A promising day...

I went to the hills on Wednesday. As I drove, I enjoyed the colors of the leaves change from green and brown to gold. The higher I went, the more vibrant the color. This picture is from the beginning of my day away. It began with great promise, and proceeded to be an altogether satisfying and refreshing day.

It was cold and rainy every day this week EXCEPT Wednesday, and I fully appreciated the glory of the day the Lord made for me to enjoy!

Playing Hooky

So, I should be working---on school plans or editing or housework---but sometimes a girl's just got to play a little. So, I took on a challenge from on of my yahoo groups to paint my face--digitally. It's kind of trippy to start messing with your own face---even when it's a terrible picture to start with. So, here are the before and after images:

The best thing I learned from this little bit of playtime was how to make my lips turn up into the smile. Good to know....

I think it's time to get back to work.....

Autumn Leaves

With the rain we're getting this year I don't know how much fall color we'll get. The trees in front of my house are dropping leaves pretty quickly, but without turning the yellow and scarlet they usually do. Hopefully later this fall the North Georgia hills will have some colors to photograph.

So, for now, I'm enjoying creating my own autumn colors with a combination of markers, chalks, colored pencils, and FlowerSoft (a pretty cool way to add texture and color.)

Stampscapes images are wonderful for coloring--which is a nice way to spend an afternoon when it's gloomy outside! I also got some new collage images from I Brake for Stamps.

So, until I make my way north, these colors will be my view of autumn leaves.

Rock

A Space to Create

It's amazing what a few shelves and a LOT of purging will do! This weekend I spent hours purging, cleaning, emptying, and reloading the workshop are of my studio. (Yes, I am incredibly blessed with a studio AND a workshop. Maybe I'm just spoiled...either way, I'm grateful!) Brian put together shelves for me and now I have room to create without tripping over myself. There are no "before" pictures because it was just a cluttered mess. However, here is the space where I can do my "messy" creating:

By the way, most of the purged material is still usuable, and will be donated to "Art Feeds." It's a non-profit one of my students is involved with. Their mission:

"We believe in doing what you love and changing the world with it, so this is what we do to create change. Art Feeds is about finding giant inspiration within these small kids, and giving them the tools to acheive their dreams. Love Naively. Give Generously. Be Foolishly Compassionate."

I get a cleaner space, they get stuff to play with--everyone wins!

Time to read

My "to-do" list keeps growing. As soon as I check off one item, two appear to replace it. This week is my "fall break," which means I have no classes to teach. Theoretically, it's a time to refresh the mind before beginning the next school session. Practically, it's a time to catch up with those items long neglected and get ahead for the next few weeks of school. So, clean and organize the workshop, catch up on the digi-art projects, upload school pictures, work on Stamper's Quest projects, write lesson plans, answer questions on E-notes, clean house...and on and on. For the first part of the week, practicality trumped theory.

God knows that I need to rest my frenetic brain. Usually He allows me to get sick, but this time, He let my car break down. Twice. Last Friday it went in for new brakes. Today it went back because the gas pedal "disengaged." (I don't really know exactly what happened, but I do know that I was driving home with Caty Mae yesterday when suddenly pushing the gas pedal did nothing. I coasted into a parking lot and called the service people.) The tow truck would take up to 90 minutes to arrive-and it was already past 8 pm.) Caty Mae and I were able to get a ride home with a friend, and I called AAA this morning.

That's when God said, "Chill." While I waited for the tow truck, I read a book. Just a pleasure book. Nothing philosophical. Nothing profound. Nothing having to do with school or photography or publishing or art. Just a "dessert" book. For 45 minutes. And I am refreshed.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Photoshop play

Just some digital doodling--my photo and brushes from Scrapgirls...

Color Craze

So, the newest thing in the paper crafting world are Copic markers. They've been around for years, but illustrators kept them a secret. Being the premiere tool, they command a premiere price, and so I decided to skip the trend and stick to colored pencils and acrylic paint.

However, I had the opportunity to place with the markers last weekend and I now understand WHY they are are preferred marker for artists. Copics are an alcohol based ink, so the colors are vibrant and pure. The color lays down smoothly, and they blend beautifully without damaging the paper. Copic does offer a smaller version of its Sketch marker called the Ciao. It was designed for the smaller hands of young artists, but being smaller, they have a lower price point. I left the retreat with nine markers in earthy hues and a blender pen.

Upon returning home I decided I really needed something in the yellow family. I did a quick search of local stores and found that I could get the Sketch markers, but not the Ciao. I decided to see if there were any other alcohol based markers that would mimic the Copics at a lower price. I took my coupon for Dick Blick's and went exploring. I played with their brand as well as a Tria marker and then I saw Pantone Universe markers. These, too, are alcohol based, lay down a smooth layer of ink, and blend well. The colors are from the original Pantone colors, so they are consistent and predictable. The best part is the price--almost half the cost of Copic.

My next project was to compare the Copics and the Pantone on paper. I chose an image with lots of coloring and blending space. Anything in yellow is Pantone, while the blue and green are Copic. The brown is both Copic and Pantone. The top flower is Copic and the bottom flower is Tombow, a dye based marker than has now been bundled for donation.

The difference in using the markers is negligible. The Copic lays down ink more smoothly and the Ciao marker is easier to hold. The Pantone Universe markers don't roll around and they have both a brush tip and a fine tip, which is nice for detail work. Copics are refillable, while Pantone Universe are not. Both markers blend beautifully--even with each other.

The biggest difference between the two is not related to the markers themselves, but to the information available on them. Copic's numbering system is logical and readily available. Y is yellow, YG is yellow-green, and so on. There are You Tube videos and written tutorials on using the Copics. Any information about Copics is a mouse click and a Google search away. Pantone Universe markers, on the other hand, are virtually impossibleto research. I never did find an explanation of the number system (18-1022 means what, exactly?) There are sites selling the pens, but very little actual information about the product itself. This makes me nervous about the longevity of the product as well as for customer service after the purchase.

So, after much internal debate, I think I will choose to have fewer pens at a higher price point rather than invest in a product about which I know little. Of course, if I need a color quickly, I know that the Pantone Universe markers are a good product, as least for the short term, so I will use them to supplement where needed.

When it rains...

...it pours. Here in the Atlanta area we are recovering from a crazy storm that flooded neighborhoods, closed schools, and created all kinds of messes to clean up. We were protected at our house and only lost a portion of a retaining wall between our side yard and the neighbor's driveway. Others weren't so fortunate.

The power of water is an amazing thing to consider. It is vital to our survival, and yet it can be incredibly destructive. Even when it appears to be safe, water's power cannot be belittled; ask the dozens of people who had to be rescued from their cars this week.

One of the first moments of creation involved God separating the water from the sky and then the dry land. God placed the first humans in a garden surrounded by the rivers of water. His intention was that water be a source of refreshment and nourishment. It wasn't until sin entered the world that water became a destructive force.

Sin does that. Sin takes something intended for good and twists it into a destructive force. That sin leads to death is the first consequence and truth that Adam and Eve (and every descendent of them) had to face. As long as there is sin, there will be destruction. God, however, planned for redemption, recovery, and restoration in Jesus.

As the Georgia floodwaters recede, people will begin the task of cleaning up and restoring land and property. From an eternal perpective, God has already begun the retoration process for humanity; all we must do it trust and obey. Then we can rest beside the still waters of God's love and be refreshed.

Faithful