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I’m late posting this, but I still want to share some pictures I took during the dramatic thunderstorm that pounded its way through Fort Collins on August 14th. You can tell from the bending trees how hard the wind was blowing, although it was much more impressive live, because the trees were tossing and turning in every direction.
The rain came down so hard it looked like there was a fog bank between us and the rest of the world. We also got some hail toward the end of the storm, enough to see the white against our lawn.
In the classic style of “every cloud has a silver lining”, a rainbow came out as the storm rolled away.
Even though I have a degree in Integrated Science, was a computer programmer for years, and get on a computer at least once a day, I am a Luddite. I have yet to own a cell phone. I scowl at my husband because he navigates with a GPS and his laptop rather than a paper map. I am still getting used to our digital camera and have yet to learn most of its features. The technological wonders of today often hinder rather than help. No Blackberry, Tivo, or digital watch for me.
Here’s the punch line: I bought an MP3 player this week. I’ve been listening to a podcast (FLYlady on Blogtalk Radio) every week and I got tired of being chained to the computer. It was ridiculous to burn a CD to listen to something I intended to listen to only once, so a portable system with temporary storage was the answer.
I started by looking at MP3 players on-line and I quickly found one that attracted me. Apple’s iPod Shuffle was low cost with minimal features. Best of all, it has one big self-explanatory button that covers most of its functions. I could tell just by looking at it how it works. Unwilling to wait for it to be shipped to me, I found a local store that carried it and ran out to buy one.
It was love at first sight. The clean design was enhanced by its size — tiny!
Note: I have small hands
Once I saw it in person, no other player had a chance. I couldn’t resist. It was just too cute not to own.
Since buying it, I’ve been wandering in the land of iTunes, exploring the sample music that came on our PC (annoying junk), and looking forward to listening to music I already own with my adorable iPod. If I keep this up, I’ll have to take off my dented Luddite armor and put it away.
P.S. Not all hope is lost. I just used the beat-up Webster’s that sits by our computer, rather than an on-line dictionary. Some habits die hard.
Quilting under the influence? Sounds crazy, doesn’t it. It turns out that there is a store in Ritzville, Washington that sells everything you need to be a drunken quilter.
If that isn’t enough to make you gape, here’s what the front window looks like.
Quilting, Harleys, and Jack Daniels. What a mix.
Last week I got a last-minute shot at being in a class taught by Lynne Perrella at The Artist’s Nook and I took it. I attended the Sunday session of “Voluptuous Discards” and had a wonderful time. I love Lynne’s books on art journals, Artist Journals & Sketchbooks and Alphabetica. She is an enthusiastic and nurturing teacher. I would encourage anyone interested in her approach to collage to try one of her classes. She really puts the emphasis on generating work that is uniquely yours.
The class was mainly a process class in which each of us generated one large collage using many techniques. I started with a intentionally textured gesso layer, then added paint in successive layers using various techniques. I included some images of towers – multiple copies of one that I drew myself and one that I got from a book of medieval illustrations. I have done some sanding to enhance the texture, but I still have more work I want to do.
Extreme close-up of collage
The folds in the piece are there because I choose to turn my collage into a book. Folding the sheet into pages that weren’t planned in advance led to some exciting and unexpected layouts. My work seems entirely different now that it is in the shape of a book. I want to spend more time on each spread, starting with water-soluble oil pastels for detail. I also hope to tone down the silver paint – I think it’s currently a little too strong for the piece.
