A Little Shanty Studio

Expanding Creativity

I have finished my continuing education, and I am quite thrilled! It was a long, but yet a fast journey. I cried, I stressed, I was proud and I learned so much.  So now I have an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Digital Media Design from Central Ohio Technical Degree. Next, looking for a job in my new field. Which, given the current job market could be challenging, but I am always up for a good challenge.

So I am re-doing my sadly neglected blog. I am going to attempt to unite my Altered Art/Mixed Media interest with my Graphic Design ventures. During my education I learned what an amazing program Photoshop is. I am so glad that I can begin to create pieces that are not a required project, as I wish to explore more capabities of Photoshop and design pieces to expand my knowledge of it.

I hope to stay connected to the Altered Art Community, even though I have been out of the loop for a while. I love creating digital pieces, but I do miss the textures and smells of vintage papers and the feel of paint and glue upon my fingertips as I design new art. So On I GO!

I have added a navigator bar to this page, so be sure and visit my website, only it will be a few days from this date before I have it up and running ....

Wish me luck in my new ventures ...

I am posting my last collage I created in Photoshop .... hopefully I have many more to come .... and with much more exploration.

Photographs ...

I really stuggled with my Photography 1 and 2 classes ..... My photographs never quite turned out like my vision of what I was trying to convey ..... I really enjoyed taking the photographs ..... but have realized that my eyesight is just not what I thought it was .... so I do have a problem with focusing ..... I am fine in bright daylite ... but those evening photographs ...or indoor photographs ..... not so good ..... but  I am posting a few of my favorite photographs .... and am sad ....and glad .... the classes are over .... I am taking Photography 3 ... but is wi ll be all portraits ..... so I am hoping the lighting will be generous!

Some of these photos are just for fun ...

My new cat is Mork ...he is a stray who showed up starving and beat up ....now he is nice and pretty and plump and fixed and a booger....

And the wisteria ....this is the first year it has bloomed ...it was lovely ......

anyway .... Photos ...Photos ...

 

Typography ....

This was our first big project we designed in Typography, We had to invent our own typeface and display it in a pleasing design. Because I love the Art Deco Era, I wanted to make a fashion font, one that was reminiscent of a model, nice and willowy. I wanted my type to echo that look and I wanted it to be able to be used in a fashion spread.

FUN!

I call it "A Fashionable Face". 

This is really a big piece ..... it is 11 x 17 ....but changing from an Adobe Illustrator File to a Jpeg, was a new experience for me .... I am still learning ...learning ....and more learning ...and I will still not know much ... drat.

Whoa......

I cannot believe that it is June and I have not entered a thing in my blog since January ...wow ....I am on spring break from school ..... I have one week and back to full time for summer ....

I really love the Digital Media Design Program that I am in ..... I am learning so many things that an oldster like I thought I would never even try to learn ....but I do enjoy it immensley ....

Since I posted last I have also taken classes on Photography 2, Print for Design, Color Theory, Typography, and Mass Media, I have decided that I am really not a good photographer, but I really do enjoy it. Perhaps I can get some of my photographs posted here. I am also going to try and upload some of my finished projects for school .... and I am going to attempt to stay on top of my blog and to visit others this summer, as I think my non-technical subjects may have less homework, so maybe I will have more time .... we will see .... hope ....hope...

I did finish a Mermaid project over the week-end that I had signed up for with Paper Whimsy, so I am posting that here. We could write a story about our mermaid so I will; also include that.

LoraLee's Story

Loralee’s mother wanted her children to be raised with the knowledge and love of her God; so they always attended church on Sunday mornings. Although Loralee wanted to listen to the sermon, it was very hard to concentrate on adult conversations concerning goodness, saintliness and sinlessness. It seemed to Loralee that she forever drifted away to her favorite daydream.

In this spectacular dream, Loralee’s pretty Sunday dress and her shiny patent leather Mary Jane’s turned into the loveliest fish tail that you ever have seen, beautiful colors of shimmery copper and pinks and greens, certainly a tail any sea creature would love to own. And that sweet little straw bonnet LoraLee’s mother placed on her head that very morning is now a seashell as perfect as any you could ever imagine. The white cotton gloves she wore no longer hide her pretty little hands; instead she pets the inhabitants of the sea. So you see, Loralee has become a mermaid, as adorable and serene a mermaid ever envisioned.

In Loralee’s dream she is one with the sea, swimming (although her REAL life she is terrified of the water) amongst the tendrils of plants in the startling green, sparkly water. Water unbelievable in its glory, unbelievable in the splendor of all that lives therein. Loralee is happy with the dream that she can play alongside the tiniest and largest creatures on the earth. And when the earthy Loralee hears the amen’s, she knows that the guilt she feels for not paying attention to the sermon can be forgotten for God created the waters and  every living creature that moveth and God is pleased that Loralee knows that it is indeed good. And LoraLee is pleased that God is not mad at her!

Bye for now

My Blythe ... a long, sad story

Well ...I am back at school ...tomorrow starting the first FULL week ..... and I think this Quarter will be very exciting and lots to learn .... I am taking Digital Photography 1, (which I do need) Fundamentals of Design and Fundamentals of Color .... (as all of you that know me know I love my Sepia's ... so this is great for me) and Advertising 1 ... Because I am taking Photography and I thought this too would give me great practice. I wanted to start the Project 365, that Deann sent us a link to ... and by the way visit Deann's site for her great textured art and wonderful vision .... but of course this is already the 6th and yesterday was the 1st picture of the new year .... so I am already failing Project 365 .... but I will still upload a couple picture of my Blythe Doll that I purchased last year. To tell a little background.... Kenner came out with this original doll in 1972  ...I was newly married with a tiny baby boy .... but I always loved dolls and had to buy an original Blythe for myself. Mine was a winsome, huge eyed blond, with a out-sized head and eyes that when you pulled a switch ...changed to 4 colors! I loved her! ..... but as the years went by, she first went in a cupboard ...then she was relegated to a box ...and a few years back she was sold (by me)(sadly) at a garage sale .... I was trying to downsize ...BUT THEN! .... last year I received a notice from another group that they were starting up a Blythe Group .... and I am thinking ...this cannot be the same Blythe ...(but honestly ...how many Blythe's can there be?) ...so over I go ...and yes indeed .... Kenner produced the original for one year ....(me) ...and in 1999 sold the rights to Japan to produce a new edition Blythe ... and when I went to E-bay to buy a new one .... after searching thru boxes in my closet and determining how STUPID I had been ..... and there they are ....beautiful new Blythes ...and Original Blythes selling for 1000.00 to 2000.00 dollars ...I know ....I know ...I am sick also ...sick ...stupid ...sick me .... So all I could find of my Original Blythe is a horrible Polaroid ... which I will share ..... She is sitting with another doll that my mother got me when I was quite young ...Poor Pitiful Pearl ..

But ...I did purchase a new one ...because Blythe actually makes a beautiful photographers model ....The Photographer Gina Garan has even published  whole books, the first which is titled "This Is Blythe" which I really should buy. So I got out my NEW Blythe doll yesterday ...and took a few pictures here in my home ....which has terrible lighting ...and the rainy outdoor weather made the inside even worse .... and I feel really bad ...because she is stunning with her lovely red hair ... and this is the first attention I have paid to her ....and I have not even given her her own name  ... Bad ...Bad .... So here she is ... and I am sure with my soon to be new learned knowledge she will even be better ..... and I also even used the black and white on my digital camera ...that I have never used!

THIS IS BLYTHE!

a little family matter ....

I do not usually post pictures of my family ...only the dog of course ...but I took this picture at Christmas of my two sons and my oldest grandson ...who has actually outgrown his dad and uncle ..... so my grandson is the tallest of the 3 at 6'4" ...and only 16 ...but I thought when they all came to Christmas in their red sweaters that they needed a team picture ....(or was that me?) (and Oh YeaH .... we are the Buckeyes! ...we do have bragging rights ! Number 1# rated team in the US ...Bowl Bound!) ...OK .... and I do have one more grandson who is only 5 .... and and one granddaughter .....who is 8 .... but they where busy playing with new Nintendo's .... and just not interested in picture taking.

OK .... Enough .... sorry the Santy's are growing out of their heads ....

Summer ... summer ...

I really am in love with summer .... I just wish that it could be longer and less hectic .... I want to visit all my art friends blogs and oooohhhhhhhhh...and aaaahhhhhhh over all the gorgeous art and see what they have been doing that makes them happy .... but ....I am not getting any of that accomplished ...

We have had visits from my sister and her husband  ...who came to Ohio from South Carolina for reunions and a week long visit ...that was great to spend time with her ...then we had a short visit from my Husband's brother who lives in North Carolina ... and I have taken time (one Day) to spend with two of my 3 grandchildren ....and we went to see the Fabulous "Ratatouille" ...  I am not a big Animated Movie fan ...and I thought that it was a sweet and funny movie ...

so anyway the summer is rushing by ...and I really have accomplished lots ...and stayed really super busy ...but I would still rather be at the beach ...with my feet digging in the sand ...and the feel of the earth moving gently beneath me ...and the warmth of the summer sun upon my face ...

so in honor of that dream I entered a contest at www.tophatdesignworks.com (love her images) ...and created a cigar box entry with the glory of a summer beach day in mind ...hope you enjoy ...because it really is the closest I will get to a beach this summer ....

Front View ....the lid is closed

open view ...lots of starfish ...

Hope you all are enjoying your Summer .... and if you go to the beach ....take an extra minute of SUN for me ...

unbelievable

I cannot believe that it has been so long since I have visited my own blog .....I still have a banner that i do not like, and it has been a month since I have posted ....I do believe that blogs are for me at least, a winter project. I did want to post a link to the Amber Lotus Site that has some really quality, beautiful calendars, cards, journals, etc. for sale. I must post this because I have a piece of art in the new "Collage for Your Creative Spirit" , 2008 calendar. I feel really honored because I am with some really talented artists ...

Plus my piece titled "Her Majesty" has also been included in a box set of greeting cards ...

If you visit the site ...do enjoy it ....

another ...

I did have time to make another piece lately .... this one i entered in the ArtChix Nature Contest .... I love this piece ...i grow lots of gourds and dry them out over the winter ....I love to create using them, but i do not do so often enough.

Spring ...

    Beautiful and Vibrant Spring is finally here ... which means so much to do out in the yard, and I do love the garden and the labor and the satisfaction of tending such wonder ....but my blog is suffering. And there seems hardly anytime for art. I am going to post some of the items I made and sold at Heather's Speckled Egg site ...she did such a marvelous job with the show ... and all the art is beautiful ...I do hope you had the time to visit ... I want to change my banner ...but for now you will have to look at Millie's face just a little longer.