The latest commissioned piece.

Defrag & Refresh

I had a good convo with a friend about defragging and refreshing...the mind, not the computer. We can be in the midst of work, an important project, a creative idea, when our minds begin to sputter, stall...oh, look a castle.... ideas stagnate and a multitude of intrusive thoughts begin to ping around the brain like a bat trapped in a box. Many times I will sit at the desk wondering what did I just decide to do....not 2 seconds have passed since that first thought before another thought has replaced it....obliterating it. This is a fragmentation of the mind that can bring any creative thoughts to a screeching halt. Inspiration be gone..fragmentation is happening, like the minute cracks in the plaster wall in my art studio. When it happens, I have realized there is no way to fight it. The only way to put the mind back on track is to defrag it. This mind fragmentation can track beyond the recesses of the brain, and out into the world.. for one thing, it can turn you into a grumpy sasquatch...even little birdies and squirrels become fearful of you. How do you defrag? Sometimes just a change of scenery can help place the pieces back together.. take your dog out for a quick walk.. get out into nature..sit under a tree..sit in your porch swing if you have one. Rest your eyes on some green ..always soothing. Take a drive..turn the radio up, roll the windows down..even in cold weather...sometimes a cold slap in the face by Mother Nature is helpful (thanks I needed that!). If you have gone beyond the occasional frag mind bending episode into major paralyzing events like writer's and artist's block, plan for bigger defrags, like going on a vacation.. take a weekend off..travel somewhere you haven't been before.. Sometimes, the mind needs a bigger, more sustaining refresh. Defragging can also benefit the spirit and body. You'll come back to your projects ready to rock it! Defrag & Refresh.. spells relief. If you can't afford that trip to France, the rocking chair may be utilized as an effective defragging tool.

Faux Spring

Faux Spring has arrived! Robins are bobbing along, daffodils are showing their sunny faces, crocuses have dared to emerge donning lively lavender garb. Temps were hovering around 70 on Sunday luring springtime citizens from their wintertime slumbers... by Monday temps are to hover around 60, and by Tuesday plummeting to the 40's. What's up with Mother Nature? Another Polar Vortex visit? I say we draw a boundary line across the top of North Carolina and pass a law that disallows another Polar Vortex from swooping down to South of the border. Warm one day, windows flung open, enjoying a warm breeze and the next expecting a "wintry mix"? Nah, let's don't be wishy washy.. let it be one or the other. Either let the groundhogs go back to bed, or romp in the sunshine. At least this cold blast keeps me indoors where I can work on revamping my Pet Art website. It's still a work in progress, as I have a ton, a multitude, a plethora of pet images to add to it. You're invited to take a peek now, but remember, it has a ways to go before it's finished. Getting links and paypal buttons installed takes a long time. Here is the link to the site: http://www.PetArt.net I'm especially proud of the Testimonials page! Leaving you this Monday with a chuckle.. Herding Cats..

Happy New Year dog & pet lovers! Would you like to enter a competition where the prize is a painting of your pet? Then visit my Facebook business page and enter my ongoing Pet of the Week competition! https://www.facebook.com/PetArtbyLyn The process: Like my Facebook page! Dog Art by Lyn (the url is different from the page title). Email pics of your pets (all pets considered even snakes and gerbils) to me at ladyartista@yahoo.com In the subject of your email, type in POTW and your Pet's name. In the email itself, include your full name as owner, and list the url of a fan page if your pet has one. Professor Wally (the dog with the discerning eye) will choose which photos will become oil paintings. The criteria for a good photo to become an oil painting (or watercolor, etc.) is composition, lighting, clarity, etc.

Photo tips: When taking photos of your pet, get situated on their level. Take the photo in natural light. Flashes cause colors to wash out and create unnatural looking shadows. Get up close and personal when taking your pet's photo. It is impossible to see what is going on with eyes, hair, etc. from a photo of a dog in a field of grass and the dog is about the size of an inchworm. Nope, you need to Fill the lens with your pet's loveliness! Remember, I paint what I see and if you cannot see it, neither can I. Admittedly, my super powers only go so far. ;o) When the paintings are finished, I will post them in the page photo album, Current POTW paintings. Then find your painting and get as many votes (likes) as you can before the competition deadline. The painting(s) with the most likes will go to those winners! The ones who didn't win will have the chance to buy the painting of their pet. If they don't want to buy it, no biggie, the paintings will either go up for sale in my Etsy shop, on eBay, or simply be painted over with something else. It's fun and free to enter! Check out all the paintings I've created to date, located on my FB page under the album Past Competition paintings. Good luck and hope to see you there! Lyn