619 // November 22, 2009

Estes Park, Colorado.

Music: Evanescence live Youtube clips. And Breath No More.

Mood: Excited.

Evanescence played a secret show earlier this month! And now most the band members are on Twitter (and have been for a while!) I can’t believe it took me this long to find out. I haven’t been to Evanescence.com  in too long. I stopped checking it awhile ago. I guess I should have. I miss them but am very excited that they are back at it. It kind of inspires me to get back to the piano and writing and stuff.

So what are ya’ll doing for Thanksgiving? I’m not doing anything. That’s right you heard me, nothing. I’ve decided to take a break from the Holidays this year: no time, no money, no Holiday spirit. Yep me. No Holiday spirit. Some people would be surprised about that. I guess it is a part of growing up. You can no longer pretend that the Holidays are so great. So cheerful. No more Santie Claus. I am watching the Thanksgiving Day parade tho. Can’t break tradition (well not all traditions, that doesn’t can’t as celebrating it does it?)

Radio stations are playing Christmas music non-stop again. I turn them on and feel nothing where usually I’d be soooooo excited that Christmas was coming! Not anymore. Maybe again but not now. Not this year.

I feel I’m being dramatic.

Actually talking about drama! Adam Lambert. I liked his performance. Thought it was thought provoking. I would just like to ask: Why did no one think Lady Gaga’s performance was racy if they thought his was?

That’s all I’m sayin’.

My AF classes ended. They were really good and looking back on them fun! I love painting and this class really did remind me why I love it. I think I don’t actually suck at it too. That’s nice too know. I think next weekend I am devoting to music and painting. It’s time I started doing things I love again.

I got Windows 7 in the mail. I haven’t switched over to it yet though. Am kind of scared. I don’t want Windows 7 paint I like the original paint. Yeah I know ridiculous. But paint is the simplest program to use, that’s why I love it. Don’t change that!

Laptop battery is low. Must be going. More to come (maybe). And if I don’t write again before then (which it’s unlikely I will) Happy Thanksgiving!  (Which I’m not participating in so not happy anything to me.)

~ Sparks Out ~

Having spent the last ten days in New Zealand with my spunky sister, I realised that she is living the life that she painted for herself a long time ago.

Sometimes we get swept along with the life that we think we should lead, but really we should paint the picture of the life we want and then jump right in, just like she did.

Life can be as complicated or as simple as we paint our pictures to be.

Time to get creative me thinks!

Boa Noite Pessoas

Sábado agora, no dia 21/11, eu fui jogar pela, primeira vez, algo que me parecia um abstáculo pelo qual eu jamais passaria, mas passei!

No momento em que vesti o colete vermelho e topei ser só mais um membro daquela equipe convidativa, com tantas pessoas simpáticas e boas(6)

Eu levei apenas 4 tiros em 10 partidas ! 1 na perna direita, 2 de perto na perna esquerda e um no braço esquerdo. Doeram e ficaram as marcas. As marcas e essa dor filha da mãe que etu sentindo, irão passar logo, mas a sensação que eu tive e a experiência maravilhosa pela qual eu passei, eu JAMAIS irei esquecer!

clique embaixo ↓ e veja as fotos

Bjo&metwitta  (/abusantee)

In mid of the night…I just got up…Assuming telepathic waves still functional…I won’t disturb you much when you must be dreaming about a sojourn to some palace or fort…with thick stone walls… and few names engraved over them…shouting of the stories starting and ending with few footsteps…clinking the music…At one end of the long passage…under the minaret…flame of a clay lamp is flickering…you are crossing it over to yet another corner of this palace… now you paced up your footsteps…your anklets shouting…and soon their sound subdued over by a music of water beating the boulders…this person is sitting there with his feet playing with water…without speaking a word you holds his hand and pulls him with you…You are running holding tightly his hand…he is trying to say something…but you are not ready to listen…you want to show him something…stairs have turned green with algae covering them…iron of grill rusted…ready to turn into powder in your hand…Leaving all sounds behind white marble of the roof is shimmering milky in the presence of moon…you ran behind the parapet and reappeared with a brush and canvas…handing it to me you sat on a floor without speaking even a single word…Placing things in my hand at the same level…I came near you…sitting next to you…I brought my hand around your neck…you closed your eyes…and opened them the next second when you felt a strand of hair trying to cover them taking a path over your smooth cheek…and leaving my unwilling fingers…You looked at me with a feeling of anger in your eyes…I just smiled…held your hand mischievously…and touched it lightly with my lips…I turned to do the assign task of impressing you upon the canvas…when you pulled me…this time with aggression…can of a paint fell and tainted the white marble…your lips….

Chal leave that…

I would consider myself out of my senses while writing this…after all sometimes it is good to fly in heaven…so do forgive me for this intrusion…will try to bind my telepathic powers…disturbing you again and again on the chilling night like this…making you wake up…and open your window…staring at the blank sky…then cursing the moment when you gave me this power…entry to your brain…By the way I too don’t know the way to close the open passage…and this wind entering and leaving…entering and leaving…entering and leaving is eroding the walls around…

Kitchen, before

Kitchen, after

Dining Room Challenge: Revive the original charm and warmth of this historic Craftsman interior.

Dining Room Solution: The paint was stripped from the original millwork, and the perfect period-appropriate paint color was chosen for the plaster.

Dining Room, before

Dining Room, after

It’s been years since I’ve used paint, but I couldn’t let my new acrylics go to waste. Portrait of my dad, paint skills definitely need more work. Tried scanning instead of photographing this time, I don’t think I like it as much, but it does save a lot of re-wiring on my desk.

<grins>

by sarah louise byrne 2009

I’m fixated on graffiti these days…

Last week I was hired to shoot a local artist in the process of doing a guerilla street art installation. Unfortunately I can’t share the images till the story comes out, so in the meantime I’ll share some great stuff shot down by the train tracks one day while a friend and I were playing hookie. Here’s a lovely example of classic style writing… and such a positive message!

It’s a busy busy week and not much time, so these next few posts are going to be short and sweet… hope to see you back!

In no particular order:

1. Purple house, green house.

2. Purple petals, green stems.

3. Purple beads, green beads.

4. Purple fruit, green plant.

5. Purple cloth, green plate.

Ok. Putting it out there, this it hands down one of the coolest things I’ve seen in awhile. It’s not just what this guy is doing, but how fast he does it. There are those that are gonna bitch and moan because it’s “not fine art” and “can’t hang in a gallery” and “he’s going too fast to give any artistic consideration to what he’s doing”… whatever. Art is art. And this is sick.

What? Could it be? An update? You bet your turkey it is. Instead of my usual keyboard runoff, this time around everyone gets treated to a video and a few photos. More updates soon, we promise.

The Bowman Manse Update from Zach Bowman on Vimeo

~Z

We had the crown and windows done before the weekend started, but not much else.

When it comes to plumbing access panels, Pappaw was a function over form kinda guy.

Every time I see those hardwood floors, I can’t help but remember just how fortunate we are. “Amen,” Her Sweetness says.

Let there be closet doors…

And bedroom doors, too…

Her Sweetness sanding away.

The new and improved plumbing access panel.

Finished product. Her Sweetness and kitty.

Night time is a nice time to say I love you.

Linda was on the search for a special horse.  She wanted something cute, but more importantly, something she could enjoy.  She said she preferred geldings to mares, and it had to be friendly and enjoy lots of spoiling.  It also had to be safe, sane, and sound, with at least solid basic training.  She wanted to be able to ride western or english, on the trails or in the arena.  Oh, and it might be fun to try a show at some point…

So the search was on for the perfect horse.  When I took her to see Clyde, I think it was love at first sight.  She thought he was cute, with his big expressive brown eyes.  He’s a bay paint, but the only markings on his body are roan patches instead of the usual white paint markings.  But with his four white legs and thick blaze, he has plenty of chrome to get him noticed on the trail or in the show ring.  She was a little unsure getting on him for the test ride, but it was only a few minutes before she was just glowing with excitement.  He was perfect.  He would speed up, slow down, turn, and stop easily as she rode him around the ring.  As I watched him pass test 1 with flying colors, I arranged for test 2, and as the gate was opened and Linda rode him around the barn to the outdoor arena, my confidence in the match grew.  Then they went out the gate at the back of the property and disappeared for a short trail ride.  When Linda returned, riding Clyde in the lead, her wide smile made it clear to all of us… she had found her perfect horse.  The only thing that remained was the vet check.   With great anticipation, a date was set and we eagerly awaited the results.  Of course he passed, and with flying colors.  Linda had herself a horse!

Since he moved in at Silver Fern, he has been as good as we could have hoped.  From the first day he stepped off the trailer, he has been on his best behavior.   The only downfall to having such a great horse?  Having to share him.  Linda has been trying to get rides on her new baby in between her two daughters riding, as well as her grand-daughter!  Clyde, of course, is more than happy to be adored by so many women.

You wanted Ralph Lauren’s Safari Tan, but rather than paying for name-brand paint you chose to have the PC match the paint chip. Although the PC came extremely close, the paint you purchased seems more like brown mustard. What can you do? Obviously you can return to the store and buy another gallon of paint, and cross your fingers that it’s going to be the right color this time. Or, if you like to play with color and love a challenge, you can fix your mistake and turn those walls into an artistic work.

the best way to adjust the color without completely covering it up is to do a color wash. You will need a quart of paint in a second color in the same glaze as the base color. Selecting the second color will probably take as much deliberation as the first one did, but do not apologize for taking a long time at the paint store. Even though the second color choice is crucial, the good reports is that you have more room for error with a color wash.

A good rule of thumb for choosing color combo’s is to stick with the same color, but apply the color wash in a shade darker or lighter. That rule works very well if you like that color to begin with, but this article is geared for the situation where you hate it. The next best choice is to choose one color over on the color wheel.

In the example discussed above, the base color was a bad version of Ralph Lauren’s Safari Tan. The second color selected was Valspar’s Brilliant Oak, 3003-7A ( no PC color-matching was tried the second time around ).

It helps to have an artist’s eye, but don’t be scared to depend on your common-sense. If you want camel instead of gold, it is sensible to pick a shade of orangey-brown to get nearer to the color you want. Ask an artistic mate if you don’t trust your own judgment. Or purchase a sample size and experiment with it before you commit to the walls. Even if you purchase a quart of the color you believe is going to be perfect, experimentation is vital.

Color washing is easy to do, but it can be time consuming, and it helps to get your technique and desired effect down pat before you start to slap paint on the walls. Ideally, you could experiment on a wall in your home that needs painting in the near future, but in lieu of that luxury you can purchase pieces of paper at the paint store for your samples. Paint a base coat, then let it dry while you are mixing your wash solution. Color wash may also be called color glazing.

The mixture is simple. You could buy glaze from the paint store, which has the benefit of not drying as fast. The longer wet period permits you more time to play with it and touch up the sides. It’s a good idea for a beginner, but not required. Mix the paint with water and you’ll have a similar effect.

the amount of water you mix in relies on the look you want. Start by mixing a solution of one part paint to one part water, then adjust it by adding more water if you’d like the base color to show through more, or more paint if you’d like it to look more dramatic. Apply the color wash in small sections ( one foot by one foot ) so that you can simply work in the edges for a continuous look. Also pay attention to corners and edges.

You can apply the color wash in lots of tactics : rag it on, sponge it on, rag off, sponge off, brush on… Each methodology is barely unique from the other, but in the final analysis you could have a wall with more depth.

For the Safari Tan/Brilliant Oak example, the color wash was applied with a 3-inch brush in overlapping X motions. After dipping the brush in the color wash, the excess was squeezed out before applying. After brushing out the required section, the painter continued to sweep around the section, blending in the old with the new, and brushing on new areas with less paint on the brush. Some of those areas were intentionally left lighter to allow for difference in the wall color. A second coat of glaze, watered down even more, was applied with a 6-inch pulling brush in wavy strokes. The second coat helped to mix the colors and any blotchy spots.

Plan to spend one or two hours more on color washing than you would if applying regular paint with a roller. But if you are prepared to take a touch more time, you can turn your disappointing Valspar Paint Colors choice into a stunning success story.

paint color samples

Toronto’s bench shows game but can’t seal the deal at the ACC

It was one of those games that could have gone either way…if the Magic were playing Cleveland or Boston. But against the Raptors on Sunday afternoon, Orlando kept up the pressure and proved the Raps are once again a predictable squad as the game winds down.

Orlando came back from a weak first quarter and traded momentum with Toronto until both teams let their second line players ultimately decide their fates. Jason Williams, starting for the injured Jameer Nelson, and J.J. Redick hit decisive threes in the fourth quarter to put Orlando up by 10 and an eventual victory, 104 – 96.

“I think that our bench is deep,” Redick said. “We missed Vince and Rashard for several games early in the year. We’ve played with that lineup before and we’ve been successful.”

Vince Carter, who was customarily booed all afternoon, finished with 24 points, twelve of them in the third quarter. The former Raptor started the game poorly but kicked it up a notch in the second half…literally.

“The first half was a rough one,” Carter said. “I was just trying to be aggressive, trying to get into the paint, just make plays. Make the referees decide what is what. I think I was a little overly aggressive, playing a little too fast. I was trying to get there but not really playing under control. The second half when I changed my shoes, it was OK.”

Andrea Bargnani struggled for the Raps, scoring just 11 points to go along with 9 boards and fouling out with 4 minutes left in the game. Chris Bosh scored 22 points but was contained well by the Magic who made him settle for jumpers most of the game. Hedo Turkoglu was a non factor, scoring twelve points on 3 of 11 shooting from the field, while Calderon scored 16 points but managed just 4 assists.

The bigger story may have been the disappearing act of DeMar DeRozan. The rookie failed to step up against Carter and was not a factor at all throughout the game. Once again, speculation on whether or not DeRozan will still have the starting job when either Wright or Evans returns is swirling around the ACC. Head Coach Jay Triano appears to be trying to instill confidence in the young guard, but what is it costing the Raptors in the interim? DeRozan scored 1 point and 1 rebound in just over 17 minutes of playing time.

Meanwhile, Jarret Jack continued his strong play of late, handing out 9 assists to go along with 8 points and 7 rebounds.

The Raptors fall to 6 – 8 on the season and will face the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday at the ACC.

Hello everyone. Today I drew Stewie Griffin (the evil baby from Family Guy) on Microsoft Paint. This is my first time, so it’s not the best. I followed a video I found on YouTube, but as I drew the picture, I looked at a picture I found on another web site.

Here is the picture I drew (click to enlarge):

And the picture I used:

Tell me what you think of my picture.

Vékriarralyn jaschryl!

~Zaeriuraschi 11098