1 December 2012 ~ A Month of Reflection

Encapsulate the year 2012 in one word. Explain why you're choosing that word. Now, imagine it's one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2013 for you? [Author: Gwen Bell]

That word, for me, is BEgin. Each day I choose to BEgin. And up until today I have made 336 BEginnings.

I BEgan my blog, 366 Daze of Grace BEcause I want to create a perpetual calendar with Gracie photos and my words.

When I thought about making such a calendar it felt enormous and overwhelming. 

So I just BEgan. Early New Year's Morning. And one morning at a time I have BEgun again... 336 mornings.

I've wanted to participate with and meet other artists, in a Present-Time and REAL way, but I didn't understand HOW. 

I'd done Art Every Day Month last November, which inspired me to BEgin 366 Daze, following the same sort of daily practise. 

It took me time and much unnecessary hesitation, but when I was ready to BEgin I BEgan. I created this blog, a place to post my art and connect with others. 

Now, one challenge, prompt, or week at a time I am building up a diverse and deLIGHTfull body of work. And I've "met" amazing artists all over the World in the process.

In June, I had another chance to BEgin. I turned my daily Gratitude Practise into a blog. This year during AEDM I shared I Love You, Currie and met some new people that way, people who resonate and enJOY my art and my early morning thoughtsandfeelings. 

And Now, Today, I BEgin this REVERB12|DAILY PROMPTS. I read about it in another artist's post last week. 

It sounded like fun and right up my one-day-at-a-time alley. Plus, since all my challenges and such are taking a break for December, this keeps me playing.

As for the 2013 part of the prompt, I hope that enJOY will BE the word that runs through my year. As I continue with all the BEginnings of 2012, I DO so with great deLIGHT. May these things BE enJOYed in the year ahead.

Gathering Together ~ Artist's Play Room #37

It is a curious thing, a year winding to its close, the feelings of anticipation wrapped in reflection... I like the notion of APR #37, to gather a number of things and make it into art...

For me, this is what I DO pretty much daily. So I've collected 6 of my collages posted this month on my I Love You, Currie blog. I made them into a collage using Picasa and wrapped them in a museum matte "frame." 

What I love is the dance of colour and the JOY in my own BEing to see a slice of the past month gathered up in this way.

I've surely loved this weekly opportunity to respond to a challenge, a prompt, even just a sketchy idea. And more, I've loved the friendships that have BEgun to BE formed here.

I wish you [us] all a JOYous December and sweet holidays. See you back here in 2013.

Photo Art Friday 30 November 2012

I am NOT entirely sure how this will work... I DO know that it's been great fun for me to put it together. 

I am still so new to "digital fiddling" and exploring what is possible that attempting to pick my "best" or my "favourite" for 2012 was a little BEyond my grasp...

As I considered this week's invitation from Bonnie, I thought this little movie would show more than I think needs telling.

I BEgan this blog, 366 Daze of Grace, with high energy and great determination bright and early on 1 January. I have posted to it Now for 334 days. I am astonished at all I have learned just making this part of my Daily Practise.

As 2012 unfolded I branched out and BEgan to explore then participate in challenges like Photo Art Friday, and I have felt welcome, encouraged, and always more hopeful.

I enJOYed looking back through some of the 334 photos. I can see that I will spend some time digging deeper and ultimately pulling it together over the next 2 months. The part I am puzzling with is, DO I tweak the earlier photos or DO I leave it as an unfolding, a process that grew me into someone who is growing daily?! MayBE some of you will have a thought on that to share with me...

I hope you'll enJOY the "movie" made on Picasa then uploaded to YouTube. I'm still NOT 100% clear how this works so I am taking a test run first...

[okay... it seems to work. I didn't try to figure out about adding music and I don't know why the last slide disappears so fast, but it is what it is and I am tickled to realise what I have done in 334 days...]

 

Texture Tuesday 27 November 2012

Few things have been as pleasurable in 2012 as the chance to really embrace LEARNING about digital fiddling. Learning by DOing, by asking What If?!, and by looking, listening, and really seeing what others are DOing, then trying to DO it myself, my way, with my photographs.

I have experimented and explored and amazed myself with daring enough to know that UNDO is magical!!

I have grown fearless and unashamed of my results. I know that the more I try and fail and try again and fail again, the more I am growing a second nature about this thing I have so long wanted to know HOW-TO DO.

This last Texture Tuesday offering is my young friend Hansi on the beach in January 2010. I honestly don't know what I did except that I used kk_cherishscripted as a texture. Even saying that is a deLIGHT this morning. I love the NOT knowing BEcause when I let go of needing to know, true flight is possible!!

BE Well, friends. I look forward to seeing you in 2013!!

make art NOT war

The invitation was very clear...

...using the pdpa "Signed & Sealed" texture as the optional challenge for next week's Photo Art Friday...

And so I did...

This definitely odd yet curiously fun photograph

Taken at the Delray Affair in April 2010

Of a hanging sculpture made from old silver cutlery

Seemed to call to me as I spent some deLIGHTfull

HOURS...

Fiddling Digitally

With PSE8 + Picasa + Creative Kit + this&that...

I used pdpa "Signed & Sealed" 

As well several other pdpa textures

And I had such fun

Out loud laughter

&

Simple JOY.

This is a glorious gift, Photo Art Friday

As is Bonnie

And all who share here.

You have given me so much.

I thank you.

Profusely... ;~D

Turkey Tales From The Wee Cottage ~ APR #36

Sometimes...

Less...

As the saying goes...

Is more and...

MORE is...

Definitely...

Absotively Posolutely...

Quite ENOUGH!!!

Loving the fun of colouring. Just colouring and then scanning the colourings in different ways to:

SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF...

Happy Thanksgiving Day 2012

From The Wee Cottage

Gracie Mae

&

Currie

One Day Down by the Sea ~ Texture Tuesday

There is something just delicious about living here, by the sea...

The sky is amazing, oftentimes awesome in its blue.

Moments, mere moments are burned into my heart. 

For Forever. 

And Always.

Especially moments shared.

With friends.

After fiddling in Creative Kit to crop, resize, and adjust clarity, I used kk_kristen colour burn 100% and another layer overlay 80%. Next I added kk_musiclovin overlay 74%. 

I like the way the textures changed the sky, clouds, and sand as well the boat colours. I also like that I got to BE in this photo, thanks to Jen-Jen taking a series of photos on my camera with Hansi and me on the sailboats... ;~D