Learning to Paint Again…

Photo(12)As I write this, "bust a move" is on the radio.  "If you want it, you got it."  We're not talking about the same things, but it's a true statement. My song goes like this. I've been wanting to paint.  The other day I stopped into one of my favorite stores and it so happens they were offering oil painting classes.  $20 for 3 hours.  If you want it, you got it!  Perfecto!  So I got some supplies together and away I went.   I'm not going to lie, I was a little scared.   The anxiety of transferring 3D images to flat….ugh.  Yesterday was my first time oil painting since I took it at Purdue (maybe in 02/03ish?).  I had a great professor then, and my instructor yesterday rocks too!

Photo(11)To add to it, everyone in the class is really fun.  This is the still life I am painting from.  3 perfect pears.  They won't look so very perfect in my painting, but I'm ok with that.  Do you love that fabric?  It's going to make me crazy to paint.

Photo(13)This is how I left my painting yesterday.  Next week I will block out the fabric and start adding more layers to the other areas.  This class is my sudoku puzzle of sorts and I needed it.  What are you doing to challenge yourself?  I find if I don't learn something new or challenge myself, I get so blahhhhh. 

Merry 2011…

"Merry 2011!"  This is what my college freshman cousin texted back to me after I wished his family (who were somewhere skiing–I love their NYE style btw) a Happy New Year.  It made me smile and giggle.  He is refreshing!  

Photo on 2011-01-01 at 11.18 #4

This is me and Rocker earlier today, warm and toasty in our new cabin digs and oh so lucky to have each other.  Rocker suggested we give you our best mysterious model look.  Did we get it?  Haha.  We love us some PhotoBooth!  Which leads me to I got a new computer finally….I converted to Mac-alisism! Praise the Lord!  My old one was old and that's all I need to say.  Ok, but I feel like I'm driving a caddy when I work on this thing.  Smooth.  Fast.  I love it!  

2010's life brought ups and downs…just like every year.  I'm lucky, that's one thing I know for sure.  I made so many new friends this past year and a beautiful new place to live and work fell from the stars into my lap.  Still no "Mr. Right."  I think that's ok for now though.  I found that my work really grew and changed this year and some neat projects fell into my lap.  I tried some new things, like my first Steampunk necklace that uses Jangles parts featured in Winter 2010 Stringing magazine.  

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Thank you everyone who has friended me on facebook.  Facebook…whoulda thought?!  If you haven't, please come on over and look me up!  I want to also say thank you to those of you who purchased my Metalworking 101 for Beaders book this past year and dropped lines to say hello.  I have a few goals for 2011 and one of them is to teach more creative jewelry workshops anywhere and everywhere starting with the Indiana Bead Society on March 19th.


 

There's lots more, but I'll stop here.  I like this song  so I'm sharing!  It gives me that get-up-and-go-do-whatever-you-need-to-get- done-energy….which is what I'm all about this year.