Inspiration?

Inspiration? Ya gotta get it where ya find it. Just here in the kitchen one could draw or paint:

* Candle with calm flame
* Young tomato plants eager to become adults
* Dirty sneakers (remember Van Gogh's boot paintings/)
* Creamer full of white apple blossoms
* Various "still-lifes" of Stuff on Counters

Last week we vended at Llama Magic - an event held annually at the Washington County Fairgrounds just outside Lake Elmo, MN. The barns held many booths of wondrous wooly things - roving, fleeces, yarns, finished products, and ANIMALS. The building we were in held Alpacas and Llamas. So I "shot" llamas and alpacas. for Future Inspiration.

We can play with Attitude. We can play with Shapes. We can play with Contrasts. We can play with Textures.

Not this morning. But as Grandma Bessie would say - "Soon. Soon."

Take your camera with you  - even on mundane travels. Something close by or far away might just be the thing to capture  and get the pens or paints busy. I will probably never sketch this week's filling-station sign stating gas is $4.39.9 a gallon, but the image is there if I need to draw in despair.

Time to go learn of the healing power of art at the Hudson Hospital - their facility is filled art - on purpose. Hoorah!


Fare-thee-well,
Sue

OADMD - Llamas

Ah yes. Still with the llama theme. Oh well. At least I'm not still "seeing" them when I close my eyes. We must continue on with OADMD attempt to use up pencil bits. Llama inspiration? Ya sure, ya betcha.


Playing with our old friend OADMD April 26 (Frugal) permits us the adding of llamas and reflections upon these Fibery folks. Hour after hour the penned crew remained mainly calm and oddly interested and upbeat. Llamas are built much differently than our usual farm friends - in particular, their body part ratios do not compute to those of horses. We who have memorized equine proportions must retrain our eyes and hands. Heads, ears, necks, barrels, legs, tails - yes, the features add up properly, but their relationships are distinctly llama-y. More about this in a later post.


Yes, one can be both Relaxed and Alert. Maybe it's in the hay........


Goofing off time. Decorative features morph into llamas. This is madness. But the pencil chips ARE getting smaller. Do not forget the point of this post. We are using up pencil points - and still have quite the way to go. It's both exciting and dis-heartening to realize how much use can still be made of those tiny bits of used-to-be pencil. Next......? Inspirational fibers, of course.

To be continued............

Sue

Llama Magic 2011

Look ma - no legs! Only kidding. Plenty of the short-hocked, two-toed, woolly shanked underpinning - just neated folded and out of the way.


Yes, I know. These two guys are not llamas. The ram is a sort of vintage English breed. As with some llamas and this sheep, well, the gate-way "drug" seems to be joining 4-H. Hoorah for 4-H!


Attitude is not a feature lacking in llamas. All present in the barn we were in seemed to practice a relaxed interest, yet not REALLY caring about what was going on around them. Perhaps we humans could learn from their example? Only late on the second day did a quiet resignation/boredom seem to set in. Well, with humans and animals alike.


Wake me when it's time to go home......


More wild llama action to follow. Kidding..... Only one bit of adventure on Sunday when an adult fleecy type tried to make a break for freedom. Enough calm and savvy humans were on hand to prevent escape and/or injury. Brought back loose cow/break-away draft horse/errant ewe adventures long set back in my city-fied brain.

Yes, many more photos of our new furry friends remain to be displayed and discussed. And then - let the drawing fun begin!

Looking out at daffodils - hip hip hooray!
And looking forward to vending our bear goodies at the 8th Annual Dolls in Spring doll and teddy bear show May 15th, at the Mermaid Event Center, 2200 Hwy 10, Mounds View, MN (corner of Cty Rd H & Hwy 10 just of of 35W). For more info: www.CPromotionsPlus.com

We will have some new images as well as our "classics." Come visit!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue