Half Full?

It's the second tangent: "Half Full" in http://daisyyellowart.com and her "Tangents and Tactics" series.

This was a pretty quick and simple exploration of the full/empty debat. I've always been a "half full" kinda girl, but see my unfinished projects as a "half empty". So I guess it's safe to say I'm only optimistic with outward perception things, when it comes with my self-perception I'm pretty pessimistic. Makes sense...it's nice to have a new exercise put it in these terms for me. 

I guess knowing IS "half the battle". Half won, or half lost...That, my friends, is one for another day.

Starburst

I've been feeling extremely stagnant in my creative life. Working full-time in retail may have something to do with it. Although I was pretty blocked when I had all the time in the world too. 

The other day I stumbled on http://daisyyellowart.com and her "Tangents and Tactics" series. I was fortunate to catch this challenge series in it's beginning (usually I'm a day late and dollar short). 

Tangent #1 "Starburst" [wip]

I'm doing this in my altered book that I started 8 years ago...more on that to come :-).

Good to be back~Laura

Bridging the Gap

I know, I know it's been a crazy long time since I've posted on my blog. Lets chalk it all up to...

Art, Creativity and the Pursuit of Perfection. 

I've been pursuing perfection to the point of obliterating any hope of art and creativity. Know the feels, bro?

This month has brought some changes. First of all, mamma got her a J.O.B. A part-time cashier position and an AMAZING privately owned, Faith based Arts, Crafts, and Home Decor retail store. I'm loving it!!!

Now that I have less time on my hands to just sit and think and over sit and way over-think, creativity and motivation are making their way back into my life.

I've been mulling over in my mind how to put all this in a post, and just today I found a recent QA from the fabulous Marie Forleo basically helps validate this decision in a way that takes away any shame I may have had. Check her out, yo!

Pi Day

Gangnam Style2, a photo by LMD Studio on Flickr.

"Woody" is doing Gangnam Style in front of "Fibonacci Warm" for Pi Day!

You can purchase "Fibonacci Warm" over at the Etsy

Eye Finally See!

I created this image a few months ago. I felt like sharing it tonight after reading back through some of the quotes that resonated with me then, and still do now.

This weekend I participated in an amazing workshop that opened my eyes to the possibilities and opportunities that have been in me all along. I will share more about that adventure soon. For now, just enjoy my eye :)

○Click for larger image○

Air Light Space Time: Guilty

I saw a comic today that really resonated with what has really been holding me back. Well, really it's the poem, but the comic illustrates it well. I am a visual person, after all.

Air and Light and Space and Time by Charles Bukowski:

“–you know, I’ve either had a family, a job,
something has always been in the
way
but now
I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this
place, a large studio, you should see the space and
the light.
for the first time in my life I’m going to have
a place and the time to
create.”
no baby, if you’re going to create
you’re going to create whether you work
16 hours a day in a coal mine
or
you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children
while you’re on
welfare,
you’re going to create with part of your mind and your body blown
away,
you’re going to create blind
crippled
demented,
you’re going to create with a cat crawling up your
back while
the whole city trembles in earthquake, bombardment,
flood and fire.
baby, air and light and time and space
have nothing to do with it
and don’t create anything
except maybe a longer life to find
new excuses
for.

© Charles Bukowski, Black Sparrow Press

I have a flaw...you ready. I am a procrastinating perfectionist.

If the situation isn't just right...
If I don't have just the right tools...
If I'm not in the right mood...
If I'm not backed up against the wall...
If I am feeling less-than...

I just don't do it! We are talking art, life...anything.

This changes TODAY!

Following my Heart

A few months ago I decided that the best way to help my family was to put my dreams aside and take a position in an area completely new to me. I approached this adventure as I do in most aspects of my life...Head First; All or Nothing!

Soon after starting I had this nagging feeling in my gut that something was "off". I was performing well. I was even promoted to a management position within a few weeks. I still had this uncomfortable feeling in my gut. The long days...I can handle that. The nights away from the family...I delt with that. So what was bugging me.

I had a realization that the job requirements went against my moral code. This may sound bad, but it is so easy to justify little things here and there. What it came down to was that I just couldn't continue with this position because it just didn't feel "right" in my gut.

So here we are again. Here I am again. I'm not saying it was all bad. I'm not saying that I didn't learn anything...actually I grew a lot in areas that I needed help in, through this experience. Specifically, I now have no anxieties driving (opening a world of possibilities for me).

I'm super excited to take the things I learned from that adventure and bring them in to creating a more successful and fulfilling business.

Announcement: Moving On!

LMD Studio is going through some changes. More specifically I am going through some lifestyle and career changes. This week my focus is studying for my licensing exam for this change. I'll have more details as I have more to tell.

The Studio has to take a backseat right now. I do hope to still do some challenges and other personal art, as I will need the cathartic aspect of creating (more than ever). I'm no longer accepting new projects outside of personal work, for the time being.

Free Gift

Every once in awhile I like to thank my fans with a little free gift. So here you go:

Just Right Click on image for full size and "Save As">"Set as desktop background"

{xLarge-1920x1080 Resolution}*

{1280x720 Resolution}

Quotes obtained from Quotegarden.com

*Update: Blogger condensed the xLarge to 1,600px × 900px (if you would like the original, e-mail me and I will send to you :) lmdstudio@live.com

2 Things: Sunday/Pattern

This 2 Things Challenge was perfect for me. One of my favorite things to create is motif's for patterns. This particular one gives me the chance to share my Devotional Journal. I created a few patterns to use on Zentangles, or other uses.

The Patterns: Dogwood {Sketch}

The Journal: Various Patterns {Biblical Based}

*The text:
"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."~ Psalms 118:8
                
 "I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord."~Psalms 118:17

Of course the journal is meant to be used daily, but I seem to only be using it on Sunday lately...Need to work on that :)

Angry Birds Chess {I Made it Monday}

This Christmas I made each of my children one handmade gift. My middle son is on an Angry Birds kick right now. So I made him an "Angry Birds Chess Set"

Angry Birds and egg stealing Pigs face off.

Piggy Pawn

Bird Knight

Bird Pawn

Bird King

Bird Bishop

Bird Rook

Bird Queen

Piggy King and Queen

Piggy Knight and Rook (Bishop is larger version of Pawn)

2 Things: Post/Parallel

As soon as I saw this week's challenge, I knew exactly what to post. I always loved how my husband and son's shadow runs parallel with this awesome train.

Shadow Train, a photo by Mommy Bee on Flickr.

Join in the fun at 2 Thing Challenge

Sketch-2-Sketch - The Little Princess

She ignored her father's wishes for her to stay in the waiting area. The precocious one year old strode down the aisle of booths in the restaurant, blue eyes shining from under the pink wool hat with grey leopard print fur brim. Her creamy plump cheeks pulled up as she smiled at everyone. Her pink wool coat matched her hat and her Peter Pan Collar matched her hat's brim. Grey tights covered her legs and purple Mary Janes covered her feet. The little princess held up her right arm and waved with her fingers the way kids do when they first learn to wave. It looked more like a come-here gesture, but to her it was a wave. She kept on walking and waving as if nothing else mattered in the world.

November Already?

My goodness October sure did fly by. Well, as you can see I didn't get my website up and running. In fact, I need to go back to square one and find a good hosting site. You can find me here for now :)

I do have internet access again....YAY!!! So no excuses to not productivate :)

October Meet-UP

September has come and gone. It was a successful month of planning, organizing, and all around getting into the time-management groove. As a creative, this is a challenge. Personally I am a very by-the-book person, so planning is fine…it’s the application that is the kicker. As in any new:  habit, job, adventure, this month has been both rewarding and emotionally exhausting. I am staying the course and see real improvements in attitude and motivation.  

~~Now that I got the sappy stuff out of the way…Let’s move on~~

October is going to be a refreshingly busy month. Can we say (way over due) Website Re-launch…Yeah baby! 

Before we get to the plan, I have a favor to ask…

 

If you would like to just leave a question in the comments, please make sure that we have an email address to respond personally to. In either case, please allow 2 weeks for a response.

*We reserve the right to delete any comments that we deem as inappropriate or irrelevant.

 

Back to Planning

I have been doing very well with the project planning, and holding myself accountable.  So, here is the plan:

Month long:

Website Re-launch: Deadline October 28

Week 1

Project 1:

Website:

                Create Flash for Photography page on Website

Project 2:

Rings:   

Photograph

Launch Series in Etsy Shop ~ can’t wait to show them J

Paintings:

Finish Painting Math Series …again, can’t wait to share!

                Launch Series in Etsy Shop

Project 3:

Client:

                Logo for Blog (More detail after project completion)

Week 2

Project 1:

Website:

                Design and Code “Design Studio”

Project 2:

Paintings:

Watercolors for Portfolio

                Upload to Appropriate Shops

Project 3:

TBD*

Week 3

Project 1:

Website:

                Design and Code “Art Studio”

Project 2:

Paintings:

Ink (Calligraphy and Art) for Portfolio

                Upload to Appropriate Shops

Project 3:

TBD*

Week 4

Project 1:

Website:  Go Live October 28^th

                About, Pricing/Policies, FAQ, and Contact Pages

Project 2:

Motifs:

                Update designs

                Create (3) Scrapbook Kits

                Upload to Appropriate Shops

Project 3:

TBD*

*We are currently accepting illustration, design, and photography assignments. If you (our can refer someone) who is in need of any of these services, please call 314.915.4709 for an estimate. 

 Like sharing your goals and challenges with like minded peeps? Join the Meetup :)

Me: Unplugged

It’s been a long time since I posted, with good reason.  Don’t worry; I’m not going to bore you with the normal excuses. I really do have a good reason.  This summer I made the conscious decision to go unplugged (not to be confused with “unraveled”).  What I mean is to discontinue phone and internet service in the home/home office.  I didn’t want you to think I went totally off of my rocker and got rid of the TV’s and computer totally.

There were a couple of factors that steered me in this direction. First and foremost were finances. We just couldn’t continue with the internet/phone costs any longer.  We never really had it in the personal budget in the first place. The business budget has been thinned out this year, as well.  I know that my own lack of motivation to really search for new projects is a huge factor. The driving force of that lack of motivation, my love of TV. Or more specifically watching shows from various networks all day long on Hulu. Man I do miss me some Eureka, Haven, Warehouse 13, Pretty Little Liars, Design Star…I better stop before I start convulsing from withdrawal.

I’m sure you can see why not having the distraction of the internet in the home might just allow me to use my time more productively (both personally and professionally).  You know what? It worked!

I know there are a lot of people that can balance time on the internet and personal life. I’m not one of those. Am I saying I will never have internet again? Heck No. I’m just using this time to reintroduce some much needed time management skills. I have some pretty specific plans in place to keep my business afloat (maybe even improving it) without have internet readily available. 

So, there you go. That is why I have been MIA. I’m kind of off the grid. I’ll keep you posted on how this is working more me/us.

Question: Since you have had internet connection, what is the longest duration that you have gone without internet? How’d that work for you?

D is for Dragon

I was visiting my BFF today and we where looking through her daughters clothes what she had outgrown so that Raevan could be the new owner. While in her room I noticed the drawing I did years ago on her wall. It was actually a Christmas present for her older brother, who is now grown and moved out. Oh where does the time go?

I thought this drawing had been long gone. Alas, it was posted on her wall by her bed. So, here it is 9 years later. No frame, a few wrinkles and ink marks added...but I think it adds character.

Blue Eyes White Dragon

*Remember this was just a personal picture for my Godson, who was 10ish at the time.