The Hidden Gallery

"Reunion"  5 x 7
SFA is an acronym for Small Format Art.  It is art that measures no longer than 14" in any direction.  SFAs include ACEOs and OSWOA.
Enjoy.

The original is much more vibrant with color in real life.  Enjoy this scan anyway!


Enjoy!

"Hello" Original 4 x 6 Watercolor Painting

Mermaid Pond
4 in x 6 in
watercolour, ink, pencils on 140 lbs. paper

OSWOA is short for original small works of art and are sized at 4 in x 6 in.  Visit the official website for more information about this new art movement.

Enjoy.

 

It's too bad that the web images can't pick up all the colours.  I can only imagine how stunning the aceos created by you guys are in real life!  *swoons*

After experimenting with a variety of pens, I've decided to go back to using the old school pens that have nibs. *sigh* None of the other pens worked for me.  I don't like how the line is one width without variation or movement.  It's boring and I am unable to make it interesting or make it come alive.  So, back to simple and affordable dip pens.  How much I love to hate them. 

Well, hate is a really strong word that I try to reserve for things I really do hate, like nazis, racism, homophobia, etc, etc.

The saying "love to hate" is something many of us can quickly understand and sympathize with but they are rather strong words.

I also have a love/hate relationship with religion.  I think in this instance the feelings are penetrating enough to justify using such forceful words.

I love all the inspiration that comes from religion, the incredible art and music, philosophy, poetry, etc, etc.  But I absolutely hate all the wars, perversions, fears, genocide, abuse, etc, etc that also comes from it.

Anyway, back to the pens. 

I'm using Speedball Drawing Nibs


with FW Acrylic Based Artist Inks.

I love all the fine, delicate lines and how they can be used to create different widths.  I don't like the possible ink spillage or mistakes or the scratchiness to the paper.  The problem is that I'm shaky.  It developed a few years ago.  Every single picture I took in Costa Rica is blurry because I am almost always shaky.  At one point it got so shaky that my eyes and vision was shaking so much I couldn't read and navigation started becoming risky.  Going cross-eyed is also becoming a concern.

Fortunately, it has calmed down quite a bit that I am able to make aceos.   I just have to remember to take a lot of breaks!
So that is the compromise I have to make to use this pen.

Oh, and back to the religion thing... I'd like to think it's spirituality that has value.  It isn't a compromise.  It's a choice.  But that's just my opinion.

The scanner really does take away the brilliance of colour.  Enjoy anyway!

More ACEOS

Do you know what it feels like to paint entire walls after painting tiny 2.5 in x 3.5 in cards?

Wonderful.

Finished reading:



Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster
by Svetlana Alexievich (Author), Keith Gessen (Translator)

Need proof that nuclear energy is not a good idea?  Read this book.  Prepare to be saddened and horrified.  Anger at poor government, petty politics and costly bureaucracy that led to such suffering.  It is criminal what happened.

*   *   *
I don't want to be depressing after that so here is a shot of warm fuzziness (a.k.a. serotonin):

Check out these new websites where you can buy cool, handmade things!

The community art market:
lov.li

and independent art and design:
www.elsewares.com

I've already seen quite a few beautiful things there!  Then you can visit www.lov.li/users/thehiddengallery where I have started listing art!



In another earnest effort to create more real estate around here, we moved the furniture around again.  I had misplaced the Alice painting unfinished for weeks.  And I found a whole bunch of unfinished paintings that I had completely forgotten about including this WIP:




Out of sight, out of mind!

Anyway, Larv told me he thought I was doing better because he noticed I was reading again.  That's a good sign.  And, I've started making my weekly pilgrimage to the library again.  More blogging.

Because we moved the furniture around, I haven't really been able to use the easel for big drawings of late.  Acrylic paintings are still left undone until I figure out the jenga solution to the problems.

This new arrangement allows me to look out the window from my desk.  My neighbours across the street have a huge big screen tv in their living room.  I can see everything they are watching when they leave the curtains open.  They recently got a Nintendo Wii and I have been watching vicariously as they play.  lol

It has not been a good photoshop day.

But looky here!



Here too:  clickey me!

I just finished reading:



I enjoyed this book.  I kept hearing about it and I heard they made a movie of it.  It is thoughtful and gives a hopeful feeling.  It will cheer you up and soothe your soul.  I wonder how the movie was?

And I also read:



Now, I've heard that there was some controversy concerning the truth in this book.  I didn't know much about it - only that it is recommended by Oprah.  So when I saw it in the library on the "Best Bets" shelf, I thought, "well, why not?"  I was curious.

What a disappointment.  The beginning of the book was interesting because I could relate a little to the main character.  But it started getting tired really fast.  About half way through the book, I was wondering when the heck it would end.  It's so long because of all the repeating  phrases and he does
this
a lot.

I mean
a lot.

It was hard to read at first because he uses strange grammar.  There are no quotation marks in the whole book so it gets confusing as to who is saying what or when they say it.  Not very many commas.  And he uses the word "and"
a lot.
I mean
a lot.
So much so that it gets really
annoying.
Annoying.
Really annoying.
And he capitalizes certain words which is fine but confusing.  Sometimes I couldn't tell if it a word was capitalized because it was important or because it was a proper noun.

I had to finish it.  That's the kind of obsessive person I am.  It wasn't easy.  The most interesting thing in the book is the character named Leonard.  I wanted to know more about Leonard and because I'm am a glutton for punishment and a little masochistic, I had to read:



which is just as
confusing.
Confusing.

Losing a couple hours of your life to crappy books is one thing...so thank goodness i didn't lose any $$ over them.  The library rocks!!!

I can't recommend these books and I cannot just tell people not to waste their time with them.  These books are books that you either love or hate.  It seems a lot of people love them.  You'd have to find out for yourself by reading them.

I am looking forward to reading:



which is a parody of "A Million Little Pieces".  I'm sure I will appreciate it!  This will also help me justify wasting time to read "A Million Little Pieces" just so I can enjoy the parody to its fullest.

A little harsh of a review?
Perhaps.
But it leaves me smiling.
Smiling.
Smiling.
Smiling.
Because I'm being Honest and Real and sharing my Experience and I hope you're laughing too and I bet you find it just as funny as I do and if you don't that's okay and this is the kind of writing Structure that works sometimes and you happen to be e. e. cummings and can write beautiful poetry.

(lmao... I'm sure you're laffing at my journal entry too if you've read his books!)