Sweet Month Of February

A few days ago one of my facebook friends posted this link. I shared it as soon as I read it hoping it would help get the word out about copy right violations. In fact I shared it again this morning. I think the more this story is passed around the better. Maybe it will help get the message across to the public that taking pictures off the internet without permission from the owner is a big no no. Here is the link http://www.blogher.com/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-using-photos-your-blog-my-story

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Oh but Debbie, if computers hadn't been invented we wouldn't be talking right now. Computers are good tools. It's just sad and madding that not all users are honest. Then their are those who are just plain clueless. The link above is about and for them. That's offal that flicker wouldn't do anything. Most sites such as that have forms called a dmca you can fill out. here is another link to a discussion that is active now in the main forum. http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=1024532

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Thanx for starting new thread Darice (for me).
I think the problem is the time out thing (15 minutes) on faa and I get the boot when I post. I obviously have to come here first then read activity and stuff. Funny for years I have been here and all of a sudden. Sort of a silly thing (the 15 min.) I think.
I have lost soo many posts and feel bad about the stupid ones Ieft - it was/is very frustrating.
Anyway I have been following you all. Congrats on the book cover Darice. I saw James book covers too and they are fabulous.
Cold here and a wee bit of snow - not much though and walking still good.
I just walked over to next townline (probably about 2 miles).
Wonder if Pauline is still at her walking.
Gotta go cuz I am a slow typer and dont wanta loose this!

I don't know if you remember the story I told you guys about the large framed print I ordered, "Island Feast" from FAA. It has turned into a nightmare. First the package was delivered damaged in transit by UPS, but the print inside was not damaged, but was poorly framed by FAA. Then two weeks later FAA sent me another framed print, but not at my request. So now FAA has filed a complaint with UPS because of the original box that was damaged. Why I don't know, because the print inside was fine. Anyway, now FAA wants me to repackage the original print in the original torn up box and have it picked up by UPS... as if it would make it back to FAA? This is not customer service, this is a bad dream. I emailed FAA customer service this morning saying that my wife and I had re-taped the original box with the original print in it and it was ready for pickup by UPS. I also told them that this whole process was very unprofessional and that I would never order another framed print from them.

James - I just read this - as a talk about nuts aside - I logged out and relogged in (not to use up my 15 min) to respond. Now isnt this nuts!!!!
Yes sometimes this bureacracy stuff is crazy. If I wondered when you first posted - it seemed to good to be true (and was). I would not reorder in your shoes either. All I have ever ordered is some of my own cards (they were fine). If you are going give a 100 percent guarantee give it (sorry I couldnt find the percent sign on my laptop so had to type it to save time...).
Lets all have a drink before my time runs out!!!

Yahoo!!!!! Pat's back. Good to see you Pat. I'm a type slow too and have lost many posts. That's why most of my posts are short.

James, wow, sorry to hear about your shipping woes. I've never ordered a framed print through FAA, just cards like Pat. What a hassle. On a lighter note, how are you enjoying this incredible day?!! Talk about being spoiled here.........Sometimes I feel bad telling my friends and family how nice the weather is when they are suffering below zero temps......not.

I had a great morning painting at the Gallery. Then I walked over to the harbor to get some more reference photos. I'm working on a 16x20 oil painting of the harbor and needed to get some detail shots of some the boats and buildings. Speaking of which, it's time to work on it....so see ya all later.

I read Julia Robinson's post, hopefully a new contributor to this thread. Welcome Julia!

Darice, the FAA package is still waiting to be picked up by UPS. Every time I look at it I get angry. Oh well.

Today was a better day, still very cool up here in Kalae. Yesterday I planted about 15 Italian parsley plants in my vegetable garden, tomorrow I will be planting dill plants. I have lots of dill recipes on my food blog. I grow vegetables from seed in little pots out on my lanai until they get big enough to plant in the garden. I bought two bunches of Swiss chard today for $3.00 a bunch (small bunches). That's why I grow my own food, not only does it save me money and taste better, but it gets me away from this keyboard, plus I like getting my hands dirty.

Kimberly and I went for pizza today. We only have one restaurant that sells pizza on this island, but it's pretty good. Yesterday a neighbor phoned and said that she just baked a loaf of crusty bread and was bringing it over. It was still hot from the oven. We had some of it last night with pasta and clams with lots of butter and garlic. Tonight it's artichokes for dinner. You just have to boil them in salted water for an hour, then eat each leaf by scraping the bottom bit of the leaf between your teeth, where the meat is. When you get to the heart of the artichoke you get several big bites. I dip the leaves in a combination of soy sauce and butter that has been heated. Kimberly just uses mayonnaise. I love artichokes. Enough rambling... IT'S ALMOST COCKTAIL HOUR!

Hey James. We grow most of our own vegetables here when the weather is good. We have to wait until late March to plant our garden in North Carolina, but my husband starts everything from seeds in the garage under grow lights. Our tomatoes grow until September and we normally have an abundance of squash but our root veggies don't do so well. We get a small crop of potatoes and maybe some carrots where we're lucky. I make pints and pints of tomato sauce in the summer and freeze it. I just used our last jar of it a couple weeks ago. I know what you mean about the vegetables tasting better. Our broccoli tastes so much better than the anemic looking stuff we get from the store. LOL.

Julia so glad you found your way here. I know you are going to fit right in with this group of foodies. Now don't worry, we do talk about art once in a while.....hehehe. If you have any questions someone here will be glad to answer. James is our Hawaii chef, he lives on the beautiful Island of Molokai' and writes "taste of Hawaii" (did I get the title right?) blog and has written three cookbooks. Oh and he is our golf champion. You'll soon meet the others as they pop in.

No No Darice, it's http://www.tastinghawaii.com/

Julia, Darice is our host for this party. She and Charlie live an island away from me, on Maui. Darice is very active in the art world on Maui, teaching classes to children, VP of an art club, painter, book cover artist, etc. etc. It's hard to keep her down. I sometimes wonder if she ever sleeps.

It sounds like you do up a lot of tomatoes Julia. One of our other cooks is Pauline, who lives in your neighborhood. She puts up a lot of vegies.

It's a beautiful morning, I just took my dog Maka for a walk and noticed that my lime trees are full of blooms. It must be spring in Hawaii.

My cousin live in Honolulu. Her husband is stationed there in the Navy on the USS Hopper. I've been interested in food since I was a kid. My parents were horrible cooks and never made anything from scratch. I grew up on Shake and Bake and over done pork chops. Both my parents worked so at the age of 10 I was expected to cook dinner when I got home from school and have it done and ready to eat at 6 p.m. We joke that my mother's turkey at Thanksgiving is so dry that its "turkey jerky". I watch Food Network religiously and I love to make things taste better than what I remember growing up. I want to eventually try to brew my own beer when I get adventurous.

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You poor thing Julia, you must be a good cook. I grew up on shake 'n' bake also. I still put chicken in a bag and give it a shake. When I met my wife Kimberly 30 years ago, she was living in a small trailer, parked in her mother's driveway in Monterey, Ca. She knew nothing about cooking but that didn't matter to me. Now she's a great cook. We take turns in the kitchen. She's a great lady.

Some of us love to cook, and some don't, life's a mystery.

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There are many myths and legends here on the Islands. I love the rich history behind them. There are legends past down through eons of years by the Hawaii people and legends made up for the tourist industry. I personally love the ancient legends, have been studying them for years.

The older I get the more I like to cook. As a young adult/mother I didn't enjoy it that much because with four kids every night at least one of them would complain. Now it's different. Being gluten intolerant It is much easier for me to cook at home then to find an affordable restaurant here. Plus Charlie really enjoys the meals I make. He also does all the cleaning up after me, I love that part.....hehehe. We live in a condo right now so are not able to grow any veges or fruit. We are taking our time in deciding if we want to buy a house or condo. Both have advantages and disadvantages. If we buy a house I want to grow a lot of things. I love working in the dirt and the feel of the earth in my hands.

Pat is still having issues with posting in our group. She has been emailing me to keep me up to date. It seams she can do everything on FAA normally except post here. Both Sean and Beth (Sean, owner of FAA. Beth, FAA moderator and all around fixer of problems) are at a loss as to why this is happening. I do hope the problem gets solved for her. In the mean time she is reading all our post and misses you all. She is going to London in three weeks and is very excited (lucky her).

Pauline, whatcha up to?

HI everyone... it has gotten soooooooooooo cold here. Was 26 degrees this afternoon. My car windows were frozen over and my one side door stuck. No fun getting things defrosted! lol

Helping my sister make up a dinner party tomorrow night... Italian of course. Made the sauce today and tomorrow we put the Lasagna together.

Pat its tooooooo cold to walk right now.. I really want to but not with this freezing air plus the roads are slippery. Think I could use a cocktail! lol

Hi Julia.. Ive been rather busy and not getting here as often...Welcome aboard.

Nothing new except that lively painting I just post. Thx for the compliment Pat! Im really like other cultures traditions... lots of color.

tata for now gang.....

Yes it's cold here too. The high didn't get out of the 20s yesterday. We had an ice storm roll in and the roads are nasty. At least the bad weather canceled drill for today with the Army. I have an entire Saturday I can devote to writing or painting. Yay!!!!

I feel bad for you guys, I saw the national weather report today and the cold weather that is hitting everyone. I wish I could beam you up to Hawaii. The only thing I can say is that I lived in Minneapolis, and Chicago, two of the coldest places I ever want to be in. I remember having to put an electric dip stick in my engine block at night in Chicago just so I could get the car started in the morning, and that was in my garage. And shoveling the snow off my driveway every morning just so I could go to work. And walking 10 blocks to my office only to arrive with ice cycles hanging from my beard. I had a beard in those days. No thanks! I deserve warm now. Hawaii is warm all of the time, well mostly.

I played in a golf tournament today with my club. I won the thing. $11.00 was given out to me each of my three team members. It's a game called scramble. Hey, $11.00 is $11.00.

Have a warm Sunday!

Morning all.
Give me credit for trying - though I will loose this!

Miracle of miracles - must be a good day in faa.
Off to London UK soon as Darice told you. Never been before so... with my aunt.
James did they ever straighten out your print situation.
Waving at you all.
Swamp romp next.

Yahoo Pat!!!!! I'm glad your back. I was missing Happy Hour. It's just not the same without you....hehehe

BIG congratulations On your win James. I bet you play for the love of the game and not all those big bucks you make. I'm with you in feeling like I deserve to be living in Hawaii. 32 years in Lake Tahoe was more cold and snow then I ever wanted. Since moving here I've been cold maybe a handful of times.

Julia, are you in the army?

Pauline, if I remember right, I use to spray wd40 around the seal of my car doors to help them not stick. Spay "Pam" on shovels so the snow wouldn't stick and I even had to use a utility light under the hood of my car to keep the battery warm enough to start in the mornings. Boy am I glad those days are over.

Today we are hoping to get out to do some photography but the vog is back and it hinders both visibility and breathing. So we may just hang out at home. I hope you all have a fantastic day what ever you do. Aloha for now.

Hey Darice,

I'm in the Army Reserves. I play clarinet in the 208th Army Band in Concord, NC. I've been in the Army Reserves for about 13 years. I just got home from drill today. We had a weekend to catch up on paperwork and I didn't get to even touch my clarinet all weekend. Yesterday the weather was so bad they canceled drill but at least I still get paid for the snow/ice day.

I've been working on creating a new website on weebly for my art for about a month now and have been driving myself crazy over it. Charlie built my original website many years ago. He did a great job but it is a stagnant site, meaning nothing has changed on it for a very long time and I don't have a blog on it. Every time I need to update it I have to wait days and weeks for Charlie to get some time to do it for me because he built it all in HTML code. But then it dawned on me yesterday FAA has already provided me with all the tools I'm looking for; blog, the ability to upload new works with out having to wait for Charlie, newsletters and on on. My artistwebsites through FAA is exactly what I needed. So today Charlie forward my doname name to it and now when anyone goes to www.daricemachel.com it takes them directly to it. My very long frustration and head ache is gone. I don't have to make new business cards or send out emails to everyone telling them about the change. I can now direct more traffic to it. I don't know why it took me so long to recognize that artistwebsites is a valuable tool. I know it now and I'll be working it a lot more.

Hey Pat, the answer to your question is no. On January 21 I received an email from FAA's production department via a person by the name of Cortney in FAA's Customer service department "The customer needs to pack up the order back in the box and have it ready for UPS." That was 6 days ago. I am tired of trying to get this thing resolved. I guess it will just sit in the box until someone at FAA says I wonder what ever happened to that print? What FAA doesn't seem to understand is that Moloka'i is a very small community. We have one UPS truck and one driver who probably is not well trained. FAA's last comment from their production department was "Not sure why the driver was confused. They do this all the time for claims."

Well I will go for broke and try again.
Ah James - sort of figured it was something like that. Yes it is odd when companies dont realize certain geographical restraints. I know we cant get tv at our cottage but according to the company we can - duh... reality check.
It is supposed to be freezing rain today here - yech - that is the worst - oh well winter in Canada - a lot a whole lot better here than in Winterpeg. I dont miss the horrid weather at all.
Going work on my mixed media art today - see where that goes.
This time last year I was in Hawaii - sigh.
Good luck with your website stuff Darice - I hate computer stuff.
Off for you guessed it a SWAMP ROMP!!!

Yahoo Pat. Your post worked!!!!!!

This morning I came across this bit of interesting news. Michael's arts and craft store is being sued for false advertising. All I can say is It's about time. I worked as the Frame shop Manager at the Chico store for one year. Boy what a joke that was. My stomach was in knots the whole year because of the bad business practices I faced on a daily bases. Anyway here is a link for some interesting reading regarding the law suit. http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/1399-michaels-to-pay-18m-settlement-over-deceptive-advertising

Hello, I'm new to the group just wanted to say Hi and While I have been on FAA a while I haven't gotten into the social side of it, and am trying to figure it out.

Darice - That is cool that you can point your domain to FAA. I totally understand about website drama. I have had my site for many years and it has gone through several facelifts but I like where it is now. I have been considering changing to a different company but dont want to deal with making a new site. :-)

Welcome Guenevere, I love your work. It's bold, big and beautiful! Cute picture. Making my FAA Artistwebsites my main website was the perfect solution, at least for the time being. It has everything I need on it and then some. The best part is I can update it when ever I need to without having to wait for someone else to do it for me. Plus it's cheap, at $30.00 a year you can't beat the price.

OH thanks so much!

How did u make that link of me? lol

Happy hour - problems still exist - posted earlier but it is gone....
Had a drawing worjshop today - fun - lets see if this works.

Kay it worked.
Did my drawing workshop - had to draw my footwear - will post soon.
Okay up north in Canada they have dog shot days (shot all the strays cuz they dont look after and spay & neuter pets) - can you believe this!!! makes me sooo sick - I fretted all day - how barbaric - I am sure they have an excuse - but there is none. Sorry I am soo mad about this. Imagine!!!

I saw your post on facebook, Pat. I was wondering where "up north" was, now I know. How terrible, it sounds like they aren't managing their stray issues very well.

Guenevere it's easy to post images from FAA to the discussions. Just go to the image page you want to use, on the right hand side of the image there is an area that says "Description" "Posted" "Statistics" and "Color". Right below "color" there is an "image link" box. In the link box there is a code number. Highlight the entire code, copy it then paste it in the discussion. You will see two to three lines of code while you are writing the post but once you hit submit you will then see the image. Give it a try.

Here is a painting I've been working on the last few weeks.

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That law suit doesn't surprise me Darice. When I first started painting I took lessons from my teacher at Michaels every Wednesday night. The staff at the store was always cranky and treated my art teacher horribly. They finally kicked our art class out when Michaels changed some company policy and only wanted Windsor Newton instructors. We now have class at a local art store with people who are just as crazy and creative as we are. It's much more fun. I try to avoid Michaels when at all possible.

I've always looked at February as an optimistic month. While things are usually still frozen and snow-covered here in New England, there are some subtle changes. The days get noticeably longer and the sun is higher in the sky. Spring won't be here for several weeks, but there are signs that it's coming.

This is how I feel about February. I just did this painting, and it came together pretty quickly so I think I'll do another one in a larger size.

I hope the link works. :-)

You did it, Guenevere! Your painting reminds me a lot of my home town, Lake Tahoe. The roads there looked just like that in the winter. Buuuurrrrr Cold!

Hi Debbie, how's Chico?

Julia, I'm glad you followed your teacher and not the nonsense of Michaels policies. That place drove me nuts the year I wored there. I would go to work early, sit in my car and meditate to fill myself with positive energy before going in. After work I'd do the samething to get rid of all the negative crap that surrounded me that day. I called it my decompressing time. Everyone who worked there was always stressed out!

Michael, nice to see you. I hope you stay warm while waiting for Spring.

Well I'm off to work. Have a wonderful day everyone.

Morning - going for broke here.
Spent 10 hours doing art yesterday - maybe get a couple up later.
I see new folks - welcome. Hope this post works.
Yesterday it was +14 here - OMG - it was only 13 in Madrid Spain.
Will catch up with you all later.
Swamp romp next

Good morning:)
It's like spring here, highs in the 70's!

Happy hour for all youhappy folks
2 weeks til I go to Beths' homeland - OMG I am excited.
Thanx for comments Michael - your work is brilliant.
Debbie sounds nice and wram.
Pauline, James were you chefs at???
Got brave amd entering some work in a juried show - first here - we will see how that goes - all depends on the juror.

I feel your pain, juried shows can be nerve racking. I hate rejection and that is the one thing holding me back lol.

Thanks to you, Pat. We dog freaks have to stick together :)

It rained pretty much all day in Lahaina today. So I spent the day in my studio, nice and dry. I was going to post earlier but had computer issues. The issue is I inherited Charlie's laptop since he just got a new one. We were syncing my iPhone and iPad to it and kept running into problems..... Soooooo I painted all day. I did four miniatures and worked on my oil painting.

Morning all.
So what kind of dog/s do you have Michael? I have always had German Shepherds - swampy (long story) is a long coat GS.
Guevere - is there a short form of your name - I apologize in advance if I spell it wrong. Pat is so darn easy.
I have done juried shows before. In Manitoba to belong to the MSA you had to be juried in. It is disheartening if you dont make it BUT also very validating when you do - to me it meant my work was of a certain caliber. As much as 'I pretend" it doesnt matter if I dont get in - it does - so much depends on the jurors. It is a big step sort of like the first time you paint a blue tree LOL!
Sounds like you had a productive day Darice.
Computer problems tell me about that. Mind you this is the only place I really have had problems.
Saw your great photo chef James - loved the green & dark orange contrast - very abstracty!!!
Where you at Pauline???

Pat, I've always had mutts. Our current dog, Lulu, is mostly Golden with some Shepherd and who knows what else. We got her as a rescue from Mississippi when she was about 3 or 4 months and she had some health issues. She's about 4 years old now and is the love of our life :)) As you can see, she's healthy now!

It's Aloha Friday!!!!!! That means we will be visiting galleries and artists tonight on Front street. Every Friday is artwalk on Front Street. We have made some good friends who own their own galleries. Jim Kingwell http://www.kingwellislandart.com/ is one. We really like going and visiting with him every Friday and Rafiel at Gallery Rafiel. We also visit Village Galleries, of course. But tonight we will be visiting a new Gallery. The artist is a new client of Charlie's. The main reason we go to these artwalks every Friday is to help gain business for Island Printing and Imaging. So far Charlie has picked up 6 or 7 new clients. Some of the galleries we don't have an interest in visiting are Wyland's, Sargent's Fine Art, Martin Lawrence and Peter Lik, just to name a few. Before our big move here, we did a lot of research on all the galleries to get a feel for them. The ones we visit each week are the ones that are either galleries ran by the artists themselves or is focused on local artists. The ones we are not visiting (at the moment) are Big name artists who only come to their galleries once a year. These are the kind of galleries who hire sharks or used car salesman to pounce on people as soon as they walk through the door. That kind of salesmanship has always been a huge turn off to me. OK enough of my rambling, it's time for me to get focused on something productive.

I hope you all have a fantastic day.

I had a delicious mahi mahi sandwich today down the hill at a small local restaurant called the Kualapuu Cook House. The fish was fresh, sauteed and served on a bun with lettuce and tomato with a sweet-tart tartar sauce on the side along with French fries. Sooo good!

Sounds like fun tonight Darice. I hate those galleries with the "sharks".

We got over 1 foot of rain in the last 30 days. That's a lot of rain! The island is now green. We really needed the rain.

We've been invited to a Super Bowl party Sunday. Naturally we will be wearing our red and gold colors. Our host is roasting a pig for the occasion. There will be lots of other food and beer. Go Niners!

Beautiful dog Michael - good for you for the rescue. I had a wonderful rescue Jazzy Bear but she died of lyme disease a few years ago - she was a treasure. Just ol' swampie left. Thanx for comment as well.
Darice - we went into the Peter Lik gallery in Waikiji - oh my yeah the sharks. I was not impressed. Good for you for sticking to locals and promoting local work. Let the Peter Liks' of the world do their own thang!!
Mahi Mahi sandwich - OMG - I love mahi mahi. Have fun at your partee James!!!

Morning all.
First here I see. It appears my posting issues in this group are gone (yahoo). Nothing has changed at my end.
Love your new skirt Darice - you look like a real Hawaiin gal now!
I saw a tv interview and a woman from Toronto said she would be glad when this long hard winter was over. Okay I am new to this part of the world BUT I have never been through such an easy non-existant winter. That woman should move to Winterpeg. Most of the time we have no snow. Last Wed. it was +14 - easiest winter I ever knew. Cobourg rocks!
Swamp romp next

Good Monday morning everyone. I hope you all had a great Super Bowl Sunday, that is for those of you who live in USA. How was the party James? Charlie and I have decided to make a new tradition for Super Bowl Sunday, whale watching. OMG what a great time we had on the whale watching boat yesterday. We saw a lot of whales breaching and slapping their tails. Charlie got a lot of really good shots. My camera was having issues so I gave up on it and just took pictures with my iphone. I even recorded the whales singing. You can check it out on my fb. https://www.facebook.com/darice.machel (here's the link for those of you who are new)

Thanks Pat, I had fun making it (my skirt that is). I use to sew a lot once upon a time. Now I just paint a lot.....hehehe

Morning all.
I cant think of a better way to spend superbowl sunday (or any other sunday) for that matter, than whale watching - such magnificent creatures.
How fabulous Darice.
Cold here but no snow. Just the usual - swamp romps and getting ready for my big trip to London. Gotta buy an umbrella today.
Looking forward to my trip.
Later all.

Hi Everybody,

Well I finally recovered from my weekend. My daughter turned 8 on Ground Hog day and invited over 30 kids to her birthday party. Twenty five 8 to 9 year olds showed up for a party at my tiny house. In between the kids and relatives and parents of the kids we had over 50 people at the party. Yikes. My husband wore his woodworking ear plugs the entire time. The next day we took the leftovers from her party to a Super Bowl party on Sunday. So I guess it worked out. Now I only have 6 months to plan for the next birthdaypalooza when my son turns 6. LOL.

Julia

Wow! that's a lot of screaming kids Julia, must of had a big cake.

Sounds like a good idea Darice. Whale watching is a lot of fun.

What a Super Bowl party we had, even though we lost, we had a great time. About 40 people showed up, all Hawaiians some with their kids. Dogs were running around looking for scraps of food to eat, people doing the same. Three guys cooked 4 huge slabs of pork belly in what is known as a China Box, basically it's a large box on wheels that you put coals on top of and whatever is inside roasts. These ovens are very popular here for parties. After the pork bellies were roasted, then they put another half pig in. In between the same guys made all kinds of other local goodies. While they were cooking, so was I on a local char broiler made out of an old water heater. I cooked 6 rib eye steaks over Kiawi wood. Then I cut the steaks thin and slathered them with my BBQ sauce. Everyone brought something to eat. So much food. The last half of the game was very exciting, what a come back the niners had. Oh well there's always next year.

Sounds like some feast James. YUM!
I shopped til I dropped - cooked boring quiche for supper now wine time -W(H)INE!!!

So I entered a juried show and got in - yeah I am excited. Juried shows can be tough as we all know - always depends on the juror.
Anyway I am pumped.
Good morning all.

Here is the under-painting for my new painting:

Hi all, I think I introduced myself last summer then promptly disappeared.

Since then I've been busy moving (again) and decorating, with plenty more decorating to come. No small brushes for me at the moment, but a great incentive to get on with the house.

David, your new work looks great, I can't believe that it is only the underpainting at this stage.

Whilst not painting at the moment I have been trying to improve my art skills and have recently read a really good book on composition. "Composition in Art" by Henry Rankine Poore. Does anyone else have any books they can recommend that go beyound the "Getting started in oils" that have helped to take your work to the next level? I am guessing that these will be old-school college texts for fine art students or similar.

Pib, the thing that made a huge difference for me is not books, but rather, I took some classes at the local artist cooperative. The classes were not graded. In fact, they were more like adult enrichment classes. I got miles ahead in my painting skills by doing that. I found a very good instructor there that I'll take just about any class he offers.

The thing too about classes is it kind of makes you paint on a regular basis. Even if you have a day that you might not feel like painting, you sort of have to for the class. It keeps you going, so you do not stagnate.

Good morning everyone.

Pat getting into a juried show is no easy task. Congratulations again on both your art being excepted and the guts it took to enter.

David, you most defenatly have a good teacher but you also have passion, drive and talent. All your paintings have the look of a seasoned artist. Even your underpaintings show your skills.

Pib, good to see you again. I have a huge library of art books. I use them as references for my students. There are times showing a student pictures of technique is better then words. The best books I can reccomend are the ones that speak to you. Sometimes I can spend hours going throught the art books at Barnes and Nobal before I choose the one I want. David gave you great advice. Take a workshop or class from a teacher who's work you admire. You will gain valuable info as you work the painting in class. So, where did you move to?

Thanks Darice and David. I go along to the Guild of Aviation Artists sketching days, which giet me great advice and critque, but there are only about 4 per year in my region. I'll look into classes when the house is done.

Burgers and fries for dinner. I'm going to slather mine with a hunk of blue cheese. Something different.

I played in a golf tournament today but didn't do very well, came in third. Hey won $5.

It's so beautiful here in Hawaii yet I keep looking at the snow storms on the east coast. I guess I need to remind myself how lucky I am to live here.

So where is Pauline? I miss her. Perhaps she has started a chain of food trucks and has forgotten all about us?

Happy hour ya'll.
Great advice David - when I moved to Cobourg I didnt know a soul. I started taking watercolour classes and I love the teacher. She is so open and that is what I love. She lets me do my own thang - which is important to me. I have learned the basics of watercolours (which I never did before) and do my own thing (the pen & ink). Anyway I know a few folks now and it is good.
Went to juried show toady - some good art and some not so good - the juror who knows why and what they pick.
I miss Pauline too - she is busy on fb with all her amazing photos.
G'day all.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((FRIENDS))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) I miss you all too! Sorry I have not been here but yes I am spreading love & light with incredible images I find! And words of wisdom and encouragement to find and follow ones heart. Also have been heavy into meditation, learning about tantras and mantras & Indian art and now attending a native american sacred dance and medicine wheel workshop! It is all relative with our changing times and I feel quite elated right now . I am also into sound vibrations for healing: harmonic voices, singing bowls, tibbetan bowls, drumming. It will change the way we heal, especially ourselves.

I am not cooking James. Right now an introspective season here for me & occassional painting. Yet I did make a huge pot of Leek & potato soup for a fundraiser the other day to help a familys financial struggle with their ill daughter. Always so heart wrenching in those circumstances. I also cooked with my sister a couple weeks ago an Italian feast for a gathering of friends. Nothing else new.

I have not forgotten you at all friends.... I have a calling to persue as I realized I am a conductor for spreading love & light & healing energy. I am a shaman!

Love to you all..............

I haven't been around a few days. I've been at Fort Jackson, SC with my unit on the rifle range. We had 2 very long days shooting and now I'm dead tired. I'm definitely an artist and not a soldier. I always do horribly at shooting at the 300 meter target. It looks like a tiny speck of paint on the horizon. I think I'm going to get new contacts or glasses this week since I clearly can't hit the broad side of a barn. LOL. No painting this weekend but I started a new one Wednesday night from a photo of my Army band. It's very detailed so it may take me a while to finish.

Pauline it is so good to have you here in our little group. You have great energy and you liven up the place with your wonderful posts. Right now as I'm writing this, you are posting on facebook. I have you, Pat, Ann and all La Creme members who are on facebook set as close friends and family so that I get notices every time one of you makes a post. Since I'm writing this from my iPhone I'm getting lots of notices of your postings. Keep the good energy flowing.

Hi Julia, what a busy life you lead. You defanitly are in the right group here. As you probably notice this group has lots of busy people in it. Your new painting sounds great. I just finished one and started two more. I uploaded the last one in a series of WIP ( work in progress ) and made a WIP gallery on my FAA. I used my iPhone to take the pictures so the images aren't as clear as I like. But they do the job. David also does WIPs (as you can see from his post above) we love watching his progress. So I guess what I'm saying is, show is your's.

Aloha James, $5 is still $$ in your pocket and I bet you had a great time putting it there.

Pat, how many days left before you fly off to lands far over the sea? I bet you are already packed....hehehe.

Today we are heading over to the other side to visit a friend who is part of Open Studio Tour here. He is in a group of 17 artists so we'll get the pleasure of seeing and meeting a lot of artists. But now it's time for lunch. Have a great day everyone.

Morning all.
Just lost my last post. My fault I guess fiddling around on faa.
Darice I saw the photo of you & your friends on fb - beautiful and so Hawaiian!
Pauline I know you have a strong spiritual side and good on you for following it. I also have this but a few incidents sort of scared me, so I try not to let it out too much. I love all your fb postings.
Julia you do sound like one busy gal.. Shooting would not be my thang. Will go check out you work.
Went to the art show opening. Funny no matter where you live they are all the same, but it was exciting to see my work in a new venue.
Now off for, you guessed it a swamp romp.
2 days til I am off to London. Will be outta touch for 10 days or so, but thinking of you all.

Progress:

Morning all.
David - wow!! awesome work.
Swamp romp - gotta rush cuz I will lose this any second.

Great work David - its coming on beautifully. The drawer handle is a nice touch and really lends balance.

Happy Valentine's day everyone. I hope you all have a sweet day!!!!

This is the first time after 1 year that I finally have the time to read all the messages on the whole thread...wheeeeeew...you are still so talented...and there are new ones too...

Hi to ALL and Happy Valentines Day (below is a photo of my mom's orchid)...yes, I'm hoe for a 2 weeks vacation and my mom is vacationing here too so we're 3 now hehe...

I hope the links works as it's been awhile since I've been here....

Thanks, Pib. Thanks, Pat.

Welcome home Ann, I bet you are happy to be in your familure surroundings again. I know we missed you around here. The orchid photo is very beautiful.

David your painting has an amazing glow about it. Love the lighting on the vase.

Have a very fun, safe, inspirational trip Pat. Bring us back souveniers hehehehe.

Aloha Ann, and happy Valentines Day. That was a beautiful orchid shot.

Tonight I'm fixing lobster for my valentine. She bought me a box of chocolates.

Have a great day everyone.

Good Morning guys...

Recently I've been receiving emails from someone who he said is interested in buying my original artwork "After Shower"...

The thing is, I have never sold my original artwork to someone I have not personally met before...Thus, I don't know how the process should go - should I send in the artwork first?...he'll wait until he receive it and then send me the payment?...One more thing, the original artwork he wants to buy is only from my 8 x 12 inch sketchbook - I know I should send it in such a way that it can't be crumpled or damaged during transportation...But, how should I send it in a professional way?

And one last thing...how should I know if he's a fraud?...or not? hehe

Thanks in advance for your advise...

Ann, first let me say congratulations. Selling originals to strangers is hard to do at first, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. This is what I do when I get an on line sale through an email. First I reply with a short email thanking the person for their interest in my art. I tell them a little about the piece they like. Such as size, medium and where I painted it or why I painted it, I let them know the price of the painting plus shipping. I tell them I only except pay pal for payment ( I have found this to be a great way to ward off scammers and frauds). If I get a response back from the interested person I know it's not a scam. Most scammers want to send cashier checks. (I'll only except personal checks if I know the person and I let them know I wont send the painting until the check has cleared the bank.) Often I get an email back with more questions or an OK to send the pay pal invoice. Never ship before you receive payment. Now as far as packaging goes, you have it easy. 8x12 can fit into a large mailing envelope. You can get padded ones or heavy duty ones. Put the piece in a clear sleeve with your business card and a printed BIO. You can sandwich your drawing between two pieces of cardboard then slip it all into the envelope. Make sure you charge the customer for shipping and packaging. I hope I've been helpful. Good luck.

HIYA, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY all! PIB you have returned! Nice to see you. Hi David. New painting is beautiful. Hi Ann..ditto what Darice said! lol Good to see you.

I just returned from a native America workshop. Its great. Our instructor is the from Micmac tribe here in NC and a psychotherapist! lol just what I need! hehe, No, he is terrific! He did Mens Traditional dancing tonight so I took lots of photos plus alot of smudging. I smell like smoke! cough.... but it was great energy. Next week hes doing the Eagle Dance. We all kind of jump in at some point. Each class gets more involved in the Native way... so it really is awesome learning and doing.

Nice Valentines dinner James! Drooling over here!
Lobster sounds great....

We went out to a Mexican restaurant the other night (girls night out) and had a delicious meal and Cadillac Margaritas!!! OMG they were potent! YUM! It was great. And the waiter was mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! so cute! hehe

Im working on a painting of a gal who plays crystal singing bowls and Tibbetan bowls... Soon to be finished. Will post here next week.

Nice to see ya'll... have a good nite

This link was posted on the main forum. I thought some of you might be interested in seeing it.
http://www.artsyshark.com/125-places-to-sell/?goback=.gde_2768233_member_207087455

The other day a friend who likes to cook asked me if I would be interested in being a personal chef with her. She said that she got a call from a group coming to Moloka'i in August. They have a house on the west end of the island, or have rented one, which is the more exclusive part of the island. It's a group of nine adults and some kids, not sure how many. They want us to cook dinner for them for a week. The hitch is that two of the adults are vegans. So it gets complicated. Anyway I told her that I wanted to see the house that we will be cooking in and want to know what the pay will be before I say yes. Sounds interesting. I put up a new personal chef website just for fun: http://personalchefjamestemple.blogspot.com/

Just got off the golf course with a friend, so I started cocktail hour already and it's on 3 pm here. Oh well, who cares.

PS Pauline, the lobster was wonderful last night, and the box of chocolates that Kimberly gave me was also wonderful. Life is good.

Hi James...may be you can be the personal chef of a famous person too...I think their kitchen would be great enough for you to cook in and challenging too hehe :)


Thanks for the advice Darice and Pauline...I skip the part of the BIO and business card though...as I, currently, don't have one - one that says I'm an artist or something related to it. So I just decided to write a note to the buyer...as to why and when did I draw the portrait. It's funny how I remember things and how it feels to sell your original artwork,,,it felt like a part of me is going away too. I suddenly missed my friends and how our life seems to be so different now. I wish I can turn back time and draw more while we are together.

Yes "life is good" James - I just wish it could be different...for me :)

Good night guys...I'll try to hang around here more during my vacation.

Nice website James. May I share it on fb? You never know what rich and famous person is stocking me......I mean following me on facebook.....hehehe

Ann, a hand written note is a good substitute for your Bio. Collectors like to know about the artists they buy from. It gives them something to talk about with their friends and family. And it could lead to more sales for you.

Today I'm working on creating 4 or 5 lesson plans for the 11 kids art classes for Lahaina Arts Association. They are simple lessons for the entire class to create a poster for a fund raiser event we are putting on in April. I have lots of ideas running around in my head, too many. So I better get off this computer and get to work. Have a great day everyone.

Almost done. I'm going to sit on it for a few days and see if I want to change anything:

I guess I did not wait a couple of days after all. I did a final push and finished it:

Well done David!!!!! Your still life is spectacular!

My newest !

Later!

Pauline that's wonderful. Is it a self portrait of your inner peace?

Compare the painting above to the reference photo:

David, your reference photo is beautiful I can see why you wanted to do the painting. If I remember right, you did some photoshop work on the photograph to get it the way you want. Is that not right? The painting is even more beautiful then the reference photo and that is as it should be. You did an amazing job on the wood grain of the table, the shadows and highlights are great and the background color you choose is perfect.

The reference photo was a complete Frankenstein. I liked the flowers in one photo, the pitcher and bowl from another photo, and the table from even another photo. I stitched them all together into one photo and used it as a reference. The reference photo as it is never really existed in real life.

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Debbie, she is beautiful!!!!!

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It's strange the code is not working for you. I did it from my iPhone. But you might be right about Firefox, try safari and see what happens.

Life here is great. The whales are here. We get to see them breaching and splashing around almost daily on our ride in to Lahaina. We have become so fascinated by them. This week has been very busy for us. We have had something to do every night this week. February is a very busy art and whale month around here. Open studio is every weekend, there is a Plein Air event going on and lots of whale calibrations. Fun fun fun.

This painting has just reached 8000 views. It's my number one most viewed painting on FAA. It usually gets over 50 views a week and it's one of my top sellers.

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I have been working hard on building my art career for many many many years. It takes time and patience. I've been working at promoting my art on the web for about 13 years and FAA and facebook since 2009. My views are high because some people have shared my images on twitter, facebook and stumble upon and I'm on Google plus. I also have a Yelp account and I'm on a lot of free web listing sights that direct people to my website on FAA. My name ranks high in Google searches as well as my images. And I do believe there is a few of my paintings on Amazon, placed there by FAA. I also pass out a lot of business cards. My domain name http://www.daricemachel.com is now directed to my artistwebsites account (it's the free website you get when you are a paid member of FAA). Another thing I do here on FAA is I put my work in a lot of the contests and other groups. I also join in on a lot of conversations in the main discussion forum. Other things I do off of FAA and facebook are I subscribe to quite a few blogs and newsletters on how to market art online.

Wow, I didn't mean to go on and on. That is a long answer to a short question. LOL

Wow, Darice! My most visited piece is this one at about 450 views, a fraction of what you get. I've got a ways to go.

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I started a new discussion for March. Here is the link.........see ya all over there
http://fineartamerica.com/groups/la-creme-de-la-creme-.html?showmessage=true&messageid=1081296