tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29733657086467102962024-03-13T17:06:32.037-04:00M Theresa Brown-ArtistCreating Art for my living is what I do!
Watch the artwork evolve and see how I juggle real life and creativity as a working artist!
Along with my Artist husband, Stephen Filarsky, we built our Art Studio from a 1910 house. Here, I specialize in fine art portraits of adults, children, horses and dogs in oils, watercolors, pastels and graphite.Join me on my blog as I work in my creative space and share life on my mini farm and studio with you!
M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-18514362995807487752020-04-25T16:48:00.000-04:002020-04-25T16:48:02.106-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h1 style="color: #202020; display: block; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 125%; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-align: left;">
2020-What a Year!</h1>
We
don't have to tell you that 2020 is an unprecedented year. Changes have
happened so fast and everyone has scrambled to find their bearings. Our
new vocabulary includes "social distancing" and "Stay at Home"
ordinances and it all happened in the blink of an eye.. And now with
horse shows canceled, workshops and classes canceled, in fact all events
with over 10 people canceled, we have had to regroup to keep afloat.<br />
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But enough of the current affairs as there is always a light at the end
of every tunnel and we are seeing a slow re-emergence. We are continuing
to do what we have always done-paint and create. So let's bring you up
to date!<br />
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<strong>So for our Horse Show clients: </strong>Steve, after a hiatus with neck surgery has updated his popular<strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/null" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> </a></strong><strong></strong><strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/null" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">blog </a></strong>!As
many of you may know he has become known for painting outside the rings
at many horse shows. In fact over the years, with so many changes
taking place at some of the show grounds, he has been told that he is
painting the history of some of the long standing events! With that in
mind there are several of his horse show oil paintings available.<br />
Below is an 8' x 10" oil of the Upperville in gate. So much has changed
over the past 15 years at Upperville and his paintings reflect that. You
can find more information <strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/null" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here </a></strong><br />
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<strong> </strong><img data-file-id="5180542" height="480" src="https://mcusercontent.com/590e0cad1fb66bb82775c255f/images/f90c81df-4055-4dbd-9964-9dbb1da26caa.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border: 0px; height: 480px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 600px;" width="600" /><br />
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<strong> </strong>You probably have to be a certain age to remember the old stables at the
Warrenton Horse Show. But if, in the days when no one had the glitzy
barns of new show grounds, you kept your pony or horse here, the
painting below will hold a definite nostalgia for you! An 8" x 10" oil
with details<a href="https://1hundredpaintings.blogspot.com/2020/03/warrneton.html" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://1hundredpaintings.blogspot.com/2020/03/warrneton.html" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;"><strong>here.</strong></a><br />
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<strong><br /></strong><a href="https://1hundredpaintings.blogspot.com/2020/03/warrneton.html" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;"><strong></strong></a>
<strong> </strong><img data-file-id="5180566" height="447" src="https://mcusercontent.com/590e0cad1fb66bb82775c255f/_compresseds/62427d36-f39f-4936-8b2a-6f284c9ddb4c.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border: 0px; height: 447px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 600px;" width="600" /><br />
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<strong> </strong>Some Historic showgrounds which used to be on the outskirts of cities
and towns are beginning to crumble under the steady growth of progress.
One such show is the Sedgefield show outside of Greensboro, NC which
faces a sale and re-zoning.<br />
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<img data-file-id="5180494" height="300" src="https://mcusercontent.com/590e0cad1fb66bb82775c255f/images/54bd702d-58a4-48a5-a56a-e9efa9c298d5.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border: 0px; height: 300px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 400px;" width="400" /><br />
Stephen Filarsky painting the old Sedgefield Barn<br />
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All the original oil paintings that<a href="http://www.sfilarsky.com/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> Stephen Filarsky </a>painted on site have been sold, however there are <strong><a href="https://1hundredpaintings.blogspot.com/2020/04/prints-sedgefield-horse-show.html" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">prints available! </a></strong><br />
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<strong> </strong>For prints of Devon and Deep Run, visit his <a href="http://www.1hundredpaintings.blogspot.com/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>blog</strong></a><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-22cqPNiLzSo/XqRx-IDsRqI/AAAAAAAAEwg/d76LpS6S2vEqz8z2B9JFJ_mUsOokrLc1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Sedgefield-PoniesE.jpg" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img data-file-id="5180578" height="200" src="https://mcusercontent.com/590e0cad1fb66bb82775c255f/images/ccb7b14b-97db-429d-8ebf-225f571ae898.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border: 0px; height: 200px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /> </a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ojMnczQSWjM/XqRvSEBpcAI/AAAAAAAAEwU/iCs_PeD9ZzwwgGjMa_pMWRX1Hnfl9yk3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/SDGFoldbarnjumpE.jpg" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img data-file-id="5180574" height="200" src="https://mcusercontent.com/590e0cad1fb66bb82775c255f/images/4d07e2dc-c79f-4bf9-acd4-cea65b379b3e.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border: 0px; height: 200px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /></a><br />
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The Portraits continue to be a mainstay of our<a href="http://onroadartists.com/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong> "Filarsky Brown Art Studio"</strong></a> with both Theresa and Steve creating in their favored mediums of oils, pastels and watercolor.<br />
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<img data-file-id="5180590" height="374" src="https://mcusercontent.com/590e0cad1fb66bb82775c255f/images/1da50379-e307-4806-aa66-ecd3286c0f29.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border: 0px; height: 374px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 500px;" width="500" />
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24" x 36" pastel by M Theresa Brown "Greg Best on Gem Twist"
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For those who didn't realize that Theresa was also a printmaker in
college and has, for the past 10 years included that among her creative
pursuits, well you can enjoy a peek at that art form at <strong><a href="https://www.thesilkthread.com/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">The Silk Thread.</a></strong><br />
As well as painting and printmaking, she brought back her dormant sewing
skills to create her own artisinal fashions with her fabrics! The past
month or so has been crazy with sewing and donating many masks to needy
organization. If you have need of one with a horse design, you can find
them in her<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSilkThreadShop" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong> Etsy shop.</strong></a>!<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSilkThreadShop" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img data-file-id="5180602" height="500" src="https://mcusercontent.com/590e0cad1fb66bb82775c255f/images/b3552ce9-80de-40d7-89cb-7ca75f3c4842.jpg" style="-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; border: 0px; height: 500px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 500px;" width="500" /></a><br /><br />
The matching button headbands are designed so the elastic loops over the buttons, saving your ears!<br />
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There are so many ways to reach us! We have found that our Facebook
pages can be updated far faster than a website! We confess our long time
websites are a bit out of date BUT we both solved a part of that by
using the Etsy format to add photos and keep pricing up to date! Our
long time landing page <a href="http://www.onroadartists.com/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>On Road Artists</strong></a> will share our many links!<br />
<strong>For Theresa's portraits </strong><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/mtheresabrown" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/mtheresabrown" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;">https://www.etsy.com/shop/mtheresabrown</a><br />
For our Filarsky Brown Art Studio Facebook page<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FilarskyBrownArtStudio" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> https://www.facebook.com/FilarskyBrownArtStudio</a><br />
<strong>For Steve's Facebook paintings: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sfilarsky/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> </a></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sfilarsky/" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #007c89; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;">https://www.facebook.com/sfilarsky/</a>
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That's plenty to absorb for now :-)<br />
We hope you stay safe and follow the guidelines. Together we will all get through these times!<br />
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Warm Regards<br />
Steve and Theresa
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-26356763096322600192018-03-22T07:52:00.000-04:002018-03-22T08:25:51.872-04:00When you want more than a copy of a photo!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Internet has provided opportunity for learning never experienced in the past! No longer do schools need volumes of books or shelves of audio visual equipment. All one needs is an Internet connection and the time to watch videos and read stories on every conceivable subject!<br />
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There are huge benefits and huge pitfalls in this age of mass marketing and communication and in my area of expertise-the arts-everyone has become an artist! Now that's not a bad thing. In fact today's kids and adults have the tools to learn all kinds of art forms unavailable to my generation of artists :-). I was delighted to get the cardboard packaged in my dadd's shirts from the cleaners (yes they came folded!) Now there are art toys that do all the drawing for the kids. Becoming an artists used to mean practicing over and over to become good at a subject (lol-horses come to mind with me) but now there is very little of that. Children (and adults) do not develop "the eye". In a class environment, kids can create wonders!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zYrCs4F0qa4/WrOQI1DexII/AAAAAAABFbQ/srE2YrsRqCM-rrEvRBRRo4dh6HOQksRqwCLcBGAs/s1600/Kidspainting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="800" height="309" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zYrCs4F0qa4/WrOQI1DexII/AAAAAAABFbQ/srE2YrsRqCM-rrEvRBRRo4dh6HOQksRqwCLcBGAs/s400/Kidspainting.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But what I am seeing today in adult artists are copyists. Few are "seeing" their subjects. Most have learned the technique of copying and pasting with their computers and printers and so longer seem to have a "hands on" approach to painting. Have they actually walked in the woods to see that landscape? Watched the clouds and the weather roll in? Handled that dog or horse? Or more importantly, drawn "from life?"<br />
When you compare art that is copied to art that is created from knowledge and goes beyond copying, then you are seeing a true artist at work :-). Think about that the next time you might be thinking of investing in a portrait. You really often do get what you pay for :-)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ct3HaiTGHw/WrOWw9dKOGI/AAAAAAABFbk/b3jan7sWYmQTC91goXMbYIM88eCz0eUtwCLcBGAs/s1600/DOG%2Bweb%2Balbum4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1024" height="309" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ct3HaiTGHw/WrOWw9dKOGI/AAAAAAABFbk/b3jan7sWYmQTC91goXMbYIM88eCz0eUtwCLcBGAs/s400/DOG%2Bweb%2Balbum4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few dog portraits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fYibVl1D6tk/WrOXeBjWmII/AAAAAAABFb0/zUdA_eqT7JAKSwbQ-SgLpIA-Ux4saCiIACLcBGAs/s1600/Horse%2Bweb%2Balbum8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fYibVl1D6tk/WrOXeBjWmII/AAAAAAABFb0/zUdA_eqT7JAKSwbQ-SgLpIA-Ux4saCiIACLcBGAs/s400/Horse%2Bweb%2Balbum8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few horse portraits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTkNgvBg3YI/WrOXliJM8AI/AAAAAAABFb4/MvFGralHjkUc0TeficiodPwaMomHR118ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMAG0774-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="997" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTkNgvBg3YI/WrOXliJM8AI/AAAAAAABFb4/MvFGralHjkUc0TeficiodPwaMomHR118ACLcBGAs/s400/IMAG0774-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People and their pets</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NVz5efqk3c/WrOYaCnIuWI/AAAAAAABFcI/SWv-eYEWJLEjPLbM0aKT7pg75Nknmw15gCLcBGAs/s1600/novak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NVz5efqk3c/WrOYaCnIuWI/AAAAAAABFcI/SWv-eYEWJLEjPLbM0aKT7pg75Nknmw15gCLcBGAs/s320/novak.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Often it is the moment and the feeling!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-72582216553553933322017-12-10T14:31:00.001-05:002017-12-10T14:31:39.723-05:00Holiday Open House at our Studios!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://thesilkthread.com/2017/12/10/holiday-open-house-at-our-studios/" rel="bookmark">Holiday Open House at our STUDIOS!</a>
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<div class="entry-meta">
<span class="date"><time class="entry-date" datetime="2017-12-10T13:39:27+00:00"><br /></time></span><span class="edit-link"></span> </div>
</header>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1259" style="width: 1600px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1259 size-full" height="378" src="https://i0.wp.com/thesilkthread.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Studioscollagesm.jpg?resize=604%2C378" width="604" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">2 Artists Studios!</figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"> </figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"> </figcaption>Saturday Dec 16 from 11-3! Come see the art studios of 2 long time
working artists and see the<br />
variety of, dare we say, amazing art! A
perfect place to pick up those last minute hand crafted<br />
gifts 🙂<br />
Meet our ponies, Helen and Shadow, feed a peppermint to Bella, our alpaca…<br />
yep-the chickens will visit you as well as our dogs! See examples below.<br />
Enjoy some light refreshments in the large studio (our painting one) and do some shopping!<br />
Kids are fine, leave your pets at home though please..rain or shine.<br />
Located at 2109 Old Mill Farm RD., Franklinton, NC 27525.<br />
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Email Theresa@thesilkthread.com with questions.<br />
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text"> </figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"> </figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"></figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"></figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"></figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"></figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"> </figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_1264" style="width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1264 size-medium" height="225" src="https://i1.wp.com/thesilkthread.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20150104_132918.jpg?resize=300%2C169" width="400" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"> </figcaption><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Our chickens sometimes claim the studio front porch!</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_1258" style="width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1258 size-medium" height="400" src="https://i2.wp.com/thesilkthread.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/22406088_1941734362518429_2662781380712845605_n.jpg?resize=300%2C300" width="400" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Silk work by Theresa</figcaption></figure><br /><br />
<figure class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_1260" style="width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1260 size-medium" height="400" src="https://i1.wp.com/thesilkthread.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Portrait-Graphics.jpg?resize=300%2C300" width="400" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Plenty of portraits to see by Theresa</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_1261" style="width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1261 size-medium" height="225" src="https://i2.wp.com/thesilkthread.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/received_10203368781208302.jpeg?resize=300%2C169" width="400" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Steve’s watercolor table</figcaption></figure>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-1265" height="225" src="https://i2.wp.com/thesilkthread.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171020_171710_resized.jpg?resize=300%2C169" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve hand lettering on glass</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theresa Painting</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-20879084808285812162017-01-02T21:58:00.000-05:002017-01-02T21:58:30.875-05:00Welcome 2017! More art, more silk......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wow I have been keeping up with so many blogs that I forgot about this one! Whew-my own name!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But not to worry I won't spend pages catching you up, instead I will share several links. One is from my silk blog:<a href="http://thesilkthread.com/posts/">http://thesilkthread.com/posts/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other is from my <a href="http://dreamhorseart.com/">DreamHorseArt.com</a> site.</span><br />
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<a href="http://dreamhorseart.com/facebook-here-we-come/" rel="bookmark">Facebook, here we come!</a>
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It’s taken me awhile to make a separate page for the <a href="http://dreamhorseart.com/" target="_blank">Dream Horse Art </a>on Facebook. After all I have <a href="http://thesilkthread.com/" target="_blank">The Silk Thread Art</a>, <a href="http://artcareerexperts.com/" target="_blank">Art Career Experts</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/artstudentacademy" target="_blank">Art Student Academy</a>…..um let’s see, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FilarskyBrownArtStudio/" target="_blank">Filarsky Brown Art Studio</a>. So I am busy administrating let alone creating!<br />
BUT I have now done so and it is there you can see my latest posts.
There can be a lot because although the site celebrates the HORSE, I
have fudged a bit and added portraits that may not actually (gasp)
include a horse. But after 25 years of full time portraiture, I can’t
leave anyone out!<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_788" style="width: 310px;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DOG-web-album4.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-788" height="232" src="https://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DOG-web-album4.jpg?resize=300%2C232" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
A few dog portraits</div>
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So although I may have traditional people, horse and dog portraits, I
also have my abstract horse on both canvas AND silk (well fiber art)!<br />
I am excited to finally feel more organized.<br />
I know we are on the cusp of a New Year and 2017 promises to be as busy and as creative as ever!<br />
Enjoy a few images and right now, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/mtheresabrown" target="_blank">for shopping, I am sending you to my Etsy shop</a>!<br />
Happy 2017 everyone!<br />
Theresa<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_789" style="width: 310px;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/3horses-a.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-789" height="177" src="https://i0.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/3horses-a.jpg?resize=300%2C177" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Three Muses</div>
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Horses on Silk</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-82245996780152391692016-03-11T07:05:00.000-05:002016-03-11T07:05:26.590-05:00News from our studio and SHOW schedules!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="288" src="http://www.art-career-experts.com/portraits/graphics/new-header.jpg" width="500" /><br /> <br /> Early Spring (March), 2016 <br />
<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /> </span>March and there is SO
much going on. Many art shows and horse shows coming up this spring.
We love to show and tell so scattered throughout this newsletter are
some of the many art pieces we created for our collectors. <br />
Also meet our newest family member, Bella, our baby alpaca. Theresa is
already deciding what to do with all of her fleece when she is sheared the
end of March. <br /> <img src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/12734194_10205984263993737_6339525946332009458_n.jpg?oh=13e58f95d964797bde5d4ba4d795e97d&oe=5796EEDF" style="height: 225px; width: 400px;" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">What's Happening:</span> Shows where
you can find us, as vendors or on the grounds with our easels
(Remember to check back with us on our calendar as sometimes this
changes)<br /> <br /> <br />
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">March 12</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Triangle Farms C horse show</span>, Hunt Horse Complex, Raleigh, NC
! Look for us on just Saturday, March 12 at the show! At the Hunt
Horse Complex. We'll be there with portraits and silkwork (oh the
horses!) <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.trianglefarms.com/</a><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 17-20</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Triangle
Farms A horse show</span>, Raleigh NC Steve will be at
this show part of the time with his paintings. Check with us for the dates!
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.trianglefarms.com/</a><br /> <br /> <img src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12219578_10153104076906993_2934718119951032859_n.jpg?oh=9e64adf6d988afcee246e6c1c5c2cc37&oe=57553B13" style="height: 400px; width: 300px;" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">March 18-20</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spring Carousel Gift Market</span> Raleigh,
NC, At NC fairgrounds, Jim Graham Building Theresa will be there with
her all of her silk art. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/springcarousel</a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">March 23-26</span> You will
find us at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spring Premier Horse
Show</span> at the Hunt Horse Complex in Raleigh, NC. Portraits,
paintings and silk art in our indoor booth!<br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.raleighspringpremier.com/</a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">April 23</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bynum Bridgefest!</span> A one day art and
craft event (on the Bynum Bridge) between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro, NC
that meshes with Earth Day. Come see Theresa with her fiber and silk
art! <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.bephilarthropy.com/</a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">April 30</span>:<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cary Spring Daze!</span> Long URL to a long
established one day art and craft show held in a beautiful park in Cary,
NC! <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank"> http://www.townofcary.org/Departments/Parks__Recreation___Cultural_Resources/events/festivals/springdaze.htm</a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">May 6-7</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Handmade Market</span>
We're still waiting to hear back on this art and craft event but if
it's a go, Theresa will be there with her silk and fiber art! <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.thehandmademarket.com/site/</a><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /> </span><img src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/12790906_1182486025109937_4625961004212274443_n.jpg?oh=b1987ea9777923d2010d13598c688cf8&oe=5758906E" style="height: 281px; width: 500px;" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">May 21 & 22</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Keswick Horse Show</span>: Like last year, Steve will make his annual
jaunt to the Keswick Hunt Club (in Virginia) and can be found around the
grounds with his easel painting the scenes at the show!<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">May 20-22</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Artsplosure</span> A very busy, super fun art and craft show in
downtown Raleigh, NC. Theresa will be there with all of her fiber and silk
art! <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://artsplosure.org/</a><br /> <br /> Well that's probably enough to keep all of us busy! There
will be our long time horse shows in June, July and August including the 2
weeks at Blowing Rock, NC and possibly some Virginia shows. YOU can
easily keep track of where we will be through our Facebook pages!<br /> <br /> <img src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/12741878_10206762460275235_5937594136694225101_n.jpg?oh=6f07b5992580478c32f0130039381b53&oe=574F0187" style="height: 376px; width: 300px;" /><br /> </div>
<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">ART classes and workshops
(March-August)</span> <br /> These are classes held at our studio
location and others. If you would like us to set up a workshop with your
art group, just drop us a note. Sign up for our separate art student
academy newsletters that are just for our painting students!<br /> Theresa
is teaching some new classes with the Vance Granville Community College (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.vgcc.edu/coned/personal-interest</a>)
in the Personal Enrichment program, including some Heritage Programs coming
up. Make sure you are signed up for our Art Student Academy newsletters to
stay on top of all art classes! <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://artstudentacademy.com/</a><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;">
<img src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12115766_10153044039901993_3368345730882445726_n.jpg?oh=50a3c22f63604b28bb8b5f4b570d50c8&oe=575765DF" style="height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></div>
<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">SHOP with US</span>!<br /> A great landing page
to branch into the areas we have that interest you is <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.OnRoadArtists.com</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span> From there you can read
our blogs, see what we are painting and so much more! But additional
locations are below:<br /> Theresa's portraits are online, is: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/shop/mtheresabrown</a><br /> Theresa's abstracts and silk art: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.DreamHorseArt.com</a>....go
to the shop section to see what is available!<br /> Visit Steve's store
with his paintings is: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/shop/sfilarsky</a>
<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /> </span><br /> <br /> To reach us, all you
have to do is go to ONE page: <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">http://www.OnRoadArtists.com</a>
<br /> There you will find links to our blogs, Facebook pages, various
websites, phone numbers and emails!<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"></span>New work
images posted regularly on our Facebook pages! Watch for our updates!<br />
Until next time!<br /> Theresa and Steve</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-66497249063579029872016-02-12T15:54:00.000-05:002016-02-12T15:54:47.249-05:00Mother Nature’s Colors in eco-printing on silk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://dreamhorseart.com/mother-natures-colors-in-eco-printing-on-silk/" rel="bookmark">Mother Nature’s Colors in eco-printing on silk</a>
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<a href="http://i1.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Assortment-of-plants-and-bugs.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Close up of vegetable plants on silk" class="size-medium wp-image-644" height="200" src="http://i1.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Assortment-of-plants-and-bugs.jpg?resize=169%2C300" style="cursor: move;" width="112" /></a><a href="http://i0.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Detail-of-eco-scarf.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Detail of an eco-scarf. " class="wp-image-641" height="142" src="http://i0.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Detail-of-eco-scarf.jpg?resize=275%2C155" style="cursor: move;" width="252" /></a><br />
So painting on canvas is not the only thing I "paint."<br />
Enter my silk scarves (which can be found on www.TheSilkThread.com) <br />
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My last “batch” before leaving for a trip to Oregon earlier this
month. Grinding, then boiling cochineal bugs and laying out plants on
silk, I worked on about a dozen eco-printed silk scarves as well as some silk noil.<br />
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<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_647" style="width: 310px;">
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Laying-out-the-plants.jpg"><img alt="Laying out the plants" class="size-medium wp-image-647" height="300" src="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Laying-out-the-plants.jpg?resize=300%2C300" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Laying out the plants</div>
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Cochineal extract</div>
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And the results? Oh my, what fun! <img alt=":-)" class="wp-smiley" height="14" src="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png?w=625" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="14" />
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Collage of Mother Nature’s colors</div>
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Detail of an eco-scarf.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cochineal-extract.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cochineal extract" class="size-medium wp-image-646" src="http://i0.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cochineal-extract-169x300.jpg?resize=169%2C300" /></a></td></tr>
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Close up of vegetable plants on silk</div>
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<a href="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Bella-and-eco-scarves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-642 size-medium" height="640" src="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Bella-and-eco-scarves.jpg?resize=300%2C300" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bella watching the silk dry.</div>
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Almost 3 weeks in the Pacific northwest and I could not leave without
expanding my collection of leaf matter. Check out the monster Big Leaf
maple. The weather promises to break, the snow is melting and the sun
will make it possible for me to create more of Mother Nature’s Art <img alt=":-)" class="wp-smiley" height="14" src="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png?w=625" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="14" />
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<a href="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/12507127_1150126908345849_7917754649647972093_n.jpg"><img alt="Big leaf maple" class="wp-image-639 size-medium" height="300" src="http://i2.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/12507127_1150126908345849_7917754649647972093_n.jpg?resize=204%2C300" width="204" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Big Leaf maple</div>
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<a href="http://i0.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/12509335_1152363128122227_3070556068418446678_n.jpg"><img alt="Pacific northwest oak leaves" class="size-medium wp-image-640" height="640" src="http://i0.wp.com/dreamhorseart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/12509335_1152363128122227_3070556068418446678_n.jpg?resize=300%2C300" width="640" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Pacific northwest oak leaves</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-23539441571077391202016-01-06T18:29:00.001-05:002016-01-06T18:29:37.215-05:00Oil portraits from Christmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">January 2016. That's kind of crazy. As usual, the last quarter was hectic and 2 things slowed me down-the hard drive on my 6 month old computer crashed (thank you 1 year warranty!) leaving me scrambling to do even the basics, let alone photos, book work and correspondence. Sorry but my android phone just doesn't cut it. :-(. The other was a rotten cold that, for the first time in years, was bad enough for antibiotics....so today I am coldless and have my computer back (a ridiculous 3 week hiatus) Life is good!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So what have I been painting...too many to put up here so how about a few oils? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LAkJnz74iPI/Vo2h7mADn0I/AAAAAAAA6_E/BKyOROb8cu8/s1600/20151211_154738_resized_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LAkJnz74iPI/Vo2h7mADn0I/AAAAAAAA6_E/BKyOROb8cu8/s400/20151211_154738_resized_2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maureen and Duncan-oil 20 x 24</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Favorite Hunter-oil 16 x 20</td></tr>
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Oils take longer than my pastels but they do sort of "pop" don't they?<br />
I am off to Portland Oregon Jan 10-27 so let's see what I come back with!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-66673480352544484712015-12-02T18:03:00.000-05:002015-12-02T18:03:53.139-05:00Eco printing, alpacas and time travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What? It's December? When did that happen? :-)<br />
I have run through 2 months of combining silk work and portraits and December simply brings a bit of panic into it!<br />
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I dug into the eco printing and have had some gorgeous results!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JgTx1XgG2rI/Vl9yXh3XTRI/AAAAAAAA69Q/t7ojsgEw6NQ/s1600/PhotoGrid_1449003846795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JgTx1XgG2rI/Vl9yXh3XTRI/AAAAAAAA69Q/t7ojsgEw6NQ/s320/PhotoGrid_1449003846795.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various kinds of eucalyptus</td></tr>
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It takes practice but in the end...the thrill (yes it is) is in not knowing what you'll create!<br />
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But knowing that I'm printing Nature's colors exclusively is another appeal to this art form.<br />
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I spent 10 days in October at the NC State Fair as the silk artist in the <a href="http://villageofyesteryear.com/locate-us/craftsmen-by-craft/silk-designs---theresa.html" target="_blank">Village of Yesteryear</a> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76NGfNyzdH4/Vl90FX3z_II/AAAAAAAA69c/fee2z0OFoAI/s1600/20151124_082736_resized.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76NGfNyzdH4/Vl90FX3z_II/AAAAAAAA69c/fee2z0OFoAI/s320/20151124_082736_resized.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rose leaves from Seven Sisters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heirloom roses and pineapple sage</td></tr>
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and although it was tiring with daily 12 hour days, I met SO many people who were happy to add a scarf to their handmade collections!<br />
November seems to have dissipated and I don't know where it went to. I do know that I am on a borrowed computer as mine bit the dust (although Best Buy is determined to make it work since it is under warranty) and I had no idea how many of my photos were on the other computer. Luckily I have Carbonite backup but having to make temporary folders to store work is time consuming.<br />
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I'll pop some portraits up in my next post...seems odd to mix them with the silk. :-)<br />
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Oh and I must add one more image....Bella! The newest member and a future supplier of fiber for adding some roving into some of my silk!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Bella!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-38926607921467314662015-09-22T12:12:00.000-04:002015-09-22T12:12:28.241-04:00The search for dye plants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We spent a gorgeous day recently collecting sample plants of nature's bounty to do some "eco-dyeing" on silk scarves.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our current roadsides are awash with wild helianthus and pokeberries. Wild sumac encircles abandoned ponds and we're careful to collect only what we will use. But my own mini-farm offers up Rose of Sharon, wild buttercups, a lot of mimosa and pokeberry as well as grapes, dogwoods, oak, pear and maple...a lot of trees on my land that are soon to turn glorious colors. In the meantime we go with greens, yellows...lol, even red clay and tobacco!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wQ4Y166xPrc/VgF6RAaoC0I/AAAAAAAA63k/Pai_FqhYXAU/s1600/20150829_110752_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wQ4Y166xPrc/VgF6RAaoC0I/AAAAAAAA63k/Pai_FqhYXAU/s320/20150829_110752_resized.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bounty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7YU0kirsBx0/VgF6WQD2ieI/AAAAAAAA63s/2YedMDpU_0I/s1600/Recently%2BUpdated5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7YU0kirsBx0/VgF6WQD2ieI/AAAAAAAA63s/2YedMDpU_0I/s400/Recently%2BUpdated5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water from a spring and wild picking</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7cVSVtXwsGE/VgF6ov8eNGI/AAAAAAAA630/nm6toUgI3XI/s1600/Recently%2BUpdated4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7cVSVtXwsGE/VgF6ov8eNGI/AAAAAAAA630/nm6toUgI3XI/s400/Recently%2BUpdated4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I soaked the scarves in a mordant, then layered our finds on top, covered them up, rolled and wrapped them and two days later, walla! Eco dyed scarves.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's a lot of fun to collect, a lot of time to "do" and in the end, the appeal will be to a certain kind of scarf collector. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But the search is inspiring, restful and a soothing "back to the earth" kind of methodology that I'll employ a bit more into my fiber art :-)</span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-54793385537244441112015-08-26T11:11:00.000-04:002015-08-26T11:11:02.495-04:00DIY hanging rack from a baby crib! (the practical artist!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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DIY hanging rack from a baby crib!
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZBWS6CWuw0/Vd3PWgnsF1I/AAAAAAAA62I/2-Zdh6TN-Fo/s1600/11141136_10205037321307839_7738580511014018808_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZBWS6CWuw0/Vd3PWgnsF1I/AAAAAAAA62I/2-Zdh6TN-Fo/s320/11141136_10205037321307839_7738580511014018808_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking off the pegged top piece on rail</td></tr>
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As professional artists, we have 2 art studios on our property. The
larger one is big, beautiful and built from a torn down 1910 house!<br />
Our smaller one is my "cabin in the woods" and was a tired 10 x 20
storage building that we renovated for additional room in our ever
expanding art business! <br />
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So in my small Art studio that I use for my silk making, I needed a
place to hang my scarves while I worked on them. I use an outside
clothesline which is perfect for drying. But in between some stages of
my techniques, I needed a place to gently hang silk without folding it
or dropping it on the floor :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qhn-ROgSgP0/Vd3PW5SbeeI/AAAAAAAA62M/Sa3JFn_yxok/s1600/11220061_979118855472486_3287215403194025154_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qhn-ROgSgP0/Vd3PW5SbeeI/AAAAAAAA62M/Sa3JFn_yxok/s320/11220061_979118855472486_3287215403194025154_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crib rail hinged to wood attached to wall.</td></tr>
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The solution came in the form of parts of a free baby crib! Used cribs
can be found at yard sales for next to nothing and the sides can be used
for any number of creative projects!<br />
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My idea was to attach hinges to the bottom , attach it to the wall of my
small studio and have it fold down from the top. When in use, the
lightweight chains would let me lower it to pretty much any height I
wanted. I did not want it level, just out a foot or so from the top of
the wall. When not in use, it folds back up to the wall and hooks with
regular latch hooks :-)<br />
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Small chain, latches and hinges are easily found in any hardware store!<br />
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A little paint on the wood the piece is hinged to will make it look finished :-)<br />
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As you can see, the lightweight silk dangles easily from the rack away from the wall. It could be closed as well if I choose.<br />
A perfect solution for everything from fabric to paper to your laundry room.<br />
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Raise the chains higher if heavier items will be hung. The ceiling is
barn style so hanging this from the ceiling where the lights are was not
an option-too high and the lights were in the way so this "Murphy
style" rack was the perfect solution!<br />
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An easy DIY project accomplished in an afternoon or less! (Depending on the number of breaks and how long it takes you to find the tools you put down somewhere!)<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-30866805203799257272015-08-09T09:13:00.000-04:002015-08-09T09:31:27.015-04:00Kids Learning to Play like Kids!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I take my childhood for granted. But now I know that I, and my peers, were oh so fortunate to have grown up in the years that we did! These were the years where kids played outside all day, came home when all the neighborhood moms stood on the porches and stoops and called us in.....where we climbed trees, ran for the sheer joy of it, picked berries, built forts and our water parks were wading pools and water hoses!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I re-create part of that in my art summer camps. And the kids have a ball! It is different because the kids work with art, outdoor play and critical thinking skills....and through it all I expect the grouped ages of 7-17 to work, play and create together. And they do!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Coming to our 2 art studios out in the country-both are our professional ones- in itself is an adventure. Being free to run at will outdoors down the secret paths of the maze, climb the maple and pecan trees, and in general, be kids, is actually a new experience for many of the students. But by day 2, they are enjoying the freedom of outside activities and that pumps up their creative processes!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2fgsemdHcns/VcdOpfj3sJI/AAAAAAAA60g/0TfGjgu2Eyo/s1600/11666256_850706398345187_1494436670731853046_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2fgsemdHcns/VcdOpfj3sJI/AAAAAAAA60g/0TfGjgu2Eyo/s640/11666256_850706398345187_1494436670731853046_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collage 1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the ponies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0zugDkJmgGM/VcdVHQLm_SI/AAAAAAAA61Q/zZ9dHLZcnzU/s1600/11751970_10205522540038004_4024140771953629562_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0zugDkJmgGM/VcdVHQLm_SI/AAAAAAAA61Q/zZ9dHLZcnzU/s400/11751970_10205522540038004_4024140771953629562_n.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lunch tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHRHMSd9QaU/VcdVHSZM-9I/AAAAAAAA61U/HBX9d5s-Vlw/s1600/11760294_10205514615559897_4199715399302527029_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHRHMSd9QaU/VcdVHSZM-9I/AAAAAAAA61U/HBX9d5s-Vlw/s320/11760294_10205514615559897_4199715399302527029_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Without a doubt the favorite tree!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I hope to add more camps next summer-it's definitely something I have to bring in extra help as the camps can have up to 14 participants. Many are repeaters. Many are so improved by the 3rd day of camp-both artistically and physically! (who knew climbing trees was so hard?) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So add to that mix-getting wet, dirty, loved by dogs, ignored by chickens (but collecting the eggs is fun!) running the secret trails....and you have the incredible experience that I so took for granted as a kid...(thanks Mom and Dad for letting me be a free range kid and artist!)</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-27276865303928132102015-07-07T17:21:00.001-04:002015-07-07T17:21:32.547-04:00My "Don't Tell Mom!" painting series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It has been more than crazy at the studio! How can so much happen in 4 weeks?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So rushing through chores mid June, I tripped on a loop of bailing twine (that I had note and was going to do something about it!) went down like a ton of bricks and broke my elbow. Elbow! Who breaks their elbow?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HYQ3tGC0MJs/VZw-FCXyOJI/AAAAAAAA6Vw/nU5l5Kl6aKg/s1600/Temp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HYQ3tGC0MJs/VZw-FCXyOJI/AAAAAAAA6Vw/nU5l5Kl6aKg/s320/Temp.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My jeweler friend Ginger cuts off my wedding ring :-)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To top it off I was leaving for a facilitator conference the next day in the NC mountains...boy was I ticked! Wrapped up in a half cast, I went anyway and had a fabulous if not slightly awkward time :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">SO I return in time to get ready for my 4 day summer art camp...this time I had help! I'll add the photos as soon as I find the folder :-(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway in between all of that I have kept busy creating my non-commissioned art...just because! And just because is as good a reason as any so I have spent days just painting large happy canvases!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of them, an acrylic on 30 x 30 canvas was selected to go on a catalog cover for the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show...very cool! Steve putting in the graphics.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OIPt9OReCWA/VZw_rz0TnoI/AAAAAAAA6V8/ZjDgEl1SzUI/s1600/1getPart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OIPt9OReCWA/VZw_rz0TnoI/AAAAAAAA6V8/ZjDgEl1SzUI/s320/1getPart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 x 30 acrylic on canvas "Blowing Rock Horse Show"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Yes-sort of Grandma Moses but people are loving it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Then I decided to go further-thinking of the years my twin and I rode like Indians on our New York farm, I decided to do my "Don't Tell Mom" series...they're big-30 x 40 canvases but oh what fun to create! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We tried all sorts of tricks on our mares and somehow they yolerated our clumsy trick maneuvers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One summer, our mares were off being bred at a farm in HIllsdale, NY and that summer we rode a little 13 hh pony called "Bobby." Conniving, tricky and ready to dump us in a moment, we kept him tuned for his younger owners who had been unable to stay on him :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rQKDFuL4Xk8/VZxBhlxZ-FI/AAAAAAAA6WQ/Di-SaExsOog/s1600/School%2527sOut%25211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rQKDFuL4Xk8/VZxBhlxZ-FI/AAAAAAAA6WQ/Di-SaExsOog/s400/School%2527sOut%25211.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#2 in my "Don't Tell Mom" series is "School's Out!" 30 x 40 acrylic on canvas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#1 in my "Don't Tell Mom" series, "Acrobats"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> So if these don't make you smile today, nothing will...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Enjoy the content and the colors and I'll be posting new ones shortly! </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-62233651658402506072015-06-02T17:18:00.000-04:002015-06-03T09:58:36.079-04:00Driving the Night Road<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ever wonder what an artist thinks? Well here is one example :-)<br />
An artist's musings......Driving the Night Road<br />
(by M Theresa Brown)<br />
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I am one of the last to leave the parking lot after the night class I teach. I wait in my car until the taillights of my final student pulls away and I follow.<br />
Soon I am on the back roads home. If I am lucky, I won't have any traffic behind me and I can wander the 18 miles home more slowly. I've made the trip often, and in all weather conditions. It's the warmer nights I love. With my windows down I can hear the night. Driving a leisurely speed, I can see the night.<br />
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I pass rural houses, the lights of a home life filtering through open curtains. An occasional glow of a TV flickering in a den. Outdoor lights peep through the woods in homes set back off the road. People's homes. A family. Their night time sanctuaries. <br />
Part of my journey takes me by several churches. As I approach the stop sign by one of them I cannot help but notice that some of the graves in the cemetery have little solar lights. It's a nice thought I think. Someone wanting their loved one to have a nightlight. Like a little earth bound star in the night.<br />
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Directly across the intersection is yet another church and I wonder, not for the first time, how these churches in the country fill their pews. I always check out the the little white house next to the two churches. It's a non-assuming small white clapboard when I drive by it during the day. But on many of the nights that I pass it going home, it is transformed into something entirely different with its red light glowing on the front porch.<br />
I ponder this anomaly of a mini red light district between two churches. It is easy to wonder all sorts of random thoughts. Is she open all night? Do people just stop by? Does she close shop at daybreak? Is she open on Sundays? I roll these questions in my mind, never coming up with an answer, as I leave the little intersection behind and travel on in the dark.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My attempt to photograph with my phone:-)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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My headlights show pastures and fences and I scan the edges of the road for the ever present possibility of deer or a waddling possum. The traveling lights toss the shadows of trees into patterns that dance along the edge of the road as I drive. It's an interesting thought, bringing my own shadow with me and my mind wanders off into memories of shadow making.<br />
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I drive quietly. No radio, no music. I like to listen to the wind. As I approach the river, the incredibly loud chorus of tree frogs in the swamps signals my approaching turn. Some nights, when I turn onto this short section of dirt road I often stop. Listening to the tree frogs without the dopplar effect that comes with driving past is ear opening; Nature's surround sound. I love this section. The night holds no fear for me. My headlights might flush a rabbit or two on this dirt road. I might hear a dog bark far in the distance. More than once when I paused I have turned off my headlights to see the stars, brilliant on a clear night with no ambient light. It is an isolated section of road and it is easy to imagine Big Foot coming out of the pine forests. The thought makes me smile as my imagination wanders off again, this time into Big Foot territory.<br />
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My tires thump back onto the paved section of the road and I slowly make my way home. Past more homes, more shadows, more stars. Daylight shows me the details of what I only glimpse at night. But it is within my Night Drive circle of light that my senses fill, bringing a certain peace and focus at the end of the day.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-9172096824393289832015-05-14T19:26:00.000-04:002015-05-14T19:26:36.306-04:00My DIY art studio renovation!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things are moving along with my "cabin in the woods!"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have been following me, you'll know that I have been renovating a 12 x 20 shed and turning it into a second art studio. It's been taking a few months but bit by bit the big things get done, then the little things :-)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below are some "in progress" photos of the north end of the building. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V6VFW_DYbeo/VVUrLcK0CVI/AAAAAAAAz4k/Qoyoeivd1U4/s1600/Sm%2Bstudio%2Brenovations3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #4b7aa9; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V6VFW_DYbeo/VVUrLcK0CVI/AAAAAAAAz4k/Qoyoeivd1U4/s640/Sm%2Bstudio%2Brenovations3.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="384" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFrV9yLgf04/VVUiRKpYxxI/AAAAAAAAz4E/JZRZJ-9eFw8/s1600/20141213_130235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #4b7aa9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFrV9yLgf04/VVUiRKpYxxI/AAAAAAAAz4E/JZRZJ-9eFw8/s400/20141213_130235.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">The deck going in.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the plain jane studio in the making.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the back ground is the large studio-our workhorse location. In this one I have begun to move all the dyes, paints and supplies related to my silk designs</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deck being built.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We re-purposed a used 6' sliding door for the north end of the studio!</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvcyHF8_oAg/VVUib7BHd0I/AAAAAAAAz4M/BAr2WIjoQcg/s400/20141213_170358.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 8px;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">The 6' sliding door going in</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And now, with the deck completed, we can enjoy an beautiful extension of our studio and work on it even as we complete some minor details inside! Hubby has wasted no time...not have our dogs!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notice the wild roses along our pasture fence add screening and privacy...not that we really need it on our mini-farm but it is perfect for an artist's studio! </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">heading out to the office takes on a whole new concept for me when this is one of my offices!</span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-55995347006632511662015-04-19T16:43:00.000-04:002015-04-19T16:43:17.510-04:00Murals on your Kitchen Cabinets!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Murals on Kitchen Cabinets</h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Painting murals is not new to me. From my teens on up, I have painted scenes on walls, doors, commercial window displays and traveling circus trailers. (really!) In an earlier post you saw this mural below...now see the rest of the project completed above it!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br />Sometime it can go faster than painting the same thing on canvas that same size. Don't ask me why. it just does.<br />If you have followed my "cabin in the woods" renovation you'll know that my building came with cabinets recycled from a 1950's kitchen. The wood was that hard to find solid "thwunk" type wood found in your grandma's kitchen. And it also meant it came with that dark varnished look so popular once upon a time!<br />I removed the doors...sanded them, then painted them...more than once, with white primer.</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nT1rC-whD64/VTPHSTfbWEI/AAAAAAAAzzY/5AM6ogNUTRE/s1600/17120_10204794437595898_2323344763152125965_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #4b7aa9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nT1rC-whD64/VTPHSTfbWEI/AAAAAAAAzzY/5AM6ogNUTRE/s1600/17120_10204794437595898_2323344763152125965_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">White doors with a mural on panel below it that I painted a few years ago</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">White walls, white ceilings, white cabinets. Something had to change before I started moving my art supplies into it.<br /><br />I went to my computer and pulling from my folder of "random traveling photos" that I accumulate for ideas, I thought.....actually I knew what I would do if I went one of two ways-mountains. Or beach. I settled on mountains :-)</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgZUkCT6_YQ/VTPQyNw3MvI/AAAAAAAAzzo/zjVAIsav5YA/s1600/MURAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #4b7aa9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgZUkCT6_YQ/VTPQyNw3MvI/AAAAAAAAzzo/zjVAIsav5YA/s1600/MURAL.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sequence of steps</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I painted in the sky, added the clouds and then started the background. It's a whole lot easier to add the foreground <u>after </u>the background is completed. Otherwise you will try to paint around a tree or around the leaves and it doesn't work.....at this point I tossed the pencil and just started winging it. Take a look :-)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5IbMBu8xqqg/VTPRMh5ObkI/AAAAAAAAzz8/tH37XIt0TEM/s1600/11141372_10204832484867056_7055605324082888349_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #4b7aa9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5IbMBu8xqqg/VTPRMh5ObkI/AAAAAAAAzz8/tH37XIt0TEM/s1600/11141372_10204832484867056_7055605324082888349_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Adding Mountains and tree details</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can see where this is headed as I added the mountains.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point I had to decide what to do with the section to the far right. These cabinets are a little over 12 feet long and 4 ft high.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My plan is to add a sink under the shorter cabinets when I eventually get the water running to the studio.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can just see where I added a white path to the far right.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a closer look at the left side below after I added details</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqgyStVm9WI/VTQMdDGW2wI/AAAAAAAAz0Y/losJK_4fxHw/s1600/Adding%2BFlowers%2Band%2BDetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #4b7aa9; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="294" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqgyStVm9WI/VTQMdDGW2wI/AAAAAAAAz0Y/losJK_4fxHw/s1600/Adding%2BFlowers%2Band%2BDetails.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Bringing in a middle ground and foreground</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend sent me some stunning photos of Texas bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes and I had my plan for the right hand side!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">So there you have it-a soothing mountain view with birds, flowers....forgot the butterflies but hey I can add them later :-) So be brave-paint a door panel, closet doors, kitchen cabinets or anything else that strikes your fancy! And it you want to take it with you at some later date, just paint it on some lightweight plywood (birch is good) and screw it to the surface.<br />Go paint!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-8635685178577617652015-04-13T08:11:00.000-04:002015-04-13T08:11:03.237-04:00Getting creative with murals on wall cabinets<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in earlier posts I shared how we have been renovating what was originally a storage shed and turning it into my silk/misc art studio! It has been a "do it as I can" project in terms of time and money but now, well, with a few small exceptions, it is ready to start moving into!</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fgc9fnzT44w/VSuuSS33viI/AAAAAAAAzy8/FhL6ERsHErs/s1600/11146251_10204794093987308_3077582073585479881_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fgc9fnzT44w/VSuuSS33viI/AAAAAAAAzy8/FhL6ERsHErs/s1600/11146251_10204794093987308_3077582073585479881_n.jpg" height="320" width="176" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I painted a 3' x 7' mural on panel in our big studio to add under the old cabinets (scrounged from a torn down kitchen). Note my palettes of Styrofoam plates :-) Just used acrylic, water based artist's paint that you can find in the art stores for this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The far end of the small studio has a work counter and although I wanted to put it underneath, it would not fit without cutting it in half (due to counter bracing). And I did not feel like cutting holes in it to fit around electrical outlets....so under the cabinets it went!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cabinets themselves apparently came from a very old kitchen and the shed wall was reinforced with that rough OSB plywood that is a real pain to paint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The shop size is 12 x 20 and I am just about to move into it this week. No running water yet but I have electrical so that will work until I get the waterline in. Thanks to Craigslist, I have already located a used stainless steel sink with the deepness I needed, plus all the fittings for a mere fraction of what it would have cost otherwise!</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJk2Sz1tHS8/VSuuGGSjtUI/AAAAAAAAzys/njGFMiqGXPk/s1600/11147094_10204794436835879_2099026607277847747_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJk2Sz1tHS8/VSuuGGSjtUI/AAAAAAAAzys/njGFMiqGXPk/s1600/11147094_10204794436835879_2099026607277847747_n.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see, I have gotten as far as putting in a sky. Originally the very dark, heavily varnished cabinet doors would not hold any paint until I sanded them (sigh) Now the skies are a backdrop to what other scenes or subjects I will add, which is still undecided! This is a project anyone can do on their kitchen cabinets...the laundry room...kids' doors...be bold. Painting on panels means it can be removed at any time! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabinet doors ready for their paintings!</td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-89060320883260097742015-04-08T07:10:00.000-04:002015-04-08T07:10:31.176-04:00Sharing the "How to's" of art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helping others learn to see and then paint what they see (real or unreal) can be an inspiring way to plug into my creative side!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teaching some art classes at the Vance Granville Community College to both newcomers to art and those who have been in it awhile, in an open classroom environment, is a great way to tap into my dormant knowledge. </span><span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Working in acrylics, watercolor, and in the case of one student-in fabric collages, they simple let their creative sides flow in class.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nowadays many use their smart phones to find images to paint from (inspiration) and in</span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">doing so follow that age old tradition of looking at work they admire and trying to emulate it.!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy the creativity...the fabric/lace embellished on is below!</span><span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-82194599665761459752015-03-19T07:26:00.000-04:002015-03-19T07:26:20.576-04:00Going to the dogs...artistically!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After finishing up 2 weekends...long weekends..... of shows, I found myself going to the dogs. On my easel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I already live with 5 dogs and with a background that once encompassed dog shows, dog training and pet boarding (with a 100 run kennel no less!) I find it as easy to return to a life with dogs as I do with horses :-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our pets occupy a special place in our hearts and it's easy to see why my collectors love to have portraits of these special families members created. And I have created hundreds...perhaps thousands, over the years! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At these last two shows I created Jack Russell Terriers and a Corgi puppy. Both are two of the most popular pups at the horse shows although I am seeing more and more mixed breeds-a nod to the efforts of dog and horse rescue groups that work hard and diligent to place their charges in the best homes possible! The "Tiny Urls" take you to my Etsy store where you can see these much larger!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All 3 are available as originals, for purchase :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going to the Dogs is a special place I think. When it comes to your canine companions, every day is a good day! And that is a nice place to be :-)</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-25231032273196584102015-03-13T07:08:00.000-04:002015-03-13T07:08:22.104-04:00Art studios, landscaping and chickens...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally! Warmer weather! My poor ponies have a sea of dried mud around their run-in shed that will again turn to mush with the upcoming expected rains but MAYBE there will be a week with no rain, snow or mix after that! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the renovation on the small studio is drawing to a foreseeable end...at least the walls are painted-white. I cannot bear the thought of anymore interior darkness! Hubby Steve is putting in the work counter...same height as a bar-that could be nice too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been doing some raking and semi-landscaping. What that really means is that there was wire along the edges of the pasture fence that the pretty vinca flower vines had grown through and covered so I have actually had to use a pick ax, short and long handled pruning clippers to get up...a lot of it. I guess I noticed it but then did nothing about it...just ran the lawnmower around that nice long clump of dark green vines with their purple summer violets. After I finally spent 2 days yanking, digging and chopping at it all, the wire is up....followed by curious chickens who went to work digging in dirt I had conveniently already "undug" for them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yxHp88mMwaI/VQLCyNRVNEI/AAAAAAAAzZM/Ub0-3mDB7lE/s1600/1-20130915_080925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yxHp88mMwaI/VQLCyNRVNEI/AAAAAAAAzZM/Ub0-3mDB7lE/s1600/1-20130915_080925.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are at a show right now so other than popping up an image of a recently completed and now shipped painting, I am off to make some sales today (always a good thought-heck it's the goal!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow my journey with me and see how I set up the inside of a 12 x 20 studio!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zues-16 x 16 pastel</td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-41291296897579549302015-02-25T08:40:00.001-05:002015-02-25T08:40:58.301-05:00Cabin in the Snow! The renovations continue!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://artsyjourneys.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-cabin-in-snow-art-studio-journey.html" style="font-stretch: normal;">A cabin in the snow! The art studio journey continues.</a></h3>
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<span style="color: #4b7aa9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">So here we are at the end of February 2015 and the "cold winter" predictions have come true!</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-935KmA32Mmo/VO3JUJhjVdI/AAAAAAAAzAA/kppihShRjHE/s1600/10801754_10204221508793036_1051687218505377672_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #4b7aa9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-935KmA32Mmo/VO3JUJhjVdI/AAAAAAAAzAA/kppihShRjHE/s1600/10801754_10204221508793036_1051687218505377672_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">Just one of a number this winter!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D4gHsJ3dcbE/VO3LO9clg1I/AAAAAAAAzAM/7u4THMbee_0/s1600/1655960_10202004718614667_384534120_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #4b7aa9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D4gHsJ3dcbE/VO3LO9clg1I/AAAAAAAAzAM/7u4THMbee_0/s1600/1655960_10202004718614667_384534120_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">Last winter collage and our cabin before renovations!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New England continues to dig out from yet another snowstorm...I think I read 7 feet of snow in 4 storms in 1 month! And we wait for a new system to come in tonight-one in which NO one seems to know what will happen (ice, sleet, little snow, lots of </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">snow?)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have purposefully kept our large art studio cooler since we don't want to burn through too much propane. That means I can move a lot of my silk work inside the house to my office. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a definite space advantage after the kids leave home!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IN my next post I'll share some of the silk projects I am doing but right now here are a few of the images of the progress we are making with our "Cabin in the Woods" which will actually be a smaller studio but still a cabin feel to it!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy our DIY efforts! (this post is an excerpt from my Artsy Journeys blog!)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVPSxs11OHs/VO3OFq_3T7I/AAAAAAAAzAY/a4WijVPHnuc/s1600/17889_10204420318803162_1140213197645100616_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #4b7aa9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVPSxs11OHs/VO3OFq_3T7I/AAAAAAAAzAY/a4WijVPHnuc/s1600/17889_10204420318803162_1140213197645100616_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">My artist hubby working late at night (with the help of a portable heater)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lp6EU4mbRd4/VO3OFtn8zpI/AAAAAAAAzAc/8GmwkuOvHcU/s1600/10615499_10204451362059224_5425780167420242380_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #4b7aa9; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lp6EU4mbRd4/VO3OFtn8zpI/AAAAAAAAzAc/8GmwkuOvHcU/s1600/10615499_10204451362059224_5425780167420242380_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">The mudding of the sheetrock is now DONE!<br /></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-83363147784850957832015-02-06T11:43:00.000-05:002015-02-06T11:43:40.791-05:00Grownups Art Camp May 9 from 10-3!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh my, the kids have loads of fun in one of our Art Camps! In our summer camps out here in the country our kids have a blast every summer! Last summer they got dirty, played outside, played games, ran through water streams from the hoses, created loads and loads of art, loved on the ponies and the dogs, picked blackberries, ran through the secret trails, collected eggs, climbed the trees and in general, just had kid fun.Take a look below!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few scenes from one of our summer art camps!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuQ-ZHFLm4s/VNTXXUOFgAI/AAAAAAAAxvk/RNUc8UkK7pA/s1600/SUmmer%2BArt%2BCAmp%2Bphotos8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuQ-ZHFLm4s/VNTXXUOFgAI/AAAAAAAAxvk/RNUc8UkK7pA/s1600/SUmmer%2BArt%2BCAmp%2Bphotos8.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But as the parents said, "Why should the kids have all the fun?" Yep-that's what we thought too!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we decided to have a 1 day "ArtEscape" camp just for the grownups on the Saturday before Mother's Day-<b>May 9 from 10:00-3:00.</b> No one under 21 simply because you can BYOB AND it's your adult summer/spring camp experience! It's only $45.00 per person-dress to mess, bring a sketch pad and a bagged lunch (with your favorite beverage) We supply all the rest! Oh and if you want to BYOB-feel free!</span><br />
<a href="http://artstudentacademy.com/Grown-Up-Artescapte.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">http://artstudentacademy.com/Grown-Up-Artescapte.html</span></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our second, little studio will be open and the new deck is perfect for the grownup kind of relaxation...so maybe you don't want to climb a tree, but the trails are fun, the roses will be in bloom and we'll work on several amazing indoor and outdoor art projects! </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PcIiFI8DBNk/VNTuMU3XXPI/AAAAAAAAxv8/YmaHj8m9-Ic/s1600/images%2Badult%2Bcamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PcIiFI8DBNk/VNTuMU3XXPI/AAAAAAAAxv8/YmaHj8m9-Ic/s1600/images%2Badult%2Bcamp.jpg" height="292" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://artstudentacademy.com/Grown-Up-Artescapte.html">http://artstudentacademy.com/Grown-Up-Artescapte.html</a></span><br />
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Don't miss out!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com02109 Old Mill Farm Road, Franklinton, NC 27525, USA36.127017 -78.52391799999998110.604982500000002 -119.83251199999998 61.6490515 -37.215323999999981tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-90763695771898251792015-01-28T12:41:00.002-05:002015-01-28T12:41:26.651-05:00Time Travel through client's portraits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have painted portraits for a long time now and in doing so, I watch my clients and their children grow up in front of me! I am always honored when they come back for new portraits of new family members and second and third generations!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One such example is </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "Will" age 3. A 24" x 36" oil. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fun part? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scroll down and see the new 30" x 40" oil of Will at age 16 that I will be delivering later this week! I love my job!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oil of Will. 24 x 36 by M Theresa Brown 1999</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Will" 30 x 40 oil by M Theresa Brown 2015<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-75946706179376480102015-01-20T07:56:00.000-05:002015-01-20T07:56:33.545-05:00Renovation Cabin and the Creative process<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Evening Painting classes that I am teaching at the local community college (Vance Granville) started Jan 12. Four newcomers came with no supplies but I managed to put oil pastels and paper to good use in an Op Art exercise that always inspires participants :-) So they were happy campers. With a break for MLK day, classes will resume Jan 27 with the everyone bringing paint and canvases!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is my Jan 14 post <b>Renovation Cabin and the Creative process </b>that got lost in the shuffle of slow Internet and things to do :-)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recent extreme cold has really slowed down the cabin renovations! It's hard to put up sheetrock when you can't feel your nose..BUT we managed to get the ceiling done with help from our son who was visiting (haha no one is coming by all of a sudden!) and the longest wall (the other side has cabinets)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TURcGsh9lCI/VLLCVNgYT1I/AAAAAAAAxhs/xvyRggaKAeY/s1600/Sm%2Bstudio%2Brenovations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #46949c; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TURcGsh9lCI/VLLCVNgYT1I/AAAAAAAAxhs/xvyRggaKAeY/s1600/Sm%2Bstudio%2Brenovations.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other side was just hubby and I with a little hep from our four egged friends who are always delighted to find their humans down at their level!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And today? Outside lights are going up before the rain and sleet come back in a day or so!</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-ZVlIbLRys/VLLg8VzMKMI/AAAAAAAAxiA/1I02rRGuALs/s1600/1939524_10204068791095189_3696288096246835836_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: right; color: #46949c; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-ZVlIbLRys/VLLg8VzMKMI/AAAAAAAAxiA/1I02rRGuALs/s1600/1939524_10204068791095189_3696288096246835836_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">sheetrock the longest wall-done!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-633iWsOCPy4/VLLg8UITDoI/AAAAAAAAxh8/I8Hnq_QjxI4/s1600/10898197_10204068790735180_2646946569426308939_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #3da56e; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-633iWsOCPy4/VLLg8UITDoI/AAAAAAAAxh8/I8Hnq_QjxI4/s1600/10898197_10204068790735180_2646946569426308939_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Getting some help</span></td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-7236189178206705432014-12-28T11:39:00.000-05:002014-12-28T11:39:32.428-05:00Making my Studio Cabin happen!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow-the deadline of Christmas is past and I can breathe again...just for awhile as not everyone had a Dec 25 deadline :-) I am always delighted to hear responses our clients heard when they gave a gift of a painting or portrait!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've been following my "Small Studio Cabin" odyssey then below is an update from my <a href="http://www.artsyjourneys.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">"artsyJourneys" blog </a> which is the same post but here :-) Next post will be some of the Christmas paintings I created that I can now share. </span></div>
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Making my "Cabin in the Woods" happen!</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In less than 3 short weeks, my "cabin in the woods"project-the smaller art studio-has seen a some changes. Once I committed to the idea and stopped waffling, things began to happen!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, because the only convenient place originally to set the 12 x 20 shed down was at the </span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;">renovations in progress!<br /><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">edge of our dirt/gravel driveway, I knew I had to make another entrance opening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also needed more light-a door at the north end or bigger windows!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bringing in a re-modeler friend who happened to have a spare 6 ft. sliding door, he and his crew made short work of the 10 x 16' deck and door installation!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hired the neighbor's son to dig the "trench" to lay electrical wire. Our big studio is on a separate meter so it seemed logical to pull power from that. Brent had a lot of help from one of our chickens the afternoon he dug it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chickens are fascinated by any "scratching" in the earth.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHy2sKAorL4/VJ6t5A9610I/AAAAAAAAxLk/As8AgFVLg5g/s1600/10858484_10203925253586841_48638095854041444_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #3da56e; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xHy2sKAorL4/VJ6t5A9610I/AAAAAAAAxLk/As8AgFVLg5g/s1600/10858484_10203925253586841_48638095854041444_n.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Digging the trench from the big studio</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Our remodeler came out the next day and he and hubby hooked up the power to the small studio and I was in business so to speak! Even the simple ability to turn on lights was inspiring :-)</span><br style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">The changes have been fabulous! Below is from just the day after Christmas when my youngest son and hubby (artist Stephen Filarsky) installed the sheetrock on the ceiling (the hardest part of sheetrocking!) as part of my Christmas present! It's already looking bigger and brighter!</span></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"></span><span style="background-color: #3dc67e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I'll add a small stoop to the door side-I might just close it off but in the summer I know an amazing crossbreeze can come through there so...still thinking!</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">In the meantime, my "Cabin in the Woods" is coming to life!</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: center;">
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973365708646710296.post-65505574150051392762014-12-06T18:10:00.000-05:002014-12-06T18:12:36.799-05:00Creating my Cabin in the Woods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.artsyjourneys.blogspot.com/2014/12/finding-my-cabin-in-woods.html" style="color: #7e3dc6; font-stretch: normal; text-decoration: none;">Creating My cabin in the Woods</a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Finding a spot to create. It seems to be a quest of writers, artists and musicians. Often it's a quest. Maybe that's a good word for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I spend more and more time thinking about it-a cabin in the woods. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I'm not sure why that dreaded "If only...." phrase has kept popping up in my mind but it has me daydreaming of a place to relax, unwind, meditate, recharge-every adjective that an artist needs in order to justify her creativity! Silly. I have a studio that is the envy of most artists. We built it 18 years ago from parts of a 1910 home being torn down in the area. It's 24 x 30 feet in size with 10 foot ceilings, beautiful reclaimed pine flooring, the old windows-it is stunning! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> And I know this! But in reality it is crowded! Oh it started off with SO much space but with 2 working artists that changed quickly</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Even the shed we added behind it turned into a storage area. Oh and we have a woodworking shop..the downstairs filled with tools and the upstairs filled with things we are storing but do not need. (easy with 4 grown kids who move around)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZwyZpWUT6o/VIBq753MIXI/AAAAAAAAwXo/XE-7tXw1Op0/s1600/studio2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #46949c; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZwyZpWUT6o/VIBq753MIXI/AAAAAAAAwXo/XE-7tXw1Op0/s1600/studio2.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;">At the beginning.......:-)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">And we have grown rose clippings from abandoned homesteads and they have grown and matured into a profusion of cascading color enjoyed by painters every spring...so WHY was I searching?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;">Seven Sisters roses cascading down the tobacco stick fence</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;">Red Seven Sisters brought by mother as a cutting from her family homestead in Mississippi.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">What am I looking for?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I lean towards mountain properties- a throwback I am sure of my New England upbringing where we lived in an 18th century farmhouse on 50 acre farm in upstate New York (next to MA and VT) and had unfettered run, on foot, skis and horses, of the mature forests and surrounding streams, farmland and towns. Our freedom included the glorious huge beamed barn with its many outbuildings and the secret hideaways within them all. Ah, such memories!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">In my mind, my cabin retreat has to have a stream, mature trees...and of course-a small cabin. Again, I recognize this from childhood memories of running through abandoned farm fields and discovering, in the dark recesses of hemlocks and maples that bordered all the forgotten fields, streams that cascaded down rocks into small pools of cold, pristine water. It was all very magical to a child of ten and I clearly recall the details of discovering Jack in the Pulpits, ripples in the water pools, crawdads under the stones, floating maple leaves and the cool tang of the hemlocks. And other than the delighted sounds of discovery by my twin sister and younger brother, the only other sounds were that of the waterfall. The sound of gurgling water can quickly transport me to that spot anytime I hear it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>And on a bittersweet, yet telling note, the last family vacation I had with my twin sister was in the NC mountains. Eileen and I were 28 and I had 3 children, the youngest just 4 months old and a too busy life and business when our parents rented a little summer house for us to have a vacation in for our upcoming 29th birthdays :-). It sat in a valley with a little stream in front of the house. My 6 and 3 year old played for hours on end at the edge of the shallow gurgling water, building and rebuilding little stone houses. There had been no TV, no phone and we had sat on the front porch at night counting stars and waiting for the shooting ones. I had purposely left my guitar at home and brought my new hammered dulcimer. So our evening musical entertainment was the singular sounds of the dulcimer chords.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b>With my youngest in a backpack (or my mother staying and watching him) we explored caves, pastures, mountains, abandoned farms. We had bought Audubon books and learned the names of the wildflowers we were discovering. The children were at that age where everything held wonder and my parents and sister enjoyed sharing all the wonders with them. Something as simple as watermelon seed spitting contests and watching frogs hop held them in rapture. It was a good summer and even better memories. A year later my twin was gone and all that was left us were the memories.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-86gVjL2vEjY/VID87kWGdLI/AAAAAAAAwZo/h1FpVjqjTmo/s1600/611c79507f8df2df6d571f0c505ad2d5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #46949c; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-86gVjL2vEjY/VID87kWGdLI/AAAAAAAAwZo/h1FpVjqjTmo/s1600/611c79507f8df2df6d571f0c505ad2d5.jpg" height="320" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="231" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">So I sort of know WHY I am looking....maybe it's that I am searching for a bit of those memories I have just described. The point was I had a sort of an epiphany the other day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">After spending inordinate amounts of time on Craigslist, looking at properties that I could not afford, or cheap ones simply too far away (there IS a practical side to me!) and .....daydreaming, wasting an awful lot of time.... I shook myself clear of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I already have a small "cabin". I am on a couple of acres of land. I have mature trees. I have deer and wildlife. I have a stone fountain I bought used 3 years ago and never used....hey, I can MAKE my own cabin in the woods and do it right here!</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ1xEglzZNU/VID97oCWMBI/AAAAAAAAwZ0/vpGAWh5JaYI/s1600/20130829_103533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #46949c; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JZ1xEglzZNU/VID97oCWMBI/AAAAAAAAwZ0/vpGAWh5JaYI/s1600/20130829_103533.jpg" height="240" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Bought from a friend whose mother had used it first as a pottery studio, then as storage (of course!) it was simply too good an opportunity to pass up!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">So $250.00 moving fee later, the 12 x 20 building is finally deposited between our house, studio and pasture. It isn't very lovely but it was insulated, wired and covered inside with many grungy shelves and a linoleum floor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">We are on 2.5 acres but the back is heavily wooded and alas...there was no way to get the whole shebang to the back area.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">At first the changes I did were cosmetic: cleaning the sides, painting the door and trim, replacing the screen door with a vintage door......then I cleaned and painted the grungy insides shelves, thinking of paneling or sheetrock but not getting beyond that. Amazing what a little paint can do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">But within a few months we were storing frames and paintings in it, stymied by the cost of running electric to the inside panel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEo0a2ZoOxQ/VIEAZWl3QSI/AAAAAAAAwaA/s4MR7JzikwI/s1600/20130909_154450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #46949c; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEo0a2ZoOxQ/VIEAZWl3QSI/AAAAAAAAwaA/s4MR7JzikwI/s1600/20130909_154450.jpg" height="320" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">And then the epiphany happened and I made a decision-yep-just like that-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">The frames and artwork can go where they belong-into the 8 x 16 ft cargo trailer used just for that purpose. I'll enlist the help of some friends who can make a few things happen....for starters, I want a sliding door off the other end...this one door opens into the driveway-and cannot be a major entrance easily. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">So I reasoned that if I bought property with a similar building on it, I would be facing the same economic and design challenges anyway so....what the heck!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">So now I have my brain in gear...how to heat? Maybe a propane fireplace? Small woodstove? Must think this through but so many shelves are a bonus to help move my craft and silk work out of the main studio and into a smaller one.....let's see-add a small deck out the side where the sliding door would be, take that long unused stone waterfall..... are you feeling it now? :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">What WILL the free range chickens think!? Stay tuned for what starts to happen next!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NECYS1IsoOU/VIEDaYc-hCI/AAAAAAAAwaM/CLk_ljcppiY/s1600/1-20130915_080925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #46949c; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NECYS1IsoOU/VIEDaYc-hCI/AAAAAAAAwaM/CLk_ljcppiY/s1600/1-20130915_080925.jpg" height="240" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Come into My Art Studio and visit! "Life is Good!"</div>M Theresa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863146743371791303noreply@blogger.com0