Drawing Marathon

detail-interior

I participated in a two-day workshop, eight hours of drawing each day. I really enjoyed myself, it was the first time I was able to really stretch out and do extended observational drawing since grad school. That was in 1998. Wow. The time. It is flying.

I can't believe it's not blogging

I had such high hopes starting this blog, but I see it has been over a month since I updated it. It is odd, because I think about blogging all the time. I see a plant growing out of the side walk and I think "I should take a picture of that and post it on my blog; then make some startlingly poignant observation about perseverance and beauty in the midst of adversity" or some other hackneyed observation. See? See what I just did there? I started with an idea to do something and then promptly talked myself into not doing it because it was not original enough or smart enough or whatever.

So, without further ado, on with the post: Scott has been really going gangbusters on the living room, and it is much further along than this, but here is a picture.


Yes, folks you are correct, the walls are GREEN. As I said, the living room is much further along now, with the window sills done and door framed in. The yellow of the pine looks great. I guess I will just have to post again soon, so you, dear reader, can see what I am talking about.

So, even when I do blog, I blog about something I didn't do and don't have a picture of. And so far, no links. Well, except to my own flickr site, and how egotistical is that? So apropos of nothing, Link!

Montana was great as always

frosty-montana
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

When I woke up on friday, there was frost on the ground. Alot of frost, not just wimpy frost, but the kind that crunches under your feet.

Lisa and I had a great time, we both got to ride at the same time for the first time. Cajun, who was in training the last time I was there, is a big puppy dog. Operative word, BIG. He's at least 17 hands now, and just three years old.

Out for hair

AAArrrgghh! It is Fall

Some unknown (to me) office elves decorate our break room door for what ever season or occasion on the calendar. You know, flowers and raindrops for spring, stars and stripes for 4th of July, Snowflakes for winter.

Well, this morning when I woke up, it was DARK. Dark dark. Not "the sun is up but behind a cloud", not "the dawn is breaking" but Nightime Dark. Oh, yes -- and drizzling.

I am not ready for summer to be over, and technically it is not, not until September 21, which is Eight Days Away. You would think people could wait a lousy eight days to start doing the "yay! fall!" thing.

Whenever you are just unreasonably mad, and it doesn't really match the proportion of the offence, my mom calls that "Out for Hair".

I came in this morning to this:

Scott and I went on a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Oregon Coast last weekend.

We got off to a late-ish start Friday evening after the initial panic of finding a cat sitter, packing, and then realizing we were starving and to eat. The drive down was uneventful, and as we drove through Longview, Scott said "Should we stop here or keep going?" We were both still ok, so on we went.

Next time, we stop in Longview. We got to Seaside around midnight, and there was not an available room anywhere. We gave up around 1:30 and finally just parked, and spent a rather sleepless night in the car with a dog who just could not get comfortable.

We got up bright and early, of course, and drove down to Rockaway -- we found a little cabin a block from the beach, and rented it right away. It was a nice little place, and they allowed dogs, so it was perfect, actually.

We had a great time, and packed in lots of touristy-sight-seeing. We had a great breakfast at The Fern Restaurant. We went to the Tillamook cheese factory to get some squeaky cheese (YUM!). Then we went to the Air Museum which is really cool, but the best part is the building. We watched the big elk herd there, too.

Sunday we drove around to a lot of different places, the most notable being the Whisky Creek Cafe in Netarts. We ate outside; they let King sit with us. They have the best garden burger with fries I have maybe ever had. Melted extra-sharp cheddar and asparagus spears were the burger highlights. Humm, I think I am hungry.

Of course I took photos, and they are on Flickr.

120 mph to zero in thirty seconds flat

So, I was supposed to have a show at Albion College in Michigan this September. I say "supposed to" because I got a letter Monday telling me that due to an "unfortunate accident" my show would be moved to Spring 2008.

After some hastily sent emails, I learned that a steam pipe broke in Albion's Bobbitt Visual Center, and did signignificant damage to the building and seriously threatened their extensive print collection.

So I am calling myself lucky that they decided to reschedule me instead of canceling my show all together.

I did get some new paintings done for the show, though. So that is good. Not all of them are done, exactly. Hey, I still had a week before I had to crate up the whole show and ship them off. Of course I wasn't done with the new paintings. I still had...hours.... to finish those paintings.

See the nearly finished paintings!! yay!

Equine Art Show 2006

I have seen the announcement before; for an "Equine Art Show" at Emerald Downs, the local horse racing track. I have been curious enough to check it out, but never applied because it is such a rip-off. First, the show is only for five days, at a racing track, and costs $30 for one entry, $20 for each additional. Also, they have a cap of 250 entrants. When they reach 250 entrants, they stop accepting work. It doesn't matter what it looks like, in fact they don't accept images with your entry form and check. If your check is one of the first 250 to reach them, you are in. Due to this extremely high cheese factor, last year I didn't enter anything into the show.

This year, however, I got a bee in my bonnet I needed a group show for 2006 on my CV, and this one would look great, right? And who besides me would know it was such a weird deal?

Well now I have done it, so I never have to do it again. First off, the work is hung on those fabric coverd panel things they make cubicles out of. And there was not even a token attempt to light any of the pieces, at all. It was in a dark breezeway thing, in front of the betting windows. Then, there were little yellow stickers with a hand-written number stuck on each entry. Not on the wall beside the work - on the painting. Lastly, I think I was the only democrat in a five-mile radius, and felt more than a little bit threatened. (ok I exaggerate.) But still; Republicans.

I am glad I did it, and even more glad it is over. I took some photos, but not nearly enough. Some were way too dark for photoshop to rescue. Check it out -Equine Art Show 2006.


A lot of the paintings were super sentimental treatments of childeren with horses, or mares and foals. But
people really like to paint horses coming out of the gate.

Blogrolling in our time

I haven't posted anything for a while, because once again I had a whole, intricately linked post, one of my rare wordy posts, full of witty repartee and poignant observation; and when I clicked "publish post" it hung there for 15 minutes, and then erased my whole post.

So

I am going to dip my toe back in the blog with links to some of my favorite blogs.

While I have no children of my own, I like reading about other people's kids. Defective Yeti is a good one for that, because it is also hilarious.

Because I too am obsessed with my weight, love cats, and wish I could travel more She Just Walks Around With It has become a huge favorite.

Crazy Aunt Purl is supposed to be about knitting, but is actually about LA, Cats and Wine. LA Bonus!!

Lounge King!!

The Sneeze is a smorgasbord (whaddayaknow, I spelled that right) of delights.

enjoy.

Big head.

big-head
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

just sharing. Look at that smile.

First Thursday, June 1, 2006

I am finally going to First Thursday this month -- you would think that working in Pioneer Square would make me more likely to "be able to make it" to the openings.

Au contraire, mon frere.

Ever hear of familiarity breeding contempt? Well, by the time I get done at work, the last thing I want to do is walk around the neighborhood where I work. Besides, there is the dog to consider.

I am going with the always fabulous Carolyn Zick, and my equally fab husband, Scott. (He does not like it when I post his picture.)

The main reason I am hauling my carcass out this evening is a graduate from my beloved Alma Mater, Wyatt Landis has had a well-earned honor bestowed, he has been selected to go to Norway this summer and study with the Norwegian figure painter, Odd Nerdrum. Wyatt is having a shindig tonight to help cover the costs of living in Norway for the summer, stop by and show your support for a well-deserving artist. Unfortunatly, I can't find a link to the info I have only in hard copy so, I guess I just have to TYPE it:

610 Western Ave
Third Floor
from 6 - 11 pm

My Parent's wedding album

1 cover
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

I am supposed to have copies made of some of my mother's wedding photos. I have not had a chance to yet, I have only had the pictures for a little over a year. Just haven't had a minute to walk the 3 blocks to the place that does it.

Yes, I am lame.

It finally occurred to me to just take some digital photos, and put them on line. I love these pictures of my parents so young and hopeful.

So, follow the link to my flickr site, and see the whole album. It is great.

Begining of the patio!

begining of the patio!
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

Ok, it has been a while since my last update, because not alot has been going on over in Yvetteland. Scottland, however, has been quite busy. He is putting in a patio for me. It is alot further along than this now, I'll have pictures later. (hah! right. when was the last time this blog was updated?) Anyway it is almost all bricked in. it looks great. Humm, This blog is turning into reporting on what Scott is doing. I think that means it is time for me to, uh, do something. maybe.

Thelonious's Memorial Garden

Thelonious's Memorial Garden
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

King and I had a great time putting in this garden for Thelonious. I rototilled, dug, mulched and planted; and king fetched the tennis ball and looked dubiously at the rototiller.

Scott made the bench in the background; the plants include creeping honeysuckle, seven different varieties of hosta, daylilies, rhododendron, and a sprinkling of grape hyacinths. I think it is pretty.

Tulips

alltulips
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

Here is a sample of some of my tulips. Nothing exotic, but I just love them. I have some of them planted in upended cement conduit.

obedience class tonight

happydog3
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

King and I are going to obedience class tonight. He is very polite, but he does need some reinforcement on his "stay" which is nearly non-existant.

happydog2

happydog2
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

Can you even stand how cute he is?

happydog

happydog
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

Here is King in the garden. We had a good time last night putting in a memorial garden for Thelonious, I will have pictures tomorrow, I hope

So-pretty!

So-pretty!
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

Ok, I am going to try to keep this from becoming a blog about a dog, but we have only had him two days. So give me a break. King was surrendered by his original family, because they are in the millitary, and they were stationed up here from Georgia, and right after they got here, the husband got deployed. The wife had 3 kids to look after, and King was not getting the attention he deserved. So they surrendered him to rescue. Whoever they were, they were very good to King; he's a polite and loving dog, who obviously has never had a hand raised to him.

King

king_2
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

Scott and I have finally gotten a dog. Officially, we are fostering him; but I am sure we are going to adopt him. His name is King and he is a white German Shepherd. He is so calm around the cats, he is interested in them but not in 'that' way. I was worried the cats would turn into puffed up hissing balls of teeth and claws, but they just puff up a bit, and eventually just walk away.

king_1
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

He is very big, around 90 lbs, and he needs to gain about 5-7 more pounds. He is a bit thin because he has been at a kennel for the last 6 months where he was in doggy daycare every day. So he ran around all day every day with a bunch of other dogs. We are hoping that with a little less exercise we can put some weight on him.

I just love him. He knows all his obedience commands, we just have to catch up to what he knows, and stay consistent, so he won's backslide.

He's a champ.

Pay no attention

DSC00021
Originally uploaded by yvettef.

to the new photos on my Flickr site, they are not really new, I am just moving stuff from my Picassa site to flicker, because Picassa sucks.

Also, I have not had time to put my photos into groups, so they are all just in the photostream.

So, when there is something new to look at, I will let you know. Till then, Nothing to see here folks, move along; move along.