Please have a safe and fun-filled New Year’s Eve!
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 92 was created with pastels and graphite on gray pastel paper.
****(Celebration – I’ve crossed the 1/4 way mark!)****
Day Ninety one – Dare to Compare!
You just can’t compare them!
Tonight I was thinking about classic mis-communication. It happened to me big time today on a project I’m working on for a web redesign for Coupon Evolution. Since I happen to be related to the visionary behind the company, we thought we were talking the same language and had the same idea but at the end of the day…. seriously, about 15 minutes ago – we landed on the same page. Now that this – fruit case – (hummm…. nut basket?) is all in order – I’m calling it a night before my brain explodes.
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 91 was done in watercolor.
Day Ninety – Apple Whimsy
Thank goodness for different tastes.
I don’t think I have a “style” – in fact I’m a bit of a mess when it comes to what I like to wear vs. how I decorate my home and my art is all over the place. Perhaps that would make you call me wishy washy or indecisive but I’d like to believe it comes from a love of color and interesting things regardless of a way they should or could fit into my life in a nice, neat package. Nothing magazine perfect here! And whimsy falls into that category – quirky, colorful, and a bit odd. Just like me.
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 90 was created with a new 9B pencil and watercolor. The graphite gives a different effect than my usual black archival ink – a beautiful illustration technique I recently saw on an art blog – I can’t find the site tonight but I loved the effect and I had to try my hand at it.
Day Eighty nine – a weed is but an unloved flower…
A weed is but an unloved flower. – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I love to garden so this sentiment comes with a caveat…
A morning glory opening in bright purples, pinks, and coneflower blues to the morning sun is related to what we consider a big old pest here in Colorado – bind weed! It wraps around and insinuates itself into your garden, binds and chokes your plants. Just a tiny difference in it’s genetic code and this plant goes from the Victorian flower for loving someone in vain to an outlawed noxious weed!
Just a bit of attention and love can do amazing things but sometimes a weed is just that.
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 89 was created with pen & acrylic inks.
Day Eighty eight – All Heart and One Apple
I’m amazed by the wonderful people I’m meeting and their support and encouragement keeps me going.
This piece was inspired by them – their love surrounds me everyday and this week it is especially needed. As most of you know, I get an I.V. infusion of a biologic medication called Remicade to help control my Ankylosing Spondylitis. My usual schedule is every 5 weeks but due to my insurance changing in October, I’ve needed to stretch my last two infusions out to 6 weeks last time and it will be 7 weeks next Monday by the time I get my next dose so I’m struggling a bit this week. It always amazes me that the pain just rears its ugly head when the Remicade starts wearing off.
At heart (no pun intended) I’m a romantic, an idealist, and a hopeless optimist. I’d like to think that with continued awareness of AS, folks will be more open and less judgmental of people dealing with disabilities and chronic pain. We just do the best we can everyday – it may just be a bit less then most – but our hearts are open to possibilities and – apparently – Apples!
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 88 was created with watercolor. Click on the image for a larger view – 399 Hearts and…. an Apple!
Day Eighty seven – Apples to the Core
I am looking forward to the new year!
A new year gives us a sense of renewal, new beginnings, a feeling of a year of accomplishments and disappointments, a celebration and a time for reflection and to take stock in order to look ahead. As we prepare this week to ring in 2011, I will be reaching a very big mark in my Art Apple project – I will be crossing past the quarter way point this week! Some days I think I must have been mad to take on and promise 365 days of Art Apples but, most days I wonder who I may meet next and how I can continue to tell people about Ankylosing Spondylitis. I never thought too much about Apples, now I see them everywhere – I’m Apples to the Core!!!
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 87 was made with chartreuse green acrylic paint as a resist – and india ink for the negative space. This is a really cool technique – I look forward to experimenting with it more in the future.
Day Eighty six – Merry Christmas
Day Eighty five – Christmas Eve
So, I procrastinated the food shopping until today when Doug could go along as well. It was very busy but there was a great energy in the supermarket. Lots of folks buying holiday yummies. We have a tradition in our family to make seafood newburg for Christmas Eve dinner. It isn’t quite the same out here in Colorado as the amazing fresh seafood that my family is able to get in Maine but we make it none the less! I wish I had been with them all today – the text messages and phone calls were wonderful to keep my spirits up.
We also spent some time making fudge and preparing for the turkey we’re going to cook and take to the Ballow’s house tomorrow to add to the myriad of dishes that Stacey is creating. A ham, scalloped potatoes, pumpkin pie, cherry cobbler – oh my goodness – I’ve gained 5 pounds just thinking of it all.
Have a wonderful evening everyone.
Until tomorrow,
Jenna
Day 85 was created with pen & ink and watercolor.
Day Eighty four – Art Apple Christmas Tree
My friend Elizabeth had this idea for me way back on October 24th – I couldn’t get all of her ideas on the Christmas tree because of my self imposed rule about the size of all my Art Apple pieces but I loved her idea so much and I’ve been so excited to make this one!
I’ve included some of my favorite December Art Apples, art supplies as well as the dove from the SAA holiday card and a star made of paintbrushes!
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 84 is mixed media.
Day Eight three – He’s loaded all the Toys and Apples….
Santa has his goodies on his Sleigh!
We adopted a family with the Volunteers of America this year. Four friends and I bought for a family of five – it was really a wonderful experience for us to come together and Stacey coordinated the whole thing and who would get what gift. I drove them in to the facility in downtown Denver to drop them off. I just wish I could see the little boys rip off the paper to see the remote control airplane or the 2yr old girl put the baby doll in the stroller. I know that the idea is to help the families provide for their kids and not feel like they’ve received charity (a very good thing) but my favorite part of giving is watching the reaction of someone seeing a gift that you’ve given. I haven’t been blessed with motherhood – well traditional motherhood anyway (I have a beautiful, amazing, and grown up step-daughter Amanda) but giving birth unfortunately wasn’t an experience that will be a part of my life. A part of my AS story but not a story for today.
I’m a bit sad this Christmas because my whole family (the New England side) will be together – well, except for Doug and me. I had a tough day today thinking about not being with them. Thank goodness for Skype!
Until tomorrow.
Jenna
Day 83 was made with pen & ink and watercolor.