New art

I might or might not have read the manual of my digital camera for 2 hours this weekend.  Is that really surprising, though?  I had figured out how to make the photographs look more natural and less dark by playing with white balance and appeture.  Then I go to take pictures this Sunday night and I completely forgot everything I learned.  It's going to take some practice.  In the meantime, here is a peak at what I started to paint.  I am going to tackle a big painting here soon.  More on that later...

In good company...my partners in crime...

My camera arrived JUST IN TIME for the girls reunion weekend. It arrived Thursday night. I knew it was 'out for delivery' at 3:45 AM due my UPS.com stalking. Of course I had to wait around for a 6:50 PM delivery (I am sure the UPS man laughed when the door magically opened the the second he walked up). 4/6 of us have new Canon DSLRs. 3 made the trip. 300 pictures later I think we made some advances. I was in good company this weekend....we had an AMAZING weekend (and best of all pictures to document it ALL). 

Note: The best part about the pictures above is the fact they were not staged.  We are cool like that.

Rebel (No, not the Ole Miss kind...)

Meet my newest toy. 

Between my new art easel, sewing machine, and this, I doubt I will have time to sleep.  The camera is scheduled to get here on Thursday (just in time for my friends and their cameras to come in town).  I can't contain my excitement.  I bought it on a whim from B&H photo.  Ok, I say 'whim' but I have been stalking cameras since April as I mentioned here.  When I saw this Canon EOS Rebel XT, at a price less than my current point-and-shoot elf, I bought it.  (I did make myself wait a few hours before so it wasn't completely an impulse decision.) 

Keep your fingers crossed that it's what I expect.  I need to review what I learned in photography class in college.  Matt and Carol, I am going to need to borrow Toby for action shots.  Thanks.

One minor and one major update

Major update first:

It appears I might be able to actually sew a thing or two.  I made the pillow to the right yesterday.  It's made of cream fleece. I have a throw LP(G) gave me in the same fabric monogrammed in brown so when I found this fleece on sale at Joann's, I knew it was meant to be.  I literally sat at my table and followed along with the instructional DVD on how to thread my bobbin and etc.  This pillow is the result.  Is it 100% quality? No.  But it's a start (especially at $11 total...fleece and 20 inch pillow insert)

Here is a view of the pillow on the couch. I am debating doing one for the other side....it's just more usable than my other pottery barn pillows which are starting to look rough.

AND here is what I worked on until I started the sewing project....yep, still intimidating.  But like I've said, my favorite ones start out that way.  The easel makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in the world.  ALL the difference!

Merry Christmas and MY VERY OWN REAL ART EASEL

I hope every one of you had a very Merry Christmas!! It went by too fast as always....  One of my Christmas gifts has to do with my art endeavors so I thought I would share it with you!  'Santa' brought me this.  (Obviously not the painting but the art easel.)

This easel is just like the ones we had in the art studio in college.  I CAN'T WAIT to use it.  (After I type this I am actually heading to use it.)

To give you an idea, I worked on an easel I bought at Home Goods for about 5 years now.  When I moved into my house I had 2 roomates and nowhere to store this big of an easel (nor was I sure I would get the use out of it).  Imagine painting the large painting you see here on the easel in the back left corner of the first picture!  It was difficult.  If I pressed too hard on the corners the canvas would flip off the easel. Now I am secure and I can move it up and down, tilt it backwards or forwards, etc! 

I WISH I had taken a picture of the assembly.  That would have been the best picture of all.  It didn't take us long to realize the easel would not fit in my car.  Mom and Dad would have to bring it to me at home point.  I had fully prepared myself to wait but they were sweet enough to drive back with me and bring it TODAY.  Little did they know they would also be helping out with assembly.  The instructions were some of the WORST I have seen.  3 minds and about an hour (I think) later, we had it up.  THANK YOU MOM AND DAD.  I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Ok, off to paint. :)

P.S.  There is a sewing machine under that white box.  I am about to learn how to use it.  Wish me luck.  Fabric has always been my enemy.  I am determined to start making aprons!

Bluff Park 2010

I just found out the 2010 Bama schedule is released.  Guess what football game is ON the day of the Bluff Park art festival?

Florida AT Bama.

I am bummed.

That means half of Birmingham will be out of town.  The other half will be in front of the tv.  Did I mention how I am bummed....(Auburn is a home game too but not a big one.... vs. Louisana-Monroe...)