again. I am able to use pretty well all of the pencil this way. I sharpen right through to the new pencil. It allows me to make the most of my coloured pencils.

A very important tip in the care and storage of your coloured pencil is to NEVER drop them, especially onto a hard floor. This breaks the lead inside the pencil. However, if you do accidently drop the pencil, or you find a lead that keeps breaking you should try the following suggestion: A trick that I picked up from someone in my Online Portrait Art Group is to microwave the coloured pencil. I microwave the pencil for approximately 20 seconds then put it in the freezer for a few minutes. This allows the wax to melt in the pencil and rebond together. I was thrilled to find out about this trick because these pencils are quite expensive and it is most irritating to keep sharpening a pencil and the lead continuously break and fall out. It is such an expensive waste, not to mention you are then less that much more of that colour to work with.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Post Cards for Art Show

2008-10-11T11:02:00.005-04:00

I have been working on material for the art show in November at Williams Coffee Pub. This is the front (colour) and back (B/W) of the post card I will have on the counter for people to take. Of course, I will also have business cards available. I still have to create the little poster that sits on tables that give a short bio and description of the work being shown.

Despite Anthony and Alexander both being sick and home most of the week, I still managed to get a good chunk of work done. I have started on the next commissioned portrait and have heard that I may be getting a new commission in the very near future. I do hope to create a few new pieces for the show, but time is starting to run short. We have to take into account that they will need framing so if I don't have them done by the end of this coming week, I may as well just go with the older pieces.

It is Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada. We are going to spend it quietly at home. I have a wonderful dinner planned for Monday.

Jill Hammond's Portrait is Finished!

2008-10-08T23:40:00.003-04:00

Well, it took long enough, but the portrait is finally finished.

I hope Jill likes it.

:)

Jill Work in Progress # 2

2008-10-06T12:58:00.003-04:00

I have brightened the hair a bit more. Also, believe it or not, I used Prismacolor Black Grape in the darker areas and it really works well. I am very happy with the results.

Now, a bit more work on the facial features and this portrait will be complete.

This is good news since I need to work on a new rush commission that just came in, as well as create a few new pieces for the art show at Williams in November.

I will not be sharing the new commission on here until it is finished and the recipient has the portrait delivered. It is a special birthday gift and I would hate to ruin the surprise.

Jill's Portrait - Work in Progress # 1

2008-10-04T21:51:00.004-04:00

I still need to work on the face. Most of the rest of this portrait is pretty well completed.

This has been a difficult portrait to do because the original photo has so little contrast.

I have the pleasure of working on this today with my dear husband, Anthony, playing his guitar. My husband is an amazing fingerstyle guitarist/musician. He is working on some new pieces. It is very relaxing to work on art while listening to Anthony play.

Alexander is out with his friend, therefore he is not here to join in the musicality. Normally I have both of them to work to.

:)

Original Image

2008-10-04T21:48:00.002-04:00

This is the original image I am using for the portrait of Jill. I have cropped it down to just her head and shoulders for the portrait.

Skin Tone Chart

2008-10-03T12:27:00.006-04:00

Well, I worked on this for approx. 10 hours. It does not seem like much, but it really took that long.

My scanner is not working properly and I could not get a good clean scan of the chart. It looks a lot better in real life. I decided it was time to redo this chart (my original one fell apart from over-use and had not been replaced.

I am working on a tricky portrait of my friend, Jill. The reference photo is dark and has very little contrast (somewhat flat). It has been a real challenge to get the skin tone on this portrait so I created this chart to help me visualize the skin tone better. Ann Kullberg has a chart like this that she sells on her site. I used her colour suggestions for the skin tone chart. Too bad that Prismacolor's Deco Pink has been discontinued. I still have a few left, but will have to find a replacement when those are used up.

Keep your eyes on this blog for updates on Jill's portrait and the new pieces I will be working on. You can go to the my main website to get info on the upcoming shows. I will be posting information later today on the opening reception at William's Coffee Pub. Tirolese Jazz Quartet will be playing that night. It will be wonderful.

Prismacolor Chart of Coloured Pencils

2008-10-02T16:21:00.005-04:00

I have spent the last few days working on a colour chart of Prismacolor pencils. I thought it would be handy to have a quick reference of each of the current colours I have on hand. This way, I can look quickly to find the exact colour I need, as I need it. It is time to get organized. I will be doing a skintone chart too.

This took a lot more time than I had anticipated. But, that is the story of my life. LOL

Having the pencils organized by colour and value is the next project, after the skintone chart.

I am planning on teaching again, soon. These are the first steps in getting the lesson plans organized. I am hoping to get some training soon, but I thought I would start getting organized in case that does not pan out as I hope.

I enjoy listening to audio books while I work. I just finished listening to The Soloist by Steve Lopez. It was quite a good book. Last night Anthony, Alexander and I were out to dinner at Ben Thanhs (a favourite Viet/Thai restaurant) and I was mentioning that I just finished listening to this book. Alexander surprised me by not only having heard about, but knowing quite a bit about the story. He really amazes me sometimes.

I have to work on some things for the show at Williams coming up in November so stay tuned for works in progress and updates.

Jay Unger and Molly Mason plus Family

2008-09-27T21:37:00.003-04:00

We have been fans of Jay and Molly for many years. Alexander found a copy of the music to Lovers Waltz in a Strings magazine several years ago. He was just little then and playing violin. He decided to learn the piece and it was beautiful. In the magazine was just the bare bones of the piece so we ordered a full score from Jay and Molly's website. Alexander learned the piece, and with his dad accompanying him, he played it for his Montessori school. It really was beautiful.

When we heard that Jay Unger and Molly Mason were going to be in Port Dover we just had to attend. On Friday Anthony, Alexander and I went to Port Dover, Ontario's beautiful Lighthouse Festival Theatre to catch a Jay Unger and Molly Mason in concert.

We had front row seats and were in for a real treat. The performance was fantastic. Not only were Jay and Molly there, but Jay's daughter, Ruthy Unger Merenda, and her husband, Mike Merenda were there too. It was a real family event. Ruthy and Mike are also very talented (we will be picking up their new CD online in the next few days).

The music was absolutely amazing! We were grinning like fools through the whole thing, it was so good. And, we had the pleasure of meeting them all after the performance. What delightful and pleasant people! Poor Alexander was so excited at meeting one of his violin heros that he was tongue-tied when talking to Jay! (We all know that is a rare thing for Alexander!)

Mike and Ruthy had their 8 month old son, William, with them. What a cutie! He is really adorable. I bet he will continue in the family business as a third generation musician.

All-in-all, we had a great time, despite never having been in Port Dover before and having a heck of a time reading the directions to get back home that I printed off Google Maps. We got stopped for a spot check with the RIDE program and the nice OPP officer gave us better directions to getting back to London than I had picked up off Google Maps. We were so thankful.

We hope we can get Jay and Molly to come to London some time in the near future. It would be great of Ruthy and Mike could come too.

Redesigned Website Finally Up and Running

2008-09-14T00:55:00.002-04:00

The long overdue website redesign is finally completed. You can view it at www.tirolese.com/art.

I have also decided that I will use this space to keep everyone updated on what is going on in my art life. It is difficult for me to remember to post to a blog because I rarely can think of anything to write about. However, I will use this space to show works in progress, write up about upcoming art shows, and keep people up to date on what is going on with my work.

Thanks for reading.

Ana