Morphine, Defiant Artists & Creative Abandon Light up the studio

April 24, 2009 in Design, Music, New Paintings

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It was a long day.  A good day, but a long day.  Productivity was high today and as such, when 7pm rolled around, I was downright sleepy.  If you know me, you realize how bizarre that statement is since I’m a bonafide night owl.

It’s Thursday.

Thursday is when the Defiance Society of Artists meets to paint and kabitz.  It’s always a pure pleasure.  I make it as often as possible.

So at 8, I drug my butt off my chair at the desk, threw my paints and a few painting blanks into a big totebag (actually, Joel did that part for my pathetic self), and zipped across town for the art gathering.  

My expectations of my artistic contributions were low.

I was surprised by myself and everyone else.  It seemed to be a night that everything was aligned JUST RIGHT for creativity.

Rosie had several massive painting break throughs, and kept exclaiming “I really learned a lot tonight”.  Her paintings are turning out to be stunning and she’s a newbie, having painted for only a year.

Rich earth tones and odd greens were the flavor of the night for me.  Elaine offered me some purple paint.  I never use purple.  I mix purple, but I don’t use purple out of the tube.  I, however, had not grabbed the proper ingredients for purple in my mad dash.

Tonight, a new color palette emerged for me.  Cool greens, hot yellows, deep purples, vibrant ultramarine blue.  I painted a series of tea lite candle holders and 3 abstracts on reclaimed lumber, my new favorite surface.

Conversation was good, sassy, and occasionally…well…very entertaining.  I returned to the studio at midnight re-energized and ready to work.  Here are the fruits of my labors.  I’m very pleased I didn’t succumb to the soft pile of down comforters and pillows that were singing their siren’s song to me at 7pm.

Music in the studio tonight…Morphine 

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Diabolical Streak & ingenuity unite

April 22, 2009 in knitting, Music

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First off, let me say, LOVE LOVE LOVE Diabolical Streak (the album) by Jill Tracy.  (Listen here)  While listening, and pondering the flotsam & jetsam that continually seems to find it’s way into my lip balm, I decided, regardless how neurotic, to knit cozies for my lip balm.  

In the true fashion of you’ve got your peanut butter in my chocolate (or was it the other way around?) I combined my love of leftover yarn with my hatred for gritty lip balm.  Make one and you’ll see the madness of my ways.

Jill Tracy - Diabolical StreakI don’t really think there’s anything else that can be said about that, but yes, I’m seeking treatment for the lip balm issues.

Want to make one yourself?  Feel like joining club neuroses of the clean lip balm?  Find the free pattern download HERE.

 

Find other snazzy free stuff HERE.

New Tunes by Atom Smash

March 8, 2009 in Etc., Favorites, Music

left_12I’ve been sitting here working on some projects in the studio listening to some fabulous new tunes by Atom Smash.  Check them out…

Flogging Molly Kind of Day

March 8, 2009 in Etc., Favorites, Music

fm_float_cover425Nothing gets you up and moving like a little Flogging Molly in the afternoon when all you really want to do is nap.  Want to see what they’re up to?  Check them out on Myspace.

Want to build a radio station with this type of music?  Check out Pandora, type in Flogging Molly and you’ll get all kinds of great tunes!