Round the Campfire ~ April

[djstar]

Short note. I had a call out of nowhere from a lady in Chicago that wanted to order pictures from my main site. Luckily they were the cowboy stuff so I sent her to my Fine Art America site.
No cha-ching as yet, but her favorite was my SELF PORTRAIT!! I guess I am colorful!
Night all,
dj*

[mtnrunner]

Hey DJ - just wanted to let you know the link in your signature for "The Cowboy Stuff" doesn't work...

[djstar]

HUH! It had been broke a long time! Thanks, I think it works now!.... good morning!

[KJSieloff]

Good morning gang!!

Coffee is eight o'clock this morning...and we are having breakfast sandwiches. Egg white on an english muffin, with turkey sausage and cheese. Lite but nutritious. Yum!!

Have pics to post finally, but I have to resize them. So coming up later, I hope.

DJ - How cool you got contacted outta the blue. Good luck closing a deal! Your style is soo cool, it's only a matter of time I predict you will have more work than you can keep up with.

A collective hello to the rest of the gang, I just got interrupted! Gotta work, dang it!!

Kate

[Fredrix 45]

good morn to you, I have 15 people coming to the house today at 5:30pm for the last Bible class on the Psalms. I also have to go get my hearing checked at 3;00 it may overlap. This last weekend the realtors showed the house on Saturday to 3 different groups We had to be out of the house from 12 till 4, we went to the park and took a long hike with our daughter and her cat in a backpack and our toy poodle. We had to carry the poodle by the lake, gators are active in the spring and we heard a bull barking the last time we were down there. We saw 3 babies in the river. I tried to paint the river but it got lost, perhaps I will scan it and get advice. It is watercolor and I am more comfortable with oil. I must run now and get my table ready and my dip! Aleada

[objectivistartist]

update on FUGUE..........



might actually have this done by the end of May!! - but doubt it, what with the fine tuning after all the rest is laid in......... will see...

[Lisa M]

Cat in a backpack???? Hm....I'd love to see that, Aleada. Your post reminded me of this video a friend sent sometime ago. I would probably stick to the backpack, though, myself, since one swipe of the tail could take out that brave kitty cat. (I think he's protecting the white cat off to the left that you can see for a second.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhXcjhkMHyg

Hi to all....I'm just taking a little work break. The weather is still gloomy, which is fine by me since I'm too busy to enjoy any sun that might shine anyway!

Congrats on your high finish in the race, Deb!

Back to work for me....Happy Monday to all.

[Jo Castillo]

Jenna, hi there. I really like your chair in your studio. Looks like you are busy on a sculpture at the moment. We did figure out the grand-dogs can be in the garage when we go to the baseball game. We have one side of the garage with an air conditioner and windows. It was designed for a shop, so they can be in there. The middle size dog is a real "chewer" so can't be left in the house. He ruined our front door and the threshold on the sliding doors at the other house trying to claw his way out and we only left him for a couple of hours. He has chewed the blinds in our daughters place so sadly he stays in a cage when any of us are out. He is so quiet when we are around it is hard to believe.

Aleada, your sketches from Bush Gardens are excellent. Have you picked a place in NM? Your page photo/painting looks like the Organ Mountains. When we have a house for sale it is the only time ours is ever neat. This one hasn't been bad yet as we don't have much to clutter with yet. Ha.

Deb, it makes me tired reading about your running. Beans and rice sounds extra special, though. Haven't had that for a while. I found some red chile pods in the store here to try. They say packaged somewhere in Texas and imported from Mexico so can't be very authentic! The taste of peppers from other places, just doesn't compare to NM.

Catherine, thank you. Gene is out buying rain gutter at the moment, so may have shelves by next week. I have such a lovely studio now and haven't been painting much. I will get there, though.

dj, hope the sales go well. Your drawings with the coffee are just amazing, well, the drawings are amazing anyway, but the coffee makes them so special.

Hi, Kate. Hope the work goes well.

Robert, your drawing is amazing as well. Just "grand" as in big and beautiful.

Lisa, the cat is brave, but can't believe the people just standing around. I'd be hightailing it out of there!

Have some art stuff to do today. I always send a thank you after someone buys a painting with a certificate of authenticity. It is a chance to be in touch with them again after a sale. In South America, especially Bolivia, if you bought anything in a market they always gave you a small gift, yapa/llapa. If you bought a bunch of potatoes you might get an onion, or if you bought a sweater you might get a tiny knitted doll. So I always include a yapa, too. Depending on the price of the painting, maybe a magnet, note cards, or a drawing. It is fun and the collectors seem to like it.

Hi to all the rest of you. See you soon......

[KJSieloff]

Howdy gang!!

OK, first of a few pics: These are the pics I felt were worth sharing from our buggy ride last weekend. Most of the pics were for a painting I've got in mind, of a working ranch house where I used to spend some time when I was a kid. Not very interesting except to me. BUT, these I thought you would enjoy.

Pretty bull - do ya know I like bulls???



Gila Monster - we actually see these quite a bit. This one didn't want to stick around very long for his picture.


Bull Snake - gopher snake, depends on where you live. I've always been told they are bull snakes. Pretty markings, sometimes folks can't tell them apart from rattlers.


Crested Sahuaro - a phenomenon no one really has an explanation for. These things are kinda cool.

[KJSieloff]

These are my studio. I actually live in a manufactured home, I converted my little breakfast nook into my studio. The windows are perfect for it. And I have absolutely no plans for putting window coverings on the windows. No neighbors are close enough to watch me draw anyway. And....it's cluttered!!

[KJSieloff]

Chula Vista (Spanish for Beautiful View, the name we gave our property)

The house





The back yard/rose garden

This pic is of two wash tubs I used as planters for flowers.


Rose Garden

[jennaboo88]

Hello everyone!

Hi Linda. Green walls? No horror there! My bedroom has a warm, grassy green color on the walls, and even more, deep, deep green carpet. Not many things go well with green carpet. I love the green though. They say green is a color that is said to inspire people. Not sure if that's true or not...

Hi Aleada. The kitten photo probably won't be in the Quick Draw thread, as it isn't very western, but please feel free to paint it anyway. I'd love to see it. Those wildlife sketches are beautiful! I always wanted to spend time at a zoo just to sketch the animals. It's one of those "someday" dreams. I'm glad you had a chance to do that. These are beautiful!

Hope that your Bible study went well. A cat in a backpack...must be a mellow cat!

Hi Deb. Yes, the kittens are growing fast. One of them has his eyes opening just a peep. Wow, great job to both of you on the race! Excellent work, and 50 miles - wow! You two are so athletic. Way to go!

Hi Catherine. Thanks! I'm a big fan of color. Green bedroom, black and tan studio, baked-bean red dining room walls, butterscotch living room walls, sage green kitchen, etc. Color is always nice!

Hi DJ. Congratulations on the interest in your work! Your self-portrait is a great piece.

Hi Kate. Mm, great breakfast! Wow, what a picture show! Wonderful shots! I love bulls, too, and that one is magnificent! I love the Gila Monster, too.

And your studio is excellent! That table brimming with colored pencils just makes me long to draw. I love art clutter. It looks creative and fun. Art should be messy sometimes.

Your home, yard, and garden is gorgeous! What a beautiful place, and your roses are lovely! Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Robert, patient, patient Robert, this is looking wonderful!

Hi Lisa. Wow, that's an amazing video. One gusty (or perhaps foolish) cat!

Hi Jo. Thanks. I really wanted a warm color chair and something comfortable to use, and this one was a really good price, so it fit just right. Wow, that one dog sounds like he likes to make mischief! Must be so maddening to see that kind of damage!

What a wonderful way to show your appreciation to your clients. A really great idea. They must just love that, too.

Well, I should find some late lunch. Have a great day, everyone!

Oh! Almost forgot, I think Oliver is all done. I ended up adding a bit of color to the eyes and nose. I used Faber-Castell Artist Pitt Pens (brush size). I think I'll call this one done.

[KJSieloff]

Awh Jenna love the touch of color on Oliver! Beautifully done girl!

Kate

[KJSieloff]

Just had to show you all a touch more of Arizona's Spring. This prickly pear is in my yard. Last year it didn't do so well, but this year it's blazing with color. These flowers are almost as big as the palm of my hand.

[mtnrunner]

Kate, your property is like an oasis out there... so very lovely. I can imagine sitting on that porch smelling the rose garden and enjoying the views. Beautiful photos.
Jo, what a lovely idea of sending a thank you "gift". Great way to personalize the sale and stay in contact with a buyer. Which reminds me, I gotta get some more cards made.
Jenna, more photos of the kitties, please!
Lisa- cool video!
Robert - looking good!
The rest of ya... hello out there!!!

Here's a couple of shots from our race.
before the start.. first light on the Collegiates...


our matching "tatoos" = "performance enhancing Kokopelli's"


the mighty Arkansas River.. we crossed it at mile 25 -


I'll spare you the p hoto of Steve's mangled hand where he fell going down a rocky trail and peeled back a good chunk of skin. eeeuuuu....