Giving Back the Ukeleles

Sometimes I think I should rename this blog. Northdixie Gets Distracted Again! has a nice ring to it.

This past summer I decided I would learn how to play the Ukelele. What I really did was store my kind brother-in-law's ukelele at my house for 6 months.

I am weeding through my wants, musts, can dos and can't dos again. There are a lot of metaphorical ukuleles in my life. It's time to return the ukuleles and focus on what my life really has room for doing.

Tabletop Photography

Doll by Judi Hunziker

A group of doll makers made dolls using the Babyland Rag Body pattern I drafted last year.  Their dolls will be featured in a MAIDA Newsletter I'm doing for late spring.  It was so fun to see the variety of wonderful creations they made.  One is shown above.

Long cold winters mean natural light is in short supply right now   So I'm experimenting with setting up a table top photography studio.  This is in my basement to the left of the washer and dryer.  I sculpt in the kitchen to the left of the stove.  I seem to need major appliances nearby. :-)  The lights are desk lights. The paper is seamless photography paper I bought on Amazon. Today I will be making something better to diffuse the light.

I like learning.  Every new venture gives me an opportunity to learn.  Right now the focus is on taking better images.  Which may mean buying a digital SLR in the future.

~ Dixie Redmond

Mini Izzy's Cousin

A while ago I made a mini Izannah.  I made a Skinny Mini Izzy and a Chunky Mini Izzy.   To see the more slender mini Izzy click here.  Here is the chunkier mini Izzy in process.  She needs arms and legs.  I say that a lot!  ;-)

~ Dixie Redmond

New Year, New Art Supplies

I have cautioned in the past about how we can think that our art is in magic art supplies.  BUT. Sometimes it is good to step outside of our expected path, it brings a new perspective. This is why people take vacations  ;-)   

I had bought some Inktense pencils a while ago and used them here or there.  Inktense pencils work a bit like watercolor pencils, but they are supposedly permanent.  I am testing that out today, using various marks by dipping the pencil into water and making marks, drawing onto wet areas of paper and using the pencils and blocks dry and then coming in with a wash of water.  My older son helped me out a bit, too.  

I expect that I will eventually use this product with doll making, but what fun it was to just have a play time!   I want to do more paintings in the future.   But for now, play is the name of the game.  This is not a planned or realized piece of art, but an exploration of what the product can do.  It can do a lot.  The trick is to learn to do the "mistakes" on purpose.  

Closeup:

~ Dixie Redmond