ON TOP OF THE WORLD

It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone.  Thank goodness for a little time away to celebrate the Lord's birth with family and friends.  We left on Christmas Eve to drive to Eastern Washington  where we spent time with my family.  It was great to see everyone.  My Father is suffering from dementia and it is very difficult to see how far downhill he has gone but my Mom is doing a great job as his sole caregiver.  The weather was cold and sunny...beautiful...I love it when the sky is so blue.  My guys had a really fun time on the day after Christmas.  They were able to go with my brother-in-law and nephew to ski at Schweitzer Basin.  The pictures are...well, amazing...They look as if they are...on top of the world. 

My sister and I stayed behind to hang out with our Mom and have a little girl time.  It was so strange at dinner time because it was just my Mom, Dad, Sister and Me... We haven't done that it in...lets see...23 years!  It was good to be with family.  Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and looking forward to 2010.  I have lots of great paintings planned for spring and look forward to sharing ideas with you. 

Blessings,

Meagan

A PAPER SNOWFLAKE TUTORIAL

Hello again!

I thought I would share a tutorial on making these great paper snowflakes.  They take a little time but they are so beautiful when they are done.  Hope you have fun making them!  So here we go...

Supplies:

Six sheets of 12" X 12" decorative paper.  3 each of 2 designs that coordinate.

Metal ruler

Xacto knife

Something to cut on.

1 sheet of a heavier weight paper to make a template

Stapler

Directions:

Start out by drawing this template onto a heavier piece of paper, I used a tag board.  You can see how the lines don't completely connect at the corners...this is important.  Unfortunately I can't remember the exact dimentions of each row.  It's a little bit wider than 1" maybe 1 1/4".  Once you get the lines drawn on you can cut them open with an xacto knife.  Be sure to have a good cutting surface below the paper.

Once you have transfered the lines onto your decorative paper and cut them you will need your stapler to attach the ends like is shown in the picture above.  Each section will go in the opposite direction like you see in the picture below.

Once you get the sections completed you will attach 3 together to make each half.  Make sure to rotate your colors so every other section is a different paper as shown below.

Attach sections with your stapler in the middle and center points.

Once you get the halves made you can attach the 2 halves to make a whole snowflake.

These are quite large and very pretty.  We hung ours with fishing line.

Have fun!

Meagan

VINTAGE CHRISTMAS

Hello,

December is coming and going way faster than I had planned!  This has been a VERRRYY BUSY month...which I'm sure is true for all of you also.  We ended November with hosting Thanksgiving and it was such a fun day.  Then the next weekend was the Bainbridge Island Studio Tour.  I have to tell you how amazing it was!  I had such a great time and was able to talk to so many interesting people.  This was my second Stuio Tour and there were lots of repeat customers from the summer tour, and such positive feedback on my work.  Thanks to all of you that have supported me in my art.  I came away from that event feeling totally encouraged and inspired.  Here is a little peek at my booth at the Studio Tour.

The picture at the top was from a photo that I took at the Seabold Vintage Market last summer.  I was able to get several photos there that were my inspirations for my Christmas paintings this year. 

"Vintage Christmas"

"Santa's Visit"

Now I have to put some real effort into getting ready for Christmas myself!   We are really scaling back this year so that should help it to not be too overwhelming.  Our church is doing something called "The Advent Conspiracy" and I am all on board with it.  If you get a chance, check out the link...it will change the way you think about Christmas.

Here's to your Christmas season being filled with wonder and excitement.  I hope that you find yourself spending quality time with the ones you love and finding an opportunity to help others with the abundance we have.

Blessings,

Meagan

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello,

I've been out of touch for a while.  I didn't want to let Thanksgiving slip by without a post.  My recent show at the Bainbridge Athletic Club went very well.  Sales were slow but so was the traffic.  The people who did attend gave great feedback and I enjoyed visiting with all of them very much.  I thought it would be good to share Abraham Lincolns Thanksgiving Day Proclamation just to remind us of this great holiday we have the blessing to celebrate.  Even though it has been a difficult year...there are SO MANY things to be thankful for.

Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day

October 3, 1863

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

A. Lincoln

The Classical Library, This HTML edition copyright © 2001.

WRAP-UP

Hello again! 
So here is the 3rd painting in my newest series.  I've titled it "Santa's Visit".  I'm really happy with the colors in this piece.  They turned out so vibrant and playful.  I love the old vintage toy car.  I photographed the car at Seabold Vintage Market this summer and placed it next to a photo I took of my christmas tree.  Once I got it drawn out the painting began.  Hope you enjoy the new piece.  Looking forward to the Holiday Bazaar next Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bainbridge Athletic Club.  I will be selling my new images in sets of 4 cards for $15.00 and mated prints for $20.00.  I have been considering if I want to start up an Etsy shop to sell my cards and prints.  So if you would be interested in purchasing any of my artwork leave a comment so that I can get a feel for the interest out there.  I won't be blogging until after next week but I will be checking in.  Hope you all have a great week.

Thanks for stopping by,

Meagan

Art Walk

Good morning...

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to go to the Seattle Art Walk.  I believe it's on the first Thursday of every month.  Sad to say that I had never gone before so it was all new to me.  I will definately be going again!  I went with a group of artists from Bainbridge Island that wanted to go over to see the opening for a much loved artist from Bainbridge, Claudia Mckinstry.  It became obvious to me how loved she is when we got to her gallery space.  It was full of her fans...but did I mention the weather that night?  BUCKETING!!! I am not kidding...the skies unleashed and have continued to.  So considering the weather...her fans REALLY love her. And she is a lovely woman and magnificent artist.  Check out her website here for a real treat.  I have been so blessed to be surrounded by truely amazing artists.  I was lucky enough last summer, at the BI Studio Tour, to be set up next to Erica Applewhite.  She is such a great person and a very talented block print artist.  You can see here work here.  Erica and her Mom Jill just had a show opening in Tacoma at the Sandpiper Gallery which is called Vessels.  The show will run from November 6th to the 30th.  I love her chocolate donut with pink icing and sprinkles and I am lucky enough to have one.  The other artist that I have become friends with, along with his great family, is James Bernardin.  He is an incredible childrens book illustrator and you can see his work here.  Jim has a new book out that was written by Candy Chand which you can purchase at Amazon called "The 12 Prayers of Christmas".  His Book Jacket Illustration is stunning and according to Jim and the reviews I read, it sounds like a real keepsake of a book. Like I said...I am blessed beyond belief to be surrounded by so many talented artists.  Erica and Jim went to the Art Walk with me and are part of an artists group that I have just started up.  This event was only our second meeting which Erica arranged.  We are meeting once a month and I can't wait to see what happens with our group.  Exciting times ahead!

I wanted to share another one of my recent paintings with you from my holiday series.  I call this one "Vintage Christmas".  This one took me right back to my childhood when my Dad and my Sister and I would go up to the Mount Baker Forest and get our tree cutting permit with which we would fullfill our quest for the perfect Christmas tree.  My parents had built a New England Salt Box house which had a very tall ceiling in the living room.  It needed a TALL tree.  So we would go to find the perfect 16 foot tree to bring home.  Some of the best memories of my childhood.  By the way, we did not have a red truck but we did have a yellow Cutlass and the tree was usually longer than the car!  What a sight..

Have a great weekend.

Meagan

IT'S SHOWTIME!

Hello Blog friends!

I've been gone for awhile...painting again.  I have two events..."shows" coming up very soon and had to get some painting done for them.  Needless to say...no blogging.  My first show will be in less than 2 weeks (Nov. 17 & 18) at the Bainbridge Athletic Club.  I know...yes, an athletic club.  Every year they have this great Holiday Bazaar and this year I am going to be a part of it.  I am going to try to WOW them with my new Holiday images.  My style has taken a bit of a turn in my new paintings.  A little more...primative possibly...whimsical...child like?  Maybe you can tell me.  At any rate, I had a lot of fun with these paintings.  They took me back to my childhood.  Hope you enjoy them.  I will share them with you throughout the week.  This first one is titled "First Snow".  Oh, before I forget...my second show will be the Winter Studio Tour.  I will be located at the Fenwick Photography Studio very close to town.  So if you happen to be in Seattle and want to take a Ferry ride over it is walking distance from the boat.  The dates for that show are Dec. 4th-6th. 

Take care,

Meagan

CLOSE UPS OF THE BIG PICTURE

Hi Bloggers.
Today I was busy with my camera capturing some interesting textures I found lying around my home. I love to get up close to things and capture just a small bit of the whole picture. Don't you think it's that way in life? We tend to only capture just a small bit of the big picture. I was listening to a podcast the other day and they were talking about truth. The speaker said that Truth comes with time. We tend to draw conclusions about things before we know all of the story...and then with time, the rest of the details come to light and then we know the real truth.

The speaker told a story about a man on the train who was with his two kids. The children were quite young and very disruptive. The surrounding passengers were getting increasingly annoyed. Soon the children were running up and down the isle, bumping into people and yelling. Their Father just sat there ingnoring their behavior. The woman sitting behind him had had enough and decided it was time to tell the Father a thing or two about how his children should be conducting themselves...

The woman squeezed out of the isle she was sitting in and walked up next to the man and said "Excuse me sir! Do you not realize what a disruption your children are causing?! Don't you think you should have better control of them? After all...you are in a public place and all of these people seem to be more concerned about your children than you are!"

The man sat up quickly as if he had been in some trance and suddenly realized the situation. He looked at the woman and said " Miss I am so sorry... you see we have spent the last two days at the hospital with my wife. She had been in a terrible car accident and this afternoon... we lost her. I guess I haven't been able to face my children with the news yet. I'm sorry for all the disruption."

Well...after a good session with a box of kleenex... I thought this was such a good lesson. Times are so tough right now and who knows what people are going through. I hope that after hearing that story I will think twice before drawing conclusions too quickly.  I also hope and pray that these times aren't too difficult for any of you.

Blessings to all of you,

Meagan

MARTHA...WE LOVE YOU!

Hi Bloggers,

Hope you have all been doing well.  This week I made the greatest lanterns from a pattern and clipart that I found on...you guessed it...the Martha Stewart website.  We love you Martha!  Sometimes she (her staff) come up with the cutest projects and this was one of them that I had to make.

After that I was wondering if Martha ever stacks her clean dishes as artistically as I did this morning...

Or if she has ever made this yummy dessert that I found on the cutest blog that my SIL told me about and I just put on my favorites list...

I also was wondering if Martha would approve of some of my fall decorations...

Hard to know what Martha would think but I had fun with it all. 

Take care!

Meagan

The Heart of the Artist

I have been reading a book by Rory Noland called "the Heart of the Artist" and in this book he quoted Ken Gire from his book "Windows of the Soul".  I had to share this quote with you...all of you artistic types that see the world just a little differently than most.  Before Noland shared Gires' quote he says:

"Artists respond differently to things than nonartists do.  For one thing, we tend to be more sensitive.  And that's okay.  That's how God made us.  In Ephesians Paul talks about us having the eyes of our hearts enlightened (1:18).  Sensitive people have a lot of heart.  We might see things differently because we feel deeply."

Then he quotes Gire...

"We learn from the artists, from those who work in paint or words, or musical notes, from those who have eyes to see and ears that hear and hearts that feel deeply and passionately about all that is sacred and dear to God."

Then Noland goes on to say...

"For this reason artists very often speak out against injustice, inequality, and hypocrisy.  They take up the cause of those who are suffering.  They make us more sensitive to the lost and lonely and to the plight of the downtrodden.  Everyone with an artistic temperament has been told at some point in his or her life to develop a thicker skin.  That's nonsense!  The world doesn't need more thick-skinned people.  It needs more people who are sensitive and tender.  Have you ever been moved to tears by a powerful piece of music or held spellbound by a beautiful work  of art?  Have you ever been moved by a scene from a film?  It's because an artist felt deeply about something and communicated in such a powerful way that your heart and soul were touched."

I loved this...I struggle with being thick skinned.  I know we have to put on the thick skin at times but these words spoke to my heart and I wanted to share.

Blessings,

Meagan

PUMPKIN PITCH

Hi bloggers,

I found this picture of an event that took place in our old neighborhood.  I'll call it the PUMPKIN PITCH.  All the kids in the neighborhood would gather all the pumpkins from Halloween, usually on the first weekend day following Halloween, and stack them into a pyramid type formation.  It was always during baseball playoffs so baseball fever was in the air.  I'm not really sure how it all started but once it did it stuck around.  Anyway, baseball and pumpkins made the natural progression to stack the pumpkins and pitch baseballs at them until they were pretty much destroyed.  Of course you would try to smash everyone elses pumpkin and not your own.  It was so much fun.  Here are some more pictures of the great PUMPKIN PITCH.

Enjoy!

FALLING FOR PUMPKINS

Good morning...

Yes, it's very early in the morning, not quite 5:00am.  For some reason my brain decided it was time to get up.  So I decided it would be a great opportunity to share some of my fall images that I photographed on Saturday morning.  Right off of Day road on Bainbridge Island is this great pumpkin patch nestled right behind a vinyard.  The landscape is breathtaking!  Hubby and I decided to get up early and head out for a photo shoot before all the peeps started coming to take their pictures too.  Karen and Carol farm this land and plant so many varieties of pumpkins all growing side by side.  It's like eye candy.

(you can see the vinyard in the background)

(These guys were huge!)

(And these had an awesome stalk on them...really fat and sturdy)

(The deep red-orange on these cinderella pumpkins was beautiful).

(Let's not forget the corn~aren't the colors great!)

Watching over the pumpkins are the faithful friends Lucy and Ricky.  They are quite a team.

                                                (Lucy on the left and Ricky on the right guarding the pumpkins...or is that drinking from the pumpkins!)

Needless to say, it was a fun morning.  Lots of great image for future paintings.  I hope you have a great week.  I am going to be very busy painting for 2 events that I (Talking Brush Studio) have coming up.  The first is in the middle of November at the Bainbridge Athletic Club, it's a Holiday Bazaar that should be a lot of fun.  And the next is in the beginning of December, The Winter Studio Tour.  Looking forward to both and will write more on each of them in later posts.  Hope you are all having a great week and look forward to the next post!

Blessings to you all!

Meagan