My Houseguest…..

  Well, I did draw a few Zentangles  and I will post those sometime this week.  But right now, I want to show you a few pictures of my houseguest, Biggie Paws.

This is Biggie and he spent the week with us.  Alana and I have decided that he looks like Alf.   He isn’t very Alf- like in this picture, because I put his hair in a ponytail…He’s very metro and very secure in his masculinity.

This is Biggie waiting…wanting to pounce on Sam, and Sam ignoring him…Poor little Biggie.  But Sam realizes (I guess) that the crate in front of him was his when he was a pup.  So whenever the door was open, he would get in and actually was able to squeeze his whole body inside that little thing.  So right now, Sam is waiting for me to slip up and leave the room.   Sam is definitely aware that I have left the door open.

Biggie is napping and Sam is still waiting for me to leave  that door open and leave the room. Lol, Biggie looks like he’s doing the dead man’s float.  (Click on the picture to enlarge and look at his front and back legs)

By now, they  are sick of me and they see Alana coming home from school.  FRESH MEAT!

Well, that was my adventure this week and now Biggie is home with his family.  Bye Biggie:)

Be Well and Happy!

Boxer…

Boxer

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

       I wish I could say that I have some new art work to show you, but I don’t.  I do have a few more pets that I needed to post to my blog.  So, I guess it’s a good thing that I have been hoarding those back.  There really hasn’t been too much going on lately.  Just the one mosaic fiasco and not much else…except for a little reading and research. 

       I did go home this past weekend for Christmas,  so that was fun.  I know it seems a little late to celebrate Christmas, but my mom has kept her tree up as late as July for us to spend Christmas together.  My sister and brother-in-law were in the military and there was just no telling when they would be able to come in.  So we wait until everyone can be there. Well, almost everyone…David stayed home with the dog.  It bummed me out a little, but I still had a good time. 

     Right now I am dog sitting my sister’s Yorkie pup because one of our nephews (her son) is graduating from Basic Training this week.  The Yorkie is a little bitty thing and his name is Biggie Paws. It’s an interesting experience because Sam is kinda old and I have forgotten how much work a puppy is, but we are muttling through.  

      I do have plans to do some Zentangling.  I haven’t drawn any in a while and I can’t let myself get too distracted at least until Thursday or I will be playing the find the poop or the guess what I’m stepping in game.  And a Zentangle is a perfect way to get my art fix and still be able to take care of Biggie. Well, I guess this is about it for now and I hope I will be posting a Zentangle soon.   If you are yawning while reading this post, that’s ok…If I were reading this instead of typing it, I would be too:)

Be Well and Happy!

 

Mosaic Flop…

  To start my New Year’s resolution,  I checked out a book from the library called Perfect Paper Mosaics by Susan Seymour.  She’s awesome, by the way!  And being afraid to bite off too much, I wanted to try a small simple inexpensive project and thank goodness for that because I put this project right up there with paying bills!  I bought a cardboard box from Michael’s for a couple of  bucks (spray painted it black) and a poster board for .49, so I really don’t have anything invested (thank goodness) because this flopped! As you can tell I couldn’t even muster up enough enthusiasm to finish. It just looks bad…..so very bad… 

      At the start,  I used spray adhesive on the front side of a black poster and the back side of my shiny decorative paper, put them together and used a brayer to get out the air bubbles.  After that dried,  I marked off 1/4 x 1/2 in. cutting grid on the back side off the poster.  I cut the tiles by hand using a metal ruler and a wallpaper knife.  It look good as I was cutting, but as I was gluing the pieces to the box it became the beginning of the end.  The pieces weren’t even by tile or row.  So, I had to stop. 

   If I really want to complete a paper mosaic, I will have to invest in a rotary system that has a cutting mat as well as a slotted cutting grid that is made for sewing and quilting.  If I wasn’t planning on making curtains for the house or a desire to refashion clothes.  I wouldn’t even bother.  The system could get pretty pricey, but I’m seriously considering it.  So, there still maybe be a project in me yet.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see, but for now I’m moving on.

HAPPY NEW YEAR…

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

(This is from a photo taken by Aleksandra Freeman and is a practice in drawing water)

     I hope this finds everyone excited about a fresh clean slate and a new year filled with endless possibilities of creativity and trying new things.  I know I am!  I have some personal resolutions, but I also have some creative resolutions too:)  We are in the process of redecorating our house and I want to fill it with art, but not necessarily drawings.  So I want to try paper mosaics, collages, decoupage and large abstracts.  I also have a ton of polymer clay and I want to find a use for that (besides jewelry), but  I also want to make some jewelry for myself (which I never do).  And last but not least, I want to learn how to sew and refashion clothes. 

     What you may not know about me is that I love thrift stores!  I had a love for  thrift stores when they were considered 2nd hand crap and before the word “vintage” was coined to make used clothes sound cool and acceptable.  I find such pretty things there sometimes, but usually there is something weird added to it, the length or a cut to the clothing that dates the piece and I want to learn how to change it up and make it a little more modern.  I know about now if  David’s mom and sister are reading this they are either shaking their head or laughing, because they know that I can’t sew and when I try it leads to a tirade of foul language and frustration.   I will probably be emailing them lots of questions, lol.  I already have my sewing machine set up in the guest bedroom though, and I’m ready to roll…So get ready Mrs. Ottaway and Vicki, because I’m going to try to make curtains too!!!

   This sounds like alot to take on, but I am only committing to one item of each kind on my list.  I think that should be pretty do-able.  So what creative plans do you have for the New Year?

   Be Well and Happy!

 

German Shepherd

German Shepherd

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

    I hope I’m not reposting this drawing.  I have a few that I haven’t posted to my blog.  More drawings are coming though:)  I like the pose with his tongue hanging out, but 3/4 poses are so hard to draw.  I think it’s because of the eyes.   He looks rather regal and he definitely looks better than my first drawing of a German Shepherd.   I would love to post more, but my head is splitting in two for some reason.  So I think this is about it for today.

Be Well and Happy!

  

 

Yorkie…

Yorkie

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

     Self promotion.  I am a master!  I am so proficient at promoting my art, that I forgot to mention that I had set up a website on my own blog!  So, I’m letting you know, that I have a new website: www.carolottaway.com.  If you would like to have a pet portrait commissioned, just let me know.   I also have a gallery page that will have miscellaneous original works for sale.  The page is empty right now.  I’m having trouble matching the true colors of the art to the image on the screen, and I won’t add it until it’s a perfect match. You all know how well I photograph;) 

On to the drawing!  This is a Yorkie that I drew a couple of months ago.  I love the little bow.  It was a good practice for drawing longer fur, and those long pointed ears?  They remind me of furry little eleves.  I hope everyone has a great day!

Be Well and Happy!

Pearl Bracelet…

I’m back!! I know it’s been a while, but with the upcoming holidays my posts will be sporadic.  I have been pretty busy and trying to find some Christmas spirit!  I have been making Christmas goodies that have been loads of fun and seemed to be a good place to start. I have no idea what I’m going to do with 10 loaves of Icebox fruitcake though.  I hope  it can be frozen.  I have two Christmas favorites Applenut Cake and Icebox fruitcake. It’s doesn’t feel like Christmas without them. I didn’t  bother with making the cake, because nobody makes it like my mama and she makes my sister and I one every year for our birthday:)  One year she even sent us one UPS!  I did make her icebox fruitcake and man that stuff is gooood!  It’s more candy than cake and it’s yummmmmy! Then, I have been making David and Alana watch every sappy Holiday movie I can find from Lifetime, Family and Hallmark channel which is an awesome payback!   I guess next comes putting up my ugly,  sad little tree that no one wants to decorate, but me. It’s like living with two rocks. 

Anyway, on with the bracelet… It was so simple.  I just used memory wire and beaded vintage pearl beads from my stash.  I didn’t have any end beads so I just bent the ends. I think pearls are elegant on their own and should be made with a simple and light designs.  I loved using the memory wire because it gave the illusion of small strands of pearls, but could wrapped it on and off of your wrist, which I think is pretty much the style these days.    The bracelet is part of a Christmas gift and I think I’m going to wrap it around the present like a bow.  I hope she like it.

Be Well and Happy!

November 30

     Today is the last day of AEDM, so my last contribution to this challenge is a gold Christmas ball drawn in colored pencil from an old tutorial that I found. 

   In this past month, I have never had as much difficulty finding  things to do and words to post in all my life.  I think coming up with things to write was a lot harder than the artwork, beading and little crafts.  I’m really not very interesting and I posted some things that I should have been ashamed for others to see.  Still,  I had absolutely loved it!  It was a lot of fun getting acquainted with so many talented and sweet people.  Thank you Leah for doing this!  And hopefully, I’ll see you guys next year:)

Be Well and Happy!

November 29

    I bought this little 5 x 7 cross stitch kit when I was pregnant with Alana,  over fourteen years go.  You read it right, fourteen years.  I wanted to put this in her room, but I guess I should have held on to it a few more years and maybe put the names of my grand kids on it..NOT THAT I’M IN A RUSH! 

     I’m really not that slow a crossstitcher.   I just kept losing the kit and it became outta sight outta mind.  Then, Wednesday as I was cleaning out my art room I came across it.  I had debated on whether to finish this or not.  But since it’s AEDM, I thought, “What the Heck!”  So I sat down, and I made myself get it done.  I don’t find cross stitching very satisfying ’cause I’m not very good at it.  You should see the back of this one..it looks like a thread and knot war, it’s Horrrrrible!

 I had also found two more kits that need to be finished.  One is soccer themed and I had bought that when Alana was in the 6th grade and the other is some kind of flower garden.  Somehow  I will have to make myself complete them, because I hate to waste more than I hate cross stitching, lol.   I could throw these in my handy-dandy travel bag.  When I get bored on trips, it could give me something to do.  I’m on a time crunch with the soccer theme.  I only have four years to finish that one, and I don’t think I can make the deadline before Alana graduates..

Have a creative day!

Be Well and Happy!