Chics & Hens

May 29th

This month sure seems to have flown by and so did the long holiday weekend. Here is a list of things I planned on doing that I never around to.
* Creating a new banner for this blog to give it a much needed in my opinion face lift.
* Sew a new side tote bag for the times we go hiking and do photo shoots...always way too much to carry in just the camera bag.
* Create a new playlist of music for this blog...I listen to my playlists all of the time, without doubt more than any of you have listened to it lol I open my blog and listen while I get ready for work.
* Finish up a few pieces of art I started last week.
While the weekend offered a bit of extra time without work, it seemed to just go by so fast and I had so many other have to's to do but I am determined that in the next week these things will get done if it kills me!
I am so thankful for the friends I have here on BlogSpot. For the sharing of minds, ideas and personal art journey's...you are all so inspiring to me and I enjoy you!
Been doing a lot of learning and practicing in Photoshop. I truely LOVE Adobe and particularly Photoshop! The possibilities are endless and you can never know everything there is to know about this program! I have learned about 10 new things in the last week! really wanting to up the bar in props for images and technique. More to come on that later!
I took this image yesterday after planing some chics and hens a friend gave me! Thanks I love them! Hope you all have a great week! Feels like Monday today! Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday :)

  This was just some playing in Photoshop..

I would love to say I have this amazing growing and planting secret garden of a space but the truth is I am very limited in my ability to do with a very small front yard and patio in front of my apartment..I dream of one day having my own yard and studio...and when and if I ever do...rest assured I will have my own secret garden...

We all must DREAM a little bit!

Stoked!

Here is a link to the Central Michigan Spring Edition of "temenos" a literary journal that I submitted work to a few months back in hopes of getting a few things published! I am so happy and honored to say they chose five pieces of my work to publish and used one of them as the cover! Very cool. You can download a PDF free version if you are interested! Very cool...

http://temenosjournal.com/index.html

New.

New

Catching up!

Well it has been a very busy week..and I could not be happier that the holiday weekend is here. So very full of gratitude for all of the past and present vets and soldiers who have served and are serving. The sacrifices they make are inconceivable to most of us...so first and foremost THANK YOU..to all of them.

I have not had a chance to really post much over the last week so I am going to give you a random bunch of photos from the week! Starting with Eastern Farmer's Market that Don, myself and the kids visited last week. It was insane downtown Detroit for what is known as Flower Day there...there seriously had to be 5,000 people down there...was not thrilled that I picked up a nail in one of my four 80,000 mile tires while there, but it is what it is the tire is replaced and I'd just like to say to most people who have no idea about Detroit other than what they hear on the news. I am a Detroiter, always have been always will be. I LOVE this city. There is good and bad no matter where you go and if you don't believe that just watch a few hours of Investigative ID ..lol  

Don and I love downtown...we love the art, the architecture that is ...unbelievably beautiful and full of history, the history of this city is so rich and colorful...and yes the people. In most parts....Farmers Eastern Market located in downtown Detroit is one of many of our favorite spots...street venders, farmers selling their products, artisans, musicians playing in the streets, people dancing, eating, grilling and just having a great time. Full of culture, and inspiring to me...we love to just go down there and stroll...take photos and have a bite to eat. We also love to walk through carnivals! Love this time of year because of all of the carnivals. Don and I share something in common while we both love roller coasters, neither of us can ride carnival rides....the spinning is just too much for both of us...but we do love the lights, the colors, the smiles on kids faces, the games and animals, the cotton candy and candy apples ( thought we didn't touch them and wont be with our lifestyle change and diets which are going wonderfully by the way!) we do enjoy seeing them however and taking a few images so there are a few I will be posting from one we strolled through last night....and some art I'm currently working on. Still trying to get use to oil pastels and having a blast doing so.

Thank you to all of the people who have sent emails and comments about how I should sell some art. I have tried my hand at an esty account but have only gone so far as to create an account. I have only sold a few works of art I've ever made and guess I just did not know or believe my work was worthy enough to do so....and sometimes the works that people say they would buy, I think are terrible lol That may be something I embark upon later this summer...wish I had someone backing me with that because it takes money to make money...you have to have the ability to pay for high quality prints and package them nicely...postage and all of that good stuff so I guess some research into those types of things will be in the works for me. any feedback, suggestions or tips on that aspect of selling prints and art on etsy would be wonderful because I really have no clue!

And so here are some images from the week...some very random kind of shots of things that just inspired me or made me smile...hope you enjoy and thank you so much for stopping by....this place is due for a facelift here soon....possibly some this weekend..

I love the sound of drums, and love the way you could hear these African beats from blocks away!

I really love this image..I love the mysteriousness of her headdress..and love her jewelry!

Belly Dancers in the streets..

So much culture in the city..I find it fascinating and love the color!

A balloon hit these power lines and the lines were jumping and sparking..people began to panic and run..

LOVE this guys shirt...lol

Wish I had caught the name of the artist who creates these lovely bird houses and sells them...she is there every yr.

Super cute way to recycle an old chair in the garden!

Sinnful! }:)

Coolest garbage can EVER!

Love this image!

I have incredible luck at these carnival games...made for happy girls when my kids were little! :)

Hoping to complete her at some point this weekend....she was started at 1:00am and I'm pleased so far..

Oil Pastels

Been trying to teach myself how to use oil pastels. Looking forward to the weekend I have so much to post and share with you all. I hope your week is going well! Here are two images of my practicing attempts. Attempt 3 and Attempt 5...getting more comfortable with them every time I pick them up and looking forward to incorporating them more so into many of my projects!

The Forest is Filled With Magical Things...

Today we got up...packed a bad with veggie wraps, bottled water, diced pineapple, raisins and oranges and we headed out to Stoney Creek Metro Park. On this healthy mission of ours..we decided that this time we would take the harder, longer nature trail & folks..while I survived & am able to live to tell the story...I'm not gonna lie...I thought I might flat-line about 900 times. LOL It was hot..& long..and very rough territory...the trails start out paved but quickly turns into up and down hill gravel & once you get very deep into the forest..magical things begin to happen...We did 3 miles of this nature exploration..met some little friends along away...frogs, deer, crickets, butterflies...all sorts of wonders that you don't see living near the city as we do..more & more I dislike being here. When I lived in the country...I yearned for the city and living in the city just drives me in my free time to anywhere I can find to go in the country...Here are some photos from our day. Both of us are sunburned it was very hot in the later afternoon sun..& my legs are pretty sore but it was worth every second of it!!

This is where our journey into the forest began...

I try to take in even the smallest of beauties in nature...I find them fascinating

Such a beautiful area..we were shocked how many trees had been taken down from the storms.

I love the design and colors on them..so inspiring!

MY..what big teeth you have..just sayin' ;)

Love water reflections..

Another one...their everywhere!

Magic mushrooms..Don tried one and now has a fox tail if anyone knows how to fix that contact me lol ;)

Shocked to learn that this area is a breeding ground for rattle snakes!

Not real sure what this is but loved its shape and perfection!

Termites...destructive!

Was inspired by the various natural arches there seemed to be in various parts of the forest..

Another natural arch..it makes you feel like you are entering something mystical! :)

More mushrooms!

Inviting that stump is when you are tired and hot..though the forest can play tricks...all around it is poison ivy..

Can't leave well enough alone..just had to see how it would look if all the trees were red like on Planet Claire ;)

Really like this photo for some reason..

This one too...not sure why

Kept seeing these types of leafs all throughout the trail..their very pretty actually!

This was perhaps 3/4's though the 2.5 miles where I thought I was going to flat-line LOL

Look close..do you see what I see...I would have not been very happy if I had stepped on these sneaky hidden creatures!

"I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it "
(The Color Purple)
I notice it every time...

Cool birdhouse..though I wish it were another color or painted cool..may have to make one soon!

Our new friend..he hung out with us for our entire lunch break and what a cool little guy..he posed for me all the while!

Haha...so cool right!?

Looks like a gummy bear he is eating..he didn't want the fruit we tried to give him lol