Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday-5:15am

Right after I clicked post yesterday I grabbed my camera and got this last glorious sunrise shot. Ahhhh!
Karma taking some rays in her chair.
Well, I had been thinking about blending a light blue just around the edges of the white triangular areas on my mandala. I used the outside areas on the paper from my first mandala to test some watercolor pencils. Not sure if it shows up very well. I was going for a pale shadow.
But I didn't like it, after all. Would dull the brightness of the white too much, I thought. So I got out my micron pens. This is one of my art/craft pen containers. (Any surprise I have more types of pens? LOL!) The first section holds a set of colored microns, the next section holds black ones, and the rest are types of gelly roll pens.
Here's the colored set.
I didn't do much yesterday. I drew this little chicken-scratching type of edging around the colored circles on the outside of the mandala. Hard to tell but I did use dark blue, purple, and dark green.
I know it's difficult to see from this wide shot, but it was only meant to be a kind of additional shading.
Truthfully, I was waiting for the next lesson to arrive. I thought they were supposed to come on Mondays and Wednesdays. She was late on the Wednesday lesson last week and now I haven't gotten the Monday lesson this week, either. I know...it's a free class. But still.
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Or! Has anyone else taking the mandala class gotten their Monday lesson for week three? I never thought to check my spam folder since the other lessons arrived just fine. I'll check.
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Okay. I don't even see a spam folder with this newest version of gmail...that I am still getting used to--LOL! Oh well.
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It's just that I was thinking that maybe she was going to get into the doodling aspect more this last week...and since that is exactly the point I'm at with this mandala...I was kind of waiting for the next video for inspiration or to see if she had instructions I'd like to try. Well, I'm sure it will show up eventually. :(
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Sorry. Do I sound a bit like a whiney little kid this morning? Where's my lesson? When will it get here? Is it here yet? LOL!
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Anywho...now I have signed up for the Chopra Center free 21-day meditation challenge that starts December 1st. My oldest friend of 55 years, Linda, sent me an email with the link a couple days ago. Sounded like a great idea for slowing down in December after this everyday pushing pace of November. ;)
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One more day! I feel so fortunate to have met so many interesting and creative new people! So glad I joined AEDM. Been quite a ride! :)
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It's 14 degrees, quiet, and dark up here in Fargo. I'm so grateful to still be on day hours. Karma is waiting (pouting) by the porch door until I get done blogging. She's going to be surprised at how cold it is again...and probably begging me for ice cubes in her water dish--LOL!
Have a great day!!! :):)

28 comments:

Carolyn Dube said...

Your marks for subtle shading add a great touch to your mandala! Thanks for sharing the meditation link - I think that is a great idea for December!!

DJan said...

Brrrr! That is cold. Of course, it IS Fargo, the icebox of the country. I like the little touche on the mandala. Hope you get your next lesson today. You get used to these things and expect them to continue, free or not! :-)

Beth said...

I think your mandala is lovely!

I will check out the meditation link as I think I really need to meditate. lol

I hope you have a great day Rita!!

Hugs,
Beth

pauline said...

yes, I'm happy i joined AEDM too...
Your mandala is great!!
I would kill for that sky...
and the MICRON pen stash. :-)
Happy AEDM! xoxo

Rubye Jack said...

That really is a beautiful sunset and Karma sitting there soaking it all up--too cute.

What is AEDM?

Gwen said...

What a stunning sunrise!
The chicken-scratching as you call it gives a very interesting 3-D effect. I do hope you get your homework sorted and yes, it has been a hectic ride so enjoy your meditation. It has been fun though :))
xx

Furry Bottoms said...

You have a very creative mind and eye!

Serena Lewis said...

Nope, Guadalupe hasn't put the 3rd class up on the site yet. It was supposed to go up on Monday but, being that she was late last week, it may be the same scenario this week. Hopefully, we'll see something today.

The doodling has a lovely shading effect, Rita...gives a 3D quality to your mandala.

OH and that sunrise is GORGEOUS!!!

The daily meditation challenge sounds like a great idea. I really need to get back into meditating myself as I do believe life seemed to flow better when I was meditating daily.

Brrrrrrrr....that's cold!

Have a lovely evening.

Love,
Serena x0

Toriz said...

Hope your lesson shows up; I know what you mean... It might be free, but you still want the whole class!

The meditation thing sounds interesting... Will take a look at that in a bit.

Intense Guy said...

Art Every Day Month (AEDM) has been good for you too - this Mandala has reached "artwork" status - your patience with the fine details makes my jaw drop.

Karma needs some sunglasses and snowmobiling pantsuits. Perhaps her mommy will design a pattern or logo for those pantsuits, Karma... if you ask her nicely?

Sarah Anderson said...

what an amazing sky, gorgeous colours! The shading on your mandala is looking great.

Rita said...

Carolyn--Thanks!
I hope the meditations are as refreshing as I expect them to be. ;)

Djan--Thanks! I did ask about the lesson and Guadalupe responded that it had been a holiday in her country. Would have been nice to let us know she never planned to post in the first place. ;)

Beth--Meditation does help me with pain. I don't use it often enough. Got out of the habit, so I am hoping to maybe get back into it. I think that's why they're doing 21 days...new habit and all that. I hope we both enjoy it. :)

Pauline--Thanks so much!
I love micron pens for drawing because they don't bleed if you add a little watercolor. Well, the black ones don't. I haven't tried the colored ones and used WC after...yet. ;) Glad we connected!! :)

Rubye--AEDM is Art Every Day Month that this site called Creative Every Day (all year round) has going for the month of November. Do I have you totally confused--LOL! Anyways, that is why you've seen more artsy things on my blog in November. :)

Gwen--Thanks! It was a stunning dawn. :) Good! I was hoping it would give more depth to the shading.
We should get the next class pretty soon. She said there was a holiday in Argentina. ;)

Nikki--Thanks so much, sweetie! :)

Serena--They had a holiday yesterday...but she could have made a quick email to let us know. Nothing here yet all day Tuesday. I guess I didn't have to worry about being behind--LOL! ;)
I thought that since it was Deepak Chopra that they should be decent meditations. And I am about ready to just relax and do nothing for a short while every day for three weeks--LOL!! ;)
By the time you read this is will be a lovely morning! :):)

Tori--I know the lessons will arrive eventually this week. I don't have to hurry, I guess. ;)
You might really like the meditations. Let me know if you sign up, Tori. :):)

Iggy--Thanks so much! In regards to some things I have a ton of patience. I guess waiting for email classes wasn't one of them--ROFL!! ;)
You're so funny! Now I have a visual of Karma with shades! :):)

Sarah--Thanks a lot on both counts! Glad you like the mandala so far. Have a great day! :)

carol l mckenna said...

Love your photo ~ It is awesome ~ The skies have been ominous lately ~ Mandala looks excellent to me and love your set of pens ~ Always good to hear from you and Karma looks cute as usual except for the sun in his eyes or was it the camera flash? Anyway ~ hugs to you both ~

PS I signed up at AEDM but there was always such a big list I just forgot about ~ PPS ~ Meditation sounds good ~ Book you might like is Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.

Rita said...

Carol--She was actually dozing in the sun with her eyes closed. :)
I just discovered I had signed up for the NaBlopomo and can't find my blog on their list. so all month I thought I was registered and apparently I never was. But I did everything they said and filled out the form. ?? You have to laugh. ;)

Anonymous said...

What an absolutely beautiful sunset!!!
It's cold here too, in the 40's. Sure doesn't compare to your temps though :)

Rita said...

Angela--Thanks! We're supposed to get into the lower 20s again tonight. Good sleeping weather with the window cracked open. ;)

betty said...

Wouldn't you just love to laze in the sun, catching rays, like Karma did here? I would be antsy too, Rita, to get your next lesson especially if you were expecting it a particular day! I hope it comes soon, but I do like all the work and creativity you have done with the mandela!

betty

Dee Ready said...

Dear Rita,
I got behind today on reading blogs and so with your post I looked at this morning's sunrise at nearly 11 pm! The start of a new day. I hope your Monday instructions came. And no, you didn't sound whiney. You sounded eager to explore new avenues!

Peace.

Tracey FK said...

Those sunrises are beautiful... is is a winter thing??/ For us the sunsets in winter are amazing, and sunrise is pretty nice seeing as I live near the water, but in summer I would have to be up at 4.30am and that is way too early for this little duck... will be checking back to see the progress on the mandala...xx

Rita said...

Betty--Yes, Karma has it made--LOL!
Still no lesson, but an email that says one is coming today (2 days late). I'll finish the mandala and take pictures along the way, for sure. :)

Dee--Hey, a bedtime sunrise is good, too. :)
I did feel like a kid impatient to open present son Christmas--LOL! ;)

Tracey--I'm not really sure if it is a winter thing. Hadn't thought about it. I think we have them all year round, but when you pin me down...then I wonder--LOL! ;)
4:30 sunrise! Wow! Now that's early!!
I would never have seen all the sunrises I do these days if it wasn't for my crazy hours and insomnia--LOL! I guess I'm catching up from all the ones I missed my first 50 years or so. ;)

Toriz said...

Yes, now you can just take your time and enjoy them. :)

Yes, I signed up for the meditation lessons.

Rita said...

Tori--Cool! I hope the meditations are easy enough for you to access and we like them. ;)

AliceKay said...

Beautiful sunrise shot. You see such beautiful skies out there.

Love the mandala. I think that little edging makes it look pretty cool.

I hope your lesson arrived. ('m a day behind again so maybe i'll find out in the next post)

Chilly and rainy here today. Haven't seen snow showers yet but we might tonight.

Rita said...

AliceKay--Thanks re:mandala! :) Yup--the lesson finally arrived Weds afternoon. Not about doodling--LOL! ;)
It's raining here and I imagine it could turn to snow here, too. Stay warm! :)

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm drooling over your pen tub. I love to play with those kinds of pens. I really want to get some that I can use on fabric. I also want to try metallic pens on black.

The new gmail is different. I wasn't really unhappy before so I don't know why they had to change it. I did find out that it works better if you download the chrome browser from google. I had internet explorer and it made everything look so big - each email in my list was almost an inch section and it seemed like I couldn't only see about 5 at a time. I changed the settings and nothing happened until my son put chrome on my computer. Now it works great....still, why change it in the first place. I miss my little tree that changed with the weather. Its gone now :O(

I really like the shading marks you made on your mandala. That is the part that makes me nervous since my hands shake I'm sure I'll just mess it up.

Love your sunset pictures. I keep looking for sunsets but I think they are hidden by the trees. It must set at the back of the house because I see it doing down in front of me but there are a lot of tall tall spruce trees around me. That must be why I can't ever see the northern lights either.

Rita said...

Donna--I haven't done fabric pens, but I've tried metallic on black. Those milky type pens actually show up better on black, but I like the shimmer effects from the metallics.
I've been getting used to the new gmail, I guess. Now today for some reason that whole strip with delete, archive, etc, showed up as blank boxes. At least if I hold the curser over the boxes another box will pop up and tell me what it is. I just stumble along in computerland--hehe! ;)
Shaky hands would actually work perfectly for those little marks. No lie!
Yup! You have to be able to see the horizon to view some things. True.
Stay warm!! :)

TexWisGirl said...

your cat is adorable! :)

your artwork is gorgeous! so creative and beautiful!

your sunrise and sunsets are beautiful! go north dakota prairie! :)

Rita said...

Theresa--Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And North Dakota thanks you! ;)
Have a great weekend! :)