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At the end of the day
Today didn’t go much like I planned it to, but few days ever really do.
Today had a lot of ups and downs, and gave me a lot of time to think and in the end be veey very grateful for where I am. Awhile ago on Twitter I used to post every night 5 things I was grateful for from that day. I’m thinking tonight I should start that again, and that it should be posted here.
~I am grateful that we have a place to live with solid insulated walls when hearing the wind outside.
~I am grateful that I have a car and didn’t have to bike today, even though I was originally planning on it.
~I am grateful for the chances I am getting to exhibit my artwork.
~I am grateful to be surrounded by people I love, and busy doing work I enjoy! Until next time, ~peace~
Eight years
Eight years ago was a Tuesday.
Not many people get married on a Tuesday. It can be a perfectly fine day of the week to get married though. And when the military is making it so you don’t know what to expect next, well, then Tuesday is a perfect day to get married. Besides, we both had later classes on Wednesdays, so we could sleep in a bit longer after all of that celebrating.
Eight years ago I wasn’t nervous about getting married. I wasn’t scared. I didn’t have cold feet. I didn’t have a wedding dress (I was still saving up and picking out the dress I really wanted for the wedding ceremony I knew would eventually happen!). We didn’t have a photographer, just family members with cameras. We knew we loved each other, and that was pretty much the only thing that was important.Looking back, I can’t believe how young we were!I’m pretty certain all three of these photographs were scanned in from prints. Digital cameras just weren’t that great of a thing back then! The two black and white ones are from our engagement photos, taken by my friend Heather Fine with her Hasselblad! She still does amazing photography (www.elusiveimagephotography.com) though I’m not sure how much of her portrait work she still does with film ;)
The last photo is us, on our wedding day, newly hitched, happy as can be, ready to face anything.
I love you John! Happy anniversary! :)
School visits
How do you get a bunch of art students to stop working in the studios and come to a meeting to discuss their future and graduation? Offer free food :)
A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to go back to Anoka Ramsey and chat with the up and coming Associate of Fine Arts degree students. It was fun chatting with them, discussing what decisions they were making, what decisions I made, and basically remembering when I was in that spot, and thinking about how far I have come. Looking back, I wouldn’t do anything any differently.
I’m still here…
I'm still here.
After weeks of working like mad on my show,
and a couple more weeks of running to catch up on everything I had shoved to the background.
Whether I wanted it to be or not, this week has been about rest, and healing.
Being grounded once again.
The last couple of weeks have been a bit foggy.
Today feels much less cloudy.
So what is next?
The list is actually quite long, and includes plenty of work around our home too…there are a few things that are starting to demand attention here, but they aren't as fun to discuss. My web guru and I are discussing changes to my website and my blog (good changes that may encourage me to blog more often again!), I have plans for a monthly newsletter, I'm teaching classes, and picking out classes I want to take…
…and most importantly to me, I'm taking pictures again. After some time off while I was busy framing pieces for my show, I've been shooting film again, and have quite the stock pile to develop and scan in. New images will be posted soon, and who knows what they will lead to!
The leaves are changing colors, though we have not gotten the cold weather yet like we usually expect. It is perfect for the family photo sessions I have coming up today and tomorrow, and for the friend's wedding taking place today. I think I'll pretty much have my camera in my hands all day today.
Last night we spent the evening with friends, celebrating fall, and the finishing of projects at their house. The weather was perfect for a bonfire, and we had a wonderfully fun night! It was a great night to pause, catch up with friends, relax and catch your breath, and then jump back into everything the next day.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Until next time,
~Peace~
Back again
I am finally feeling mostly human again….
After such a busy couple of weeks at work, working on getting things framed and finished for my show, and then one awesome evening opening reception, I was wiped! Not to mention, once the adrenaline wore off, my typical seasonal allergies have hit me full force. Double the allergy meds has seemed to help….
I am so happy that everything went as well as it did! The show looks better than I ever even imagined it would! The reception was awesome, and now things are getting back to normal. I’m finally catching up on blogging, and reading blogs a bit again. There is a new post up at my photo blog: http://www.jesleephotos.com/blog/thank-you/ which includes some cute pics of my friend’s new baby.
As for me, today, I am back over at my studio, with very little to do for the first time in a long time.
I’m going to enjoy that feeling for awhile!
I think I’m going to head outside to work on some pottery for awhile. :)
Thank you!!
Thank you so much to everyone who me frame photos, put wire on frames, wrap and box, and inventory! Thank you to everyone who encouraged me, listened, and offered advice! Thank you so very much to the great people at Bloomington Art Center for asking me to have my work there and for all of the promotion of my show! Thank you specifically to Rachel, the exhibition director, who hung up all of my work and made it all look so nice on the walls! Thank you to those who came to the opening, making it such an amazingly special night, and thank you to those who sent messages of encouragement when you couldn't make it, or asked about it later – all of you mean so much to me! Thank you to those who bought pieces from my show – I'm stunned!
I am still so amazed that everything came together like it did, and so grateful to all of the people that helped make it happen.
This isn't the end though! My husband is working on programming a new website for me, specifically for this project. I know that it will be very very awesome. I will post here as soon as it is up. I am very hopeful that this show will travel a bit, morph to include new pieces, and new stories. You never know the journey artwork will take. Perhaps this project will turn into new subject matter and a new series. I can't predict yet, but I am excited about the future!
In the mean time, I am hoping to take a few classes, and try a few new things. I will keep blogging, so stay tuned here!
I will also be teaching at Bloomington Art Center – a little class on how to take better pictures. It will be great fun! You can find all of that info here.
There were a few sweet little photo shoots I did recently that I didn't have a chance to blog about while I was working on the final prep for my show.
The first was a small family photo shoot of Kevin, Jennie, and Sam at their church. I always have so much fun photographing them!
Sam never seems to mind letting me take her picture.
They are such a sweet family, and they always make me smile!
It never stops amazing me the journey from this:
to this:
A couple of great friends, Kevin and Lindsey, welcomed their little daughter Miri into the world this month!
At 10 days old….
She is precious! Also, she holds the record as the first baby to roll over for me from tummy to back during a photo shoot! I believe she will grow up to be a bit of an over achiever after watching that! I am excited to watch her grow.
More photo shoots are planned for this fall, more workshops, more vacations with cameras….
the future is bright!
Until next time,
~Peace~
Today is Saturday.
Today I got my hair cut and dyed, went to a winery with my husband, started painting our computer room, and still had time to relax and play Mario for a bit. So this is what it feels like to have a day off? I think I could get used to this!
Work in progress
This is how you get ready for a big art show when you are lucky enough to have a dad with a big garage!
Farmer’s market trade
This summer I was lucky enough to have a chance to participate in a global Farmer’s Market trade organized by Siri over at the Transplanted Baker blog. It was so much fun!! I have been meaning to blog about this for awhile, but it has been hard to describe…
The task was to put into a box locally made items that to you symbolized where you lived, the essence of your little corner of the world, and send said box across the world to the address given to you by Siri. I had the chance to send a box to England (sending everything that reminds me of fall and the coming season – honey, dried apple slices…) and I received in return a box from England as well! We all worried about things breaking in transit, and while nothing broke in the box sent my way, a bit of something leaked (still not sure what!), but since none of the contents were destroyed, and everything was still enjoyable, I didn’t mind! I loved opening everything! The Elderflower Cordial is perhaps my absolute favorite, and I have been s-a-v-o-r-i-n-g every last drop and not really sharing any! I love the apricot and vanilla jam, and it seriously has me wanting to try my hand at making jams of my own this fall. It has given me something to aspire to!! Next was some wonderful lip balm (beeswax I believe) that has been just what my lips needed as the seasons have started changing here. A few little pink candies have perked up my spirits a bit over the last few weeks, and the roasted tomatoes are seriously the best I have ever tasted! The red hot pesto is delicious, and who doesn’t love a jar with a photo like that on it?!
This was such a treat to participate in! I am already planning what I can send in a box next year!
