Today begins Week #29 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Lesley with her new puppy, Floss. I could not resist this sweet little puppy-in-a-pot, she is just darling! Floss reminded me of those puppy days, before your puppy love evolves into a deep, endearing, steadfast love between a human and their dog that trusts and is always dependable. Aah, the love of a dog – no one should live without it!!

You can read her entry here.

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames

available through Dick Blick. Sox & BJ (below) are framed using this frame:

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

WEEK 29 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Dogs! (Single dog only, please)

Deadline

: Friday, July 17, 2009 (around 5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment (your chances are greatly improved if you share something about your subject), include a link to your photo. If you do not have a photo uploaded online, please indicate that you are e-mailing the photo and e-mail the photo to: gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Your entry must be left below, or it will not be considered.

Note: *G* Rating only

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll publish the completed winning portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement. If you’re a fan on Facebook, you might just get a sneak peek at the winning portrait before I publish it here!

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

Once you have won a portrait, I ask that you refrain from multiple entries, to give others an opportunity to win one as well.

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

Custom Dog Portrait of Gala
5″ x 7″ Graphite Drawing
©2009 Leanne Wildermuth
All Rights ReservedI’ve just completed this custom dog portrait of Gala, a stunning German Shepherd whose time with her mom was cut short by a tumor in her heart. She was very much loved, and I really felt that love and wisdom coming through while I was drawing her today.

 

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!

 

Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

Custom Dog Portrait of Pete
8″ x 8″ Oil Painting on Canvas Panel
©2009 Leanne Wildermuth
All Rights ReservedPete is already on his way home – this is the scanned image of the completed painting. Such a cute pug, a lot of fun to paint! I’ll be reorganizing my studio soon, my new bamboo blinds are in!! I’m excited to paint in there again after I put up the blinds and move things around.

Meanwhile, I have a german shepherd pencil portrait commission that I’ve already begun and will share upon completion.

Purchase a custom portrait in my Shop!

Today begins Week #28 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Lisa with her redneck kitty, Bubba. You can read her entry here.

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames

available through Dick Blick. Sox & BJ (below) are framed using this frame:

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

WEEK 28 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Dogs! (Single dog only, please)

Deadline

: Friday, July 10, 2009 (around 5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. If you do not have a photo uploaded online, please indicate that you are e-mailing the photo and e-mail the photo to: gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Your entry must be left below, or it will not be considered.

Note: *G* Rating only

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll publish the completed winning portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement. If you’re a fan on Facebook, you might just get a sneak peek at the winning portrait before I publish it here!

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

Once you have won a portrait, I ask that you refrain from multiple entries, to give others an opportunity to win one as well.

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

I’ve finally finished Pete the Pug! He’s turned out so much more lifelike than the reference photos, I’m really pleased with his painting. I’ll add his final scanned portrait to my portfolio once his mom has given her blessing and the piece has dried.

You can see the full work in progress by clicking here. :cheerful:

Today begins Week #27 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Nikole, sharing a sweet photo of her daughter Victoria with her best friend Larry. You can read her entry here.

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames

available through Dick Blick. Sox & BJ (below) are framed using this frame:

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

WEEK 27 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Cats! (Single cat only, please)

Deadline

: Friday, July 3, 2009 (around 5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. If you do not have a photo uploaded online, please indicate that you are e-mailing the photo and e-mail the photo to: gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Your entry must be left below, or it will not be considered.

Note: *G* Rating only

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday and post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

Once you have won a portrait, I ask that you refrain from multiple entries, to give others an opportunity to win one as well.

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

My daughter had a friend over, and she brought a small container full of these tiny little swirled paper people. They’re not more than 1-1/2″ tall, and don’t even fit onto my pinki finger. I looked at each one in amazement – little tiny details on so many – a hundred maybe? Some dressed as clowns, some with curly hair (tiny paper, curled and glued) – I don’t know who made them, but I just adore them!

Orange house finches are an oddity around here, I see maybe one a year. According to Cornell, the color variation is due to diet – so he must be eating more beta-carotine. I promised Taba a pic, so here it is!

The elusive Killdeer – they are everywhere, but I can’t manage to get a nice, crisp closeup shot of him! They are so fast.

Surely, you know better than to try passing them on the left.
A well protected gosling.

Gosling siblings.

Male Red Winged Blackbird, on top of a sign located next to the river. How, pray tell, do you park in the rear on a river?

My ideal Red Winged Blackbird shot.
Mama mallard and her babies. Awww.

Another mama and her babies.

I hope you, too, stop to look around. There’s so much to appreciate and enjoy all around us! Yesterday afternoon, I watched a hummingbird flit around my delphinium, saw a shrew hustle into his little hole alongside my garage, and watched a young bunny sit underneath my bird feeders and munch on dinner. A storm blew in and the fresh, clean air swept across my face as a few light raindrops trickled down from the sky. I trimmed my roses while warm rain fell on my back.

If you stop to appreciate these things, you’ll find all of your worries just slip from your mind. It’s hard to be troubled when you’re taking in all that is good around you.

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!

 

We took a little walk along the Mississippi River early Monday morning, and I caught several shots of the pelicans (and other birds, which I’ll share tomorrow!). One of them had his wing tucked a little funky and I was a bit obsessed with him because as we walked, he went alongside us and seemed to want to pose for me.

I can’t recall seeing pelicans in our area until a couple of years ago – so I’m not sure if they’ve always been regulars around here and I’ve never noticed, or if they are indeed new to this area of the Mississippi River.

Either way, they’re quite majestic – enjoy!

Coming in for a landing!

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!

Here it is, folks – the reason I cannot make a fist … the reason I am taking 800mg of ibuprofen a few times a day, the reason I mouse with my hand on a gel-ice pak. Yes, indeedy – this might not look like much to the untrained eye, but to someone who has taken on a project like this at their own home – you know what I’m talking about!

A week ago today, I had 2 cu. yards of topsoil delivered. The “before” photo above is what our foundation bed looked like that morning. The soil sat below the driveway by nearly 2 inches, which meant that every time it rained, 2 inches of water sat in that bed and drown my Roses, Azalea, Rhododendron, and Iris.

With the amount of rain we’ve had so far this year – every one of my Roses was dying. Black spot had taken over the lower 4-5 inches of each of my plants. The leaves were yellowing. The Azalea didn’t even start greening up until 3 weeks after all the other Azalea’s in the neighborhood had finished blooming. The Iris only produced about 4 flowers of the whole bunch – the Rhodie had yellow leaves from the water and burned leaves from the sun. It was all very pitiful.

Enter 2 cu. yards of topsoil.

I pulled everything out of the bed, save the Honeysuckle and a 13+ year old Rose, that wasn’t about to budge. I did manage to work the soil around it up enough to raise it a couple of inches, and shoved soil beneath it to keep it from sinking back down.

My driveway looked like a nursery! I had containers filled with plants lining my driveway. A mound of dirt, covered by a tarp. It was quite the project. The first day, after working the soil, filling it to level with the driveway and stomping it down, I realized that the cedar edging was not going to work. It would not hold the soil in, and I could not sink it below the surface successfully. So after 6-7 hours, I took my sweaty self down to Lowe’s and picked up some recycled composite edging that gave me 3-1/2 inches of height. It would have to do – because it was too late to turn back!

And then, it rained. And flooded. And my dirt? Became mud. And the mud? Was quite heavy. And the sweat? It dripped from the tip of my nose like someone had a hose over my head.

I protected the lowest piece of siding on the house with plastic edging. I set the composite edging against the driveway. I filled the bed. It is about 5 inches higher than it used to be, and 3 inches above ground level (the edging is countersunk against the driveway about 1/2″).

I moved things based on what I’d learned over the last year of watching them drown and do poorly, and I gave them new homes.

The Rhodie, now in part shade, should stop burning and thrive. The leaves are already deepening and it seems very happy. The Azalea, moved over by the northeast corner, gets sun most of the day and with the downspout being redirected off onto the driveway, will get better drainage. The Roses, they’re pitiful. They’re adjusting. I’m praying for their speedy recovery.

I’ve added Coral Bells and English Ivy on two beautiful window-looking trellises to my north wall that is mostly shade. They are very happy, the Ivy is going a little nuts after just a couple of days.

I’ve added Morning Glories on medium-sized heart trellises, because I need hearts in my garden – I am such a girl. They flank both sides of the Roses, on the East side of the house. I’ve also added a white Potentilla, because Lowe’s said it was dead – and how dare they?! Rude! It had plenty of life in it, so for $5, I get a gorgeous, delicate flowering shrub next year. Go me! I almost feel like I rescued a dog from being euthanized. Almost. I have a lot of plant love.

The Iris, well, they’ve got a whole area all to themselves. My old fashioned Iris are in the back against the house, and my Batik (and white) Irises are in the front. They’ll get full sun and I’ll get Iris. Happy plant = happy gardener!

I mulched, and added some garden gnomes (because I’ve come to realize that every garden needs some tacky crap) and some word stones (“Mom’s Garden” and “Believe”, because “Hope” has lost all meaning to me lately), so I am all set.

I have already picked my first weed, so it’s official – I am obsessed with my new raised bed, and also, sporting a very, very wicked back tan.

I might not be able to hold a pen, but dang, I look good!