Sunday, May 31, 2009

Here I go again...




“Here I go again” seems to be my favorite saying these past few months. After dropping out of blogging, both reading and writing, as well as all forms of art making or crafting (unheard of for me!), and spending a year just reading and gardening, last December I stumbled upon Danny Gregory’s website, via a book I was buying on Amazon.


Suddenly the drawing bug got a hold of me. I used to draw a lot as a child, as well as in high school and in college, and in one way or another always incorporated some form of drawing in all the crafts that have rotated in my roster of obsessions. Whether it was clay or silk or metal it ended up having an image of some sort on it.


From Danny Gregory’s podcast interviews of artists who keep visual journals it was just a hop, skip and a jump (actually just a free fall) into drawing in a sketchbook, to buying a bunch of supplies, to taking online classes, to making mixed media, to buying more supplies, to buying books, more classes...


You can see why at every turn I kept saying to myself “here I go again”.


Even though I have yet to make a folk art doll, or paint a mixed media “petit doll”, I learned something from all the classes I signed up for, in some of them I actually produced a lot of work, and in all of them I had a blast!. Obsessively, of course.


Here they are:

Suzi Blu’s Petit Dolls

Kelly Kilmer’s Prompt a Day

Jane DesRosier’s Cloth and Clay Dolls

Alisa Burke’s Graffiti Chic

Mary Ann Moss’ Pure Experimentation: Stencilry


Somehow this made me want a new camera for bigger and better photos, as if the 5,606 currently in my iPhoto Library were not enough, and the capability to make little videos. Of what? I dunno. Dogs? Walks? Whatever. Any camera suggestions would be very much appreciated. Nikon D90? Canon EOS XSi? Canon EOS 40D?


Taking the classes also got me reading blogs again, and reading blogs made me want to revive mine. Now I need to upgrade to iLife 09, in the hopes that it will give my blog a new and spiffy look. Today is the first day of my 5 week vacation (yes, I am lucky), so I guess it’s the perfect time to wake up my blog and make something old new again. I just realized it’s also the 16th anniversary of my father's death. Hi Papa.



By the way, I went through all my old blog links in the sidebar and was amazed to see that almost everyone’s blog was up to date and more beautiful than ever. I was impressed.


Good job folks!!

P.S.

I just signed up for a Blogger blog because I was totally frustrated at getting a repeated error message when I tried to publish my iWeb (Apple) blog, and now I am totally frustrated at trying to get the font size and color and layout I want on Blogger. Why isn't any of this REALLY easy??

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

YAY!!! so glad you started again, Anna Maria!!!
How many similarity I notice as I read through your post...
I also am considering purchasing a new camera, I have been reading about Nikon D80, but I still don't know...

I also would like to upgrade to iLife 09, and I also get all enthusiastic every time I start a new artistic project, buying materials and books......:-)
And my dad passed 13 yeas ago.....:-(

well, you are on vacation now, try to enjoy it and don't stress about the blog font color hehehehe it's supposed to be a fun journey.

Love your avatar

Anonymous said...

...and I also take pills when I fly
hahahahaha

anna maria said...

Ciao Marina!

You're the first to post on my new blog! Thank you.

By the way, someone who teaches photography told me it may be that the D90 has now replaced the D80. Don't know if that's correct though.

Leslie said...

I always think I want to start a sketching journal, but then I buy the supplies and look longingly at them, because I feel like I can't draw. I too, drew all the time as a child. Something about adulthood that introduced insecurity.

As for cameras: I own a Nikon D80, but recently bought a Nikon D700 too. (Loving the ISO capabilities on that camera.) I love the D80, which I believe has been replaced by the D90 -- not sure the differences. I shot over 10,000 images the first year and a half I had it. My D80 does not have video capabilities. Not sure about the D90, but I am partial to Nikon.

anna maria said...

HI Leslie,
thanks for the camera tips. I'm surprised the Nikon D80 does not have video capabilities. My 6 year old Canon point and shoot can take very short videos.
I'm going to check out the D700. I think there's a D300 that's pretty amazing.

kate smudges said...

I was so happy to read your comment on my blog and to discover that you are back to blogging. For a long time, I used to check to see if maybe you'd changed your mind and had returned. I always loved reading your blog. I switched from Blogger to Typepad and like it. It's wonderful to hear that you are getting back into art. I love your mixed media piece posted here. Love that quote!!

I have a Canon XSi and I love it. Got a macro lens so I can get closer to flowers. It's a wonderful camera. You can check out my flower photos on Flickr (username Katesmudges~ )

Have a lovely spring and a wonderful holiday. Five weeks of bliss!!

Anonymous said...

WELCOME back to the world of blogging!

So glad you're back!

Paz

Pam said...

I'm so glad that you are out and about again. Delightful!

anna maria said...

Hi Pam,
what synchronicity! I just read your clog post earlier today.