Cute Video Clip? and Changes are a comin'

Well - that was disappointing. I have no idea why the video clip didn't show up in the email on Thanksgiving. It's cute - you can actually go to my blog and see it . You can double click on the header words "Cute Video Clip? and Changes are a comin'" which should take you to my blog, or right click on them and open in a new window - or go to You Tube and see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpunQZ4cUyI

or maybe it will show up if I do this - one last try-



Now it has come to my attention that things are NOT working right. Several people have told me they tried to subscribe to my blog and weren't able to. I checked Feedburner and it says no one - zero - nada - zip people have subscribed. According to Feedburner I am all alone in cyberspace. So sad. Yet I know you are out there because I occasionally get responses and emails from you, but I can't get any response or help from Feedburner so I am looking for a new way to subscribe. PLEASE NOTE: - IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG NOW PLEASE PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH "BLOG" IN THE SUBJECT LINE

I need to change things up and get them working right and I don't want to lose you :)


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Cute video clip and Mixed Media Collage

HEY- HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Watch this and SMILE!!

Isn't that great?

Yesterday I wrote this in yellow which I found out shows up on the blog but not in email so I will write it again - I added a "Follow This Blog" widget - over on the right, on the blog. So you can check it out and sign up if you want to.

And here is today's painting offering...

Hearts of 3
8" x 10"
Mixed Media Collage on Canvas
$250

This is one of my older pieces, and I don't think I've shown it online before. I just got it back from a show at Brandon Gallery. This piece is another that is ...geesh, I don't know how to say this - it is a result of the death of a friend, but result isn't right - inspired by - that certainly isn't right - what are the right words? It is deeply meaningful and moving to me, and while I do have a price on it I am not sure I really would want to sell it. It comes from deep dark places in my heart.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Almost caught up! more wedding pics-

Okay - first - before you do anything else - go watch and listen to this guy play guitar!!
click here
Be sure to right click and choose open in a new window so you can come right back here easily

Now that you are back - wasn't that nice? Hey take a look over on the right - I just added a "Follow this blog" gizmo -
and now for the art and pictures---

Worried Man
Digital Tessellation

Blue Bird
Digital Mosaic Experiment

So I have spent the ENTIRE day in this stupid chair trying to figure these Painter assignments out. I thought I was doing great until I ran headlong into a virtual digital wall!! When I say all day - I mean all day! I sat down here around 5AM and it is now 6:15 PM. I did take a lunch break. I thought I would just get a little bit done before my oil painting class this morning, since I was up so early, and the next thing I knew it was almost 11 and I was still in my PJ's plugging away on this digital stuff. Class started at 10 AM - duh...and BUMMER! The good news is I am just about caught up - just one more assignment and I am there! YAY! I am not thrilled with either of these images - but after working my fanny flat in this chair - I wanted to at least post something.

Then I got an email from a friend who took pictures at the wedding - thank you VERY much - here are a few -

Pictures are wonderful - but they just don't capture everything - like all the crystal and rhinestones sparkling, and the incredible ambiance and atmosphere. It was wonderful and beautiful beyond words...

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Variation on a theme

So, lot's of reading and studying and catching up on lectures from my Painter class. I did a lot of "test drives" today, nothing much to look at, just trial and error attempts with different controls in the Painter program. I did do some manipulation and experimenting on the skull painting from last week and here are the results - not too great, I prefer the original, but I am learning a lot!
Tomorrow is another day.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Second post for today with another digital painting

I don't have a name for this one yet. I am fairly happy with it - there are some problem areas and some stuff that I am not crazy about - but "good enough", especially for now - I am working hard to catch up in my Painter class. I will address them when I paint this one on canvas. I will just consider this a preliminary sketch for a larger painting. Another assignment down - many more to go! LOL


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Digital Assignment and Tales from my Past

I just had to show you this - I am so happy with it. It is a digital painting done for my university Painter class. So FUN! I was inspired by some work by Jim Morphesis. I may make some prints available.

Those of you who know me - even well, may or may not be aware of my love for and fascination with bones. I used to collect them - much to my mother's, and my brother's frustration and despair. I am sure they secretly worried about me becoming some kind of serial killer or something. I was crushed and devastated when my bone collection "accidentally" got thrown out one day.

In high school I got a job in a grocery store that had it's own butcher. I got some incredibly awesome bones from them. I would go home and and soak them in lye until they were all clean and beautiful. Then I would draw them - like landscapes to me. I had a particularly prized and beautiful knee joint from a cow, complete with the knee cap. It was awesome. In college I took it to drawing class, as strangely enough I had a drawing teacher that also appreciated bones. She fell in love with my cow's knee and asked to borrow it for a while. That is the last I ever saw of it.

Later, again while in college, I roasted a turkey - and carefully preserved it's complete structure. It was beautiful and perfect and I looked forward to drawing all of it little ribs and the intricacies of it. I picked it clean (while I love bones - I hate meat and am repelled and disgusted by having to touch meat -ick - but I am not a vegetarian, I will eat meat, I just don't want to look at it or touch it) anyway, I put it up on the counter to lye treat later, and ran an errand. When I got home my dog had managed to get that turkey skeleton off of the counter and devoured most of it!

I got busy and discouraged, thinking I was not meant to be a collector and gave up my bone collecting for good. I've tried to collect other things. Crystal Christmas ornaments, but the kids pulled the tree over when they were little - onto a ceramic tile floor - and that was the end of that collection. Tried to get interested in stamps, coins, antiques. I had a blue cobalt glass collection once - but it disappeared somehow, lost in a move I suppose. The only other thing I have ever had success at collecting is paint chips from the paint store, I love them. My family thinks I am nuts.

But now.... now....maybe....just maybe I can return to my beginnings. I do have a deer skull with antlers, and a steer skull up on my walls, and a beautiful shofar - not bone technically, but horn - it still works for me...maybe I will start collecting bones again. We will see.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Shondra again and I DID it!!

Shondra (2)
11" x 14"
Oil on Masonite

I am so freakin' proud of myself! I did it! I got up this morning, exercised a little bit, did my Spanish lesson and PAINTED, before getting wrapped up in my digital assignment. I finished Shondra, the painting I started on Tuesday morning and I am pretty darn happy with it - not perfect but "good enough." As a Recovering Perfectionist - "good enough" is my goal- I am proud of me for finishing something too - something I seldom do!
Hmmm - I just remembered the verse "pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall" - but I think this is an OK kind of pride....maybe I should say I am happy with myself today - actually that's more accurate anyway - (whew)
Now my only problem is - I am out of time for today and I didn't get my digital assignment work done and I have a GRADE depending on that. Always something huh. Hmmmm... I don't know what I am going to do about that - but all in all I am pretty happy with today - tomorrow will be better I hope. Tomorrow I shoot for this: getting up - exercising - Spanish - do a small still life and then do my digital assignment. I think I can do it!
I am looking forward to tomorrow - and more art making... YAY!

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Aggravating Day and "Star"

Star
8" x 10"
Mixed Media Collage on canvas
$250

Here is another older work. These pices just got back from a show at the Brandon Gallery in Fallbrook. Unfortunately I never got to go see the show as i was busy with the wedding. It is a nice gallery in a very cute and arty town - a nice place to visit for a day.

Today was so aggravating! I am trying to catch up in my digital painting class and my Painter program simply won't cooperate. I spent the entire day un-installing - reinstalling - removing programs - deleting files - blah blah blah. Didn't even get into the studio and I had such great plans for today. I have emailed Corel about the problem, and will have to wait a couple of days for a response and then probably have to call the Geek Squad anyway. I have loaded the program on my desk top now - but it has limited options, maybe I can at least get one assignment underway and begin to catch up. Tomorrow is another day...tomorrow I will PAINT first! then work on the digital stuff. I have plans for a large - maybe 4' x 5' - "corporate portrait" of my husband and I am eager to get going on it. I need to get some exercise in here somewhere too - Okay , exercise first, paint second - digital third. We will see...

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Back to Portrait Painting Class

Shondra 11/14/2008
11" x 14"
Oil on Masonite

It felt so good to get back to class! I just love the people and atmosphere and Shondra is an excellent model. I always enjoy painting her, and she has the MOST adorable little boy named Renoir. Incredibly cute little boy.
This is an unfinished 3 hour quick sketch -but I like the start so I may finish it.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Prince Charming Weds Fairytale Princess!

...and this is where I've been and what I've been doing the last 2 months. No silly - I didn't get married - but my daughter did! We put this together in about 8 weeks and it was awesome - wonderful - perfect- beautiful - amazing - fairytale like - magical - shall I go on? OK, didn't think so.



That's my daughter and my new son at their wedding last Saturday. I am pretty sure you will be seeing more photos from the wedding down the road. It was a perfect and beautiful wedding and reception. The only thing missing were Disney bluebirds of happiness flitting around. If I ever get caught up with everything I am going to Photoshop them in! I am woefully behind in practially everything - but so worth it! Until I get going again I am going to post a few of my older pieces that I have not posted before, and here is the first.

No Gains Without Pain
8" x 10"
mixed media collage on canvas
$250
I named it "No Pains Without Gains" because there is a snippet of Ben Franklin's quote on the text in the collage - and it seemed to fit.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com