Friday, January 30, 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

through her eyes

in case you did not know, my twin sister wrote a book.

selkie girl


selkie girl
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

another pen and ink drawing. this is pitt pens on some sort of fairly smooth white cardstock. i am not 100% enthused about the paper, i am going to try to get some more this weekend. can't believe i am out of the ink paper i like - where did it all go? it might be hiding. this is a dark walnut pitt pen size S.

i am so tired. so very tired.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

beaded sealife


beaded sealife
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

these are in my etsy shop.

i had a nice massage today, then walked out to find it snowing. though so far none has sticked in my neighborhood. i am getting tired of this cold weather!

a trip to churchmouse


a trip to churchmouse
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

yarn yarn, beautiful yarn.
i am so fond of the earth tones, as you can see. and i am quite enthused and inspired by sock yarns and modular knitting, though i am not anticipating knitting socks with all this sock yarn.

gulls against the sky line


gulls against the sky line
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

i had a good day yesterday, though it was long and i am worn out now. i may have overdone it. ok, i probably overdid it.

in the morning i had breakfast with 2 friends who were on their way to the port townsend beer festival. so we caught the same ferry. they dropped me off in winslow and headed on their way.

the gulls always follow the boat, riding the updraft and getting a free trip across the sound. it's a bit hazy still and the air quality if poor (we are under an inversion) but there was some actual sun!

my class was at churchmouse yarns and teas. the yarns and teas were both excellent. the class was in designing and knitting a skirt and i learned a lot. the teacher was excellent!

then of course there was the shopping.. and the tea sampling. then home. i met a very nice lady and her daughter from ohio. they were waiting for the ferry i was waiting for, so we talked, and also sat together on the trip across. they were so nice and genuine. what they say about the "seattle freeze" - how Northwesterners are not very friendly and outgoing to strangers - is true. because that would not have happened with NW people.

by then i was feeling rather poorly, actually i was before the class even ended, but i headed up the street from my house to take care of my kitty friend, cooper. cooper is an old kitty friend of mine, i just adore him. his owners were away overnight. cooper has problems with temporary paralysis. right now his hind legs and tail and paralyzed. so he can't walk and he needs extra assistance and care with feeding, cleaning, etc. poor old man. he was delighted to be fed some catfood and pumpkin soup, have his bedding changed, and be petted. he was not so happy that i rinsed him off in the tub. though there was not much he could do about it, either.

then it was home for reading and bed. today i have a quite sore throat. i have a massage scheduled and i have a few chores i simply must do, but i hope to mostly take it easy.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

hooved girl


hooved girl
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

I drew this while i could not sleep, under the influence of high fructose magazine. but, i should hope, with my own style.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

shepard-fairey's obama poster designs


shepard-fairey's obama poster designs
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

i am proud to live in a country that choses hope over fear. and i hope that the changes that have started today will lead to good things for the planet.

i was also grateful that our boss gave us the opportunity to all join together in his studio to watch the inaguration on his beautiful big screen HD TV. (he was actually at the event, i hope he kept warm!) it was good to all be together. i went down at the end and watched the end with the receptionist. we hugged each other and sniffled.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

watercolor unfolding


watercolor unfolding
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

i painted a little more. i am never really sure where i am going with things, they usually just happen. usually i start in a corner and go out from there. this time i started in the middle. it's just un-spiraling and un-folding as i go.

modular knit


modular knit
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

i decided i needed to do something better than the garter stitch with my beautiful hand painted yarn, so i started a modular scarf. this is based on a pattern from knits from a painter's palette, but i made a number of small changes. the yarns are :
prism symphony : tumbleweed
mirasol hacho: #303
mirasol hacho: #304

i had a nice weekend. lots of quiet time reading, knitting, and painting. also i went out with friends for dinner last night - to volterra. i wish it could last one more day but we don't get MLK day off, so back to work tomorrow. must keep reminding myself not to let work take over who i am.

Friday, January 16, 2009

thank god. thank god. thank god. it is friday. it was a very long week, though not as long as last week.
announced layoffs on monday. there were 4.
announced wage freeze today.
spent one day this week in tacoma, will spend 2 days next week. have taken on more assisting with a large project that i think will take about a year. i went in 2 hours late today. that extra rest helped a lot with my headache and stress level. oh, i never said i did have a UTI, a chronic low grade one that on;y showed up on culture. i took cipro for a week. may still see a urologist depending on how the chronic inflammation of the bladder wall progresses.

but it is the weekend. i have books. i have watercolors and acrylics. i have dinner plans tomorrow. i have yarn. i might go to the used books store tomorrow. my $650 surgery bill arrived today and i am so grateful i was able to set the money aside for it. and that i have good insurance because it could have been so much more. and that the surgery really helped.

and i have a job. and a nice place to live. that is generally warm and close to lots of things so i can walk everywhere and do not need to own and maintain a car. i am fortunate in many ways. i hope i can work on feeling more grounded. work has kind of taken over my mind lately, and it does not help with living-the-creative-life.

oh, i have to say, i love starbuck's black tea lattes. i have almost given up coffee on their behalf.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

watercolor


watercolor
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

this is the watercolor i was working on last night. i need to have some projects waiting for me when i get home next week, it helps with stress...

scarf in progress


scarf in progress
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

i had a pretty good weekend, even though i have not felt well. yesterday: massage, tea, violin shop, watercolor. today: knitting, chores, and the library.

this is:
prism symphony : tumbleweed
prism symphony: fog
mirasol hacho: #303
mirasol hacho: #304

looking at the photos i just keeping it will look better when i block it, but it looks pretty good now too.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

this economy is scary and i am so glad i have a job. it is, however, one of the most stressful weeks i have had at work in a long time. my body and mind just do not cope with stress well, though in terms of getting my job done and managing my responsibilities i think i have done ok. sometimes being a manager involves making tough and unpopular decisions and being in no-win situations.

so anyway, i have not made any art this week. i hope i do this weekend. i have some ideas but i just have not had the emotional and physical energy! the only weekend plans i have are a trip to the library and a massage. that should allow for some creative time!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

7 pairs of wristwarmers


7 pairs of wristwarmers
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

for the women who work for me + one other coworker we work closely with, i knitted wristwarmers. the pattern is from artful yarns heavenly - it comes with the yarn.. but i used dune by trendsetter for these. and now i need a little break from knitting to rest my shoulder, though they are overall pretty fast and easy.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

books read, 2008

1. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman
2. The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
3. Lyra's Oxford by Phillip Pullman
4. Price Caspian by C.S. Lewis
5. The Field Guide (Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black)
6. The Seeing Stone (Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black)
7. Lucinda's Secret (Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black)
8. The Ironwood Tree (Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black)
9. The Wrath of Mulgarath (Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black)
10. Charlie Bone and the Beast by Jenny Nimmo

11. Emlyn's Moon by Jenny Nimmo
12. The Chestnut Soldier by Jenny Nimmo
13. The Tale of Hilltop Farm by Susan Wittig Albert
14. The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
15. Rumo by Walter Moers
16. Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear
17. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
18. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
19. Starcross by Philip Reeve
20. Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis

21. Fairest by Gail Levine
22. Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine
23. Sister Water by Nancy Willard
24. Telling time by Nancy Willard
25. Things Invisible to See by Nancy Willard
26. The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley
27. Drift House by Dale Peck
28. Sister Swan ed. by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
29. The Fairy Detectives by Michael Buckley
30. The Usual Suspects by Michael Buckley

31. The Problem Child by Michael Buckley
32. Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley
33. Magic and Other Misdemeanors by Michael Buckley
34. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken
35. The Wolves of Willowbye Chase by Joan Aiken
36. Night Birds on the Nantucket by Joan Aiken
37. Lost Cities by Dale Peck
38. The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
39. The Sonnet Lover by Carol Goodman
40. The Plague Tales by Ann Benson

41. The Cuckoo Tree by Joan Aiken
42. Ever by Gail Levine
43. Tithe by Holly Black
44. Tales from the Hood by Michael Buckley
45. The Eight by Katherine Neville
46. Generation Lost by Elizabeth Hand
47. Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell by Pat Murphy
48. Glass Soup by Jonathan Carroll
49. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
50. The Burning Road by Ann Benson

51. The Physician's Tale by Ann Benson
52. Thief of Souls by Ann Benson
53. Anybody can do Anything by Betty Macdonald
54. Onions in the Stew by Betty Macdonald
55. The Doctor Wears Three Faces by Mary Bard
56. Saffron and Brimstone by Elizabeth Hand
57. Frida Kahlo: Painting her own Reality by Christina Barrus
58. Lud in the Mist by Hope Mirrlees
59. The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellair
60. Happy Birthday Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty Macdonald and Anne Macdonald Canham

61. Holes by Louis Sacgar
62. The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge by Brad Strickland
63. The Bell, The Book, and the Spellbinder by Brad Stickland
64. The Secret of the Underground Room by John Bellairs
65. The Letter, The Witch, and the Ring by John Bellairs
66. The Dark Secret of Weathered End by John Bellairs
67. The Trolly to Yesterday by John Bellairs
68. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
69. The Whistle, The Grave, and the Ghost by Brad Strickland
70. The Sum of our Days by Isabelle Allende

71. The Mansion in the Mist by John Bellairs
72. The Ghost in the Mirror by John Bellairs
73. The Vengence of the Witch Finder by Brad Strickland
74. The Doom of the Haunted Opera by John Bellairs
75. The Chessmen of Doom by John Bellairs
76. The Drum, The Doll, and the Zombie by John Bellairs
77. The Specter from the Magician's Museum by Brad Strickland
78. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
79. The Hand of the Necromancer by Brad Strickland
80. The Eyes of the Killer Robot by John Bellairs

81. The Mummy, The Will, and the Crypt by John Bellairs
82. The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs
83. The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb by John Bellairs
84. The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull by John Bellairs
85. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster
86. Wicked by Gregory Mcguire
87. Son of a Witch by Gregory Mcguire
88. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
89. An Alchemy of the Mind by Diane Ackerman
90. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

91. The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum
92. The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
93. The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
94. The Scarcrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum
95. A Lion Among men by Gregory Mcguire
96. Lost by Gregory Mcguire
97. Look my in the Eye by John Elder Robison
98. Knights of the Cornerstone by James P. Blaylock