# Photography and ?



## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

I was wondering, does anyone else have other creative outlets apart from photography?


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## Slam (May 31, 2006)

I started doing some sandblasting...


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

*I may not be good at these things, but it's fun trying*

I do tile mosaics and sketching. I just started my first acrylic painting from a picture I took of a scarlet macaw in the jungle. Painting is hard!


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

I do fish prints. They are a lot of work, but fun. I need to do another redfish, I'm not happy with the ones I have. This is one of a black drum.


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

That is cool Slam. I really like it.


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## Pod (Dec 11, 2004)

Chicapesca...those fish prints are so cool!


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Slam, I love that picture! What an incredible skill. Please share some more. 

shallowgal, wow many talents! I'd love to see some of your creations, please share them if you're able. I found painting in oils hard, watercolours seems to need skills (i.e. what colour goes with which to make _this_ colour). charcoals are fun. 

Liz, there's some great detail in that black drum print. I love it! Thanks so much for sharing, please share some more.  Have you ever printed a fish skeleton? Is it possible?

rosesm


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## Slam (May 31, 2006)

I wish that was my design...it is a Walter Anderson...

_"Walter Anderson spent most of his life exploring the wonders of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, absorbed in the haunting ambiance of the water, marshes, and woods. His "oneness with nature" and his expression of that unity have made Anderson a legendary figure on the Gulf Coast."_

http://www.walteringlisanderson.com/nature.html <--More of his work.

But basically you create a stencile using contact paper and place on the glass, and then sandblast away. For that particular piece I used what is called flash glass...two layers of glass fused together...black over white. You can also sandblast on mirrors...a couple examples below. The etch on the Jack Daniel's one is color with permenant marker. The fourth picture is one that my step dad did a while back...hes the one who tought me as a kid. We had an Oscar in our tank and he sketched it out on the stencile...something I can't do like him is sketch...

I think for my next Walter Anderson I am going to do the bittern...Pic 3 below..


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## Slam (May 31, 2006)

I really like the fish prints...those are pretty cool. How do you make them? Do you just cover the fish in ink and press on some paper??? Do you have anymore to share...


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

Thanks everyone.  Slam, you are partially right. I wash the fish with dawn dishsoap and completely dry it off. I have a pillow case filled with 50 lbs. of sand that I lay the fish on and kind of wallow it in so I can pin the fins open. I also place a bolt or something in his mouth to keep it open. By now the fish needs to be dried off again. Then I apply the ink (printers ink) with a roller or a brush. Not too thick. I then place the paper on the fish, and while holding the paper down with one hand, I rub the fish gently until all surfaces have been rubbed. The paper is then lifted off from one end, up and back without pulling along the fish. I use rice paper now, which is more absorbant than tracing paper. I learned with tracing paper, and I can do more than one print with it on one inking, but it gets too crinkley. 

Koru, I bet a fish skeleton would make an interesting print. I have done crabs and scallop type shells and they look pretty cool.


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## LIONESS-270 (May 19, 2005)

Wow thats some real Art work and talent!!!!!!!....Don't know if this fits in at all but..

I have been doing Floral arangements for family and friends for many years....Holidays...Weddings...special occasions.

And I have won some City and State Competitions on Teddy Bear Theme Decorating....
I need to scan in some photos..

I do Southwest Baskets (for gifts) and the mounting plaques for my Wifes Trophies....She does her own taxidermy work, all of it.

The Lioness Den....


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## Slam (May 31, 2006)

chicapesca said:


> I wash the fish with dawn dishsoap and completely dry it off. I have a pillow case filled with 50 lbs. of sand that I lay the fish on and kind of wallow it in so I can pin the fins open. I also place a bolt or something in his mouth to keep it open. By now the fish needs to be dried off again. Then I apply the ink (printers ink) with a roller or a brush. Not too thick. I then place the paper on the fish, and while holding the paper down with one hand, I rub the fish gently until all surfaces have been rubbed. The paper is then lifted off from one end, up and back without pulling along the fish. I use rice paper now, which is more absorbant than tracing paper. I learned with tracing paper, and I can do more than one print with it on one inking, but it gets too crinkley.


How do you get the fish to hold still for all that?


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## Slam (May 31, 2006)

Chief....those mounting plaques are cool looking...what are they made of? I dig all the european mounts too!


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## galvetraz (Nov 29, 2005)

aprox 4'x4' mixed media


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

Wow those are all beautiful pieces of art...When I get home in the morning Im going to take pictures of all the portraits of my family in my house...
I do large 20/30 24/32 pencil drawings of peoples faces and Im pretty bad to the bone at it...Just watch


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Chiefcharlie, where's some photos of your floral artwork? I'd love to see them and your Teddy Bear decorating. Are those skins the trophies are mounted on, or perhaps quilt patterns? What are Southwest Baskets? 

Slam I'm glad it was you that asked that and not me. 

Galvetraz, that's incredible. Is it hanging somewhere? Do you have more of your artwork you can share here?

Anyone else with some creative things they'd like to share. How awesome to find such treasures among us! Thanks so much for sharing a little bit of yourselves. 

rosesm


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Slam said:


> I wish that was my design...it is a Walter Anderson...
> 
> _"Walter Anderson spent most of his life exploring the wonders of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, absorbed in the haunting ambiance of the water, marshes, and woods. His "oneness with nature" and his expression of that unity have made Anderson a legendary figure on the Gulf Coast."_
> 
> ...


 That first design looks very complex. It must have taken hours just to make the stencil. I would love to see the bitten when you've finished. Do you have a picture of the 'sandblaster' that you use? I have visions of a huge pipe thing with massive amounts of sand blasting about the place... not a pretty vision thanks to my imagination and ignorance. lol


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Dances With Fish said:


> Wow those are all beautiful pieces of art...When I get home in the morning Im going to take pictures of all the portraits of my family in my house...
> I do large 20/30 24/32 pencil drawings of peoples faces and Im pretty bad to the bone at it...Just watch


 I'm looking forward to seeing them. 

I can't draw people's faces at all. I end up with some very weird looking eyes with a nose stuck somewhere near where it ought to be, ears that look like the person could fly off with them (usually both different sizes too) and a neck that would do better on an animal than a human. *sigh* Just not one of my areas, which consequently means I LOVE looking at other people's art of faces.


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## Slam (May 31, 2006)

Koru said:


> That first design looks very complex. It must have taken hours just to make the stencil. I would love to see the bitten when you've finished. Do you have a picture of the 'sandblaster' that you use? I have visions of a huge pipe thing with massive amounts of sand blasting about the place... not a pretty vision thanks to my imagination and ignorance. lol


Here go all my secrets...don't laugh too hard.

I use a sears sandblaster . I purchased 50lbs of blasting sand off of ebay, and made my own sandblasting cabinet (recycle bin with a piece of lexan over the top so i can see the glass







) to keep the sand from going everywhere. I trace the design onto the contact paper, stick the contact paper to the glass and cut out with an exatco knife...then blast away. The most time intensive part is cutting the stencil and removing all the pieces that need to be exposed...


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Slam said:


> Here go all my secrets...don't laugh too hard.
> 
> I use a sears sandblaster . I purchased 50lbs of blasting sand off of ebay, and made my own sandblasting cabinet (recycle bin with a piece of lexan over the top so i can see the glass
> 
> ...


 Wow that's so neat! Thanks for the link too.  You cut the stencil while it's on the mirror/glass? Does that not leave heavier stratches on the glass than what the sandblaster makes?


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

Have I prolonged this dream of mine?
Delayed a promise unto thine?
When I laid bare this soul unkempt
God should have spared yours contempt
But we make complex what He has not
And wage a battle, already fought.


Sometimes I write poems


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Hello Poet. 

That penultimate line sure hit me between the eyes. Thank you for sharing your poem, please share more


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## galvetraz (Nov 29, 2005)

Galvetraz, that's incredible. Is it hanging somewhere? Do you have more of your artwork you can share here?

My still camera is temp. out of comission , so I shot a short video of my most recent painting. LINK

still havent figured out what type of frame to build around it.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

galvetraz said:


> Galvetraz, that's incredible. Is it hanging somewhere? Do you have more of your artwork you can share here?
> 
> My still camera is temp. out of comission , so I shot a short video of my most recent painting. LINK
> 
> still havent figured out what type of frame to build around it.


 Does it need a frame?

I never thought of hanging paintings to let them dry... wonder if I can stop my cat from getting at them if they're five feet off the ground?  I'll have to paint something first.


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## galvetraz (Nov 29, 2005)

I think a frame would make it more apealing. I'm thinking of framing it with some old distressed fence boards custom taylored to fit.


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## MsAddicted (Jan 25, 2005)

Wow such talent! Really neat stuff everybody.

I do stained glass (novice level) and make jewelry. And draw too.

A not-so-good picture of my first glass flounder, no commercial pattern used, I didnt like the way they over-simplified it...I drew my own from real photos. A nice legal flounder at 17.5 inches


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

Hey MsAddicted, I think that is very pretty! Nice job!


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## MsAddicted (Jan 25, 2005)

Thanks! Only my third piece ever, other than a few practice items. I'm impressed with all the interesting things people have been posting about.


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

Nice flounded MsAddicted. Very nifty. I really like it.


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## J50 (Nov 9, 2006)

Sam, 

You should hook up with Liz and do some etchings of her fish prints. How about a big red etched into stainless steel or on glass. I'd want one.

Johnny


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## J50 (Nov 9, 2006)

hmmm. my last post definitely is in the wrong place...


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## J50 (Nov 9, 2006)

nope. I was correct the first time, just ended up on page two! 

please ignore my incompetence! 

johnny


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## trodery (Sep 13, 2006)

MsAddicted said:


> Wow such talent! Really neat stuff everybody.
> 
> I do stained glass (novice level) and make jewelry. And draw too.
> 
> A not-so-good picture of my first glass flounder, no commercial pattern used, I didnt like the way they over-simplified it...I drew my own from real photos. A nice legal flounder at 17.5 inches


Very Nice Ms. Addicted!


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

*The "Pure" Amateur...lol*

Alla prima painter (sit down once and never go back..lol)..Lotsa fun..No talent.

Really terrible photographer...but you gotta allow for creeping senility...


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## MsAddicted (Jan 25, 2005)

Tortuga, I sense a boat theme! Nice job, creeping senility or not 

Thanks Trodery!


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Yep, MsA...guess I am in kinda a 'rut' but it's all that interests me..LOL


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## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

i used to do pen & ink drawings, but last year they were all destroyed.


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## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

i did buy a new digital camera today, so i'll start posting some photos soon.


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

Oh, such beautiful things, and such beautiful and talented people!

You know, I USED TO do a lot of different creative-type things over the years. Until I found kayak fishing and the INTERNET!

I've done just a tad each of different things. (Maybe I have undiagnosed attention disorder.) I used to sew clothes for my children (long, long ago!). I did a few paintings, on glass, on canvas, on fabrics and on ceramics. I've done macrame hangings and hanging planters, even a couple of hanging glass tables. I've done crochet for quite a few years, but not recently. Counted cross-stitch. I've made angels from coffee filters. I've written some poetry.

Lately, the thing that gives me most pleasure and feels very much creative, is to play with my grandchildren. I feel like I'm helping to produce something in their lives.

In addition to my own 5 granchildren, I'm surrogate grandmother to my daughter's nieces and nephews on her husband's side of the family. In 2001, there was a new baby born that was a surrogate granddaughter to me. Little Kaitlyn never came home from the hospital, and the whole family was devastated by the loss. Here is, not a poem, but a letter that I wrote as if I was talking to little Kaitlyn to express what we were going through.

November 21, 2001



Dearest Kaitlyn,

 You were so tiny, so very small. Yet you were perfectly formed. King David said, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works." (Psalm 139:14) And you, too, were wonderfully made.

 You were loved before you were born. Your family anxiously awaited every tiny development. When you came into the world much, much too soon, many people prayed for you. We prayed for your strength, your growth, your health. We prayed for miracles. And every day, God gave miracles.

 Even though we loved you before you were born, God knew you before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5). He had a special plan for your life. We know you fulfilled His plan even though we don't understand it now. But you and God understand, and that will comfort us for now.

 You were brave, and you were strong, and you were beautiful. Like the Apostle Paul, you can say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

 We miss you so much. There's an empty place in our lives that no one else can fill. But we're not angry at you for leaving us - you did all you could. Nor are we angry at ourselves - we did all we could. We tend to be angry at God because anger is natural, and we don't know where else to aim it. But God is patient with us, and He understands our pain. His child died, too.

 It is a useless rage we feel because we can change nothing. Like a small child having a tantrum, we just want to fight against what we don't like, what doesn't seem fair. And like the child with a tantrum, the tears come. For we've lost something that can never be replaced, something of exceedingly great value - you, Kaitlyn. And it just feels wrong.

 But God will help us with time. Slowly, we will begin to heal. Instead of all the "what if's" and the "I wish's" and the feelings of guilt, we will begin to remember all the wonderful things about your brief life. The sweet anxiety of waiting for you to arrive. Holding one another and drawing close to God as we prayed for you. The love displayed around us as family and friends voiced their concern for us and for you.

 Your brief life has touched and changed the lives of so many people that you never knew and who never knew you. They've gained a new appreciation for their families, their friends, and the God who made them and loves them. For you see, you've reminded us how brief and temporary this life on earth really is. And that's a big job for a little lady like yourself.

 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I want you to know how thankful I am to God for lending you to us, if only for a short while. I never got to hold you in my arms, but I'll always hold you in my heart.

  Love,
 Grandma Pratt


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

galvetraz said:


> I think a frame would make it more apealing. I'm thinking of framing it with some old distressed fence boards custom taylored to fit.


 Now that sounds like an interesting frame. I hope you post an 'after shot' pic so I can see what it looks like. 

Hi J50/Johnny... where's your creative stuff? Do you do anything? We'd love to see it. 

Tortuga, those look like awesome paintings. Do you use oils? Are those boats you've shared taken from real life or from your imagination? They look great! (except for the one in the rough sea, that one just makes me shudder  okay the ship is great, but the sea, well I'm not much of a sailor you see  ). Share some more! 

mastercylinder, draw some more pen and ink pics please. I'd love to see them. Can't wait to see your photos too. 

Mrs Backlasher, you are one awesome woman. All those crafts! Do you share them with your grandchildren or are they too young yet? I have been teaching my niece how to french knit. lol We all started somewhere eh? 

That is a beautiful letter you wrote to Kaitlyn. I've always found writing a great comfort, a great tool for helping to understand some of those very difficult questions life throws our way. I can see there's a progression in your writing, culminating in an understanding that felt right for you. I hope you have shared this letter with your family and I know that by sharing it here you have helped me understand something that I never thought I would, so thank you for that.

~~~

This thread is showing me there is such an abundance of creative people among us all. What an awesome group. And if anyone's reading this thread and feeling a little left out, well, all I can say is if you feel a creative urge, let it take you where it will in whatever medium you fancy. There is a whole world of materials out there so grab hold of some and enjoy the pleasure, the peace that creating things can give.

Oh and in case you think you haven't a creative bone in your body, there's a book well worth reading that's written by Julia Cameron called The Artist's Way and she states quite clearly that EVERYONE has the ability to be creative. She is right.

rosesm

Keep sharing!


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Koru (incidentally, where DID you get that screen name?)...They're all just pop into my head as I go..Used to work in oils but it was just too messy and they NEVER dry. LOL. Now it's all acrylics..Usually the same end result but a lot neater to work with. Picked up a box of Oil Pastels the other day but haven't tried them out..Have seen some works with them and they look nice..As to other works...my son grabs anything that's halfway decent to decorate his beach house in Port Aransas and his new condo in Playa del Carmen...He's a very successful attorney in Austin....but VERY CHEAP. LOL He'll take anything that's free...


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

My screen name, Koru, is a Maori word that means 'new beginnings'. The fern frond in my AV is a koru.

I wondered if they were acrylics but I thought with the depth of colour they were oils! You're right, oils do seem to take forever to dry.

You should start charging your son a Decorating Fee. 

I'd love to see what you do with your Oil Pastels if you've a mind to sharing.


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## galvetraz (Nov 29, 2005)

digital illustration


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Now that's colourful! I could never do anything like that.

I did do something with MS Paint one day - feel free to laugh.


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## galvetraz (Nov 29, 2005)

Digital illustration: multimedia symbolism


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

that's very striking! hmm multimedia symbolism. man that sure gives me lots to think about. thank you!


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## Dorado-Mahi (May 23, 2004)

Didn't pay much attention to this thread until now... Wow, lots of talented people here. Nice work everyone.

My second creative hobby stills deals with photography. I been playing around with digital artwork using my own photography for more than two years. I now use Corel Painter IX to convert most of my photographs into digital art work. Here are some examples.


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## Dorado-Mahi (May 23, 2004)

and a few more.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2006)

Dorado-Mahi said:


> Didn't pay much attention to this thread until now... Wow, lots of talented people here. Nice work everyone.
> 
> My second creative hobby stills deals with photography. I been playing around with digital artwork using my own photography for more than two years. I now use Corel Painter IX to convert most of my photographs into digital art work. Here are some examples.


Wonderfull pictures and art work! Thank you for shaing your insights with us.

:rybka:


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

OK, who's the georgeous babe??
Very nice work.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

I'm sure glad you added to it Capt. Ray. And wow what an addition! Your digital artwork is wonderful. Thanks for joining in.


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## galvetraz (Nov 29, 2005)

vector art


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

That's a scary looking spider! I looked vector art up on google to see what it was and one thing that's stuck in my mind is that you can create this spider any size and it loses nothing of the details. That's an awesome ability. Is it difficult to create vector art?


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

I've found some to share, please excuse the standard of the photos (I took the pics a while ago).

watercolour









charcoal









pastels









pencil


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## Dorado-Mahi (May 23, 2004)

Really nice Karen. Sure wish I had the talent to do work like that.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Dorado-Mahi said:


> Really nice Karen. Sure wish I had the talent to do work like that.


 I think there is creativity in every person on earth. I think that we just need to be given the opportunities to try all manner of creations using all manner of media to find where our enjoyment lies. I am lucky in that I never gave up (I live among people who have no understanding of the urge to create). I became 'selfish' to find time and tools to let out that creative urge, but really, it isn't being selfish, it's more about grasping an opportunity and letting it flow at will.

I suck at oil painting, everything looks flat. My acrylics look flat too. Watercolours is where I would LOVE to spend time learning the skills because I see and feel the depth in watercolour that I don't see in other media. Charcoals I love and can do reasonable likenesses with, pencil gives me the opportunity to put down an exact likeness in detail.

I think if I took the time (and paid the money) I could learn the skills with every media I wanted because artwork is based on skill and the urge to create. I _feel_ like a Jack-of-all-trades and Master of none. But I know that there are areas I can do well (just as there are areas where I struggle, even though I may like the journey).

I think it's similar with all of us. We find our niche and we go with the flow, and if we can afford to, we let it take us wherever it wants and once we let go and float, the rewards are beyond belief. *smile*

We each are unique, and our 'talents' are unique to us. If we want to do what someone else is doing, then we take the time and learn and practise a lot. The practise pays off, in my opinion.

I had an awful urge on the weekend and couldn't write, so I knew it meant I needed to draw or paint or something. I looked at the material around the house, and wondered if I should sew something. I looked at the painting stuff and finally settled on some charcoal, some watercolour, some ink and pencils. My end result was not 'great', in fact it was just bearable - though I did get a positive comment from my husband, and a suggestion, (both were completely unexpected). But the urge has relaxed. I got to spend several hours just drawing and playing with tools and concentrating solely on what I was doing and the urge abated.

Whoops sorry, I waffled.

What I'm trying to say is that you do exquisite work in the area you obviously most enjoy. Isn't that what counts?


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

I just saw this thread. All great stuff.
I used to do a lot of pen and ink. I have a few here (might try and take a photo to post later). I had several pieces in the Transco tower. I'm not sure what ever happened to them. If anyone seen them, they were the Eagles and Hawks.


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## galvetraz (Nov 29, 2005)

Filters, the dog.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Great Bill, post them up, I'd love to see what you do. 

Beautiful dog Galvatrez, looks like he's all snug as a bug in a rug!


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

Awesome artwork, awesome talent, all of you! I love it!


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