"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible,is music." Aldous Huxley

Today is the second day I tried making marble paper and failed. This time I tried the dropping a 2 part water two part acrylic paint mixture dropped onto liquid fabric softener. I couldn't keep the paint mixture mixed so it kept separating, and it didn't suspend over the fabric softener the way I had hoped. I think next time I try making marble paper, I will just do it with the real way and not the homemade way.


The clean up was pretty, though.


I tried my hand at drawing today, and it looked like a 10 year old did it. Oh, well. Perhaps I'll take some classes and work on that. I think I have a good eye for abstracts, though.

"A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself." Abraham Maslow

Lately I have been more creative than I have been in months, or even years.

James wakes up with funny hair:


This creativity has come out in music, photography, but mostly I just want to paint. I have all these ideas for watercolors, and here are the results of practicing some techniques so I know what I'm doing when I finally get in front of that canvas. Keep in mind, I used pearlescent water colors, and will be using regular for my larger pieces.

I'm getting so hooked that I think I might even minor in fine art, not because I think I am particularly talented, but because it would give me some real satisfaction.

And I have tried to make marble paper, like this that I did in high school

using a technique I found online with food coloring and shaving cream. Found here:http://www.homemademamas.net/2009/09/marbled-paper.htm
They turned out horribly, but I realized my mistake and will be trying this again in a couple weeks. Here's how mine turned out. I used the only music I had around. Music paper, how funny.

“My life's a living legacy to the leader of the band” Dan Fogelberg

I am now obsessed with photoshop, just like I was sophomore year of high school. There was a period where I was boycotting the digital picture scene, since it seemed to make everyone believe they are great photographers, and there seemed to be a decline of actual skill and lab knowledge. Then I got a digital camera and all that thinking has changed, I'm bummed that photography has grown to be a rather competitive field considering that I am not one for competition, but I still love it. And I have learned something... the fact that there are no good photographers just good editors rings so true. There are few film pictures out there that haven't been burned, dodged and cropped(not to mention colored lenses.) Heck, people even have layered negatives to make photographs. So, what makes photoshop any different?

So here are a few things I have done in photoshop lately.



The first two are from beach day yesterday with Ricky's family.

I have been upset about my Grandpa's death, and a month later I think I am ready to talk about it. I felt really close to him, and of all his grandkids, I think I am the only one to get to know him as well as I did because I was fortunate to live so close. When I lived with them in Tacoma for three months, he used to walk me to and from school every day, he made me a fridge box house to play in, he let me watch him in his work shop, and he put up with my kitty and the endless amounts of wildflowers I picked and placed in drinking glasses all around the house. I will miss him terribly, but I know that he is free from pain. At 87 I know he lived a good life, and I hope that one day I will be worthy to be considered part of his legacy.

As part of my way to honor his memory, I will get off my butt and start working hard. He was known for his work ethic. I will lose the x number of lbs I gained being sad, and I will create art.

Speaking of art, I love painting. I am not a very good painter, I can't really do realism. However, I think I may have found my niche. I think my latest abstract work is really awesome. What do you think?

"Music is a safe kind of high" - Jimi Hendrix

It is my favorite time of year. Baby geese! Goslings! Ricky and I took James to the pond to see the little babies and he just loved it. So stinking cute! I wish he could walk so he could have enjoyed the park more.

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.” John Milton

Picture post.