Dirksen Dabbles

Monday, September 5, 2011

i don't feel bad

It has officially been over two months since I have written a blog post for this, my precious, Dirksen Dabbles. This is the post that comes from most bloggers and starts off like this:

"I am so sorry I have neglected this blog for such a long time..."

But you won't hear those words from me. I hate to break it to you, but...I am not sorry. I do not feel bad.

These are the things I've done during the past two months to keep blogging from being a top priority.

After living in Europe for nearly a year, I moved back to Portland, Oregon

Understand a high level of culture readjustment

Moved into my parents home for an undetermined amount of time

Understand a high level of lifestyle readjustment

Sent my husband off to Los Angeles, California for his first job interview after eight years of higher education

Understand a high level of future uncertainty

Planned and put on a wedding for my sister

Understand a higher level of work than possibly went into my own wedding

Decided along with my husband to accept the job offer at UCLA

Understand a high level of excitement and anxiety

Prepared all our belongings for yet another move

Understand a high level of annoyance

Moved to Santa Monica, California

Understand a high level of uncomfortability

There is an unfortunate side effect of not blogging, which mostly includes a loss of interest from readers as well as interruption of the "blogging juices," which aid most regular writers. I decided these side effects were simply a necessary cost of this season in my life. I do thank the readers that are still around for not deleting me from your internet routine, and truly look forward to a new surge in creativity!

Ah yes...one more tidbit. Along with the list above, my husband and I were able to announce and prepare for one of our biggest adventures to date. As of January 2012, we will be parents. Ain't that just a fun twist to this story?

On the Santa Monica Pier...and pretty weirded out to be living in a land of palm trees

Q&A - Why am I In Europe? - New here? You can learn what I was doing in Europe here

Where I live - These are all the posts related to places I have lived

Q&A - Video of me Painting - A look at what this blog is really about...more on art soon!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

i'm off

I am literally boarding a train in two hours that will take me to Munich, Germany. This will be our last European stop before leaving for the US of A on July 4th. Please pardon my absence until things settle down a bit (I'm pretending things are actually going to settle down when I get home...fat chance).

I am immensely excited about going home...but still feeling a touch of what can only be called "bittersweet" emotions. I'm going to definitely do some blogging to figure out how I feel about this huge year and transition. Thank you for sticking with me through it all.

Until next post...

(imagine a beautiful photo here)

Friday, June 24, 2011

merry go round - photo inspiration

On the last Friday of the month, I am going to be jumping on the 'Merry Go Round'. What is the Merry Go Round exactly? Each month, a group of artists and craftswomen from around the world join together and give their response to the same question/challenge.

We had a fun challenge presented to us as members of the Merry Go Round. Last month, each of us shared a photo that affected us in some way. Then we each were assigned another member's photo and we had to create something artistic based on said photo. So...here was my photo from Agathe at Le Bar du Vent.

So, I decided to do a watercolor painting with similar movement for the background. Here's a video of me painting it. It's nothing amazing...just something fun!

Check out the other Merry Go Round participants work!

Misty at Artmind

Jen at Painted Fish Studio

Mariana at Florcita

Laura at Blue Terracotta
Monika at Red2White
Ruth at Birdland Creations
Kim at Vilt a la Kim
Sara at Crafts of Texture
Samantha at Vintage is for lovers
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent

Merry Go Round - Photo Affection - See the photo I presented last month

Merry Go Round - Time Management - My strength

Merry Go Round - My Inspiring Artist - A famous artist I love

Friday, June 17, 2011

written artwork - things fall apart

I have always, and probably always will, love books set in Africa. I've read a few now, and they are always very gripping. Unfortunately, most of them are gripping because they are centered around tragedy, but, gripping nonetheless. Some of my favorites include What Is The What and The Poisonwood Bible.

Things Fall Apart is also set in Africa, and also focuses heavily on tragedy. The story is roughly about a man who lives in an African village and is well respected. He has a family, friends, and honor. This man eventually encounters several distressing situations in his life that bring his demise.

I think the reason these books are so interesting to me is because they are such wonderful anthropological studies. Africa is a place I have never been, but hear a lot about. It is one of those worlds that couldn't seem more opposite the world I live in. But there are still amazing ways to relate to each story. I enjoy stories that bring me into new worlds, and, in a cliche way, expand my horizons.

I would never say I know what it is like to be African because I've read a few books. But it does make me want to ask more, learn more, and experience more. And I think that is a marker of a great book.

A list of what's to come, and what has already been explored.
My Written Artwork Journey Explained here

Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Emma - Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell
Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
The sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Crime and Punishment - Fedor Dostoyevsky
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
Tales - Edgar Allan Poe
Diary of a Madman and Other Stories - Nikolai Gogol
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
A Farewell To Arms - Ernest Hemingway
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

p[art]nership - residential vs. commercial artwork

The p[art]nership series comes to a close today with this wonderful post by Lisa. She is the author of the blog Hamptontoes and has some serious design experience to back her up! The p[art]nership series is all about how art relates to interior design and fashion.

Eric Lee - The Deep

As someone who truly believes that artwork adds so much character to a space, whether it be residential or commercial I was thrilled to write this guest post. While I have great enthusiasm for artwork, I don't pretend to be a curator, connoisseur or guru of artwork. My take on artwork is raw, very organic...does the artwork speak to me, does it engage me in thought and do I like the piece regardless of its intrinsic (or lack thereof) value or worth?

One of my favorite artists, Eric Lee of Presteau Studios, caught my attention at a fine arts show. His passion for his craft was apparent and his artwork AMAZING! Eric's medium is the usage of tempered glass in which he skillfully paints the back and seals prior to installation.

Eric Lee - Splash

I asked the artist, Eric Lee, about his perception of commercial vs residential. He mentioned one point that I think is important...."Some work has a broader appeal than other work and, depending on venue, may be better suited to commercial applications." I believe this to true. In many commercial venues I have visited I have found the artwork to be "neutral," non-controversial.

When I think of commercial vs residential artwork two main things come to mind. Typically, commercial venues are larger than one's home. You'll find pieces in commercial venues that are larger in scale than what could not fit in most homes due to the lack of wall space and height of ceilings. I've seen pieces so large in commercial venues that would not fit through a door in my home, whereas they would go through a loading zone within a commercial venue.

Eric Lee - Star Child

Also, when installing artwork there is the distance factor to consider. The larger the piece the greater the distance to "take in" the piece. In a commercial venue you typically have a greater distance to step back and observe the space, so you can accommodate a piece that is 42 x 78 whereas in a home rooms often don't accommodate this need.

Eric Lee is one artist who has tailored his craft to meet the demands of homeowners with private collections, along with the needs of commercial venues. Visit his website and enjoy!

p[art]nership - How to Pair Furniture and Artwork - A beautiful and helpful post

p[art]nership - Arts & Crafts & Fashion - A comparison of a popular home style to one person's fashion style

p[art]nership - Art on a Painted Wall - Some helpful tips for a tricky decor situation

Monday, June 13, 2011

gettin' patriotic

I am so excited!

The United States of America was officially made aware of the fact that my husband and I will be returning to their precious soil in early July. July fourth...to be exact. And because of their overwhelming joy, they have decided to make that day a public holiday. And, not only will people be getting time off work, but all over the country, American citizens will be lighting fireworks in our honor.

What a great county.

And here are some lovely Etsy finds that are aiding in the celebration :)