The window box
A compilation of 3 images. Two images taken with Impossible Project film (one color and one silver shade). One image taken with a Hasselblad 501c/m using Kodak Provia 400 color film.
Work in progress, August 2012.
Work in progress
Door way
A compilation of 3 images.
2 images taken with a Polaroid Sx-70 using Impossible Project Cool test film
1 image taken with a Hasselblad 501c/m using Kodak Provia 400 film.
Work in progress, August 9, 2012
Still geeking out on space stuff…
I have still been geeking out over NASA Mars updates and many other things space related. Especially today…
While at work, my dad showed me this video of the Earth Illuminated as seen from a satellite.
And then ICP posted this: today in 1969, the issue of LIFE magazine was devoted to the photos taking during the moon landing.
Now, I am going to go geek out a little bit more and read the Doctor Who novel I am currently reading, and dream about nebulas and distant moons.
On location today…
…well, that is just a nice way of saying that I am not working in any of my normal places. With two showings scheduled for today at our condo, I can’t work at home. With a bunny side kick (so she doesn’t have to deal with strangers) I can’t exactly go work at MCBA, or in my studio with all the photo chemicals.
So, everything for me to work on had to be portable today. In between moments of me saying “don’t chew on that, don’t go in there, don’t eat that” to a 6 pound house rabbit with the attitude of a toddler, I will be cutting out book pages and processing photos, and putting together class descriptions.
Life is an adventure.
Suddenly the world changes
It has been awhile since I have written a blog post here, though I have started at least a dozen in my head. Most of those have covered why I haven’t been writing here, including needing time with Mr. FN, needing time to create some new artwork (which I have been doing), and being sick…which has really knocked me out a few days over the last couple of weeks. All of those bits are really truly valid.
Then NASA goes and does something awesome, like landing a new rover on Mars, and I find myself laying in bed with Mr. FN watching the live stream of this happening on an iPhone and everything suddenly seems so surreal. Like the future is suddenly here, and has some small chance of being brighter and more peaceful than many of us (myself for sure) thought it would be.
And suddenly those excuses for not writing a blog post just don’t seem as interesting. That isn’t a bad thing.
Watching history happen is amazing.
I can’t top that with anything today, and I have decided I am not going to try. There will be other days for discussing upcoming events, and what I am working on. Today, I am just going to bask in the coolness of being part of the generation that saw NASA continue their work and land a robot on Mars.
I will leave you with a few links though:
MCBA’s new class schedule is up! (When the print version comes out, ask me how many of the photos are mine! I’ll be happy to tell you! Ha!) I’m working on figuring out how many classes I can realistically take this fall!
The month of July for my 30 Project is almost complete and uploaded! I am waiting to finish off one more roll of film and make prints to finish the last few journal pages. August will be updated soon….as soon as I go buy more photo corners!
More updates on books, boxes, and blogs coming soon.
I know a lot of people who laugh at how Mark Wheat says “be peaceful” at the end of his broadcasts. Honestly, I love that he says that, and that is on my mind a lot today. If we can be peaceful to one another, and work together, think of all the awesome things we can accomplish! Congratulations NASA. I’m so proud that you are around and still part of my generation. Maybe someday we can discuss all of the Hasselblad’s that are left on the moon…
~Peace~
Long days
It seemed like a long day. I biked to work – my usual Wednesday routine. Once there I spent a lot of time texting with my aunt, discussing how my mom was doing with her surgery, coordinating another showing at our condo, and what seemed like a million other important things at the time as well as working. After work I didn’t bike home, I biked to my parent’s house to visit my mom (she is doing quite well, thank you!) and to met Mr. FN as well as my aunt. It was a longer bike ride than I remembered it being, and quite warm. But, after that, amazingly, I had no energy to worry about anything anymore. It is amazing how peaceful and quiet your brain is when you reach that point.
The showings and activity on our dear little condo has been ramping up all week. It is exciting, but also a lot of work and worry. But we are surviving it all….though the resident bunny may have different feelings.
Of course I am busy with artwork as well, though there is a huge part of me that loves being busy with that. Currently on my plate is a family photo shoot that needs to be processed, two photo shoots this Saturday that will need attention right away, 100 calendar pages to be completed by the end of September, working on another book set box for the Fine Book and Fine Wine event at MCBA in October, and working on creating more art work for my show at the Larson Gallery…also in October. Have I mentioned that I have just realized how quickly October is coming??
It is ok, I have a plan. Mostly that plan simply involves giving myself more time tomorrow to work on the artwork portion of that to-do list, and saving the photo processing for this weekend and next week when I find myself away from home, between jobs, but with my laptop. The calendar pages will be started on next week when Laura Brown is back in the studios at MCBA…because it always seems like a party when she is there to work! I think this plan will be successful. There is potential.
As I mentioned in my post yesterday, the image uploader is still being a bit wonky for my website, but I have been told by Mr. FN that if it doesn’t get better this week to hold on until next week and he’ll have it all fixed up. So bare with me just a smidge longer. The photo I just took tonight is a staged shot of the book I’m currently reading laying on one of my favorite chairs to sit in and read. It is the only thing I really want to do tonight, and exactly what I will be doing as soon as I finish this entry.
MinneDemo is tomorrow night. I had planned on going with Mr. FN. It isn’t necessarily my thing, but it has been fun and a bit interesting in the past. It is mostly tech themed, and I often find myself quite out of my league during conversations and demos, but there is good beer and plenty of people watching. But I am feeling in a bit of an anti-social and ‘I-want-to-stay-home-and-snuggle’ mode, and since I haven’t been feeling 100% lately, I think I will probably cave to those feelings. Sometimes you need to just be home.
However long this place remains our home.
An odd thought…but not necessarily bad. Just something that enters your mind a bit more when your home is on the market and you have had multiple showings in a short amount of time.
For right now, it is time for me to give myself that time in my chair with my book. Fingers crossed, there will be photo uploads tomorrow!
New things
The No Coast Craft-o-Rama festival on Saturday was a success! We sold a decent amount of pottery, and I actually managed to sell a few cards. It was a hot, humid day, but we survived.
I have been trying to blog everyday, but have failed recently. Mostly, it is because I have been getting too run down and starting to get sick…same old drill, different day. I started antibiotics today, and have started feeling better…hopefully they keep working. (And no, I have not mentioned to many people that I haven’t been feeling well. I don’t always.)
I have more photos and journal pages to upload! I have really been enjoying this project! Of course there have been a few issues with the servers Mr. FN has me working off of, and the photo uploader bit is apparently on strike right now….but trust me! They are cool, and they are coming soon!
Today while laying on the couch I did manage to change my shop a big. There are now 5 items listed for sale. Those will change every couple of weeks most likely. I will post links and tweet whenever things will be updated. Why am I changing this? I adore Big Cartel and having a shop through them. Before, I was paying a monthly fee to be able to have so many pieces listed….but I wasn’t selling anything. Yeah, I know. Art is hard work to sell. So instead of keeping up the monthly payments that weren’t really getting paid for easily, I went back to a free plan. That plan allows me 5 items. I will see how it goes for awhile. Maybe things will turn around and I will change it again. Big Cartel makes that very easy, so I’m not worried. I wish with all my heart that people bought more art. I would love to do a survey and ask people why they don’t. When you are at a large art festival, why do you choose one item over another? Functional over decorative? I’m curious – not bitter! Just curious.
Lastly, I finally made a new web shop for the pottery! Same kind of thing: there are 5 items listed and they will change every couple of weeks.
And with that, I am done working for the day.
Good night!
No Coast Summer Craft-o-Rama is today!
And I will be there sharing a booth with Dad and Kiddo Pottery! Today will be a wonderful day to get out in the park, try a few crafts at the activities booths, eat some great food truck food, and shop from local artists and crafters! I hope you stop by!
Silverwood Park
2500 County Road E
Saint Anthony
Minnesota 55421
11am-6pm
For a schedule of the events, go here.
Still swimming
Things keep moving over here.
There has been work to do getting our home ready for another showing this weekend, we have been planning for an end of summer road trip, and I have been adjusting my diet again to accommodate my allergies. Not everything gets to be fun, right?
But everything keeps moving right along, and I still can’t complain about this summer. I have had extra time to read, many photo outings already with the promise of more to come, lots of patio time with friends, lots of pool time, and thank to my Year of 30 journal project, I have had more time in my darkroom than previously.
Tuesday I spent many hours in the darkroom, developing the first roll of black and white film from this project, and creating prints for my journal…in fact they are updated in the gallery if you want to look.
A darkroom, and red lights, on blue film.
Books to read…and yes, there is an e-reader in that stack…
Evening…it just looked so peaceful outside…
So we keep going, and keep moving, and I will keep being grateful that there is still quite a bit of summer left….not just because I have a big show coming up in October that I need to do a bit more work for….there is a pretty awesome description of the show up here! I like how they describe my work! (and yes, the first time I saw a description for this show, that I am one of two artists in, was when I searched for a link to it for this post.)
I’m still swimming…..
leaving nests
This year for the first time since we moved in (9 years ago!) I put a hanging basket of flowers on our deck. It wasn’t long before a family of house finches decided that little basket would be the perfect place for their nest, and they moved in. Mr FN and I watched as baby birds appeared, and started learning to flap tiny wings, sometimes hovering just above the flower-pot, before landing for another nap and meal. I watched as much as I could to see the moment when the baby birds finally took their leap of faith and flew away. Yesterday morning after settling in for a work day, I looked and saw that the baby birds had finally figured out how to fly, and were off in the world somewhere now. The mother finch came back a few times, sitting on the edge of the pot, and looking at her empty nest for a while before flying away, as if she was saying good-bye to the home she built, and going on to the next one.
After she hadn’t returned for a few hours, I took the basket down to look inside. I am amazed at how perfect and neat their nest is…though perhaps I am just too used to seeing sparrow’s nests. It is still this amazing, perfect little form, that held up to four baby birds stomping around in it, and me watering it a few times before I figured out my flower-pot was inhabited.
Last night we went out with friends for a little “going away” party. Two friends are going on a two-week trip to Africa and they leave this week. We chatted about how scary it can be at times traveling far away, how hard to plan, the difficulties of language barriers and cultural barriers and how you wonder if simple things (such as your hotel reservations) have actually gone through and if you’ll have a place to sleep when you get to the other side of the world. But, through all that, you finally leave home, take your leap of faith, and somehow all of those things work out. Yes, there are plenty of times that bad things happen on vacations that never should have to happen, but those times aren’t the majority. We just hear about them way more often than we hear about the good times. Taking that leap of faith and planning and leaving home for any time is hard to do when you don’t always know what you will find at your destination, but it is almost always worth it.
I can’t wait to hear about their big trip and the adventures they will have. And I can’t wait to plan our next big adventure, to buy the tickets, stand on the edge of the nest, and leap.
