ARTMAN GREG'S SCRATCH PAD

The View From Here: Journey to Rhinebeck

2011-10-25T17:49:00.001-07:00

I bring you my story about the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. I was fortunate enough to attend this event 2 weekends ago, and the weather held up the entire time I was there. But I did pass through a few brief showers before reaching the festival.

I knew it was going to be a great day when I woke up just in time to see this glorious sunrise:

I couldn’t stop looking at it or taking pictures of it, until the sun peeked over the mountains. After that I got ready to leave for what would be an all day trip. I was making a stop in Cornwall to meet a friend and then it was on to the festival from there. I didn't realize it, but my journey would also be taking me down memory lane. It brought to mind all those annual fall foliage trips our family used to take when I was growing up. Every year we would drive on Saturday in October to Upstate NY to admire all the fall colors and stop at whatever interested us as we drove to Hepworth Farms on Route 9W. To my surprise, I would be taking the exact same route past the farm to get to Rhinebeck. I was delighted! As I got closer, I began to remember all the places we stopped, all the landmarks I had memorized, and how much they had changed or stayed the same in the years since I had last seen them. One place we often stopped was at a scenic overlook on the side of a mountain on 9W:

Plenty of scenic, “Sound of Music” breathtaking panoramas to be had here!

My route took me right past Hepworth Farms, but alas it was no longer there. It makes me melancholy because I remember they had a nice farm stand with all kinds of fresh veggies and fruit, a huge barrel with fresh apple cider in it, fresh hot donuts, and pumpkins. I would always get to pick a pumpkin to carve later for Halloween, get a tasty candy apple with coconut on top, and buy my absolute favorite jelly in the whole world, red currant jelly. Fortunately I have plenty of great memories and pictures to remind me of the special place that Hepworth Farms was, and here are a few of them:

After driving by a bridge, and crossing a bridge (I don’t remember the name of either),

it was on to Rhinebeck. It was my first time at the Sheep and Wool Festival, and I was looking forward to it. I was not disappointed. There was so much to see and do and hear, not to mention eat! If you would like to see my pictures from the festival, click on http://loomdude.blogspot.com/2011/10/loom-dudes-rhine-beck-journey.html.

The View From Here: Dramatic Skies

2011-10-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

You know me and how much I love the drama of the skies around here (I never tire of them!), so here are a few more dramatic sky pics from the rolling hills of Central NJ:

This one reminds me of the scenery from the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute:

And for an equally "dramatic" dinner, homemade salmon burgers with sweet potato fries, a pickle, and a delicious cuppa pomegranate kefir!

Next time I will be posting pictures and sharing stories about my trip to the NY Sheep & Wool Festival, both here and on my Loom Dude blog.

The View From Here: Stormy September Part 2

2011-10-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

And here is part two of the stormy September series:

And when the storms were finally over, we were rewarded with a rainbow:

The View From Here: Stormy September Part 1

2011-10-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn, everyone! We have been getting a bumper crop of storms around here lately. And where there are storms, there are plenty of interesting storm clouds to photograph; so many, I had to break this series up into two parts:

I always find it interesting how the shapes of the clouds sometimes mimic the shapes of the trees in front of them:

I like how the parts jutting out from the back of this truck appear to be reaching out for the sun:

Stay tuned for the completion of the series next week.

The View From Here: September Sunsets and a Lot of Hot Air

2011-09-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

I've been able to start catching the sunsets recently, so here are a few of them:

Ok, so this one is from August, but isn't it lovely?

Can you spot the hot air balloon in this photo?

These are my paper towels at lunch one day. I just liked the way they looked. It was a chance arrangement; I didn't plan the shot at all. But when I saw it in front of me, it said, "Take my picture!!!!" So here it is:

The View From Here: Lee Remnants and Various

2011-09-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few assorted photos I shot over the last couple weeks. My computer has been down for a week or so and I wasn't able to post as soon as I wanted to. Tropical Storm Lee came through here on the heels of Hurricane Irene. Thankfully, no phone poles caught fire this time, but in many places they were still dealing with flooding from Irene. Here are a few shots I took around town after the storm:

Some cheerful flowers

A beautiful sunset

My Hurricane Irene Story

2011-09-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Irene, dear Irene. I thought you were going to let me off easy, I really did. But no, you had other plans for me, didn’t you?

On Sunday afternoon after the storm I went outside to start taking pictures of storm damage when I smelled wood burning. “Someone must be using their fireplace,” I thought. Then I saw smoke wafting through the air. I looked up, and there it was: the top of the telephone pole in front of where I live was smoldering. “What on earth?” I wondered. As I looked, sure enough I began to see tiny flames burning the wood.

I ran back inside, and sure enough, the lights were off. Just seconds ago they were all on, and it was a “normal” day. Now it was becoming a drama. I called the fire department and then I went back outside to look at the telephone pole, which was starting to get more flames inside of it. As I stood there watching I also kept a wary eye on the trees, which were being blown this way and that in the high winds, hoping no branches would come crashing down around or on me. After awhile a fireman came and said there was nothing he could do about it. “Spraying the fire with water would be dangerous for us, since it is an electrical fire and the current would simply come down the water to us,” he said. “It will just have to burn out. If the wires come down, call us back.” I wasn’t too comfortable with that suggestion, but what else could I do? You can see there are a lot of lines attached to this pole:

The fireman put up cones to block off the street, and left. I called the power company just to be sure they knew what was going on. Just after I called them I noticed a tree had fallen across the power lines several feet away and was pulling them down almost to the ground. It appeared that this had stressed the lines and caused the fire. “O joy,” I thought. “It could be a day or two before the power comes back on at this rate. Good thing I didn’t go out to the supermarket and stock up on food. It could be worse, all this could have happened at night during the storm.”

"The fire in that picture doesn't look like a big deal," you say. But think about it: how would you like to have a burning telephone pole in front of where you live, no matter what size the flames are? Of course, with the hurricane winds whipping around, the fire on the telephone pole in creased in intensity. It soon became apparent that the lines were probably going to come down. Glowing embers began to float down into the grass, which thankfully smoldered but did not catch on fire as a result. The top of the pole began to crack and lean precariously to one side. “Surely the wires are coming down,” I thought. “I hope they don’t because that means I will be stuck here until they fix them.” Cars continued to drive up and down the street underneath the wires, some unaware of the danger overhead, others gawking at the fire. Thankfully the fire didn’t engulf the entire pole; just the top, which was now at the breaking point. I decided it was pointless to stand outside and stare at the pole, so I went back inside. Periodically I would go back outside to check, until finally I noticed that the fire was out and it was just smoldering at the top again. I decided to go out for dinner and think about it the next day. I had a place to stay if I needed to, and worrying about it wasn’t going to make the power lines get fixed any faster.

As I left for dinner, I noticed just how precariously the wires were hanging from the top of the pole. One false move, it seemed, and the whole bunch of them would come crashing down. Naturally, the diner was packed with storm-weary folk who were without power in their homes. Afterwards I returned home. During the night I slept with the window open and could hear chainsaws buzzing around 1am, but they were further away. “I didn’t think they’d be out working this late,” I thought to myself as I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. “Hope they come up this way and work on this problem too.” The next morning both the fire and the lights were still out, and the wires had not fallen. But look how close to falling down these wires are. The top of the pole appears to be hanging on by splinters:

It wasn’t until Thursday that the telephone pole was fixed and power was restored!

Yay! I wasn’t there when it happened, but a new section of pole was added to the top in place of the burned out one. On Monday through Wednesday I spent the nights over a friend’s house and salvaged as much food as I could from the fridge and freezer. And after chatting with the next door neighbors, I discovered that further down the street a large tree had fallen down across the over the lines and set the nearest telephone pole ablaze much more dramatically than my little pole-top burn. It usually isn’t until things like this happen that you really slow down enough to appreciate the modern marvels of electricity, clean running water, refrigeration, and having friends you can call on when you need them. Fortunately there was only a small puddle of water in the basement that slowly dried up once the power came back on. It could have been a lot worse for me, as it has been for so many others in NJ who may very well still be without power and flooded out. Here are two other photos I took after the storm:

First Hurricane Pic

2011-08-27T18:45:00.001-07:00

As I'm sure you know, we are expecting Hurricane Irene today here on the East Coast in NJ. I took this photo earlier today (in Hunterdon County) before the steady rain started. The weather was cool and I thought to myself, I ought to get out and do some yardwork before the storm comes, but I wasn't really sure when the rain was going to start so I left the yardwork alone. The steady rain didn't start until 5pm.

I will post pictures from the storm's aftermath once it's over.

The View From Here: Cloud Compositions and Edible Art

2011-08-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Now that it is almost totally dark when I usually take my sunrise photos, I'm taking more pictures during the day instead. I think I got took some pretty interesting shots:

Photo of a construction site in the early evening -

A local farm on an overcast day:

A look at downtown Newark (NJ) through the bird netting covering the window:

A moody sky that is about to get violent, for sure -

Puffy clouds, with a dragonfly that wandered into the shot at just the right moment -

And last but not least, a bit of edible art: bean salad and roasted veggie kabobs (yum, yum) -

The View From Here: Windswept Paradise

2011-08-17T18:31:00.001-07:00

The view from a particularly stormy day here in NJ:

The View From Here: Sunrise Series Coming to an End

2011-08-08T16:37:00.001-07:00

My sunrise cloud series will soon be coming to an end, sigh. Not because I want it to, but because the sun is rising later and later in the mornings now, and you know what that means: autumn will soon be here. So enjoy:

The View From Here: Moody Clouds

2011-08-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some more cloudy sunrises for you to enjoy. The clouds can create so many different moods! I never tire of looking at them:

And then there's one little lonely cloud, who vanished away just moments after I snapped the photo:

The View From Here: Clouds and Snakes

2011-07-25T18:13:00.001-07:00

The clouds, no longer teasing us nor playing cat and mouse, finally gave us what we wanted: much needed relief from the heat, with cooler temperatures and rain (at last)!! But before the rain, an orange-colored sky:

And I've been working on getting the craft kits for church done early this year. This snake was from one of the lessons that got skipped last year:

It is simply a paper plate cut in the shape of a spiral. I used watercolors to paint it.

Cool Clouds And My Nutty Heart

2011-07-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

More of my favorite subject lately: clouds ~

A few early morning hay bales ~

And, while cracking walnuts open the other day, what should I chance to see?

A heart. A little love goes a long way!

Berries and Skies

2011-07-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I took a short break from posting last week so I could enjoy a week off. But I was still busy taking photos and picking wild raspberries (at last). Based on last year's berry post, the berries were a little late this year. But they still taste just as sweet.

First, the cloud pictures:

And the berries:

The first pickings are usually a little slim, but now there are tons of berries to be had! Yum, yum! Maybe this year I'll finally make some wild raspberry jam!

Carnival!!

2011-06-27T18:50:00.001-07:00

Met up with some friends for some fun at the annual Immaculate Conception Parish Festival in Clinton, NJ this past weekend! They have great rides for the kids and adults, and it was a beautiful day. Turn down the sound when you watch the videos:

All aboard the Monkey Mayhem! Monkeys were a popular theme at this carnival.

The Monkey Maze Fun House, with a mirror maze, fun house mirrors, and a twirly slide at the end! Yes, Daddy went through the maze and down the slide.

The Ferris Wheel, and views from it:

Assorted other rides:

The sun set on an awesome outing, with a good time had by all!

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

The View From Here: Father's Day with Cloud Visions

2011-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, one and all! Here is the wonderful art that my daughter created for me, as well as two other pieces she made recently:

In my opinion, this vase with flowers can rival Van Gogh's Sunflowers anyday:

Looks like she used wax or melted crayon on this one:

In case you haven’t figured it out, I have a thing for clouds and sunrises. Transient and elusive, formed and fleeting in seconds, clouds fascinate me as a metaphor for life itself. These photos in particular put me in mind of composer Philip Glass' Cloudscapes, or the opening chorus from Bach's Cantata 26, which likens the brevity of life to the fleeting clouds. These were taken just after a large thunderstorm had just passed through:

The rising sun always reminds me that no matter how dark life can get, a brighter day is coming:

The View From Here: Sunrises of Note and Wild Skies

2011-06-15T17:51:00.001-07:00

As I was driving along in Hunterdon County this week I was passing by a surprising number of deer along the road. It was a bright, sunny, early afternoon. My experience has been that deer are active at certain parts of the day, but this time I was passing by a lot of them! Thank God they all stayed put. But imagine my surprise when just around the bend, there was a BROWN BEAR crossing the road! It was small, though if it stood up it would probably be as tall as me. Naturally I slowed down and fumbled, trying to get my cell phone out so I could get a picture of it to post. But it lumbered across the road and disappeared into the brush, which is just as well. I knew Momma Bear or Pappa Bear had to be nearby and could be watching. My first thought upon seeing it was how beautiful an animal it was. The second thought that quickly followed was how to get away from it or keep it from getting excited about my approach. It appeared not to even notice my car at all and thankfully it was going the opposite direction of where I live, though I have seen "evidence" of bears around. Since it was smack dab during the daytime I was surprised to see it; I thought they were mainly active at night. Personally I don't want to see any more of them but this is the second time this year they have been sighted uncomfortably close to where I live.

Since I didn't get a snapshot of the bear, here are two sunrises of note that I photographed this week, and a couple of wild skies after a storm:

Another Emerging Artist

2011-06-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today, in addition to my photographs, I'd like to introduce you to another emerging artist in the family: my daughter! She enjoys making art, just like Daddy! Here is a gallery of some of my favorites of her works. She's sure to be one to watch -

Wait until I get her into knitting too! : )

And here are a couple of panoramic shots of the rolling hills of Hunterdon County, NJ:

The View From Here: Thick Morning Fog

2011-05-31T17:49:00.001-07:00

Last week I was greeted with a variety of early morning conditions on my commute. One morning the fog was deep and murky, so thick you could barely see through it enough to drive, even though the sun was already up. I didn't blur these pictures; that's how it looked:

The next day it was bright and sunny, with beautiful colors in the clouds as the sun rose. The sun is that tiny red dot near the horizon, believe it or not:

Then over the beautiful, sunny, warm weekend I had a chance to take some pictures outside of a dogwood tree. The first picture I'm not that crazy about, but I included it so you could see how the whole tree looked, loaded with blooms:

Up close and personal:

Even more personal still:

I couldn't resist!

The View From Here: Clouds & Matzo Balls

2011-05-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today I am exhausted. I had planned on going outside to do a little yardwork (emphasis on the word LITTLE), since we have been getting so much rain and everything is turning into a jungle. Today is the first day in a week that it hasn't rained at all, though it has been overcast all day, and cool. Ideal for doing work outside. So outside I went, after generously slathering myself with bug repellent cream. I was going to mow the lawn but then I thought, hey, I'll trim the hedges too, it won't take too long. Next thing you know I was cutting tree branches and pulling weeds, and it was after 6pm when I came back inside. Work always turns into more work, it seems. But the job is done and it looks nice. And I had a chance to think as I worked, which is always nice too. Naturally, as I look out the window while I type this, it is getting darker and darker, so we probably will get some rain after all. Glad I got it done in time.

Here are a few photos I took of the clouds around here. They are all taken on different days, and all taken with a cell phone camera. I like the way I was able to frame the shots and how interesting the clouds looked:

No, I wasn't driving when I took this picture.

This one looks like a painting to me:

I like how the trees are framing the clouds in this shot:

I almost forgot to mention: at Easter-time this year, I decided to make matzo ball soup for the first time. I looked online for a simple recipe and went to the store to purchase the supplies. But alas, when I went to purchase the ingredients individually, I was not happy with the price. So I decided to make a prepared mix. Streit's matzo ball soup was on sale, so I bought that one. My daughter enjoys matzo ball soup as much as I do, so she was interested to see how I made it. I followed the directions, shaping the matzo into small, meatball-sized balls. I thought they were going to stay that size, but they expanded nearly 3 times as much once the soup was done. It was very good, but it didn't taste like the kind that we usually get from the diner. Next time I will splurge and make it from scratch to see what it tastes like that way; I like the experience of making food from scratch, even if it takes longer. I sprinkled a little italian seasoning on top before I ate it:

Hot Melted Butter...

2011-05-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

I was making chicken tikka masala for dinner the other night. I poured olive oil into a skillet, and then put several pats of butter in. As the skillet became hot, the butter started melting in a very interesting pattern:

almost fern-like, or like an undersea coral. I don't recall having seen it melt like that before, or maybe I just didn't take the time to notice such things, have you?

One more picture of some beautiful blooming rhododendrons:

Almost to the end of my series of blooming flowers. Next up will be dogwood and peonies, once they bloom.

The View From Here: Sunrise

2011-05-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

Now that the sun is rising earlier and earlier each day, I can take a few shots of it at varying stages. Here are a few pictures I took today:

Watching the sun rise is one of the best parts about getting up early. Don't you think so?

Read about loom knitting phenom Isela Phelps, Sherri's Hat Shop, and Brain Food

2011-05-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

For all the Moms out there, I thought it would be nice to interview a couple of enterprising Moms, in celebration of Mother’s Day. Click http://www.creativehelps.com/interviews_3.htm#ANOTHER_COLORFUL_LIFE_~_ISELA_PHELPS to read my interview with loom knitting phenomenon, Isela Phelps.

Known and admired by many for her insightful loom knitting tips and creative designs, Isela chats with me about creating patterns and what inspires her.

Also, you will be inspired by my interview with Carol Bruner and the story of Sherri’s Hat Shop.

Sherri’s Hat Shop provides free custom hats to children and teens with hair loss from cancer and alopecia. Click http://www.creativehelps.com/interviews_3.htm#ANOTHER_COLORFUL_LIFE_~_CAROL_BRUNER to read all about how Carol got started, and how you can create a hat!

Finally, I posted a new review of Brain Food, a product offered by Fat Brain Toys, at my CreativeHelps.com Creative Product Review blog.

Take a look and see why I recommend Brain Food!

The View From Here: Round Valley Afternoon

2011-05-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

The warm breezes of Springtime, the sweet aroma of blossoms, the company of family on a stroll through Round Valley Park in NJ... what could be better?

The View From Here: More Spring Blooms!

2011-04-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Meandering about in the warm Spring weather, taking a few pictures of the blooms I see!

Cherry blossoms:

Pear blossoms!

I don't know what blossoms!

Then I made a delicious sweet potato bisque from a recipe I found online. It was so smooth and creamy! The decorative sprig is a celery leaf, with a dash of paprika for contrasting color. Yummy:

In case you've never had the pleasure of hearing spring peepers (tiny frogs) chirp in the early morning, I managed to capture it here. Don't bother to look for a picture; just listen:

Happy Passover! Happy Easter! Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

May you and your family have a joyous celebration, remembering God's deliverance, and being mindful that we have been put here to take care of our planet.

Below are a few more reminders of what a wonderful Spring it is turning out to be here in New Jersey.

Every Spring I look forward to seeing the forsythia bloom! At this time of year, in a certain spot along route 22 in Hunterdon County, there's a long stretch of forsythia planted in the center median that is just a joy to behold! Rows and rows of forsythia, stretching for what seems like a mile. This is just a small portion of it:

It was a little overcast the day I took this photo, but when the sun is shining, it seems as though drops of golden sun are resting on the surface of the earth because the forsythia glows so brightly!

I captured this shot on a windswept day after a storm:

And finally, an artistic rendering of a couple of baby daffodils blooming:

Last Church Craft Until Fall

2011-04-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the last church craft I made for this session of Kids Quest. It was pretty easy to do. It's a wheel that you can turn, reminding you that you can pray anytime:

I really enjoy preparing the crafts for the children's ministry each week; even more so now that my daughter is involved in the class. It makes me feel like I'm helping out, even if it seems like a small contribution, I know that any help that teachers can get to be more prepared is a big deal. In my small way I am helping impact the next generation.

I also spent some time this week reviewing some ideas for art projects I'd like to work on. I picked out a few and hope to start posting my progress soon.

The View From Here: Duke Island Park

2011-04-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Birds chirping in the early morn, robins flitting about pulling up worms from the ground, daffodils and crocus popping out to say their cheerful hello, spring peepers chanting their glorious chorus in the evening... yes the REAL Springtime has arrived! The fam and I took a stroll after church in Duke Island Park, a refreshing little getaway in Somerset County, NJ: http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/parksFacilities/dukeIsland/DukeIslandPk.html.

It is a nice park to just take a walk in along a paved path that winds alongside the Raritan River, and there was just enough wind to fly a kite! Last year we had a picnic and rollerskated our way along the path, which is also used for biking. Here are a few pictures of the enjoyable afternoon we spent there:

The kite was high up there:

Looking out on the Raritan River:

Plenty of twisted trees to fire the imagination:

Daffodils happy to see some warm weather at last:

Here are two more pictures that weren't taken at the park, but I felt that they should be included as well:

The View From Here: First Day of Spring 2011

2011-03-28T17:45:00.001-07:00

Welcome Spring, at last! But... what's this? SNOW?!?!?!?!? Hmmm, there must be some mistake. Especially since we hit almost 70 degrees the week before. Sigh...

My artistic rendering of snow on a tree branch:

Well, at least something looks bright and cheerful today:

and the crocus didn't croak either:

Moon Date

2011-03-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the moon was the closest that it has been to the Earth since 1993. I don't remember looking at the moon back then, but I took out the camera and tried to get some shots of it last night. Of course, the camera didn't cooperate; but I did get some artsy shots of it:

and here's an artful plate that I made for dinner: oven baked tilapia with a sun dried tomato sauce courtesy of Lawry's, and a helping of Aloo Gobi (caulifower and potatoes in Indian spices - courtesy the Aarti Party show on the Food Network):

I forgot to add the cilantro garnish, but it tasted great anyway.

A Look Back

2011-03-12T15:41:00.001-08:00

This week I was going through my inspiration box. This is a large box that I keep that contains ideas, projects I started, thumbnail sketches, and various other stuff that I want to eventually turn into artwork. I found my sketchbook that I had used several years ago. It was during a time in my life when I was working at a non-creative job, and it was draining the life out of me. I was frustrated that I wasn't getting any creative work done. Then I read an article in an artist's magazine that described exactly what I was going through. The author of the article advised the reader to "create art right where you are, out of or in spite of the dull junk of daily life." It was then that I realized that I didn't have to be working at a creative job to use my creativity; I could draw the things I saw around me. Suddenly the mundane and ordinary objects around me became interesting. On my break times I began to draw the things I saw:

The reason I took out my sketchbook in the first place is because I thought there was room in it to draw the picture of tomatoes that I took a couple of weeks ago. But the sketchbook is full; I will have to find another one.

I'm going to work on getting some drawing time in again. I love knitting, but I also need to work on my drawing, scratchboard and painting. Just last week I was thinking about a watercolor piece that I'd like to create. It may take some time after I've completed the research I need to do, but I am going to put the steps in place to start the work.

The View From Here: An Afternoon at Round Valley, NJ

2011-03-06T18:44:00.001-08:00

The weather was a little warm this weekend, so my daughter & I headed over to nearby Round Valley Recreation Area to spend some time together playing outside. This is the best time of year to go in my opinion, because it is free to get in before the season starts on Memorial Day. Otherwise it is $5 per car I think, and me being Mr. Frugal hasn't paid to visit the park yet. If it is up to me, we always go during off season:

They have nice picnic areas, and several play areas with outdoor gym equipment for the kids to play on:

Of course, Daddy couldn't resist getting on the swings himself!

Another nice thing about Round Valley is that there are several beach areas:

Plenty of room for nature walks, exploring God's creation and using it as a teaching lesson for my daughter. I know enough about the different kinds of trees and wildlife that I can point out certain things to her as we walk. Maybe next time we will bring a maginfying glass to take a look at the grains of sand, pinecones or bugs up close, or the other interesting tiny details most people miss.

The View From Here: President's Day Snow

2011-02-27T17:49:00.001-08:00

It snowed yet again around here, this time on President's Day:

Later on, after the sun came out, I noticed the tomatoes I had put on the windowsill to ripen. The way the tomatoes were arranged just resonated with me, so I photographed it:

Perhaps I may create a sketch of them from the photo; we ate two of the tomatoes already.

More church crafts

2011-02-27T17:45:00.001-08:00

Two more recent church craft projects:

Moses, in a nutshell.

The Red Sea, parted. The yellow part with the shells is the dry sandy riverbed; the wave with the fish in it is the Red Sea parted.

The View From Here: NJ Blustery Day

2011-02-21T05:40:00.000-08:00

On Friday it was nice and warm; on Saturday temps dropped down into the 20s & 30s, with wind gusts up to 50mph. Great day for flying a kite, so we went to the park and did just that:

You can hear how windy it is on these videos:

Great day for taking a couple of pictures too:

Couldn't take any more; running out of space on the ol' camera.

The View From Here: Sunset on Friday

2011-02-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

Church Crafts

2011-02-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some church crafts that I worked on recently (from the Kids Quest curriculum):

Joseph's Hat (something he might have worn in Egypt)

Zaccheus climbing the tree; A necklace Joseph might have worn in Egypt:

The burning bush Moses saw:

100 Days

2011-02-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

My daughter's school just celebrated 100 days of school. I'm not sure why, but they asked parents to work with their kids on a project that they could wear and also a project on paper. I helped her with both. Below is the outfit I helped her make:

She added the glitter at the bottom, I added the felt and sequins at the top. You had to have 100 items on the shirt, so I sewed 100 sequins by hand onto the number 100. This was taken after she wore the shirt, and it had more glitter on the bottom when we first worked on it:

Here is the back:

I cut her name out of felt and sewed it onto the shirt, then added a few sequins for the i-dot.

To be honest I didn't see what the big deal was about celebrating 100 days of school; we never did it when I was growing up. But once I finished the project, I thought about what I want to do for next year.

Did You Watch The Super Bowl?

2011-02-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn’t watch it, but I did watch some of the ultra-cute Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/! Irresistible! So cute to see puppies running around and playing! And who wouldn’t be delighted by the kitten’s half time show? OK, so I watched more than a few minutes of it, but I look forward to seeing it each year.

The View From Here: Oh, Deer!

2011-02-15T19:48:00.001-08:00

All the snow has begun to melt at last,

and the deer are nibbling whatever tender morsels they can find:

NJ Winter Sunsets

2011-02-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

A few sunset pictures I took recently using a cell phone camera. I touched them up a little bit in a photo editing program. No, I wasn't driving when I took the pictures!

The View From Here

2011-02-02T14:08:00.001-08:00

Ice Storm 2011

a "Shrub" cake:

Top of shrubcake:

Sunset on an icy and dangerous day:

African American Art

2011-02-02T10:38:00.001-08:00

It’s Black History Month! Celebrate with my African American Art for $20! Click here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150406047665

Reflections on Black History Month

2011-02-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

It’s Black History Month once again. Now that America has a black president, people are debating whether or not we still need Black History Month. My opinion: yes we do, more than ever. Why? Because there are still plenty of people in this country who know very little about the accomplishments of black people aside from George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. Our history is rich with examples of inventors, scientists, artists, explorers, etc. Many inventions we take for granted today were the brainchildren of forgotten African Americans from yesteryear. And there are still many trailblazers living today that we can and should recognize for their role as living history. The African American contribution to history should be recognized, and continuing the tradition of Black History Month will help us to do so.

Back to my church crafts

2011-01-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

The children's church program started up again and I have been making new craft samples. You know me; I'll be posting some of them soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

So excited to see 2011 and all I look forward to the wonderful creative projects that are sure to come forth in this year!!!

Fruitcake

2010-12-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

I absolutely ADORE fruitcake!! I know I can't be the only one! My Dad gets one for me every year from this place called Collin Street Bakery.

To me these are the very best fruitcakes - they are moist, sweet, sticky, and have just the right balance of fruit, nuts, and cake. Truly a work of art! They don't last long around me! I got mine just before Thanksgiving this year, and it was gone before the end of the following week.

Busy Knitting (of Course)

2010-10-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

I have been quite busy with all my knitting projects as of late. But one day I was coming home and I saw this creature on my garage door:

I had read about walking sticks and had seen them in pictures and on tv, but it was nice to actually see one in person. Had it not been on the garage door I probably wouldn't have noticed it, thanks to it's excellent method of camouflage. It was about 4-5 inches long. I pointed it out to my daughter and explained to her what it was. She seemed fascinated by it. I didn't think they had a habitat in NJ. But then again, I've seen many strange looking insects and spiders living in the garden state.

Church crafts part 3

2010-10-05T19:31:00.001-07:00

I'll probably post a few more of the church crafts I'm working on, and then that will be it. I'm making the same crafts that I made last year for the most part, but some of them I didn't post last year. Here are this week's crafts:

Peter's Valley Craft Fair!!

2010-09-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my family and I went to the Sussex County Fairgrounds and walked around the 40th Annual Peters Valley Craft Fair (http://www.petersvalley.org/) . According to their website, "Peters Valley Craft Center is a national center for fine craft education where people’s lives are enriched through the exploration and execution of fine craft. Located in the Delaware Water Gap Peters Valley offers two to five day workshops in blacksmithing, ceramics, fibers, fine metals, photography, wood and special topics including printmaking, books & paper, drawing, and glass." Every year they have a craft fair. We had never been before, and I had seen a show about Peters Valley on the local PBS station. So we decided to check it out. Great choice! It was only $8 per adult ($7 with $1 coupon), and children under 12 are free. It was so much bigger than I imagined! There were 6 long buildings,

and each one was filled to the brim with vendors selling all kinds of handmade creative items.

Clothing, jewelry,

ceramics,

fiber arts,

sheep,

beautiful flowers made out of clay (!!!)

roaming musicians,

even wood carving.

In fact, the artist in this picture was carving little items out of wood for passers-by. We just happened to be standing there and watching when he had finished a small item for a lady nearby. When he was done, he said, "Who's next?" Naturally, my daughter chimed right in, "Me!!" Much to my surprise. I didn't think the items he was making were free, but he set to work making a 3-dimensional butterfly. He made it seem so easy the way he used his tool with skill, as he described the process of making the butterfly. In moments, he gave my daughter the finished item below:

She promptly said thanks and we gave him a small donation. She was delighted with the little butterfly, and so were we!

There was also an area where artists from Peters Valley were demonstrating their crafts.

Many of the vendors had delicate items, so we cautioned our daughter not to touch them. However, there was an area for the children to create their own crafts, so my daughter spent some time there coloring and cutting.

It was a pleasant day, the weather was nice, and we enjoyed ourselves.

More Church Crafts!

2010-09-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of the ones from this week:

Octopus

Jesus walking on water

I had one more that I did but I didn't finish it in time to take a picture of it. It was a baby Jesus in a manger, made with straw and popsicle sticks. I guess they are starting the Christmas story early this year.

Church Craft Time Again!

2010-09-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, and I'm busy prepping the crafts for our children's church Bible classes. Here are the crafts I worked on this week (from the Kids Quest curriculum):

a sun mask, a friendship book,

and an angel.

I interviewed Barney & Hip Hop Harry!

2010-09-17T05:44:00.001-07:00

I’m happy to announce that I just posted my interview with David Joyner, the man who knows Hip Hop Harry & Barney inside out. He’s the actor who has brought these characters to life for many years, and he has some very interesting stories to share! I hope you’ll take a look at the interview by clicking this link: http://www.creativehelps.com/interviews_3.htm#ANOTHER_COLORFUL_LIFE_~_DAVID_JOYNER . Let me know what you think!

Hobby Lobby Visit

2010-09-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

I love Hobby Lobby! Just going there makes me drool with delight about all the crafty projects I could make, and this visit was no exception. Just look at all their wonderful Christmas stuff! Made me get emotional right there in the store:

Aarti Party dinner!!

2010-09-06T18:18:00.001-07:00

On Saturday I made my first recipe from Aarti Party, the new Food Network show from the winner of the Next Food Network Star contest! Out of all the contestants I wanted her to win the most, and she did! Yay! Her show is one of the only ones I have tried to make the recipe for; the rest I just watch.

Here's my version of her Bombay Sloppy Joe:

The recipe was very easy to follow, but it took me a little better than an hour to make, since I chopped the ingredients by hand, and I'm a careful chopper. But boy was it worth it. I was surprised to see how much authentic Indian flavor it had, and how light it was! Sloppy Joes can be so heavy, but this one tasted so light! I ate two that night, though I'm sure I could have polished off more all by myself. The whole family enjoyed them. And she was right, they smelled so great while I was cooking them! We will be making them again!

I have to say I was also surprised by the raisins, honey, and cream. I thought it would make it taste too sweet, but after I tasted it while it was cooking, I found myself adding a little more honey to it.

Interview with Reality Tv Show Winner!

2010-08-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

I hope you'll take a moment to read my interview with Abdi Farah, winner of the Bravo reality tv show Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, on my website at www.creativehelps.com/interviews_3.htm . Thanks!

Seeing things

2010-08-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

I was outside in the backyard taking pictures when I saw this caterpillar crawling on the ground

I have no idea what kind it is. It was pretty big too, like the size of my index finger, about 3" long. If you look closely it has these long black hairs sticking straight up out of its back in a cuple of places. It has a little black face too, but it was crawling away from me when I took the picture. I presume it will turn into a butterfly at some point, but isn't it late in the season for such things?

Then early one morning I pulled some tissue off of the roll and it came out twisted in this shape:

It kind of looks like a penguin, or an angel, or something. I'm always seeing things that look like something else. What do you think it looks like?

A Treasure in the Trash!

2010-08-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

Look at what someone set out at the curb!

Originally it had said $15. on it, but then later on that same day the word "Free" was written on it. Who could resist? It's in great condition too. Nice sturdy wood, and clean, though I did clean it up again myself. One side is a chalkboard, the other side is an erasable board.

Now my little girl can get a nice head start on her creativity!

What's Poppin..

2010-08-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

(Turn your speakers down!!)

Guess what we made for our after dinner snack...

Next time I'll film it with more light. In case you couldn't tell, it's POPCORN!!!

2010-08-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

I just e-mailed the summer edition of my newsletter, Artman Greg's Scratch Pad. If your name isn't on the mailing list and you'd like to receive a copy, contact me at ArtmanGreg@aol.com

Woolworth's Lunch Counter

2010-07-29T18:15:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, I was at a birthday party that my daughter was invited to. It was at a place that had kid-sized versions of different play areas, like a Post Office, a supermarket, a kitchen with a lunch counter, etc. Well, my daughter was all over the place having fun, but after awhile she decided she wanted to go to the play kitchen. There were other children in there, and an elderly white couple was sitting at two of the stools at the lunch counter. There was one stool left, so I decided to have a seat. In that split second as I sat down, my mind flashed to the Woolworth lunch counter back in 1960 when the black students sat down and were refused service because they were black. I thought about how (if I had been alive) I could have never sat down, even in pretend, at a lunch counter back then, and I was thankful to all those who made it possible for me to sit there today (and for my daughter to play with all different kinds of children in peace). Who knows, it might make an interesting subject for a scratchboard someday.

Rain

2010-07-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got some, and it looks like the raspberries survived pretty well, though we did lose some. A number of them simply did not grow bigger due to the lack of rain.

Eggplant skyscraper

2010-07-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was making roasted eggplant wraps for dinner. I cut up a large eggplant and stacked the pieces side by side, one on top of the other, just to save room on the counter. I really wasn't paying attention to how it looked until I just glanced at it and said, "Hey, this looks like a sculpture." So I got the camera and took a couple of pictures, before I grilled them up:

They tasted great after I grilled them. Sweet and tender.

In case you're wondering: you grill some eggplant, onion, red pepper, all sprayed with oil so they don't stick to the grill. On a wrap you slather on some spicy brown mustard, sprinkle some minced garlic, add a little italian herbs and spices, pinch of salt, dash of pepper, some extra garlic powder (if desired), some tomato (I left off the tomato tonight), and some pickle chips (which I tried for the first time in the wrap and they tasted great, but pat them dry before adding them). You may want to add some shredded cheddar, but I didn't. I got this recipe several years back on some recipe website, and just embellished it with my own tastes.

4th of July Berry Booty...

2010-07-08T18:35:00.001-07:00

As in treasure that a pirate might find. What did you think I meant? : )

Unfortunately, we have been having a heat wave here and the berry plants are starting to wilt. This means though we have bountiful berries, some of which haven't even opened yet, we may not get the full harvest unless we get some rain soon.

As I was driving today I noticed that a lot of the trees are starting to get brown leaves, as if it were autumn already. You would think that it was early fall by looking at some of the trees, and yet it is unbearably hot.

Berry berry nice

2010-06-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Our third raspberry harvest:

Quite an increase from just a day or two ago.

Here's what they look like in one of those gallon ziplock bags so you get a better idea of how many we actually picked.

And this is just the beginning. I'm sure I'll come up with some creative recipes to use all those berries in.

Berry picking season again

2010-06-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Our first crop of wild raspberries is in:

Doesn't seem like much right now, but there are hundreds of berries out there, waiting to ripen and be picked! We'll be out there picking every day for the next couple of weeks I imagine. I noticed quite a few are growing so close to the ground that the grass is hiding them. We had a lot of rain this Spring, so the crop is plentiful. I might just try my hand at making raspberry jam or preservatives this year. There was a coupon in the paper recently for the canning supplies, so why not?

I noticed there are a lot of bugs around them too, they look like baby praying mantis. They don't appear to be eating or damaging the fruit, and they haven't bitten me when I've touched them unawares, so I leave them alone. Praying mantis are good for the garden. Maybe next time I'm out there I'll try to snap a picture of one and post it on here. Wonder if I could knit a raspberry. Hmmm....

Father's Day

2010-06-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

Had a good Father's Day; how about you? My wife asked my daughter where she wanted to take me for Father's Day, and she said, (a local seafood restaurant). I thought to myself, how did she even know about that place? We only took her there once before, and she wasn't even talking back then I don't think! But we went, and had a nice time.

Here's what she made me as a Father's Day gift:

A nice bead bracelet that I wore proudly all day the next day at work. They all already know I'm a creative dude, so they said nothing. Made me want to make some more bracelets for myself (and her too).

Art Skillfully Integrated into the Church Service

2010-06-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, an awesome ministry came to our church to minister in song, testimony, and clay. The Potter's Field Ministries (www.pottersfield.org) led by Pastor Michael Rozell and his wife Pam, gave a wonderful example of how art can be woven into the fabric of a church service. Pastor Mike gave his testimony, followed by Pam who sang as created a pot at the wheel which illustrated the song, the Bible verses (Jeremiah 18:1-6) and the testimony. It was fascinating to see how Pastor Mike worked at creating the pot and how many different shapes and sizes it took. I could truly appreciate the amount of effort that he put into making it, since I have tried and failed at throwing pots on a wheel. It was evident that both he and she had an anointing over their lives, which came through brokenness and a willingness to be used by Him, in so many other ways besides just art. It was wonderful!!

These are pictures I took after the service:

In the center is the pot he created during the service. It took several different shapes before arriving at this one.

On the left: the WOW piece that he unveiled at the end of the service (he did not create that during the service). The painting in the background was also revealed near the end of the service.

The winds of change are a-blowin'

2010-05-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Watch for the June unveiling of the resigned www.ArtmanGreg.com, www.CreativeHelps.com, and the world premiere of my new loom knitting website!

A couple more church crafts...

2010-05-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at the pictures stored on my phone and found a series of pics I took of different church crafts that I never posted. Rather than post all of them, I picked a couple:

This is a placemat that I took the time to cut slits in the red construction paper for every child who would make the craft. I thought it came out pretty good.

Eventually I may post a couple more, but not right now. I'm off for the summer in regards to making crafts for the Wednesday Night Children's Bible Study, so I haven't been making anything new.

What is it??!?!?

2010-05-29T13:06:00.001-07:00

I was sitting in my chair knitting (as usual) and had pulled out a long strand of yarn in preparation for knitting. As the yarn fell onto the table, here's what I saw:

What does it look like to you? I see a face with large eyes and an ear...

Musing on Bach

2010-05-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today as I drove home from the Saturday morning men's prayer group I attend, I was listening to Bach's cantata #23, Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn (You, truly God and Son of David), I was touched by the meaning of the first movement. It depicts the cries of the blind men along the roadside who got Jesus' attention and as a result were healed by Him of their blindness (Matthew 20:30-34). I was struck by how well the music painted the picture of the Saviour passing by and the cries of pity from the blind men. It made me think about the times in my life when I felt the deep need to cry out to Jesus for His total and complete healing. I had heard this cantata many times before, since it was one of my favorites, but this was one of those times that it became ministry instead of just music. I think it would be awesome to create a piece of art that continues to minister some aspect of God's character long after it was created, for those who choose to receive it that way. Not something "religious," but something that would really draw the viewer into a deeper understanding or connection with God.

More Church crafts!!

2010-03-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with this "semester" of crafts; can you tell I had a lot of fun doing them? Hope you enjoyed looking at them also:

Well with craft pebbles glued to it -

A lion with a curly mane -

Paper plate Tambourine filled with beans, side 1:

side 2:

A few more church craft project samples...

2010-03-23T18:38:00.001-07:00

Scratchboard. The paper itself has all the colors on it, I didn't add them.

A dream mobile

God's Eye (front) this one was a little challenging to do because I had forgotten how to make them, and the directions were not immediately clear to me. I finally figured it out and it turned out great.

back:

Corn (using real popcorn kernels).

Church Crafts continue...

2010-02-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the church craft projects I've been working on lately:

Door hangers

Crowns

Heart Wreath

Contemplating...

2010-01-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

what my next artwork will be. I'm still knittin', but I've been thinking about what I want to do next on paper. After that last project, folks might expect some larger than life political commentary, but I may have something else in mind that I've wanted to do for awhile now...

NEW ARTWORK!

2010-01-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here’s my latest scratchboard: “One Way Ticket.”

I have been working on this piece off and on since 6/08 and had the idea and reference material even earlier than that. The idea never left my mind, but I just needed a good chunk of time to devote to it. Yet I learned along the way that I could work on it in small 5 minute bits as well. I also discovered 2 things: 1. It didn't matter what kind of music I listened to as I worked on the piece (since I was working on it close to Christmas time I was listening to Christmas music), and 2. I could work on artwork in public without losing my creative zone (probably because so much of the legwork was completed before I did the work in public). Finally this year I did get that big chunk of time and I worked on the piece pretty much nonstop for 6-7 hours a day for 2 weeks. This was the push I needed to get it done, and it is finished, as of 1/10. If I had just worked on it from idea to sketch to finish, it would have only taken me about 1 month. The piece is 13x28. I signed it upside down so that my signature looks more like a design element of the work.

The combination of the American flag and slave ship motifs calls to mind the friezes of ancient Rome and Egypt, or the black figures of Greek pottery.

My original idea was to have Store room with stars in it, stars that could be read to identify this flag as “American” rather than literally counted out as 50 stars. But it didn’t look right and people kept asking what Store Room meant.

This was the original idea as I wrote it down years ago: “Slave ship of men wearing orange jumpers entitled Prison or Shackled or something.”

It was a happy accident or coincidence that a knotted flag is called a waft or weft flag, and of old was displayed as a sign of emergency or distress at sea.

Each man in this piece is an individual. Each one has a story to tell. So they all had to be hand-drawn individually, with their own uniqueness. No two are exactly the same. They deserved to be rendered that way.

This piece went through several name changes. A few titles I played around with: Today, Statistics, The New Slavery, etc. Then after I finished the piece and told my wife I wasn’t sure what to call it, she suggested “One Way Ticket.” The title emphasizes the link of the present to the past; how the slave ship was a one way ticket to America and you weren’t coming back the way you came, and how the root of the minority prison problem today can be traced back to that origin. I decided to go with her title.

At some point I thought of this as a series. The first one was going to be a slave ship on the flag, then the next one was going to just be the bodies, no flag/ship, and the last one was going to be this one with the prisoners/slave ship/flag, including one white and one Hispanic prisoner. Statistically there are more blacks in prison than other ethnic groups and I wanted to emphasize that.

My original intention of creating the piece was to illustrate how American prisons are overcrowded with a minority population, how the whole issue of prisons and the treatment of prisoners in America has this country in distress, and that it was symbolic of a type of slavery.
It’s interesting because the two Hispanic people who saw this piece thought that it symbolized immigration or immigrants being sent back to their country on a ship. It could work as that message also.

Here are a few blog entries that describe the process involved with creating this work:
“I've been preparing to start a new piece of art that will be based on slavery. It will present slavery as a metaphor for something else. That is the only detail I am giving at this point, but I invite you to stay tuned as I share the progress and process of making it. I had this idea a few years ago but now is the right time for it to come forth. When I prepare to create some of my work, I usually base it on a thumbnail sketch of an idea I've captured on paper and filed away. I do online research on the subject. I try to find books that I have that reference the subject. After I'm satisfied with the research I begin my sketch, deciding how big or how small the work should be, how it will relate to the edges of the paper, and laying down the basic shapes in the work. Right now I have finished my sketch and will create a more finished drawing that I will base the actual work on. This time I will be using one color, and I haven't decided yet on how I want to apply the color to the scratchboard. I thought of one method so far but it may not be archival, and part of the impact of this piece will be the color I use. So far I have decided that the piece should be 14x30 but that may change as I work on it. I need it to be at least that size so the detail can be seen.”

Starting out: the finished ship sketch on tracing paper. Adding the knot for the flag will be next -

“I'm about 50% through my drawing, and it is coming along fine. As I work on it I think about what people's reaction to it may be, and I wonder if it has been done before. I haven't seen anything that looks like what I'm doing so I expect it to have the desired effect when I'm done. As I work on it I can tell it will be a gripping image once it's done. In order to completely finish the drawing I'm going to need another reference picture for the flag knot, or set up the shot I need and draw it.”

“Did not make as much progress on the tracing but I am about 75% done with it, so I am happy that it is closer to being finished. I work on it when I can. Some days I only get a few minutes; other days I have a little while to work on it. It could be frustrating but I won't let it be.”

“Part of the image involves a knot. I haven't drawn a knot in fabric for quite a while, so I was concerned with how it was going to look. I knotted a piece of fabric for reference and began to draw. At first it was hard to keep from drawing on autopilot. My brain said, "Oh, ok. I have a general idea of what knots should look like, so instead of drawing what I see I'll draw a knot from memory." I could tell this was starting to happen so I forced myself to really see the knot and draw it. Then my brain said, "Ok, now that you've decided to draw what you see, it has to look exactly like it." That really wasn't my goal either. If it's too perfect it won't work with the rest of the drawing. In the end I enhanced my drawing with the knots from memory, while editing what I captured from the knot in front of me. At first I didn't like how it came out. But after I left it alone for awhile and came back, it looked just right.”

“It is emotionally draining working on this piece and I think that is why it is going so slowly. If I can stay on course then I will get it completed.”

“I'm 95% done with my drawing; I just have to add the final touches to it and then I can make a value sketch. I'm pretty certain already how the piece will look even without the value sketch, but I will still do it just to be sure. I'd rather not have any surprises later on when I'm working on the finished piece.”

“This week I was able to complete the drawing and rub the back of it with a pencil. That way I can use it to transfer the image to the scratchboard. The next step is to trace the image onto the scratchboard and then scratch it out. As I trace the image I will make minor corrections and changes as I see fit, so it won't be an exact copy. By the time this art is done I will have drawn and redrawn the image 3-4 times.”

The image traced onto scratchboard and beginning scratches:

The image completed on scratchboard:

Adding the orange prison jumpsuits to each man, using orange acrylic paint:

Detail:

I carefully scratched out each man's outfit, leaving thin lines of scratchboard to separate the arms and the pants so I could paint in the orange jumpsuits:

Progress being made:

Nearly done:

Changes

2010-01-06T17:39:00.001-08:00

How do you like it? Send me a note! I just added my picture and changed the heading.

Also, from now on all my loom knitting adventures will be captured at my NEW blog, "Loom Dude" at http://loomdude.blogspot.com , be sure to take a look there and follow me!

Charlie Brown

2009-12-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I just watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for the first time. She had been listening to the soundtrack for the last 2 months and really likes the Linus and Lucy song. I was curious to see how she would respond to seeing the film that went with the music she was already familiar with. She liked it, and danced when she saw the part with the other kids dancing, just like I used to do. But I did censor some of the show. I had forgotten how the kids called Charlie Brown names - blockhead, stupid, hopeless, etc; Lucy threatening to beat up Linus and trying to hit Snoopy, etc. I didn't want her picking up any words like that and calling anybody those names (she was already copying other things they were saying as she watched it), so I talked over those parts or redirected her attention. She can watch it again next year perhaps, but I will still be a little wary about that name-calling stuff. Am I the only parent censoring tv like that? Am I too sensitive? It's good that we watched it together first.

Snowflakes in the air...

2009-12-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a snowflake that I knitted from a pattern that I got from http://loomlady.blogspot.com/search?q=snowflake (the 11/7/07 post):

I thought it would be a lot harder to do, but I followed the instructions carefully and I really like the results! I used a piece of paper to keep track of the number of stitches I was doing while I created it. I used the Bernat Baby yarn, which I think is a little too delicate for the snowflake. I will try it again using a regular white yarn. It only took me 1.5 hours to make (since I was being so careful to follow the directions) but it got faster at the end as I got more used to the kind of stitches I was doing. It measures 3.5 inches across. The directions said to use fabric stiffener to finish it off, but I haven't done that yet and am deciding whether or not I will do that step. Probably on the next one (or the next few ones). I never thought you could create something like this on a loom!

Still Scratchin...

2009-12-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

My scratchboard project is 90% done now, I just have to add a few finishing touches and mount it on a different piece of scratchboard, since the one it is on is worn from being worked on. And I'll have a nice long narrative with pictures to talk all about it when I post it to the blog next week!

My Christmas Stocking

2009-12-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here's my Christmas stocking!

It took about 3 days to complete (working just about an hour each day). It is 15.5 inches long. A few nice long sticks of candy should fit nicely in there! This is using the Lion Brand Holiday Homespun colors. The challenging part was the heel of course. I may just get some cheap yarn and knit a bunch of practice heels until I get comfortable with it. I really like how the stocking came out and I'm considering adding something else to it as a decoration. I'm going to try my hand at making a snowflake, and if it comes out right, I will add it to the stocking (if it looks right on it). I also have to add the loop for the stocking to be hung by the chimney (with care, of course!)

Delicious baby hat

2009-12-09T18:01:00.001-08:00

Here's the latest:

I think it looks absolutely delicious, like a green and white peppermint! My newborn baby hat series is turning out to be quite nice.

I am working on a red and green Christmas stocking and expect to be done with it tomorrow.

Scratchboard

2009-12-09T17:59:00.001-08:00

I am making awesome progress on my next scratchboard, it is 85% done. I still keep going back and forth on what I should entitle it. It is a very striking image and I don't want it to be held back for lack of a sufficient title.

My new baby...

2009-12-03T17:51:00.000-08:00

Baby HAT, that is!!! Fresh from the loom, combining the Country Loom Landscape and Bernat Baby Coordinates White:

I must say that the Bernat is lasting for a VERY long time and it combines well with other yarns.

My latest hat

2009-12-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here's the newest one, I just finished it today:

I used Loops & Threads Country Loom yarn. This is one that I haven't used before and I found it to be very easy to work with. It is 100% acrylic, and the color is called Landscape. I would buy it again.

It's baaaaack!!!!!

2009-12-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

Due to an unexpected increase in the amount of time I have available (don't bother asking me how), the scratchboard project that was on the back burner due to loom knitting has come roaring back with a vengeance. I am a little more than halfway done with a project that I started months ago. I accomplished so much in just 2 days! If all goes well, at the end of the week I will have a new piece to post and sell!

Children's Church Projects

2009-12-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more crafts I assembled for the children's church:

It's finished!!!

2009-11-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the green leaves for the poinsettia completed and assembled:

And here is the poinsettia!!!

I am so proud of myself for doing it and I think it came out really nice! It measures 12 inches across, which is a bigger size than the instructions stated. But that is probably because I kept losing count of the number of rows I was knitting for the green leaves, so they aren't all the same size.

Most of the time you only get to see the front of a project. Well, here is what the back looks like. That little bit of red yarn is what is left from me knitting the red to the green:

Turkey

2009-11-25T17:21:00.001-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL!!!

Lovin' that flower!

2009-11-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

Everyone who sees my poinsettia is giving it raves!And it isn't even done yet! Next I am kntting the green leaves that will be attached behind it. I have finished 4 so far:

I only need two more, which I expect to complete tomorrow.The first 3 didn't come out so well. They are uneven and skinny to me. But I altered the directions a little bit and the last one I did came out better. Most of the green leaf will be hidden behind the red ones anyway, so it won't be too noticeable. See if you can pick out which one is the last one I did.

Leaves Assembled

2009-11-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

Voila! The poinsettia! It only took a few minutes to assemble the red leaves.

I made the yellow part using Bernat Satin Sport Warm Yellow and 15 yellow pony beads. The instructions were to string the beads onto the yarn first and then knit them in. At first I thought this was going to create a tangled, loose mess, but I knit it taut and cinched the bottom closed. As I gathered the top it clustered into the neat ball that you see here. I didn't have the Knifty Knitter spool loom, so I improvised using the pink loom, removing one of the pegs, and using a loom clip, as below:

This was easy to do. Here is what the back of the poinsettia looks like:

So far I have completed 3 of the green leaves, which I will post shortly.

Here are the leaves!

2009-11-21T11:21:00.001-08:00

My wife said they look like chili peppers. They do, actually. The way I arrranged them on the page could be a work of art unto itself.

Poinsettia almost half done...

2009-11-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

I’m finally getting the hang of making these red flower leaves. I was able to get one done in less than 30 minutes today! I’m on the last one now, number 6. It was a little tight even though I kept the yarn loose; I’m not sure why. Once number 6 is done, I’ll post a picture of the leaves, then I’ll sew them together per the instructions and post a picture of them all sewn together. I was thinking last night that I could make the entire plant, but I don’t feel that ambitious (yet). The day may come.

But I did get an idea for Thanksgiving. It would be a nice little craft to put on each guest’s plate at the dinner. That is, if it turns out right when I make it. I don’t expect that I’ll have it ready in time for such a thing, but it will be a neat little something for later. Too bad I thought of the idea so late.

Finally Knitting Easier...

2009-11-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

I finally figured out a good way to wrap the yarn on the loom. I wrap it on as gently as a feather. It isn’t loose but it doesn’t get taut like it was getting before, and I am able to knit without the difficulty and tightness I was experiencing.

Today I knitted the rest of the second flower leaf and completed another one. So now half of the flower is complete! Just 3 more red flower leaves to complete and I can start on the green leaves. I can tell it is going to look really nice when it is done. I'm excited!

Loom Clips

2009-11-18T16:48:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that I used loom clips as I was knitting the practice sock. Using the clips was easy... SNAP! and they are in place. But unsnapping them must be done carefully. I was concerned that I might break them as I twisted them off, but I didn't.

I am almost finished with the second leaf for my poinsettia. I'm still struggling with the yarn being wrapped too tightly on the loom, so I have to find that "perfect" balance to knit with. The two main problems with the yarn being too tight are: 1. sometimes the peg pops out of the loom while you're trying to pull the yarn over the top of it, and 2. sometimes the yarn you are trying to knit over comes off as you are trying to knit off. So both strands of yarn are left dangling while you try to figure out which one belongs on top. ARGH!

Tangled

2009-11-17T04:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was working on the second leaf for the poinsettia, but I wound the yarn too loosely around the loom and it just became a tangled, confused mess. I will start again today!!

Incurable...

2009-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

I can’t escape: I was doing laundry and I saw a knitted hat my wife had, and I thought to myself, I could do that…

I was in the closet and I saw one of my wife’s sweaters hanging there, and I thought to myself, that’s an interesting pattern, I could try that…

I was reading the paper and I saw a production still from the movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox is talking to his wife, who has on a knit sweater. I thought to myself, that could have been my sweater in that movie! Does anybody else go through this?

Loom Lunacy

2009-11-14T17:16:00.000-08:00

It’s official… I’m a totally hopeless case when it comes to loom knitting. I get teary and drool at the sight of yarn, thinking of all the wonderful things I could make with it. I’m scanning YouTube and the web for various new stitches and projects to challenge me. I discovered websites for men who knit. I learned to loom knit my first sock and I’m becoming more familiar with all the knitting terminology. I’m starting to combine different yarns to see how they look together. I haven’t scratched a single piece of scratchboard for awhile. And now my coworkers know that I loom knit, and I’m not ashamed. One of them even asked me to make a hat, and when I made it for him, he bought it (my first sale, yippee!) It’s official: I’M A LOOM KNITTER!!! Deal with it. I wonder if there is a way to combine knitting and scratchboard…

Here are a few of the projects I’ve been working on to date -

My adult hat collection:

This was an experiment I did using Lion Brand Homespun Montana Sky and some glass beads I bought from Michael's. I strung the beads onto the yarn and kept moving them down the yarn as I knit until I got to where I wanted to place them. It was a tedious process. Once it was done the beads were loosely attached after all that, and they flop around. Next time I will add the beads after I finish the hat. I think next time I would also use more beads or larger beads.

This is my hat, which I used Lion Brand Thick and Quick navy blue wool, and another navy blue regular yarn. I created brims for all my other adult hats, but this was the first one I tried without a brim. I thought if I didn't make a brim that it might unravel, but that isn't the case, so some of my baby hats are brimless also. The two blues are different hues; if you look carefully you can see it:

This is a hat and scarf set I did using Homespun Black, Montana Sky, and the remnants of another mixed white Homespun that I had:

Another hat I made, using Lion Brand Homespun Harvest. I like the variations in color:

This was my first baby hat. I used Bernat Baby Coordinates White. It has a silky white strand running through it, I don't know if you can see that from the picture. After I made this hat, I just kept adding the Bernat White to everything else I did:

Here are a few baby hats that I combined different weights of yarn together, just to experiment.

This one has three different color strands and is very thick. It wasn't too hard working with three strands but it was a little tricky making sure they were all together on each peg:

Here is the Montana Sky and Bernat White together:

Next to the white baby hat, I think I like this one (Bernat white and Homespun Saffron) the best:

Here’s my first sock. I figured I would try to figure out on my own how to make the heel, but my meager attempts did not work (i.e decreasing the size and then just leaving one stand on a peg while I continued to knit, hence the loop you see hanging out from the side). So I turned to the web, and after some clear instructions I figured it out:

Here’s my attempt at alternating ribbed stitches. I like how the pattern looks, and though the yarn looks black it is actually navy blue. Can you see the pattern? The photo didn't really translate it too well. I was running out of the blue yarn, so I started playing with the pattern a bit, making it smaller.

Finally, I am attempting to make a poinsettia (using Lion Brand Holiday Homespun Holly) based on a tutorial I found on the Loom Lore blog (Friday, 12/7/07): http://loomlady.blogspot.com/. It took me nearly an hour to do the first leaf, since I wasn’t used to the technique involved with making it. The yarn keeps getting so tight, I have to fight with it to get it to pull it over the pegs sometimes. But the results come out so tightly woven it’s nice. And I like how I can pull together one end of the yarn and it closes the knitting up, and the more you knit the more it starts making a cup-like shape. Eventually I am going to have a complete flower to post on my blog, and I will be so proud of it!

The photo is a little dark because that red yarn is so bright that the camera flash made it too intense. Those "sparkles" are the yellow thread that holds the yarn together.

You might think I am partial to Lion Brand yarn, and I do admit that I enjoy using it very much, but I also can appreciate the fine yarns from other manufacturers and from individuals that I see online at etsy and other sites.

You can see I've been busy!!! Maybe you should get a loom and see how much fun it is for yourself!