Through My Lens Art

Creativity is the Key

Through my Lens Art

Creativity is the Key

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Fostering pups

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I used to work with the Chatham County Animal Shelter, fostering bottle fed kittens and puppies. It was very rewarding but life got busy and it was hard to keep up. Now that I am semi-retired, I am once again fostering! This time it’s puppies only and I’m working with Blazin’ Trails Bottle Babies.

I’d forgotten the work involved with the older puppies; there’s no litter box training which means there is a lot of pee to clean up throughout the day. I was introduced to pee pads, (they weren’t around when I did this before), which sometimes worked and sometimes not. I watched as one puppy put their front feet on the pad and peed in the floor…and one of the guys like to shred the pads. The best solution was to carry them out often and hope for the best.

The two pups that I started with were about eight weeks old and weighed twelve and thirteen pounds – pretty big so carrying them around was a challenge. Luckily, they got very good at steps quickly and enjoyed racing out into the backyard to potty. With the heat we’ve been having, they didn’t want to stay out long – they figured out how to open the screen porch door and head inside to the A/C.

I wondered how I would adjust to having puppies again. It’s been a long time. After our first litter of puppies, my husband put his foot down to doing it again – it was just too hard to give them up. We did actually do a second litter because the shelter was going to euthanize them if they couldn’t find a foster. Of the eight pups we cared for, three stayed within the family.

And I wasn’t sure how Tippi would handle having to share her mother and her house. There was a little growling at first but the pups were smart and figured out what she meant and she chilled. After the first few days, they were playing chase throughout the house.

Thinking about the pros and cons of taking this on again, I remind myself that there is always another dog that needs my help once the current one finds it’s forever home. And I remember the way they look at me with love and trust, wag their tails in excitement, and play with abandon. The pros definitely outweigh the cons.

A new litter has just arrived! I’m happy to report that the older boys have been adopted!

Self Publishing: Books have arrived

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book cover for Exploring the Roots of Flamenco

Just got a copy of my book Exploring the Roots of Flamenco! I originally published it as an e-book, it’s great to be able to hold it in my hand and easily share it with friends. It feels more real than an e-book.

I learned a lot as I went through the process of self-publishing, outside of just the publishing process. I have a master’s degree in art with graphic design thrown in, so I did all the work myself. I had several volunteers to proofread – very important to get someone else’s eyes on it – they found mistakes that I missed; you read it so many times that you read what it’s supposed to say, not necessarily what it says!

Exploring the Roots of Flamenco is 200 pages with a lot of images, it needed special attention to be a reflowable e-book (one that allows the reader to adjust the font size). Fortunately, there are a lot of tutorials on LinkedIn that teach you InDesign. There are also numerous tutorials on how to create books.

I should be receiving copies of my picture books any day. The e-books look great, can’t wait to see what the paperback versions look like.

Gratitude

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portrait of small white dog

It’s the time of year; Thanksgiving encourages people to take a step back and ponder all that they are thankful for. If you meditate or journal, you may do this on a much more regular basis, if not, it is always good to make the time to think about gratitude.

Foremost, I am deeply grateful for my family and friends. Life would be very lonely without them!

I am grateful that the fates smiled on my when I found Tippi and was able to adopt her. She has gotten me through the hard times and always enhances the fun times!

Looking beyond the people that make my life worth living, I have tried to focus on what I have been able to do because of their support.

I am grateful for:

  • Being able to go for a walk in the woods everyday
  • Becoming creative again, making art does wonders for the soul
  • Publishing the 4 books that I have been procrastinating finishing
  • Getting my garden under control
  • Having the mental capacity to master Windows 11 (almost) and the software needed for self-publishing
  • Getting my website updated and finally starting to blog again!

As the cold weather arrives, I am grateful for a warm house and a safe place to be creative, as I get back to work on Myrtle and Maude’s adventures. I am re-doing the art with new techniques.

The art of handcoloring

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Hand painted photographs have been around since the invention of photography. The original intent was to add life to black and white portraits. They lost favor for a short time when color photography came on the scene but have had a resurgence since the 1960s. Contemporary artists have moved beyond traditional uses. For us, hand painting takes a photograph from the realm of modern machine-age precision to the soft, expressive life of a painting.

I find drawing stressful; it takes me a long time to get a drawing to the point that I am happy with the result. When I was in school, I focused on illustration. I spent a lot of time finding reference photographs until one day I decided I could take them myself. I used my photographs to draw from; then I began tracing what I wanted from them. Until I finally decided that I would skip the drawing and color the photograph!

This is the progression of creating a hand colored photograph of Tootsie Pops. The first image is the original photo that I took at the farmers’ market. When converting it to black and white, forget about the zone system range of grays, instead concentrate of getting a fairly light print.

As you begin coloring, keep your pencil sharp and concentrate on coloring light layers. The final image will have multiple layers and you will adjust the colors by adding light layers of other colors to get what you want.

There are many things I love about hand coloring photographs. I love the way color can be used to intensify depth and lead the viewer through an image, drawing their attention to aspects I want to be sure they don’t miss. I have total control of the color scheme and mood and whether or not I want to heighten the realism.

This last example is done with watercolor pencils and you can see that I was selective in what I chose to color; I hope that you are drawn to the little grasshopper!

Gratitude

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Today is the national holiday where we are encouraged to take the time to reflect on all the things we are thankful for. I guess it’s a good idea to have a holiday all about thanks but in reality, it’s something we need to do every day! When I take the time to reflect on my day and list what I’m thankful for, I feel so much better! My list is somewhat repetitive but that’s okay.

As I struggle to overcome my depression and anxiety, I read everything I see that deals with mental health. It’s surprising how often writing and meditation are listed as important components of coping. It can be daunting to sit down and try to write every day; I’m not very good at it but when I make the effort, I’m always pleased with the result! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not writing anything prophetic – sometimes it’s just a to-do list with comments. It can be all about what’s bugging me – it’s surprising how the “bugs” disappear or solutions suddenly appear. Some days it begins with “I don’t know what to write about today”; it’s interesting to see what comes next! But it always includes what I am grateful for.

Meditation is a harder concept for me. Especially first thing in the morning when I don’t have the wherewithal to get out of bed! But I have found that if I work to direct the thoughts that run through my head as I lie in bed, it can have a very healthy outcome. It takes practice to tell my mind that certain things are off limits but I am getting stronger and more resilient. PTSD is a strong opponent but I can win!

2 dogs going out walking

My favorite form of meditation is walking in the woods. I discovered the benefits of walking in the woods several years ago when we lived near Umstead State Park. I never felt alone there even if I didn’t see another soul. I had my girls with me – they introduced me to the benefits of stopping to smell everything and how much fun creeks are.

Once I began to feel the calm, restorative effects of the woods, I began to see faces! Photographing all the faces I see continues to be a favorite of mine. And of course there are the birds, squirrels, critters, and deer that bring joy if you slow down enough to see. Learning about the secret life of trees opened up new avenues of creative thought, the faces in the trees took on new meaning.

So on this day of thanksgiving, take a moment to reflect on all you have to be thankful for. My list is sometimes long and sometimes short but it always starts with my children, my friends that stand by me, my family and my good buddy, Tippi. Everything else is just icing on the cake!

Surviving the Pandemic or did I?

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It’s been a very long time since I sat down to write. I don’t know where to begin. All my best laid plans have gone out the window and here I am starting from scratch.

With the onset of the pandemic, the art world as I have known it, was up ended. I, along with a group of artists, were set up to take on a new gallery venture on April 17, 2020. Due to age, health issues, and a very large financial commitment, we had to bail. I don’t regret our decision but I am very sad that it happened. We are still trying to figure out how to make a go of a gallery experience – maybe someday it will become a reality. For now, we’re concentrating on being creative again!

My world continued to change as the pandemic progressed. I was furloughed and spent all my time trying to find work. A very depressing task. I was very lucky and began working full time as a tax accountant – then my husband’s hours got cut…One step forward, two steps back!

In July of 2021, Tippi joined our family. I finally found an emotional support animal – she’s a handful but full of love!

Things looked promising at the beginning of 2022. I had gotten our gallery group ready to use a print on demand service and created a virtual gallery. I finished converting my book on flamenco to an e-book and set up my website to include prints. And the pandemic was finally waning.

Then in the spring of 2022, my world changed again. My husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As you can imagine, everything got put on hold. I had a hard time focusing on my art, or anything for that matter, as my world began to crumble around me. Overnight, I became a full-time caregiver.

His illness was short but intense. During those four months, my son got married and my father died suddenly. I had no time to prepare for taking over all the responsibilities we had shared; a lot landed on my shoulders all at one time.

It’s been a year now and things are better. I spend a lot of time outside with Tippi, going for long walks and enjoying the sunshine. My tax job gives me something structured to focus on and I have a creative coach that is helping me focus on being creative again. It’s hard to explain how scary it is to allow one’s brain to think creatively! I guess, looking at the approach I am taking, I’m still not yet ready to welcome creative freedom. I am starting with updating my website; there are steps to follow to get the needed results, a formula if you will! It’s something creative that must be done but it doesn’t require exposing myself. The art is just sitting there waiting to be displayed.

I am struggling to be kind to myself. I count my blessing everyday: my wonderful kids are close by, I have good friends that care, family ties have been strengthened, and I have a wonderful emotional support dog that loves nothing more than to be by my side! The adversities of the past year have made me stronger in many ways. And I am finally getting back to work on my art!

Landscaping

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Downsizing has been an adventure from the get go; there is nothing here that is superfluous. I love having quick access to my things and a bright environment to work in. However, I find my favorite  workspace to be my screened in porch with a view of the woods.

We did the minimal amount of landscaping last fall to get our CO. This spring we added some perennials but got slowed down because the beds weren’t draining and we had a lot of rain. It is such a struggle to decide what to plant when one week the ground is dry and the next week it’s a puddle! It’s definitely been slow going.

We decided to save the backyard for this fall. It’s supposed to be the best time to plant, maybe Mother Nature forgot!

We started by killing all the grass (weeds), aerating, sowing grass seed, and tilling the garden beds. And then the rain started… For the last year, we’ve had standing water on a regular basis.

We took a short vacation and came back ready to dig in, literally! We started with 25 cubic feet of mulch. I drew up the garden layouts and made a shopping list. The local nursery was having their Christmas open house the Saturday we went shopping, all the bushes were 25% off!  Turns out that a lot of what I want was sold out and I would have to wait until spring. 

We found someone to help us shop; he helped us find suitable bushes and then he showed us the clearance area. Perennials up to 75% off; we filled up 4 carts! Luckily we have a Honda Element, we’d have never made it all fit. We ended up with 59 plants!

Then the rain started in earnest. We have had 5″ more rain this November than normal. It didn’t rain on Friday so we hurriedly got the sun loving plants in the front garden. Didn’t quit finish the mulch though. Saturday, the sky’s opened up and it poured; more standing water everywhere. The rain stopped early afternoon so we had high hopes that it would dry out enough to start planting the back on Sunday- my favorite spot.

The first few plants went it the ground just fine. The tilling made the ground easy to dig. It was a little muddy but definitely manageable until we got closer to the patio. The holes began to fill with water! One hole filled so fast, it was like a spigot got turned on. Daisy loved the water bowl. We used the water to water the plants, the faster we scooped it out, the faster it filled back up. The weird part is that two holes, side by side, one would fill up and the other stayed dry. I might have to find some bog plants or use planters in that area. We’ll see how long it takes for them to drain.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

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I feel like a real space cadet right out of a 1960s sci-fi movie!

I started TMS treatment last week; it is a new method for treating depression for those that are not responding well to medication. So far so good. I am getting up earlier, excited to work on projects and get them done, and no longer wishing I’d never been born.

Ever since BC/BS decided to charge me a $1300 penalty a month to continue my brand name medication, (which worked perfectly!) I have been on 7 different drugs. One actually seemed to be working but I couldn’t leave the house because everything I ate went right through me. Needless to say, the side effects were totally unlivable. The last drug only lasted 4 days, it turned me into a monster. We got a good laugh when I went back through the list of side-effects and it said to call your doctor immediately if you turned into a b…h! Not sure who they were trying to protect, me or everyone around me.

My son heard commercials on the radio for TMS treatment at Greenbrook TMS NeuroHealth Center and thought I should look into it. My gut reaction was pretty negative, it sounded flaky and it is very expensive. But I was impressed when I researched it; it’s FDA approved and covered by health insurance if you qualify. Many research universities have shared studies online, lending credibility.

TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation and while it is unclear exactly how it works, it is helping many people. The Mayo Clinic explains how it works this way:

During a TMS session, an electromagnetic coil is placed against your scalp near your forehead. The electromagnet painlessly delivers a magnetic pulse that stimulates nerve cells in the region of your brain involved in mood control and depression. And it may activate regions of the brain that have decreased activity in people with depression.

Side effects are minimal, I have had a slight headache following one or two treatments but it didn’t last long. I’ll just enjoy that sci-fi feeling!

History of Pets in Art

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If you are lucky enough to have an animal companion you understand the loving bond that exists between man and beast. No matter how tough life gets, to be greeted with unconditional love and enthusiasm each time you walk in the door, is a true gift.

From Stone Age cave art to Broadway, human storytelling has included animals as an important part of the narrative, often using them as symbols for human behavior or to explain our bond with the natural environment.

It was in the 19th century that artists began adding animals to domestic scenes for more sentimental reasons. As dogs, cats, and birds became common companions, artists began including them in portraits as both a symbol of wealth and status, and for the insight they provide into the subject’s personality. Before photography, painting was the only form of documentation of people’s day-to-day lives so as animals gained importance in peoples’ lives, their resurgence in art grew.

Artists have long enjoyed the soothing and therapeutic effects of sharing their lives and work with a pet; as more people are working from home, the relationship between man and animal is intensifying. And with that increased bond comes a desire for portraits of pets.

Some see paintings and videos of pets as silly and unworthy of serious attention but there is a reason that these works of art often go viral on social media. Our pets are a steadfast element of our busy lives and an integral part of our wellbeing. They love us unconditionally; what a great gift!

Flowers Role in Art

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It’s high summer and gardens are in full bloom. You have to love the summer garden with all its bright colors and heavenly smells, even the weeds look pretty when they flower.

Flowers have played a role in most art forms, provoking emotions and as gestures of sentiment. With a Google search, you can uncover lists of flowers and their historic meanings, their use in folklore and fairy lore, and numerous quotes by famous artists and writers.

In early Western Art History flowers provided a rich visual symbolism for understanding God’s Holy Word. The lowly dandelion, symbolic of innocence and nostalgia ranks with the white lily and the rose.

Moving toward the Impressionists, gardens gave artists the freedom to experiment with composition and color. Many artists of this period were avid horticulturists as was Claude Monet, the most important painter of gardens in the history of art.

“I owe it to flowers that I became a painter.”   Claude Monet

Georgia O’Keefe, best known for her abstracted flower studies, aimed to make the viewer really look at the flower.

“Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.”   Georgia O’Keefe