Tuesday, June 30, 2009

JambaMarimba Printed Music Online

I've been scanning all the printed music and putting it on our website. Plus, I've created a grid of all our music to keep as an agenda for practices.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Marion Coleman Quilts



Marion Coleman, quilter says "An interest in history, people and the natural environment combined with a preference for rich, bold, vibrant colors guides me to create dramatic imagery of people and places. An unending source of inspiration continues to be old family photos, historical photos from the African American community, personal photos and memories of island life and the grandeur and beauty of the earth. I strive to present the textures and rhythms of our past while embracing the energy of today and the promise of tomorrow using an array of color. I developed an attraction for fabrics, threads and yarns as a child when I was taught to sew by my grandmother. I began making quilts in the early '90s after viewing a quilt show in a local museum. Since then my use of color has expanded with the introduction of ethnic fabrics and the availability of dyes, fabric paints and silk screening materials. With the expansion of computer technology I continue to explore photo transfer and transformation combined with textiles."

Friday, June 26, 2009

Amber with befunky.com

All these shots of beautiful Amber were manipulated at the totally fun site... befunky.com. It's so much fun and so easy. Give it a try.


Amber, Camy and Brook

These were manipulated with photoshop filters...
(click picture to view larger to see detail)


More of Amber

(click on picture to view larger size, the small size doesn't show the filters well)
1. Filter= watercolor

2. No Filter

3. Film Grain

4. No Filter

5. Smudge

Amber and Camy: 13 ways

Mari just sent a CD of Easter pictures... I've been playing around with photoshop filters on this photo of lovely Amber and darling Camy... (click photo to see larger image, since these smaller images don't show the detail very well.) The filter above is "palette knife" (my fav) ... others below:

1.filter=film grain

2.filter=cutout

3.filter=crystalize

4.filter=crackelize

5.filter=drybrush

6.filter=fresco

7.filter=oceanripple

8.filter=glass

9.filter=watercolor111

10.filter=sumi

11.filter=sponge

12.filter=sketchwaterpaper

Wet Willy on a purple wave

Windy day today. WW is at the beach tearin' it up. (This photo funked up with befunky.com)

african quilt

I just returned from Cyndi's, as usual, inspired by her African quilts. I want to make one myself... here are some beauties:
African Quilt Market (Part Three)...15 x 30 inches, by O.V. Brantley, 2008. #74/100 of the African Canvas Memory Quilt series.

more in the series here

Bleach Discharge Painting

I've been doing so much painting of paper, but am going to try painting with bleach on dark fabric. Here's some inspiration:Gorgeous color result... from Enchanted Art, by Elizabeth, a fiber and mixed media artist living in New Mexico. She says "Here are some more bleach discharge experiments. I wanted to see if I could get some finer control over where the bleach went. This time, I used Electrasol liquid dish washer detergent with bleach, and put it into an empty glue bottle. It was a little bit too thick to get through the nozzle, so I had a little bit of a hard time squeezing it through, but not bad for a first try. The piece that is in the upper left, I did by squeezing a large amount onto the countertop, and swirling it around with my rubber faux finishing tool, and then laying the fabric on top. Got my counter nice and shiny too!

...and a lovely quilt by the same artist. I love the giraffe and the palette


Notecards...I have been having a lot of fun over the past few months painting papers. Many of the papers started off as being pages for some of my handmade books, but I was also trying to think of a way that I could show them off a little better on their own. I also sometimes do quilting and craft shows, and so I thought that these might make good pick-up items that people could buy for themselves or as a gift. I have done lots of different techniques to paint the papers including: stamping, resist, paste paper, brayer, monoprint, salt, and more. I also made a few fabric cards using some of the rust fabric that I made, and also some of the bleach discharge fabric that I did some time ago. Whether fabric or paper, I sewed each piece onto a cardstock card base, with lots of different kinds of threads. My favorite is the copper metallic! These little cards have proven to be quite addictive to make.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Delta Credit Card Approved

American Express... look for plain envelop at 8O E.G. in 7-10 days. No fee first year. ($95 after). 25,000 miles after first purchase. An additional 15,000 miles if you spend $1000 in the first 3 months of membership.

8 Best Book Review Sites

Article: here...
New York Times
Washington Post
Chicago Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
The Telegraph
Allreaders.com
Bookpage.com
bookreporter.com

I will not die an unlived life


I am entering quotes in my db... and came across this one by Dawna Markova "I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise."

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Acting Class CAST Theatre

CAST is offering an adult acting workshop on July 25,26, Aug. 1,2 from 9 to noon at Columbia Arts, 215 Cascade. Sharon Laughlin, a professional actor will be teaching the class. Sharon graduated from the University of Washington in Drama and went directly to New York where she worked in theatre for 30 years. Shortly after arriving in NYC she began studying with Neils Miller who taught an acting technique based on the teachings of Francois Delsarte. The overarching idea could be summed up by what he calls “The Law of Correspondence.” which states that: “to each spiritual function responds a function of the body; and to each large movement of the body corresponds a spiritual act.” ‘Spiritual,’ in this context meaning intellectual or emotional movement. He observed in detail how energy and intention are expressed through the body via gesture and voice – the only tools an actor has to communicate with the audience. Sharon worked on and off Broadway, did national tours and Regional Theater such as Oregon Shakespeare Festival – Portland Center Stage, Stamford Theatre Works, Cleveland Playhouse, American Shakespeare Festival, Center Stage in Baltimore and many more.

The class will be limited to 15 and the fee will be $60.00 payable to Columbia Arts. Every participant will need to bring a memorized 3 minute monologue to the first class. If you need more information or help finding a monologue, please contact Judie Hanel at 541-386-6221 or judieh@gorge.net with any questions about the class.

Kerry's Wedding

I'm so excited for Kerry, but sorry I'll miss the wedding. July 2. I need to remember to send something!

Eric Maisel...taking a break

When you need a break from your project, Eric Maisel suggests taking a "passionate break of short duration" rather than a careless, extended break that threatens to lose all of your momentum.

He tells the story of a novelist who needed a break to solve a plot problem. Maisel writes that the novelist "knows that he needs a break but it is a break in the service of his novel. He isn’t intending to abandon his work or avoid the challenge. He is passionately interested in solving this plot problem and his brain is perfectly aware that he is passionate about this matter. So it takes a nice little break, providing ... mental rest, but it also continues working out of his conscious awareness, tackling the problem he has given it."

So, when you are stuck, frustrated, mentally exhausted or otherwise in need of a mind break, the principle to apply: Start with a small break and a splash of cold water, try other minimal interventions like a nap or a good night’s sleep, move on to a day sabbatical or a weekend vacation, and only in this incremental way proceed to a break with any real length or finality. If you are lucky, you will discover that all that you require is a passionate break of short duration.

Slice and stretch photo

uses a duplicate print... link

Funny

Summary of Life (sent by Jay)

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year-old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge ... mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

SUCCESS:
At age 4 success is . . . . not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 17 success is . . having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is . . .. .having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . .. . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.
Claire from KaleidoSoul has a lovely website here

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Catalyst Challenges 61-67

Catalyst 61: Tell us about something that you always put off doing. Why
Opal Says:

Thinking about this week’s catalyst, “What Do You Put Off Doing,” I had no trouble coming up with several things. I am basically a procrastinator and will put off doing something for as long as I can. I had a plethora of possibilities to choose from. Where I live, we are just beginning to see signs that the long, hard, wet and cold winter is at last over. When the temperature is above 58 degrees, the neighbors are out in shorts and short sleeves, bringing their gardens to life. Every year I watch. And every year my non-existent garden, my bluff yard, stays the same. I put off any kind of work in the yard. I can grow nothing. The hardy survive! That is my gardening motto.

Last week I was visiting a friend’s quilting studio, and as I watched her trim off the corners of blocks, each one fluttering to the floor, the idea for my response took shape. I picked up all those triangles, each one with a flower or leaves or stems…and laid them out on the table. I saw the garden I wished I had. My piece shows the flowers and blooms that I long to nurture and grow. These reclaimed pieces and bits of growing things surround the reality of my yard. It makes me smile.

Catalyst 62: What’s a personality trait you admire/seek in others? Why

Catalyst 63: Tell us about your perfect day (either one you’ve had or one you imagine.)Karen Says:

There are some days that are meant to be perfect. Like a wedding day, a graduation, a birth, a honeymoon. But then there are those other days that start out absolutely ordinary. Never promising more. On rare occasions, one of these days turn out magnificent. Unexpected. Perfect. Those are the extraordinary moments life is made out of. Joshua Tree was one of those days for me. I will never, ever forget it.



Catalyst 64: Create art about a time when something that then seemed small happened but then it ended up changing your life.
Karen Says: Years ago, I was sitting at school with a friend who told me that a friend of hers (someone I only knew as an acquaintance) had had a really bad day. I am not sure what prompted me, but I emailed her friend that day and asked him if he was ok. Next thing I know, we were hanging out, becoming friends. And then dating. And then we got married. And now we have two kids. It all started with one single email. Amazing what can change in a moment.



Catalyst 65: Tell us about one thing you’d change about yourself (physical or otherwise).
Karen writes: When I was younger, I used to travel in a crowd of beautiful women. I don’t know how it happened but all my female “friends” were drop dead gorgeous and within a few weeks, my self-image managed to wither away to nothing. At the time, I started playing a game where each time I caught myself wishing I had someone else’s something (like hair or eyes or nose or legs) I would force the issue.

I told myself that the rules were such that I wasn’t allowed to take body parts or personality traits and plug them into the rest of me. If I liked someone’s something, I had to completely change places with that person. Not only did I get their whole body, but I got all their personal issues, emotions, family, psychological state of mind, past, living status, job and anything else you can think of. I basically forced myself to choose between me and this random (or in some cases not so random) person. Yeah, I got to have their small nose or blue eyes, but was I ready to also have their eating disorder? How about the disinterested mom? Was I willing to give up all of who I am to look like this person? It was my way of forcing myself to face the fact that people don’t come in pieces. You want a part, you get the whole thing. How do you like them apples?

In fifteen years, I’ve never met one person I was willing to change places with. I don’t know if it was the fact that I wasn’t willing to give up certain aspects of who I am of my life or the fact that I tend to favor the known over the unknown. Looking at a woman walking down the street, I can see she has pretty hair or a size-2 figure, but I can’t see what goes on in her head or how much she suffers daily. With me, at least I know the hand I am dealt and I know how to live within its limits, when to push it, when to enjoy it. The game’s done a lot to improve my self-esteem.







Catalyst 66: Create art around someone or something that you still have unfinished business with (something that’s been bothering you for a while.).
Karen Says: Four years ago, when my son was born I had a falling out with a good friend. We haven’t spoken since. Over the years I’ve often wondered if it was worth it. The fight we had. Whether it was worth losing the friendship. I am not sure. Sometimes I think maybe it wasn’t… This digital page uses the beautiful papers and elements from Kerry Lynn Yeary of Kenner Road.

Catalyst 67: What’s your favorite part about being a woman or a man? Karen Says:

I am a firm believer that women are the better and stronger gender. Maybe because I’ve been lucky enough never to suffer any kind of discrimination as a woman so I only see the advantages. The ability to carry babies. The ability to multitask and to love unconditionally. To care. To feel. To cry. To communicate. To be soft and tender when needed and tough when needed. To be gentle. To be intelligent and emotional at the same time. To get things done.

I am not sure why but I’ve always felt that women are, in general, more capable and more intelligent then men. I hold women in the highest regard and feel like I’m honored and delighted to be one. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Catalyst Challenges


...creativetherapy blog has a weekly "catalyst"... They began in March of 08 with the first catalyst: Something that you lost. It could be something good like weightloss, or terrible like a person, or heartbreaking like a friendship..., followed by the artwork from the various moderators. The one above is by Leena. Then they say "Now it’s your turn: show us your therapeutic art around “something you lost.” Give it a try. Embrace the healing power of art. Leave us comments with your work and we will send a RAK to a random participant. Remember this is not a competition. If your art makes you feel even a bit better at the end, you’ve won. Until next week, enjoy each and every moment."

5 photo editing tools

link
Here are my five favorite photo editing sites:

Picnik
Picnik launched a couple of years ago and seems to be doing quite well. They offer a huge variety of enhancing tools such as special effects, creative looking fonts, shapes and frames. They’re known for their quick and user friendly interface. Their business model is a Premium upgrade account.

Be Funky
Be Funky is for the those wannabe artists who like to draw but perhaps aren’t too successful at it. They claim that they provide the tools for anyone to achieve “photographically rich and artistic results from their digital images without the need for any technical knowledge.”

Preloader
Preloader is fun because it’s specifically made for flickr users (that’s me). They integrated their application with flickr so all you need to do is log on to your flickr account through the Preloadr site. They offer tools to enhance your photos’ color, sharpness and contrast.

MagMyPic’s
I’ve seen some MagMyPic’s around and they’re pretty hilarious. If you fancy your photo on the cover of a magazine, this is by far the easiest way to do it. They’ve made the platform fool proof. All you need to do is upload your image, choose from a range of 33 magazine covers to plaster your face on and grab the code. Their business model seems to include the chance for the user to actually buy the printed cover.

Splashup
What was once called Fauxto is now “Splashup.” This site is great for people who are already familiar with Photoshop. The most complex out of the bunch, they offer quick, flash-based, multi-layer tools. You can utilize Splashup from a variety of social platforms such as flickr, facebook and Picasso.

Wet Willy Befunky

inkify1low



5 Pretty Things

Great Idea: collage 5 colorful flowers together for a border
Great image: white robe, beach, hood, hi angle, wide view... Great image in b/w
Great foggy view
Lovely, gauzy, aery-faery, grainy (how to do that???)