Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature

Promising Sunrise

September

2006

This is what I’m waking up today. Great colors, huh? This is a beautiful sky to see at 6:30 in the morning! It almost makes me want to enjoy fall – a little!

I put together three design mockups over the last day and a half. My eyes were burning lastnight, but I’m up bright and early (thanks, Tucker) and ready to code. One of my girlfriends (ahem.) is one of those theme flip-floppers, you know, the ones that change their design every day? Yes. She’s one of those. She sent me a .psd file to put a stylesheet together for her, so count that as my fourth design to put together. At least things are starting to get checked off my list!

The stuff that triggered my sensitive side on Thursday? Well, I think I’m going to clue in all of the people I attempted to defend on Thursday, I’ll make that announcement at the Hub. I know a lot of people just don’t think anything could happen “behind the scenes” of a meme. It is, after all, just a meme, but really – it’s not. There’s a lot of stuff that happens, a lot of it is piddly little stuff – a lot of it makes me want to throw in the towel. I’m relieved to have co-hostesses to help with some of the little things that, when combined, grow into a nice supersized headache, but I still feel very much responsible for every. little. thing. So with that in mind, I have some spilling of the guts to do to all of the participants.

I am still contemplating the blogging thing. My entries have become more sparse because I’m starting to not feel like I have something important to contribute to society every day. Personal stuff is much more personal, and business is something I can share because it’s not about my family. It’s just me and my creative stuff. I see a lot of business bloggers who try to have a personal blog attached to their business, but blog specific things that are content rich just to get traffic. Well, good for them. This is an honest blog and an honest blogger – I’m not in it to gain every freaking keyword on the web. That’s what my gallery is for. I can’t believe someone would pretend to be emotionally attached to a blog when they’re in it for the keywords. Whatever. I don’t want this blog to become that kind of blog – but I also don’t want to step over those boundaries I set for myself when I decided to remove the family chatter I was so used to – that had to go away to protect our privacy. I should use the dang features I installed here. That’s what I should do.

I’m rambling again. Woops.

Oh and for anyone who felt like you were being served up on that platter, or rather asking for it to be served up on a platter, that’s not what that was about. It was about folks who want it all their way all the time, regardless of guidelines and procedures. And then when they don’t or can’t have it their way, they openly gripe about it, like the guidelines and procedures are all wrong, and the hundreds of people who don’t have a problem with them are wrong – and they’re right. Urgh.

Back to work I go – where things are more colorful than the sunrise – and more peaceful than 6:30 in the morning!

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Filed under: Chit Chat, The Photog in Me

Thursday Thirteen #39

September

2006

Thirteen Things about Leanne, Thursday, September 14, 2006
My other Thirteens1. Been busy. Very busy. I’m still trying to get into a “get it all done in 6 hours” schedule. Sorry.

2. Why do I do this? Why do I do this? What’s in it for me? Nothing – I do this for other people. To help other people. I don’t make a dime – in fact I spend my own money to host and design and maintain it all. Why don’t people get that? Why do I do this again?

3. Contemplating the whole blogging thing again.

4. Contemplating the purposefullness of physical therapy. I don’t do at home what I do twice a week at therapy. I try, but honestly. I don’t do it enough to make a difference.

5. Still contemplating.

6. I have designs to build, this is how many I’ll be working on. (6)

7. I love that working takes up so much time. I would rather be working, my head immersed in creative juice and code.

8. Again, with the whole “why do I do this?”

9. More of the contemplating.

10. A little bit of “why do people expect everything to be handed to them on a platter”.

11. Mixed in with a healthy dose of “why do I take things so personally.” and “why do I stress out at the drop of a dime?”

12. A smidge of a memory of a dream, where someone I called a year ago after not hearing from them for several months and haven’t heard from since wondered why we weren’t in touch anymore.

13. More contemplating, and I’ll continue to do that over a great big monitor full of creative juice.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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TECHNORATI TAG: Thursday Thirteen
I put the technorati tag in here so that my post is included in the entries under Technorati’s hot tag. I want to be hot, don’t you?

I want you to get linked. On my blog. I use CA-Credits, a wordpress plugin, because it puts your link is right here out in the open and in my source code, and will be followed right from my blog to your blog. You get all the credit.

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Filed under: Thursday Thirteen

Custom Torch Illustration

September

2006

I just completed a custom torch logo graphic, inspired by a “pass the torch” image that my client had seen. The pose is my own, my own makeshift torch (my gigantic gesso brush) my tripod and trusty camera – and photographed my own hand in two different positions to use as a reference for this project.

It all started as a sketch – after a couple of revisions I turned it into a watercolor painting.

From there, I scanned the painting in and started making some very minor revisions, and with my handy dandy wacom tablet and my favorite CorelX Paint Shop Pro, I created this digital painting:

So that’s what I’ve been working on – my client’s deadline was today, and I came in right on schedule, which I love doing (I’m an on-time-aholic).

I admit, I am excited to have artwork out there in a corporate logo format. Hopefully I’ll be able to show you some of the materials this will be appearing on soon.

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Filed under: Completed Paintings, Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs, Still Life

Portrait of Tucker

September

2006

wheaten terrier tucker copyright leanne wildermuth

I took this photo of our sweet little Wheaten Terrier pup, Tucker, a week or two ago. As soon as I opened the image on my computer I wanted to paint it – but on the other hand, it makes a great photograph, too. I always have a tendency to turn a great photo into a great oil painting, so I expect you’ll be seeing our sweet little boy on canvas at some point over the next couple of months. (I do have a spring exhibition to prepare for!)

Our Tuckerhead is doing well. He’s 5 months old now, needs a fur cut and sometimes a muzzle (we haven’t actually bought one, he could just use it sometimes!) – but otherwise he’s a good boy. I try to spend as much time with him as I can, especially now that the girls are in school and he seems to behave well when he’s just hanging out with me here in the office or out in the studio.

He gets a lot of attention out on walks, too – not many people are familiar with Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, and everyone just loves him to pieces. (Including me, when he’s not yipping and yapping, that is!)

I just had to share this pretty portrait of my boy while it was fresh in my mind – I must get back to work now and finish up an illustration I’ve been working on!

Have a good one!

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Filed under: Chit Chat, Our Little Wheatie

In Memory Of Brett O. Frieman

September

2006

Brett Frieman was the kind of guy you just don’t forget. His contagious laugh, his bright smile. There was a sparkle in his eyes, and everyone around him was drawn to him and smiled because of him.

He had a sense of humor. Since high school, it seemed his mission was to make people around him laugh and enjoy life.

He was a kind, loving guy who watched his sister get married just a few years earlier, and adored hanging out with his two nephews, Jacob and Bryan.

Brett’s father had been retired for several years when he lost Brett. He worked at the World Trade Center, too.

There’s not much information to be found about Brett, but what I did find was touching. Former classmates honored his personality and verve. Fraternity brothers with nothing but fond memories of him. He seemed like the kind of guy you don’t forget, whose laughter and smile lingers in your memory.

I’m glad that he brought that kind of happiness to people. I can only imagine the grief his family still feels every year, thinking back to five years ago – and it seems like just yesterday that he smiled and said “see you later” to people he loved.

Brett was a shining example of how to live life. Laughing, smiling, and being good to the people around you. May the memories he left his loved ones with continue to warm their hearts through the hard days, when I know he’s missed like crazy.

Rest in Peace.

Source, Obituary

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Filed under: Chit Chat

Backyard Birding

September

2006

I had to start with a hummy, because they’re my favorite. How anyone can tire of seeing them I don’t know – but if you have, my apologies. The original photograph is amazing, the little splotch on her throat is a red feather that has been magnified by a drop of nectar (sugar water) that’s trailed down her beak onto her neck. We’ve been watching her for days, she’s feeding quite a bit, which I understand means that cold weather is very near. (waah!)

This is a Red Breasted Nuthatch. This one is new to our yard, I’ve never seen one in person before. I thought it was a Chickadee at first, until I saw the color of his breast. He’s smaller than our White Breasted Nutties, but does act as skittish and flighty as a Chickadee.

This pitiful looking House Finch gal has conjunctivitis. “Pink eye” spreads like wildfire among house finches, and it’s got nearly every one of them that visits our yard now. I spotted a male who was probably 90% blinded by it and when he flew, he couldn’t see to land – so he kept trying to land on things until he flew straight into a tree. It’s sad, because they do become completely blinded by the disease and die from it, or from the side effects of it, like running into stuff. There was a female at our feeder a week or two ago, and I walked right up to her and tried to give her some thistle. She didn’t even know I was there.

This is just pitiful, isn’t it? It’s a CardiVulture. (haha!) Really, this Cardinal is just molting, but man he’s scary looking. Big bald black head and bulgy eyes next to a bright red beak – stuck on top of a red floofy feathered body. Seriously, this must be torture for him. I’m sure he’s not used to being so freaky looking! His baby girl flew into the studio window a couple of days ago and I think she broke her wing. I tried to help her but she was well enough to hop away – not well enough to fly. I didn’t see where she went, but she did go in the opposite direction of the danger zone (where she surely would have been an afternoon snack), so I hope she’s okay and found a safe place to recover, if they recover from broken wings, that is.

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Filed under: The Great Outdoors

I Am Not.

September

2006

(what it used to look like)

I know what you’re thinking. I promise you, I’m not on any drugs. And yes it’s pretty easy to tile a bathroom. The hard part is cutting tiles to fit around stuff, like round stuff. That part really stinks.

So this is just one of my many excuses for being absent here at the blog. I got in the shower a week ago today and thought “this is gross”. The fiberglass panels were starting to come off because moisture had gotten in and the adhesive wasn’t so adhesivey anymore. The mold was starting to grow underneath the trim at the base of the panels.

I had enough.

We picked up a bunch of tile, brought it home, ripped off those panels, and I started putting tile up. Grouting was a pain, waiting for it to dry was a pain. Taking baths all week instead of showers was unpleasant, but not as bad as the grouting and cutting. The doors came down and went back up – twice, because I screwed up and put them too close and the bottom rail overhung the tub. I sealed it lastnight and took my first shower in a week (P.U.) this morning.

While I was waiting for the adhesive to dry, I worked. While I was waiting for the grout to dry, I worked. While I was waiting for my hubby to put the doors back up for the second time, I ordered pizza.

Okay I lie. Yes I worked. I am working on another illustration/drawing for a business. And today I’m sorta working, I sketched out another blog design project that I’ll work on after the 6 I have in queue are coded up. Once I get the go ahead on the illustration, I’ll get a clean line drawing done on that and flip back over to design for a week or two.

It’s always something, and you know what? I’m grateful. I couldn’t be more tickled that business is good, that I’m busy, and things are just rolling right along. It’s a great thing!

No, I am not on speed. Yes I’m handy around the house. I really don’t know how or where this energy comes from, and I am happy to report that I do get 5-7 hours of solid deep sleep every night. I only take a generic multivitamin, I swear it.

Please don’t hit me. If it makes you feel any better, I can do all this AND gain 5 pounds at the same time! Go me!

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Filed under: Home n' Hearth

From Medskool

September

2006

I just finished up a design for EWebscapes, this one is really neat! It’s From Medskool. “The journey to and through”.

The (student) doctor graphic is a custom illustration that I completed a couple of weeks ago – then wrapped this nifty design around it. I just love how the “O” is being squeezed by the blood pressure cuff. The whole layout just came together exactly as I saw it in my “artistic eye”. I love when that happens!

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Filed under: Custom Illustrations, Graphics, Blog Designs, E.Webscapes

Don’t You Hate it When…

September

2006

Don’t you hate it when you accidentally get superglue on the tip of your right index finger, and it dries and you can’t peel it off, and then when you go to use your trackball mouse you realize that the superglue has temporarily disabled any and all nerve endings in the tip of your finger, leaving you aimlessly scrolling your mouse and staring at your monitor hoping you’re rolling it in the right direction? Then when you stop in frustration and start to try to pick that invisible layer of superglue off you end up tearing your skin in the process? And the thing that you superglued? Still busted. Don’t you just hate when that happens?