Trying to be creative

I've not started on my paintings, but I am doing some sketches and working on photos. Here are a few to hold you over.

Simple works of art

Many people don't think they are artistic. They associate art with drawing or painting. Decorating is as much an art as gardening and landscaping. It takes a certain something, something. Since the Mardi Gras season is upon those in New Orleans. I thought I'd share some secrets on what to do with those Mardi Gras trinkets. Some people leave up their Christmas trees and decorate them for every holiday. I've on occasion have decorated my christmas tree with white beads as garland. I also take the beads and instead of buying colored marbles or foam. I place beads inside a vase and then arrange artificial flowers. If the vase is clear then choose beads of the same color scheme as the room or use clear or white beads. I also have two large jars, one filled with purple, green and gold beads, the colors of Mardi Gras and the other filled with Dabloons from various Krewes. There you have it, another way to be creative and not spend a lot of money. The beads are free, you can get a vase for under $5.00 and a bushel of flowers for .88 cents at Wal Mart or Big Lots. Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.

Getting models

When taking pictures we go from inanimated objects to those with movement. Insects, pets and people. You can go out and just snap pictures of people walking by or you can get them to actually pose for you. The latter isn't as easy as it sounds. There are some people who enjoy having their picture taken, but these may not be the people you're interested in photographing. I'm always looking for the shy person. The person with that hidden beauty. Someone who is ready to explode on film and aren't aware of the energy they produce. It takes time. I think it's one of the reasons why I like photographing my friends. It develops like a relationship. You have to put that person at ease and then the magic can begin. You can start with your friends and then gradually approach those that you find interesting and see where things lead. For me it's all part of the process. Select the subject, get them to agree to pose and then get them to unleash their fantasy or yours. LOL. Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.

Antz

AntZ, a film with a double title. It could have been called Ant Z, since Zee appears to be the main ant. Let’s start from the beginning. This is my second time watching this film which I had doubts about before seeing it the first time. I am not a fan of Woody Allen. He’s an annoying, neurotic little man. The only film I had ever seen to completion was everything you always wanted to know about sex, but… nothing else seemed to appeal to me, but since I like animation. Anyway, there I was watching this film and getting a dose of Woody Allen and enjoying it. Now I didn’t run out and get a bunch of Woody Allen films, but I had opened myself up to the idea of giving his films a try. So I watched Annie Hall just three years ago for the first time. I think I watched another film, but the title escapes me. I’ll have to refer back to my journal if I can. Antz is about the underdog, becoming the hero. And most of the time it happens by accident. Perhaps Nagin will become the hero in the aftermath of Katrina since he is now the underdog. If you love animation or Woody Allen, you are going to enjoy this film. Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind. Tonight’s feature is Sinbad, the legend of the seven seas.

A good time to take pictures

Make a note that the best time to take pictures is the next day after a good rain. Everything will show it's true colors. Immediately after a rain if the sun comes out you can catch rainbows. Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.

I couldn't believe it

 I was in a craft store and what did I see? A kit to decorate glass jars. Why didn’t I think of that? Well I did, but it’s not on the market? As I’ve mentioned before, artists think alike. Oh well, that’s life. I’ll have to think of something else. Today let’s create a calendar. Something personal. There are many programs to help you get this project off the ground. If you don’t have a computer then you can try it this way. If you have access to a copy machine, take a sheet of paper and draw 31 squares. They can all be the same size or you can make them smaller for the weekend days and if a month doesn’t have 31 days, you have a square to jot down notes. This will become your master sheet. Xerox 12 copies, one for each month. You can become creative by selecting photos or images to Xerox on the opposite side if you wish to make a wall calendar. If you wish to make sheets for your appointment book then you just modify the squares to accommodate your needs. Just use your imagination. Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.

Being creative with stickers

Creative jars. I purchased some sticker paper from Wal Mart. I then run it through my copy machine printing images onto it. Then I cut the images out. I take jars and cans that I’ve used and decorate them with the stickers. It adds a personal touch and it makes great gifts. It only takes a few minutes once you’ve selected your images. You print them out in whatever program your using. I use the windows program and print my art as if I’m printing wallet size photos. The size of your sticker will depend on the object in which you plan to cover. I’ve created covers for my journals, cards and just things for the children to play with. Makes them feel special when they have stickers with their faces on it or their names. Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind. I’ll try to write creative art tips more often. I just needed to figure out something to write about. You would think an artist wouldn’t be at a lost for words. LOL.