Maybe I Should Change this to My Crime Adventures?

I don't live in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

The police have stopped an armed robber two doors from my house.

The police diverted traffic around the corner to my street when a local storage unit found a suspicious device. It turned out to be harmless.

My pharmacy has been held up so many times,  I have to be let in to pick up my medicine.

However, this is not the what you want to see when you walk out the door.

 Apparently this was part of a robbery, kidnapping,  hostage situation. 

Embeadery and Bedazzled Stitches

Two years ago, I  purchased a copy of Embeadery by Margaret Ball.  I loved her work, but the instructions may as well have been hieroglyphics as far as I was concerned.  I put the book away, only to take it out periodically and try to decipher the instructions again, with similar results. It appeared I would never succeed and the book would soon be on its way to one of my  "eBay internet garage sales".


This fall, while browsing through the Joggles Online Class offerings, I found Beadazzled Stitches taught Christen Brown.  I loved the beadwork. I had many of the supplies already, because I use them in other projects. Most Joggles classes are filled with clear instructions, many photographs and the instructor available online for extra assistance.  I signed up and soon was working on my beaded project.


The Beadazzled class has increased my confidence in my ability to do beadwork; I brought out my copy of Embeadery again. Having the background experience I gained in the Beadazzled class made the Embeadery text seem less like hieroglyphics and more like instruction. 

Impression of Crystal Bridges

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened  on 11-11-11. We waited until November 20 to make our first 
visit, to avoid some of the crowds.  Actually, the crowds were still there, but we missed the V.I.P.s . 


We spent the whole afternoon looking at the various exhibits in the galleries. There were volunteers ready to help lost visitors, guide tours, and answer questions about the pieces of art. The facilities are still under construction, including landscaping and trails.

 There were more galleries than we had time to cover, so we wound up spending most of our time in Wonder World, Colonial, and 19th Century collections.  I jotted down some of names of some of the pieces of art and the artists, so I could view more of their works online. I took some photos of some of the works (non-flash permitted).  I have uploaded some of my photos from the Wonder World exhibit.

Vik Muniz: White Brazilian Orchid After Martin Johnson Head

 

Nam June Paik  John Cage Robot II

    

Evan Perry: Old Self Portrait of the Artist as He Will (Not) Be Var. #2

                Nick Cave:  Soundsuit 2010

 

            Nick Cave:  Soundsuit 2010

                                                    

Drawing from Nature

Week Two  of  "Sketching and Watercolor In A Mixed Media Journal with Jane LaFazio" involves drawing from nature, and progressing from drawing to design.

Between the subzero winter and the month of 100 degree plus summer days, nature has taken quite a beating around here this year.  Fall temperatures and some rain have improved my garden.  Chose to draw a Japanese eggplant, that hasn't produced anything this year, but is attractive and alive.

Everyday Object Three

I always liked "Butch", the Rookwood bulldog, but could never afford one. The economy has driven Rookwood pottery values down about 50%, so I managed to get one at an auction recently.

I just had to keep the cats from knocking it off the table while I worked on my drawing.

Everyday Objects Day 2

I used one of my eBay treasures for my second subject in Everday Objects, a Royal Doulton ceramic basket of puppies. I've collected a number of dog figures over the years and this is one of my favorites.
 I used a combination of Tombow and Pitt pens with some watercolor for this object.
 

Next time, I'm going to have to be more selective about the object I draw and it's placement on the page. 

Sketching & Watercolor In A Mixed Media Journal

I'm back from a stay in the hospital, just in time to start Jane LaFazio's  Sketching & Watercolor In A Mixed Media Journal.  I've taken a number of Jane LaFazio's online classess, so I have most of my supplies on hand. The few items I need should arrive before I need them.

The first week's project is Everyday Objects, where the students collect a series of drawings of items around the on a journal page.  My first object, a little robot dog has been gathering dust on a shelf since I discovered how much mayhem it could cause around real dogs and cats.

 

I'm planning on adding 2 - 3 more objects during the coming week.  I have plenty of time to work on them; I'm grounded until the surgeon releases me,  at least another week.

The following photos are of a large (4" or so) praying mantis I found while I was clearing brush.  Looks like an alien, doesn't it?