Long Time No Blog

It's been FOREVER!  A lot has happened since May so I'll update in list format:

*     My weight has stayed stable.  I've given up my powerlifting aspirations for now due to laziness and injury...mostly injury.  I recently dislocated/jolted my left shoulder/arm so that has to heal before I even think about whether or not I'll pursue powerlifting seriously again.

*     I am going to be in the Rosewood Arts Festival (yay!).  I'm still prepping my work.  Stay tuned for updates.

*     Dark Soul's Flight finally got framed!  I'm entering it into the SC State Fair this year (professional division).  She's beautiful too :-).

*     I am now teaching acrylic painting classes locally.  Here are pictures from my very first class:

 The demo (left) and my piece (right).  I deviated a little bit because if you're going to do color...do color!  Also clouds are loads of fun.  Seriously.  They really are.

 One of the attendees...she surprised herself!

The class portrait.  Just half as some had left already and some weren't confident in their piece (although everyone's ended up looking great!)

I call this a very successful first class!

*     I picked up a part time job as an education coordinator at a local arts and crafts store.  My job is to hire/train instructors primarily but also includes other store f unctions such as cashiering, stocking, and creating displays.  PLUS I get a great employee discount.  Dream. Part-Time. Job.

This is about the gist of it.  I'm busy prepping for the arts festival...10 MORE DAYS! Yikes!

I'll try to update more often.  Lots of stuff happen in absentia, no?

My Various Interests Converge...

Okay, so my ultimate goal is to compete in a powerlifting meet in the 148 pound weight class.  I am much closer to meeting that goal than I anticipated.

Wednesday, April 30th lifts in SQUATS:

1 set of 12 @ 45
1 set of 10 @ 45
1 set of 10 @ 55
2 sets of 10 @ 75
1 set of 4 @ 95

Today was an off day for benching.  My shoulder was just too gimpy.  I couldn't even do a simple lat press.

Oh, well.

Progress!  Oh, yes, how far I've come from when I first started working out in October until now.  SIX WHOLE MONTHS.  My girls are freaking out saying that I'm trying to be a "fashionista."  No...can't blame me for wanting to look nice sometimes.  Usually I prefer sneakers and sweats, even now as I'd rather be comfortable than turn heads but I change it up every so often.  Those squats are doing a body right though!  Give or take five pounds, I am at a satisfactory weight.

I did eat strawberry ice cream and marble coconut cake this entire weekend though for my baby's birthday but an off day or two shouldn't hurt considering.  It really wasn't all that great...I kept waiting for the sugar high that never came and left me feeling jilted and wishing I hadn't indulged in the first place.

Study for Symphony 5"x5"

So May 1st was the Opening of a local art exhibition called "Smaller Beckons" at Tapp's Arts Center in Columbia, SC.  All pieces of work in this exhibit have to be 12" x 12" or smaller.  I had 3 pieces chosen for inclusion (yay!), my more recent black and white oil painting studies, and a piece completed last year that was included in a similar show at the Columbia Museum of Art (ONEx100).  It was a great opening night.  I'm glad I took my pictures early because it was standing room only just an hour or so in. 

Saturday, May 3rd, was National Free Comic Book Day!  Yay!  Yes, I love comics btw.  That's how I first learned how to draw people from the book, How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way.  One of my favorite artists these days is Siya Oum.  I give her support for being a female comic book artist in a male dominated field and for being such a great inspiration to my daughter.  My daughter loves to draw and any female artistic inspiration I can give her (other than myself), I welcome wholeheartedly.  Here she is waiting for her sketch from the artists who were at the comic book store.  The kids were surprised when I told them of my love for comics.  Sure they've seen me read them but they had no idea I grew up drawing my favorite Marvel heroes (very well too).  I'm more geared towards fine art but I still dabble in comics here and there.

It was a busy past couple of days but well worth it all!

Another Art Study

Before I go crazy in kitty land I decided to do one more oil study for a larger piece I am considering in charcoal.  The name of this piece is Symphony.  I have a coming of age story in mind revolving around a young character named Symphony as well so the two would be in tandem.

I chose a slightly different approach with this piece.  I am using water mixable oils, mostly for convenience purposes as I don't have the facilities for the chemicals/smells involved with traditional oils.  These still are technically oil colors they just have an additional option.  The previous study was done with just water.  The paint was hard for me to manipulate and control.

Then I remembered that I have oil painting mediums that can make my life much easier.  I dug them out a played a little bit. and the results were dramatically different.  I also changed my approach.  I did an acrylic underpainting in umber which still shows through in some places.  This is fine...it's only a study.

I tried to take progress pictures of each step.  First there's the drawing.  Some argue that pencil should not be used, perhaps charcoal or even paint but not pencil.  I don't know their rationale for that and when I studied with a portrait painter in my youth I did everything in charcoal but these are tiny.  I'll worry about archival issues when they arise.

The second step was the acrylic underpainting to help me establish the lights and darks.  The third step is when white is added to the piece.  I was taught to fill in the the piece with the middle tone and background first but this was tiny so I figured altering my usual approach couldn't hurt.

The fourth piece shows the final results.  It's much smoother and more refined than the other piece as the oil painting medium gave me more control.  Obviously I deviated a bit from the sketch but I have to do what "moves" me.  It's only a study, after all so might as well play!

Switching Gears...

This is an oil painting study I worked on last night.  It is on canvas and is ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5").  Pretty darn small.  I can't seem to get as much detail with oils as I can with watercolor  and ink but I'm happy with the results .  I made some changes when I got home from work that I am happier with.

It is only a study and not a finished piece after all. I am NOT an oil painter.  I prefer mixed media working primarily with charcoal, watercolor and gouache so this is a serious deviation for me.  I really just felt like messing with the oils last night though.  I personally do not want a refined look to my art any more these days.  I think I did so much of that anal retentive nitpicking in my younger years, I just want to be free and just draw these days.

I have an idea for another painting...I'm going to do several thumbnails today and see what I can get done tonight.  A show is coming up locally in which all of the pieces have to be 12 inches or smaller.  I participated in a similar show last year at the Columbia Museum of Art that opened on my birthday (woohoo!).  This one opens on May 1st and I have to have my pieces sent for approval by April 26th.  I'm cutting it thin but I only have one piece that is ready to hang.  The rest are unframed/matted and I won't be able to get that done before May 1st.  Before leaving home this morning I gessoed a 5" x 5" wood panel so I can be ready to go when I get home.

Fitness wise?  I'm hurting but in a good way.  Apparently I can do my chin-ups with more ease and less rest in between.  2 sets of 5 chin-ups every workout day (including leg day).  By the time I get to the 5th I'm a little beat but hey, progress.  I thought I had accomplished something until my husband kindly reminded me that I wasn't actually doing pull-ups but chin-ups.  Pull-ups, the real ones are a completely different animal.  The difference is in the hand position.  Chin-ups are underhand which uses more biceps and arms while the pull-ups are overhand which puts your back to work a little more.  I managed to hold myself for 5 seconds before I just couldn't any more.  A far cry from the 70 second hold that marine women have to do.  So my new goal is to do real pull-ups and not pull-up lookalikes now.  My next goal for chin-ups is to do them without touching the floor.  Baby steps of course.

New Year, Time to Rev it Up!

So, for January 2014, here are my stats:

Height: 5'3
Weight: 159.9 lbs
Body Fat Percentage: no idea
Muscle Percentage: no idea
BMI: 28.3
Waist (at belly button): 32 in. (down from 34.5)
Waist (bellow belly button, aka, my pooch): 34 inches (down from 35.7)
Hips: 42.5 in.
Chest: 35 in.
Thighs: 24 in.
Arms: 11.5 in.

Obviously this is not my ideal but it is better than weighing 167 pounds at my heaviest.  I have to step it up.  I suffered from some chest wall inflammation just a few weeks ago and have recently finished my course of anti-inflammatory meds and will be going back to the doctor soon.  In the meantime I have been ordered to take it easy with the weight training and cardio.  I feel so much better now but will obey until I get the official okay.

My goal weight I have readjusted once again for 150 lbs...I'd take 152 or 153 though.  My goal waist would be what it was prior to having children 28 inches but I know that isn't realistic.  I'd take 30 at the waist and 32 at the pooch.  Hips can stay where they are.  I like hips.  Chest can stay where it is although I know it will shrink (sigh). 

Since my exercise has been restricted I have done other things in the meantime. My goal was to have my legs back.  I kind of let myself go in that I gained weight, developed cankles, and was unhappy with my tree trunk legs in sandals.  To add to the misery I developed Baker's cysts on the back of both of my knees.  I missed my svelt and lithe dancer legs of my youth.  Well now I have them back!  Well almost.  I still have the Baker's cysts which kind of spoil my overall look but from what I have read since mine aren't painful (any more) they would probably just go away on their own over time.


Well, how did I do it?  I used the Awesome Legs Workout on the T-Tapp website!  1 week, every day.  It works!  I didn't even notice until I looked last night.  I had ankles! And that beautiful line up my calf.  I tried on some heels and swooned.  Just gorgeous.  Now how vain am I?  I love beautiful legs, what can I say.  I don't know if I lost any inches but let's just say my thighs don't converse any more.  I lost my favorite pair of jeans to their heated conversations.


That is all for now.  I guess in all the hoopla of fitness and contemplating, my crafting has been abandoned somewhat.  Well not to worry, I am still very much crafting.  I am currently working on a motif bolero and some ACEO cats.  I draw a bit too.  I have gallery work and my more commercial work (to fund my gallery work.  Here are some of my kitties I sell on Ebay from time to time.

Emma

Fox

In Her Sights

Lost In Thought

Sweet Girl

Wide Eyed Wonder

Lounging Around

What's Going On?

Halloween was awesome!  Sorry no pictures...we went store diving.  Many of the stores in the area like Publix even Marshall's had Halloween crawls.  Then we ran out of gas!  Yes, in the middle of a busy thoroughfare the car sputtered and died roughly a mile or so away from the nearest gas station.  It had been rainy but the rain gods had smiled upon my husband and he made the trek rainfree and dry.  I put on the flashers, told the kids to be quiet more than a few times and got cramps in my fingers from crossing them after near hits from the drivers attempting to turn into the businesses (mostly restaurants) in which our van was conveniently blocking.  Now how about when my hubby was just crossing the street with the gas can a cop car finally pulls up behind us?  Nice timing, LPD!  Nearly thirty minutes of constant swaying between speeding cars and you finally decide to come and make sure no one hits us!  Our gas hand had been going up and down all week confusing us as to how much gas we had in the car.  Now we have a pretty good idea...hubby's gotta get the floater fixed.

Well, after that debacle we went back to our neighborhood, my husband entirely too pooped to contemplate any more store diving.  We gave out candy.  My kids enjoy this because they get to jibber jabber with all of their friends, give out candy and wear their costumes.  No complaints about not doing the "real thing" because they were having just too good of a time.  Thank goodness.

Fitness-wise...I pulled or sprained something in my right oblique/lat area this morning.  My husband wanted to rest more so he didn't go with me leaving me to my own devices.  Well, I'm extremely motivated and really pushed myself.  Apparently too much, as it were.  I did go to town with the side bends and I even added the captain's chair as my core is getting much stronger!  I didn't feel pain until I got on the row machine.  I made it through my reps but did feel pain.  I took a longish break and went on to the tricep machine (you sit and pull the handles up to work the triceps).  I didn't make it too far on that.  My side hurt entirely too much.  So then I went and cooled down on the elliptical. 

It wasn't until I got to work that I realized I might have an issue.  My side ached to the point of pain.  After an hour I got a bit more concerned.  Around 11 I was really concerned because the pain turned into a burn prompting a call to my husband.

"Sounds like you might have a minor pull.  Did you do proper form?"  I grumbled about him not coming with me to make sure I did things right but he didn't want to hear that.  He berated me for not paying more attention to my body and not trying to cram everything in.  Well maybe I did try to cram everything in to the point I cannot identify what exactly caused me to pull it.  It hurts.  Aleve be damned and the pain relieving wrap be damned!  I am in a great deal of pain still so obviously I did something that is going to prevent me from working out.

I went by the local school district office to view my daughter's artwork there.   She had been bugging me all week to remember and today was the last day.  So after the gym I went over there (grumbling about the traffic all the way). 

My budding young artist and her watercolor Charleston-style house!  She doesn't like the picture but she guesses "it will do" (her words).  She's been in the state fair and the local art museum also.

I'm knitting hats!  I got some books from the library and I am presently making a beanie from Chic Knits for Young Chicks.  Updates to come!  I need to get something done for Nanowrimo...I haven't written a word on my novel yet.