-Rohvannyn Shaw
Category: Uncategorized
Argh! Midlife crisis!
I jest, I jest.
Well, maybe I have a little midlife crisis. I’m about to…. (drumroll please) switch from acrylics to oils.
It happened like this. Due to the neighbor problems that caused me to buy a house in the first place, I hadn’t felt much like painting in quite a while. Who knew acrylics can go bad inside a sealed tube? When I was transferring my stuff from apartment to house, I realized that nearly every tube and bottle of acrylic paint was lumpy, half coagulated, and resistant to re-mixing.
ART DISASTER.
Or is it?
Living in this house with all its possibilities has caused me to think a little more creatively – and since I’ve always wanted to try painting with oils, and have rediscovered the wet on wet painting technique via Bob Ross, why not replace my acrylics with oils?
Problem solved, opportunity found.
The cost is a little higher, yes, okay maybe a lot higher, but like the watercolors and colored pencils I used on the greeting card you see above, oil paints take a lot more punishment before going bad.
For cleaning I am going to use orange oil (similar properties as lavender spike oil, used by artists before turpentine was common) and for those really hard jobs, stinky mineral spirits. I don’t want to use odorless mineral spirits because most of the danger is still there without the warning signs. This will be supplemented by an open window, and open door, and an exhaust fan in my study/studio.
Some of my brushes will still work. My canvasses can be reused. Same with my gesso. I think this will be an interesting adventure, and hopefully start a love affair with oils.
So there you have it… my version of a midlife crisis.
Early Rising
It’s so easy to be a night owl. I was. I may be again someday. I have worked swing shift for years and years. I finally found a job that starts no LATER than eight but we can show up at six thirty if we want.
I thought “Argh! I’m used to getting up at nine! Going to bed at two or three! I’m an incurable night owl! How can I ever adapt? Why would I want to?”
There was angst, trust me.
Then I moved into my new house. Everything was so topsy turvy, and I was so tired from all the hoop-jumping with the overly long loan process, not to mention packing, cleaning, hauling, cleaning, moving boxes, putting things away, and worrying about car troubles – I was ready for bed every night by ten.
I decided “It’s a heat wave right now. It’s already over ninety by the time I have to drive in. I’m going to get up early.”
It felt strange at first, but I realized I really liked it. It’s so cool and quiet in the morning. The traffic is light. It’s not so stressful to commute. The people at work are quieter at six thirty and we can get a lot done before the rest come in at eight. There’s a bit of camaraderie between all the early folks.
I mention all this because it can be so easy to think “I can’t change, I have to do this because x and y and z,” and by doing that you might actually be missing out on a lot. Getting up early can give you a little more time in the morning, to get ready for the day, have caffeine of some form, maybe even sit down to eat breakfast. Who knows?
Hopefully life will allow me to stay an early riser for a while!
If you don’t get up early now, and you get a chance to try it, you might like it.
August Skies
In my new suburban paradise, I have seen some beautiful skies. It’s the middle of Monsoon, which has been a bit odd this year. Not as many big storms, more hot and muggy days. It’s all right. Weather varies, and no one can predict it all the time.
Mindflight may be taking a new turn, but it is certainly not gone. Much has changed in my life but my priorities are the same. I want to share inspiration that will remind everyone to reach toward their dreams. In fact, now I want to do that more than ever! More details in days to come.
Here are some skyscapes from my new neighborhood – which I love. Expect to see ideas for home improvement projects and possibly some grilling tips as I settle into home ownership!
Shinji finds a Forever Home
Boo-boo was a Lynx Point Siamese. He’d been living with his human Mom for the past seven years, and had been adopted from the local animal shelter. 1,276 more words
New book by cat-inspired author
I’d like to share a little story. Ever since I was a teenager I wanted to be a writer. I made several attempts at writing only to hit a road block pretty quick. It’s not an easy task that’s for sure. I tried several different genres, many different plot lines and gave up. Until Tortie.…
Almost a total disaster
A small town zoo and rescue needs help, and there are some great ways to do it.
The following is copied from a site called Aywas, however I thought my readers might like knowing about this, too.
“This place is called The Little Ponderosa Zoo, and it is located in Clinton, Tennessee. They started out as a zoo, but quickly after opening their doors they were flooded by requests from people asking to drop off their exotic pets. So they soon became a zoo and rescue. They are located in my very small town, but the impact they have is country-wide. They have taken in animals from all over the states, from monkeys to foxes to camels to kangaroos. They even have a couple tigers they took in from an animal sanctuary that couldn’t keep them permanently. The Little Ponderosa Zoo has been a household name in our little town for years.
On December 4th, an electrical fire burned down the main barn on the property. Employees and fire fighters suffered from burns trying to save as many animals as they could. But unfortunately, they still lost almost 50 animals, including several primates, small cats, foxes, birds, reptiles, and more. But in addition to the loss of life, the barn also held all of their feed and feeding containers. They are desperately reaching out to the community for donations, both monetary and items.
I have been completely heartbroken over this, along with everyone in my community. And I know that this is the sort of thing that Aywas users would want to know about, and would want to help out with. I would love to see my amazing virtual community reach out to this very deserving staple of my offline community. Aywas users have done so much good, and I know they can do that again.
No matter what you can give, be it money, items, thoughts, prayers, or spreading awareness, everything is appreciated!”
If you would like to donate Here is a link to their Website
I have also compiled a list of other relevant links:
More Ways to Help
More Information
List of Animals Lost in the Fire
