It was beginning to feel lonely in blog land. No comments, not a one, for close to two weeks. I wondered what was up. Did I forget to shower? Been eating too many onions? Or did I say something really STUPID and offend everyone?
Which, trust me, wouldn’t be the first time.
And then Donna contacted me on facebook. Asked me what was going on because her comments were not going through.
It was a Homer Simpson moment. A big “D’OH!” Or, in Oprah speak, “AHA!”
Turns out I had a SPAM filter run amok. The comment police working overtime. I was able to go in there and manually sort through everything. Marked your beloved words “Not Spam”. Then I had to find them in another folder and mark “Approve.” Then I had to repeat the process for my replies.
I’m not sure what the problem is but until I can fix it I promise I’ll check the SPAM folder daily. Your comments will appear the day you post them and I WILL answer every one. Because I love the conversation that’s been happening.
And I want to grow this blog into a community.
So bear with me while I iron out these growing pains. I will be blogging throughout the holidays although I might be posting through my ipad or phone while the computer is in the shop. Always an adventure. And I’ll look into using a different comment plugin.
And the big news–come January I’ll be taking a blogging e-class. I’m new to this and am open to finding the right direction and making this blog ROCK. I’ll share the details as they happen. And I’ll be posting the class info later.
Meanwhile, can anyone tell me–did I use the right ‘bear’ up there?
Am I the only person in the world who doesn’t like isn’t fond of salmon? My Nordic DNA evolved in the fish eating gene pool. My ancestors consumed mackerel like M&Ms. Stinky, fatty fish is my birthright. Go Vikings!
And take your damn fish with you. Because I DON’T LIKE IT. Unless it’s tuna salad loaded with pickles and mayo. But even then I have to be in the mood.
I thought I was in the mood today. I stopped at my favorite organic deli on the way to work. Bought a little bitty oh-so-tiny piece of smoked salmon. Line caught. Finest pedigree under the sea. Because it’s good for me. Can you tell I was feeling virtuous? Oh, yes indeed I was. I even bought some kale salad. I like kale salad. Like it a lot. But I didn’t used to. It was only after I started eating kale regularly that I developed a genuine fondness for it.
I was am hoping the same thing will happen with salmon.
I took my virtuous lunch to work. Did I mention I bought potato chips too? Yes I did. They were my reward for choking downsalmon eating healthy.
I’m so glad I got those chips. Big thick Kettle crinkles. With sea salt. Solid. Substantial. Greasy. WONDERFUL.
The salmon sucked. Too dry. Way too fishy. The kale needed some better dressing. Too boring.
I just spent the last hour or so watching art videos on youtube. First one, then follow a link to another. And another. And another and another and another until I’m positively LOST–I mean, SERIOUSLY L.O.S.T. somewhere deep in the creative abyss of youtube.
And I learned something from each and every one of ’em. Like what to put in an instructional video. And what not to put in. And if you’re filming it yourself with a camera on a fixed tripod, well then point it at the PAINTING, not at your back. Hellooooooo–Miss Artist Lady, as nice as your sweater is FROM THE REAR, I’m really interested in what’s happening on the easel.
Y’ think….
By the way, I’m in the market for a video camera for, ahem…making some art happen on youtube. Any suggestions? For the camera, that is. Although I’m open to video art topics as well.
And now, before I call it an early night, I’m going to share one of tonight’s videos. Got to warn you, it’s almost 10 minutes. But it’s fun.
Well, it’s on the walls. Seventy pieces of art between Sister Margie and Moi. Wheew…. Still a few loose ends to wrap up. Labels. Pricing. More publicity.
I bought a couple of birdhouses tonight. Bright. Colorful. Perfect for the garden. Generations of birds will line up to call them home.
But not these birds. They’re too fancy to live in my garden. They just fly around once every year at the Miners’ Foundry, a repurposed foundry from the 1860s that’s now the cultural center here in Nevada City.
A better view. Looks like a party…and it was. A hundred artists and members of the community donated birdhouses (and other bird related art) to an auction to benefit the Neighborhood Center of the Arts. We’re in the process of building a new website but this will give you a general idea of who we are and what we do.
We do some pretty amazing stuff. I say ‘we’ because I’ve been teaching there for so long my feet have grown roots right through the floor. Must be why I’m still there after all these years.
Been there long enough to understand that it’s better to see people for their abilities rather than their disabilities.
Oh. My. Goo’ness. Tonight I went down to the studio and NAILED it! I was a creative fool, yes indeed. After my day job–which is something I usually don’t do. For all sorts of reasons. Like, I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Or, it’s dark, I can’t paint by artificial light. And then there’s studio quat who’s been alone all day and needs some lap time…on studio sofa…in front of studio TV. Watching HGTV. Studio Quat is a sucker for those decorating shows.
In other words, I am an artist who arts during daylight hours on days when I don’t do my day job.
But tonight–after work, after dark–I went down to Studio Grande and (take a deep breath)…plastered two large boards, successfully changed the background color on a painting I wasn’t happy with, pumped up two little paintings that needed work AND, start to finish, did a 16×20 oil that ROCKS! Did ALL that in three hours.
Holy crap, this girl was on fire!
And the painting, the one I did from start to finish with absolutely no idea where it was going or what I was doing, the one I painted merrily through the dead spots–you know dead spots, where you want to throw up your hands and walk away–but I just kept on going and and let it happen…. IT JUST HAPPENED.
Like I was a PAINTER.
O.M.G…
Why was tonight different? Affiliate Alert. Because before I did anything tonight I listened to Increasing Creativity, a hypnosis album I download from the internet. No lie, it was that good. So good I knew I had to tell all my art peeps. And then checked and saw they have an affilitate program and thought I might as well make it official and make a little money while I’m at it. But I would’ve told you about it anyway, even if they didn’t, because I’m still giddy from having such a good time in the studio tonight.
And I’m also embarrassed that I have no photos to show. Didn’t think to bring the camera with me tonight and by the time I was finished it was late and dark and wild beasties were on the prowl. I’ll take photos tomorrow and post them later. I’ll probably have a whole bunch of stuff to show you by then.
