Art School?

*sometimes all i want to do is color, yeah, like ALL DAY
* primary colors in use once again
*still looking for an On-line mixed media class
*trying to incorporate journaling into my "coloring"
*for now i have to make-up my own "art school" as i go
*the hard thing is to decide about the homework
*i so much want to go out there and buy more pens/markers
*i'm glad i found this watercolor moleskine, it keeps the colors rich
*i'm getting really flighty, just can't decide what to do next but i know for sure i don't want to spend my evenings watching tv.
*now, netflix is a different matter, but i haven't joined yet
* vacations are good
* work is good
*doing things you'd rather not is good
* expressing yourself is good
*connecting to friends is good
*reading and listening to people that reinforce your values is good
*working on my character issues is good
* exercising is good
*eating less crap is good
*allowing occasional chocolate bites is even sweeter

What things are you trying to learn or do? Can you find the time? The Energy? The solution?

Social Networking......Do you facebook?

Do you facebook?

Where was facebook when I got out of school? If only I had a way
to stay connected with my friends that I grew up with in St.Louis.
A bit of a bummer to move away just before my Junior year in
High School.

I wasn't on the facebook bandwagon until last week. I thought...
"Pleeezzz....it'll just be another thing to take up my time, to
compare myself to (think # of friends), to scratch my head about
thinking of something clever to say. But, that has changed....

I'm a product of the "Class of 79". And I didn't attend my 30 yr
reunion this summer. I only spent 2 yrs at the High School I grad-
uated from. Plus, my moulding time was spent with the St.Louis crowd.
So, they celebrated their reunion without me, as it should be. I
didn't graduate from there. But still.....

Alas, we move on, get busy with our lives, make new friends and find
it harder and harder to keep up with the old. It's these old friends
that are a piece of me. They are part of the fabric of my memories
from grade school, Junior High, and High School. My first swim team
and softball teams. How to win and how to lose with grace. My first
teachers, the ones we made fun of because they repeated themselves all
the time or wore funny clothes. And the cool teachers that taught us
how to believe in ourselves,(Mr.Dunkman). Or the teachers that could
make us laugh. Even the teachers who got us interested in the world,
learning.

I joined facebook last week (scratch that, I've been on it for 3 years
because I thought when my kids got on it I should friend them. But, I never requested it).

I've scanned, uploaded and tagged people in about 40+ pictures, which I
posted on facebook. OMG!! What a huge response I got from the
St.Louis crowd. People were asking to friend me, I was requesting friends
from others that I've fallen out of touch with. What a Trip!!!!
A bit of Advice: Never part with your High School yearbooks, or earlier! I don't know where mine are, Ugh!!

I'm still looking for a few classmates from my graduating class, like Bridget. Hopefully when her kids start using Facebook she'll get on too, and then we can reconnect!

So, I gotta ask:
Do you Facebook? and... has it been a blessing or a burden?

Swim friends doing a little baking, age 10.



Below, the day I moved away from St.Louis.

My current OBSESSION....

* markers

* stencils

* doodling

* moleskine notebooks

Then the questions.............

Why didn't I take more Art Classes?
Why did I compare myself to more talented people only to become discouraged and give up?
Is it too late to find my voice?
Is it too late to learn something new....heck a lotta new?
Am I too old for this? For coloring? For playing? For painting by numbers?
Isn't imitation the greatest form of flattery?
Can I just take a little of this from her and a little of that from him and
make something that is easier for me?

Why now? Why am I able to relax with this now? After all these years?

Ahhhhh, because of the internet....
the Flickr Groups,
the Blogs,
the Digital Cameras,
the Books.
And ALL the frenzy of artistic talent out there.


The above doodle page was done on my recent vacation to Florida.
It's the first time I've actually drawn in this particular moleskine.
I'm not happy with the paper in this moleskine. I think this one was for sketchers. Must find a more marker-friendly moleskine, possibly something
like this ONE.

Picture Frame from ScrapGirls;
Amanda Sok's Worn Overlay Embellishment Templates

Summer 09 Mosaic

ONE- one child flew to Florida

TWO- two crabs caught and devoured

THREE- three is the sum of 2 + 1 in celebration of his 21st birthday

FOUR- four rafts used the most as we played out back in Little Sabine

FIVE- five times these guys took the Sunfish out

SIX- six takes until we got the right shot

SEVEN- seven people picured here plus one more, hangin out at #384

EIGHT- eight letters in the word "Thank You" for a wonderful Beach Week