Somebody get Gizmo some coffee....stat!

Gizmo

We are all just a little sleepy this morning.  After a late night trying to reach a deadline, it takes just a little more coffee to get in gear (Gizmo takes his coffee with creamer, thank you).  

I got up about 8am and finished "lining" the bench back and cleaned up some lettering issues.  The front of the bench just needs the clear coat and we are good to go.  The finished product is SO MUCH better than it was last night.  

I have lots of things to do today.  I am getting ready to go to the "Save the Date" shoot, then the grand babies are coming for a visit with their momma & I have that darned doctor's apt.  

I'll be back and tell you all about it later...tater. 

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Home again, home again...jiggity jig...

This is DEAN.  He is the cat 

that lives with Candy & Brad.  

He rules the roost, for sure.

The SAVE THE DATE shoot went very well.  I will be "cleaning" photos tonight and tomorrow.  We had good weather.  It was cool & sunny.  I couldn't have asked for any better weather.  I met a lovely little girl while shooting this morning.  Such a sweet baby.  She was SO concerned about bees.  We survived without being stung.

Artsy hot dog

I could not resist posting this photo.  

My kids & grand kids had an impromptu lunch at my house today.  Mary wanted to show me he perfectly dressed hot dog with the design on top.  

She is my child, after all.  

Have I mentioned how much I love my kids?  :)

So....what does tomorrow bring?  I need to clean pictures, add a few little details on on my pig paddle & get ready for the ARTISAN EXPERIENCE on Saturday.  I am posting the article out of the newspaper.  It gives all the details about what to expect from that event.  Don't forget about Western Days out on Russiaville this weekend too.   

I am going to go clean photos now.  

See you in the morning.  

Good night to all.

   

New Day, New Projects to do.

New days bring new surprises, don't they?  

I started out this day with a loose idea of what I was going to do and now it has completely changed.  

I ran some errands this morning.  As my mother would say, I was "running my traps".  
I delivered the shower pictures on disc to Ashley Martin at the Kokomo Trib.  I always enjoy chatting with her.  She is a nut.


I stopped by Angie Meyers Design to take pictures of the benches for you guys to see.  She wasn't open yet.  I have talked her since & we have decided that I will wait for the reveal to show pictures of the benches. 

And then....I went to the grocery store, because the cats were starving.  When you wake up and they are all sitting on the bed staring at you, it's time to go buy cat food.

I saw this in the paper today.  I need to do this.

I am going to go eat some lunch & pick up an impromptu painting project and I'll be back to talk later.  

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Oi Ve....

what a day this turned out to be.  

It's now after midnight & I am just sitting down to this. 

I have been painting since about 2pm & I am pooped, so I will make this short & sweet.  I was helping out on the paint job of another bench this afternoon, man, are they labor intensive.  I had good company while I worked, though.   

I am so wore out.  

Tomorrow I have a "save the date" photo shoot & another Dr.'s apt.  

I think I might sleep in. 

Good night (now morning).

  

Today, I wear my photographer hat...

                                Well, Tuesday is here.  

Has anyone else noticed that time seems to be slipping by faster and faster?  

Today I am working at the ARTWORKS Gallery at 210 N. Main, Kokomo.  I'm here until 2pm.  We have many great artists here.  You should stop by sometime.  


We are getting ready for this weekend's big event, the ARTISAN EXPERIENCE including ART ON MAIN.  I hope the weather holds so that it can be a great (dry) community event.


I am doing some photography work while I am in the gallery, today.  Although Molly Martin is two yrs old, I am getting her baby shower pics ready for her parents.   

I like to put an artistic slant on my photo work.  Sometimes, it's just too much fun messing with Photoshop.  

It's like potato chips, ya know?    

Ty & Ashley Martin - BM (before Molly)

This is Molly's Mom & Dad, Ty & Ashley Martin.  I took pictures at their wedding, too. 
 I wonder what is being said here...he looks like he is trying to explain something (baseball?), (nuclear physics?) and she certainly doesn't look mentally engaged.  I love them both.  AND Molly, don't forget Molly.


I delivered the bench to The Angie Meyers Studio, this morning.  They will be assembled and put on display this weekend during the Artisan Event.  I had a chance to look at everyone else's benches.  They really are pretty darn good.  I'll go over and takes pics of them tomorrow for you.


I have a Dr's apt. this pm, so I will be back & finish out the day with you later.  See ya.

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Molly Jean  two years ago...

Here we are at the end of the day.  

I have finished "cleaning" all of the baby shower photos.  

I ended up with 62 finished pieces.  

I have had several people ask me what I mean by "cleaning photos".  What I mean is that I pull up each shot individually and assess it for it's composition and then I run it through a series of filters to bring out of that picture what I feel it needs.  It can be pretty time consuming, but I enjoy it a lot. 

Tomorrow, I have plans to deliver the shower picture disc.  

I have a few more little projects that I want to sew up.  

If you, or anyone that you know needs photo work done, please let me know.  I have an interesting slant to my work and I am pretty economical in comparison to my peers.  

Weddings      Reunions

Babies          Families 

Children        Events

Senior pics    Engagement 

So, some days 

I am an artist 

&

 some days 

I am a photographer.  

It all seems to balance out so far.     

I think I'll call it a day.  GOD bless you all.

Goodnight all.

Saw a dinosaur on the way to work today...

I left the house this morning about 8:30 and headed out for Zionsville.  It was an uneventful trip, all in all.  I did notice that the fields look pretty dry & brown.  I am always working on the quickest way there, so today I took 31 to Westfield and turned west.   I nearly ran off the road when I came across these dinosaurs!  I turned the van around and got out to take a few pictures.

I met a woman who came to the fence to talk to me.  She said that this is the Ernie & Dolly Taylor place.  Ernie was a welder and he is very creative (obviously).  They are in their 80s now, so folks come to help with visitors and upkeep.  She said a tractor club was coming that day and they were working at getting all of the tractors lined up in a row. There is really almost more than you can take in & process.  




I'm gonna get to painting now.  We have about 10 customers this morning, but I think I can control the crowd and paint at the same time. :)

Not really too crowded today.  

I have "worked" the arm and around her collar bone. Basically, I am down to the hardest part of the painting...her hand.  I know that hands are a necessary thing, but, they are SO difficult to capture correctly.  I don't want her to have a Mickey Mouse-ish hand or a hand that looks like it belongs to a ditch digger.  It is going to have to be delicate.  Oh well, it's only paint, right?  




As my father would say.."is anybody gonna die?"  No, but it could really screw up the painting and add hours of work to it if it isn't done right the first time.  If I didn't have this A/C here in the store, I might break out into a sweat over this...

Here are some photos of the 

ART IN HAND GALLERY at 211 S. Main, Zionsville, IN.   

    

Summer is here. Is it bad to keep ice in your underwear?

The calendar may still say it is Spring, but here in Indiana it is SUMMER.  


At the Temby household it is the epicenter of summer.  Only two more days until A/C.  


Church was very uplifting, this morning.  I am so glad that I have a church family that cares about me & mine.


Well, the Basset painting is done and ready to hang, so I am sitting down to the Marilyn Monroe painting in the living room.  It seems to be cooler in at room  


I'll get back with you here in just a little bit, & let you know how it is going, ok?

OK, I'm back with an update. 


I added the texture to Marilyn's hair & worked on her chunky necklace.  Remember, the person who commissioned this painting asked that the piece be done in grey scale with red tinted lips.  It is a real challenge to work that scale and give the painting the depth that it needs.  It takes just reassessing what is in front of you again & again.  I have to keep thinking...just paint what you see, not what your brain says it needs to be.  
I have decided to take this painting to work on at the ART IN HAND Gallery tomorrow, as I am the person working the store.  Come on over and see me at 211 S. Main in Zionsville.  It really is a nice little town with good food and great galleries.  AND, I'd love some company & conversation.  It IS AIR CONDITIONED.

So, upcoming this week, I have several projects.  I need to deliver the bench to Angie Myers' studio.  I need to deliver the "piggy paddle" for the up coming charity event at the Markland Mall in June.  I work in Zionsville Monday & Artworks Gallery in Kokomo on Tuesday.  On Thursday I have Candy's "save the date" pics to take & "clean".

I also have Becca's senior pics to take & "clean".  I need to deliver Johnna's prom pictures & take Fred's dogs photos.  On Saturday we have the Artisan Experience in downtown Kokomo.  I will be painting on the street that day on an easel. 

AND THERE IS ALWAYS A POT LID TO PAINT. (Didn't forget you, Sandy) 

So...I have enough to keep me busy this week.   

Thank you all for reading this and caring about my business. 

See you tomorrow.

Air Conditioner DOA - moistness continues

Poor Annabelle.  She & Al are living in front of the fan today  

I have been busy doing non-work related stuff this morning.  

Right off the bat this morning we found out from the A/C guy that we have a broken unit.  So the A/C has to be replaced, but they can't do it until Tuesday.  That news did not make for happy people in this house.  No, not at all. 

Then, I dropped off some bench parts downtown and checked out the farmer's market.  After that I went to a viewing at Grace Methodist church.  After dropping by Krogers (along with everyone else in Kokomo), I came on home.

So...to sum up...

                             NO PAINTING HAS HAPPENED YET TODAY.

And the grandchildren are coming at two pm to swim.  I am sure that after they leave I can get to work.  NO, I WILL get to work.  

I'll get back to you this evening...stay tuned... :)      

12 X 12  oil of Basset  $250

Well it's 10:30 and I am getting ready to end this warm, moist day.  I ended up moving to the living room to finish this painting because it was slightly cooler there (two fans..count em' two!).  It seems like Annabelle is in every picture I take lately, so here she is again, lined up with the breeze from the fan.

Basset hound painting is done, but for just a few little details on the paws after the paint sets a little more.  Now it has a WHOLE DAY to dry before I need to hang it in Art In Hand Gallery in Zionsville.  

I think I'll eat a popsicle and call it a day.

Tomorrow....Marilyn Monroe 

Goodnight.

It's hard to type & hold a Popsicle

Annabelle - to hot to function

It has been one hot day here at Sherrill Studios/Temby mansion.  The air conditioning "died" sometime yesterday.  As we suffer through this day, I can't help but think of my ancestors.  How did they do this?  We are expecting the A/C guy tomorrow, so I doubt any of us die from this.  We are all drinking a lot & I put ice in the cats' water dish.  


I am sure you all are tired of hearing about the park bench, and believe me I am tired of talking about it, but I clear coated it today.  Finished, finished....finished.


So, I have been making trips out into the yard to work on the bench and then coming in to paint at the easel.  It has been a long, but productive day. 

Oil 12 X 12
Lilly the basset hound

Like I said yesterday, I need a painting to hang at the Zionsville Art In Hand Gallery for Monday.  I laid a painting out last night and I have been working on it this afternoon.  It is going really quickly.  I could have it done today, but we have company coming for dinner, so I'll hold off finishing it until tomorrow.  
This is a painting of Lilly.  She is owned by Fred Barber and lives here in Kokomo.  I do photo sessions with Fred's dogs through out the year.  I thought she would make good subject matter.  


Marilyn Monroe is still in the wings.  I will be working on her tomorrow also.  


Well, my company should be on their way.  I had better get the grill started and make lots to drink.  Wish us luck.  Do you think we could serve Popsicles for desert?  

Creating a vision

This is the lettering for the theme of the bench.

Morning:
I have my wonderful grandchildren this morning, so it has been a little more difficult to work my business while watching the little people today.  
While Asher took his morning nap, I was able to go outside with Leia and start the lettering process for the front of the bench.  To do this I first had to choose my letting from the computer, "explode" the lettering on the copier and transfer it to the bench.
We stayed outside through about half of the lettering and then came in to cool off.  She is at the age where she wants to play grocery store, so we both enjoyed our time out doors.  She & her brother went home about 1ish.

Grocery girl  after choc pudding 

This afternoon I look forward to meeting with Candy to scout out a site for she & Brad's "save the date" picture.  I am scheduled to shoot their December wedding.  When I come back this afternoon noon, I'll let you know how the scouting went.








Well, the afternoon has come & gone.  I enjoyed meeting with Candy & Brad and listening to their wonderful wedding plans.  She is one organized lady!  I need her as a business manager, for sure.  I also met their 11 year cat - Dean.  Wow, what a BIG kitty.  The visit was a nice respite from bench painting.      

Finally finished front of bench

After I came back home I chained myself back to the backyard table to finish the bench.  Four short(?) hours later and I am ready for the clear coat.  I have decided to let the paint layers dry all night before putting on the outer weather coat.  Let's face it...I am tired of looking at bench parts!    

Al relaxing near my work table.
 He had worked on his computer all day.

Here's my next project to finish.  
I need to get to work on it again so that I can deliver it at the end of next week.  


This is a commissioned  
16 X 20 oil painting that is in grey scale with red tinted lips.  
I need to complete this and start a new painting for the gallery in Zionsville, because I sold a painting and there is a blank space on the wall.  


            That, my friends,is what we artists call a HAPPY PROBLEM!

Park Bench doings

Wow, where did this day go?  

I have been painting on the park bench all day in the back yard.  It has taken many layers of paint, but it is worth it.  While I painted I got a nice little burn/tan and I got to watch the guys open our pool.  It was a major science project on their part.  

Bench Front

Bench back

So...to sum up....bench almost finished, sore skin and respect for chlorine.

No rest for the wicked?

Working, working....working.   Lots of stuff on my plate to finish up for the next few weeks.  Now that I'm done working for the day at Artworks Gallery, I've started working on the bench for the Project Park Bench.  I am changing the design for the back of the bench and I have to paint the seat and add the lettering....whew...no rest for the wicked... huh?

  I've got a paddle due in the next few weeks for a charity event that is coming up soon at the Markland Mall.  The event is centered around change in the community.  I didn't know what to paint on my paddle (like a canoe paddle), but I finally just decided to paint something I love.  So....a piglet fit the bill.  Isn't he cute?  He will be at the mall in a few weeks and you can vote for him. 
I hope you vote for him.  It's all for a good cause.  

Today is THE DAY!!

Well, here I am on the world wide web!!  I am SO EXCITED.  Beth Notaro is helping me set this up while we are here working at the Artworks Gallery this morning.  Keep an eye out for all of my excursions into the art world.  It's going to be a wild ride!

Baby Annie and her momma

I love taking pictures of farm animals to use when I set up a painting.  These lovely ladies live out at Steve Auth's place.