Kimberly

I have found a fun artist and enjoy her work.

Thank you Kimberly for sharing.

                      The Beginning.

                        The Finish.       

http://twitter.com/#!/KimbersFineArt/status/113309259650969600/photo/1

Thanks Redhead Riter

Oh My Goodness. I needed this laughter. I hope you can smile over the bumps in your road today.

Geography Of A Woman

Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa, half discovered, half wild, fertile and naturally beautiful!

Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe, well-developed and open to trade, especially for something of real value.

Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain, very hot, relaxed, and convinced of her own beauty.

Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece, gently aging, but still a warm and desirable place to visit.

Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain, with a glorious and all-conquering past..

51 and 60, a woman is like Israel, has been through war, doesn't make the same mistakes twice, and takes care of business.

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada, cool, self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.

After 70, she becomes Tibet, wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages...an adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.

                                   Geography Of A Man
Between 1 and 80, a man is like Iran, ruled by nuts.

AP Photo/Mehr News, Sajjad Safari)
I have too many friends that are men, so it is best if I do not comment.

(silently laughing my head off)

Relax! It is just a joke!



How Can We Feel Better

Mt. Angel and Sartell Girls Face Painting During Octoberfest

My Gifts To Me

I have two daughters. They are gifts to me.

A Buggy Friday

Lady Bug, Lady Bug



Summer and I illustrating  and water coloring a children's book I have written. The problem is reading my own writing...It will be fun to finally put my children's fantasy stories on paper after all these years of making them up on the spur of the moment. And NEVER writing them down.

Father, Thank You For A Bright Spot

May I smile as He Smiles on me. This was taken last night from my front porch swing.

Fall White Oaks Leaves

These natural floral oak leaf formations drop onto my yard every late summer and early fall. I am struck by their form and how naturally beautiful they are. No one could tell me what they were. So I am using them in floral arrangements on my tables and wreaths and such.

I decided I needed to study what they actually were and how they were formed: I mighta, shoulda done this first before I fell in love with them. So here is the story:

Oak Apple Galls

These are large (1- to 2-inch diameter) rounded growths that are filled with a spongy mass. A single wasp larva is located in a hard seed-like cell in the center. Galls are usually found on the petioles or midribs of leaves. They will dry to a brown, paper thin wall. Removing and destroying galls before they dry and wasps emerge from a hole may help to reduce the infestation. While large and spectacular, they cause no measurable harm.
                                    http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef408.asp

So all this time I have been making arrangements and pretty gifts with WasPs in them. Ugh! But they'er so cooool.

I guess this is a gentle reminder that all that glitters is not gold. Check your gold for wasps before bringing them into the house or giving them as gifts. There has to be a deeper lesson here somewhere...My word, you'd think I'd learn after all these years.

I still see them as natures art. And cool. I just check for any stingy thing which  might reside inside before giving it to a friend. A not so good a friend, maybe not...Oh all right. I will AllWays check  for resident creatures if I must. Picky, picky, picky you all are. Love ya anyway.

Still think they're cool.

Dan

Dan is a visitor to White Oaks Bed and Breakfast. Dan has also become a friend. A friend whose wisdom, courage and pain he pretty much keeps to himself.

Tamales,Tamales, Tamales!

After a two day period of mini disasters these tasted amazing...You're amazing Darcy. Thanks and thanks to Summer for making me do it....

And Add a Bit Of Sauce...



OK I may have been a little to quick to say I needed to stop whining... Remember the sad whiny tone of yesterday? "Sometimes a day just seems hard. That's it. There are days just harder than others. You start by critiquing yourself in the mirror, then burn the toast, didn't sleep well, someone leaves stinky socks on the chair."  Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.

Ya I remember now, because the day didn't stop till five-thirty this morning. Awake from 11:00 PM till 5:30 AM when hubby gets up for work. I have no idea why I am awake, just one of those sleepless nights I guess. Mind quietly spinning.

I slip into a light slumber and awoke screaming at being doused with cold water. I hop outta bed discovering the cute little claw foot tub in my room was exploding, water fountaining to the ceiling, which proceeded to shower back down on me as I am innocently minding my own business.

Dear Deer

Sometimes a day just seems hard. That's it. There are days just harder than others. You start by critiquing yourself in the mirror, then burn the toast, didn't sleep well, someone leaves stinky socks on the chair.

You know the day I mean. This is how my week has been. "I'm to fat, my gray hair makes me look older than Methuselah. And I feel like a toad." On an on we go. A slow tortuous dance of self annihilation . No good, no fair, life is rotten...

Painted Toenails

Painted Toenails

OK, OK I know the title is silly. But upon digging further you'll understand the reasoning. So I have warped sense of laughter. What new?

Pixie Paige

Our little Paige has decided she wants Nana to paint her new room purple...She claims to be a purple princess and needs her room to be as fairy tale as she.

Sooo...here we go. The walls were painted a light mushroom color then at 43" high we taped off a wainscoting. It was painted a light lavender and let dry. We used a 6" roller and a level and painted darker purple stripes. Darcy Jackson did the hardest parts. Thank goodness.

How Grateful Am I?

As a creative person, apparently my mind works and sees life differently than others might.  I want to surround myself with people whom are creative, but also have a knowing faith of the gift.

I have always had  faith to follow this creative vision, and been grateful for the challenge of not becoming too worldly in the process.

How do we be "in the world, but not of the world"? I have often questioned my motives for a creation. Am I doing this for the pure love of creating or am I after a worldlier goal?

Can I create, enjoy the creating and the attention it can bring, yet be eternally grateful from Whom it was given?

I have given some thoughts to my creations.

A Summer Cake

A Summer Cake

Summer Heather’ cake was a three-month production from start to finish.  I actually was trying re-invent the wheel with this eye-popping cake.

SK's Bull Frog Log (Blog)

I was thinking about my journaling (blog) in the middle of the night last night and wondered why I hated the term 'blog'.

Everyone uses the word and I bet most don't have a clue where this nonsense, no-meaning, made-up word comes from. Well here ya go:

A blog (a blend of the term web log) is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.



Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.[2]



Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging or vlogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.



As of 16 February 2011 there were over 156 million public blogs in existence.

So that's that. a blog is a way for us to write our histories, our thoughts, share a bit, question even more. I think we should come up with a better, classier word to describe what we are doing hour after hour.

What about,  let's say 'bogus log', 'begging log',  'blaring log', 'blathering log'', 'but log'. Or even 'barely there log' or maybe 'BS log'?  Sorry just had to do it.

Maybe something more positive in nature such as: 'Baron log",  'beautiful log', 'bonefied log'.

Do I have too much time on my hands? Be Specific Log...

Alright maybe I spent to much time thinking and not enough time writing. I'm number 157 million.
I actually like: Bullfrog Log after Barney the Bullfrog in our pond out front.

Bibbit, bibbit.



See You Soon! Bibbit or should I say ribbit

SK Sartell
sartellart@gmail.com
http://www.sksartell.com/

Crafty Flypaper?

 

With spring coming quickly and wedding season right behind, I had to get the gate designed, built AND installed. Poor Ron. We hear this comment often "Poor Ron".

A bride has chosen White Oaks for her June wedding. Oh My... The grass looks terrible, the garbage cans show between the empty fence posts... So we have replanted grass and now have a garden fence and new gate.

As you might know, flat anything is liable to catch my interest. So I go looking for cool stuff to attach to my new (new looks old) gate. Friends call it the crafty flypaper syndrome. Hey....I like it. See what you think.

This could be used as my headstone very appropriately.

See You Soon!

SK Sartell
sartellart@gmail.com

Dumpster Diving?

Oh come on. You know stuff is thrown away which shouldn't be. Most of the time we're  too distracted, too tired or just can't come up with an idea of "what the heck can ya do with this piece of junk"?

A huge amount of my creativity comes from others throw-a-way stuff. I want to re-use, re-furbish and the old green word "recycle" I was doing this before they went and ruined the word...

These solid oak deck chairs had seen better days. Left to rot in the sun and figured for lost. Use some common sense, practicability and fun. What can you do with it? Will it still look like old junk when your finished? Did you waste your time?

Sometimes a little elbow grease, tongue between the teeth work will reward you with a prize. Sometimes all the hard work in the world can't save a piece. This time I won...Yee Haw.

See You Soon!

SK Sartell
sartellart@gmail.com
http://www.sksartell.com/

Through A Mothers Eyes

As a professional artist and designer I find myself eying other artists work. I have been astounded by my own children's creativity. I want to share them with you. I'm not a bit proud now am I?

Sean (oldest son) has given me such a hard time as he grew up. Never wanting to take part in anything creative. Wow, look what he does now. Don't ever call him an artist though...

Jared (second son) has become an amazing outdoorsman. His love of nature is captured as he fishes (catch and release) the Pacific Northwest fish. His brother, Sean, and he are determined to catch and release every native fish they can find. You can see their adventures on Youtube at:http://www.youtube.com/user/SKsWhiteOaks#p/a/u/1/XUsDU_BXAg8

He uses his bit of spare time teaching himself to play the guitar and  creating marvelous wood crafts with his Shopsmith. Don't call him an artist either. Hmmmm. This is getting old.

Darcy Kay Sartell Jackson (third child, oldest daughter) OK, OK. So I just want to talk about my kids. I guess I have artists in the family whether they want to be or not.


Darcy is a Chef, a creative paper crafts artist , designer, artist, and who knows what else is yet in store.

She has a blast designing and creating cakes. She can design that amazingly specific cake for just about any occasion. Her home is  fun with creative and inexpensive touches everywhere.

Texas and Lizzie (her little ones) benefit from her creativity as well. When do you find the time? Breathe, just breathe.

You can visit her latest creations at: http://myartisticventures.blogspot.com/

As my children get older I have to catch my breath at what they accomplish. Self-taught or maybe a little inherited talent?

Summer Heather lakey (Second daughter and youngest) Of course being the youngest gets Summer the privilege of being called "spoiled" by her older siblings. I disagree. She is just different. And How!

A sociology major, painter, photographer and all around artist, Summer leaves the cake decorating up to her big sister Darcy. She took four years to design her very own wedding cake, which then all three Sartell girls put their hand too.

Summer designed the cake, we  had her hand drawings silk screened in chocolate onto Mylar. I then transferred the designs onto white chocolate and applied the solid white chocolate to the walls of her cake. I added the fresh flowers and put the cake together. Darcy then topped it off with her fancy frosting bead-work.

I have posted a complete "How in world we did it" at the following address. Feel free to take my ideas and run with them. I hope you have three months to spare.

http://sksartellart.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/a-willamette-valley-summer-cake/

Take a look at some of her photography at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2fcSgDyBLY&feature=player_embedded

and

http://www.sksartell.com/SummerFrontPage.htm

I can honestly say " where in world do they get it?"  Lemme' guess... I simply love creative people, whether they admit to being an artist or not! Poor Ron...

See You Soon!

SK Sartell
sartellart@gmail.com
http://www.sksartell.com/

SKs Tree Of Life

Blank spaces whisper to me...Why? I have no clue. I just can't seem to leave things well enough alone. I want everything around me to make me smile. To interest me and keep me guessing.

This little shower held such promise. What could I do to create a sweet space? Some fun. Sooo...I went through buckets of broken tile, granite and marble and found an idea.

Can we create something new and wonderful from leftovers and scrap? Broken junk others would just throw away? I have found this throughout my life. Creating from leftovers or scrap. Make something beautiful, workable and worthy of a smile.

A small rounded corner shower would be fine with simple tile and grout. But what If??? What if I could make it have a life of it's own? A tree built into the corner of this little shower. How do you do that? Hmmm...

Just do it. Make a simple plan and begin. I started drawing a tree on the blank sub-surface of the tile. A brown trunk emerged. A trunk with dark brown marble and granites. Cut them into different shapes and linear forms. Glueing these tiles to form trunk as tree trunk would grow. I then started to add different greens. My plan started to come together as I glued the lighted greens on the left side and added the darker greens going to the right side. I hoped this would add light as if from the sun going from the left to the shadow to the right.

I hand crafted clear round glass tiles with leaves, bugs and textures attached to the back of each clear tile. I then sealed these tiles to be waterproof. I added sparkly jewels and mother of pearl adornments for interest.

I can get over zealous and must remind myself of correct composition and areas which the eye may rest.

I had fun with this and worked many hours so my creation would make me smile for many years.

Have some fun. Create from nothing. Enjoy the scraps of life.

See You Soon!

SK Sartell
sartellart@gmail.com
http://www.sksartell.com/

This Old House Deserves A New Life

Tiling has become a new treat for me. I have no idea how it is supposed to be done properly, so I just go ahead and try lots of different ideas and styles.