favorite pastime

I have such a love affair with photography,

there's no end to what you can do!

Original

Convert to B&W

Increase contrast

Play with colored tints ~ crop

... and so much more!

pseudo-oil painting

more tricks

borders - zoom & crop

the choices are as varied

as your IMAGINATION (and your software)!

Authenticity

Truthfully, no two of us are alike!



Whether you've attended Art School, are self-taught or consider yourself an "outsider artist," each one of us has come from a very VERY different place. And because we come from totally different places it is natural to produce totally different art.



Creating art, in any form, is also an act of trust. It takes a "leap of faith" since making art is the act of BARING YOUR SOUL!

There truly are - NO RULES - that define where art can or should come from. The important part is that we express our own authentic individual experience.

Release the bird from your caged mind. Let your art (and your heart) S.O.A.R.

You have a story to tell!

You Are Special

"best friends forever"

3 weeks ago I made this ATC for a very special friend and, when I see her on Friday, I will finally be able to give it to her.

The backstory is that she came into my life under extremely trying circumstances. Raised by her single father and grandfather and at barely 9 years of age, her dad was tragically killed in a one-car accident. Yes, heartbreaking, but there is much more to this that I can't share. As a result, we have opened our hearts to each other and the healing process continues. Outside of immediate family, she has trusted only ME with her story and I am honored to be her friend. UPDATE 03/28/09: today will be our second "go" at altering her Poetry Journal together. We plan to add lots of secrets in magical little hiding places, so stay tuned!

The way we were brought together, and she agrees with me, proves that there is no such thing as coincidence. Especially when you realize that the root word is "coincide!" (For all you linguists, more here.)

Over many years we have developed a special bond that can NEVER be broken ~


...not in this world...


...or in the next...

art journey, refreshed

It wasn't until I heard myself saying.. out loud.. how much I missed making art, that I realized I needed an emergency ART INTERVENTION! So often we turn without for inspiration, but this time it felt different. It came from within.

My heart spoke ~ and I listened.

About 2.5 weeks ago, I was describing to a friend that not expressing myself through my art was making me feel all bottled up! Shocked to hear myself uttering those words, and I promise you it was TANGIBLE.. there was a connection taking place inside.. leaving no doubt, whatsover, that the time to "purge" was n.o.w.

The easy part was locating a few half-started projects to pick back up again - LOL - and (no surprise) I came up with some new ones, as well. I'll be busy posting and sharing them with you, but first, here's what I've been working on since March 3rd:

• blank card for someone to GIVE (below)
• 3 ATC's - 1 very special one for a special friend
• an altered book Poetry Journal with a teenage friend
• finished my first handbound journal (a la Kelly Kilmer) with 3, 20-page signatures
• started the cover design
• learned to use a Color Negative attachment to my scanner and retouched 2 of my all-time best photographs from two 26 year old negatives
• Book of Me journal
• Sentimental Journey journal

... happy arting!

every day is a new beginning

upland farm - sherman, CT 02.25.08

Let there be respect for the earth,

Peace for its people,

Love in our lives,

Delight in the good,

Forgiveness for past wrongs

And from now on, a new start.

millennium resolution - rev. peter trow - 1999

Web Surfing (for a change)

Undine - 1872 Ophelia - 1910

Juliet - 1898 Boreas - 1903

A small sampling of the amazing artistry of John Williams Waterhouse (English painter, 1849-1917)! Have I been under a rock?? Although I've seen (and adored) the painting, "Boreas" I never knew who painted this masterpiece, until tonight. Which brings me to admit.... not only do I enjoying researching images, I seem to suck up the accompanying details LIKE A SPONGE! LOL! (You can view hundreds of his paintings in the online gallery here.

And if you can't tell already (based on the wide range of topics I enjoy)... I'm an information junkie! Geez, I'm always poking fun at myself by saying, "I'm on a need-to-know basis!" I would've made a top-notch detective, research scientist, or game show contestant. Ha!

Please share YOUR image resource faves & here's a few of mine:

• Time Tales
• Wikimedia Commons
• Library of Congress on Flickr
• Google Image Search

To use any of these in your artwork, it's important to become familiar with the complex subject of Copyright Law and know how to locate "copyright free" images, which are in the public domain.

More Pencil Practice

Thursday evening was the second session where I sat down with my pencils, sketchpad and a magazine! I enjoy this exercise so much and seeing it here, in writing, I must admit I am frustrated that I wait-so-long-in-between!! ARGGHH!

I believe it's important to add "copy work" to my skillbuilding toolbox along with freehand sketching. As a true beginner with no recent drawing experience (does 20 & 30 years ago count?), it's a challenge when there's nothing IN MY HEAD to pull from. At times, I believe we all struggle to come up with ideas and I do envy those with unlimited imagination!!

All artist's use inspiration to feed their creativity. My grandfather (no relation) was a professional painter and airbrush artist. He also did alot of portrait commission work and I recall the steady stream of people that came through his home studio in the late 50's and early 1960's. Models, clients, fellow artists, etc. When possible, he set up his easel and painted landscapes & seascapes from his island home in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I have a box of Kodachrome slides that he labeled "for painting" so naturally photographs are a great source of inspiration, as well.

The choices are as varied as the individual! We can paint from a photo of a flower or a sunset, or tune in to an emotion; something that's pulling at our heart such as sadness or loss. Many choose to focus solely on the uplifting aspect of affirmations and draw from the feelings they get from words such as hope, dreams fulfilled, joy and love! Yet another form of inspiration is to look at something someone ELSE has created and make it your own, as in a tutorial or in a classroom.

The simple skill of observation comes in handy, too! As mentioned in an earlier post, where I described the "foundations" of my creativity, 25 years of photography have helped me to develop a clear vision. By taking 10's of thousands of pictures and experiencing what appeals and what doesn't - I understand MY views of contrast, color, perspective, proportion - and the BEST PART? It constantly changes because we are constantly changing.

Long winded post today, but I simply enjoy sharing my world with others. What I do, what I think about, what helps me to become a better person; a better artist. That is why I'm drawn to blogs that allow a peek inside someone's thought process. I learn MUCH from seeing their surroundings, hearing about their challenges as well as what inspires them. In that sense, I hope that you will be inspired by some of the posts here. In sharing so much of myself, which is the true nature of my personality, my goal has always been to make CONNECTIONS!

I'd like to sum this up with the idea that we are all a Work In Progress. Never stop learning and you will never run out of ideas!

The Family Historian: Me!

Meet my great-great grandparents:
Alice St.Clair & Winfield Scott Sterner -
born in 1840's. Pic taken approx. late 1860's



Some recent "Digi - Play!"

I have always been fas-ci-nated with my ancestors ever since I was a child.

what were they like?
where did they live?
how did their lives differ from mine?
what were their struggles?
whose NOSE do I have?
what was it like to live without electricity?
and why is great-grandmother's rocking chair SO SMALL?

I was a piece of work! (my poor mom)

At 3 years old I begged my grandmother to tuck me into bed with stories of what it was like when SHE was a little girl! Lucky me! So, whenever my brother and I came for a visit, she would lull me off to sleep while fondly recalling her childhood days! (The picture, above, is of her mother's mother) Born in 1893 in Lynchburg, VA, my grandmother Alice had 7 siblings, sadly 2 of them died when they were young, a few chickens and a nanny who cooked for the family and helped with all those children! "Nanny" as she was affectionatly called, remained with them for decades, until she retired. Grandmother's father was in the furniture trade, which is why he moved to Lynchberg with his young, but growing family. When Alice was still very young, his ambitions required them to move again and they travelled to Philadelphia where he became a very successful businessman. (see "freehand freedom" post for a link. His business still exists TODAY!) She told me wonderful stories of this large, happy family and two parents who were very much in love. Weekly dinners with extended family were their custom and because of that, my mother (now 85) can recall in vivid detail, many of Nanny's special dishes. Among them fried chicken, peas with fresh cream and bread pudding.

Random web pics: 1929 Packard all-weather Town Car. A house in my grandmother's childhood neighborhood - Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, PA

Those memories along with stories of a lifestyle entirely foreign to me, such as, "How The Butler Was Caught Stealing Daddy's Liquor" (and how mother was horrified when she found out he fired him on the spot). "The Christmas That Daddy Surprised Mother with a Packard." And the ever popular "Why People Thought Mother Was A Catholic" (because her driver parked the car in front of St.Mary's while she was at the library.) I had the kind of bedtime stories that little girls dream about. I'm sure this laid the groundwork for my childhood dreams of fairy tales and princesses!

Standing in front of my grandparent's house - 1958.

Close-up of the inquisitive one! Middle name: Alice.

Namesake of the storyteller, my grandmother Alice

and of my gr-great grandmother, Alice - above.

The only reason I am in posession of such a TREASURE TROVE of information... is because I have always asked!

Hollywood comes to my hometown again and AGAIN - Pop. 28,000

Today I went searching for information on my town's website and decided to catch up on the latest news from our local Film Commission. Looking through the list of past projects I was really surprised (& proud) to see this YouTube video of an American Express commercial that spotlights our perfectly picturesque town center. It runs for the final 21 seconds from :40 to 1:01!

Filmed in CT on May 6, 2006

"Mr. Deeds" was also partially filmed here starring Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, Peter Gallagher and John Turturro. The first picture is Adam and Peter on the set and the second shot is from the end of the movie when Deeds inherits a billion dollars and buys his friends a few dozen Corvettes!

Filmed May 25, 2001

"The Secret Life of Pippa Lee" was filmed here and stars Blake Lively, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, Robin Wright-Penn and Keanu Reeves, among others! It was written and directed by Rebecca Miller, a local resident and daughter of the late playwright, Arthur Miller.

April 2008

Also appearing on Main Street was an indie comedy, called "The Six Wives of Henry Lefay." It's scheduled for release sometime this year and was shot in 2 other CT locations, as well. The movie stars Tim Allen, Elisha Cuthbert, Paz Vega, Jenna Elfman, Andie MacDowell, etc and was both written and directed by Howard Gould. A resident shot this cute pic of Jenna, former star of "Dharma & Greg", talking to a group of inquisitive pre-schoolers who were lined up on the sidewalk to watch the filming across from their school!

September 2007

(P.S. We knew this area was a perfect slice of "small town America" long before Hollywood figured it out! LOL)

(Flickr) Love Is In The Air!

love is in the air!
Originally uploaded by cookievf

A heARTfelt thank you to the artists of flickr for the images combined here in my newest mosaic! Valentine's Day has always been a favorite of mine since it represents so many of my favorite things ~ hearts, the color RED, romance and L.O.V.E. - !

On the rare chance that I can really sit back and browse this A.M.A.Z.I.N.G site, it is always a "vacation for the eyes." And, now that I think about it, just when WAS the last time you took a look around? Please take a MOMENT to click and

BE AMAZED....

Search on a favorite flower (I tried: "black rose"), favorite bird (check out "hummingbird") or how about the word "macro" (almost 3,000,000 images are tagged with "macro)!

Here are a few interesting places to land - what are yours?

-The Commons. Your opportunity to contribute to describing the world's public photo collections.

-Rural Decay

-Craft Rooms

-Vintage Photo Sharing

-Arts and Crafts Tutorials

-Rusty and Crusty

-Corners of My Home

H.A.V.E. F.U.N. ~ be inspired ~ a great way to unwind!

A Little Experiment

"Gratitude" 12 x 12 - 1st Digital Scrapbook page

About a year ago, my DH surprised me with a long-awaited copy of Photoshop Elements. 8-10 hours later I knew just enough to make a few collages, nothing very advanced. And then I moved on... still frustrated by the steep learning curve.

A few weeks ago I asked an online friend if she had any links or tutorials to recommend (Kimmie from The Challenge, on NING - website link is over there ->) and this layout was the result!

I've always been fascinated with documenting my ancestry, scanning treasured photos for future generations, preserving their stories and learing MUCH along the way! In my growing collection I have pictures of 7 (out of 8) great-grandparents and now.... 3 of my great-grandparents. Anna Zurn Cook is one of those 7 and Barbara Grupp Zurn, her mother, is one of those 3. They are from my father's branch of the family tree and I have documentation tracing Barbara's immigration to the U.S. in 1837 from Aalen, Germany. Over the next 2 centuries, many of her descendants remained on the East Coast in both PA and NJ, not far from Philadelphia, including myself and my mother's side of the tree.

They lived in an era of extremely difficult times, especially for a woman, and I wanted to honor their sacrifices in my first Digital Scrapbook Page. I am eternally grateful to both my great grandmother and my great-great grandmother and many others that I will be scrapbooking.

This is only the beginning!

2009 Outlook: Delve Deep!

Art Journal Page - "the time is now"

November 2008

(made for an Artist's-Way-style challenge on NING)

As we turn the page on 2008 and prepare to begin anew,
~ allow me to share an uplifting thought ~

The economic downturn has effected each and every one of us, if not personally then it has most assuredly impacted someone that we love. Housing foreclosures, unemployment, sacrifice and loss. Life lessons have been learned and we will be forever changed. And that is not always a bad thing.

We are reminded that it is our relationships, not things, that are important.

Now is the PERFECT TIME for:

~ reflection
~ learning
~ delving deep

~ self love

~ patience
~ finding creativity
~ adaptability

~ resourcefulness
~ discovering strengths

and most of all,

~ reaching out to uplift a friend because
a trouble shared is a trouble halved

I have earned an MBA and a PHD in the "school of hard knocks" over the course of my lifetime. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing since it has shaped me into the person I am today.

If you have major obstacles in your life right now, I want you to know that I care. You are in my thoughts and I believe in you!

“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you." - Mahatma Gandhi

Mom Wisdom

I came across this little piece the other day, especially good advice for this time of year:

"Be quiet.

Quiet, not only for the ears, but for the eyes.

Quiet for the mind and heart and soul.

There are shelves of books all about de-cluttering our lives. It is simply this; we can have the thing or we can have the time it takes to do it. We cannot have both. Quiet makes possible the higher human activities:

Prayer

Learning

Music

Art

Writing

Thought

Genuine conversation

Sleep

Walking

Water

Dining

Quiet.

Why do we prefer the complex and expensive solutions to our ailments over the simpler Mom Wisdom that is free and readily available? Why not start today with a nap and a good meal? And then take a walk."

First Snow, Finally!

a virgin blanket of snow

The two of us happily enjoyed our first day of vacation, snuggled down in our cozy little house in the woods, while the snowstorm raged outside! So far we've gotten about 8-10" of white stuff and it's still coming down ~ with another storm to come saturday/sunday!

So we're relaxing and enjoying this last weekend before Christmas and taking time out to remember the true meaning of this

very special holiday!

Both of us are most excited to be able to go snowshoeing tomorrow morning... in our CHURCH OF THE FOREST...where we are closest to God. And the best part? We are blessed to have a property that connects to a 250 acre Nature Preserve. We can hike MANY good-sized hills, cross a beautiful rushing stream, spot red-tail hawks, white-tailed deer (below), native songbirds in the marsh and in the thick underbrush and disappear for 3 hours without seeing another person. Truly, food for the SOUL!

snowshoe tracks & a visitor!