WoW! I can't believe it's been a whole week since I posted to this blog. Crazy week. Still dealing with the baby with congestion and my toddler has a head cold/congestion also. They both hate it when I need to use the nasal aspirator to clear out their noses...I can get by without doing it to the toddler but the baby I must use the aspirator or he can't drink from his bottle. He is pretty miserable. I have been spending a lot of time keeping him happy. It's a lot of work trying to be Robin Williams!

Well I bribed Little Man (the 2-1/2 year old) that if he took his nap without fussing, we'd go outside and blow bubbles. So now I am committed...maybe this time I'll let him do all the bubble blowing and it will tire him out :)

The other thing that happened this week was that we upgraded the computer from some components from my brother in law's computer. When he upgrades, we upgrade from his old stuff...which is great stuff! So we have needed to download or re-install practically everything on the computer. I am currently without PaintShop Pro, the use of the scanner, and the printer.
I tried to reinstall the Kodak Easy Share software today...and was only partially successful. It's installed, but confused. It can't find the pictures once I upload them to the computer. So getting all that stuff working again will be the goal of the week.

I hope you have a good week!

As you can see I figured out how to get the Slide gallery going. It was free so I decided not to pass that up. I think it is unfortunate that it seems to slow down the loading of my blog page, however.
So not sure if it will be permanently adopted as a fixture here on the blog, but it's interesting for now.

Usually when I see a photo like this, I think the kid's sick of having his photo taken. But in this case, he actually POSED for this, asked me to take this picture (he also wanted me to take a picture of his nose). What a little nut! Look at him peeking! No fair!

A few of our Easter Photos...a great thing about a blog is that it's easy to share a little bit about our day.

Little Man did quite well for himself...despite his sisters' efforts! We told the girls that we left out eggs that would be super easy to find, and that those were for Little Man...please don't take those, go for the harder ones. But in the excitement of the chase, they grabbed up any and all of them they could, forgetting what we had told them. I couldn't be too mad at them, since I tend to lose all mental function myself whenever chocolate is involved.

The kids desperately looking for the plastic eggs hidden someplace on the car. The looked and looked but kept missing it....but there it is. The gal in the pink skirt (DD1) finally found it, and there was much rejoicing (and gloating) in the land.

Here is my Little Man so adorably finding an egg by the mailbox. The Easter baskets we've had seem to have disappeared somewhere down the line, so we used springlike gift bags...hey it worked. :)

Here are our Easter eggs. They came out pretty good...I was too busy to really work on decorating them this year, although I usually enjoy that. I like to do intricate designs on them with a waxy colored pencil or crayon, then dip them in the colors...wipe off the wax and it is really neat. But didn't do that this year, just fixing some food and taking care of the kids was all I could deal with (Little Guy has a tummy virus...yuck...I will spare you the details of THAT).

Little Man really had fun coloring Easter eggs, even if he looks sad in these pictures! He was sad because he just discovered he had cracked one of the eggs. He ended up playing with the colored water long after we ran out of eggs to color. He mixed all the colors and made some new "interesting" colors.

The Top Ten Cities for Art Lovers
According to travel magazine editors (click to read article). I wonder, which of these cities would I pick to live in? If I wanted to stay in the USA, my choices are Chicago, New York, or Washington DC. Can't decide. All of them have rough weather...I have gotten used to the mild weather of Atlanta. Outside the US, if I had to pick a city to live in, it would probably be between Berlin, London, or Vienna. London would have the advantage I guess, because at least I already know English (sort of) LOL...but I think Berlin and Vienna would inspire me the most.
It's all a moot point though, I know I won't be going anywhere for a long time, but it's fun to fantasize.

Berlin
Chicago
Florence
London
New York
Paris
Rome
San Miguel de Allende
Vienna
Washington DC

This piece is part of a series of 3 called Silent Comedians

This Chaplin picture shows you how small these are, 2-1/2" by 3-1/2 inches.

The others in the series are Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton.

SEE THE REST! CLICK HERE

Today's Photo

Kudos to Postal Service Package Pickup

Boy, what the Post Office has done to make it easier to mail out packages is phenomenal!

I sold some older pieces of my art on Ebay. From the "Print Shipping Label" option in my Ebay account, I am able to print out a bar-coded shipping label right here at home, and pay for it out of my PayPal funds (which is how I got paid for the items). So I print out the label, and the lower half of it gives me a record of the mailing. Delivery Confirmation is free when you print your label online, too! It was so dang easy it was shocking.

Now I've put a note in my mailbox to tell Jim the Mailman that I have some Priority Mail prepaid packages on my porch. That is so much easier than taking a 6 month old baby and a 2-1/2 year old to the post office with me! I know everyone is annoyed when the postal rates go up, but I am not irritated when I see value-added services like these.

It will get even easier when my digital postal scale that I ordered on Ebay arrives. For now, I've either had to run to the post office to weigh things, or I've weighed it on the bathroom scale at home. Some things are too light to register on the bathroom scale, so I have to weigh myself, then weigh myself holding the package, then figure the difference! I feel silly, but it works! I hope the digital scale arrives soon though...until then I have to be dorky.

What's so 'good' about Good Friday

Have you ever wondered why it's called Good Friday, since it's the day Jesus was crucified?
What could be so good about someone being nailed, hands and feet (or wrists and ankles) to a cross, with a crown of thorns, tortured until they died?

Isn't it a ghastly image, you might ask - George Carlin once said that he'd never want to be a part of any religion that had a guy hanging on a cross as it's logo.

Non Christians think it's really weird. A friend of mine in high school was distraught when someone saw her cross necklace and came up to her and asked,
"If Jesus died by firing squad, would you hang a MACHINE GUN around your neck???"
(my answer would have been yes). The method of death is not the issue, the cross is simply a reminder that Christ died for the sins of the world.

Yes it is a horrible image...that's the point.

Rather than good meaning something wonderful, I think for Good Friday it was meant to mean 'holy,' in early English.

If you'd like some more information on Good Friday, see the Wikipedia article.

Did you grow up with any Good Friday traditions?

Lookup a word or passage in the Bible
Include this form on your page

This morning I took my daughter to school. When I got back home, the morning light was hitting these flowers in my yard just right. I have been wanting to photograph these flowers for a few days now, so I figured this was a great time to do it. Another great thing about taking pictures in the morning is the dew that is on flowers. I think it gives them an extra pretty look. These will be a nice photos to do a colored pencil or pastel paintings from. But they're nice on their own too :) I didn't crop this or retouch either of these, they are exactly how the photos were shot. These plants were given to me by a neighbor about 3 years ago. They had taken over her flowerbeds and she needed to clear some of them out. The first year they looked dismal. The second year, there were about 2 blooms. The year after that, maybe 9 blooms, and this year, more than 20 are going to be blooming! If you click on the photos, you'll see them much larger and you can see the dew mist on them.

Protecting your artwork investment - paper art and documents

Protecting Your Artwork Investment - Paper Art & Documents

Don't put off taking steps to protect your art investment. Right when you buy it is the time to start. If it came to you in an archival art sleeve - great. Just keep in mind that you should try to replace the art sleeve approximately every year.

What are the other options?

FRAMING and MATTING

If you plan to frame it, there are a lot of inexpensive mat and frame sets ready to go in popular sizes in your local craft and hobby store, and even your local discount store or Ebay. Here is a situation where the phrase "you get what you pay for" really is true. Yes, it's very inexpensive to go this route, but in the end, your art isn't as well protected. If the frame and mat set is made in China, if it says "Acid Free" or "Lignen Free" that may not really mean it is truly an acid free or lignen free product. By bringing that up, it's not to say that they are intentionally lying, but just that often due to a lack of knowledge of English, they may just copy USA Made products' wording and packaging.

If you are not bothered that the original artwork could (and probably WILL) be damaged by using lower quality products, then go ahead. I have done this for some items myself. You will spend in the area of $20 and up.

If you really care about the artwork but you just can't spend the $150 or more that professional framing will cost, then consider buying the cheap frame but get a new mat cut - avoiding the mat included in the frame and mat package. Getting a custom mat cut at the frame shop usually runs from $5-$10 but depends on the type of matting material you desire. Ask for 'Conservation Grade' materials. Most professional frame shops DO use this type but it's good to ask.

Just having a true Conservation Grade mat up against your original art on paper is an improvement over using a questionable mat. Use framer's tape (not just general masking tape and definitely DON'T use package tape or regular gift wrapping tape). Framer's tape has a special adhesive and is acid free. It will cost you just a few dollars to buy some, or if you strike up a friendly comraderie with the person at the framing desk, maybe they will give you 4 pieces, just the amount you need - for free. Mental note to brush your teeth before you go to the frame shop!

But for artwork you really care about, DO make the investment of getting it professionally framed and matted. Especially if it's an original pastel work on paper, there is a special ledge that the framer can create that will allow any stray pastel particles to fall into, so there won't be unsightly pastel powder buildup inside the glass...it will fall into the hidden recess behind the mat. Again ask whatever frameshop you use if they use Conservation Grade materials. Also good to look for is UV Protection glass, to avoid sunlight damage. Non-glare glass is also offered by framers, but it will tend to artificially dull the appearance of the artwork. If you have no idea about what color matting will look best with the artwork, you will generally make a good decision if you go with the framer's recommendations.

If you are not in a rush to get your artwork framed, you can get on the mailing list for your framer. Most of them have sales or discounts on custom framing during their slow times. Avoid the traditionally busy times for frame shops, which are usually October through December. Expect that your framing will likely take about 2 weeks, or even more time if your matting needed to be special ordered.

WHERE TO DISPLAY YOUR ART

Once it's framed, where are you going to put it? Avoid areas with either high humidity or extreme dryness. Humidity will make the paper wavy, and dryness can make it brittle. Look for a place that has enough light for you to enjoy the artwork, but an area that doesn't get a lot of direct sunlight. The sun will do a lot of damage to works of art on paper.

I hope this Guide has been helpful to you in protecting your artwork investment. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Darla Dixon http://www.pencil-portrait-drawing-artist.com

*This Guide may be distributed on the Internet or in print media if my name and website are included. Thank you!

This one I did based on the memories I have of my cat, Katie (she died 2 years ago). Katie used to like to sit on the windowsill and watch the goings on outside. Once she got a little too wide in the tushy to sit on the windowsill, I'd put something by the window like a chair or a box so she could still look outside. This artwork is another one of the ACEO's...Artist Card Editions and Originals. It's only about the size of a playing card. It's india ink and pastel.
You can bid on it HERE
and see more like this one HERE

What do you think about original artworks that are the size of a baseball trading card?
Only 3.5"x2.5"...that's what these are...miniatures.

They are Artist Cards Editions and Originals, called ACEO for short. They're a great way to collect pieces of original art, very fun to collect or trade with friends.

The one of the lady is the first ACEO I have ever done. It's in pastel. The flowers are in oil pastel. Both are done on pastel paper.

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THE FLOWERS (#3)

Abstract Art Piece - Colored Pencil (not my usual style but I think it's neat)
CLICK HERE TO PLACE A BID!

Wolf howling at the moon - original graphite pencil drawing -SOLD

Today I met with a client and I had a few minutes to spare. I brought my little Kodak Easy Share digital camera with me and took some photos while I was waiting. Doesn't seem like waiting when you're having fun, though! These pictures have not been enhanced at all, although the middle one I did crop a bit.

At first glance at the landscaping of the office building, I didn't think there would be much to photograph. It looked a bit dismal...the flowers were small and fading...but tucked in there, like little gems, were these flowers. I had to get down on my knees and zoom in some cases, but I think the results were definitely worth it. Life can be like that too...everything looks all over and dried out, but get down on your knees and look at things from a new perspective and you'll see beauty.

I'm going to try to take my camera with me everywhere now. It's only the size of a deck of cards so there's no good reason not to take it.

There seems to be an ongoing theme in my blog of pictures of my kids with food on their faces. In this one taken yesterday, Little Guy is trying squash for the first time with mixed results.

This is one of the several pieces of pencil artwork I have up for auction this week on Ebay. Someone is going to get a really good deal on this, the auction on this one starts at only $4.99 and it's an original art piece. When we cleaned out the bookshelves to make more room for the boys, I found all kinds of stuff to Ebay. I can tell you too, that this looks even better in person. I will kind of hate to see it go, but it will be nice to have my art get outside this house where it will hopefully be loved and appreciated too! I don't sell very much on Ebay anymore, so this will be fun to see how it ends up.
See Collie Auction
See all the other Auction Items by Me

I took the Painting Personality Quiz and wasn't very surprised by the results. I absolutely HATE to clean brushes, so pastel is a natural solution for me. Oil paints take up to 3 months to completely dry, which is great for being able to work at it here and there, but it drives me crazy to have to wait so long. I also can't stand turpentine and the vapors/chemicals involved in painting in oil. Even 'odorless' turpentine is dangerous. People tend to think that it's not dangerous because they aren't smelling it, but the danger of the vapors still exists. I noted that pencils weren't even part of this quiz.

For now, I stick with my pencils. I get more than a little irritated when pencils aren't even considered an option for 'painting.' Colored pencils especially involve as much, if not more, mixing/blending than pastels. Even in American Artist's special Drawing Magazine, pencils are always referred to as a base for other mediums. They are only usually considered to be important for the skeleton of an artwork, but not held to be important as a true medium in its own right.

I notice that pencils are like the red headed stepchild of the art world, and I can't figure out what the reason for this is, unless it's just pure snobbishness.
-----
"The answers you selected in the Painting Personality Quiz suggest that you'd be happiest should avoid using oils, but would be fine with pastels, watercolors, or acrylics.

With pastels you get instant results, there's no waiting for paint to dry, nor brushes to clean afterwards. The basics of watercolors are easy to get to grips to and cleaning up afterwards is simple, but it's also a medium that's extremely versatile. Acrylics are very fast drying and, once dried, can be overpainted without disturbing underlying layers."