Not a Creature was Stirring "EXCEPT FOR THE MOUSE"

Except for the Mouse

There is nothing like the chill that comes to the morning air in October.  I'm thankful that I have once again survived another hot summer of oppressive heat of the Mojave desert and blessed with a feeling of  renewed energy and creativity.

As an artist, I really should be working on my Christmas ideas in July but that is just so hard to do when all you're trying to do is to stay cool.  So here it is in October and I'm feeling the pressure of getting my Holiday designs down on paper.  My goal is to have four or five unique sketches created by the end of this week.  I have these two so far.

With both of these designs were so much fun to draw.  I found myself smiling most of the day as I added in the details of these furry little decorators.  

All day the words to the famous Christmas poem by Clement Clarke Moore, "Twas the Night Before Christmas, when all through the house.  Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse" kept rolling around in my head. The difference was that I would change the last phrase to "Except for the Mice".

Decorating Committee

These little guys are hard at work putting on the final touches of the decorations and you can see just how hard they must work to get the ornaments hung just right on the tree and this beautiful wreath so it can be hung on the door to welcome with cheer everyone that visits.  So I'm calling these "Except for the Mouse" and " Decorating Committee".

If you would like to check out more of my work, please feel free to visit my website.  I work hard trying to keep it updated with my new pieces but sometimes that is a challenge when you draw and paint as much as I do.  Here is the Link: JulieTownsendStudio.com

I've Got a Fever- GARNET FEVER

Yesterday's Artistic Journal Entry- My Husband Digging For Garnets

I have often heard of the term "Gold Fever" referring to those men who sold everything, abandoned their families and their way of life back east to cross the rugged deserts, mountains and prairies just with the dream to strike it rich.  Very few did but that didn't seem to sway them from coming.  Nevada's very beginnings are steeped deep in the lure of riches that lie just below the surface.

Well, yesterday we were those driven individuals, picking and shoveling at the rocky hillside in search of the treasure that was surely there just below the surface.  Withstanding the blazing sun and temperatures reaching close to 95 degrees and yet there we were seeking a specific treasure.  We were hunting garnets at Garnet Hill Recreation Area just outside Ely, Nevada.  I can honestly say to you that I have wanted to come here for years and do just that.  

There was nothing else on my mind, eyes focused on the ground under my feet, looking for that unmistakable sparkle that was the tail tell sign of the gemstone that was there within my reach.  My husband digging and chipping away at the rocks with his shovel, pick and classifier.  It took us a short time to get our strategy in line and figure out just where the best place was to look.  And of course you would know that the best place for him was a steep climb up the hill, on loose limestone and for me, who is a person that you could call coordination challenged, the walking around was stressful.  Not to mention the sun beating down on me and that darn oppressive Nevada heat.  When I suggested that I had had about enough and that we head back to town and that amazing invention of air conditioning that awaited us in our travel camper, I was greeted with his unwelcomed reply, "Just a little longer."  I stared at this stranger that had the appearance of my husband of 37 years but It was as if he had been possessed by some strange garnet demon that required he keep looking for that "REALLY BIG ONE" that was surely in the next shovel full.  For a moment I was sure I saw his head spin around and his eyes flash purple but that was probably more the result of my overheated, dehydrated state.

We Cheated and Purchased This One

Of course I'm exaggerating this a bit.  We both had a great time and can't wait to return soon and continue our search.  We found about a dozen small specimens that we have floating in an old water bottle.  The largest garnet was the one I found, not at Garnet Hill, but rather at the Garnet Mercantile in the old downtown of Ely, Nevada.  I hope we find one this beautiful, but $10 seemed a small price to pay to have such a beautiful little treasure.

Looking back on the day as I was recording our experience in my artistic journal,  I was blessed with the realization that the real treasure was being together and enjoying the beauty that surrounded us.

The view from our digging spot.  That is the large cooper mine in the distance

Gonna Sparkle Like the the Las Vegas Strip

I love jewelry!  I'm crazy about it.  My daughters will bear witness that if you take me to the mall the first and only place I head is to the jewelry department at JC Pennys to look at their clearance racks.  I used to go to the bookstore too but that store has been gone from the mall for years so it's just me among the red tags.

I love wearing jewelry and sometimes even making it. I even took a silversmith class for a short time.  I also am a bit of a rock hound (you only have to see my front yard to know that I have a pretty extensive rock collection). I could look at polished rocks and gemstone, cabochons for hours. So last night night I drew this sketch of some beautiful jewelry pieces using pen and ink and colored pencil.  The technique is rather easy but the results are stunning.  I just love it. What a perfect thing for me to sketch and believe me I had fun doing it.  

As often is my habit, I had to write a little poem to go along with my artwork.  I think it sums up my feeling about jewelry pretty well.  If you enjoy this than remember that I have a whole lot of poems and a more artwork than you can shake a stick at on my website at Julie Townsend Studio.com.  I invite you to stop in and browse a bit and then leave me a message about what you think.  I would love to hear from you.

You’re Never Too Old to Sparkle

By

Julie Townsend

When your hair is grey and getting thin

And your body hangs a bit saggy in your skin

Just grab up some sparkle, glam and bling

I’m telling you it’s just the thing

To put a skip in your step

And give you some pep

Gold, silver, copper or brass

All of them will make you look first class

Jewelry boxes are such marvelous things

Brooches, pendants, bracelets, bangles and rings

You want them blinded by your glitter

Doesn’t matter if it’s real or a counterfeiter

Just load up those fingers, neck, arms and ears

The brighter the glow the less they will be able to guess your years

A Chip off the Old Block

Titling this post a CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK is probably not as accurate as referring to it as a SLICE OFF THE OLD LOG but I thought it made a catchier title for today's blog post.  I actually picked up this slice of wood at a local art and craft supply store a number of months ago and it has been lying around my studio ever since.  My initial thought was to try my hand at some wood burning or what they call pyrography but hadn't yet taken the time to seriously get that project started.  I opened it up several days ago and have had this blank raw slice of wood sitting on my easel just crying for me to do something with it.  

Monday of this week turned out to be a perfect day to spend some extended time in the studio.  My initial intention was to paint several cowbells but as I walked in I had the strong urge to paint something on that slice of wood.  I selected a reference photo for inspiration and about an hour later this is the results.

I did find it a bit of a challenge to blend the acrylic paints on a surface that is soaking up the moisture so quickly but after several coats I was able to get the blended effect that I was looking for and am happy with the ending result. This was my first attempt at painting a landscape on a piece of wood but I don't think it will be my last. It was a easy composition and yet I feel it turned out rather striking.  I am especially pleased with how the light draws you into the center of composition, while in such a small area I am able to still able to maintain the feel of a dark shadowed forest along the sides. 

This photo was taken from my cell phone before a coat of varnish was applied.  We finished the piece off by installing a hanging wire and have already hung it on my gallery wall at City of the World all in the same day.  Not too shabby.  

This piece is available for purchase along with many of my other paintings that I have done.   I also do commission work and paint a lot of custom cowbells.  You can contact me if you are interested in this piece specifically or check out my website to see my other work at Julie Townsend Studio . Emailing me works good to at julie@julietownsendstudio.com.

Snowy Winter Scene painted with acrylic on a slice of wood

There is Just Something Stunning about Birch Trees

This week I have been working on a large 24 x 36 acrylic painting that I think I'm going to call "Autumn Gold".  This painting was inspired by a collection of photos that we took while on an October hike, with my oldest son on the Galena Creek Trail, near Reno, Nevada.  A beautiful hike and has been a continued inspiration for me as I have produced a number of paintings in this past year from the photos we took.

There is just something amazing about the color and contrast that birch trees bring to a mountain slope.  The leaves have a quality that make them almost appear to sparkle when there is a gentle breeze blowing across of the mountain side.  The white of the bark glows and provides a striking contrast to the heavy pine trees in the area.

With this piece I've attempted to capture that feeling of a crisp October afternoon as you walk along a small mountain stream somewhere in the mountains.   The sounds of the breeze and water fill your ears as you stand frozen just drinking up that peace and beauty.

I might add a little bird in the pine tree but haven't decided for sure. I have used a paste medium additive to my paints for the first time.   This gave me a thicker application that I actually applied with a palette knife to give that impression of heavy bark on the pine tree.  That was fun and I think the final results turned out just as I had hoped for.