Stonedance update...

I have continued to work on the concrete in the negative spaces and have started working on the stone textures...layering graphite with a 2h wood pencil and a 2hb mechanical pencil for those darker details...for darker shadow areas in the concrete I have also layered with 5b wood over 2h and 2hb.

Also selective blending with tissue and a stomp and pulling graphite out with a kneaded erasure, and more layers of graphite until I achieved the look and texture of concrete beneath the rocks.

The dancers are more apparent now in the negative space.

New wip...work in progress

One of my favorite artists is Armin Mersmann. I first discovered him at Artpapa.com, but you can also find his work on Diviant Art (Nimra). He is an amazing artist and human being! Well anywho...hehehe...I have been wanting to do a piece influenced by him for some time now...so about a month ago I set up a bunch of rocks...yes I did say rocks...hehehe...on my concrete patio and just played with them snapping pictures and rearranging them and snapping more pictures...I didn't know exactly what I had in mind, but I figured I'ld know when I saw it. Finally, I previewed what I had on my camera and then went to see the"BIG" picture.

Amazingly enough it is not the rocks that I fell in love with in this piece, although I do love them...the textures and shapes, most of them are river rocks that I have collected, but the negative space around and among the rocks that I adore.

This weekend I have started working on the actual drawing...

My new studio....

Its small and modest but a dream come true....my very own studio. My boss at my day job has agreed to rent space to me in the apartment upstairs. I have been back to work since school started a week and a half ago!!! I'm in heaven.

New direction...................................

Taking a new direction....well maybe not so new...at least to me. I had such great plans for blogging and leaving a record of my existence other than the next generation....not that they aren't fantastic. They are the light of my life!!!! My 4 lovely daughters...My oldest has flown the coop...she just rescently moved out on her own. The Christmas Elf is still as sassy as ever and the younger two keep me hopping, but any who...hehehe...I want to include my artwork here for your consideration.

That's my girl!!!

June 13th 2008...Catching up!!!!

Wow!!!! I didn't realize how long it had been since I had updated!!!! I have so much to be thankful for. My oldest has graduated! I have lots of mixed feelings....happiness...sadness... Tomorrow is her graduation party. She is celebrating the finish of a 12 year career and the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Me?! I'm celebrating the rearing of an intelligent beautiful young woman to adulthood without eating my young....hehehehehe!

Time to BRAG!!!! My lovely graduate entered the local Ladies Auxilliary V.F.W. Patriotic Art Competition and won 1st place in her school. Now her piece will go on to the district level. She has a very good chance. Her artwork recieved a perfect score and we are very hopeful. If she takes the division judging then she will receive tickets to Reno and accomidations for the national judging at the september convention. If she should win the national judging...cross your fingers...she will receive a $10,000 scholarship and her artwork will appear on the cover of Time Magazine!!!!

To Rock Or Not To Rock...That Is The Question!

One of my favorite pastimes is singing! I love it! Give me a good tune be it via the radio, karaoke, or a live band and I'll be singing along!!! It just makes me feel good.

My husband is musically inclined. He can pick up most instruments and figure out how to use them and not to badly at that. He's been a drummer for 30+ years. Ayup...he's one of those people! (Laura turns green with envy) Though I can sing I can't play a single instrument. I've tried and failed miserably.

Well, anyway, the point of this is that I have a decision to make. My hubby and I have tried a few times to put a band together with me singing...we are even trying yet again at this very moment and due to one problem or another it just hasn't worked out. I was handed an opportunity to try out with a different band. I'm just not sure what to do about it.

You see I'm not what you would expect of your average lead singer of a band. Lead singers aren't average people. They (or they seem to me anyway) are outgoing, confident and gifted people. In my case I can sing fairly well and on the outside I appear confident enough, but on the inside I'm a quaking bowl of jello. I FEAR performing in public. Once I get past the first song I'm usually alright, but before during and after that first my knees and hands shake, my heart races and I feel like I could fall on my face. It's terrifying!!!

I wonder also, if I try this on my own without my hubby there as a fall back if I could over come my fear...if part of my fear has to do with disappointing him and at the same time I wonder if doing this on my own would be disloyal to him.

Well, there's alot to think about...more later...
Laura