Time for some art.

I have yet to fix my schedule to get lots of art done, which is unfortunate because that was one of the reasons I was excited to spend time at home.
I had been commissioned to make a painting for my sister. She's really into Tuscan theme decorating. Her request was lots of gold, trees, and some red. So I really could do what ever I felt like, at the same time I was contemplating declining as I realized maybe I couldn't make something she'd like. I after all... have never done a actual landscape painting before. The only sort of practice I had from was my last 6-panel painting.
So I sketched out a few ideas and Emailed them to her while I was still in Rexburg, ID.
Even after I got home I hadn't started. About six weeks ago I started on the painting. I blocked in where I wanted everything with pencil.I after all have no clue how to paint the proper way. The same day I had started... I sort of decided I hated it and put it away for a while. At one point I had made plans to see my sister and her husband for a weekend, however, our schedules made it to where it didn't work out.
Thus, my time frame to finish it had instantly become pushed further away.
Eventually again I had set up another weekend to spend at my sister's and with an actual dead line in sight, I got to work.
I have an issue when it comes to making art... I guess maybe it's the lack of vital information. I don't understand technique, I don't have a great grasp on creating the appearance of value and form, and don't really understand how someone gets their pieces to look the way they do.
So I sat there for about twenty minutes staring at some badly blobbed green hills.
There's something that always helps me get through making an art piece and that is what I like to call and artistic director. An ' artistic director' for me is the person I like to have with me when I'm doing a piece I actually want to look good in the end. Through out my life it's been certain special art teachers, my best friend Carmen, and my old friend Nate.
Everyone else either just annoys me or makes me overly self conscious which makes me not feel like not working.
This time it was Carmen and she has perfected motivating me.
I finally got to a point where I felt like it was going to a direction I was satisfied with.

With an end in sight, I got really excited and finished the piece. At the end I honestly could not think of an way I myself to better it anymore...and thing else would need some one else. I took about 10-16 hours in total to finish.
I was still really nervous that my sister Rosie wouldn't like it. I had no other landscape pieces ever completed to look at... she just believed I could do it for her. I posted the pic on facebook and tagged her in it. In the Moring I was greeted with comments that she loved it... despite the fact that I'm not really in love with the piece...she thinks it is good so that's all that matters.
I had issues taking a picture that showed what it actually looked like in person.

(2ft X 3ft acrylic on wood)


The same night I googled some images of Philip Smith my sister's husband favorite trumpet player. I couldn't find an image I felt like drawing. I stumbled upon some album art from Fandango. I thought it was really great and so after drawing and cutting out a tedious stencil ( thanks to Carmen for the help) . It all got pulled together in a timely manner. I think he liked it too! It was a very late birthday gift.




At some point that same night (that same night) I managed to play with Spencer ( the shih tzu Chihuahua mix) and help Carmen dig in the attic to look for a frame. While in the attic Carmen showed me a drawing I made for her in middle school. it's of the Milo and the late DaKota dancing... I'm really not sure what made me make this...

In honor of my 1st and 2nd eggs

Yesterday before I headed out to work
I checked the pen that has mostly my little bantam chickens.

I found a little white egg!!! I believe this is the first of my chickens to lay an egg. It is possible that my standard barred rock (Greta) or black astralorp (Monique) have laid an egg, however, I have not noticed them in the laying box..nor Do they look quite mature enough to be laying eggs yet.
Any-whoo...

I believe the egg laid last night is from one of my bantam chocins... Most probably the Gold laced one (Goldeen). Mainly because she looks the most mature and she made a big effort to get over a really tall fence to be in the goat pen...and they're was an egg in there as well. You never know. In 12 days I'll candle the two eggs laid in the past two days. After I know if they are fertilized nine days later my eggs should hatch...and I'll know exactly who my first egg layer is! Perhaps not amusing to you... but it's got me Super EXCITED!!!

Clive ( the stud of that bantam pen)

Clementine and Goldeen. ( Goldeen the black and orange one)



1st egg

2nd egg
In other news in the Taylor home we have a four chickes that are broody ( sitting on eggs so they can hatch). Although the Taylors do incubate around 30-ish eggs about every month we set eggs under the broody chickens and they've been producing little cute chickies. The past two days they've hatched some old english, and Ameraucanas.






As for other news... I have an over night job. I now watch doggies at the pets hotel in Petsmart. It gives me lots of time for my newly aquaired hobby (Crocheting ). So I've been working on my first blanket.



As I sat crocheting listening to a mixture of The Shins Nirvana and Neutral Milk Hotel & taking brakes to snack on YooHoo and ramen ( all at 2am while working over night at Petsmart's doggie hotel)... I was reminded that this must be why people keep calling me odd.

That's okay.

Slushie !!!

Last night was Greaaaat! I went to go see the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. ...yes because I'm five and a dork... but anywhoo It was pretty dang good and totally worth the over priced movie ticket :) . Today I slept in because I have NO work! I thought I'd bring Slushie in. She's a Modern Game chicken. She's got a bit of bad breeding which makes her even more difficult to tell that she's a chicken. I bought Slushie while I was out with Carmen on one of her chicken buying adventures. She got some roosters. I saw Slushie in a make-shift chicken coop troting around. Slushie was raised with a little girl in the home. The girl named her Snow Ball...and I wasn't really sure of the name. Carmen's momo suggested Slushie..and it stuck. Slushie is pretty well socialized and really sweet!

My Blogger is a bit different.

I changed up my Blogger a little bit. It's got a new name, banner, and I think I change some minor colors around. My sister has a Esty web page
( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7300252&ga_search_query=wechoosejoy&ga_search_type=seller_usernames )
where she sells her crafty creations. I thought I'm make one
( http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=7626694 ).
There's nothing up for sale because ...I honestly have no clue what I'd sell. it'll be an on going project. Maybe I'll get some more time to make a painting I want to sell or pick out a high quality image to make prints from.
...Maybe.

As for art. I haven't been making a whole lot. I've decided I really like pieces that focus on lines or are really painty... I'm sure that can't be a term & perhaps you don't know exactly what I mean but.. oh well :). Here's the latest pics.

The Battle of the Chickens!

I'm not sure what this is ^

A painting based off of the song 'Engine' By Neutral Milk Hotel possibly my Favorite band.

Some dream I had I think... : shrug :

From a picture I took at my brother wedding.

as for my Sketch book this is the only thing I've done in the past two months or so. I've been really busy with work and keeping up with everyone. Luckily I live at Carmen's house so my room is always Super tidy ( Carmen's momo cleans it while I'm out). For the past two week I've been teaching my Sunday school class about missionaries and good missionary work. For one of the activities the class wrote one of our branch members currently out and serving. His name is Elder Carmona and he is actually from McKinney so I do know him a little. It was great to know that he was going to be getting extra letters and drawings.




In other news... My last 4th was a little depressing being away from my family and friends. This one was just how I like them. We had a great BBQ and LOTS AND LOTS of fireworks!!! Carmen and I shot off the bigger stuff for the little kiddos with only minor injuries. I hope every one else had a great 4th of July.

Oh annnnd I'm using Google Chrome_ me likey!!!

If you have any suggestions for my art-ish stuff. Keep it coming :).

Turken Vs. Polish

I love Turkens, Polish, and bunnies so they're having a duel!!! I haven't made a painting just for fun like this in a while. It's made with oil pastels and acrylic paint.

<3 poultry <3

Here's my chickens:

Georgia: A bantam barred rock I got him from a guy my friend and I call the chicken man. I got her the same day I got Goldeen, Alice, and MayLing.

MayLing: I saw this cute little birdy running around in the baby pen. We thought we had lost her at first.. it turns out she just escaped for an adventure and came back around the chicken coop the following day. Carmen's mother found her and brought her in she camped settled in by the food and water for the rest of the day! She hasn't gone on any more adventures since that time.

Clementine: I got Clemtine the same day I got Elie. Clementine is a buff colored Cochin. She's very sweet.

Athena: I'm really not sure what day I got her. She is part of a special breed called Turken. She's got a small patch of feathers on her neck it's refered to as a bow tie. One day when it was really raint and icky out Carmen mom made her a scar...

Elie: He's a standard Cochin. He's one of the first chicks I bought. I spent lots of time with him... his name use to be Ellie... turns out Ellie was a boy. I quickly a name change the day I noticed his comb coming in big and red.

Monique: I got her one crazy night along with Greta, Ping, and Necterine. Carmen and I went around after sunset to get some chickens for ourselves and her neighbor. She's Black Australorps

Izzy: An Easter Egger. I love her colors. I don't get to spend too much time with her, she's very jumpy.

Spearrow: From the second most recent hatching. She stood out to me because of how little and black she was, and even though she was so tiny she is really good at perching on my finger and staying on.

Harley: I love the way she looked as a chick and I'm very satisfied with how she's looking now. She is a Silkie and Easter Egger mix.

Fluffy: Fluffy is an Easter Egger and Rhode Island mix. I want to keep her because of how sweet and overly fluffly she was as a chick.

Slushie: I got her from a home with a nice family including a really friendly and kind little girl. I can tell she got lots of attention. Slushie's name was snow ball... but I didn't want to keep that name... so Carmen's mom suggested Slushie and it stuck. I bring her out pretty much every time I feed the chicken and she sits on my shoulder or walks around in the yard and eats grass. You can tell from the picture she doesn't think about much else than grash.She's a modern game with poor breeding I believe.

Slurpie: Is a Lemon Blue Modern Game. I'm pretty sure he'll be a great little handsome rooster that'll be great for making pure bred Moderns Games further down the road.

Buckle: Buckle is from the same hatchlings as Redd and Spearrow. Buckle I just thought was really interesting and wanted to keep to see how she'd turn out. She's some type of Silkie mix.

Zeplin: Zeplin and Hen-Drix are from a more recent hatching we did from home. She's a polish mix. I love the colors we got with those mix polish!

Emmie: I got her on my brother's birthday as an Easter chick. She's a Rhode Island... she'll be red and lay lots of eggs. She's very well socialized and sweet.

Hen-drix: I think she is a she... They are really pretty lots lot of fun to let perch on your shoulder.

Greta: Is one of my most favorite types of chickens a Barred Rock!!! I got her a bit older she should be one of my first to lay some eggs.

Necterine: I got her because I loved Clementine so much! Those to and Clive will make a great trio!

Redd: I'm thinking Redd is a rooser. I kept him to see how he'd turn out! I'm not sure what he is.

Alice: She's a Millie Fluer D'Uccle. Carmen has one very similar I saw on the last time I was at the chicken man's place. She's great!

Twiggy: She's a cute little Silver Modern Game I got the same day I got Slurpie

Goldeen: She's a gold-laced Bantam Cochin I couldn't resist how pretty she is.

Eisley: I got Eisley the same day I got Elie. Carmen said she'd get me a baby duck and I got one! Eisley is a black Indian Runner duckie and I love her!

Ping: Ping along with MayLing is a Japanese . I love how cute and small they stay.

Here's some recent viedos.

My and Carmen's geese that we recently lost:



Carmen and I did some thing Messy out side and try to clean off our boots... and act silly like we typically do... I the questions I asked her are a result from making time pass that whole day:




Carmen and I encourage a little baby chicken to hatch... don't worry it didn't die : D it was just a bit tired. :

in a nut shell

Sooo

this lame-O pic of pics will help sum up my life as of late.

First of all ANIMALS !!! I have 23 Chickens, 1 black Indian runner duck, and 2 mice.

I bought the mice from work (Petsmart). Their names are Poe and Pancake! My best friend Carmen found some baby geese and took one of them... I felt left out and hers needed a friend, so I bought one. She's the yellow looking one in the pics. Her name was MayFly and I grew very attached to her, and spent as much time as I could with her. Unfortunately, she was attacked by a dog as well as Carmen's goose, Gambit. I was very upset, but I suppose ... its fine now. AS for dogs, Diesel got fixed. Pepper is set to have her last litter of puppies soon, and puppy may have been accidentally bred. A few of the dogs got shaved down for the summer. Carmen's chicken count is around two hundred now, and steadily growing. A week or two ago Carmen and I were moving some chicken huts around and while we were moving some of the pallets we ran into two nests of baby rats! Uh ... well actually Carmen walked through them I could hear them squeaking. The next thing I knew we were running around FREAKED OUT. All the chickens in that pen were grabbing the rats and fighting over them... ripping them apart. Carmen and I while screaming and hopping onto a chicken hut, narrowly missed getting dead rats bits on us. We were able to save two baby rats to look at for fun :) . So basically My life at work and at home revolves around animals but I love it!!!

As for getting out and being social... I don't have too much time that. When you live with you best friend it's difficult to want to get out to make the effort. I do go and visit with my mom and make calls to the rest of the family to make sure they are well and happy! I recently got to see Julie and her baby James, who is SO cute! Julie's got another one on the way, how exciting!!! Other than that... I run into people or people come over here for a little bit. I've been making time to see every one during the small holes in my schedule when I'm not doing something else.

Let's see... what else??!? I've realized I can't draw... and my camera seems to have a weird smuge on it that shows up in random images. I do have a few little things going still. I learned to double crotchet!!!

As for school... well there's no school!!! UNfortunately that will have to end eventually and I may be starting classes in Jan 2010 or... in the summer of next year. I want to be an art teacher ...and so I wanted to major in art education... but I'd really like to major in fine arts because it would cover more of what I like. I'm not sure how successful I'd be as a teacher, annnd I think I could just major in fine arts and teach it... maybe I'm wrong. As for minoring it'd be more practical to go for ceramics (which I Love) but I would be very interested in animal science. Who knows ?!?? I don't! All I know is that being how should, and working towards what I want is difficult, and I am just seeing where everything goes.

Oh annd I just remembered I teach a Sunday school class with Carmen. It's CTR 7. I felt impressed before I even came back home that I would get a calling in primary.. and well it was right. If you know me at all you know I feel uncomfortable with little kids for the most part, minus a few amazing exceptions. The idea of children of my own freaks me out and I'd never wish a child to endure what a crazy mommy I'd be. The kids I teach are from the little town of Blue Ridge. They are so sweet and helpful, well ya know just so great! Their attention spans can be a little small sometimes, but I think they try a little bit harder because they like us. There are two students of mine that stand out a lot, Jaden and Susie. They always love to tell me how their week was, and have funny little stories and jokes to tell me. It's great to have my class, and it helps remind me that not all kids are crazies!

Well there ya have it.