Catholic Animal Lover!

Today I didn’t do as much as I’d hoped to accomplish, but it was still a very rewarding day, methinks.

First off–I’ve become a Twitter.com addict! If you’re on Twitter, let me know! My Twitter is Twitter.com/LovingAnimals, and I’d love to “tweet” with you! I’m learning the ins and outs of Twitter, but I do know it’s an easy way to have your work of any kind advertised, as well as to share pointless tidbits from your daily life, heh. Which we all know Audrey loves to do.

I got to do some laundry, which I still have to hang up to dry. I got to call the insurance to switch my Dr., only to find out that the Dr. I wanted–for pedeatrics as well as general health–wasn’t accepting any new patients. So I have to check the website again, find another Dr., and then find out if they’re accepting new patients before I call my insurance back.

I was going through some writing websites today, that I have on my creative bookmark tab, trying to remember why I kept all of them, and if I’m actually going to write for any of the jobs/contests. This was a big thing for me, merely because I see a lot of things that I would love to write for, and seem like great opportunities–but I’m realizing writing short articles, or certain things may not be my niche. So I am trying to weed out the junk, and see what I’d actually be willing to commit to. I loose interest easily, I guess, or focus, rather.

Maybe some of it is being pregnant! I blame Dominic, heh (Dominic Raphael, to be exact!!).

But there was a great sense of joy in seeing my hands spashed in metallic sapphire blue acrylic paint today!

I started painting another plaster mini today–a little dragon. He’s adorable, like the Turtle I put up on Artfire.com was (see him HERE ), but I want to make him special in color–like the Cat I put up was–(HERE ). So I’m doing him in a base of sapphire blue metallic, and will use silver and other “shiny” colors on him after the initial coat is done.

I know painting and my craftwork isn’t something right now that seems to be worth it, but I’m hoping to get started, get better, and get some selling under my belt. I have bigger,other projects I’ll be doing soon–the wreaths, frames, coat hangers–but right now, due to space and money, I have to stay small.

But I admit, it is tough trying to develop creative talent into something useful. Especially since i’m sure it appears to my husband that I should be writing and not painting, heh. But it’s part of my dream to keep my creative side alive in all avenues–if I can, and maybe be able to sell some things on the side, to share my work with other people.

This includes writing, of course, and drawing. And even singing down the line–maybe. We’ll see what opens up. Right now we’re limited with means and opportunities, so I have to go a bit slow.

But it is a dream of mine. Even as I paint more, I’m learning more what works and what doesn’t. Who knows–I may even get good!

I’m glad I can blog on here, although I wish I knew why Today.com wasn’t paying for the posts in my 1st blog for this entire year. They’re not even flagging or checking them as problem posts! All the posts from my OTHER BLOG on here from 2009 haven’t even been reviewed or anything. I got no notice that they were going to stop checking them–and the posts from this blog have been all reviewed/payed for..so who knows.

Desperate times call for desperate measures! I’ve begun drawing again, as I’d mentioned. I’ve also started doing some painting–Acrylic is what I decided to start with–and so have begun to be “on a roll”, as it were, with my artistic side. Whether it’s any good remains to be seen!

I’ve started with Acrylics, because I don’t really like the way Watercolors can look, and I’m not skilled enough to dabble in Oils (no way, no how!). Plus, you can buy the little bottles at Walmart for like, $.60, which is good news to those of us struggling!

I also purchased a mess of discount paintbrushes, which are all from China (oh well), and all different sizes/uses. There are even a couple of those small black foam looking things with the wooden handles that you use when you’re painting in your house, and alwaze break, and are good for nothing, heh. But beggers can’t be choosers, and I’ve been enjoying testing out the different brushes and finding what they’re better for.

I was really glad there was a tiny brush, because I wanted to have something workable for detail, till I can buy some good ones.

So, I have carved out a little nook for myself on the dresser that resides in the room hubby and I and Berzerker (cat) reside in. We have no room for anything, but I need a space to work! I’m currently working on several projects, including an 8X10″ canvas, a couple of plaster animals (2 of which you can see in the picture), and my first ACT/ACEO card!! I have an idea what I want to paint, but man is it hard to paint something on a card the size of a baseball card! But it’s a fun challenge, and something new for me to try…

As you can tell from the photo, I also am using cheap palettes, and am not really following any protocol. But it’s art, right? Do I have to?!

The little plaster animals are a bugger to paint with Acrylics, but I realized after the kitten I did came out less than great, that it’s better to go over the whole thing (or as much as one can) with the base color, and work over that. The good thing about Acrylic paint is that it dries really quickly, so you can paint something, then go right into painting something over it.

I am hoping to get used to painting the plaster animals, which I think are adorable, and then perhaps sell some of them–after I coat them with a sealer, of course.

There are a lot of other crafts I want to do as well, but I have to make sure I don’t go all ADD and get distracted. Luckily we don’t have the money right now for me to do anything but little ones, heh. But hopefully down the line, even after the baby, I can get back into some things–like the wreaths I used to make–and can get good enough to maybe sell them at crafting fairs or something.

I really want to focus this year on using as much of my creative talent as I can–even though Peter (hubby) is constantly saying I don’t use my talent enough, lol.

ETA: Ok, I had trouble with the photo–for some reason they’re not showing up full size–only one side of them. So I made it a thumbnail image. Hopefully it shows up ok and there aren’t two of them!! Sorry it’s so tiny..