Soft Jazz on a Dark Night

And it's not even "late" yet. Twenty minutes to go till 8 P.M. Sheesh!
But it feels like way past midnight, and September is going by way too quickly as it is...
This month mostly "off"?
Haha.
I've been trying.
But then the tasks build up.
Not complaining.
Tasks are tasks.
Still trying to ignore the minor ones - in favor of an hour away from Reality once or twice a day.
A whole day "away"?
I doubt that this will be the month.

But some parts of life are a bit different because of some Free Time taken.
I've learned to appreciate Painted Lady butterflies feeding on giant zinnias.
And new ways to write in journals.
And the fun of having tea alone in a different town.

And thinking some new thoughts.

The thinking of New Thoughts should not be discounted.

One New Thought this month:
               PLANT A LARGER PLOT OF ZINNIAS NEXT YEAR.

Because

 

Zinnias

Are

FUN!!

                            More than enough reason, right?

Goodnight ~

Sue the Jazzed but Nappy

No Good Reason

Typing
Just to type

The next 
Planned Obsession:
Playing Banjo Badly

I think
I can do that

Jazz Rabbit #1

Re-use. Recycle. Doing it.

Hubby found a used tablet of paper and rescued it from another person's trash. So...

I cut one of the large pieces of used Strathmore watercolor paper into nine 5" x 7" pieces. Nice paper. The word "Wow" and other large strokes of paint are now abstract background for whatever might happen.

Here is the first painting:

Jazz Rabbit #1

This was FUN. Freeing. I was not completely in charge. Not that I am EVER completely in charge. It was TRASHED paper. Nothing to lose.

Used were the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen to create basic outline, and then some gouache to finish this wascally wabbit. Yes, Sharpie and regular ball point pen were used for whiskers and detailing eyes.

And that's about it.

The Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival is in Hudson, Wisconsin this weekend. I might put some of these new pieces in clear plastic, and see what The Public thinks.

Ever onward - there are seven panels left (for another day) - the power of putting marks on paper seldom stops being exciting.

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

What might happen if you don't have a plan -

Once upon a time, I loved to read greeting cards. And laugh with my sister in card sections of certain shops. Sometimes we had to leave because we were laughing TOO much. We would send ones that were particularly special to particularly special people.

I did not know that greeting cards would one day become central to life. And that customers would report having to leave certain shops because my cards had made THEM laugh too much.

This is something that might happen if you don't have a plan.

And this is O.K. 

I knew that other people drawing things and writing words that would be turned into greeting cards could affect MY life. I never guessed my that drawing some images and writing some words could affect the lives of others.

But, though odd miracles and time, this has happened.

Some days it's a bother (reasons). Most days it's a Joy.

A serious smiling "Thank YOU!" to so many people for so many reasons.

And, now back to the drawing board, and dictionary. Yes, dictionary. Mistakes have been made....

*********
This weekend - Sept. 23 - 24 - the card racks, original art, and other goodies, and I will be in Hudson, Wisconsin in the lovely park near the St. Croix River. Good ol' Booth #5. Next to great pals and excellent music. Come visit!

*********
Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

A different Doing

Am sitting at The Daily Grind coffee shop in Stillwater, Minnesota.

For Reasons, I had to write thoughts backwards in newest journal for the past hour. Because of unplanned "chat" with a neighbor sitting on bench/table to my right - or left - depending on orientation.

Sigh. Sometimes one's own plans must be set aside for an hour. It may have been for the best. Life Lessons come in many ways.

The shop owner's mom complimented me afterward. I simply told her that I, too, could turn on a spigot of words if so prompted. Do NOT prompt me. This lad has had to have lived a life many of us cannot imagine, nor wish to have lived. So I gave him one un-ear-budded ear, but with good jazz in other ear slightly tempering his stream of many thoughts.

Now to try and do a few of the things planned for the doing. It's too late to do some of the planned things. so it goes. Breathe in. Breathe out.

And Onward - Life is O.K.
And a new bunny came to life during our energized hour. Brain is tired now. Back to jazz.

And I called hubby to ask hime a favor, told him of morning, and he just laughed and laughed. He's had to deal with my torrents of words. I deal with his frequent "too much silence" for me. "So it goes."

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Keeping Track

Last evening at the Visual Journal meeting held at the Minnesota Cnter for Books Arts we had a Share Your Journals time. So many ways that people keep visual journals! Wow. One recent book was kept to note one woman's trip withher daughter to Kansas City, Missouri to view the Solar Eclipse. It was beautiful, factual dreamy, simple and complex - all on one large sheet of paper cut and folded into sixteen sections. Art And Science!

One memeber showed us her latest bullet journal. So this morning I've been watching YouTube videos about bullet journals and how various people set theirs up and how they use them.

Some of the ways I use my various journals/sketchbooks reflect aspects of this way of organizing one's year, month, day. However, I may now add some particular page set-ups seen often in "bujo" doings.

One good thing is... I definitely don't have to go out and buy a new journal! Only have to decide which of the many paper beasties here would be best put to the tast. 

We shall see what we shall see.

If you are in need of a different way of being accountable for your time and effort consider looking into creating and actually following through with a record keeper such as a bullet journal. Now it's time to go scribble in a new college-ruled regular old full sized cheap notebook for me.

And then get to the day's tasks - noted on paper or not.

Good Luck with YOUR Day!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue - the Only Somewhat Organized

This weekend: Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival - in the beautiful Hudson, Wisconsin park down by the beautiful St. Croix River. Good old Booth Number 5. Great art. Great music. Great setting. Come visit!

Odd Tresures and Emotions

This past weekend held the Marine-on-the-St-Croix, Minnesota Art Festival. And also the town library's book sale.
I missed the sale, but got to see a few books art fair customers were carrying.

This is by far the one I would have treasured finding/buying:

And, now the reason for a "regular" book becoming the 

odd treasure - 

There is a book's worth of almost too much - just in this one page...

I have my thoughts and emotions.
Allow yourself to have your own.

Sigh. Good luck with your days, all you Saras and Bennys in the world.

And Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Hare for the Day - #10

September Time Off Challenge is half over.

I have learned some things.

And tried to forget others.

Here's the Hare For the Day - the gouache is still wet in the sketchbook. But this will pass as a bunneh, and that is what counts.

On to the "real" work of the day. 

And listening to a fantasy audio book - these days a bit of fantasy might keep many of us semi-sane while dealing with real reality.

On to our Grand Adventures!

We will be setting up our art fair booth in Marine on the St Croix, MN today. The booth has a "new" roof courtesy of an art fair neighbor's booth mis-fortune last weekend at Edina. One degree of feeling like an organ transplant. His ruined booth wil give ours a bit more continued "life."

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

www.suerowe.com

Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

A New Something

Time: 5:54 P.M.
Color of the Day:Black
Why Awake:

Well, many reasons. I've been out of bed for an hour. Am listening to the audio-book, "The Name of the Wind." And getting the kitchen table empty of work stuff again. Art festival guests are staying the weekend. Some sort of cleaner house will be completed by tomorrow afternoon.

But the main reason for early up is that soon I will be heading to attend, as visitor, a Toastmasters meeting in Hudson, Wisconsin. As a person who went from getting "F" grades for refusing to do an oral book report or two to a person who got an "A" in only Speech class in college - yes, last quarter in second Senior year, by even so... I want to see if it's in me to want to join a Toastmasters group.

That is all.

Then back home to keep working on orders and prepping for the art fair in Marine-on-St.-Croix, Minnesota this weekend. Oh yes, possible rain in weekend forecast. 

"So it goes," that famous author wrote. 

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Days Off - Update

Not easy, but I'm working on it.
Some of this morning's doings:
Reading a copy of "Outside" magazine, and copying down a couple of quotes about those sorts of folks who free-climb steep shear mountains or run ultra-marathons, 'cause what's the challenge in just running a bit over 26 miles?

I also painted another bunny - a hare, to be exact. There is something more "mystical" about hares.
Here's the little gouache creature for the day:

There might still be things to be done with this little creature. Some more subtle bits of ink, perhaps. This bunneh does seem to have a life story, but I have no idea about what it is. That's part of the fun - to see who shows up out of the brush.

Not thrilled with section around mouth and muzzle. But overall it's not bad for a practice bun. And it's ALL Practice.

On to many tasks. And maybe sneaking off to a movie that I'd never PLAN to see. Maybe a personal challenge. "It" is playing at local theater. I've never seen a Stephen King movie - on purpose. But this one sounds slightly less horror-y? I can always not look.
We shall see.

Off to the days adventures.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

A Normal Day

All around the world there are people having normal days.
All around the world there are people suffering.
Or having Amazing days.
Or dying. Or having their first day ever.

It makes having emotions difficult.

Hard to know how to feel.

Sometimes I choose to ignore thinking about stuff like this.
Sometimes I decide to feel the emotions as much as possible.

Sigh and argh and yay.

Carry on.

Rotting tomatoes and good ones will greet the day tomorrow.

And always- 
Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Art Journal

The Stillwater Public Library came through again! I went for a reason - to look for references dealing with rabbits and hares - and never got to that section.

Because of recent redesigning of the stacks a "crafting" section is now more easily noticed by a "oops casual browser" like me. Hmm. Books on making books? Books on altering books? Books on art journals? Yes, yes, and yes.

So, I never got to the rabbits.

********
Cut to: Daily Grind Coffee Shop -
Small de-caf.
A tote holding laptop, headphones, charging cord, and a book on art journaling.
Art supplies and small journal are always in purse.

Action!

Yes, I have made art journals for years. But sometimes one sentence or image in a book not previously read will trigger a whole series of new doings. And creating more handmade books has been a  Personal Challenge for me this year. Four or five done - so seven or eight to go. This book holds more ideas and instructions. On book making and dealing with pages - whether in a commercial journal or something made from folding and stitching one's own paper. So much paper...
I wish it held more Time.

*****************

Fun "time off" time is over for the morning, and, mostly likely, for the day and until Monday. Time to restock the card racks for this weekend's art festival at Edina, MN's beautiful Centennial Lakes center. Weather seems to be on our side this year. The Minnesota Vikings are playing football on Monday night, so crowds should be better on Sunday than when the team is playing that day. Time to go home and check on our booth number. We will be setting up later this evening. Some years are more challenging than others. And I doubt that Saturday morning a very nervous male cardinal will greet me inside the tent as one did last year! Having plastic sheeting over everything was a "good thing!"

************
May you be safe from Mother Nature's many doings this week. Sigh and argh. "Interesting" weather can mean so many things. 

On to another breathing day!
Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Typing

Typing
Just to 
Type

So it
Counts
Toward

A post
Posted

And
Thus
Counted

Sometimes
It IS
About

Just
Showing
Up

Old/New/Different

Labor Day was the last day of the Minnesota State Fair. A serious hockey mom and I went together. Our family's kids were never serious about participating about organized sports. Choir and video games -  yes. Sport sports - no. That was fine with us.

Plus, I am from Wisconsin. Back in the day Cheeseland types had very little interest in the puck and stick thing. It's much different now.

Anyway, earlier in other State Fair visits I'd been past the large trailer truck holding "the NHL Experience." No urge to go in. It became a destination on Labor Day.

(Sadly, we found out that we'd missed seeing Lord Stanley's Cup. It had been on site Friday and Saturday. However, as pal and her family had previously had their personal Stanley Cup experiences she was not too upset.)

What caught my eye was the old gear. I've loved leather in it's many forms since forever. The boots and helmets were cool, too, but the gloves held the mystery and power for me.
Here are (most?) all of the ones on display. They look like sculptures. And hold much NHL history. Look at the design and stitching. And wear.

I was glad I went. Am still O.K. fine with never being a hockey mom, serious or not.

Back to filling orders, finishing pot of veggie bean turkey soup, and battling Japanese beetles.

And considering a Personal Challenge of creating 100 Hares/Bunnehs in a month. 

Then there is cheering on particular players in the U.S. Tennis Open.

There is something to be said about having a shell of Shallow in these trying and confusing times.

"Good Luck and Be Safe" to all in harm's way. So many ways of being in harm's way these days. May we offer aid, comfort, empathy, and compassion when we can. And accept it with grace if we need it. Seriously.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Rest is Weird

Resting is weird.
I should say - attempting rest is weird.
It fought brain off last night.
Today I "crashed" from 10:30 in morning to 12:30 PM. 
Guilt started sneaking in - as I had plans for this "off" day.
Still do - but truncated.
So Guilt is knocking at skull.
"Hey, I'm Guilt. I want in. Now."
I'm playing jazz - Loud - to push both Guilt and Tinnitus away - even for whatever time Jazz is up to the job.

Took enough photos to inspire many hours of art. From fluffy grey bunnehs to hard sparkling tubas.

But the house needs cleaning and the brain need Something. I just don't know what yet. A purpose of the Fair was to find purpose and use for life. Baby steps of scribbled thoughts were forced from Sharpie Marker, but no BIG LIFE THINGS.  I am not a good muddler. But today holds more muddling.

And, also, drawing for the residents at Croixdale. I will accomplish a thing. Or two.

The potential Black Swallowtails have both coccooned. Waiting time. Perhaps I need to follow their lead. Time to metaphorically munch some dill.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

This weekend finds us in Edina, MN at the Centennial Lakes art festival. No I can't recall its real name at the moment. I hope I am awake by then. Toodles!

120 posts. 
80 to go!

Month Off

Yesterday's day "off" at the State Fair went quite well - once we got on site. The park and ride bus I usually take was rerouted to end up at the fair's Transit Hub. I, and many others on the bus, are creatures of habit. We "need" to be dropped off at Gate 5. We KNOW Gate 5. NOOOOooo. You will be let loff at the end of Line 1 - with not so much as a lettered stop. I now know that Line 1 has lettered stops from A to D - and then a blank space at the end f the long walk. That was ours. I drew the signage from the front of "Line 1" - as to get bearings after long day. All went well. I am home, Only to head off again in a few minutes.

Now I will take the Express Bus. It loads much closer to home. It ends up at The Transit Hub.

Challenges today: Have much fun with a good friend. Buy a bucket of Sweet Martha's Cookies for daughter who lives in L.A. Find more subjects to possibly use as art doings. Have a cup of decent de-caf coffee. Talk to at least one person. Oh, and visit The Butterfly House. Minimal pressures. That's for the best.

On to the doings. It's the last day of The Fair..... Reality starts again on Tuesday.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

September Challenge

It's a Weird Challenge, but it's a Real Challenge...

January 1st, twenty years ago, I made a plan - to take the month of September "off." Yes, life stuff and business obligations would still be done, but hours would be dedicated to doing, well, it's hard to explain..., whatever I felt like doing. Amazingly, I pulled this off, more or less. "Wasted" time starting some unreadable stories that were never finished. Doing a couple pencil drawings - subjects of which I do not remember. This was Before Bears.

My mind was different after thirty days of whatever this was.

And in late October a magazine from the 1920's was chosen to read while I was doing a work day at American Gothic Antiques. The little brown desk is still there. The drawer that day held, among other things, a pencil and an unmarked 3 x 5 index card. I copied a woodcut image of a calm grizzly bear head. That is all.

Eventually, that drawing led life down a path that changed almost everything I do to make a living.

Next month it will be twenty years since I drew that bear.

In semi-celebration I've decided to take chunks of this September off. No particular plans yet. Perhaps a visit to a relative or two. Perhaps some visits to coffee shops more distant than the usual haunts. I do not know. Twenty years ago I did not know. I only knew that I was worn out doing something I'd loved doing for twenty years. I knew I no longer loved doing that. I still have many pieces of unfinished model horse tack. I have glorious memories of amazing times in the model horse world. And, oddly, enough, I'm poking a few pinkies back into that world again. But not as a Job.

It's odd being a full-time professional artist. One must depend on one's brain and hands to keep creating stuff that other people want to buy. Year after year after year. I have been lucky. Twenty years of working full-time in  the model horse hobby. Twenty years of making "bears" and other images with enough energy to the images that people want to purchase them. It's really quite amazing, especially for a person who has never been on a job interview - because I am/was too shy and/or have no real job skills. 

With that typed, I look forward to Day 3 of September 2017. Today's doings included finding two potential Black Swallowtail butterflies, putting to death (sorry) a number of Japanese Beetles, and going with Todd to see part of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" put on in Stillwater's Pioneer Park by the Zephyr Theatre Company.

The backpack purse is packed for another early morning go at the Minnesota State Fair. Tomorrow's plans include no plans. I want to draw and sit and watch and listen. It's going to be relatively warm. I'm guessing that the fairgrounds will be hoppin'. I know a couple "quiet" spots. I hope to draw some bunnies. I hope to end the day at the Farmers Union building - nursing a good de-caf and drawing someone playing a guitar. Going to try for another Bubble of Odd Relaxation. It happened for a few hours on Thursday. It was more than Wonderful.

Sometimes it's a challenge to not have a challenge.
On to the attempt!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue