Art Studio Organized w alternative work space delima solution.

This is my makeshift art studio. The delima: my old art studio is now a teenager's bedroom. I remarried and gained two teenagers and we needed a forth bedroom. Where do I now paint?

I'm sure this problem of 'not enough home space' is a common one. For some, it may be a need for an office, or just simply a space to create.

This studio was more my vision when I built this house. Lol... It will happen after we are closer to being empty nesters, hee...

Because, my old studio is now a youth's bedroom. This is what my old digs looks like now. It has been converted to a teen's room:

Yes, it is currently a bedroom. However, I am not complaining, having more kids around is adding so much flavor into my life. I will be sad when we become empty nesters. Youth brings such vibrance with them!

While trying to figure out where to paint, I was using my music room for awhile. It looked something like this:

Note paints on floor. Messy way to create. ;-)

And here, you can see the paints everywhere.

I wish I had taken more before pics of this temporary solution.

It was and still is a music room being used as a studio, lol. This is the music room side:

On the left side of this room, It looks like this:

One Room Converted into Two Rooms with two very different purposes:

I am adding this picture to blog, because a friend wanted to see the two rooms together in one snapshot. This is the two sides in one picture. ;-)

This 'combo room' will be my studio for awhile, sigh. It means I cannot be as messy as I want to be. I can take an easel outside; which is something I will be doing more of now. Maybe it will stretch me as an artist. ;-) The "combo studio" solution will be for about 3 years; so it is not worth making an addition onto my home.

And from behind this view, looking from the loveseat, the second work space area looks like this:

It will do.

I needed to purchase a book shelf and reuse my "paint holding baskets" to house my art supplies.

I think the shelf was around $70.00 at Wallmart. I did not want to spend too much money on anything that will have paint on it. I think my wooden stool had came from Wallmart too.

More paints under the window in a stacking system for "unusual color" paints.

My trusty and inexpensive fan:

A fan runs constantly, drying oil paintings. They need to be dry before I have them scanned to make giclees (high quality copies); I number and sign them. It is much more affordable than the "original painting." They also must be dry before a gallery will hang them.

Blank canvas placed against the walls:

And more:

This is behind the bookshelf.

This is not the dream art studio, but it will make a good substitute solution for awhile. We will call it a surrogate studio for the time being. ;-)

How To Make the Perfect Pulled Pork

"Anything worth doing, is worth doing slowly." Mae West. I love it! ;-D

Pulled pork. YummY!

We have a small smoker that we mostly smoke salmon, chicken and ribs in.

My neighbor, however, has a huge, large (did I say big?)... Smoker. He makes the most moist, tender and flavorful pork butts!

It looks something like this:

I haven't a picture of the one he actually has.

I came across this article and it is thorough in everthing you would want to know about smoking.

It includes rubs, and even the "why" behind the reason lean meat just does not work in this slow cooking process. ;-)

If you want to have a barbe' soon, check it out. Your friends and family will be amazed!

Smoker Method:
http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/05/24/how-to-make-perfect-pulled-pork/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk1%7C65208

If you do not have a smoker, do it the old fashioned way... the oven:

Easy Oven Method:

Six easy steps:
1. Rub pork with dry rub.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Allow pork to rest at room temperature for one hour before cooking.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
5. Sear pork on all sides in hot pan with oil over high heat. I use an iron skillet.
6. Place in pan (like a roaster), cover with aluminum foil.
7. Bake for 4 hours.

There is no better food to take camping, or for summer fun. A great Father's Day meal too. ;-)

The story and process behind the art work: "Humble Angel."

To those who have lost anyone to death, let me preface this publication which shows the stages of my representation of the celestrial with, "I hope that this angelic image comforts you as it did me."

I allow myself to be inspired by dreams that I have. This composition is my attempt to capture a dream that I had about Mike, my husband who died in 2007.

I began in acrylic (because it dries faster), painting a black backdrop; wanting to create an intangible background, the white drip technique was added. It is a portrayal representing the afterlife. A scene of magnificence that the viewer may fill in: Waterfall? ...maybe; lights or white brilliance? ...maybe. It is not concrete, but more abstract in nature.

 Stage Two is just getting my rough draft down on the canvas. I over emphasized the glasses angle to get the dimensions of the side view of the face in perspective first before getting the glasses set.

 With oil paints I begin putting in a base coat, or the low lights for hair. Continuing with oil paints, I begin adding brilliant color.

  This stage shows the work of creating a heavenly or spiritual body by adding loads of paint layers. This painting took about 3 months to paint because of the drying time between layers, as well as it was a very emotional one for me.

 More layers to create the body, and highlights added.

A splatter technique was used to finish the body.

I love this stage because it is the one that captures my attempt to show the nature of the painting: Humility. He is shrugging his shoulders as if to say, "This is me." The wings are folded down to show the opposite of conceit. A creature, so amazing in stature, folding his wings and shrugging his shoulders to send a message of comfort, "I am okay." 'Showing off' or boasting is not in his nature; a confident humility is.

Personification was needed. I wanted to make the face more human-lifelike, because in the dream, I had no doubt who I was looking at. The face was recognizable. Once I had a portrait of the face complete, I needed to make it more heavenly. You can also see that I have begun to highlight the hair too.

 In the last stage, I had to combine the human "flesh colors" to blend well with the pastel colors of the heavenly body. I added pinks and whiter shades to both the face and the body to make the human face blend with the newly given spiritual body.

The end result is: Humble Angel.

Seashells turn an ordinary Household item into Fabulous!

I like to think up frugal ways to decorate. I especially like using nature. I find Mother Nature's items are better than the imagination. I used to live in FL; this is where my love of seashells started. They were abundant and free! You can also find them very cheap at such sites as: http://www.qualityshells.com/shell-mix.html. That was a random one I simply goggled, "Cheap sea shells." So you may want to shop via your Google engine for a super savings buy.
With shells, you can cover just about anything.

You have seen picture frames and jewelry. How about taking bleached starfish and use your hot glue gun to decorate a large mirror? Drift wood makes a mirror just as dramatic.

Just make sure you take out the smell by bleaching first. I learned that lesson the hard way. ;-)

I wanted to include this vase because I use this idea all the time. You can put just about anything of nature in a glass vase and fill it with water. Find a very attractive large shell and do the same thing.

 A second mirror idea. You can mix paint with shells too:

Just what can we do with all those free shells?

You can go more elaborate, like with this chandelier:

Or simple, like with these candles:

You can see that sand was also a medium used in these. They make great gifts! Simply roll your spray glued candle in dry sand, you can spray a sealant if you want, but it is not necessary. Tie some jute or twine around the sea shell. Ideally, you can drill a hole in the shell first. I have also used a hot glue gun. ;-)

Pour sand on the bottom of the glass container/ candle holder, a few shells, water and a floating candle is as easy as it gets. It looks like you spent hours making it!

A totally elaborate idea, but if you have the hours to glue these cute babies on, wow... a conversation piece floor lamp! Or you can simply just do a lampshade on a table lamp to add interest. ;-)

How easy is this? Soap shells in an apothecary jar? Place this in your bath areas.

A bit more difficult, but worth the work. Decorate with shells strung upon thin wire. Shop antique or junk shops for old lighting fixtures, or take the form of what used to be a lighting fixture and add candles instead of the electric lights.

Again, candles can be used instead of electric lights. You can also simply use white Christmas lights.

You have heard of a dream catcher; this is the same idea, but with shells. ;-)

This is my favorite creation! Instead of a drum shade, use shells. They would look wonderful outdoors around a deck or patio area. Talk about a mood setter! Or you can make a simple wind charm.

Several simple ideas: To make an easy centerpiece, take three simple jars (canning jars) and fill half way with sand, place shells or starfish on top. Leave the top half empty and screw the lid on.
Or just take a pretty shell in the shape of a open dish and use it for a soap dish! ;-)

Or just make a simple shell tube. Collect shells from wherever you travel and place them in a tall glass vase. ;-) Memories in one place!

It is amazing what one can do with a simple shell!

Stages of "Do You Think We Should Go In?"

The story behind this award winning painting. "Do You Think We Should Go In?" is a title and idea that arose at a neighbor's home.

Ping Pong was an activity that became a serious event with the men in my neighborhood. A Pool Table in the open area did not get so much attention. In the room with the Ping Pong tournament going on, there was a lot of motion. Two of my neighbor's kids were poking their heads into the door, as one looked back at the other; the grandmother of the child (with his back to us) took out her camera and snapped the shot of her grandchild with my next door neighbor's child.

She and I were discussing how it was as if the boy in the front, Samuel, was saying to the little guy in the back, "Judd, Do You Think We Should Go In?" Having to capture the "cute"... I wanted to paint the scene I had envisioned that night.

 I got my hands on a copy of that picture, changed the boring basement with the solitary ping pong table for a kid's enticing fantasy land, and shortened the door to a more "Alice and the Wonderland" feel.

The following are the stages of the painting and a "how to" guide. Stage One of:  "Do You Think We Should Go In?"

I sketched this one out in pencil first. Then did the fantasy background in oil. The red doorway has a medium added on top of it, to appear with a dull shine, like a real door frame paint would look. In real life it stands out as if a coating is on it.

Adding some flesh tone in oil to the boys. Stage Two:

Most of this one is in oil; I wanted a shine to the paint. As far as the steps go, I am using oil paint from here on out. The carpet is a neutral shade, so the rest of the image pops. Adding some highlight and lowlight skin tones. Stage Three:

Adding hair and more details to face. Stage Four:

Adding clothes for colors that compliment each other. Adding expression to the face. Giving life to the little toy car Samuel holds in his right hand. It is the underside of the car with it's black tires showing. However, you can see the red car sides. I felt including the car he was holding gave it some "realism" to this very "surrealism painting". Stage Five:

Adding some brightness to the painting, so it will pop. Stage Six:

Last touch ups added and "Do You Think We Should Go In?" is finished. That is the story behind the painting. Or should I use the quote, "And now you know the rest of the story?" ;-D