Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature

Love Me Anyway.

February

2008

chiapoo chihuahua poodle mix puppy' class=

I did not finish Emily’s portrait today – it’s still wet, and under a fan to speed up drying time.

You’re just going to have to settle for this cute-a-licious Copper puppy head tilt eye-candy today. I hope you don’t mind?

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Filed under: Home n' Hearth

I’ve completed Emily’s underpainting today – the shadow of her white fur is basically what you’re looking at. I also roughed in her eyes, nose and mouth. They will be further enhanced with the next layer of paint. I’ll set the fan on her tonight so that I can speed up dry time and if all goes well, I’ll finish her portrait tomorrow.

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Filed under: Dog Portraits, Painting in Oils, Works in Progress

I’m Down With That.

February

2008

valentines day red rose photograph vignette antique effect copyright leanne wildermuth' title=

As I was trying to fall asleep last night, thousands of thoughts ran through my head. This made sleeping quite challenging, as you can imagine. All I kept thinking was “I’m down with that.”

I can’t breath out of the left side of my nose.
The room is spinning, while I’m holding perfectly still.
My eyes feel waterlogged.
My hearing is muffled, clarity achieved only by the annoying popping of my jaw. I have not changed my altitude.
My throat randomly misplaces my voice, no amount of clearing helps it return.

So yep, I’m totally down with that. I’m down with whatever the “crud” is that everyone else has. This is the first time I’ve been sick all winter, that I can recall – so I’m grateful to have held out for as long as I have. Tylenol Severe Cold is my friend. The room can stop spinning any time now.

The rose, by the way, is from my Valentine’s Day bouquet. I’ve applied some special effects – vignetting and antiquing with PhotoScape, a really great free photo editing software that I found through Pam. I am in the midst of a software deliberation that is bordering on making me insane as the price tag is just — ouch. I love the product I’ve been using for years, but it lacks the vector editing that I desperately need to make my life as a blog designer a much happier one. Of course that will necessitate a new system (Hello, Dell Dude, this is where you come in and offer me a great deal). I’m not entirely down with that, yet!

Today, I’ll be painting. After I have a steamy hot shower and clear my head. Then I’ll dive back into the design front, as I’m working on 6 projects simultaneously, as my schedule is quite full and I’m very excited to be keeping so creatively busy!

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Filed under: Chit Chat

2.16.08

I launched SleepingMommy’s custom blog design today – it’s pretty sweet, if I do say so myself! Check it out!

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Beauty on the Mississippi

February

2008

This morning, I remembered my camera. I’m so glad I did! Usually, when I pick up Catybug from the Church monthly lock-in across the river, I gasp in awe while I watch eagles soar in front of my car to perch in trees along River Drive. I know that the shots I get from inside a moving vehicle aren’t the greatest, but these are moments I really want to capture anyway.

They’re hard to miss, really. Big dark spots scattered throughout the trees lining the river. Some huddled together, some in flight looking over the ice for breakfast. All of them look perfectly at home and very healthy, a sign that their winter here has been good to them.

pair of eagles sitting on ice Mississippi river' title=

The river was calm this morning, their reflections mirrored on the water were picturesque. Preening seemed to be the task for many of the eagles I saw this morning, they must have already eaten and took to the ice and trees to lounge and relax.

It seems to be only during the winter, and only when I’m driving alongside the Mississippi on River Drive that I really love living here. These birds always take my breath away, and I envy those homeowners who live along the river. I would never grow tired of seeing an eagle perched in a tree in my front yard, or of watching them soar low over the river hunting for food.

I would also, probably, never get anything else done.

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Filed under: Birdwatching, The Great Outdoors

2.15.08

I completed Theology Mama’s custom blog design for EWebscapes today. (and the day is still young! WoOt!)

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2.13.08

Days like today, I think I should really spend a few hours on my treadmill. And then I think, nah, that’s just silly.

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2.11.08

I cannot be trusted alone with a family sized bag of Frito’s. Ever.

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My Mouth Hangs Open

February

2008

At the audacity of some people on this planet. Truly.

I have never given an artist a critique unless they asked – no, more like begged for it. I hate giving my opinion on things as sensitive as art. Hate. I mean, really, if the person you’re critiquing is having an overly sensitive and self-critical day (as most artists tend to have frequently) you could do some serious damage to their self worth. And that’s nothing I take lightly, and absolutely nothing I want to live with having had an impact on (unless it’s positive, of course!).

I got a comment in my portfolio yesterday, where a person suggested that I should have used a different color in one of my paintings. Um, ex-squeeze me? What? Did I ask for a critique? No, I don’t believe I did. And honestly, I don’t ask not because I don’t care, but because I do what the Holy Spirit leads me to do, and I believe every choice I’ve made in every painting is a deliberate one that has been directly impacted by something far bigger than I am. The end result is exactly as it should be, and I don’t ever question that. This particular piece is one that I love dearly (because it’s my favorite flower, and from my own garden), and is hanging in a lovely home and appreciated every day for exactly what it is.

So, how do you react to that kind of situation? It’s one thing when your mother (or mother in law) is giving you unsolicited advice on how to raise your kids, you can tell them to bug-off a bit easier and without being snottish, you know? But this? This came from someone who claims to be a “fellow artist”. Fellow. As in comrade. Member of the same group. Really? Are they really? Because wouldn’t an artist know not to EVER give unsolicited advice like that on a completed -and sold- painting?

I try not to come off as an arrogant artist with an overly inflated ego. I am *not* all that. I am what I am, and that is all. I do what I know I can do, I learn the things I’m driven to learn. I never claimed to be an expert painter, or the best portrait artist on the web (and trust me, there are artists out there who claim exactly that). For the most part, I don’t even know that I know what I know until I try to explain it to someone who has asked. And even then, I think I don’t know what I’m talking about. (Didjya get all that?)

Could I be more humble? Because that’s all I really want to be when I grow up.

So I replied in a way that told my “fellow” artist that the painting was sold, and if they wanted to commission one with the advised changes, I’d be happy to provide a quote.

Yes, I do say on my portfolio that I love feedback. I do love feedback. Perhaps I should modify that so that even an artist would understand that a critique is not being requested, because I just don’t “get” how someone could not “get” the difference.

….closing my mouth now.

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Filed under: It's Personal.