Photography Friday

Wow, last blog was over a week ago! Yes, I'm still alive, and I'm quite well too, but it's been one of those weeks (ten days more like) where things are busy, things break down, doctors need visiting,  stuff needs fixing around the house, I've been a bit under the weather and I had to go to the main land a couple of times. So everything sort of fell by the wayside. Especially my blog and artsy stuff. Some days will be like that unfortunately. Even today I don't have much time, but I thought I'd post a quick Photography Friday, just so you know I haven't vanished from the face of the earth. ;-)

I haven't even taken that many pictures actually. All these things always happen together. No blogging often means no journaling, no artsy stuff, no photography and too little me-time. It's a sign that things are too full either in my life or in my head (or both as is the case right now). It will pass, yes it will. I've picked up the journal again yesterday, I've also picked up the camera again and today I'm picking up the blog again. Hope you enjoy these pics.

No words needed really, so I'll just leave them as they are.

I'm breaking in a new smart phone and have quickly added some of my favorite photography apps, so I'll be shooting away soon again as ever. In case you're curious: my favorite apps (for Android) are Lomo Camera, Retro Camera, Square Camera and of course Instagram. There's plenty more out there, but these serve me well enough for what I want. And all are free, what more can you ask for?

Above pictures were done with Lomo Camera by the way.

I hope to be blogging some real artsy stuff again soon. I'm having a full long weekend off, so I'll make sure to have some studio time!

Wishing you all a wonderful and artsy weekend!

Studio porn

I love my studio! Now my studio pretty much encompasses my entire house. I have a box of materials near the couch, I have a journaling table in the kitchn, I have my sewing room upstairs, I moved my easel to the upstairs hallway and then of course there's the actual actual studio which is the biggest room upstairs. In short I think only my bedroom, shower and toilet have yet to be taken over by it. Give me some time. ;-)

From time to time I like taking pictures of my studio and details from my work spaces. It just makes me happy to look at all the goodies. If you're anything like me, you enjoy pictures like that too, so especially for you I share some studio pics with you. Call it studio porn!

Craft paints on my journaling table in the kitchen downstairs.

Totes full of pens and markers and other goodies. Underneath watercolour paints and crayons.

My sticker collection that gets used a lot for the journal. You can also tell I get most of them on sale, haha.

Fabrics in my sewing room.

A stack of colourful stuff set aside for use in a journal I'm working on.

My actual studio table is full of different mark makers. I swoon just looking at this.

Papers and stencils all happy together in a box to my right while I work.

This is just one box of tapes. I have another one at my journaling table. (I know.)

Recently I reorganized my acrylic paint in big boxes by colour, so I could actually find what I'm looking for.

My ribbon drawer! I have an extra basket for loose pieces of ribbon.

My worktable in the studio. My favorite place in the house.

My computer desk. That's where I'm sitting right now (laptop open of course).

I keep wanting to do an actual studio tour on my blog with details on how I store and organize things and such. But I'm kind of dreading the work involved. One day, really, one day...;-)

Hope you liked this peek at my artsy spaces and that you have a space of your own, no matter how small, to play. I know I'm ridiculously spoiled. It wasn't always this way, but I'm sure happy it is now. ;-)

Wishing you all a wonderful and artsy Wednesday!

From the carry along sketchbook

I haven't been working very much in my carry along sketchbook lately. These things seem to come and go in stages. It also doesn't help that because of fall it's no longer warm enough to sit somewhere outside and doodle while at lunch in the office garden or on one of my walks. But I did manage to fill a few pages, so here they are.

All of these were done in watercolour, sometimes with the help of a pencil or drawing pen. My carry on sketchbook is all about simple materials and working rather quickly. I love doing those letter drawings by the way. They make me smile.

Wishing you all a wonderful and artsy week!

Photography Friday

Sometimes when I do a Photography Friday I have to sort of scrape the pictures together to get a good selection and sometimes I have so many pictures I don't know where to start. This time is definitely one of those latter cases. I had hundreds on my phone from several walks and a trip to the main land so I had a really hard time picking this weeks selection. So you're only getting the tip of the iceberg! ;-)

Fall in the forest. There's still plenty of leaves on trees, but they are slowly getting fewer and fewer.

Had to go the city of Assen because of work. Apparently bikes grow on trees there.

 

The meeting I had was held in this incredible building.

Afterwards, because it was too late to catch the ferry, I stayed in Harlingen in a hotel and got this view from my hotel room!

Harlingen is just so pittoresque.

Fall foliage.

Threatening clouds on a morning walk. That house is still on my wish list.

Path through the dunes towards the beach.

North Sea beach on a magical morning.

I love it when the sand moves like this. It makes you feel like your floating.

A lonely beach pole in the distance tells you it's high tide.

Heavy clouds reflecting on the water and the wind is playing with the sand again. Sigh...

The colder season means places like this get flooded. When it freezes sometimes people skate here. Hasn't been that cold yet though.  

Let's go exploring the vast space that is our Island!

Or stay in the forest. It's so quiet now everywhere. Nothing but the rustling of the wind.

The sun through golden leaves. Autumn light is the best.

One of many storm victims.

A peek through to the pond near the town..

My shadow is at least twenty feet tall right now.

A beach pole at low tide (notice the difference with the one above?).

Ah, the marks water makes in the sand. Natural sculptures.

Another dune path, this is more on the east side of the Island.

A much more quiet day on the beach. No lower level sand storms here.

And the other pond I love to take pictures off. I've seen those ducks grow up this summer from ducklings. So cute! 

And that's all for today. Now go peek through your own camera and capture your own neighbourhood. You might be surprised at all the beauty right outside your door once you start looking for it. Doesn't matter where you live. You don't need a special place to be, you just need to open your eyes and your mind.

Wishing you a wonderful and artsy weekend.