Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature » Life, Love, and Critters

Life, Love, and Critters – of course!

Cat Portrait Pencil Drawing

December

2007

custom cat portrait art pencil graphite drawing

See, power outages can be a good thing. I had received this commission to paint a pencil portrait of Moggie in a 4″ wide by 10″ high size a couple of weeks ago. Peeling myself away from the online part of making my living can be pretty tough, and honestly? I have a confession to make. I procrastinate. For good reason, I think (sometimes).

I haven’t drawn a drawing since High School.

Seriously, a true graphite pencil start to finish full drawing in its final form this is IT piece of artwork – it’s been about 18 years. You’d think that since I’m an artist for a living, I would produce more graphite drawings. I’ve worked in colored pencil, watercolor, oil, acrylic, even india inks – but it’s rare that someone asks a graphite of me. I always attributed that to not having any in my portfolio, I guess.

Once in a while though, I get a client who asks “can you do this?….” and of course I never decline. I will, however, procrastinate at least a little out of sheer fear that I’m totally inept and unable to create something with a certain medium on a certain ground.

I know, it’s crazy. I should know by know that this fear of mine is all in my head. This God given gift just flows through my hands out onto whatever is in front of me with whatever tool I have in my hand. I am so humbled by that. I finished Moggie lastnight (well, almost – she is in proofing stage and still needs whiskers and her tag wording, and then of course my signature) and when I took my hand away from the pad I thought “Woah. Well. There she is.” And when you finish something and see it through your own eyes but know it happened not because of anything you learned in school or taught yourself, it’s a sort of euphoria that you can’t feel from anything else.

It’s when you crave that euphoria that you find yourself doing what you’re meant to do more often, and feeling a sense of peace and calm in your life that you can’t attain any other way.

This is what dreams are made of, and this is how you live them.

Get in the Christmas Spirit!
Now Playing : God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
[audio:godrestyemerrygentlemen.mp3]

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Filed under: A Lil' History, Cat Portraits, Works in Progress

The Power of … Power.

December

2007

At 9pm yesterday (Saturday), we lost power and it was just restored about an hour ago. I can tell you this – I am feeling the strong desire to learn how to be energy independent. I felt like someone chopped off my arms and said “NOW let’s see you pick up sticks!” Sheesh. No shower. No latte. No garage door opener, no lights. No phone, no computer, no toaster. No nothing. We spent the whole day wandering around stores to stay warm, since the temp dropped in our house about 15 degrees overnight.

I’m really, truly spoiled.

I thought about those people who normally go without all these things that are just part of my daily life. I really respect those people, because I realized today what a brat I am. I told my hubby we should just become missionaries and really try to find ways around technology – but he kinda already has that experience being in Iraq and training in situations like this. I wish I weren’t so put out by it today, and I thanked God when we got home from the store and saw our lights on. Deep down, I think I’m given these trials to help me become more empathetic to those who have to go without much more for so much longer than we do.

We did spend some time today in the peace and quiet of nothing running in our home, and I started working on my cat portrait. I’ll show you how that’s coming tomorrow.

All I want now is a hot shower and a blow dryer, you know what I’m sayin? I know you didn’t miss me, but dang – it’s good to be back.

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Filed under: Home n' Hearth

Decorating The Blog

December

2007

I’ve just put the first ornament on the tree, and I’ve added an audio player (that only plays when you tell it to) and will add some holiday tunes for your listening enjoyment through the Holiday.

Let me know if you have favorites (ornaments or Christmas songs) that you’d like me to include! And also? There are naysayers out there who think sprucing up the blog with a Holiday design is all for naught. What are your thoughts on it?

Get in the Christmas Spirit!
Now Playing : Oh Holy Night
[audio:ohholynight.mp3]

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Filed under: Chit Chat

Who Dunnit? (or, I’m Old.)

November

2007

Who poked me in the eye when I wasnt looking?' class=

I’m giving you my evil bruised eye, muahaha.Somewhere between working (staring at a computer screen), driving (staring at the road) and sleeping (staring at the back of my eyelids), between the hours of 5pm and 6am – somehow this giant purple blurb of broken blood vessels appeared on my eye.

WTH?

I’m not sure exactly how someone could have poked me in the eye without my knowledge, but I’m also not sure how resting blood vessels can spontaneously combust during REM. All I know is that I woke up, took a shower and when I started brushing my teeth I wondered – who punched me in the head?! And then I remembered, I have OLD. You know, that incurable disease where really odd things happen to your body that have no explanation other than that you have OLD. Symptoms include crankiness, irritability, wild mood swings, persistence and righteousness, and then of course wrinkles, graying hair, unexplained bruising and brittle bones.

Yes. I think I’ll blame it on OLD. Unless one of you wants to fess up to sneaking into my house and poking me in the eye while I was sleeping . . .

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Filed under: It's Personal.

Happy and Thankful

November

2007

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Happy Thanksgiving! The day has arrived and the last several days have been filled to the brim with blog code, as I tried to get as much done as much as possible before the Holiday (so that post Holiday shopping wouldn’t be horribly guilt inducing). I’ve been really absent from my own blog, but of course you can almost always find me in the code of someone else’s! I’ll actually be working up a graphite cat portrait in the next week or two, so you’ll get to see some actual “art” (for those of you who don’t consider my graphic design skills art, I know you’re out there).

We awoke to this wonderful *shudder* snowy view just a short while ago. It’s white out there, people. That means it’s cold enough to stay white, which means my absolute least favorite season has arrived as well. Brr!!!

We’ll be spending the day with my family this year, so I won’t be cooking and I won’t have any leftovers. (All the better to get back on track after a day filled with mom’s pie!!)

So on to my list of mushy gushy things I’m Thankful for. Please fill my comments with your own Thanksgivings, too. That’s what today is all about!

I’m thankful for a safe road trip in the rain with my family, a warm place to lay our heads and an assortment of pillows to choose from.

I’m thankful for my family, as crazy as they are, they are filled with love and kindness and acceptance, and most importantly, giggles.

I’m thankful for the wonderful life that we’ve been blessed with, to be able to work from home, make our own schedules and be together as a family more than most people get the opportunity to do. I treasure this time that we’re able to go and do things without worry or stress.

I’m thankful that my girls are so well mannered and that as sisters, they have a wonderful bond and rarely fight. That is so good for them, and I’m so glad that they are good to each other more often than they are not.

I’m thankful for my Church family, who has really made me realize how important it is to not just be thankful on Thanksgiving, but every day. To see each good thing as a blessing and a gift and to feel a love and peace in each day makes worry and stress diminish unbelievably fast.

I’m thankful for you, my friends who are reading this, because you’re here and you care and that matters to me more than I can express to each of you individually. I’m wrapping you up in a great big virtual hug and wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Filed under: Home n' Hearth

What the Fronk?

November

2007

Man you’d think I just fell right off the face of the earth. Some of you might actually wish that to happen. Well, fooey on you people, I say! Fooey!

I made up a new word the other night. I took the girls out shopping and we passed a local news station on the way to the store. I looked over and saw they were setting up the newscast right out front with the camera and the lights and I hollered “FRONNNNK!” and told the girls I should have fronked the horn at them, and we would have been on the news. Or at least our fronk would have been on the news. Chickeymonkey swiftly informed me that “Fronk is not a word.” Uh. Why not? Didn’t I just say it? Didn’t I define it, too? Why can’t fronk be a word? And most importantly,

WHO SAYS I CAN’T MAKE A NEW WORD?!

She was silent in the back seat and had no answer to my questions. Catybug was on my side. Fronk sounds cool. (Go ahead, try it – like a goose sounding honk, it’s called a Fronk. Because I said so.) Chickeymonkey was pretty upset at that point, and started yelling at Catybug that IT IS NOT A WORD. To which I, the mom, because I am mature and growing my kids up right, replied:

“Yuh-huh!”

And of course you know what her reply was.

“NUT-UH!”

As it turns out, she was just more irritated with Catybug for getting on board so much faster and really having fun with it. She told me in secret that it’s okay if I say it, it’s just NOT okay when Catybug does. Well, that’s no fun, people. I think EVERYONE should be fronkity-fronking whenever they feel like it. So go ahead and fronk if you wanna, you have my full permission and blessing. Chickeymonkey will get over it.

[poll id=’3′]

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Filed under: Hahaha! That's Funny.

Dinner Demands from a Six Year Old

November

2007

Chickeymonkey presented me with this beautifully hand crafted dinner demand lastnight. Note the period “.” at the end of her request? When she handed it to me, I read it and giggled and replied “oh, really? Yes ma’am, I’ll fetch your dinner right away, ma’am!” – she left the room.

About 20 minutes later, realizing that her demand wasn’t working on me, she returned and took her note away. A few minutes passed and she returned, this time she pointed out that it is now a question (see the red question mark?). NOW will I please go get her some dinner?

Just look at the hearts! And the lime green coloring inside the circular letters?! How could I say no?!?!?!

(I chose a honey mustard grilled chicken wrap, with 260 cal/9g fat/27g carbs/18g protein, it’s one of the best options on the menu, second to a grilled chicken Cesar salad with no dressing.)

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Filed under: Home n' Hearth

WW WW #13

November

2007

Weight Watchers Weekly Weigh-in #13!

It was bound to happen at some point, bah – a gain. After the last two weeks of dealing with a horrible bladder infection, antibiotics, bloating and comfort food, I’ve gained and now I’m basically where I was 4 weeks ago. Not like it’s going to take long for the excess to fall away, but it really is a nice little kick in the skinny jeans, you know what I mean? No, no more butterfingers have passed my lips. I went to the gym this weekend to look at the new circuit training equipment, and set my appointment to meet with a trainer and get my weight settings. The jiggle in my joggle is reminding me that fall is here, and I am not spending the time outside that I used to, so it’s time to dust off the treadmill and dig out my running shoes. Not only that, but my favorite fruits are out of season and have been replaced with pumpkin pie, basically.

1st week: -4.6 lbs.
2nd week: -4.2 lbs.
3rd week: -1.6 lbs.
4th week: -2.4 lbs.
5th week: -.8 lbs.
6th week: -2.6 lbs.
7th week: -1.2 lbs.
8th week: -2.2 lbs.
9th week: -1 lbs.
10th week: -.2 lbs.
11th week: -.6 lbs.
12th week: -.8lbs.
* * 13th week: +1.2 lbs. * *
Total to date: -21 lbs.Yes, hello winter, hello holidays, you are and always have been the reason I fail every year. I resolve to make it to the other side, where 15 days into the new year I vowed to myself to be at my goal. I have only 9 weeks remaining and now 7.6 pounds to go. That’s what the average American gains over the next 9 weeks. Let’s see if I can do just the opposite.

Send duct tape.

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Filed under: Health n' Weight