any experts out there?
I am looking to design a new postcard featuring my art and info, either through 4 over 4 or through Modern Postcard... probably a 5 x 7 postcard. Does anybody reading know about these templates and trim size and bleed size and all that jazz? I could really use some design assistance as I have not got a spare moment to myself right now (in a really GOOD way) and would be willing to barter. I can basically tell you what I want and will provide the images and text. Shoot me an email if you already know your way around this stuff and have some time to collaborate. judith@judithheartsong.com
I got a nice article in a wonderful ART Newsletter called ArtPerkArtPerk helps artists find opportunities to display their art in juried shows & competitions, online shows, art festivals, gallery shows, and other types of shows. Artists can also find residencies, fellowships, and grants, as well as jobs, internships and apprenticeships. ArtPerk is always free for artists!
If you would like to read the article, shoot me an email and I will send you a copy. Artists, galleries, collectors, anyone can subscribe...
whether there will be weather in DC
Forecasters are predicting sleet and freezing rain, changing to rain through Wednesday morning in the environs of DC, although you never know if the predictions will turn out to be correct until after the fact. The truth is that the people of DC do not like inclement weather, and driving in snow or on frozen streets is something that can send traffic into fits and paroxysms of snarls and back-ups. The climate here is more temperate that where I grew up in Northern Pennsylvania, where driving in snow and ice, sometimes with chains, is second nature. Thanks to Virginia's hunting and gathering skills I have lock de-icer in my leather backpack, just in case.
weather.com
just doing my part
We got to celebrate the birthday of a Dear One yesterday, well on her way to WomanChild status. All the females of the clan gathered to take her out an Aussie steakhouse at her request, but first gifts were given at the familial abode. I had gotten her two of those HeadCase Pillowcases, Mona and Venus, and had gotten new bed pillows at Target to stuff into them. What better art-inspired gift to come from the artist of the family?
Always looking for the funny angle, I asked if we could just give her the pillows first... leaving all the other gifts in the car. I presented the pillows, still in the big red Target bag, and she tried to grin and be grateful with a pillow under each arm, all the while looking to her mother for guidance. (Did this crazy woman really just give me bed pillows????) It was a delightful moment as I told her the pillows were on sale and really didn't cost much at all..... and her world balanced out again when the lovely pillowcases and other thoughtful gifts were delivered into her hands a few minutes later.
It was a funny, happy day and I was really glad to be able to share in it.
what a difference a day makes......
...... or ten or twelve.
the first day's work on the white tulip underpainting -
I will take the camera back on Monday to get an image
of all the work I did on this painting yesterdayI have spent most of my vacation days in the new studio, leaving the house early while the crows are still flying out from their winter roost for a day of adventure and feeding. I have spent hours at the easel in the perfect light of this new environment.... painting so much that I loosened the bolts of my easel and they had to be re-tightened. (I had to laugh out loud yesterday when I realized my easel was falling apart.)
Leaving the studio at the end of the day, after putting everything to rights again so that all is neat and presentable to those who might peek in in my absence, I leave the art center calm and centered and feeling better than I have in so long. The long hours of working solitude and quiet allow a lot of contemplation and peacefulness... something that is very good for me, and something I have been missing.
This long break has allowed me the time to get comfortable in this new space, and Virginia has been tremendously supportive in clearing the calendar and dropping by every now and then with a reference image, or brunch, or both. Yesterday she was able to work out the color and white-balance issues with my painting reference for the white full-blown tulips, and she delivered the better images hot off the printer. Eventually I would like to install an Epson printer in the studio so that I can bring a laptop in and print references right there, but for the moment space is at a premium and I have made the best possible use of my square footage while also assuring that it presents as a beautiful storefront for visitors.
My long day at the easel yesterday was rewarding. I am working on the underpainting of the white tulips, adding all the colors and highlights that are glimpsed inside white things. Study a white something, anything, and you will see that shades of gray and pink and yellow and blue are all there to see in the shadows and highlights.
My next investment for the studio will be a multi-media easel that goes from being a very sturdy standing easel to a flat surface for mixed media and watercolors. It is a bit of an investment but will go a long way in giving me more space to work, and will allow flat work that I am unable to do right now because of space requirements. I am shopping around for the best easel at the best price, both online and in my favorite art shops.
I have hopes that over time some parts of me that have felt broken will start to mend and heal, and that I will grow in new directions that I have not yet even thought of... a pretty good start to the new year, I think.
it's all in the pesky little details
a brrr shiver blustery day
happy new year :) 2009
I have spent much of my holiday vacation in the studio working. Since all of my paintings are away at a gallery I have got to get some new pieces underway to show. The study for the koi is proving very popular and lots of people inquire about it.
Right now I am painting a beetle just for fun on an 18 x 24 canvas and all my studio mates are just starting to see how I build layers of color toward a finished piece... that somehow the whole beetle is not right there in the first place:) (I always have to smile at peoples' reaction to the fact that at first the painting doesn't make a lot of sense.... you have to wait for it.) I leave the easel turned toward the display window at night so that event visitors can peek as well.
The last few weeks have been such a whirlwind that I am a bit surprised that we have so suddenly come upon the threshold of 2009, and here it's already begun. I never really got to prepare.... but maybe that is for the best. Let's dive in head first. Nothing profound, I am just going to continue to work hard. As it turns out 2008 was an extremely eventful year and I really like the direction that my creative life is moving in. I want to focus on this creativity in 2009, and finding out a bit more about just who it is that I am now. I want to make the best use of this studio opportunity to the fullest possible extent and paint and explore and grow.
Happy New Year to you and PEACE for each and every one.
LIFE Magazine - Nina Leen
