3 Views Through a Window

Well hello there, I hope you've had a nice week so far!

I posted a few pictures several weeks ago, with the idea to make a recurring series with similar photos. Images framed by the windows through which they are viewed. I've taken a few photos last week that I'll share with you here - nothing too spectacular, I hope that as time goes on and I get better with handling my humble point-and-shoot camera I'll have more interesting ones to share later :-)

These are all taken from within my apartment, looking out of course, so here you can see the views I have from my bedroom in the evening, see the traffic going by below? (oops, you can also sort-of see my closet reflected too, see those hanging ghosts of clothes on the left side of image? haha!)

...and looking out to the weirdly-shaped balcony off my living room. The neighboring apartment buildings are not the prettiest backdrop, but at least there are trees. (See the treetop covered in white blossoms just over the railing? Those blossoms are all blowing off this week in the wind.)

...and a peek out from my kitchen/dining area - I kind of really like the grids and lines from this perspective!

{Just one thing I wanted to add... blogging insecurity moment... it feels very strange to be sharing these online, even though I'm not showing anything too terribly personal for gosh sakes! But I'm feeling a little exposed here, which is probably a good feeling to confront, right? No way of getting over those fear-based emotions if I'm hiding from them.}

Weekend Plans

Happy Weekend everyone! It's a beautiful, sunny day here in northern California and I'm taking it easy, enjoying the spring air. Later on I'll be getting back to my paints, which are set up in a corner of my living room:

Contrary to the title of this blog, I don't have a studio so much as creative zones throughout my one-bedroom apartment. One of which is a large glass-and-metal computer desk which I've repurposed as a painting table (it is so much easier to clean spilled paint off glass than other surfaces).

I've been experimenting with these geometric shapes, using a watercolor-like style but in acrylic.

How about you? What are your plans for the weekend?

5 Blogs I've Been Cozying Up to Lately

It may be no surprise after my last post that I love reading, well, as much as I possibly can. I would enjoy several hours to be added onto every day, just so I could read more. I'm like an addict really. I can get lost on these interwebs, and I don't think I'm the only one with this problem. So let me add some more fuel to that fire with these great blogs that you all should read, and get lost in, like I've been doing lately!

M-Dashing

A uniquely styled blog about one girl's enthusiasm for all things New York - beyond the flash and glitz, a perspective of what it's like to be a resident! Wander all around the 5 boroughs with Amy. Though not limited to posting about her locale, her love for her hometown is infectious - and her One-Bouquet-A-Week Challenge is not to be missed.

artnlight

I don't have to wonder what it would be like to travel to India someday, because I can do so anytime I wish by visiting this lively corner of the www! Vineeta's photos are so full of texture and color - oh my, how I love the colorfulness! My favorite posts are the photo tours of her homeland - check out her Indiaaah! posts to be transported to another world.

Merissa Cherie

For another insider's view into living at place where many dream to visit, walk don't run to Merissa's pastel version of Hawaii. Her light-drenched photos are simply gorgeous, reminiscent of the sensation of sunlight streaming on your face while at the beach. I find myself wishing I could walk through the computer screen and right into her inspiration board :)

Pancakes and French Fries

This is the life of a wife, mother, and attorney. Jules has a great backstory to the name of the blog - check it out here so you can be in on the joke of her "Phenomenally Indecisive Since 1972" tagline too! And read her for the wide-ranging topics, her real-ness, her forays into home-made deodorant (yes, really!) and other off-the-wall items, and her compelling visual tutorials (like the one here, which I have yet to try out but I have a tarnished teapot that reallllly needs this).

74 Lime Lane

This well-crafted blog about creativity is one I can totally get lost in! I've spent hours perusing the archives of Kellie's inspiring site. Unfortunately she's having some trouble with her ISP right now and I've only been able to access her site from work, not at home, I'm not sure why and it's really bumming me out, but there's also her Flickr and Etsy to look through! So if you follow the link you may need to try at different times of the day, but please keep trying  - and check out her 74 Ways to Be Inspired series for tips, musings, and interviews with creative people.

I hope you find yourself spending some time with one of these lovely blogs, as I have! What about you? Are there any new-to-you blogs that you've been cozying up to lately?

A Little Light Reading on a Sunday

This week I caught a nasty cold, the last few days have been a blur of fever and dvd's. Really not much interest in doing anything more taxing than staring at my tv screen, I couldn't even get into the magazine I tried to read. But, today I am feeling much better, although I still need to take it easy. So I'm catching up on some reading, with these three books I recently purchased.

I'm no stranger to the self-help section of the bookstore (shhh, let's keep that just between us, ok?) And I mentioned in this post that I was looking forward to Inner Productivity to help me get a handle on my lack of motivation/commitment to my goals. I haven't cracked it open yet, but I'm two-thirds of the way through The War of Art - which turned out to be so much better than I expected, and which I will read a second time as soon as I'm finished. And will probably re-read for years to come. Until it's tattooed into my brain. I don't usually underline my books, it has to be a real knock-out book to get me to take a pen or highlighter to it, and it's crazy how much of this book I have underlined already. It's a great book for anyone interested in understanding and overcoming their inner resistance - not just for art or other creative pursuits, but for anyone trying to live (in the words of Oprah) their Best Life.

Can anyone tell me where the last two weeks went?

I mean, seriously.... time, like youth, seems to be wasted on the young. And I haven't been finding much time left at the end of all the many things I need to do every day, with posting here going by the wayside.

But my last two weeks have not been a complete waste! It's been pretty intense lately in the blogging class I'm taking, which is sadly nearing its end. And my little blog will be all the better for it. I've got some changes planned, one of which is I'll be adding a gallery page! So you can see at a glance some of my artwork to date once that's up. I'm hoping to have that completed within the next few days.

I know I haven't posted any of my art in a while, so here is a glimpse for you. This photo was taken during a mini-sabbatical I took at the beginning of last year, which was a treat to myself - one week that I dedicated to creative pursuits. I had a whole factory line-up going at this point, several collages that I'd done that week were about to get a final coating of acrylic varnish.

I promise to post my art more often, that is why I'm here after all, and I love sharing these little glimpses into my world. Soon...  By the way, I have not been sleeping well lately. Too, too many things on my mind! This class has given me so much to think about, beyond the basics of blogging and spilling over into everything. All the things I have planned - I just want to do them. You know what I mean?